This here thing, this “misses nyt crossword”, I tell ya, it’s a real head-scratcher! I try and try, but some days, them clues, they just fly right over my head. Like that fancy bird, what’s it called? The one with the long tail feathers. Anyways, it’s gone. Just like my answers sometimes.
I sit here with my pencil, chewin’ on the end, starin’ at them little squares. NYT Crossword, they call it. Big fancy words sometimes. I remember one time, the clue was somethin’ about tearful and not meant to be. I thought about that a long time. It is about PENSIVE EX. It make me think of my old man sometimes. He wanted all expensive things and I just want simple life.
Sometimes I get a few right, feel like I’m on top of the world. Like that one time I got “apple” right. Felt real smart that day, I did. But then, the next one’s got me all twisted up. Like a pretzel. A big, hard, salty pretzel.
- Monday’s puzzle, that’s the easiest.
- Tuesday’s a little harder.
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, they just keep gettin’ tougher!
- Saturday? Forget about it! That one’s for them college folks, I reckon.
They say these crosswords are supposed to be good for your brain. Keep you sharp, like a tack. Well, my brain feels more like a dull butter knife most days. Especially after wranglin’ with that NYT Crossword.
I seen folks use them fancy tools, them crossword solver things. Type in what ya know, and it spits out the answer. Feels like cheatin’ to me. Where’s the fun in that? It’s like findin’ a dollar on the ground versus earnin’ it yourself. Just ain’t the same.
There was this one clue, “Misses“. What in tarnation does that mean? Misses what? Misses who? It took me a while to figure out. I even think about use that crossword solver, but I didn’t. I just keep thinking. Finally, I got it!
I remember another one, somethin’ about “Next time, try readin’ the clue!” Well, I am readin’ the clue! Plain as day! Sometimes I think they make ’em tricky on purpose. Just to mess with folks like me.
And then it says I should stick to Sudoku. What’s that? Is that some kind of a food? I don’t know. Maybe I am too old to learn new things. I just want to finish this NYT crossword and have a nice day.
I keep all my old crosswords. Got a whole stack of ’em, piled up higher than a haystack. Sometimes, I go back and look at the ones I finished. Makes me feel good. Like I accomplished somethin’. Even if it took me all day and half the night.
There is a Mini Crossword thing. It is much easier. But I still like the big one. It is more challenging. And I like challenge. I always did.
Some folks, they just breeze right through these things. Like it ain’t nothin’. Me, I gotta take my time. Think about each clue real careful. Sometimes I even talk to myself, try to figure it out. My old cat, Mittens, she just sits there and stares at me. Probably thinks I’ve lost my marbles. Maybe it is true. But I won’t give up. I will finish this misses nyt crossword no matter how long it takes me.
And when you try to find answers, you can sort by length. What a good idea! I wish I know this before. It will make it much easier to solve those crosswords. I will try it next time.
Well, I best get back to it. This NYT Crossword ain’t gonna solve itself. Wish me luck! I’m gonna need it. Especially if that Saturday one is as hard as they say. Maybe I’ll just skip that one. Or maybe I’ll just stare at it until the cows come home. Either way, I ain’t givin’ up. Not on this crossword. Not on anything. That’s just not my way.
This whole thing reminds me of plantin’ seeds. You gotta put in the work, even when you don’t see results right away. You gotta water ’em, tend to ’em, and have faith that somethin’ will sprout. Same with these crosswords. You gotta keep at it, even when you’re stumped. Eventually, somethin’ will click. And when it does, it’s a mighty fine feelin’. Just like harvest time.
