I'm playing a solo show! 7/31, Milwaukie, OR Porchfest. 4790 SE Logus Road (Kairos-Milwaukie UCC front yard). Solo CDs will be available. The Language Master will probably appear. I may stock the little free library with some choice books from my collection. If you are actually reading this blog, say hello.
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I had always wanted to get into cryptic crosswords. As a young Games Magazine subscriber in the 80s, I loved the wordplay and bonkers poetry of a cryptic clue, but back then I was too young, and ever since then I hadn't found a chance to familiarize myself with their conventions.
Fortunately, now there is Parseword. I've been doing it for a few months now. It does a really good job of gently lowering you, one puzzle per day, into the cryptic crossword solving process and mindset. You start out with some hints and guidance, but as you get better, you can take off the training wheels. And just now, I finished my first cryptic crossword without any hints. Feeling pretty good.
