Puzzle 131 - Themeless #95 (Honk Honk)

Realizing this is my first puzzle since Westwords Bestwords, which was just absolutely incredible! I got to meet so many people, both friends I've talked to for years online and new wonderful folks! It was awesome! Also have never been to the Bay Area before and got to spend a few hours exploring, which was also lovely! Highlights:

• Spokane has like...two ramen joints, so Saturday night I found the closest ramen place to my hotel. Walked there & it had a couple folks waiting in line outside, good sign, few minutes go by, I go into this adorable shop, sit down, order. Looking around and...everyone is using chopsticks. Uhoh. I've never successfully used chopsticks before, but am not about to be the only white person in here asking for a fork. Frantically googling "how to eat with chopsticks for dummies" and before I know it my food is here. It's absolutely incredible. So good. And I successfully ate the bowl without asking for a fork! More proud of that than I should be but whatever. Shoutout to the ramen ladle, as well as slurping being an acceptable behavior. Couldn't have done it without you.
• BART is so loud. Apparently it used to be even LOUDER?!?!
• During Westwords, I had three different people apologize for taking a c*r to the tournament. I'm like...half proud of this, but also half-apologetic as well. Like...I truly despise automobiles and the general suburban-industrial complex that's codified and subsidized throughout the U.S. - but nobody* should feel bad for their perfectly reasonable individual choices in a c*r-centric world. My beef is with the c*r companies, governments, all the powerful folks that built this situation etc. Plus I have fun playing up the persona a smidge in puzzles - I do have other interests (e.g. board games, anything my kids wanna do, fart jokes, watching the Mariners lose 1-0 over and over again).
  
• *if you buy a ludicrously oversized truck/street-legal tank to cosplay as a cowboy, the above doesn't apply. Fuck you.
• I was feeling real good after Puzzle 1, when I finished just 1 or 2 minutes after Paolo (who was sitting at my table. Or rather, I was sitting at his table). Even by lunchtime, I was in ... 30th or so? Then Puzzle 5 came, which was an absolute doozy. Absolutely incredible puzzle and I got about 80% of the gimmick, but couldn't quite finish. And then my tumble down the standings continued as I chose the hard version of the final puzzle, solely because I wanted to see all of Mollie's clues. Couldn't quite finish that one either in time, but it's all good. I truly was just delighted to be there.
• However, my very very favorite puzzle (they were all wonderful) was Enrique Henestroza Anguiano's, because (spoilers behind the link) it was themed after my younger son's very favorite song. Absolutely delighted to see that one.
• I have long dreamed of going to a crossword tournament, but the logistics of getting from Spokane to the East Coast are just a lot. So a huge thank you to Kate, Rebecca, and everyone involved for making a dream of mine come true. Hoping to make it out next year as well!
  
• Shout out to the bartender at whatever whiskey bar some of us ended up at post-tournament - despite having 900 whiskies on the wall, they didn't have one of my very favorites (Ardbeg Corryvreckan) - but she did recommend Ardbeg's An Oa which I have somehow never had (also ANOA). Still had the trademark Ardbeg brininess, but with a smidge of sweetness, coffee, maybe some butterscotch (?) in there. Quite delicious and I'm glad I tried it.
  

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