We had a rare visit in the puzzle today from Oksana BAIUL, the famed figure skater who is 47 now. With all those vowels, you’d think we’d see her more often. Oksana won the world championship in 1993 and Olympic gold in 1994. She was born and raised in Ukraine, but has lived in the US since ’94. She’s been married to her manager Carlo Farino for ten years and they have a daughter Sophia. Here’s a shot of her from her skating days.
Oksana was raised in the Russian Orthodox Church, but when she was 25 she learned her maternal grandmother was Jewish, and she has identified as Jewish since then. She also lived in Cliffside NJ for 14 years, so we are definitely claiming her as one of ours. Her past includes a difficult struggle with alcoholism, and she has called her sobriety more important than her Olympic gold. Amen to that, girl.
Oksana’s charitable activities include support of the Tikva Children’s Home, which aids the Jewish children of Odessa. The family lives in Shreveport, LA. Stop in to see us at Owl Chatter the next time you’re in the area, guys. We’ll go to the pierogi place in Morristown. Sophia can play with my Zoey.
This story by Simone Pinet was in today’s Met Diary.
I was getting on an M5 bus going downtown from Columbia. I was on a call with my husband and hauling a suitcase, which made it difficult to use a phone to pay my fare.
“I love you,” my husband said as I fumbled with the phone.
“I love you too,” the bus driver said.
In yesterday’s puzzle, I thought “End of a trail, perhaps” was a tough clue for APEX. Apex does mean “highest or culminating point,” so it’s certainly not incorrect. Egs noted: “Got a primate infestation in your hut? Try APEX! Guaranteed to work or I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.” So a better clue would have been “Solution for a primate infestation.”
You familiar with Saweetie? Me neither. She’s a rap artist, a blind spot of mine. The clue today was “Hip-hop artist with the 2019 hit ‘My Type.’” Despite the spelling, it’s pronounced Sweetie. She’s 31 and has a degree in Communications from USC.
The southwest quadrant of the puzzle today was a one-two-three punch for our Dirty Old Man Dept. First, Gal Gadot popped in, the gorgeous Israeli actress who played Wonder Woman and a bunch of other roles, including, of course, the lead in Waiting for Gadot. (Just kidding.) She popped onto the scene in 2004 as Miss Israel and then, like most beauty pageant winners, spent two years in the army. She’s sorta the Israeli Ana de Armas, except she’s been married to a real estate developer from Amsterdam since 2008 and they have four girls.
Next came LOVE HOTELS. You hear about these? Here’s Rex explaining them, citing Wikipedia: They’re short-stay hotels, of Japanese origin, designed specifically for sex. Prostitution may be involved, but mainly it’s just a discreet place, often in city districts (near train stations, and highways). There are hourly rates and interaction with staff is kept to a minimum. Discretion! Rooms are often selected from a panel of buttons, and the bill may be settled by pneumatic tube, vending machine, or paying an unseen staff member behind frosted glass. Parking lots are concealed and windows will be few, so as to maximize privacy. Higher-end hotels may feature fanciful rooms decorated with anime characters, be equipped with rotating beds, ceiling mirrors, karaoke machines, and unusual lighting. Architecture is sometimes garish, with buildings shaped like castles, boats or UFOs and lit with neon lighting. This one seems pretty discreet.
Third, at 96A, the clue was “Apparel feature that a bandeau lacks,” and the answer was BRA STRAP. Rex posted this picture which led to a funny exchange:
One commenter asked: What do they call that hat she’s wearing?
Pabloinnh responded: She was wearing a hat?
Let’s close with the Big Man tonight. Here’s another story from today’s Met Diary. It’s by Mandy Cooper.
Dear Diary:
In 1984, I was fresh out of college and living on East 44th Street and Second Avenue. I had an entry-level job on East 74th and I took the Second Avenue bus home every night.
Once, someone reached into my purse while I was on the bus and stole my wallet without my even noticing. The thief got my credit cards, my driver’s license, and what little cash I had. (I didn’t carry much at the time since I only made about $186 a week.)
What was truly devastating was the loss of a Heineken label I had been carrying in my wallet for some time. It was from a memorable evening.
I was at Big Man’s West in Red Bank, N.J., a club owned by Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band. I was sitting at a table with Clarence himself.
Out of sheer nervousness, I had peeled the Heineken label off a bottle in one piece. Clarence saw me do it, took the label and signed it: “Right on! Love, The Big Man, Clarence Clemons.”
I could get a new license and credit cards, but that label was irreplaceable.
About three weeks later, I received a notice from the post office. A package with $1.08 postage due was waiting for me there.
It turned out that the thief had taken the money and then tossed my wallet into a mailbox. I got back my license, credit cards and, unbelievably, the Heineken label!
I still have it to this day but no longer carry it with me. I know I couldn’t get that lucky twice.
See you tomorrow Chatterheads!
The Wellington Files 