When I googled the definition of quack, the first one listed is “the sound a duck makes”. This article is not about ducks. This article is about the “snake oil salesman”. He (I found no examples of female quacks)usually an alleged “doctor”. In the late 19th and early 20th century, quackery was big business. Promising a cure for any and... Continue Reading →
Grifticians and Poligrifters
"the doners run the poligrifters"
Sugar
My excessive body weight has been …………that’s how I was going to start this article. The simple, abbreviated fact is I am FAT! When I am mobile, I’m carrying over 50 excess pounds of body weight. Imagine having to carry that same weight in the form of a concrete block every time you move. That’s what my... Continue Reading →
One Year Later
In December of 2019, Joan and I dove into jigsaw puzzling. 30 puzzles later, we now have a gallery of puzzles we’ve completed since then. Starting with a 550-piece scene of the “Hill” in Chapel Hill, N.C., we graduated this month to a 1500-piece photo of Notre Dame. For various reasons we had to trash... Continue Reading →
So, This is Christmas!
Inspiration for my articles tend to spring up in a flash. The title of this one is a little-known Beatle’s song, but my version should be read more like, Really? this is Christmas??? I am attempting, with my marginal writing skills to capture this moment in time ---Christmas Day, 12/25/2020 at 1:45 P.M. I just finished, for medicinal purposes, a large... Continue Reading →
Packers Puzzle
As you read on, this article may sound like it’s about football. But, WAIT! It’s about nostalgia and the visions “that were planted in my brain” (Thanks, Simon and Garfunkel) and will always remain until I can no longer detect the smell of peanut butter from 11 centimeters away. I know you’ve never heard that line before,... Continue Reading →
Good Company
What’s this blog all about? Humor--- original humor, Puns--- a play on words. “Pun spelled backwards is NUP, and that’s “anup outta you!” Listening to Steve Martin on CBS Sunday Morning I was inspired to write about the theme of my blog and why, specifically, I avoid sharing any of my political or religious views.... Continue Reading →
Dixville Got It Right
The last time I checked, there were still 24 hours in the day beginning at 12:00 A.M. Every 4 years on election day, the people of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire count and certify their Presidential election results for their entire population of 12 beginning precisely at 12:00 A.M., Tuesday. What they got right was not who they voted for --- What... Continue Reading →
GoFundYourself.com
HERE is the link to the Facebook posting of my very own Gofundme page and I did it all by myself. I titled it “Bob’s Maserati”. It’s the 2020 version of begging. Not like the old days! Not like the guy I saw earlier today standing on the median strip, dangerously close to cars moving... Continue Reading →
Titanium Glow
The first thing that comes to mind as I read the title ---- You can’t make this up! I couldn’t. Before yesterday, I would never imagine coupling these 2 words. But Joan and I were in a new car dealership signing a lease on an awesome new car ---- awesome by our standards anyway. Digression Alert! If you have... Continue Reading →
We Need More Lawyers
I went shopping for a ladder. I mistakenly began to read the attached warning labels.In no time at all, I was puzzled. So many labels attached --- mostly stating the obvious like, “don’t fall off” “falling can lead to injury”. There are hundreds of labels (not all on the same ladder). With my intellectual curiosity aroused, I quickly jumped... Continue Reading →
The Garage Gallery
"....... a lot like falling in love."
Compulsion
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com Our obsession, compulsion, and addiction to assembling jigsaw puzzles continues as strong as ever. Currently, we are wrapping up another Ravensburger, 1000-pieces. Yesterday, with our current effort, we reached the point where you feel the satisfaction of knowing you have, once again, met the challenge. With each puzzle there is a predictable... Continue Reading →
The Lithuanian Engraved Butter Knife Has Arrived
This has got to be my best-article title. It goes to the heart of what this blog is all about ----- unique one-of-a-kind word associations. Lithuania has gotten a lot of press lately, but I’ve seen nothing about engraved butter knives. The events I’m about to relate must be told. This is a true story. It will probably be funny only to... Continue Reading →
Bob
There are a lot of guys out there, like me, named Bob, and one, unlike me, named Baab(pronounced bob), which I’ll get to later. The internet has many clever websites extolling the virtues of one of the most likeable palindromes in the English language. The formal version of Bob, Robert, means fame, glory, or renown in... Continue Reading →
Everything is Funny to Someone
I’m back. I’ve been away for a while. The big issues surrounding all of us right now (no, I won’t go into them here) had been getting me down to the extent I was finding it hard to sleep. After delivering a swift mental kick and a “Snap out of it” in the hindquarters to myself, I’ve decided to fall back on my blog... Continue Reading →
Big Words
As I watch the TV talk show political banter every day, I’m noticing a consistent trend. First, let me acknowledge the futility and self-inflicted mental anguish which comes from watching political banter. My hope is that one day politicians will begin to behave the way, I’m sure, their Mothers wanted them to behave i.e. friendly,... Continue Reading →
Greetings
The cursor is blinking at me waiting for input. Still blinking! O.K. I’ll get started. The mental puzzle that I most recently had to deal with was what to get Joan, my wife, for her birthday. At our age that’s a struggle. The discussion always starts out with, “What would you like for your birthday”. The... Continue Reading →
“What Have We Learned?”
