An Elite And Puzzling Club

When we were in GA for July fourth festivities, there was a puzzle I’d started on the dining room table and I was trying to finish OR move before our guests arrived as I needed to feed 10 people on that very table. I had the forethought of having Coach make for me or purchasing a large tray that I could put my puzzles on that could easily be picked up and moved out of sight and out of harms way when you have a slew of peeps in your presence.

I skipped asking him about it and found what I needed online. Don’t you love that? I didn’t know these items existed, but I knew I needed one. There were many many choices of puzzle trays, bags, rolling up thingys.

I made my choice and anticipated it’s arrival. It was kind of pricey, but I thought I would use this over and over and really get my $89.00 worth.

As I was opening up the large box with the puzzle tray/bag/organizer the Coach looked at me with a puzzled face. What’s that?

I gave a simple answer: There is a lot to this, but basically it’s for me to keep my puzzle stuff organized and I can move the puzzle without making a mess of it.

His response: Oh, and you can to take it to the Puzzle Club

Now it’s Suz’s turn to look puzzled: What? What is a puzzle club?

Isn’t that where you take your puzzle and all your friends also bring their puzzle and you just work on your own puzzles, but together?

I busted out laughing. NO, NO, I’m not going to join a puzzle club.

It dawned on me later that he might have been thinking of the years that I did scrapbooking and I actually DID pack up all my scrapbook paraphernalia and join a group of friends to work on our scrapbooks together. Still, the thought of a puzzle club was hilarious.

We’re The Pink Ladies But With Less Nicotine Or Chances Of An Accidental Pregnancy

Cut to our friends arrival. I’d moved my partially finished puzzle on its new tray to the porch and they were like Moths to a Flame.

We found ourselves around the puzzle while having our morning coffee; catching up, talking about family, life, laughing, etc…

I told them about Coach’s Puzzle Club Statement and they all agreed that it really IS a good idea. Why not have a Puzzle Club? I could be the President of the North Georgia Chapter. *Me imagining how I would reign over my devotees*

We again found ourselves around the puzzle while having wine in the evenings, waiting for the guys grill some dinner. Talking about life, talking crap, laughing, etc…

Behold Suz: The Puzzle Club President on her way to a meeting. {talk about some baggage}

Of course, when people were behaving badly, I would announce that They Were OUT Of The Club! Hey, I run a tight ship Club. It was a running joke for the entire long weekend.

When the first puzzle was finally completed, everyone was pleased with their progress and input. Of course, they said they didn’t want to see another puzzle for a long time, but I knew better.

I pulled out a Map of the United States puzzle, they groaned and walked to it like an addict needing a fix. If they were a moth to a flame with the first one, this time they were Flies To dog shit Manure. They couldn’t help themselves.

This time our friend Steve decided to join in the club. None of the men had even given our puzzle a second look until now; I had no idea Steve was a geography fan.

I was thinking I might have enact a 12 step program for some of them or just send them home. Thankfully, It was time for them to go home anyway, so they got a pass and the U.S puzzle had a good portion started.

Hours after the departed, my Aunt and Uncle arrived as they were doing some work on their new home in our ‘hood. Look who also couldn’t ignore a puzzle? Damn, it’s in my genes.

A few days later AT and UJ also left and Suz had some one on one time with the U.S puzzle.

Can you imagine my disappointment when I realized we were missing TWO pieces?

I texted our group asking who sabotaged this puzzle? No one fessed up. I’m thinking it was one of our friends who were NOT invited into the club; you know how jealousy affects some people.

I have fond memories of visiting my grandparents at their home in Miami and they always had a puzzle going on a table in their Florida room. You know, that was just what old people did. Guess who is OLD now? I didn’t realize I enjoyed puzzles until the pandemic. They are very relaxing for me; gets me away from my laptop/phone for a bit; I call it puzzle therapy.

I’m going to be taking a blogging break. Please, please DO not do anything fun, funny or exciting until I return. You don’t want me to kick you out of my blogging club, do you?

