As it has become a family tradition, my sisters, mom and bonus dad trek to Hilton Head every September for a week at the beach. It is a great time. My Aunt Patti went with us last year, but was unable to make it this year. We will miss her.
We are just getting settled in and my sister Rachael whipped out a puzzle she brought for us to do in our downtime. It is crazy. It contains 1000 pieces—tiny pieces—with NO edges. It’s in the shape of a tree. WTF? What evil genius dreamt up this horse shit?
You have to understand, I love this puzzle concept, in theory. No one loves trees more than this chick. This puzzle is a mighty oak. However, I really need the edges. I suppose I’m just old-school when it comes to puzzling. We all have our limitations.
I sat down with my morning tea and thought, “What the hell? I might as well start this madness.” Madness it truly was. After looking at it and sorting for two hours, we now have six pieces together. Boy, we are smoking.
The whole damn thing is basically shades of green with a bit of brown for the trunk. It all looks the fucking same to me, and some of the pieces are shaped weird as fuck.
I sent a pic to my bestie, who is a puzzle connoisseur. She actually has a whole puzzle closet. She likes to do landscapes the most. So, she has them organized in said puzzle closet by seasons. It is very impressive. She gave me some pointers and assured me I could do it. She may have taken to smoking crack. I can’t say. She also may just have way too much faith in this eccentric crew.
I figure one of two things is going to happen. I’m either going to become obsessed with the puzzle and never see the ocean this week, or I’m going to go to the beach with my book and forget all about it. The same six pieces will then still be there next Saturday.
It might be some family fun in the evening after a couple of glasses of wine. It could also turn ugly. We are a loud and crazy bunch. Shit gets real.
Don’t get me wrong, I love puzzles. I think Rach had a great idea, but this bad boy is going to be a challenge. I’m just not sure my puzzling skills are up to it.
I would like to think I have the patience and mentality for a puzzle of this caliber, but if I’m being really honest, I fear it may ramp up my anxiety and just make me crazier than I already am. Vacation is for relaxing and I don’t know if this puzzle is conducive to that. Lying in the sand might be a better choice.
So, if you happen to be near the Atlantic Ocean anytime soon and see a bunch of small green puzzle pieces floating in the sea. That was us. Sorry. We normally don’t litter, but this puzzle may be the death of us all.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
