C.C. needed a pinch hitter and looked down the bench and all she saw was a Husker Gary just called up from the Nebraska League. So here I am taking my first swings at bat in the LA Times League.

Jeff's fun puzzle contained the theme in the clues and then the superfluously unnecessary answers. Very nice.

20A. Redundant position?: CLOSE PROXIMITY. Is there a far proximity?

25A. Redundant alert?: ADVANCE WARNING. Would spotting a zero on Dec. 8th would be late warning?

42A. Redundant habit?: REGULAR ROUTINE. A rut or a groove?

48A. Redundant guesses?: ROUGH ESTIMATE. Don't trust any estimate but Splynter's

Let's start on my initial first puzzle (huh?)

Across

1. Summoned, with "for" : RANG. Lurch - "You rang?"

5. Skedaddle : SCAT. You kids get out of my yard!

9. Travolta facial feature : CLEFT.

14. Symphony member : OBOE

15. Okla., from 1890 to 1907 : TERR. The shameful Trail of Tears ended here

16. Pick up : LEARN. Granddaughter is LEARNing to drive in my PICKUP

17. Carnival sight : TENT

18. Slight advantage : EDGE

19. Plus : ASSET

23. "The Time Machine" people : ELOI

24. Low in a lea : MOO

32. Traffic stopper : SIREN. A red light or a well turned ankle!

33. Beauties : GEMS

34. South American vacation spot : RIO. A city to blame it on

35. IRS employee : TMAN. Not even they understand the tax code

36. Pay : WAGES

38. Pizzeria fixture : OVEN. Me when I was 18!

39. Poetic time of day : EEN

40. View from Toledo : ERIE. Look, you can see Klinger's house by the lake.

41. Sitcom set at Mel's Diner : ALICE

46. Nothing but __: perfect hoops shot : NET

47. Kiss and cuddle, British-style : SNOG

55. Trunks : TORSI

56. Prefix with stat : RHEO. Home of the OHM

57. All-night party : RAVE. I'm cashin' in at 11 pm

58. Oscar night VIP : EMCEE

59. Detective Peter of old TV : GUNN.  Best TV theme ever?

60. Canadian tribe : CREE. Helped wimpy me fish in Saskatchewan.

61. Hamlet in "Hamlet" and others : LEADS.

62. Auto pioneer : OLDS. They literally don't make them like than anymore.

63. Driven drove : HERD

Down

1. VMI program : ROTC. Now coed

2. Victim in Genesis : ABEL. No advance warning for this attack either.

3. Taboo : NONO. Also a baseball no-hitter.

4. Settles a score : GETS EVEN. Bama did that on Jan. 9

5. Apply, as a brake : STEP ON

6. Comedian __ the Entertainer : CEDRIC

7. Golden Fleece vessel : ARGO. Always a home port for you here Jason!

8. "Jurassic Park" menace, briefly : TREX. Great movie!

9. Dins : CLAMORS

10. Tissue abnormality : LESION.

11. Houston-to-Tampa direction : EAST. My first Florida groups flew from Houston to Oralando over the gulf. Next time I'll look for Tin!

12. Glenn of The Eagles : FREY

13. Explosive letters : TNT. Trinitrotoluene.

21. Stylish vigor : ELAN

22. Mosque officials : IMAMS

25. Anouk of "La Dolce Vita" : AIMEE. Ah, the sweet life!

26. Sturm und __ : DRANG

27. Halloween vandal, perhaps : EGGER

28. Teeny : WEE

29. "The Empire Strikes Back" director Kershner : IRVIN. Not a clue.

