You could try solving it, but many of the clues are inside jokes.
I’ve already said what a wizard I’m married to, but I have to say it again. I’ve been totally obsessed with crossword puzzles for the past month, and he knows it, so guess what he made me for my birthday?
One thing I love about Erik is that he’s a visual artist too, though he doesn’t draw as much as I do. When he develops software, he cares about things like fonts and color. When he composes music, he writes the cutest, neatest little notes (seriously, he always laughs at this, but I squeal whenever I look at his compositions). And when he makes a crossword, you can bet it’ll be a good-looking one. He made this one on some of my watercolor paper, and at first I thought he’d painted the grid, but it’s all marker.
It’s a good crossword, too — fun and just challenging enough for a birthday morning. I have to confess my favorite clue is 12 down, though. It’s nice to have reminders that Erik is human in spite of his talents. 😉
What’s even more amazing is — not to put him on the spot, but I am — this isn’t the first time Erik has delighted my puzzle-loving self with such a special gift. Behold these gems of years past:
This one is from 2006 or 7, I think.
This is from college.
Awesome, right? Erik is the coolest of the cool.
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
OMG, this is adorable–and amazing!!! What an awesome present. 🙂
Isn’t it!!
I was thinking about your Erik recently when you posted about loneliness. You said he had read your blog and helped you see that your loneliness wasn’t a desire for more company, but a feeling of not being heard, or understood. How lovely to have someone to have these conversations with, someone to share the hard moments as well as the most sublime, to travel the world with you, to know that making you a crossword puzzle would please you above all things. The word cool barely touches this blessing wrapped up in a man suit. But I know that you know all this :)….
Yes!! I do know all this, though there have been times when I’ve forgotten (usually followed again soon by times when I realize it every day). We are so incredibly lucky and blessed; after all, we found each other in high school and committed to each other before we really knew anything about anything. Our relationship could so easily have gone the other way; we could have grown apart and been divorced by now! I’m so grateful to have a partner in everything. 🙂
I love crosswords, too. What a wonderful gift! You’re a lucky lady.
I know… and I try never to take anything for granted. 🙂 (Do you like puns? I recently came across this clue and answer: “Cutoffs with a complicated history?” LONGSTORYSHORTS)