NO SOLUTION

 Remember, if you will, what I said about the jigsaw puzzle ODD (Our Demented Daughter) forced on us as a Christmas "gift" this year.

Remember, if you will, what I said about a piece possibly left missing.

The puzzle was completed a few moments ago.

Here is a picture of the insane enigma some mad artist created.

As in any photos displayed on this blog, clicking on them will embiggen them.

You will perceive then the beauty of the wildlife, both flora and fauna, shown here by the mad genius of the creator.

But let me show you something else.

Let me show you a close-up of one portion of this "entertaining puzzle".

Look carefully.

Yes!

Yes, my Readers!

It is a blank space!

A black hole!

Where one of the FIVE HUNDRED pieces of this infernal mind-plagluer was supposed to fit!

Was it on the table?

Was it on the floor?

Was it in the box?

Nay, nay!

It was MISSING!

Just as I suspected.

The parlayer of this "entertaining puzzle" had left it out!

Misplaced it!

Do not misunderstand me.

I am not blaming the daughter.

The puzzle was inside a sealed box, encased in plastic film, never having been opened since the dastardly factory shipped it.

But this is not playing fair, ladies and gentlemen.

This is playing with our sanity; more importantly MY sanity.

This is a danger to the National (or more likely, International) Morality.

I weep for the young people of tomorrow who shall undertake jigsaw puzzling, only to be cheated of their victories.

Is nothing sacred anymore?

NASTY GIRL

 As noted by careful readers of at least one message on the refrigerator door of my wife's daughter yesterday, the BRD (Beautiful Rich Daughter) does have a vicious streak.

It was expressed cruelly at her Christmas Eve brunch when she presented her mother with an unexpected gift.

A jigsaw puzzle.

She knows, oh yes she knows, how I hate jigsaw puzzles.

I can't stay away from them, no matter how hard I try to ignore them.

So there I go again, erecting the card table for SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) to dump out the pieces and begin the work.

I hide in front of my computer or try to watch a football game on the television but eventually my eyes are drawn to that damnable mess on the table in the kitchen.

And before long, I am joining my wife at the torture of seeking out pieces that do not belong, or pieces that obviously have fallen off the table and have been kicked under the refrigerator, or pieces that the puzzlemaster surely has left out of the box.

Yesterday, I think it was though all awareness of time has vanished like the missing puzzle pieces, this was our progress on the enigma in our formerly happy home.

It's a little futher along now but we still have miles, miles I say sadly, to go before we sleep.

(to be continued)