30. Reunion attendee : NIECE. Of course in France, she'd be a Nice niece.

31. Departed : GONE

32. Silver fineness meas. : STER. Sterling

36. Ire : WRATH

37. __ Jordan: Nike brand : AIR. Their re-release caused riots in malls

38. Member of a small ruling class : OLIGARCH. Common pejorative word in elections

40. Poetic laments : ELEGIES

41. Speck : ATOM

43. New : UNSEEN

44. Belgian seaport : OSTEND. Find it?

45. Marriages : UNIONS.

48. 1960 Olympics city : ROME

49. Sea predator : ORCA. New cautions are now taken at Sea World. They call them KILLER whales for a reason.

50. Consequently : ERGO. Ergo, C.C. had to settle for Gary

51. Rabbi's house of worship : SHUL. Ok.

52. Container weight : TARE

53. Penultimate fairy tale word : EVER. Like the Kardashian marriages?

54. Future flower : SEED

55. Address bk. entry : TEL. House wall phone may be going bye bye.

This was fun to do and beat the 2o line limit! I hope to get better in the future.

Wednesday Jan 11, 2012 Don Gagliardo and C.C Burkinel


Of my three grandchildren, the two girls GOWITHTHETRAFFIC and the boy makes an instant decision and becomes intractable. Know any big people like that?


Don and C.C.'s lovely Wednesday offering made for a nice refuge on a cold, windy day on the prairie, and I hope you will read the blog sans an EVITE!


Across


1. Seller's caveat : ASIS. We had a woman want to return a $.25 item at a garage sale


5. Whistle blower : REF. Some zebras blew their whistles when they shouldn't have this past week.


8. Fight : OPPOSE. All pols oppose spending until they get an office on the Potomac


14. Congeniality : BONHOMIE. An abundant quantity on this blog!


16. Edit : REDACT. Anything useful or fun is blacked out!


17. Online data movement : INTERNETTRAFFIC. Our medium


19. Extinguish : DOUSE. Not Dowse


20. Clinch a deal, in slang : ICEIT. What freethrowers can do in the final seconds


21. Thing to do on the cautious side? : ERR. Discretion is the better part of valor


22. "Man in Black" singer : JOHNNYCASH.


27. Tempt with, as a carrot : DANGLE. I wouldn't do all that much for a carrot


30. "Typee" sequel : OMOO. Melville's literary agent, "Hey, Herman, one way to be remembered is to have a lot of vowels in your titles."


31. Highfalutin : LADIDA.


35. Steak order : TBONE. Make mine a filet


36. Symphony or sonata : MUSICALWORK


38. High-tech party notice : EVITE. I was eamazed


40. Jungle queen : SHEENA. Not Jane


41. Enjoy a 10-course Chinese meal : DINE. C.C.'s fav's here?


42. Categorize : ASSORT


46. Pending : UPINTHEAIR. The NFL Playoffs are certainly this


52. VCR button : REW. Not REC


53. Big name in transmission repair : AAMCO. Double A, MCO


54. Cardio-boxing workout regimen : TAEBO. The peeps in the commercials for this look like they don't really need help.


56. Conforms, or what each last word of 17-, 22-, 36- and 46-Across literally does : GOESWITHTHEFLOW. Everybody likes "go along" guy or gal.


61. Intensely devoted : ARDENT. What we are about this site


62. Shanghai setting : EASTASIA. Could also be a bar somewhere if used as a verb


63. Woody's wife : SOONYI. Too disgusting to discuss


64. Mar.-to-Nov. setting : DST. Of no real use and make fireworks very late on July 4.


65. Count (on) : RELY


Down


1. Put up with : ABIDED. A good woman has done this for 45 years at this address.


2. Arizona neighbor : SONORA. Oh, south of the border


3. How board game players play : INTURN. Dang, he took my spot on the scrabble board!


4. Ladies : SHES


5. First pres. to visit China while in office : RMN. After ping pong diplomacy.


6. Farm song refrain : EIEIO. Pasture full of vowels


7. Sell for : FETCH. I wanted to FRONT first.


8. Hatch on the Hill : ORRIN. Two R's or two N's?


9. Boglike : PEATY. Hmmm...


10. Adobe file format : PDF. Very useful when exchaning files.


11. Bungler : OAF. Played golf with one last week as he tried to hit shots he couldn't and we spent a lot of time looking for his errant shots.