The title is a line used by Keith Olbermann every Friday on his political punditry show, “Countdown”. Today, he’s an excellent example of how immersing yourself in American politics can motivate you to eventually ignore politics. Keith Olbermann is current immersed in efforts to rescue dogs. His Friday night segment focused on high and low points of that week. The phrase has... Continue Reading →
When Flashing Help is on the Way
Hi! How’s that for an introduction? This is my first blog. So, after a month-long struggle and millions of suggestions about how to launch my blog, I’ve decided to go “minimalist”. Does the reader really care about the authors biographical details? Probably not. You care about the content, and right now you’re probably wondering why... Continue Reading →
“……. three fifths of all other Persons.”
I bought my first copy of The Constitution of the United States about 5 years ago. I figured that reading it might be a good way to find out what all the fuss was about. I realize that making light reference to the Constitution with the word “fuss” sounds irreverent, but if you look “fuss” up, it... Continue Reading →
Resurrection
I love landscaping. Starting with designing --- on to planning and procurement (buying stuff), sweating and scarring(installation), and finally, enjoying the view I’ve created. The deeper I get into this process, the more attached I am to these plants and trees. I care for them and I care about them. No, they do not talk to me... Continue Reading →
Maggie’s Eyes
I was 8 years old. Our family lived in a rented farm house on about 50 acres of land at the intersection of Donges Bay and River Road in rural Wisconsin. At that time it was no longer an operating farm, but it held the lure of open spaces, a pristine river nearby, and countless daily adventures for a young... Continue Reading →
Signs
Take a close look at the photo above. What is this sign saying to you? To the average football fan, it’s an attempt to encourage your team to play better defense. However, not everyone “gets it”. I know a guy who didn’t get it As the camera panned the fans in the stands, this guy watching... Continue Reading →
Timing is Everything
In sex, comedy, and football, timing is everything. The right partner, the right topic, and the right play, at the right time will ensure success. At the moment, as a comedian, I’m having a hard time finding humor with all of the turmoil we see in this country. But I refuse to be deterred. I will never... Continue Reading →
Out Of Stock
The jigsaw puzzle craze has not subsided since it first began in December of last year. Yes, that’s right! The first spike in jigsaw puzzle demand occurred as a result of a CBS Sunday Morning story about Rob Gronkowski, an NFL star player using jigsaw puzzle assembly as therapy for his concussions. By the way, since... Continue Reading →
Sweet Black Cherries
“Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries” is a song that’s been bouncing around my brain for many years. The only part I remember is this: Life is just a bowl of cherriesDon't take it serious; it's too mysteriousYou work, you save, you worry soBut you can't take your dough when you go, go, go So... Continue Reading →
Clouds
As stated in my last article, I am now addressing puzzling human behavior separately from jigsaw puzzle assembly. Today, I’m addressing the aggravation of assembling jigsaw puzzles. Why? Why would I allow myself to get frustrated when the puzzle in progress becomes a challenge for me? Let’s go back to the original premise of this blog. Jigsaw... Continue Reading →
Negotiating With a Shark
This article will have only one topic. No longer will I attempt to discuss both puzzle assembly and puzzling human behavior in the same article. This one’s about puzzling human behavior using non-human behavior as a model. Let’s examine America’s response to the current pandemic. I say “current” purposefully. This is not the first worldwide pandemic. We have sufficient documentation that past... Continue Reading →
Puzzleless Part Two
It’s Thursday, early morning. We’ve been without a puzzle now for 16 hours. Fortunately, we received an email from FedEx on Wednesday promising that they would deliver 2 puzzles today. So now, we sit at the front window wistfully watching and waiting. We were also yearning. How many times can you recall hearing the word “yearning” in everyday... Continue Reading →
Puzzleless // You’ve Been Warned!
