Years ago when I was younger, I enjoyed immersing myself into a big, complex Crossword Puzzle, sometimes taking more than a day to finish it. Today, after completing 82 years of age, I still enjoy crosswords, except now I buy the absolute easiest crossword books I can find and knock them out as quickly as possible, usually taking maybe 5 minutes. I don't want challenges anymore...I just want Instant Gratification! Hal
I like the medium ones, Hal. I don't want them to be so difficult that I get frustrated, but the medium ones seem to be just right. I use them when TV isn't good enough to keep my attention.
I choose Easy because I only work the puzzles when I'm waiting or my Wife to cook my Saturday and Sunday breakfasts, and I can solve 'em in a few minutes before she serves me the Omelet, followed by Hash Browns and a Beef Patty. I also get my after-breakfast cup of Coffee on these 2 days, and no more until the next weekend! Life is good! Hal
I've always been a cryptic crossword fan, but like you folks, I find now that I prefer the less complicated cryptic puzzles.. a mix of medium and cryptic is ideal.. I no longer have the inclination to spend all day trying to work out a clue, so now when I sit with crossword and a cuppa tea in the garden I want to have finished it by the time I've finished my tea...
I started working the crossword puzzle that came in the newspaper every day, as a kid. Still like them, but I've switched to picture logic puzzles (aka, Nonograms, Picross or Griddlers). Every puzzle results in a picture. This is a good puzzle website, and free, unless you want to save your results.
Before BBS's and the Internet, I used to do crossword puzzles sometimes and enjoyed them. While we published All Maine Matters, I had a computer program that would create crossword puzzles from a databank of words that I would enter into it, and I enjoyed doing that. Here's a PDF of the April, 2006 issue, with a Maine-specific crossword puzzle near the end.
Well Hal...you are just like so many in the world today who want instant gratification. I, on the other hand like to enjoy myself while getting there.
I'm a nut for crossword puzzles and do at least one every day. I like the medium to hard ones; I'm looking for a challenge. I also like to do jigsaw puzzles on the computer.
I do crosswords online at bestcrosswords dot com. Started about 14 years ago, and have completed almost 26,000 of their daily competitive puzzles. I have also done several thousand of their Guest Constructor puzzles. The competitive ones are not that hard (15x15 grid) but you are playing against the clock.
Babs, I used to enjoy delayed gratification, because I had long to live. Now I want INSTANT gratification, because now I DON'T have that long to live anymore! Hal