Monday, January 1, 2024, Harry Zheng

Happy New Year! Colum, Horace, and Frances are gathered here together to bring you the first blog post of the year. We had a very enjoyable NYE gathering, with games, libations, and friends. One of our games was to put two resolutions on paper strips, which were then picked from a bowl. I am to keep a dream journal for the year, which is a really great idea, and one I would otherwise never have thought to do.

I will briefly comment on the puzzle: our theme is phrases of the form XXY. My favorite of the four is DUCKDUCKGOOSE for fond childhood memories. THERETHERENOW reminds me of the Radiohead song "There, There." Otherwise, it's a smooth and enjoyable solve for a Monday. I will now turn the blog over to my esteemed co-bloggers for further commentary.

HIPHIPHOORAY for a new year! Horace here. I look forward to better things in 2024. I know there's ALOT to worry about (the WOE of the upcoming election ... SOS!), but there will also be another ACPT (see you in April!), and there's always that personal REFORM to work on. For me, anyway, that seems to be a never-ending chore. Heh. One of the resolutions I received last night was to "Listen more lovingly; focus on the speaker; enter their world!" So what are your resolutions? What will you work on this year? 

This puzzle was fun. I liked the theme, and the fill had some interesting elements. STROP (Barber's razor sharpener) is a good word. I never really understood how that STRIP of leather could work, but hey, there must be something to it. COPYTHAT (Relative of "Roger," in radio transmissions) is crisp, BOARDWALK (Property next to Go in Monopoly) brings back old board game memories, and who doesn't enjoy HERESY?

Frannie here. I guess it is now up TOI to write something. I could strike the familiar TUNE that the New Year is the time UHAUL your lifestyle into focus and see how it has AGED, but I could also check my crossword reviewer contract to see if there isn't a CLAWS about not working on federal holidays...

And there you have it. Another year started, another year of blog posts. Philbo, we're thinking of you!

- Colum, Horace, and Frances