Puzzle Progress

An insanely boring post, but such is my life these days! 

As you'll recall, this was the puzzle status on Fri morning (long way to go):

And here it Sat night (major progress! that's 2 attorneys working on it for hours):


And here it is Sun night before dinner (progress stalled -- the easy parts are done, now it's slow going):


 And here it is Sunday night before bed:


And here it is last night (slowly but surely):


Hopefully just a couple more days.  But seriously, the parts that are left seem almost impossible.  The balloon density in the open area is very high!  Unfortunately we have a busy week with events most evenings this week.  Tonight might be my best chance at finishing it up b/c this is the week:

Wed night social run, just about 4 miles probably, then going to a bar/restaurant with a pool afterward, and jumping in wearing all my running clothes (not shoes, watch or heart rate monitor of course).

Thurs night a new book club (I'll have to post about that soon).

Fri night, my first purely social event with spouses with a coworker at my new job.  I've been working here since Feb. and there was this really nice guy who originally officed next door to me.  I gradually got to know him as an office neighbor b/c we don't ever work together.  And then they did an office shuffle.  Anyway, he had organized a fundraiser at the end of July, and I was one of the few people from work who attended, and he made it clear in talking to me that night and the next day, that my presence meant a lot to him.  (I actually already posted about the awkward conversation I had that night w/ a random guy.) 

So whenever this guy comes by my office or we run into each other in the hall, we have tons to talk about.  His partner won a million airline miles in a contest for which she wrote an essay, so he travels a lot and he loves a lot of the same places I do.  And he likes running, lives fairly close to downtown, and seems to have a lot in common with me in general.  He's a fun guy and talks a lot, which is just like my husband.  When he stopped by my office last week and asked if my hubby and I would like to join he and his partner for dinner, I jumped at the chance! 

In fact, I hope I didn't seem too eager!  Right away, I offered up this coming Fri night.  Then he went back to his office and I emailed him and said we could do lunch on Saturday if that worked better.  Then I emailed him AGAIN and said if he wanted, hubby and I are going kayaking on Sat morning and they could join us for that and THEN we could all go to lunch. 

Can you tell I miss mixing social extra-curricular activities with my new job?  Everywhere I've worked before, there have been some people I've seen outside the office on a fairly regular basis who have become good friends (like good enough friends to travel to Italy for my wedding, to be a bridesmaid, etc.). 

So I was very excited to be possibly making my first new social-work friend.  He responded to my emails with a reply that this Fri night would work for them, so game on. 

I should note that I have one other colleague that I feel socially close to (she traveled to Montana and Idaho with me, and we instantly clicked when I started here), but she lives way out in the burbs and has two young kids, so they're not likely people we'd see socially very often.  Maybe when their kids get older though! 

But given the plans Wed, Thurs and Fri night, and a busy day Saturday (running, kayaking, a friend's business grand opening, doubtless some errands too), the puzzle really needs to come together tonight -- it drives me crazy to leave it sit unfinished, so I'm going to have to hammer it out tonight!!