12. Lab subj. : SCI. My life!


13. And so forth: Abbr. : ETC


15. Valuable rock : ORE.


18. Top rating : TEN. Bo Derek!

22. Yoda, notably : JEDI. Opposite of Bo!


23. Venomous snakes : COBRAS.

24. Wild way to run : AMOK.

25. Numbered Chan relative : SON. Number One Son!

26. Groundbreaking tool : HOE. I used many in jobs of my youth!

28. Protein in wheat products : GLUTEN. Get thee out of here, for some.

29. Zap : LASE. Tattoo removal is big LASER business today.

32. Suffix with tact : ICS

33. Code word : DAH. A word for something used in code.

34. Draft choice : ALE.

35. A whole bunch : TONS

36. Former iPod model : MINI. Not NANO

37. Sport : WEAR. Less familiar as a verb

38. Academic Web letters : EDU

39. Bigwig : VIP.

43. End of a threat : ORELSE. Bad playground memory for many.

44. Heat again, as water for tea : REBOIL. I'll have some more OOLONG.

45. Like most streets : TWOWAY. Controls TRAFFIC

47. Lion-colored : TAWNY. Sobriquets for strippers too.

48. French-speaking republic : HAITI. I don't see me living there.

49. CPR expert : EMT.

50. Was sore : ACHED. What my heart did for a month when I thought my daughter might have cancer.

51. Smidgens : IOTAS

54. First day of spring, to Vietnamese : TET

55. Miles away : AFAR. "...before I sleep."

56. Total blast : GAS

57. Au, on a Spanish periodic table : ORO

58. Tokyo, once : EDO

59. Bigwig on the Hill: Abbr. : SEN. Most people don't like other people's.

60. Post-WWII pres. : HST. Too honest to be elected today?

Thursday Jan 5, 2012 Victor Barocas

Thursday Jan 5, 2012 Victor Barocas

Dumas's guys hiding amid the clutter
seAporTHOStess
seaPORTHOStess
bARbarAMISsive
Spectacular! The theme required another trip through the puzzle and coupled with the fun clues, it made for a great experience.


Across
1. The "u" sound in "circus" : SCHWA. ә

6. Even if, for short : THO

9. Ladle cousin : SPOON. You shouldn't spoon with your cousin

14. "Yond Cassius has __ and hungry look" : ALEAN. Maybe Cassius is on Nutri System

15. Water in Côte d'Ivoire : EAU. 

16. Dispute : ARGUE

17. Spicy Indian dish : CURRY. Not for me even in Chicken Marsala below

18. One side of the GW Bridge : NYC

19. Preserves, in a way : SALTS. Lincoln, NE had salt deposits that drew Oregon Trailers off the path

20. Rotterdam, for one : SEAPORT. You can get a lot of things in Rotterdam.

22. Party person : HOSTESS. Perle Mesta the most famous?

24. Schnozzola : SNOOT. Not SNOUT

26. Tell it like it isn't : LIE. Political season is here.

27. TV's Dr. House, e.g. : LIMPER.

30. Enjoy a kiddie pool : WADE. Staple at our house for years!

32. Many a GI : PVT. 

35. Plains native : OTOE. All over our plains here.

36. "... from my snow-white pen the __-coloured ink": Shak. : EBON

38. Bender : SPREE. My wife's spree is of the spending variety

40. With "The," classic novel, each of whose major characters is hiding in a row of this puzzle : THREEMUSKETEERS. Also my fav childhood candy bar.

