Beware the Nerd!
It's official...I've gone off the trolley.
I have my reasons though. One is that the second term at university is starting on Thursday, yet the grades from the previous term have not arrived. I basically don't know if I have made it through to the next round. The other reason is none of your business and hard to unfold without psychiatric help.
In order to calm my nerves, a friend of mine gave me this:
yes... a jigsaw puzzle. Thousand pieces. You laugh! That's alright.
Here is the twisty part: the box of this puzzle doesn't show what you actually are puzzling...you only get a perspective and you have to puzzle what the people on the cover see. I thought it was weird until I realized that there was a reason for that. Puzzles are usually stacked and sold in the toy section where children run around. Children shouldn't see just anything...you see where I am going with this? I was fortunate enough to land a "Full Monty" themed puzzle on my first go, which I excitedly assembled with amused giggles for the last three days. My first clue should have been the line on the back of the cover: "The full puzzle reveals all!" Oh the fun.
I am not gonna post the final picture for reasons...well, my mom!
But I just thought, for those of us with a curious disposition, that a few trivia facts about the origin of puzzles would be well received:
"Although the origin of the word puzzle is unknown, it is known that the first jigsaw puzzles were made in the 1760s by European cartographer John Spilbury.
In 1762, Spilbury hit upon the idea of gluing maps onto thin mahogany and cedar panels and cutting them up with a fine marquetry saw.
Puzzle popularity increased in England during the following decades, and there is evidence that puzzles arrived in the New World sometime before 1800. Around the same time, the process of color lithography was developed which allowed better quality pictures to be produced more efficiently.
The 1890s saw the development of die cutting methods, which eliminated the need to cut puzzle pieces by hand. This process allowed puzzles to be mass produced and made them much cheaper.
By the late 1920s and the onset of the Great Depression, there was resurgence in popularity of puzzles. In 1933, sales peaked at an astounding 10 million per week. With lack of steady employment, people turned to puzzles and other forms of home entertainment instead of outside entertainment like restaurants and nightclubs."
and even today, there are a few nut-cases that indulge and once you get started it is hard to stop. Don't try this at home...'cause you will run out of spaces to walk, sleep or even bathe...
Now excuse me, a second puzzle seems to be calling my name.
I have my reasons though. One is that the second term at university is starting on Thursday, yet the grades from the previous term have not arrived. I basically don't know if I have made it through to the next round. The other reason is none of your business and hard to unfold without psychiatric help.
In order to calm my nerves, a friend of mine gave me this:
yes... a jigsaw puzzle. Thousand pieces. You laugh! That's alright.
Here is the twisty part: the box of this puzzle doesn't show what you actually are puzzling...you only get a perspective and you have to puzzle what the people on the cover see. I thought it was weird until I realized that there was a reason for that. Puzzles are usually stacked and sold in the toy section where children run around. Children shouldn't see just anything...you see where I am going with this? I was fortunate enough to land a "Full Monty" themed puzzle on my first go, which I excitedly assembled with amused giggles for the last three days. My first clue should have been the line on the back of the cover: "The full puzzle reveals all!" Oh the fun.
I am not gonna post the final picture for reasons...well, my mom!
But I just thought, for those of us with a curious disposition, that a few trivia facts about the origin of puzzles would be well received:
"Although the origin of the word puzzle is unknown, it is known that the first jigsaw puzzles were made in the 1760s by European cartographer John Spilbury.
In 1762, Spilbury hit upon the idea of gluing maps onto thin mahogany and cedar panels and cutting them up with a fine marquetry saw.
Puzzle popularity increased in England during the following decades, and there is evidence that puzzles arrived in the New World sometime before 1800. Around the same time, the process of color lithography was developed which allowed better quality pictures to be produced more efficiently.
The 1890s saw the development of die cutting methods, which eliminated the need to cut puzzle pieces by hand. This process allowed puzzles to be mass produced and made them much cheaper.
By the late 1920s and the onset of the Great Depression, there was resurgence in popularity of puzzles. In 1933, sales peaked at an astounding 10 million per week. With lack of steady employment, people turned to puzzles and other forms of home entertainment instead of outside entertainment like restaurants and nightclubs."
and even today, there are a few nut-cases that indulge and once you get started it is hard to stop. Don't try this at home...'cause you will run out of spaces to walk, sleep or even bathe...
