Days 19-25 of the Advent PuzzleTree and Christmas morning.

Here we are at the end.  What a pleasure it has been for me to watch him open all of his gifts.  I've only failed on 2.  Not bad if you ask me.  So here are the final 6 puzzles.  I hope you enjoyed seeing what I thought would be good gifts.  I hope it inspires you to do the same for a puzzle loving friend.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, or Happy Holidays to you all.  I wish one and all a very happy holiday season whatever you celebrate.  

Day 19: A stone Soma cube.  He needed no introduction or burr tools for this one.  I knew it was a real slack gift, but we have this wonderful collection of a variety of soma and soma-type cubes, I knew it would be a hit.  he loved the stone and remarked that any gemologist (my dear friend Jeremy Crabbe might be able to help me out here) would know what they all are.  He disassembled, and assembled it in record time and placed it where it belongs on the large Dilemma Games soma table.

Day 20: Double tumbler by Jon Keegan.  As expected, he didn't like it.  My fault for being such a magpie. It's now in the metal room with it's partner waiting for anyone who wants to play with it.  

Day 21: Benedetti's Rotations.  I think he spent an hour looking and trying to get it to move.  My beautiful lover finally came to the conclusion that it was too tight and couldn't be disassembled without a man tool so he went into the workshop and softened all the edges.  He reportedly enjoyed it but...It now resides in the upstairs wood room.

Day 22: Vinco's Star of David.  I bought it AGES ago and had no idea what it was.  As with other old purchases I had to go to FaceBook for help and James Kerley came through.  I bought it simply because I thought it to be a very pretty puzzle. George made rather short work of it.  He didn't even bother with burr tools.  It's now in the main wood room among other Vinco puzzles. 

Day 23: Day 23: Gear by Jos Bergmans. He managed to take it apart rather quickly. Putting it back together again was of course done with Burr Tools.     

Day 24: Juha Element by Juha Levonen. This was another bust. He solved it too quickly. It's ok. I can't get all of them right. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Day last of the Advent PuzzleTree: Martin Garder Perplexing Puzzles and Tantalizing Teasers. This book is a collection of youthful puzzles. George told me he had read them all when he was about 8 years old. He thought they were all published Gardener's column in Scientific America.

Today is Christmas so he gets to open his real gifts now. He recieved a bit of hex in the morning and a bit more hex in the afternoon, and finally a LOT of hex at night. After all, lots of good hex is why I married him. If his Kong weren't so big, I think I'd have passed him by. While I was making Christmas lunch, I walked in the root room and found him reading the Joy of Hex. He didn't even have the decency to cover up this lewd act, but instead, gave me a pat on the backside and read a position of two to me. It now lays on his nightside table waiting for a day of fun.

Merry Christmas one and all.  Have a safe and happy holiday season.  And as my father says everytime he signs off the phone: Stay away from the virus.