Jigsaw Puzzles - Why?

  I have a jigsaw puzzle on my dining room table. It's a Star Trek puzzle. The original series. With Kirk, Spock and the gang. You know, the good one. Not like that "Next Generation" nonsense where every episode involved wormholes and the captain with the French name had a perfect English accent . No, this is the real thing, the trendsetter, the one with $25 sets, decent stories, a star who could not act, and a man who made a synagogue hand gesture into the most recognized symbol in science fiction.
  But, this is not about the TV show, but about jigsaw puzzles. Mine has been on the table for about 44 weeks and in another 700 pieces this 1000 piece beauty will be done. So, in another two years or so I will have a completed puzzle to break apart and put back into its box. Why you ask? Well, that's the way it is done. That's what the clever puzzle people are counting on when you get a puzzle. Make it, break it, buy another. So, they get a famous(ish) picture, print thousands of them on cardboard and cut them to pieces so people can have the challenge of putting them back together. Why not just buy the picture and hang it on the wall? This will save a great deal of time and when you need your table you won't have to try sliding your partially done puzzle onto a piece of cardboard.
  Some people do enjoy this pastime and do many such puzzles. Some do it once or twice, or less. Here is the progression of puzzle doing for the one timers (me). First week you're interested and do 50-75 pieces.
Second week is still good, about 40-50 pieces. After this the "inverse time - puzzle law" goes into effect and as each week goes by less pieces are found. In fact, after several months you will no longer even notice it at all. It will become just another decoration or houseplant.It's there , but it's no longer part of your reality.
  If you feel you must try jigsaw puzzling (and many are seduced into thinking it will be a joyful pastime and make you seem smart), here are the prerequisites:
1 - You must have spare time. Otherwise known as time on your hands or time to kill. This is ideal if you are in prison.
2 - You need good eyesight. Both acuity and color. Otherwise you will find that all the damn pieces look the damn same.
3 - You must be patient. In other words you must like boredom. Maybe watching paint dry is your thing. If so, perfect.
4 -  You must play by the rules and break the puzzle apart after finishing and taking a picture to prove you actually completed the puzzle. No cheating by gluing and framing and hanging the finished piece and having actual physical proof.
So, if you must then go do a puzzle . But don't tell me.

Get a bike

Like many, I have tried many types of exercise, exercise equipment and gyms. None ever worked for long. Not because I didn't want to be a super fit , studly looking guy , but because exercise is BORING and often PAINFUL.After a while you come up with excuses to do shorter sessions and then skip them all together. Or a minor injury can set you back a couple of weeks and then you just lose interest. In my forties I even tried yoga. My reasoning being what could be more fun than going into a 95 degree room with a bunch of mostly younger women and  twisting yourself into a pretzel while trying not to pass gas?Alas for me, yoga too did pass.

  So what was I to do? Now past 50 and getting - pick your favorite adjective - puffy, meaty, paunchy, fleshy, pudgy. I was actually starting to look like pictures of my grandfather!Admittedly a handsome guy, but he passed away very young. Maybe a partner would help, like Sharon - pick your favorite noun - spouse, better half, partner, wife. What could we do together? I knew a lot of people had taken up bike riding in recent years and it seemed pretty safe(hah! Tell that to my knees) to me. Not wanting a poor quality bike or to spend a boatload of money, I found and emailed several nearby bike shops about buying good used bikes. It was January of 2013 leaving me plenty of time to weigh options. Only one of them answered me. No, they did not sell used bikes , but did have a tent sale every spring they informed me.Since they were courteous enough to answer, I figured they would be good to deal with. So , at the end of April 2013 I headed to Deerfield Cyclery.  
  About a thousand bucks later, we had two hybrid bikes, two helmets, two water bottles, two cages, two kickstands and one basket tossed in for free (for Sharon). 
  Now for the fun part that I envisioned. Riding dozens of miles together on perfect windless, cloudless, 72 degree days. Instead for May and June of 2013 it basically rained every day. Finally a nice day came and after work I leaped onto my bicycle determined to go on a lengthy ride. Three miles later I stopped , gasping for breath and with unexpected  pain in various parts of my body.Still, I wouldn't be beaten so easily and soon got back in(on?) the saddle. And again and again. Three miles became four, then five, then six. Finally one weekend I made it to double digit miles. Now I was hooked. Somehow being outside in the elements, with only my own thoughts made riding more than exercise. Yes there is the challenge of going a little farther or a little faster. Or conquering a slight elevation like it was a steep mountain grade(yes there are tons of mountain roads in northeast Illinois) in the Tour de France. But finally - exercise that I enjoyed. By October I had lost 25 pounds (a typical success story for many new overweight riders) and gone on a 25 mile ride. Not far for many riders, but a big achievement for me.
This led to new goals, such as learning to fall gracefully after "clipping in" for the first time (or two times.Okay three times). Learning the difference between a seat post, seat tube and seat stay. Apparently bike riding is far more complex than when I was a kid. Today degrees or at least advanced knowledge of engineering, technology, nutrition, biomechanics, etc. are required. The learning curve is steep, but unlike my younger days I am now a good student.
Science and fatigue aside, there's nothing like a nice day for a ride on the Des Plaines river trail or the North Branch trail to enjoy yourself and forget your troubles. So get a bike and ride. Contact me if you like. I can use some company.