Puzzled

There's FFP (the hubby) adding the last pieces to our holiday jigsaw puzzle. We like to work them but we only allow one during the December holiday season. Otherwise, we'd waste too much time on them. When we started this 1000-piece puzzle I wondered if we'd finish before the new year. We invited someone over on the 27th so I wanted it done, admired, deconstructed and perhaps even given away by then.

I find it interesting to observe how people do puzzles. Most people start a jigsaw by finding the edges and assembling them to give everything a frame of reference. We sort pieces by color or shape sometimes. During this puzzle, FFP sorted out the X-shaped pieces at one point. At the end, we just pushed all the remaining pieces around the edge and tried to fit them in.

I had one job where we started putting a jigsaw in the break room. We'd all work on it over lunch or coffee breaks. I found observing my co-workers strategies instructive. I found looking at it for a minute or two would take my mind off some gnarly computer code and help me refocus on that when I went back to my desk. Some manager thought we'd perform better without such distractions and decided we couldn't have a puzzle around! I guess I see the point since I only allow myself one a year but I really doubt it hurt our productivity. Programming work is subtle and often gets done during distractions like showering or driving to work. The kind of chores I do in retirement is more time-sensitive...stuff like dusting, scrubbing the shower, balancing the checkbook, or vacuuming.

I find it amusing to observe myself attacking Suduku or Ken-Ken or crosswords, too.

Here's our finished jigsaw:

We will enjoy looking at it for a day or two and then probably give it away.