We've come full circle.

Granted, that's not a very creative opening to a story about the creative endeavor of crossword puzzles, but that's where we end up today after several months of searching for a suitable second puzzle to accompany The New York Times crossword in Sunday's Forum section.

Wayne Robert Williams, the longtime puzzle editor at the Chicago Tribune who "retired" in March (read: When the Tribune restructured under Chapter 11 it decided to syndicate only the Los Angeles Times puzzle), is back in today's paper with his self-syndicated puzzle, "A Weekend Crossword."

Mr. Williams, who lives in Dade City, Fla., and has been creating crosswords for 50 years, said he's delighted to be back in the Post-Gazette.

"Creating crossword puzzles is what I do and, as long as there are people who want my puzzles, I will continue to create them," he says. "Besides, I'm only 61, and I've heard that 61 is the new 47."

The process of finding a suitable puzzle not only has been an ear-buzzing experience for PG editors, but also a lesson on just how passionate readers are about their crosswords.

As soon as we started carrying the L.A. Times puzzle earlier this year, the phones started ringing and e-mail boxes filled up. "Too hard!" was what appeared to be the almost unanimous outcry from readers. "Sundays are now a chore! We hate it! Bring back Chicago!"

In response to this, we worked out arrangements to test two other puzzles, United Media on Sundays in October and Universal Press in November.

After the United Media puzzle ran Oct. 4, the outcry was even more vehement, but for different reasons.

"The United Media Crossword is the worst puzzle I have ever seen in a Sunday puzzle. It is so easy that I got bored with it and fell asleep," said one reader.

"My cat could do this puzzle," wrote another.

At the same time, a previously silent group -- readers who actually liked the challenge of the much harder L.A. Times puzzle -- rallied for a return of that crossword. Egads!

The Universal Press puzzle has fared a bit better among the readers, but the complaints have continued.

Meanwhile, Mr. Williams called to say he was freelancing his puzzle to newspapers. Before this whole process began, longtime copy editor Karen Carlin said she could not recall ever getting a complaint about the Chicago puzzle. Problem solved.

For those readers who enjoyed the United Media puzzle on Sundays because it was much easier than other such puzzles, keep in mind that puzzles generally increase in difficulty as the week goes on, with the hardest appearing Sundays.

You can still find the daily United Media Quick Crossword in the paper with The New York Times puzzle Mondays through Saturdays. Also on Mondays is the children's Kids Across/Parents Down puzzle on the Magazine's My Generation page.

Every other Sunday there's the Pittsburgh Puzzler by Ruth Ann Dailey on A-2, and every Sunday in TV Week is a TV-related crossword.

Of course, if you want to comment about the switch back to using Wayne Robert Williams' puzzle, please call 412-263-1687 or e-mail crossword@post-gazette.com.

Doug Oster writes a blog, "Growing With Doug," exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.