Updated ACA Link - 9/14/16

I hear from The Rat that the American Cryptogram Association (ACA) website has had an overhaul, so the old links no longer work.  Here's a new entry point which has links to the specific ciphers and other information within the site.  I went and updated all of my puzzles that had the old link embedded, and thought I would share the new link with you all in case you come across a puzzle where it might be useful, for example:

ACA#3: Homophonic

Tomorrow we'll ...

My Big Fat Greek Wedding - 9/13/16

Today we travel back to another California puzzle I had fun testing recently.  It tells the story of the quite unusual reception following:

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Tomorrow we'll ...

Bristol History - 9/12/16

There are 27 states in the United States that have a populated area named Bristol.  Today's puzzle takes us to one of them, in Rhode Island.  My old hometown of Bristol, TN has had quite a week.  As I've told you before, it's a double city, straddling the state-line and sharing many services with sister city Bristol, VA.  My high school was Tennessee High, and our annual homecoming game (complete with large corsages of mums decorated with ribbons and pipe-cleaner letters) was always the game against Virginia High, regardless of which side of town was hosting the game. At home or away, the "V-T" game was always a big deal, and last week was the 100th such game, played in my school's stadium, the historic "Stone Castle" built as a WPA project back in the 1930's.  Now, that alone would have made it a big week, but that event was dwarfed by the *other* Virginia vs. Tennessee football matchup that took place on Saturday at nearby Bristol Motor Speedway.  Just under 157,000 fans came out to see the game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the University of Tennessee Volunteers (previous attendance record for any American football game (NCAA or NFL): just over 115,000 in Michigan in 2013 ... just for perspective, the combined population of both Bristol, TN and Bristol, VA is about 45,000.)  This project had been in the works for a long time (there was a count-down clock ticking away downtown for at least a couple of years) and it was a huge deal for the area.  Billed as the "Battle at Bristol," this event definitely is going down in:

Bristol History. 

Tomorrow we'll be in California.

Remembering - 9/11/16

Today's puzzle takes us to Kentucky and a special memorial tribute cache.  It's hard to believe it's now been 15 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  My daughter had just started kindergarten a few days before, and I well remember being the parent helper at my son's nursery school as we started hearing reports of what was going on.  Now the kids are both in college and have each visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City on school trips.  I haven't been yet.  They were so young when it happened that I think it feels like "history" to them, but it's different for me.  I do want to go some day, but I know if will be difficult.  But as hard as it is, it feels important:

Remembering 9-11-01

Tomorrow we'll ...  

Light's Out - 9/10/16

My usual puzzling space is at the dining room table, where I have plenty of light, both from west-facing windows and a hanging fixture with 6 light bulbs.  I had the light installed after we moved in, and I like it a lot, but we have a heck of a time keeping up with the bulbs, which seem to go out with amazing frequency.  Recently I was trying (and failing) to solve a puzzle and my husband walked in and asked me how it was going.  I grumbled a reply and asked if he wouldn't mind flipping on the light switch for me.  Upon doing so, he looked above my head and said, "Looks like you're a couple bulbs short."  My reply:  "In more ways than one."  ;) 

Light's Out

Tomorrow we'll ...

Prime Location - 9/9/16

Today's Texas puzzle landed in my in-box recently, and I enjoyed looking at it.  I've got to say that anywhere that gives a prize for the "Most Mentally Challenging Cache" has got to be a: 

Prime Location

Tomorrow we'll be in ...

What Three Words - 9/8/16

What's that, you say?  You've seen so many puzzles using a particular new method that you're starting to suffer withdrawal symptoms when you don't have one handy to solve?  Never fear.  The CO of today's California puzzle has you covered with his new series (up to at least 5 so far).  It all starts here ... just figure out:

What Three Words

Tomorrow we'll be in California for another day.