43. Thrift, briefly : SANDL. George Bailey's was the most famous!

44. Crack : STAB. I'm taking a stab at this blogging

45. Snug retreat : NEST. They stand out now that the leaves are gone.
46. Super Bowl highlights, for many : ADS. Me too sometimes!
47. Luncheon follower? : ETTE
49. Takes a position : OPINES. Me too sometimes!
51. Eggs, biologically : OVA
52. Biden's 2008 counterpart : PALIN. Quite the odd couple.
54. Boxer from California : BARBARA.
58. Letter : MISSIVE
62. __ a time : ONEAT. Ooo, Ooo, pick me!
63. One in an unhappy chorus : BOO
65. Shroud city : TURIN. Face of Christ?

66. Wind: Pref. : ANEMO
67. Coffee holder : URN.
68. '30s Chan portrayer : OLAND
69. Control tower tracker : RADAR. Radar on Oahu in 1941 saw the Zero's coming
70. Game for it? : TAG. Loved the clue
71. Some iPods : NANOS. My iPhone replaced this

Down
1. Pouches : SACS
2. This is one : CLUE. Another winner
3. A sister of Demeter : HERA
4. "Star Trek" measure : WARPSPEED. Hit it, Mr. Sulu!

5. Whomever : ANYONE
6. Nearing the hour : TENTO
7. Farm gathering : HAY. We bale or stack it.
8. Pained interjection : OUCH. That's gonna leave a mark.
9. As fresh as they come : SASSIEST
10. Chatter : PRATE. I have pattled but don't remember prating.
11. Seriously check out : OGLE. Hard not to do at Y 
12. Inning enders : OUTS. Also have them in straight pool
13. Largest Scottish loch by volume : NESS. Is this Nessie?

21. Composer of the 2005 opera "Our Town" : ROREM. No way for me.
23. Word with man or maid : OLD. I'm one of those.
25. Texas dance : TWOSTEP. Yee hah!
27. Many, informally : LOTSA
28. "__ to Be You" : ITHAD. Billie Holliday, the best!
29. E'ens' counterparts : MORNS
31. "Puppy Love" singer : ANKA. Donny Osmond too!
32. Get ready for the prom, say : PREEN
33. Frost product : VERSE. Robert inverse is TSORF.
34. Medical battery : TESTS. Daughter had a bunch of them yesterday.
37. Exceed 21, in a way : BUST. What, you hit 17?
39. The Crimea, e.g. : PENINSULA

41. Car in a shaft : ELEVATOR. You got the elevator, we got the shaft.
42. Where Christ stopped, in a Carlo Levi title : EBOLI
48. La Brea goo : TAR. Been there, smelled that!
50. One of six in a V-6 engine : PISTON
51. "Dreams From My Father" memoirist : OBAMA
53. Surrounded by : AMONG. You're among friends here!
54. Tusked mammal : BOAR. Porcine drudge = Boar boor.
55. Alexei Karenin's wife : ANNA. She got the title of the book.
56. English horn, for one : REED
57. Lie alongside : ABUT
59. Caspian Sea country : IRAN
60. Rosso o bianco : VINO. Marti's wheelhouse.
61. Closes : ENDS
64. Tuscan time period : ORA. Ten to ora?

Thursday Jan 5, 2012 Victor Barocas

Thursday Jan 5, 2012 Victor Barocas

Dumas's guys hiding amid the clutter
seAporTHOStess
seaPORTHOStess
bARbarAMISsive
Spectacular! The theme required another trip through the puzzle and coupled with the fun clues, it made for a great experience.


Across
1. The "u" sound in "circus" : SCHWA. ә

6. Even if, for short : THO

9. Ladle cousin : SPOON. You shouldn't spoon with your cousin

14. "Yond Cassius has __ and hungry look" : ALEAN. Maybe Cassius is on Nutri System

