ev 844

[DocHH]

Happy New Year "EV"ers! Have noticed the 15/1/09 deadline and 3 week winner publication date!! Despite that I'll still not be sending in a completed grid. It didn't take long to populate the grid with all definitions of clued lights justified, plus the obvious answers for unclued lights. Just having some problems with the justifying of requisite "bits" being the eight pairs of consecutive letters found in the 2 longest unclued entries! Devadolly is obviously not up yet, she said "first up Posts!" her aim is obvously just to get us "nattering and chattering"!

[novalis]

Hi DocHH and all Evers.

Happy New Year to you all. Ironic really that the very welcome extended deadline ( long may it continue!! ) should coincide with a relatively straightforward offering.

[ulysses100]

Hello all EVers and a Happy New Year.
I didn't notice the extended deadline ( as you say I hope that it continues) ; I just did it as quickly as possible and got it off to the postbox (so that it's collected early tommorrow).
Strange that two in succession have been very easy to complete (especially the new boy the other Sunday). I hope that the next one will be more of a challenge.
DocHH - the pairs of letters are in the same order as in the words, but may be the first and last letters, or a pair of letters at the beginning or end of a clued word (e.g. loUR).

[devadolly]

Hello! I'm here! A very Happy New Year to all EVers. Did have a look for evidence of life yesterday afternoon, but thought it must be too easy for you all to have bothered to chat, even I managed to finish it by the time I went to bed. Had a bit of a problem with the middle bit but after nodding off with the cat on my lap had a brainstorm, I think the purring had jiggled the 'little grey cells' into action!

It is odd that there have been two easy ones in a row, what are the odds on it being Mr O next week............Help! Good to see the extended 'sell-by' date though. Anyone any idea why we were deprived last week?

DocHH if you are only just getting up at 18.32........................

Regards

[DocHH]

Devadolly, pleased you finished EV 844 and pleased to see you actually manged to rouse from slumber, albeit by the purring of a contented cat!! Your turn on sunday to start the thread, I'll be there watching and waiting for chatters and natterers! Ciao!!

[cruciverbali]

.. and a Very Happy New Year to you all from me. Can I also take this opportunity to publically thank midazolam for all his hard work 'campaigning' for a return of the EV submission deadline to its previous condition. This is a very welcome decision by the editors - well done m !!

[devadolly]

Now, now DocHH, you are all capable of starting a chat! I very much doubt if I shall be even looking at the EV (or any other) crossword next weekend as those dreaded deadlines have caught up with me again and the Muse is keeping a very low profile - (I think the cat has been sitting on her!) so you will all have to be brave and fight to be first to put finger to keyboard.

No the cat purring put me to sleep - he is lethal, whoever's knee he decides to occupy has to be poked with a sharp stick to keep them awake.

Yes, well done Midazolam for his work though I have to say that 4 of us in this neck of the woods, did all write individual letters to the Xword editor to voice our displeasure when it initially changed. Also a number of (un-acknowledged) emails have been sent over the months, so we have tried.

Bound to need help next week so please kind people be prepared to help.

Regards

[novalis]

Agree with sentiments re Midazolam.

Still wondering what happened to EV 843. I couldn't find one on 28th December, the one on 21st was No 842 and this is 844.

[midazolam]

Thank you all for your comments, but as devadolly mentions, there were others who fought for this. I am just glad that the crossword can be sent off without the rush (particularly those abroad).

I only did the crossword for fun and never sent it off anyway, but unfortunately I no longer do the crossword and so cannot join in with the natter and chatter. I still refuse to buy the paper just for the EV, as it is no longer free online. I would if someone could send it to me, but that is being too cheeky.

Enjoy, and you never know one of my crosswords may come up to be solved...

[copelander]

Happy New Year EVers. Well done to anyone who helped to get the submission time extended. People power ??

[devadolly]

Have just finished (bar fine-toothcombing) one piece so am sneaking a peek at our up-market chat room.
Welcome back novalis & midazolam - I'm not computer literate enough to work out how to send the EV to anyone, but I am sure someone is????
How is the cold novalis? Started on the Echinacea yet? One a day throughout the winter and up to 4 when you have a cold.

Back to work!

[novalis]

Hi Devadolly!

The cold's gone completely,thank you. Went back to my tried and trusted formula -- a brisk run ( jog these days ) wearing several layers, a hot shower and an early night. The first two sweated it out and the latter helped the ( old ) body to recover. On top of the world and ready for anything and everything ( apart from the next EV perhaps! ).