The last couple of times I’ve had the themeless Friday puzzle in the New York Times, I’ve announced that it was probably my “last puzzle.” Recently my brother asked me what the hell I’m talking about: I don’t plan on creating any more crosswords? Ever?
No, silly. But the Friday puzzles that have been popping up lately were created and sent to the Times a long while back. Will Shortz ages them in special oak cabinets for many months, maybe even a year, maybe more. And I promptly forget that I ever created the puzzles in the first place.
So I sort of lose track of what puzzles I’ve got coming up. When I announced a while back that I thought such-and-such a puzzle was my last, I meant that it was the last one I currently had in the Times pipeline, not the last I would ever create. In any event, I was wrong, since another one popped up a few weeks later. And then a few weeks after that. Each time I announced that this puzzle was probably the last one.
Naturally, I have the crossword in today’s paper. This time I really, really think it’s the last one I had mellowing out in Will’s oak cabinet. But there’ll be more, as soon as I get around to making them.
Update: I should note that I am only talking about daily puzzles here. I’m far better about keeping track of Sunday puzzles, and I know that I’ve got a couple of Going Too Fars in the pipeline. Those will show up on a couple of random Sundays, who-knows-when.
2 Comments
3/16/07 puzzle. A very challenging effort. I especially enjoyed “strands, somehow” (ices in) and “skinny” (dermal). Don’t let this be your last one.
Regards, George Stephan
That puzzle has had me going for two days. I finished Saturday’s and am still working on Friday’s (yours)–it rarely takes me this long, but when it does I relish the challenge. Best regards, Joker