Pass the Tape and Scissors
Last weekend, my son, mother-in-law and I spent the afternoon and evening putting together a 500 piece-entirely-in-Japanese-Pokemon jigsaw puzzle. No, this wasn't part of my community service and there is no need to call the Hague Convention to Prevent Torture. It was last weekend and it's over now. But as with every other jigsaw puzzle that I have ever attempted, about ten minutes into it, I was convinced that the crucial piece or twenty that we needed was missing.
My son sang songs with dubious lyrics, such as "hey, now, you're a rock star, hey now, I have no idea how this song goes," as he worked.
My mother-in-law and I worked in silence, although I did announce several times that I was on a brink of a seizure.
And when it looked totally desperate, we took a break and went swimming, where I briefly considered filling my pockets with rocks and wandering into the deep end.
When we finished the puzzle later that night, we were filled with pride. But what the hell are going supposed to do with the puzzle once it is all put together? To take it apart seems barbaric and we are not animals. I wonder if MoMA will accept the donation?
posted by Marinka at
7:03 AM
8 Comments:
Hey - you can always pass the puzzle on to us so we can all roast together for dabbling into the occult and eastern mysticism. Did you warn your mother-in-law first? ; )
Sadly, I know what you do with it. You glue it together with something called Mod Podge glue, and it takes one hundred and forty years to dry, and then your descendants, who feel it is an antique of great value, hang it in a museum somewhere.
Not that I have ever done this. But I had the misfortune to read the back of a bottle of mod podge glue two days ago, and that is one thing I learned.
They're going to think "hey now, I'm a rock star" was a hymn of mourning of your old-time religion in the future, too. Unless they read this blog and figure out otherwise.
We have put together a puzzle, glued it together and framed it as a gift...but it was a puzzle we bought for that purpose (the receiver loved the picture on it), not one we bought to do for fun.I generally try to just take it apart in sections and lay them in the box for an easier puzzle building the next time...but I'm lazy.
My husband's family like to put puzzles together too and often do that at holidays. I always feel a bit like a murderer taking it apart at the end!
Hey--it's gotta be more fun than paint-by-numbers, which is how I spent vacations at my grandmother's house in Vermont when I was a kid.
My first painting? Well, see if you can guess. It's this long-haired dude with a beard and he's looking sorrowfully to the sky and he's holding onto a big wooden object in the shape of a...cross.
(It's still hanging in my mother's living room.)
I often do puzzles on vacation--it's like shouting to the world, "Hey! I am ON vacation here! Therefore I can spend my time doing completely pointless activities!" But I do always try to do ones where I like the picture at the end, which (and don't tell your son I said this) a Pokemon puzzle would never be no offense.
Our local variety store has a puzzle glue. It would be happy to send some to you via a work address if you like. (I've used my husband's business address for getting prizes and such sent to me)
Alice--I'm still laughing about that Pokemon site that you linked to on your blog!
Sofie--if you click on the Pokemon puzzle photo, you'll see a packet of stuff in the upper left hand. The writing is all in Japanese, so of course I first assumed that it was something edible (you know--a snack while I'm doing the puzzle). But then the meds kicked in and I thought that maybe it's the glue. I'm not opening it, though, because I figure no good can come of it.
Kristine--putting the puzzle away like you describe pretty much sounds the opposite of lazy to me!
Trish--Lol, yes, murderer. Or at least puzzle slaughterer!
Wendy--paint-by-numbers! My kids did that last year. And let me guess--Elvis?
SDL--I am telling my son what you wrote. I can only assume that you're jealous of our Pokemon puzzle!
WFB (is that what I should call you?)--Thanks so much for the kind offer. I think I have some puzzle glue. But then where do I store the masterpiece? I don't know. I think dismantlement (puzzle murder) is in my near future!
;)
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home