Signed, your favorite nerdy Puzzle Club President.

XOXO

33 thoughts on “An Elite And Puzzling Club”

  1. I want to love puzzles, but over the years I’ve discovered I’m just not very good at them. Can I join the club in an auxiliary capacity? I do mix a mean margarita…..

    Liked by 2 people

  2. OMG–first a bird book and now a puzzle tray/tote. WHAT IS HAPPENING!?

    Even I–a certified Old of 62–does not do puzzles. We don’t even have them at the lakehouse. I am, however, getting out the Deluxe Scrabble this weekend, even though no one wants to play against me.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know. What is happening? I’m on the fast track to my golden years.
      Oh, I have the deluxe scrabble too, but I can’t get anyone to play with me. Now I sound like I’m six.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. We do puzzles and by that I mean my husband does 96% of the work and I sip wine whilst he puzzles. I love seeing them in process then completed, but as for deciding to do a puzzle on my own… not gonna happen.

    [I don’t think you were following me when we got freaky with our puzzles. I have a link to it if you want.]

    Liked by 1 person

        1. I can’t believe you took the time (patience!) and did that. I’m amazed that you EVEN thought to do this. I’m gonna keep my puzzling old school because that is as much as I can handle. *bows down to your craftiness*

          Liked by 1 person

  4. You just reminded me of all the fun times I had puzzling with my family and friends in years past! Better than playing cards as less likely to bring out people’s competitive natures (not always pretty when that happens)…although some are just wired that way so would find a way to make even puzzling a competition…sigh! I love the idea of Puzzle Club and am eagerly awaiting the Manifesto. 🙂

    Deb

    Liked by 2 people

    1. People are funny AND sometimes competitive. Me? Not a competitive bone in my body.
      I do threaten some of my friends though: You can’t have a glass of wine until you find 6 pieces that fit. I’m a true leader and kind of mean.

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  5. I LOVE puzzles and my daughter and I do the 2000 piecers all winter on our dining room table. I’ve actually just put a tablecloth over top when we’ve had the rare dinner guests. It’s a big table and if it’s in the middle, there’s no issue.

    It’s fun and relaxing, but during Covid, boy were they hard to find in the stores.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. 2000 pieces? You are officially my puzzle hero. I love the idea of just covering it up if I need to.
      Yes, finding them during covid was crazy. I was doing the ones from my kids’ childhood days that I found in the playroom, they kept me occupied. But one day Linds went to Target and found ONE puzzle for me and it was a Ravensburger (sp?) brand. I couldn’t believe how nice it was and how crappy the ones I had been doing were and NOW I was ruined for any inferior puzzle.
      I have a nice stockpile now.

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  7. I generally don’t like puzzles. However, when we go to the Cape in the summer (and there is no tv) we sometimes get a puzzle and work on it together. But the last one we did was a puzzle Sarah picked up in Colorado – it was the state flag. I’m not sure if you are familiar with this flag or not. There are only 4 colors in this flag, 3 stripes, a C and a circle. It was so hard! We could not finish it. In fact it was so hard we ended up throwing it away and deemed it THE. WORST. PUZZLE. EVER. So, I generally don’t like puzzles, will do them out of boredom, but will never ever be bored enough to do a puzzle of the Colorado state flag! That bird puzzle looks like it would have been a good one to do, though!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love that you vacation somewhere without a TV! That is incredible.
      The Colorado flag puzzle sounds horrible and I can see why you got rid of that bad mojo puzzle.
      The bird one was enjoyable and caused no cussing. That I can remember.

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  8. I want to join in on the auxiliary club with River. I’ll bring snacks.
    I must say that the first picture is making me laugh so hard. Your friends are completely engrossed in that puzzle.

    Then I wondered to myself, “Am I missing out on puzzles??” Because your friends make out to be a lot more intriguing than I anticipated.

    THEN you whip out the largest bookbag I’ve ever seen.

