Goals in retirement revolve around things one enjoys; a lot if they become goals! I have worked for years the Sunday puzzles in the newspaper and with the arrival of an iPAD, I started doing the USA Today puzzles. I have always been amazed at the folks who can do the New York Times puzzles with mind boggling speed. In the depths of my mind, I set a goal to one day do a Sunday puzzle on my own. (Remember, I'm a math and science guy.) For Christmas, Gretchen got me the New York Times Crossword app and I began doing the puzzles on my iPAD.
Today, I reached a milestone of sorts. I have solved Monday through Friday puzzles on my own! Serious NY Times puzzlers would scoff at my rules for success, but I'm OK with that at this juncture. I do the puzzles a day late so the Help is available. I can then check if a word or letter is correct. If I don't reveal a word or letter, I say I have solved the puzzle on my own. These rules speed up the process and mitigate the frustration.
How long will it take before I do a weekend puzzle on my own? I can see improvement since getting the app and feel, someday, the stars will align and I will be successful. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy the daily task, take encouragement from the crossword achievements of my brother-in-law Greg, and know that my goal is cognitively stimulating, educational and just plain fun!
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