Yes, most of the people who matter have reported on ACPT already, but I was so wiped out from the tournament I wasn't up to posting anything until now. Here it goes:
On St. Patrick's Day at 11:00, 600 contestants gathered at the Brooklyn Marriott for a chance for the $5,000 prize and a chance to take your picture with Will Shortz. This year, they were giving away an iPad but nobody knows who won. I don't want to give away the puzzle answers because I believe there are still people solving by mail. Traditionally, the first puzzle has always been the easiest, but I found it to be a a little tricky this year. Also, I realized afterward that two squares were wrong. Puzzle #2 had a most interesting title, but I crashed and burned completely. So did many of the better solvers. I only made it through 60% of puzzle #3 because I figured out the theme too late. Time for a quick lunch break at the Shake Shack (Five Guys makes a better burger) and back for puzzles 4 thru 6. Puzzle #4 was a snap . . . then it was time for #5 (known as "the bastard puzzle"). I blanked out on that one too. I finished Puzzle #6 (another easy one) very quickly and then took a walk to Montague Street for dinner and a little shopping.
I had a truly awful pasta dinner on Saturday night, which gave me an upset stomach. I was able to sit through a slide show of the 35-year history of the tournament, as well as a demonstration of Dr. Fill, the computer program created by Matt Ginsberg. However, I wasn't up to the team challenge called Puzzle Nation, so I went to bed early. After breakfast, Puzzle #7 was distributed. I wound up finishing about 75% of it and I stayed for the talent show and the finals. I was pleasantly surprised by many of the acts, especially the pianist Jon Delfin, musician Vic Fleming, and comedian Mark Saltveit.
Congrats to Dan Feyer, who was the winner for the third consecutive year. Dan was trailed by Tyler Hinman (the former 5-time champ) and Anne Erdmann. Tyler went into the finals error-free and he finished the puzzles quickly. Although I didn't look at my score, I'm sure I languished near the bottom of the field and edged out only those who didn't show up. You can follow this link for the final results. As for Dr. Fill, "he" would have finished only 141st in the standings. However, only humans are accounted for in the final results. In the end, man beats machine.
A special "Thank You" goes out to Helene Hovanec, a children's puzzle creator, for coordinating the ACPT. She has taken on this awesome responsibility for almost 20 years!
Now I'm gearing up for Lollapuzzoola 5, which is on August 4th. I have a lot more fun at this tournament because it's smaller and the puzzles are generally easier. Also, snacks and pizza are included in the cost! Not sure if I'll return to the ACPT next year, but I am going to try my hand at constructing some puzzles for kids. I'm going to start doing some research and see what I can create.
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20A: 80s fad garments (LEG WARMERS). OMG, I had visions of "Flashdance" going through my head! Actually, leg warmers were used by dancers for years in order to keep their muscles from cramping. It was only during the 80s and the aerobics craze that leg warmers became popular.
40A: 80s fad doll (CABBAGE PATCH KID). Was there any little girl in the 80s who did not want this doll? Cabbage Patch Kids were so ugly but adorable at the same time. They came with adoption papers too. People stood on line for hours at toy stores, only to be turned away. Occasionally, cat fights would erupt between moms, too. They are still around, with "adoption fees" in the neighborhood of $200.
57A: 80s puzzle fad (RUBKIS CUBE). I was never able to solve the Rubik's Cube. However, I used to cheat by peeling off the stickers and pretend that I solved the puzzle in record time.Tonight is a "Mad Men" talk at the Times Center . . . just 5 more days until the season premiere!
Till tomorrow. . . .
Signing off,
The Puzzlechick
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