Mike and I spent Saturday (on and off with breaks here and there) putting together a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. It was one of those scenic views - you know the kind that you think will be easy until you actually do it? Anyway, two things stick out in my mind about it. Number one, it's interesting how we can spend all those hours together and not really say all that much, yet grow closer with each passing moment. We were working on something together and just enjoying spending time together. [Random thought: I've not spent much time in any rooms besides the office and the bedroom and so it was kinda nice to spend some time in my living room for a change] Number two, the other interesting thing is how differently Mike and I go about putting together puzzles, and that is why we work on different parts instead of the same one at the same time.

Jigsaw Puzzle 101 by Karin & Mike

1. Karin must find all the edges and put that together first.
2. Mike wants Karin to find other things while looking for edges and she just ignore him so Mike takes box and finds edges for Karin while sorting all the other pieces into different piles.
3. Karin puts the frame together in its entirety before she will ever even begin to think of doing anything else.
4. Mike then will work on his section and Karin will work on another section. In this case, it was Mike on the sky and Karin on the flowers.
5. Mike will take a piece and study the box lid until he finds exactly where it goes.
6. Karin will take a bunch of pieces that look like they belong in the same general vicinity and study the piece and the puzzle looking for shape and color matches.
7. Karin never ever ever looks at the box lid unless she is totally stumped.
8. Mike never ever does NOT look at the box lid.
9. Mike is spatial in his way, and Karin is spatial in hers.
10. Mike determines things by finding the exact match in the picture.
11. Karin determines things by their shape first.

I think it has something to do with the way that I learned how to type on a French keyboard (which had keys in different places) in about 4 minutes and then didn't have to look at the keys anymore. My friend that I travelled there with was in awe. And how I could look at a map, find where we were, and then whenever I looked at the map again I would go right to the correct spot. Perhaps I have a photographic memory or something…I dunno, but I never realized I had that much spatial aptitude until this year. It's kind of a neat thing to learn about oneself though! :-)

All right leaving on Wednesday for a nice long trip. Hate airplane rides. Stressing about that. Mostly because of my past history with airplanes and hospitals. See the heart attack story a few months ago. Goodness…that anniversary is approaching. What will it be…8 years? Wow. Life goes on and on. That is a good thing.

If I don't type before I leave, I'm sure I'll have plenty to say when I get back.