Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for February 27, 2023

….. so it’s not just Wordle?

If he’s not careful, Otis might release something more than just tension.

Otis! My man! Play it cool. Act like it’s happened before.

Marie is going to have to plug in the sewing machine…again.

It gets tense towards the end. Otis has a unique stress-relieving exercise.

Otis appreciates his “Tai Chi for Wordies” meditation despite trouser spasms.

He releases some tension just by saying some of those cross words from the crossword puzzle.

Otis is a few letters short of a crossword – he isn’t going to find the answers under his desk…!

Where I worked for 32 years, no one ever had time to look at a crossword puzzle. Maybe that’s a clue to our success.

Come on, Otis, from what I can see, you have two horizontal words left. It’s not that hard.

Good morning Balladeers.

It looks like Otis is in the home stretch.

If he can just finish this one, he just may be ready for…

[Hushed And Reverent Tones]

…The New York Times!

It’s not so much tension as it is gas!

Otis works and plays under much stress and tension. He is actually only 25 years old.

1. down 2. across

It’s Monday. The puzzle should be easy.

When Otis releases.. tension, his fellow workers don gas masks.

Otis now becomes quite ‘puzzled’ by his lack of a tie clip.