And So It Ends

The 100+ degree streak of days ended yesterday here.  40 straight days, which is insane.  But what's more insane is that I'm a little bummed we didn't set the all time record.  If we'd hit 100 yesterday, and today, we would have tied the all-time record, and if we hit it on Saturday, it would have been a new record.  And since it looks like we've got 102 and 103 for most days in the forecast next week, it would have been cool to have kept going since one or two days in the upper 90s doesn't exactly feel like a break. 

Oh well!  Guess we'll have to settle for the second-longest streak ever. 

I'm kind of glad it's Friday.  I've been really worn out this week.  Too many late nights working on my puzzle!  Let's see if I can find some pictures to share.

This is what it looks like in the box: 



Here's the link if you want to buy your own and inflict hours and hours and hours of torture upon yourself.  Haha.  It's fun though:  http://www.springbok-puzzles.com/product/capitol-celebration-1000-pieces-puzzle

So basically I have done almost the whole border (missing 1 bottom piece, 2 or 3 on the right side), both of the top corners where there is sky, and for the most part, all of those 8 windows shown along the bottom border.  My photo of where it stands this morning:

Yeah, lots and lots of puzzle ahead of me.  I'm not even at the point where I can clear pieces out of the middle that aren't attached.  I should have put the leaf in the table before I started so there would be more room.  Oh well.

This puzzle was a gift from my folks, so as I was working on it w/ my friend Tuesday night, we decided to call my mom and ask her if she would agree to answer a question honestly, even if it hurt my feelings.  Essentially she wouldn't commit to do that (my mom is sweet), but she basically said she'd try.  I asked her if she hated me.  She laughed with relief (wonder what she thought I was going to ask) and asked me why I'd ask her that.  I told her that she must hate me for giving me such a tough puzzle and she laughed and laughed.  She was happy I was enjoying the struggle with it.  Which is true, if it was easy, I probably wouldn't enjoy it!  So I have many more hours of puzzling ahead of me on this one.  I need to keep working on suckering friends into coming over to help! 

Anyway, my big weekend plans, in order:
1.  Saturday morning lake loop run w/ a couple friends (9ish miles)
2.  Friend coming over to help w/ the puzzle late morning Sat.
3.  Going out for lunch w/ friend at what I call "Chinese Thanksgiving" -- it's an amazing vegan Chinese buffet, so I always eat way too much, just like on Thanksgiving, but this is the vegan Chinese equivalent -- it's very lucky for me that it's kind of far away and my hubby doesn't love it, so I only eat there about 3 times per year.  This will be my first time in 2011.  Can't wait to fill my belly to the brim!
4.  Shopping -- second bday present for my niece.  If anyone has a brilliant suggestion for something she'd love and is shippable, I'd appreciate it. 
5.  Hopeful a washing machine repair person visit...  Still not draining from last week.  Ugh. 
6.  Sunday morning run from home w/ a friend to the running store, then 12 miles with my running group, then running back home.  This will be my highest mileage day since Boston in April I think! 
7.  Puzzle, puzzle, puzzle

There may be some other stuff I'm forgetting, but basically I don't have much planned besides the two runs, lunch and lots of puzzle time. And a weekend like this sounds so lovely right now.

Unfortunately, if I don't wrap up the puzzle by Sunday night, it's going to be another sleep-deprived week next week as I try to finish!