PUZZLES -- DO NOT SEND CATS

One of the tasks of cleaning out the basement is to make sure that the puzzles have enough pieces to make them worth saving.  A very important truth has come to light, though: 350 pieces per any puzzle is my absolute maximum.

First of all, I don't have the space to set up a puzzle that needs to sit for more than a few days.  This means that 1,000 piece puzzles (or any crazy number higher than that) are out, totally and completely out.  Any I've found have been put aside to give away.

That's right; I'm giving away any puzzles that require too much of my time and my brain, even the puzzles that have never been opened.  This philosophy opposes the very basis of puzzle-solving. but I'm lazy.  Sue me.

In the meantime, I have been slowly working my way through the other puzzles, putting each one together to see how many pieces are missing.  So far the most any lacks is one piece.  Well, one very small novelty puzzle is missing two or three pieces, but it's a funny one that I've had since I was eight or nine years old, so I'm keeping it.  I am seriously surprised at how well these puzzles have survived through multiple children and multiple moves.

The most recent puzzle to be checked is a 250-piece volcano puzzle from the Discovery Store, and it all goes well except that I accidentally put one piece in the wrong spot (they shouldn't be that close a fit), and I have an extra end piece.  Yup -- two of the exact same pieces.  This drives me crazy because I do not understand why I have an extra piece.  I know it isn't one of the missing pieces from another puzzle because those puzzles are missing an inside piece here or there, and this piece is clearly a corner.

The sad part is breaking the puzzles down after I'm done checking them.  It almost seems like I should leave them out for a while, but displaying puzzles as art isn't something I'm supposed to do, although some people modge-podge their complete jigsaw puzzles to save them forever. 

I don't want to be that person.  Somehow, mode-podging a store-bought puzzle seems like I am one step shy of adopting eighteen cats and being declared mentally unsound.  However, I'll hold off on the cats for a while and continue putting the puzzles together.  I only have three or four more to go, but they have 350 pieces each, so I might be here for a few days.

Whatever you do, don't panic.  I will finish them and make sure I can finish putting all the puzzles away.  And, please, please, please do NOT send cats.