THINK

"Okay, I'll bite. Think about what?"

Nothing in particular, that's just the clue from the crossword puzzle. Not a recent puzzle, either, but one dated June 19. Well, I guess it's still "recent" to me, as I've just done it a day or so ago.

"You're rambling, dear."

Oh, perhaps. It's rather been one of those times, ya know?

"I'm starting to get an inkling. Why don't you talk about the puzzle first, then we'll just go from there."

Yes, that should work, we'll see.

"So... about that crossword clue..."

You mean that one word, "think"? Well, it wasn't a single clue, it actually appeared eight times. I don't mean the word "think" was part of a phrase in those eight clues, but that the single word was, itself, the clue for eight responses, four which were across and four which were down.

"Oh! That's a bit different. Was it one of those Jonesin' puzzles?"

No, this one was written by Wren Schulz and carried in the regular local newspaper.

"Do continue."

Oh, of course. Um, let's see, I guess the first synonym I solved was "muse". I guess it's hardly surprising, since that word used to be part of the name of a favorite venue. I have certainly been known to follow a stray thought around for a while!

"That is the absolute truth! What else did you find?"

Well, what might you "suppose" I might find?
(smile)

"Something to espouse which has no basis in reality? Yeah, the physicist would get a charge out of that one! Get the joke?"

Hahaha! You know what? I "reckon" he just might come to that conclusion, based on my previous forays into fairy tale and fantasy. He would say "Not to be silly, but all of that is pure conjecture."

"I am sure he would! Traffic in the land of make-believe? You?"

Hey, it's a pretty nice place to visit from time to time, so don't "hold an opinion" against me for those travels.

"Oh, believe me, I would never "deem" ill of you for such as that!"

Well, then, good. I appreciate your magnanimous nature.

"Thank you, how very gracious of you. Now, then back to the puzzle?"

Well, I've told you of four so far. The fifth of the eight shall be this word, "ruminate". Of course, it brings to mind a cow chewing a cud, much like one who is allowing a particular idea to occupy much time in one's day. That's what I've fond myself doing of late.

"Hmm. This is not probably going to go well..."

As you know, I've been spending a bit more time than usual with the running bear, mostly because his vehicle has been having issues...

"(Sigh.) Here we go now, as Ozzy would say..."

I mean, I've been with him five times over the course of two weeks. FIVE TIMES. That's more than twice as often as I usually have his company...

"Please tell me you're not going crazy again. Please."

And, get this: I've been doing the driving. Kevin has been riding in my car. Incredible!

"Too late. You are definitely teetering on the edge of the abyss..."

You know how vehemently he has declined - nay! utterly refused! - to ride in my Saturn. Our routine is to meet at the restaurant, then I ride in his vehicle to and from the cinema. Not that I'm complaining, of course, as I enjoy these extra moments to talk with him. I especially like that we've been venturing to places that are farther from the cinema, like when we went to Moe's over by Oglethorpe Mall tonight...

"Damn, girl, please hold it together..."

But now I've had all this extra driving time, with him in my car, as I've fetched him and we've gone to Sushi Time Towa or I fetched him and we dined at Heiwa. I had talked him into the Okinawan place and then he had let me know one of my favorite Japanese restaurants had relocated midtown from downtown. New places for us before movies!

"Yeah, I can see I'm just going to have to wait this out. You're not even responding to anything I've said."

Then, after the movie, I've taken him back to his place, of course, giving me even more time to talk with him.

"Please tell me you didn't go into his place..."

Oh! And after the super-rare Saturday lunch, with early afternoon screening of the hilarious Jarmusch film, "The Dead Don't Die", he asked me to take him to the grocery store! How about that! I had helped him get the food inside and even petted Jinx a bit.
(smile)

"Damn."

It's been quite nice to be able to do some favors for him, as much as he's done for me.
Right?

"You are absolutely right, my dear! Now, how about those other three words you divined for that crossword puzzle clue?"

Crossword puzzle? Oh, wait, that's what I started being on about prior to my bit of distraction.

"Yes, dear. And... "

Well, let's take a moment to "reflect" on that already completed puzzle and the solved clues therein, mulling over the process used, perhaps.

"Maybe you should suggest that as a Philo Cafe topic one night."

You know, that would be a great idea! I haven't been to one of those discussions in ages.

"Well, then, maybe you should do that some Monday night."

Perhaps... but those are the nights I like to go to Odd Lot, and both activities are at the same time. Plus, there are the planning meetings on Monday nights, too, for the SERMACS coming up.

"Yes, but those are early enough that you can still make it to Philo or the improv."

Yeah, I'll see. It would be nice to see Cedric again.
(smile)

"Okay! Nice bit of reflection that got worked in there, too."

Yeppers! Now to "cogitate" on the deeper meaning behind my schedule conflicts. Maybe, if my tastes were not so eclectic, my entertainment schedule would not be so jam-packed with diverse activities.

"Maybe so, but who would want to only partake of one delight when there are so many to be sampled? I seem to recall you once said something like, "So many men, so little time" when others were saying "So many men, so few with brains"."

Ah, yes, good times, good times...
(smile)
that my dear Mama had no idea were happening.
That's certainly not the stuff I wrote of in letters home!

"Hey, you were grown and off seeing the world as a sailor, right? Right. 'Nuff said."

Hahahaha hahaha! For sure!

"For sure. Now, there's just one more word from that crossword puzzle you had."

Yes, but it's not even a real word. "Ideate". It's like something that an advertising agent would come up with and try to pass off as a real word.

"Oh, come on. I know you don't have much fondness for those who work in marketing, but the word was in the dictionary, so it must be real."

No, its inclusion in such a tome does not grant it authenticity. Go ahead, look it up. It has zero background. Someone simply put together "idea" and "ate" to form it, with a meaning of "to generate an idea".

"Yeah, that's pretty lame."

Exactly.

"Well, I guess it had the needed letters for other words in the puzzle."

That's not how a crossword puzzle is built. You choose your theme words first, then construct the puzzle around those. That means that nonsensical word was deliberately selected.

"At least you are done with it and managed to get a blog post out of it... right?"

True! Okay, let me wrap this up. Thanks for being a listening ear... or reading eye... or whatever it is that we have going on here.

"Yes, dear."

Yes, dear.
(smile)