X Puzzles

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Anyone here?

Thought I'd drop a line to see if the list is still up and running.

I hope everyone is well with not so much as a sniffle. All fine here.

I've been puzzling more lately, my hands are much better, though arthritis
makes itself known from time to time, so I've been keeping busy with this,
that, and a few puzzles each week. If anyone has some extreme x, that would
be cool. Even if previously posted, no problem, my memory isn't that good.
Smile. A bit of chat would also be nice.

Best,

Rosemarie
In sunny Southern California

[Aaron Helmle]

Hi Rosemarie!

It is good to hear from you. The list is very slow, just a few messages every few months. No puzzle trading going on.

My own thing is to work a 6 by 6 puzzle or two in the evening. I usually do the killer puzzles but sometimes flip over to expert x. Either way, I usually do the puzzle in just a few minutes and then go to bed. Oh - it goes without saying I beat the dog first. Labradors need their beatings or they get uppity.

Surprisingly, some people don't know what beating a dog means. The dog is on the sofa, she rolls on her back and you rub her belly. That is a dog beating.

I will have to look at my computers to see which one has the puzzle making program on it. I have a room with several computers up and running. Each has a use of some sort. Each has some games that won't play on the other machines. I call it my equipment room, others call it my computer grave yard.

Oh - when they were soliciting public help to work on the Queen Mary I put your name on the list. Have fun.

-aaron

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Blind Sudoku Discussion Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to blind-sudoku...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000801d7aa76%24aae7cda0%2400b768e0%24%40verizon.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Hi Aaron, How good it is to hear your voice! How is Mary? I hope you and she are well and managing to weather the various upheavals that are around these days. I just felt like writing and hoped for a response. I'm on several lists that are so restrictive that a sneeze would be considered off topic!

So that is what dog beating is all about! I could do that and with pleasure. I'm sure to be good at it.

It has been very quiet for many months. I hope everyone else hasn't gone to the moon, though thinking about it, it is probably more peaceful there.

Thanks for recommending me. Seriously, the poor old Queen is very delicate these days. It has been a lot of years since she was welcomed at her new berth, and time, salt air and salt water have aged her tremendously. She wouldn't have far to sink, which is a good thing.

I've been working on the giant file of X puzzles, the one with 12 clues plus some from my own puzzle maker. Wish the maker would make extreme x puzzles, but it only does the plain extreme. Try them from time to time, but thought a few extreme x's would be a nice change. Just a few if they can be made fairly easily. Even copies of old ones would be good.

Rosemarie

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/002101d7aa9b%24c0a72030%2441f56090%24%40att.net.

[Aaron Helmle]

We have managed to dodge the Covid. We isolate a lot and when we go out we mask up, even if our dolt of a governor says we don't have to.
Oh - we got vaccinated as soon as it was available. The only time we have spent sitting and talking to a person is down at Rebecca's house. T was a nice visit.

The dog is pretty good sized, even if she is a rotten beast. She has her love seat and stays up there most of the time. Either that or she goes and lays on the tiles. What she really likes is to go out in the sun and heat up, which doesn't take long with her black fur, and then come in and lay on the tile under the air conditioning vent.

Puzzles. I will look at my machines and find the puzzles. It is easy to make them once I find the right machine. Do you want all 9 by 9 or do you want to play with other sizes. Remember, I have 6, 8, 9 and 12. I also have 4 and 15, but we won't talk about them. I have the Samurai too, but don't remember if you are a fan.

Got up really late this morning. I have been staying up later than usual, going in a sleeping until I wake up in the middle of the night, sit up and do a few puzzles, then go back to bed for a while.

If you have a tablet try the 7 little words. Mary and I both do that and enjoy them. At first use the clues, but for a bit more challenge try getting the words without the clues.

Okay, lunch time. Doesn't seem like it, but I might eat half a sandwich. As I learned on a movie, the kind of sandwich that is less fattening is half a sandwich. But I have managed to put on my Covid 20 pounds. Blame Covid and Instacart. Imagine - click on a grocery item and they deliver it. Bang. No more shopping and standing and dealing with paratransit. We love it but it has made us lazier and fatter.