15. Water in Côte d'Ivoire : EAU. 

16. Dispute : ARGUE

17. Spicy Indian dish : CURRY. Not for me even in Chicken Marsala below

18. One side of the GW Bridge : NYC

19. Preserves, in a way : SALTS. Lincoln, NE had salt deposits that drew Oregon Trailers off the path

20. Rotterdam, for one : SEAPORT. You can a lot of things in Rotterdam.

22. Party person : HOSTESS. Perle Mesta the most famous?

24. Schnozzola : SNOOT. Not SNOUT

26. Tell it like it isn't : LIE. Political season is here.

27. TV's Dr. House, e.g. : LIMPER.

30. Enjoy a kiddie pool : WADE. Staple at our house for years!

32. Many a GI : PVT. 

35. Plains native : OTOE. All over our plains here.

36. "... from my snow-white pen the __-coloured ink": Shak. : EBON

38. Bender : SPREE. My wife's spree is of the spending variety

40. With "The," classic novel, each of whose major characters is hiding in a row of this puzzle : THREEMUSKETEERS. Also my fav childhood candy bar.

43. Thrift, briefly : SANDL. George Bailey's was the most famous!

44. Crack : STAB. I'm taking a stab at this blogging

45. Snug retreat : NEST. They stand out now that the leaves are gone.
46. Super Bowl highlights, for many : ADS. Me too sometimes!
47. Luncheon follower? : ETTE
49. Takes a position : OPINES. Me too sometimes!
51. Eggs, biologically : OVA
52. Biden's 2008 counterpart : PALIN. Quite the odd couple.
54. Boxer from California : BARBARA.
58. Letter : MISSIVE
62. __ a time : ONEAT. Ooo, Ooo, pick me!
63. One in an unhappy chorus : BOO
65. Shroud city : TURIN. Face of Christ?

66. Wind: Pref. : ANEMO
67. Coffee holder : URN.
68. '30s Chan portrayer : OLAND
69. Control tower tracker : RADAR. Radar on Oahu in 1941 saw the Zero's coming
70. Game for it? : TAG. Loved the clue
71. Some iPods : NANOS. My iPhone replaced this

Down
1. Pouches : SACS
2. This is one : CLUE. Another winner
3. A sister of Demeter : HERA
4. "Star Trek" measure : WARPSPEED. Hit it, Mr. Sulu!

5. Whomever : ANYONE
6. Nearing the hour : TENTO
7. Farm gathering : HAY. We bale or stack it.
8. Pained interjection : OUCH. That's gonna leave a mark.
9. As fresh as they come : SASSIEST
10. Chatter : PRATE. I have pattled but don't remember prating.
11. Seriously check out : OGLE. Hard not to do at Y 
12. Inning enders : OUTS. Also have them in straight pool
13. Largest Scottish loch by volume : NESS. Is this Nessie?

21. Composer of the 2005 opera "Our Town" : ROREM. No way for me.
23. Word with man or maid : OLD. I'm one of those.
25. Texas dance : TWOSTEP. Yee hah!
27. Many, informally : LOTSA
28. "__ to Be You" : ITHAD. Billie Holliday, the best!
29. E'ens' counterparts : MORNS
31. "Puppy Love" singer : ANKA. Donny Osmond too!
32. Get ready for the prom, say : PREEN
33. Frost product : VERSE. Robert inverse is TSORF.
34. Medical battery : TESTS. Daughter had a bunch of them yesterday.
37. Exceed 21, in a way : BUST. What, you hit 17?
39. The Crimea, e.g. : PENINSULA

41. Car in a shaft : ELEVATOR. You got the elevator, we got the shaft.
42. Where Christ stopped, in a Carlo Levi title : EBOLI
48. La Brea goo : TAR. Been there, smelled that!
50. One of six in a V-6 engine : PISTON
51. "Dreams From My Father" memoirist : OBAMA
53. Surrounded by : AMONG. You're among friends here!
54. Tusked mammal : BOAR. Porcine drudge = Boar boor.
55. Alexei Karenin's wife : ANNA. She got the title of the book.
56. English horn, for one : REED
57. Lie alongside : ABUT
59. Caspian Sea country : IRAN
60. Rosso o bianco : VINO. Marti's wheelhouse.
61. Closes : ENDS
64. Tuscan time period : ORA. Ten to ora?