Visual Description: Clown and ringmaster discussing the new high wire act.
LENEK = KNEEL, THRIM = MIRTH, RAHOTT = THROAT TEPLYN = PLENTY — Giving us: EEIHTOTPLN
Clue/Question: The circus hired the famous tightrope walker because he was . . .
Answer: TOP OF THE “LINE“
(Nice jumble. Not too difficult, but some good words and nice/better scrambling of the answer letters, today. The cartoon kind of takes me back! It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to the circus. Be careful out there today! In the NYC area we’re projected to reach 100 F! Stay hydrated, and limit your time in the sun!) — YUR
Unclerave's Wordy Weblog 
Hi YUR;
This one was EASY – I got 3 of the words in about 10 seconds, and Shar solved it in less than a minute. Not like the other day’s.
Yes on the pre-op advice; little things like my daily baby aspirin need to be stopped as much as a week in advance, I found out. This is one surgery that I’m entirely at ease with (hernia repair, and not a big one), because I’ve got one of the best surgeons around, and we’ve known him for over 20 years. Amazing – it’s an outpatient procedure now, I’ll merely be sedated, and I should be walking and going home in about 3 hours. I’ve had several back (disc) operations, and those are still serious, general anesthesia procedures, even the laproscopic ones – never want to go thru that again, too close to my spinal cord for me to NOT worry. And that’s not to mention a spinal tap, IDET, and epi’s under fluoroscope I’ve endured – all while watching the needles, etc., going into my spine on the monitor!
BTW – I’m a neighbor, up here in Syracuse. Got relatives in NYC, used to go there to visit every year when we were kids. Bronx and Yonkers, swim in the Sound, avoid downtown Manhattan like a plague. Lots of good memories, but never get down there anymore, except a couple years ago – my granddaughter was paralyzed in a car accident and spent time at Blythedale in Valhalla – great children’s hospital. She even got to meet and became penpals with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, and met Cindi Lauper too; they do an onsite benefit every year. We lost her just a week before her 10th bday, but that’s another sad story. (You can read what an AMAZING kid she was here – I don’t keep it updated much anymore, but it’s all there: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brittany )
Anyway, thanks for your support, and I still think you should put those talents to use with some ‘ityph’ commentary about ‘oolptcsi’ (too many letters?) – just because you can, and the country needs accurate observers and commentators more than ever to combat the narrowing media viewpoints – but you already know that! At least, think about it, ok?
Take care,
John