PUZZLED!

   FRIDAY, JANUARY 29TH.
            PUZZLED!

     My career in news often had
me putting facts from various
sources together to build a complete
story. But while I had little trouble
assembling story pieces I have no
patience trying to do the same
with little pieces of cardboard!
      I bring this information to your
attention because January 29th is
"National Puzzle Day."
       My wife will undoubtedly be
celebrating! She and a number
other members of her family have
been infected with the Puzzle Virus.
       On our trip to Hawaii last year
she and her sister would often
recite their Crossword puzzle clues
out loud and in my direction, hoping
to trap me into providing answers.
Sometimes caught unaware it
sometimes worked. I'm especially
vulnerable when they ask questions
about baseball players and teams.
       I refuse, however, to be drawn
into the dark realm of the Jig Saw
Puzzle!
       Our Game room table is almost
always covered with a cardboard
base on which my wife and other
willing visitors are constantly
placing colorful odd shaped puzzle
pieces designed to form some sort of
artistic picture. They come in all
sizes. 500 pieces. 1,000 pieces. 2,000
pieces.
       I bought the last one to fill out
my wife's Christmas wish list. It was
one of those 2,000 piece puzzles. My
wife worked on it for days and my
grand daughter pitched in as the final
pieces were being assembled. They
invited me to place the final piece.
I did and then pointed out there was
still one space unfilled. Turns out
the 2,000 piece nightmare was really
a 1,999 piece puzzle!
       I would have gone mad working
on the project and then gone completely
over the edge after spending all that
time and finding one piece completely
missing.
      So, to those of you who enjoy
puzzles, enjoy the day. More power
too you. I will stick with trying to
solve Sherlock Holmes mysteries!
      Hope you've got all your pieces
in place and that all your NEWS is
good!