Misc stuff, part one: puzzles

• Not only did tmcay and canadianpuzzler and I have the puzzle in yesterday's WSJ, but I found tonight that our puzzle (with jangler_npl) from last August is now available in The New York Times Sunday in the Sand Crosswords. We're puzzle #2 in the book.

• Today's NYT puzzle ( spoiler )

• Unfortunately, my flats this month apparently couldn't run in order, presumably for production reasons, but I will note for those who will appreciate it that my working title was "A Musical Within a Comedy Wrapped Inside The Enigma," and the set is complete. I'm not thrilled with #8, but I am deeply grateful to Crax for granting me a few extra days to finish them off and submit them.

Misc stuff, part one: puzzles

• Not only did tmcay and canadianpuzzler and I have the puzzle in yesterday's WSJ, but I found tonight that our puzzle (with jangler_npl) from last August is now available in The New York Times Sunday in the Sand Crosswords. We're puzzle #2 in the book.

• Today's NYT puzzle ( spoiler )

• Unfortunately, my flats this month apparently couldn't run in order, presumably for production reasons, but I will note for those who will appreciate it that my working title was "A Musical Within a Comedy Wrapped Inside The Enigma," and the set is complete. I'm not thrilled with #8, but I am deeply grateful to Crax for granting me a few extra days to finish them off and submit them.

Misc. stuff, part two: kids

• Alissa is now reading (mostly) independently. We took Bark, George by Jules Feiffer out of the library, and she's reading.

• Each Shabbat afternoon, over our seudah shelishit meal, we've been learning a little mishna with the kids. Today we started Avot, and read "Do not be like a servant who expects a reward, act like a servant who serves without expecting a reward." I asked the kids what they thought that meant, and Tani said: "It means be like Luke Skywalker, and not like Han Solo. All Han wanted was to be paid, and so he just stood there by the microphone while Luke ran into the jail to save Leia, and Luke stayed with the rebels for the whole battle and worked really hard but Han just stayed on the outside and only made one shot. So someone who only wants the money is going to do the least he can to get paid, but someone who does something for love or because he believes in it is going to work really hard to do it right."

• Tani is getting better and better at biking.

• Alissa has another loose tooth.

Misc. stuff, part two: kids

• Alissa is now reading (mostly) independently. We took Bark, George by Jules Feiffer out of the library, and she's reading.

• Each Shabbat afternoon, over our seudah shelishit meal, we've been learning a little mishna with the kids. Today we started Avot, and read "Do not be like a servant who expects a reward, act like a servant who serves without expecting a reward." I asked the kids what they thought that meant, and Tani said: "It means be like Luke Skywalker, and not like Han Solo. All Han wanted was to be paid, and so he just stood there by the microphone while Luke ran into the jail to save Leia, and Luke stayed with the rebels for the whole battle and worked really hard but Han just stayed on the outside and only made one shot. So someone who only wants the money is going to do the least he can to get paid, but someone who does something for love or because he believes in it is going to work really hard to do it right."

• Tani is getting better and better at biking.

• Alissa has another loose tooth.

Misc. stuff, part three: Anniversary

So tonight we hired a babysitter and went out. This is the first time in ages that we've done that. The occasion was celebrating our "knowing each other for half of introverte's life".

And what did we do? We went to Coolidge Corner and bookstore-hopped and had ice cream. That was a typical date when we first met, although back then the bookstores were in Harvard Square (I miss Wordsworth, and what was the other one around the corner that became a Tower Records?) and the ice cream was Herrell's on Dunster St.

Tonight, we saw mabfan's signed copies of I Remember the Future at Booksmith (but didn't buy any, since we'll get ours at the publication party). That was awesomely cool.

Misc. stuff, part three: Anniversary

So tonight we hired a babysitter and went out. This is the first time in ages that we've done that. The occasion was celebrating our "knowing each other for half of introverte's life".

And what did we do? We went to Coolidge Corner and bookstore-hopped and had ice cream. That was a typical date when we first met, although back then the bookstores were in Harvard Square (I miss Wordsworth, and what was the other one around the corner that became a Tower Records?) and the ice cream was Herrell's on Dunster St.

Tonight, we saw mabfan's signed copies of I Remember the Future at Booksmith (but didn't buy any, since we'll get ours at the publication party). That was awesomely cool.