Doing the NY Times Crossword

The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday puzzles are do-able.  Come Thursday, most clues are about obscure movies and old television shows. Last Saturday was this clue:  “Fifth in a series of seven old comedy films”. ??   For a late 80s immigrant, it is quite a struggle to get those answers.   (btw, the answer to that question is Road to Rio)

Then I begin cheating…I go to Google for help.  I discovered in my surfing two websites that take all the fun out of doing the crossword.  One is www.crosswordheaven.com – it’s a site that allows you to enter the clue and it just spits out the answer. It is always a temptation to go to it. The other is http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/  -- the blogger is a Rex Parker who says of himself “I am the 31st Greatest Crossword Puzzle Solver in the Universe!”  Don’t ask me who the other 30 are!!  Rex Parker takes 2 minutes to do the NY Times crossword and by the time I solicit Google for help at about 9 a.m., HE is there – on top of the search list.  All smug and done, the fastest pencil in the east.   

And, of course, I follow his blog.