Tuesday October 23rd 2018, NY Times Crossword

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Time: 8:43
Tuesday Average: 13:49
Best Tuesday: 6:10

It's another long day in Beijing and I'm enjoying a night cap in the lounge contemplating my early morning flight to Ulan Baator tomorrow night and feeling a bit like FLAT STANLEY. Fortunately, I continue to RAKE INthe hotel points and the status that goes with it, so I've snagged a couple free beers before they shut down happy hour. Today's theme was ATHLETIC CUP, which eluded me for a bit since I've only ever referred to it as a cup. Other than the aforementioned NHL championship, we have GEENA DAVIS, WINONA RYDER, and SMALLWORLD as our theme answers. 

Was anyone else hearing TJ from Gilmore Girls yelling, "I'm in ESCROW!" Sure, it shows up in my mortgage-related dealings, but that's all I'll ever hear.

I had no idea that GALENAis the natural form of lead sulfide and instead I just know the Bulgarian chalga singer by that name. If you're in a country with access to YouTube, check her out!

I also didn't know COULEE, which is a term that, according to WikiPedia, is applied "rather loosely to different landforms." Well, that's helpful. It seems that it can refer to ponds or creeks or a gully or a ravine. Maybe even small ditches or canals. 



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