Sunday

The talented Patrick Berry constructed today's "Kneecaps" puzzle in the NYT. The eight theme entries made up one of the most amusing themes I've seen in months, appending a sounds-like-"knee" syllable to the ends of the base phrases. WITHOUT A CLOONEY, CONTEMPT OF COURTNEY, EDGAR ALLAN PONY, THE KARATE KIDNEY, REMEMBER THE ALIMONY, FROM ON HEINIE, and LOOK OUT BOLOGNA were my favorites among the theme entries. (Yes, seven out of the eight were my favorites. What can I say? They made me giggle.) I won't document my dead-tree solving time today, but will say that I suspect I've become considerably faster online than on paper by now.

I accompanied my xenial hostess to the late showing of Wordplay I have now seen the movie in four states (Utah during Sundance, Connecticut during the ACPT, Illinois, and Minnesota). I'm guessing the stars, who traveled to so many film festivals to support the film, can top my count. There were about 30 people at a 9:30 showing on the third weekend it was showing here, in a state where the winters are so long that locals like to take advantage of the outdoors in summertime—so it seems like a respectable amount of business.