It took me about five minutes to even understand the task. I first pictured a 3x3 grid with a word in each box. I thought I was supposed to populate the boxes with any word from the list -- oil, gas, or dry -- and then read them back.

I guess I'm living proof that not all programmers are smart.

I bet you can still enumerate them though through a different method.

Walking home that day I was obsessed with this. I guess I did okay. Found at least one five-letter word ("grail", I remember). I can't see all the letters at the same time, so I feel like I'm cheating when I do it.

On the other hand even when I think of a three letter word I don't see the letters, I just kind of know what they are.