I look at my calendar and know that it is almost time for WalMart to put out the Christmas displays. Main thing I look forward to is cooler weather.

-aaron


-----Original Message-----
From: 'Rosemarie Grayley' via The Blind Sudoku Discussion Group <blind-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2021 11:20 PM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [BlindSudoku] X Puzzles

Hi Aaron, How good it is to hear your voice! How is Mary? I hope you and she are well and managing to weather the various upheavals that are around these days. I just felt like writing and hoped for a response. I'm on several lists that are so restrictive that a sneeze would be considered off topic!

So that is what dog beating is all about! I could do that and with pleasure I'm sure to be good at it.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/001701d7aab2%241c6990e0%24553cb2a0%24%40verizon.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Only 9 by 9 puzzles. The Samurai are too difficult with my board, not enough space or enough pieces for them. Brailling the sections as they were worked on was a chore that I don't care to get back into. Too bad there isn't a way to work on them as a whole because the idea is quite fantastic. My maker will make smaller puzzles though I don't bother much with them.

Some habits are going to be hard to break. Not getting out to the stores is one of those things. Access transportation is a good thing, but is a bit unwieldy when planning one's day. It would have to be use for a trip to another city, but inside the city, the local system here is much more responsive and is excellent for appointments. Having things delivered is just so helpful, why bother breaking that particular habit anyway! I suspect that most people won't even try.

Rolling blackouts may come, but not yet. I'll be down on the tile floor here someday and think of your very smart girl. An ice bucket, an ice chest, a player, - I must make a list.

Vaccinated and mask outside the house always here too.

Got into 7 little words some years ago and still enjoy it. I've not gone so far as to ignore the clues though. Also enjoy dominos against my computer and code breaker - a word list that is a sort of Wheel of Fortune type game.

Lunch means pizza today.

[Aaron Helmle]

We are dancing a chicken for supper. Dancing is a good word for it. It is a rotisserie and the chicken dances round and round for 2 hours. It is a wonder it doesn't get dizzy.

Here are a few puzzles attached as files. Let me know if you have any trouble accessing them. There are 5 puzzles here. All are 9 by 9 expert x.

Oh, forgot, I have the duplex puzzles that are 9 by 9 with a second puzzle connected overlapping one square.

Mary is not getting e-mail from the list anymore. So we can talk about her...

-----Original Message-----
From: 'Rosemarie Grayley' via The Blind Sudoku Discussion Group <blind-...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2021 2:21 PM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [BlindSudoku] X Puzzles

Only 9 by 9 puzzles. The Samurai are too difficult with my board, not enough space or enough pieces for them. Brailling the sections as they were worked on was a chore that I don't care to get back into. Too bad there isn't a way to work on them as a whole because the idea is quite fantastic. My maker will make smaller puzzles though I don't bother much with them.

Some habits are going to be hard to break. Not getting out to the stores is one of those things. Access transportation is a good thing, but is a bit unwieldy when planning one's day. It would have to be use for a trip to another city, but inside the city, the local system here is much more responsive and is excellent for appointments. Having things delivered is just so helpful, why bother breaking that particular habit anyway! I suspect that most people won't even try.

Rolling blackouts may come, but not yet. I'll be down on the tile floor here someday and think of your very smart girl. An ice bucket, an ice chest, a player, - I must make a list.

Vaccinated and mask outside the house always here too.

Got into 7 little words some years ago and still enjoy it. I've not gone so far as to ignore the clues though. Also enjoy dominos against my computer and code breaker - a word list that is a sort of Wheel of Fortune type game

Lunch means pizza today.