Now excuse me, a second puzzle seems to be calling my name.
Labels: daily life
17 Comments:
Minka, if you didn't pass I will be more shocked than I can possibly express. If you passed with flying colors I will be not at all surprised.
When I was a teenager I started a puzzle, all on my lonesome on the hardwood floor of my bedroom. It looked like an approximately 3 foot irregular edged splash of spilled red kidney beans. Soon my niece came to join me. Then her two brothers. Then my sister, who was looking for her children. And finally, my brother-in-law, who was looking for his family. The whole family ended up on the floor in the smallest room in the house. It was great fun, though not as educational as your puzzle.
Oh, first! That's a rare treat now that I live in the middle of the Pacific.
You know, I'm not seeing a lot of cause to fear the puzzlenerd. Even if they notice you, the chances they'll attack and not trip is hardly worth putting on your helmet and chain mail for.
I googled Full Monty to learn what is in that puzzle cannot be showed on the box, and it turned out to be a British comedy movie from 1997, and they said there's a musical too. Too many pole dancers? :-)
I am wondering, are their adult puzzles you have to go to an adult store for?
Ariel, mostly people go to adult stores to avoid puzzles.
Ariel, you could find a Full Monty in an adult store.
Good one Doug.
Minka, you are still a cool chick, puzzles and all.
quilly, that sounds like a wonderful story. The family gathering around one puzzle and trying to solve it. Very symbolic. Beautiful. I have to say though, I feel an intense accomplishment when I finished mine by myself :)
doug, hmmm...*takes off ape suit*
ariel, I saw that film in 1997, it was quite a big hit. Calling it the FULL Monty is yet another phallic exaggeration :)
Doug, and kids :) So how often do you go?
nessa, so I can still play with you? care for a round of chutes and ladders?
And now for more unsolicited advice from an unlicensed professional: "I think that people are attracted to puzzles as a sure way to make order and sense in life."
Thank you Dr. G
Good luck on Round 2...and whatever else is driving you crazy.
The old trick was to give someone a puzzle with an erotic picture, but first remove certain pieces.
i think you should thank your lucky stars your "friend" didn't give you a 3-D puzzle, because that could have been awkward (or awesome, depending upon your "mood")
i'm confident you not only did "well" on those tests, but passed 'em with flying colors! if not, i hear there are many Good Schools in America that would lovelovelove to see a Puzzled Penguin in the front row! (just sayin'...) ; )
I understand the stress of the first problem, but the second is worse? Oh my.
Uhm, I of course live in Amsterdam where that particular "theme" of puzzle is no doubt available in its full collection. Should I send a few to Iceland?
G...maybe there is some truth in what you speak. I just find it calming.
Icy, suprising that soemone without opposable thumbs knows trivia about puzzles :) Where are your shades though?
neva, it turns out I made it throught o the next round. Teh grade shave yet to come in...one grade i have so far is B+ :)
actonbell, thanks for the vote of confidence. If I would have not made it, I'd be crushed to smithereens by now :)
Morgan, since I passed, I think I should concentrate on those heavy new books I need to get...those with picture sof needles and such. But thank you!
So after suddenly having the rug pulled out from under you mid-way and surprise challenges thrown against you in the process, you passed anyway. You really are a nerd!
Doug...you said that proudly, right?!
Hey Gang, I've got a shocking update on this topic! I thought it would be funny to grab some photos of the wide variety of puzzles offered in Amsterdam. So yesterday I stepped into "one of those" shops and asked.
It's a tragedy! I found out that the store is entirely sold out of puzzles because the dirty puzzle printing factory burned down recently! Even worse, this same factory was responsible for most of the world's supply of dirty playing cards!
So if you've got a hankering for some puzzling, or plans to prepare for a guys poker night, you'd best run to the store now. These items are selling out and no one knows how long it will be before they're back.
(Yes, I'm being serious... but hopefully in a funny way.)
In a very funny way, Morgan.
Whaaaat? You so must post a picture of said revealing puzzle!!
Congrats on the passing. Huzzah!
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