Crossword tournament question - are folks attending as competitors or non?

What's the average difficulty on a NYT day-of-the-week scale? (I downloaded the sample puzzle but I don't have access to a working printer right now...)

Okay, there’s significant cartilage damage and for sure a labral tear with a paralabral cyst full of synovial fluid. Next step is to get in with an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip preservation (ie, arthroscopic repair rather than full joint replacement).

Dag, Tep! That's a fucked up hip. So you been doing cancer care all year with a crippled hip? That sounds very painful.

1. I have been doing cancer care with a fucked-up hip. But I have a cane for when walking is agonizing, so there's that.

2. It is pretty fucking painful. I've been trying to not complain about it, because when your husband has cancer, you feel like a dick grumbling about hip pain. (Last night, Tim asked, "What if it's cancer?" Me: "Cancer of the hip isn't a thing." Tim: "Bone cancer is a thing." Me: "Wow, that got dark FAST.") (It's not bone cancer of the hip. Just cartilage that won't get its act together.)

3. I can't overstate how thrilled I am to have an actual-factual diagnosis supported by imaging, so I can proceed with getting this fucker fixed up. When it's fixed and healed, I am going to do ALL THE THINGS. Starting with just goddamn walking to the corner.

I can't overstate how thrilled I am to have an actual-factual diagnosis supported by imaging, so I can proceed with getting this fucker fixed up.

Having an actual-factual diagnosis is such a relief. I'm super glad you got one, and am hoping I get one.

Today is my first day back at work, and it's very quiet. Which is no surprise, because damn near everyone in the company is en route to Phoenix for the week-long company kickoff. I am going to use the days I'm not virtually attending sessions to clean up lingering chaos from 2025.

Crossword tournament question - are folks attending as competitors or non?

Competitors! I mean, and also people came in for dinners to socialize, of course. Most of the competition happens Saturday, with, I think, one puzzle Sunday morning.

Then on Sunday, the live top three competitors in a couple of categories compete up front on whiteboards for all to watch -- that would be fun to watch even if you hadn't been a competitor the day before, but I suspect it'd be pretty boring on Saturday if you're not competing. Jesse, brenda -- agree?

What's the average difficulty on a NYT day-of-the-week scale? (I downloaded the sample puzzle but I don't have access to a working printer right now...)

They are different levels during the competition -- there's one notoriously hard one that I guess a lot of people don't finish, but Jesse did last year! I forget whether brenda or Erin (Jesse's friend) did.

I'd say nothing is a Monday, but they're not all Fridays or Saturdays.

I mean, I did terribly overall last year, but I still had SO MUCH fun.

I am prepping for this year's, but even going in cold last year, it was fab. By cold, I mean, we do the online NYT together every day, but I didnt really print and practice writing it out like we used to in the olden days.

This year I've been printing archive puzzles and doing them alone and timing myself, etc. Which is its own brand of nerdy fun, of course. I did that through June, I think, and I'm going to pick it up again now.

I think Jesses's friend said she ordered a couple of the previous years' puzzle packs to practice with. I did that, too, this year though I haven't done them yet.

Thanks Jen! I'm thinking of trying as a competitor even if I don't expect to do very well. I am annoyed that the Marriott is already sold out! (There is a backup hotel very nearby but Marriott is where my points work, damnit. Especially for an event that close to where I live.)

I know! I was surprised. At least three of us are at the Stamford.

ETA: And last year I was able to use points to pay for both nights. Although, that wouldn't have happened this year. Still!

I finished a writing submission in two days. go me. -t puts the dots in like the commander likes.(still funny, on the show that McNulty, the drunken hound, is still the best at typing reports. On most TV, he wouldn't be.)

I'm thinking about doing the crossword tournament -- scheduling it around work and Passover would be a pain, but possible. But the only way I can figure out to manage it would mean not having a car, and probably not being able to bring my wheelchair, which seems like it would complicate things even more.

Aww the crossword thing sounds fun, though I am not practiced enough at anything other than the mini to make it worth it.

53 week year sounds confusing. Unless that means we get an extra vacation week or something.

I will in theory be inheriting a chunk from my dad now that he has passed, but sadly not enough to like, retire now or anything. More “make my retirement account more robust”. If only I had a mysterious cousin or aunt or family friend…

Excel considers the week beginning 12/28 to be 2025 Week 53, but our internal financial reporting considers it to be 2026 Week 1 so... [[flips table]]

The week Supply Chain thought it was and the week the Sales team and Finance thought it was were different all of 2025, but hardly anyone besides us actually uses the week numbers so it wasn't too bad. It will be nice to be aligned on the calendar in 2026, though.

I can't overstate how thrilled I am to have an actual-factual diagnosis supported by imaging, so I can proceed with getting this fucker fixed up. When it's fixed and healed, I am going to do ALL THE THINGS. Starting with just goddamn walking to the corner.

Super excited for this for you!

-t puts the dots in like the commander likes.

It's amazing how often I think of that when I'm formatting!

I would really like to do the crossword tournament but just looking at hotel and registration, I really shouldn't spend that money, and I don't even want to think about airfare, so probably not going to make it. I have not explored the wonderful world of reward points, I might have something applicable I suppose. I have a couple of days to think about it before I even could register, so I might change my mind.