Stamford Postscript

"P.S."

I realized once I finished the recap that I left out a number of truly decent people who made my experience more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. These included:

• Will Shortz himself - just a quick, friendly handshake, as he was busy setting up for the Finals, but better than not meeting him at all
• Karen M. Tracey - one of my very favorite constructors
• Janie Smulyan - probably the warmest and most approachable person I met at Stamford. She recognized my name and introduced herself early on, and we ended up speaking frequently throughout the weekend; she also introduced me to several people, including Penny (last name forgotten ... goes by sobercamel at the NYT Forum) and Linda Murray
• Gary Sherman - along with Janie, the "stranger" to whom I spoke the most during the weekend, especially in between-puzzle moments when everyone was rehashing the puzzle.

If there are others and I left you out, sorry. As I've said, I'm a shy person by nature, and I am truly grateful to everyone who made me feel like less of an outsider than I actually was. If you are at all considering going to the Tournament next year, you should go; there is no way you will feel out-of-place or under-qualified once you get there. People are too damned nice.

RP