Virtual Brush Box

Words of the outside world. Currently reading (ebook), Across the Universe, The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle, by Natan Last (Pantheon 2025). Publisher’s page. Author’s website

~~~

American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
April 10-12, 2026
Virtual

A play-by-play

Before

Haven’t done a NYT crossword since I boycotted the NYT in April 2025. [It’s All Outside World Today]

Did a few online puzzles but our wifi is slow enough that the reaction time gets annoying.

So, basically, going in cold.

Friday Evening

Warm-up puzzles on my desktop. Artemis splashdown on my phone.

Saturday

I was doing the puzzles virtually, which meant I had the choice to do them at the same time as the IRL folks or go back and do them later. In either case, I had to abide by the given time limit for each puzzle.

Morning. Lesson.

Afternoon. Started with puzzle #4 live. Clean, 78 words, 187 boxes.

While I waited, I went back for puzzle #1. Clean, 76 words, 189 boxes.

Puzzle #5 live. Got the theme. Five words left blank. Two boxes wrong. That’s pretty good for the traditional tournament stumper that is puzzle 5. I might have gotten it with more time, which is better than the no hopers of other years. OTOH, Shortz did say this was was easier, for a puzzle 5 definition of easier.

Puzzle #6 Live. Clean, 118 words, 301 boxes.

Pause for horses.

Back to do 2 & 3.

Puzzle #2. Clean, 96 words, 211 boxes.

Puzzle #3 Clean, 116 words, 300 boxes.

Evening. Entertainment

Sunday

Puzzle #7 live. Clean. 145 words, 384 boxes.

More entertainment. Prizes awarded. Finals live. Continues to be oddly riveting to watch people solve crossword puzzles very fast.

My Results

Puzzles 1-4 and 6-7. 100%.
Puzzle 5 was 5.

Remarkably consistent results given that I haven’t crossed more than a handful of words since last year’s tournament.

What is this fixation with puzzle #5? Its a thing.

From 2023, Constructor’s notes for puzzle 5. Reposted from [Almost Flawless, American Crossword Puzzle Tournament 2023]

And then there’s Puzzle 5. The evil, evil Puzzle 5. The impasse to any and all positive solving momentum up to that point. It’s designed to be truly impenetrable on purpose, to separate the elite solvers from the rest of the pack. Think a Thursday-plus-plus theme gimmick combined with Saturday-plus-plus cluing. Oh, and you have only 30 minutes to finish the whole thing. The vast majority of solvers come nowhere close.

This Puzzle Is a Battle, Sam Ezersky, The New York Times [April 19, 2023]

This year #5 was about same as 2024 “I probably could have finished with more time.” [Weekend of Words]

In 2023, “My notes for puzzle 5 – Why is this even fun?” [Almost Flawless]

Bits & Pieces

Thought. Puzzle #1. Clue: This day and age. Answer: MODERN ERA. For the folks living at the time, it is always the modern era.

Same clue, words vary. Puzzle #1. Clue: Prohibit. Answer. BAR. Had Ban. Caught by cross. Interesting that ban & bar have the same number of letters and would both fit. OTOH, that is probably not a mistake.

SC,WV. Puzzle #2. Clue: Blue expanse. Answer: SEA. Also, sky.

Entertainments and livestream interviews available on YouTube: ACPT.

Archives [ACPT and Crossword Puzzles]

Onwards!
Katherine

Photography of the outside world. Fstoppers: How Steven Madow Captured the Artemis II Launch With 14 Cameras, Cooke, 5 April 2026. Life as a launch site photographer.

~~~

Both sets of photos by Greg Walcott

Slide show. Film, Ilford HP5. New Orleans. Mid-90s, probably 1996. Roll found in an old camera bag. Developed March 2026.

Slide show. Film, Arista EDU 400. Local. Taken recently. Developed March 2026.

