ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 20, 1997 TAG: 9702210022
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-5 EDITION: METRO
MICHAEL RAMSEY has never been one to turn down a good puzzle - or a challenge.
"When I was in college I worked at a boy's camp in Vermont," he recalled recently. "The father of one our campers was a president of a large international company, and he said you weren't a really good puzzle-solver until you had the courage to do the New York Times crossword in ink.
"Now I do all of my puzzles in ink."
This fall, he figured out the puzzle in At Random, a magazine put out by Random House, and his name was listed in a recent issue. His favorite puzzles, like the one he solved, have their roots in literature. He especially likes the puzzles in the Sunday Times of London, where the clues are obscure literary references.
"The key is to work quickly and get it in the mail quickly," he said.
He races the clock on every puzzle he does "I work against time," he said. "And I try not to use reference books."
The prize for his puzzle-solving prowess? A book of words commonly found in puzzles. "I was pleased to get it," he said. "A prize is a prize."
When Ramsey's not doing puzzles, he's working as an agent and registered representative for the Principal Financial Group in Roanoke. The company handles investment and insurance plans.
LENGTH: Short : 32 linesby CNB