Recap 1: The Puzzle

Bracelet, IU Alumni Show:  Grunwald Gallery

New February Challenge described over here on WordSavvy.  It's all about RECAPPING.  So here we go:

This morning, Husbandman and I sit together to solve the NYT Sunday puzzle, as we are wont to do each and every Sunday morning.  The puzzle writer is our old nemesis, Patrick Berry.  We record our starting time: 8:41.  I open my iPad to take some notes for the recap.  Husbandman is not happy at all about this, but I assure him it's necessary because of my short term memory issues.  

Upper left quadrant gives us some trouble.  We move on and begin answering other clues at a pretty good clip.  Husbandman says, "I feel like we're going to get this whole puzzle done and then that left hand corner is going to be impossible."  On the iPad I write, "Negativity."  Husbandman reaches over and tries to delete my note.  We struggle over ownership of the iPad, but then he gives up as we're losing valuable time and we move on.  

I figure out the gimmick for the puzzle and I'm pretty pleased with myself.  Husbandman critiques some of my printing.  I reach for the iPad again and write "judgment."  Husbandman says, "Why don't you recap yourself and leave me out of this?"  

Towards the bottom of the puzzle, I can't figure out 83 across, "A somewhat redundant literary genre." Husbandman comes up with it (Short short story) and I'm royally cheesed off because literary genre tends to be my domain. 

We finish everything except for the left upright corner.  3 down: Skull Session result.  I figure out the answer is IDEA and the rest of the corner falls into place: smite, Auden, murk, Ennius.  9:24.  One of our best times ever.  I hand the puzzle over to Husbandman so he can write the epitaph for the puzzler. He does this every week and it really seals the deal on our sense of victory.  Husbandman writes, "We'll sip some sherry as we're feeling quite merry, Berry." 

We've done it again.