Jan Gilpin

I was surprised to read so many complaints this morning about this tough but doable Saturday puzzle. I ended up with a below average time (and I am not a speed solver). I think it helps to be a Gen X mom of three Gen Z young adults. Yes, there were some proper nouns I didn’t know but got them from the crosses. ORAJEL was a gimme from my time with teething babies. OTRA VEZ from junior high Spanish class, UPPER BOUND from at least one math class, BLESSing with oil from Sunday school. I remember seeing AJAX under the sink, and knew ERASERMATE from temp jobs and college papers in the 80s. Also in the 80s, Tarot card readings with my teenage friends, VEGging out and certainly knowing who EAZY-E was. I also enjoy Indian food! My boys introduced me to texting terms and we all keep up with the ever changing SNL casts. I’m not sure exactly when it was, but I definitely remember Ray Charles doing ads for DIET PEPSI. It was nice to think about hanging out in CENTRAL PARK or an OLIVE GROVE, on a clear day with an AZURE sky. THX for the memories, and nice job on the puzzle, Blake Slonecker!