Rosemarie

-----Original Message-----
From: blind-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:blind-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Aaron Helmle
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2021 10:36 AM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [BlindSudoku] X Puzzles

We have managed to dodge the Covid. We isolate a lot and when we go out we mask up, even if our dolt of a governor says we don't have to.
Oh - we got vaccinated as soon as it was available. The only time we have spent sitting and talking to a person is down at Rebecca's house. T was a nice visit.

The dog is pretty good sized, even if she is a rotten beast. She has her love seat and stays up there most of the time. Either that or she goes and lays on the tiles. What she really likes is to go out in the sun and heat up, which doesn't take long with her black fur, and then come in and lay on the tile under the air conditioning vent.

Puzzles. I will look at my machines and find the puzzles. It is easy to make them once I find the right machine. Do you want all 9 by 9 or do you want to play with other sizes. Remember, I have 6, 8, 9 and 12. I also have 4 and 15, but we won't talk about them. I have the Samurai too, but don't remember if you are a fan.

Got up really late this morning. I have been staying up later than usual, going in a sleeping until I wake up in the middle of the night, sit up and do a few puzzles, then go back to bed for a while.

If you have a tablet try the 7 little words. Mary and I both do that and enjoy them. At first use the clues, but for a bit more challenge try getting the words without the clues.

Okay, lunch time. Doesn't seem like it, but I might eat half a sandwich. As I learned on a movie, the kind of sandwich that is less fattening is half a sandwich. But I have managed to put on my Covid 20 pounds. Blame Covid and Instacart. Imagine - click on a grocery item and they deliver it. Bang. No more shopping and standing and dealing with paratransit. We love it but it has made us lazier and fatter.

I look at my calendar and know that it is almost time for WalMart to put out the Christmas displays. Main thing I look forward to is cooler weather.

-aaron

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Blind Sudoku Discussion Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to blind-sudoku...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/002d01d7ab30%240d966920%2428c33b60%24%40verizon.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Thanks for the puzzles. It was a bit of a struggle, first, with my being out of practice, and second, my trusty workhorse program of 2013 being a bit creaky, still, we persevered and got the job done. Rather an achievement in my opinion.

I do recall the old puzzles with the overlapping corner. If you have one that is easy to grab, I wouldn't mind giving it a shot, but if a hassle don't do anything on that.

Even on these expert X puzzles there is no guarantee I can do them, but will try them, tuck them safely in my puzzle folder and pull one out from time to time. In six months or a year I may be ready for a few more. Strangely, if I do too many puzzles of the same kind, some of the solving techniques seem to get a bit of rust on them. It is strange, but it seems to be true that if I do a bunch of the 12 by 12 clues, or the evil X from my maker, there is some kind of shift in thinking. Maybe it is only the different patterns that come into it.

How is it that Mary isn't getting messages from the list anymore? Not even sure why it is still up. Is anyone else on the list? Thought we'd been forgotten and left here, which is okay, but rather strange - after all isn't there a charge to the list owner? If there are other people still on the list we can talk about puzzles or other games or simply chat as a group. I've pretty much given up on chat lists, not because of the traffic, but the complaint by subscribers and owners about subject lines and, of course, the squabbling.

As for that dancing chicken, if it should dance off your plates, that would be quite marvelous and deserved to be videoed and presented to the world. It is sure to be more interesting than a cat walking on a piano keyboard.

Listening to podcasts on the Echo this morning. What a marvelous thing. Now that just about every classic rock station has disappeared, one of my amusements is building my own music collection.

Rosemarie

[Aaron Helmle]

I put Mary in the cc link. If you reply to all it should go to the list and to her. I think the account that Mary had while on the puzzles list stopped working. It was originally owned by our local baby bell company, which was bought out by AT&T. And finally not supported by anyone.

As far as the list goes, I think there is no fee. Sara was the list master, or whatever that is called. I haven't heard from Sara or Rachael in forever. I lost contact with them completely when they moved here. If they are in the same place, it is about 2 miles from here. But as far as there being a fee for the account, I doubt it. It is a Google account.

I have heard from Dani. She is still puzzling away. That is about it. Others may have changed their e-mail and the account has to be manually added to. So, it is just us chickens for now.

