Always a Cross Word

As an underemployed person, the challenge every day is to fill up the hours in a meaningful and satisfying way. I always start out the week with a burst of activity. This week, for example, I filed all my office papers and reorganized by client files. (So easy! Half are out of business. Those papers get filed in the shredder.) I also cleaned the bathroom, made a pot of soup, baked bread, and cleaned out a closet. Then I borrowed Erica's power drill and installed a new screen on my carport door and reinforced my sagging privacy fence. In addition, I walked with Muzzy to the library twice. That was just Monday and Tuesday.

By Thursday, things slow down. I look up at the clock and realize that it's only noon, and I wonder how the heck to fill in the hours until I can walk a dog. (Muzzy says, "It's always time to walk the dog!" Nice try, Muzz.) That's where crossword puzzles come in. I'm not very good at them, as you can see. I have a book of NY Times x-words called something like Cafe Crosswords, which is a polite way of saying crosswords for the lame. (The lamest part is that these puzzles were originally published in the paper in 2003-2004, which means that I have already done most of them before.) I can kill hours working on these things, and lately I have, especially at night. I have no wisdom to impart or tricks that I have learned—except to be patient and let the words form themselves. Each new puzzle is, for me, like starting at the foot of Mount Everest and hiking to the peak. But here are a few clues—and answers—that involve a favorite topic: dogs.

Clue: "Treat for Rover" (4 letters): bone

Clue: "Nick and Nora's dog" (4 letters) : Asta

Clue: "Ark or bark" (4 letters): boat (That one took me a while.)

Clue: "Friend of Fido" (3 letters): Rex

Clue:  "Garfield's pal" (4 letters): Odie (Not to be confused with "Andy Taylor's son": Opie)

Clue: "Dogfaces" (3 letters): GIs

Clue:  "Onetime White House pooch" (4 letters): Fala

Clue:  "Terrier type" (4 letters): Skye

Clue: "Genetic engineer's observation about his pet?" (14 letters): My dog has fleece
(This puzzle featured phrases in which the last word ended in the -eese sound.)

Clue: "Dog-paddled" (4 letters): swam
-z