time to play Jenga

Remember that game, Jenga, a stack of blocks that you remove then place at the top without having the entire tower fall down. This is what happens when you get an email or a call saying that so-and-so is coming afterall. It's not so much when people can't go, but adding people to the already filled guestlist and tables, is like taking that wooden block from the bottom and delicately, oh so delicately, placing it on top. AND in how few moves can you do it?

Or it's like that 15 number plastic puzzle, where there's one empty space, and you keep moving the numbers around until you get them in proper order, but in trying to get the "4" into the top right corner you end up screwing up the order of all the other tiles. There are lessons in this. I'm glad I've always been a "puzzle" person. It's not so much about filling a space as it is about finding the proper motion of numbers. You must be able to make several moves to create a train of numbers that eventually all fall into place at the same time.

There's a system people! There are envelopes for each of the tables and place names and assignments. There are so many favors per table. And yes, of course, when everyone gets there, they're going to play musical chairs anyway and that's fine, but it's nice to start with the nice arranged tower of wooden blocks, especially for the people who are doing the table decorating.

My mother called me, said that my uncle's kids are coming afterall with another uncle who is driving up. ooh. um. There are three seats open with my co-workers, but might be a bad idea to put 3 teenagers with a bunch of older adults. Don't want to break up that combination, but if I move him, then the single guy will be with a bunch of married folks. Moved a pair to sit with their parents, shifted another pair to the opening in the co-worker's table, move another one to that opening, slide 3 teenagers into the open slots next to another cousin they're familiar with. Drumroll please...Ta-DAH! 4 table moves! Thank you, thank you! Just don't breathe too hard on it.

5 days to go...