Relative Something

I want to send a shout out to my niece, Tricia, for the wonderfully appropriate little fiendish gift she presented to me last Sunday. She said she thought of me when she saw this item, and I can understand why. It’s a puzzle. I like puzzles. Done.

Well… I’m being reminded that my skill with puzzling is stronger in the realms of jigsaws and Sudoku. I can easily consume hours toiling away at either. Physical puzzles tend to strike me in the gaps between my logic. I have fiddled with this little metal challenge for a couple of days now, and am absolutely no closer to a solution than when I started.

That’s part of the fun. If I had solved it this quick, it would have been too easy. I think she picked just the right level for me. That is, if I can someday decipher the solution. I’ll let you know in a few weeks.

I’ve never in my life succeeded in solving the Rubik’s cube puzzle. I’m okay with that. The puzzles that entertain me feel comfortable, like a cuddly soft felt blanket. The cube is more like a scratchy wool to me. Right now, this tangle of metal seems to fall somewhere between those two.

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