June 11, 2023

 Title: Human Connection

Constructor: Martha Kimes

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Guest Blogger: Matthew Stock

Theme answers:

MIND BENDER (16A: Difficult puzzle)

BODY DOUBLE (39A: Person who works next to you to help reduce distraction)

SPIRIT AWAY (55A: Carry off mysteriously)

Theme synopsis: The first words of the three theme answers — MIND, BODY and SPIRIT — form a "Human Connection" through the puzzle.

Things I learned:

• BODY DOUBLE (39A: Person who works next to you to help reduce distraction) I did not expect this angle on this clue, and was pleasantly surprised to learn this alternate meaning of BODY DOUBLE used as a productivity strategy by folks with ADHD. The BODY DOUBLE's job is to help their partner stay focused while completing a certain task.
• OPAL (51D: Activist Lee known as the "grandmother of Juneteenth") OPAL Lee is a lifelong educator and community activist from North Texas. She campaigned to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, including marching from Forth Worth to Washington DC in September 2016-January 2017. She was celebrated at the White House in 2021 when Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth bill into law.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• REX (22A: "Toy Story" dinosaur) I recently rewatched "Toy Story 3" and had forgotten how good of a movie it was! REX is one of my favorite characters in the "Toy Story" universe.
• TOUCAN (10D: Bird on a Froot Loops box) I've gotten into birding since moving to Florida last July, so I was especially excited to see a TOUCAN in this puzzle. Though a Toco Toucan (with its black-and-white body) probably comes to mind for most people when they think of this kind of bird, Toucan Sam is more likely a Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, found in Ecuador's Andean cloud forests (and seen below).

• SHINS (48D: Dreidel results that make you add to the pot) SHINS are objectively the worst roll in Dreidel (the other three either allowing you to take money from the pot or simply do nothing), but I enjoyed this shoutout here as Hanukkah is just around the corner (t-minus 179 days!)
• PITBULL (32A: Muscular dog breed) This could also have been clued as the music artist, and it is a fun entry whichever way you decide to go.

Geography review:

• EURO (17D: Currency in Madrid) Spain was one of the original European countries to adopt the Euro, replacing the Spanish peseta that had been used since the 1860s. You could use your EUROs to buy a ferry ride to a nearby ...
• ISLE (31D: Ibiza or Santorini), as Ibiza is only 93 miles east of Valencia. Santorini is a Greek ISLE in the South Aegean. A high-speed ferry from the Greek port Piraeus to Santorini takes about five hours. Santorini is also the namesake of a beautiful strategy board game — if you haven't tried it, see if your local board game café has it in their collection!

Hi folks! Matthew sitting in for Sally on a beautiful Sunday in Gainesville, Fl. I've spent a lot of time outside this weekend, which made Martha's reminder of "mind, body and spirit" all the more joyful to uncover. This grid had a nice flow throughout my solve — I enjoyed uncovering ITS COOL, ONE HALF, TUG OF WAR and smaller entries like LUXE and LAVA along the way. Thank you, Martha, for a wonderful start to my Sunday!