But now that Mary is here we can talk about cooking, dogs, your adventures on the Queen with a caulking gun. Oh - I don't think I mentioned it, I listed your special skill as caulking for the restore.

I vasty prefer not to talk about politics. Too depressing.

I will look for those overlapping puzzles next time I am in the dungeon. Equipment room is what I call it, a sales guy that came out called it a computer graveyard, but dungeon will work. I do wish it was underground.

Oh, do a reply to all or add Mary if you would and we can harass her. As he about her bright new shiny pacemaker.

-aaron

-----Original Message-----
From: 'Rosemarie Grayley' via The Blind Sudoku Discussion Group <blind-...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 3:13 PM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [BlindSudoku] X Puzzles

Thanks for the puzzles. It was a bit of a struggle, first, with my being out of practice, and second, my trusty workhorse program of 2013 being a bit creaky, still, we persevered and got the job done. Rather an achievement in my opinion.

I do recall the old puzzles with the overlapping corner. If you have one that is easy to grab, I wouldn't mind giving it a shot, but if a hassle don't do anything on that.

Even on these expert X puzzles there is no guarantee I can do them, but will try them, tuck them safely in my puzzle folder and pull one out from time to time. In six months or a year I may be ready for a few more. Strangely, if I do too many puzzles of the same kind, some of the solving techniques seem to get a bit of rust on them. It is strange, but it seems to be true that if I do a bunch of the 12 by 12 clues, or the evil X from my maker, there is some kind of shift in thinking. Maybe it is only the different patterns that come into it.

How is it that Mary isn't getting messages from the list anymore? Not even sure why it is still up. Is anyone else on the list? Thought we'd been forgotten and left here, which is okay, but rather strange - after all isn't there a charge to the list owner? If there are other people still on the list we can talk about puzzles or other games or simply chat as a group. I've pretty much given up on chat lists, not because of the traffic, but the complaint by subscribers and owners about subject lines and, of course, the squabbling.

As for that dancing chicken, if it should dance off your plates, that would be quite marvelous and deserved to be videoed and presented to the world. It is sure to be more interesting than a cat walking on a piano keyboard.

Listening to podcasts on the Echo this morning. What a marvelous thing. Now that just about every classic rock station has disappeared, one of my amusements is building my own music collection.

Rosemarie

------Original Message-----
From: blind-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:blind-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Aaron Helmle
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2021 12:39 PM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [BlindSudoku] X Puzzles

We are dancing a chicken for supper. Dancing is a good word for it. It is a rotisserie and the chicken dances round and round for 2 hours. It is a wonder it doesn't get dizzy.

Here are a few puzzles attached as files. Let me know if you have any trouble accessing them. There are 5 puzzles here. All are 9 by 9 expert x.

Oh, forgot, I have the duplex puzzles that are 9 by 9 with a second puzzle connected overlapping one square.

Mary is not getting e-mail from the list anymore. So we can talk about her.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Blind Sudoku Discussion Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to blind-sudoku...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000401d7ac00%247b1f8640%24715e92c0%24%40verizon.net.

[Aaron Helmle]

I just started a response and it got lost to me.

Here are some multilevel puzzles, they are expert x. That may be a bit severe for this kind of puzzle. You will find out soon enough.

I did a reply to all and Mary was in the cc, so that works.

-aaron

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000001d7ac03%24ba445a00%242ecd0e00%24%40att.net.

[Schneider, Katherine S.]

Hi,
Kathie from Wisconsin checking in. No puzzling triumphs to report, new guide dog right before Covid and on two new boards, my county board and Benetech/Bookshare. They provide me with so many puzzling issues, I'm ashamed to admit how long it's been since I did a real puzzle. Slightly off topic, but for those of you who read Braille, NBP has a fun new book "The Great Sherlock Holmes Puzzle Book" with lots of word and logic puzzles in it.Keep me on the list, please!
Kathie

-----Original Message-----
From: blind-...@googlegroups.com <blind-...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Aaron Helmle
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 3:37 PM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Cc: mewar...@gmail.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000001d7ac03%24ba445a00%242ecd0e00%24%40att.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Ok, I think I understand. So, I'll send this note to the list using alt R as I've been doing and let's see how it goes. If it doesn't pick up on your CC, I guess I could do the same.

