Our Passions - Pets and Hobbies 

Not into pets? Here's a topic lots of people are passionate about! - Crossword puzzles

Few pastimes can be as satisfying as finishing a challenging crossword puzzle. It doesn’t matter if you like easy, medium, hard or an extremely hard level of crossword puzzle like those from the New York Times. Some people like to do theirs in ink others insist on pencil only. There are even those who prefer to do their crossword puzzle in mechanical pencils so that the answers can still be corrected but the letters looked as neatly formed as those you would write in ink. 

There are different shapes and styles of puzzle books some are laminated so that they won’t get wet from your beverage of choice that you’re sipping while filling in your answers. Some are large and filled with many puzzles designed to give you more bang for your buck. I’ve even seen a crossword puzzle book in the shape of a toilet in a nationally known bookstore. Yes, I admit I bought the book.

These challenging puzzles can be styled in various ways using a wealth of subjects. There are crosswords that have only words for objects you’d see in your kitchen, school, or local public library. When Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was due to be released in stores The New York Times released a Harry Potter themed crossword puzzle for that Sunday before the books release in stores. 

They also have the power to unify people. I’ve seen people who never speak to strangers see someone they don’t know working on a crossword puzzle in public and offer to help them find a seven lettered word for a mythical Egyptian bird (it’s phoenix by the way).

Many American bathrooms will have one of these puzzle books in them. How many people have used a friend or relative’s bathroom only to find a half finished puzzle and pen or pencil in a convenient spot? How many people have gone on to work on that crossword puzzle during that same bathroom visit?

Few things are as annoying as a puzzle that leaves you stumped for an answer. Here are a few tips that are sure to help you finish that crossword puzzle that’s been nagging at you.

Try leaving it alone and coming back to it. Just giving it time has solved many puzzles. Rely on your tried and true sources: the dictionary, thesaurus, and crossword puzzle dictionary a serious word game enthusiast will have all three in his or her home. The Internet is a valuable tool for looking up very difficult crossword puzzle clues. Type the clue in parenthesis and press enter. Many times your query will be sure to answer your question as well as teach you something you didn’t know before due to the copious additional knowledge you’ll find.

Do you like animals?

Anyone who knows me, knows my answer to that quetion!  I have four little fur children who spend the day with me while I work. However, there are a few individuals out there who really don't care for animals. Regardless, if you do love and appreciate animals, then you probably have a pet or two. This is the norm for most households. Whether it be a dog, cat or just a goldfish, we all typically tend to enjoy a nice companion. This is where the numerous animals for adoption come into the picture. Where did you acquire your puppy or kitten? Did you venture out that ridiculously expensive pet store at the local shopping mall or did you check out the nearby Humane Society? As for me, I did the whole Humane Society thing. There are just so many less fortunate animals for adoption now days. Why not lend them a helping hand, or home?

Did you know that you could sift through a plethora of animals for adoption without even leaving your home? It's true; you can easily jump on your personal computer and check out all animals for adoption in your area, online. Or even take a gander at all animals for adoption across the country. It's completely up to you. No one ever said that you couldn't drive 2000 miles for that perfect breed of dog or rare kitten. I personally just headed on over to my local Humane Society to take a look-see at all the beautiful animals for adoption. There were much more than I had ever expected. Sure, I had planned on seeing maybe ten cats, but was surprised when I was face to face with about fifty. Yikes! How would I ever choose? Well, after handling about five different kittens, I was hooked on one of them for certain. He was a cross-breed that resembled a Russian Blue. His name was Ivan and I was astounded at his cool demeanor. In no time at all, Ivan was our new cat. The funny thing is that my wife went back and grabbed a second feline. She came home with a long-haired female. Just what we needed; clumps of fur all over the house. As it turned out, Ivan and the girl, Sherah, are best buddies now days. Needless to say we are happy with the cats we selected. So, if you are also interested in animals for adoption, you should check out your local Humane Society. Trust me; this is much cheaper than any pet store. Our two cats only cost us 100 bucks total. Get online and check out all the great animals for adoption today.