Way Too Much to Say About the Costco Puzzle

A couple of months ago, I was at Costco, and I put a few impulse buys in my cart - a blanket, some socks, a package of scissors, and some new Thermoflask water bottles (because I lost my old one - spoiler alert: I found it under the passenger seat of the van when we drove to Phoenix). I also put the Dowdle Costco puzzle in my cart. 

Sometimes I need to put stuff in my cart, push it around for a while just for the heck of it, and then put it back. Which is what I did with all of those items. 

My sister-in-law, Amber, ended up getting me some of those things for Christmas - the blanket, the scissors, and the Thermoflasks. Then when she handed me a familiar square package on my birthday, I knew it was the Costco puzzle, and I was so excited!

I started the puzzle on Thursday and finished it on Friday. Tragically, there were two pieces missing!!! I’m not sure what happened, but since the two pieces are next to each other, I suspect there was a manufacturing and packaging problem. Yes, I’m perfectly capable of losing a puzzle piece or two, but I’ve also had times when I have had extra puzzle pieces turn up in our puzzles. I always cry inside knowing that someone out there likely has a puzzle that’s missing a piece (while simultaneously rejoicing that it's not me). What I wonder is… with the Costco puzzle did the pieces not cut properly and end up in the wrong place together during the manufacturing process? Dowdle had a "No Missing Pieces Policy," but I don't think my puzzle qualifies because Amber bought it on eBay. 

Anyway…

Aside from missing two pieces, the Costco puzzle was so much fun to put together. I did it all by myself! I feel like a toddler bragging about putting on my own shirt, but sometimes you just need to give yourself a pat on the back like an overachieving three year old to get you through the day. 

998 pieces of my Costco puzzle

The artist of the Costco puzzle is Eric Dowdle, who works out of Lindon, Utah. I've done a few of his other puzzles, and the details are always really fun. The Costco puzzle kept me highly amused - here are some of the details: 

I think this might be my favorite puzzle I've ever done. 

Maybe.

It does have Richard Simmons to contend with.