I'm a puzzle person. I especially love word puzzles such as crossword puzzles. My mother remembered this when purchasing me a present. She gave me the The New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles Engagement Calendar.
Description
The front and back calendar pages are constructed of frosted plastic. The white calendar pages are stiff, more cardboard than paper. The calendar measures 8" high x 7" wide (including the stiff black wire spiral binding). This is a thick calendar at 1" deep.
When the calendar is open, each left page features a New York Times crossword puzzle. Each puzzle is numbered and has a name (such as "Making A Face" or "Turndowns"). Beneath the puzzle is the author’s name and the date it was published. These puzzles date from 2000 and 2001 with one puzzle dated 2002.
Opposite the puzzle is the actual calendar. Each page has the month written at the top with Monday through Sunday listed vertically with the date next to each day. The space for each day of the week measures 1" high x 3 3/4" wide. Four 3 5/8" long lines are listed beneath each day of the week. At the bottom of each page is an image of the full month at a glance. The calendar also shows moon phases and holidays.
The crossword puzzle answers are at the back of the calendar as well as two pages showing next year’s calendar months. There are also two pages listing International Holidays and a page for personal information such as name, address, emergency contact information.
My Experiences
I admit that these puzzles are a challenge for me. I have yet to finish one! They are a fun way to aid my exercise, though. When I’m riding the stationery bicycle, I bring a pen (yes, I do puzzles in pen) and my crossword calendar. As my feet are cycling, my mind gets a workout, too. The calendar pages are stiff, so I don’t have to worry about the puzzle/calendar bending in my hands while writing on the pages.
The crossword puzzle grid is always on the left calendar page with most of the clues on the same page. One gripe is that some of the clues continue onto the right-hand page. This sometimes makes it awkward for me to look at the clues and then the puzzle grid while bicycling. It would be great to have all the clues and the puzzle grid on the same page (but then the clues would probably have to be written in microscopic print) ... so I guess I shouldn’t complain.
The spiral binding is firm and has not bent out of shape. Being a spiral binding, I can easily fold the calendar pages so that the book resembles a pad of paper.
This isn’t just a puzzle book. I use the calendar pages to keep track of my hectic schedule. There is plenty of room for me to write birthdays, anniversaries as well as meeting dates and appointments. I can comfortably write four events for each day of the week. Typically, my events require more than one line to write and I find that two or three events fill one calendar day area.
I also like the stiff see-through front and back plastic covers. They protect the calendar from errant spills that might happen. If needed, the covers can act as a coaster for perspiring cold drinks. But, of course, I would never use it for that purpose. Not me.
Purchasing
This calendar was purchased at a local bookstore. The price written on the back of the calendar is $14.99.
Summary
This is a great calendar for any crossword puzzle lover who enjoys a challenge. It also keeps my mind occupied while my feet are doing the grunt-work of stationery bicycle riding. The calendar also provides plenty of room for keeping track of appointments and important dates.
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
This review is part of the Lean-n-mean IV Write Off. The challenge is to write a product review that is around 665 words.
Copyright 2005 Dawn L. Stewart
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