Theme: "Hesitations" - ER is added to each theme entry.
25. Milwaukee slugger who keeps striking out?: COLD BREWER. Cold brew.
27. Put an album up for auction?: OFFER. THE RECORD. Off the record.
52. Animal hospital amenity?: DOG AND PONY SHOWER. Dog and pony show.
66. Robbery involving a diamond?: BASEBALL CAPER. Baseball cap.
85. C-suite member who shreds on the half-pipe?: EXECUTIVE BOARDER. Executive board.
109. Rooster?: CHICKEN BROTHER. chicken broth.
115. Selfie taken by a financial professional?: BANKER SHOT. Bank shot.
Looks like a Sunday debut for Jill Rafaloff & Michelle Sontarp. Congratulations! Maybe Gary can find more information about them.
Five of the ERs are added to the last word, two are added to the first one. So no odd-man out.
Across:
6. Quick inhalation: GASP.
10. Stitched loosely: BASTED. I bought a Jennie-O turkey breast this year. So easy to prepare.
16. Morsel: BIT.
19. Short digression: ASIDE.
20. Layered snack: OREO.
21. Slide subject: AMOEBA.
22. Written tribute: ODE.
23. Sail (through): COAST.
24. Connections: TIES.
30. Actor Neeson: LIAM.
31. Vuitton of fashion: LOUIS. And 100. Fashion monogram: YSL.
32. Start of the Common Era: ONE AD.
34. Senses: FEELS.
35. Fuel additive brand: STP. Scientifically Treated Petroleum. Owned by Energizer.
38. Bus. letters: INC.
39. "¿Qué pasa?": SUP.
41. Reception problem: STATIC.
43. Manage, as an art exhibit: CURATE.
45. Home of BTS: KOREA. South Korea. "Butter"!
47. Put back: RESTORE.
51. Sitting upon: ATOP.
56. Relocated: MOVED. Boomer can't move by himself now. His legs are just numb. Quite a challenge for me to change the bed sheet, bed pads and the diapers. My arms do get stronger!
58. Venomous snake: ASP.
59. Iridescent gem: OPAL.
60. Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew: BREES.
61. Part of GDP: PRODUCT.
63. Cardiff's country: WALES.
65. Scuffle: TUSSLE.
74. See 13-Down: LASSO. 13. With 74-Across, 2021 and 2022 Emmy winner for Outstanding Comedy Series: TED.
75. Guts: INNARDS.
80. Prefix meaning "sun": HELIO.
81. Michael who plays Luis in the "Ant-Man" movies: PENA.
82. Geological span: EON.
84. Supply with gear: EQUIP.
90. Tropical tangelo: UGLI. Tried once. Pretty juicy.
91. Accumulates, as debt: RACKS UP. Scary.
92. Trojan War epic: ILIAD.
93. Functional: USABLE.
95. Maine-based retailer since 1912: L.L. BEAN. They have a store in Mall of America.
98. "The Marvelous __ Maisel": MRS.
99. Bioengineered food source, briefly: GMO.
101. First name of boy detective Encyclopedia Brown: LEROY.
104. Night noise: SNORE. For me, it's the air mattress noise from the hospital bed.
106. Garlicky mayo: AIOLI. So vowel-y.
108. Apple variety: IMAC.
119. Early spring flower: IRIS. And 7. Many an April birth: ARIES.
120. Fast Amtrak train: ACELA.
121. Oil field sight: RIG.
122. Scandinavia locale: EUROPE.
123. Motorcade vehicle: LIMO.
124. Gorge: CHASM.
125. Draft selection?: ALE. Good old clue.
126. Gawks: STARES.
127. What "T" stands for, in video game ratings: TEEN.
128. Sorts: TYPES.
Down:
2. Beginning with: AS OF.
3. "La Vie en Rose" singer Édith: PIAF. Marion Cotillard on the left.
4. Short-lived Ford model: EDSEL.
5. Largest city on the border between the U.S. and Canada: DETROIT.
6. Like "Dracula" and "Frankenstein": GOTHIC. Gothic novels.
8. Oracle: SEER.
9. Model: POSE.
10. BLT part: BACON.
11. Collection of love poems by Ovid: AMORES.
12. Were bought for: SOLD AT.
14. Wane: EBB.
15. __ es Salaam: DAR. Tanzania.
16. "Modern Love" singer David: BOWIE.
17. Utopian: IDEAL.
18. School sessions: TERMS.
26. Certain college members: ELECTORS.
28. Pitched well?: TUNED. Nice clue.
29. Managed somehow: COPED.
33. Hannah of "Roxanne": DARYL. Married to Neil Young.
34. Laurence who played Pops on "Black-ish": FISHBURNE.
35. Scalawag: SCAMP.
36. Teach privately: TUTOR.
37. Home of Brigham Young University: PROVO.
39. Caress, e.g.: SOAP.
40. Banquet coffeepot: URN.
42. QB targets: TES. Tight Ends.
44. Mimicked: APED.
45. Metric wts.: KGS.
46. Twin of Artemis: APOLLO.
48. Sees red?: OWES.
49. Stagger: REEL.
50. Irish Gaelic: ERSE.
53. Muffin grains: OATS.
54. Crude cartel: OPEC.
55. Mars rover org.: NASA.
57. With skepticism: DUBIOUSLY.
62. Food drive donation, often: CAN.
63. Sashimi condiment: WASABI. My favorite brand. So good.
64. Singer Green and politician Gore: ALS.
65. Decimal base: TEN.
67. Mtn. stat: ELEV.
68. Downfall: BANE.
69. Christmas candle scent: PINE.
70. "Moonstruck" Oscar winner: CHER.
71. Half dodeca-: HEXA. Dodeca is prefix for 12.
72. Smart __: ALEC.
73. Burglar: PICK LOCK.
76. Water color: AQUA.
77. Sport with an oval ball: RUGBY.
78. Some pickles: DILLS. Best brand.
79. Sales pitch: SPIEL.
81. Singing voice, informally: PIPES.
82. Historical spans: ERAS.
83. Not even: ODD.
86. Sudsy spot: TUB. Thankfully our tub works great. The sink faucet is another matter.
87. Early Mesoamerican: OLMEC.
88. Ventilate: AIR.
89. "__ has it ... ": RUMOR.
94. Typical open mic performance: SOLO ACT.
96. Last runner in a relay race: ANCHOR.
97. Zero chance: NO HOPE.
99. Martini with an onion: GIBSON.
101. Heavenly scales: LIBRA.
102. Inbox message: EMAIL.
103. Scope: RANGE.
105. Custom-made things?: RITES. Ritual "custom".
106. "Spirited Away" genre: ANIME.
107. Like a mosquito bite: ITCHY.
110. Bagpiper's skirt: KILT.
111. Lake near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: ERIE.
112. Pile: HEAP.
113. Otherwise: ELSE.
114. Los Angeles team: RAMS.
116. Some Caltech grads: EES.
117. Boring routine: RUT.
118. Sp. address: SRA.
To borrow a line from Marc Maron, Boomer Lives!
He did develop a few issues last week. Itchy eyes bother him the most. One of his pressure sores also got worse. Hopefully more rounds of barrier & Mepilex will ease the pain. We also hope to get the thickening powder Dr. Nina recommended soon so Boomer won't choke on water.
The good news is that Father Charlie Lachowitzer (Twin Cities' vicar general) visited us on Thursday. He spent quite a bit of time at our home and gave Boomer a special blessing. He said before he left that "Now I know why everyone likes to visit you".
C.C.