For a long time now, I've been checking the newspaper each Friday or Saturday to see if a New York Times crossword puzzle has the highest clue number as 49 (or less). As a result, I have a small collection of them, and it's been quite a few years. Well, there's been a drought recently of these 49ers (as I call them), so I've decided to make some of my own. I am still an amateur when it comes to crossword puzzle making (especially ones really hard to make.) I've tried (and failed) lots of times to make one I am pleased with. But I was going through my computer files the other day when I came across a half-finished one. I decided to finish it. And what's more, I was pleased with how it turned out.

It was just a fluke that William Shatner's name came up in this one. I wasn't wanting to use his name, but an opportunity came up, so I seized it. It was 3am a few nights ago. I was wondering where the time went. This must have taken about 5 hours to complete. So I went to bed and woke up the next day and decided to make another one. I finished half of it and went to sleep. Got up the next day and I just finished it a few minutes ago. Here is that one.

This design I copied and modified from one in my collection to make it easier for me to construct. So then I decided "why not put them in the issues of Chris's Fun magazine?" So I will. Since the next issue is September-December, you'll probably forget these answers, and that, and nobody will probably ever do them. Oh well. Anything to keep me from being bored.