Linda Carson at Play

Even artists have hobbies.

Mine ebb and flow. There's usually a full-immersion get-acquainted then I ease back some, try to fit each new activity into the rotation. It's not that I have a short attention span. Really.

(Now I'm gonna chat about sports, cards, creative outlets, books, dance and cryptic crossword puzzles. Skim and scroll at will.)

Sports

I'm a lapsed baseball fan (Toronto Blue Jays and whoever's playing the Yankees), disillusioned since the strike. But I'll still see a game, major or minor league, anytime I'm in a new city or town.

My favourite baseball experience was in a pub near Covent Garden in London, England. Imagine a zillion ex-pats, mostly American, packed into the Maple Leaf to watch the Jays (and someone else I don't care about) play game six of the World Series on tape delay from an overnight satellite feed. The bartender and I seemed to be the only ones in the place who knew how the game ended, and the bartender wasn't too happy about it. There would not be a Game Seven, another night of harmless but hard-drinking ball fans shoving money in his pockets, because Joe Carter was about to have a History-Making Moment and win the Series with a home run in the bottom of the ninth. That's not something to read about. That's something to see, to enjoy in the company of other baseball fans.

I enjoy watching figure skating and, to be honest, any sport played at an elite level with useful coverage. Gives me a rush to watch people do anything well, from surgery to a really smooth oil change. (Ever seen the Iron Chef?)

In my world, "sport" means "spectator sport." I'm the one you picked last for softball. I was an ever-ender in skipping. I only passed Phys Ed because there were tests on the rules of sports. So I can't actually hit a baseball, but I can explain the infield fly rule.

Cards

I made the usual progression from crazy eights to hearts to euchre to bridge. Played a lot of duplicate bridge until my favourite partner abandoned me for full-time employment. I'd like to say I love poker but I never play for real money so that makes me a chicken-shit amateur. (However, if you try to claim it's a game of chance, I'll play you in a heartbeat!)

Creative Outlets

Artists don't have creative outlets as hobbies. They all become part of the job. Photography used to be a hobby, then it got practical. Sewing used to be a hobby, then I took an art class and started venting my creative urges in the studio. (I've still got a thing about quilts and once in a while I get drafted to costume a theatre show.)

I'm trying to become a gardener but my husband once called the dining room windowsill "the place plants go to die."

Books

I read, but I like to think everyone does.

Dance

I do a lot of comic choreography. It started with FASS, an annual comedy at the University of Waterloo, where I was responsible for (among others) the black-light production number and the tray trick. Then there was the University of Waterloo Varsity Briefcase Drill team, which still rises from the mists every couple of years. Now I want a shot at putting two hobbies together, so if anyone knows how I can get in touch with the Ice Nightmare, all-male synchro skating team, let me know!

Puzzles

I've been enjoying cryptic crossword puzzles for a while. Here's a good overall site, the Globe and Mail now has their cryptic on-line and the Guardian is top-notch. I'm not one for half-measures, so now I'm designing cryptics myself.

Cryptics for Beginners

I've got a series of small educational puzzles you might enjoy if you're just getting started and want some practice. Where appropriate, I've put the key word in bold face (training wheels), the answers are just a click away, and I've included a short explanation with each one.

• Nothing but container clues
• Homophones only
• All anagrams, all the time
• Double definitions only, the ideal clue type
• Charade clues only, the cryptic designer's clue of last resort
• Other types of clues, some rare & endangered

Cryptics for Veterans

If you're already a cryptician, I hope you'll enjoy some of my more advanced designs. No training wheels. Explanations on request.

Warnings:

• I'm a Canadian. The bad news is that I'll use Canadian place names and cultural references when I need 'em. The good news is that cricket clues will only come up if I'm truly desperate.
• And I may use either British or American spelling on a whim!
• I'm an adult. Sometimes my choice of language and subject matter is not appropriate for youngsters or the faint of heart. (The worst part is that if you're not familiar with this sort of language, you're going to have a tough time figuring out one or two clues.)
  • The latest puzzle, installed May 12, 2000
  • The one before that, installed May 12, 2000
  • The one before that, installed April 6, 2000
  • The one before that, installed March 3, 2000
  • The one before that, installed March 3, 2000
  • The one before that, installed March 3, 2000
  • The one before that, installed March 3, 2000
  • The one before that, installed March 3, 2000

I believe clues should be designed so that the puzzler knows when they get the right answer. If you think I've cheated on a clue, or I come up with one you really like, drop me a line at lccarson@bigblackpig.com with criticism or praise.