Glad to know Dani is well and puzzling. Even if only puzzled as I am with the first puzzle you sent along earlier, all is fine then.

Rosemarie

From: blind-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:blind-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Aaron Helmle

Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 1:37 PM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Cc: mewar...@gmail.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000001d7ac03%24ba445a00%242ecd0e00%24%40att.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Kathie, Good to find you here with us. You've been busy even if not puzzling. I do my best to keep busy and usually manage to do so. One of my amusements is adding music to my Echo, listening to a few podcasts, playing a few computer games, and just taking care of my home. Also I've a walled in patio that I can enjoy without worrying about uninvited people joining me there.

Bookshare or books in general, activities, We don't have to please anyone other than ourselves. I personally prefer not to get into politics though.

Rosemarie

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/DM6PR08MB397969BD3632235AD6CC6245A6DD9%40DM6PR08MB3979.namprd08.prod.outlook.com.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Calking is something I do well. However, I'll have to search out my water wings as the old girl is still afloat and my lung capacity isn't what it used to be.

I used to volunteer for a while in the nineties for a blind group that had a room in the senior center. I ran the domino game for some members. Great fun, We used big 12 or maybe it was 15 millimeter beads for points. We did some beading too. Anyway, an English woman who lived on the Clyde river as a girl remembered when the keel was laid for the Queen back in the thirties.

Your very own dungeon! If men caves are allowed, why not a dungeon. Seems reasonable.

As for Rachael and Sarah, it is surprising that neither one checks in from time to time. Gosh, two miles away.

Rosemarie

----Original Message-----
From: blind-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:blind-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Aaron Helmle

Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 1:37 PM
To: blind-...@googlegroups.com
Cc: mewar...@gmail.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000001d7ac03%24ba445a00%242ecd0e00%24%40att.net.

[Aaron Helmle]

Good to hear from you. It has been quite some time. Be sure and keep our individual addresses in case the googlegroups thing falls apart.

Rosemarie is still puzzling away. Mary is getting back to puzzling. But I bet when she hears about the Sherlock Holmes book she will be on it faster than a duck on a June bug.

-aaron

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/DM6PR08MB397969BD3632235AD6CC6245A6DD9%40DM6PR08MB3979.namprd08.prod.outlook.com.

[Aaron Helmle]

My email package says alt, shift R is respond to all. This one didn't get to Mary.

I need to go to bed and get my beauty rest.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000001d7ac22%24d248f060%2476dad120%24%40verizon.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Alt shift R does nothing at all beyond bringing up your address, maybe I will have to put CC to Mary like you do.

We'll figure it out tomorrow.

Rosemarie

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/001101d7ac34%2444feb8e0%24cefc2aa0%24%40att.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Thanks for these. I will try them. They are under D for double, or maybe devilishly tough.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000001d7ac06%24a64749b0%24f2d5dd10%24%40att.net.

[Rosemarie Grayley]

Aaron, let me know if this post or the one before was received by Mary. That way we'll know if it is enough to have your CC somewhere in the message.

Off to BARD on my Saturday excursion to see the new books. Going daily is rather disappointing if there is very few books or none at all.

Rosemarie

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000001d7ac06%24a64749b0%24f2d5dd10%24%40att.net.

[Aaron Helmle]

I just finished reading sort of a romance. Two grown women, divorced, looking to find love. One a librarian, one a nurse. Bottom line - after trials and tribulations worthy of any new romance both find someone.

I am going to go see if that Sherlock Holmes puzzle book is available in speech.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/blind-sudoku/000101d7acba%24a4f197f0%24eed4c7d0%24%40verizon.net.