Onwards!
Katherine

Horses of the outside world. Guinness Book of Records: Largest Equestrian Statue. The following websites picked for pretty pictures, no promotion intended. Escape to Mongolia: Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue in Tuv Province (check out the boot) & Sixt: Behold the Mighty Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue: A Monumental Tribute in Mongolia.

~~~

Optimus
Stepping Stone Farm
9 April 2026

Five months since last ASB ride. [A Lovely Lesson That Will Have To Last A While]

Boogie
Stepping Stone Farm
10 April 2026

Five months since last drive. [Learning My Aids, Driving Lesson]

Riding Lesson

Lovely.

Not the first time I have ridden well after time away. Lower expectations? I’m relaxed because I figure it’s been while & we’ll get what we get? Then, when I’m riding regularly, I try hard – or try too hard – and get in my own way? Would not be out of character.

Driving Lesson

Did you know that you can use the reins to shift the horse’s weight? From the cart? True story.

But seriously folks. Making the gradual progression from passenger to driver.

Before Riding Lesson I

Nerves came roaring back.

I had none with before my lesson with Goldy last week. [Back In The Saddle II, Lesson]

Now that the show is no longer on horizon, I was back to where I was with Razzy.

“In contrast, I was not the slightest bit nervous before my hunt seat lesson with Razzy a few days before. No big deal. Gonna get on, stroll around, have a lovely time with an adorable pony … What exactly do I think I am doing in a saddle seat lesson?” [Lesson and Thoughts Thereon]

What is it with Saddlebreds?

one. ASB ears. One of first things I said about Saddlebreds in a post about my first lesson, aggravated by all the years with the two drama kings, who can pull a hissy fit out of thin air.

“Picture a horse with a high head, bulging eyes and ears so alert they almost touch. In a Thoroughbred this means lift-off is imminent. In a Saddlebred, it means hello.” [Sam I Am]

two. Predictability. With Goldy I know which horse I will be riding. I like certain. I like riding & building a bond with one horse.

three. Maybe I don’t understand, on a deep level, what is going on? In language. I’m good with words. English words. Less good when the same ideas are expressed with different sounds. Perhaps I am tied to one way of expressing riding principles.

Before Riding Lesson II

Fortunately my tie downs were with the jod straps. Would totally have left home without them. How quickly they forget. Other things I forgot. Gloves. Stick. Things I had to remind self. Pinkies in. Stick starts in left hand (swap, rather than stay in right hand all the time). Outside rein, outside leg to canter. This I say out loud. [Side By Side]

Before Driving Lesson

Mildly concerned beforehand. Coaches Courtney and James let me ease into the lesson. Boogie was his usual stellar self.

Onwards!
Katherine

Horses of the outside world. North African Circus Mosaics: House of Horses Mosaics

~~~

Goldy
Rosewood Farm
8 April 2026

Milestones

Cantered a low course. Only 25% trust the horse. Up from 50% last week. [Back In The Saddle II]

Jumped a low, narrow oxer. First oxer in I-have-no-idea-how-long.

Sat chilly. On the second course, we got into a line on an awkward stride. At a certain point in front of the fence, you can’t fix it. You have to wait it out and ride what you get. Waiting is hard.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. BBC: Orbán era swept away by Péter Magyar’s Hungary election landslide, Kirby, 13 April 2026.

~~~

Milton ridden for the third time last week [Back in the Saddle I]

This time, we went on the usual morning walk with both horses, except Milton was being ridden while Rodney walked in hand. Yes, in hand, as in attached to a leadrope. I did not want Rodney hippy-hopping off into the distance and giving Milton ideas. Mind you, there was a 90% chance that Milton would have stood there and watched. Still, if there was even a slim chance of meltdown, I didn’t want to take the risk.

So Rodney was led.

He was deeply offended.

“Rodney has now decided he does our morning pasture walks at liberty, thank you very much.” [Having Opinions]

Seriously, we spent most of the walk marveling at Rodney’s immense outrage.

Way to go, Dude. Milton goes for a group trail walk for the first time in ages and you make it all about you.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Laundry theory. Small load is shorter time, not smaller amount of water (as was my assumption). Furthermore, we should be using small loads/shorter times because fabrics have gotten easier to clean and detergents have gotten more effective. Will investigate. Has anyone heard similar?

~~~

Warm weather is nice.

Open doors & windows are nice.

Beautiful blue skies are nice.

Bugs. Not so nice.

Bought the first fly spray of the year.

Found the first tick of the year.

It was a tiny one in Rodney’s forelock. I found it. Because of course I did.

Maybe a second one on Milton. Not a surprise. Milton is the tick magnet. He sticks his head more places in his quest for eats. He gets ticks in his ears and then gets extremely ticklish and won’t let us touch the ear or even get a close look. Not touchie? No look, you might touchie!

Moving deftly, other barn minion managed a squirt or so of fly spray in the offending ear. A few days later, we could go near the ear. Bug? No bug? The world may never know.

I’ve said much of this before. The entomological obsession with our horses is not new.

Previous Posts

[Magic Fingers] Finding ticks

[Minion! Minion! Attend Me!] Grooming

[Fly Spray For Ear Bugs, Horse Management Hack]

[Let The Barbering Begin] No touchie!

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. CCS: Vermont’s Sixth Cartoonist Laureate Appointed.

~~~

Jobs I have held, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 2018 Standard Occupational Classification System.

17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations
17-3031 Surveying and Mapping Technicians

23-0000 Legal Occupations
23-2011 Paralegals and Legal Assistants

25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
25-3041 Tutors

27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
27-3023 News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
27-3043 Writers and Authors
27-3041 Editors
27-4021 Photographers

35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
35-3031 Waiters and Waitresses
35-9011 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
35-9099 Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other

39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations
39-2021 Animal Caretakers

41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations
41-2031 Retail Salespersons

51-0000 Production Occupations
51-6042 Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders

Premise

I love graphic novels. Unfortunately, it is an admiration that is not returned. This project is to see what I can do for a graphic memoir without being able to draw.

Process Notes

Doesn’t stand alone. Need to add the what, when, & where of specific jobs. Would work as chapter opener.

Previous Posts

[I-Wish-I-Could-Draw Graphic Memoir, School Segment]

[I-Wish-I-Could-Draw Graphic Memoir, People & Pets Segment]

Onwards!
Katherine