T-Mobile? Nope.

Verizon? Nada. Guess again. Seven letters. I'll leave the answer at the bottom.

June has been just fabulous. I've had (too much?) free time on my hands, and how have I spent it? Doing tons of crossword puzzles, of course! Half a years worth, or 181 to be exact.

The New York Times has a terrific archive of puzzles since 1993. Some are themed, some highlight small details and larger hints across the grid, some play with phrases more than others. Monday puzzles are the easiest, whereas Sundays' are the hardest. Last Sunday was especially interesting. The big theme was VEGETABLE SHORTENING, and a handful of the answers were shortened, literally. Using rebuses, or multiple letters in one box, several words contained hidden vegetables like KALEIDOSCOPE, SYMPTOMATOLOGY, and NATIONALARCHIVES.

In my opinion, the best part is the trendy music at the end of completing a puzzle. For three seconds, I do a little dance for answering all the clues correctly, and then I carry on to the next one.

Sometimes, however, I get stuck, and that's when I need to phone a friend. I'm usually self-conscious about asking people, but I'll get over it. Often Mr. Google or Madame Maps will do.

I tried watching Netflix, but I just find myself getting sidetracked all the time. I have never been able to finish a show of anything and usually just read online summaries of the episodes. This sometimes puts me at a disadvantage for crosswords when they ask about TV show characters and actors, which is a common occurrence.

If you're antsy to solve the daily puzzle like me, have no fear! The online NYT crossword site releases the next days' crossword every night at precisely 10 pm Eastern time. I turn on my laptop at 9:30 to make sure I'm ready.

Last night waiting for today's crossword, I looked up the 41st annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, and it's at the Stamford Marriott in Stamford, CT, March 23-25, 2018. It's a weekend and a seven hour and fifty-three minute drive from W&L. About 600 people competed last year in the overall division but only seventeen in the junior division (25 and under). The judges grade the puzzle answers on both speed and accuracy. You know where I'll be!

I'll need to step it up a lot though. The fastest in the world like Dan Feyer solve the Monday crosswords in less than two minutes, and I haven't been able to do one under ten yet. I'll keep working at it. It's the 1940s/50/60s entertainment references that always get me.

Slogan for a West African airline? GHANAFLYNOW

Answer: bikinis