Here we sit right now, again, without a puzzle to assemble. Last night, we completed an interesting puzzle featuring extinct and/or endangered wildlife from a company called EEBOO. Lotsa bugs, beetles, and butterflies. Excellent quality, but not very challenging. We completed it in 3 days ----- a record for us. But, 4 new puzzles are on their way. Now we... Continue Reading →
Suitable for Framing // Bollard
As promised, my readers always get a two-fer with each posting. On the physical puzzling front, I have once again discovered that my bad ideas, in time, can become good ideas --- i.e. from my wife’s perspective. Switching from a cable TV service to a satellite service was a bad idea in her opinion. I did it... Continue Reading →
By Appointment Only
Right now, jigsaw puzzles are in high demand and hard to find. To help you with that, I’m sharing with you my secret source. Call Samantha. Samantha runs a small toy store with inventory catering to parents and grandparents who really care about the value of the gifts we select for our families. Check out... Continue Reading →
In the Weeds and Techie Two
We’re working on the Springbok Water Wheel. We’re in the weed bed phase of puzzle assembly. With over 750 pieces still scattered on the table, finding the next piece is like searching a weed bed for a golf ball that I just sliced waaaay to the right. I know where the ball is, but not exactly. That puzzle piece is on the table somewhere, all we... Continue Reading →
A Springbok Water Wheel and “Techie” Part One
“Puzzling”, the blog, was launched on the 2nd of February of 2020. Thanks to all of my followers for reading (listening). With every article you get a two-fur. The first half of each post deals with the jigsawpuzzle that my wife, Joan and I are currently assembling, while the 2nd half gives you a unique, original and humorous look at the power of and my obsession with the English... Continue Reading →
Too Many Syllables
Our latest jigsaw nemesis is complete and we have the photos to prove it. We completed it in 15 days compared to the 2 months it took to do the Eiffel Tower. We started a new Ravensburger yesterday and the degree of difficulty compared to Springbok is huge with the former being refreshingly easy compared to the... Continue Reading →
The Department of Nonsense
For 15 days now, we’ve been wrestling with the assembly of Hatley Park, a Springbok 1000-piece puzzle. One Autumn leaf looks a lot like every other. The next puzzle I do will have no bright red in it. I’m sure you’re wondering what I do with completed puzzles. I just mounted the first completed puzzle in... Continue Reading →
Bunnies
The house is completely quiet. I’m at the peak of my daily caffeine high right now and ready to rock, roll and write! Joan, my wife, after providing a memorable real time jigsaw puzzle piece anecdote for my last article (see my last article), she provided another real-life puzzling gem on Friday. While working on the very challenging Springbok,... Continue Reading →
Snakes!
On the puzzle assembly front, the Springbok bridge scene we’re working on is proving to be a major challenge, more challenging than any Ravensburger we’ve done. We now write down the start date, in this case, 3/30/2020, inside the puzzle box. We include the year to avoid any confusion. Right now, we’re convinced that pieces must... Continue Reading →
Update:
I found a company which does custom jig-saw puzzles up to 1000 pieces. https://piecetimepuzzles.com/They are not taking new orders now. They are severely backlogged after being featured on CBS' Sunday morning news show. I am going to just wait until they start taking orders again and buy a custom puzzle commemorating the heroes in the... Continue Reading →
Room Available
I wish I could write simultaneously while assembling a puzzle. I was, just a moment ago, attempting to assemble the most difficult section of the Springbok puzzle shown below. Specifically, the upper left-hand corner had me stymied. Taking one piece at a time, which might be a match, as I normally do, and attempting to find the correct... Continue Reading →
The Sprinker Room
On the puzzle assembly front right now, we have 2 in progress. Another late-night session yesterday just getting the border completed on a beautiful Springbok 1000 piece scene. The other one is a classic Ravensburger. We’re keeping plenty of puzzles on hand with all of the uncertain right now about which companies will stay open... Continue Reading →
Fundraiser Puzzle Update!
As promised, here's an update on my efforts to have a jigsaw puzzle created to commemorate the heroes on the front lines of the battle against Covid-19. Of the 7 puzzle makers whom I attempted to contact, I've received a response from only one, a company called Sunsout. That they can do a custom puzzle... Continue Reading →
Puzzle Fund Raising
Regarding last night’s post: After thinking through the idea of fund raising by designing and producing commemorative jigsaw puzzles to support the fight against Covis-19, I realize that people in the puzzle business, overall, are extremely creative and their individual interpretation of and responses to this idea will be diverse. I know next to nothing... Continue Reading →
Ecstatic
Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels.com I’ll get to Ecstasy (not what most of you are thinking) in a moment. This is requiring some mental discipline but, I want to stick to my format and update you, first, on my puzzle assembly status. I always start a puzzle assembling the border. After the initial sort, as... Continue Reading →
Yugo vs. Camaro
Be patient. The title of this article will make sense, eventually. But, first, here’s the usual update on puzzle assembly. Today’s a landmark day for the Krueger’s. We completed the 1000-piece Ravensburger puzzle (photo) in less than 5 days. Now we wait for the latest puzzle purchase to arrive. We strongly recommend buying only the... Continue Reading →
Redux: “Pleased to Meet You”
Why am I publishing this one again? Because it's my blog and I'm particularly proud of it. Puzzling (the verb) is becoming a large part of our lives now that we are “social distancing”, which is not new to me. I experienced a lot of it in high school for many reasons unrelated to any... Continue Reading →
The Sun Doesn’t ‘Rise’, The Earth Rotates
They come out of nowhere --- off-the wall-ideas which suddenly pop into my head. Here's a quick sample: My neighbor had about one full cubic yard of mulch left from his recent landscaping project which, as it turned out, was the exact amount I needed to finish my much smaller project. He refused any compensation.... Continue Reading →
Puzzling
"Flashing Help is on the Way"
bobzodyssey.com 