Alright, so I decided to tackle the NYT crossword today. Saw the title mentioned something about “losing steam”. Made me chuckle a bit, thinking, “Hope that’s not me halfway through.” Got myself comfortable, ready to dive in.
The start felt pretty smooth, actually. I usually try to get a foothold in the top-left corner, and a few answers came to me pretty quickly. You know how it is, those early successes really get you going. Felt like I was making good time.
- Nailed a couple of the shorter across clues right off the bat.
- Managed to figure out one of the longer down clues that stretched through that section.
Felt pretty confident at that point. Maybe this “losing steam” thing wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
Hitting That Wall
Famous last words, right? I moved towards the center and the lower sections, and wow, things just slowed right down. It was like hitting molasses. There were a few clues, especially some tricky wordplay ones, that just had me stumped. I’d read them, read them again, and… nothing. Blank stare time.
And the theme clues, once I started figuring out what was going on, were clever but definitely took some extra brainpower. I could literally feel my focus drifting. Kept looking at the clock, thinking I was taking way too long. Definitely started to feel like I was, well, losing steam, just like the title said. It was a bit frustrating, not gonna lie.
Pushing Through
I decided I couldn’t just sit there staring. My usual trick is to jump to a completely different part of the grid. So I scanned around, looking for any squares I could fill, even if it was just a guess based on one crossing letter. Sometimes you just need a little spark.
I focused on the shorter fill for a bit, trying to chip away. Reread some of the clues I’d skipped earlier. Occasionally, stepping away for even a minute helps reset the brain. Didn’t quite take a break, but I consciously shifted my focus around the puzzle quite a bit.
Getting The Second Wind
Slowly, painstakingly, a few more answers started to fall into place. Getting one tricky cross often unlocks the word that was blocking you. There was this one particular answer in the bottom section, I finally saw the gimmick, and bam! That felt good. It provided just enough letters for the crossing clues that I suddenly saw those answers too.
It’s funny how that happens. You go from feeling completely stuck to suddenly seeing connections everywhere. The momentum started to build again. I wasn’t exactly racing, but the grid was filling up again, section by section.
Wrapping It Up
Once I got past that major roadblock, the rest felt more manageable. There were still a couple of head-scratchers, but I had enough surrounding letters filled in to make educated guesses or finally understand the wordplay. Went back over everything, made sure no silly typos. Filled in that very last square. Phew.
Always a good feeling to finish one, especially when it puts up a fight. Looking back, the “losing steam” title was pretty apt for my solving experience today. It wasn’t the hardest puzzle ever, but it definitely made me work and overcome that feeling of getting bogged down. A solid puzzle, good challenge for the day.