    So I’m totally down.
    I’ll bring snacks, River’s got the booze, your friends apparently have a puzzle strategy, and you have a massive puzzle transportation system.

    I can’t wait.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think one or two really DON’T love doing them, but they were still drawn to them. Probably had something to do with ‘community I suppose.

      I zipped up that bag and said to Kelly: You must take a picture of me and my Club bag. HA. I knew you would appreciate it. See, I’m always thinking of others. I’ll make a great President.

      Bring on the snacks!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. I like puzzles well enough and generally do one or two over the Christmas holidays. I did one right after lock down and just couldn’t get into it (maybe because I was using one of the puzzles I had just finished a few months prior?). I like the idea of the bookbag/tote thing! It’s genius! I usually set up a card table in one of the extra bedrooms but being able to do it at the actual table would be even better.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree. Having it in a place where you already are (kitchen, dining, family room) makes it more inviting and you can pop down for a minute or two at a time.

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  10. The first rule of Puzzle Club is that you never talk about Puzzle Club.

    I love puzzles but my husband loves them more and ends up taking over! I haven’t done any over the summer but once the snow flies, watch out!

    Can I be president of the Canadian chapter?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You are officially The President Of the Canadian Chapter.
      I can’t believe I broke the first rule; some leader I am.

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  11. OMG I love Nicole’s first rule of Puzzle Club. These are some clever comments.

    I’m not a puzzle person, but I’m wondering if my huge bin of mismatched socks would count. If so, I will gladly head up the flunkie chapter of the puzzle club for those of us who need to sort piles of stuff no one else will bother with. I have my own laundry basket and I’m willing to travel. If I’m over served at puzzle club, I promise a sock puppet show full of silliness.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Long-time reader – first-time commenter. I just couldn’t pass up a post about puzzles without chiming in! My dad was a puzzle prodigy (honestly, his dad used to trot him out at parties when he was just 5 years old and make him “perform”) and Sunday afternoons for me were all about classical music and jigsaw puzzles. When we were small, we weren’t allowed to touch them at all, but as we got older, we could do just edge pieces and then he would take apart a small patch he’d already finished and let us put it back together again. These days, I’m def the boss of the puzzle table – I get to sort them the way I want and put them together the way I want – it’s my reward for being patient when I was little, right? I LOVE the idea of Puzzle Club and would totally not talk about it at all, promise!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Your Dad sounds very interesting; a puzzle prodigy? I wonder if he was an engineer or had that type of brain? Did he love to tinker with machinery too? Classical music and puzzle Sundays. That sounds nothing like my childhood and I love that idea though. We were more bowling alley and pool party.
      You are definitely In The Club; I might need you to write the Rules & Regulations as you have more experience than I do.

      I honestly didn’t know that anyone read my blog that didn’t also have a blog and leave comments. (aside from Maddie or my kids) THIS MADE MY DAY. I wish you would chime in more; I’m here for the conversation and you sound like my kind of person, but you know, more refined. 🙂

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      1. He WAS an engineer! And a tinkerer. And he wrote poetry. I think if he hadn’t also been an alcoholic, he would have been just about perfect. But this is real life, alas. I do miss him.

        I think you need to write the Rules and Regulations, as you are the President of Puzzle Club, but I would make a recommendation that wine figure in somewhere. I, fortunately, did not inherit a drinking problem from Dear Old Dad 😁

        Liked by 1 person

  13. I thought I liked puzzles but I bought one at the beginning of the pandemic and it’s still in the unopened box! I need a tray like you have though because the dinner table is the only real place I have to do it.

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  14. I am definitely NOT a fan of puzzles. Tara and I went on a weekend getaway to the Oregon coast one year, and the beach house we rented had a puzzle. We decided to give it a shot. Turned out to be the most excruciating three hours of my life, ha! But I’m happy you find enjoyment in it! I’m content to let others carry on the puzzle torch.

    It appears that Bismarck, North Dakota no longer exists in puzzle world. Too bad. We wouldn’t have been able to enjoy our kayak adventures this summer without Bismarck!

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