(I couldn't have done it without everyone's help!)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The bonus puzzle!
(posted after, but set chronologically!)
Everyone wonders how I convinced her to flip the puzzle over. I was using Chrome (of course) and went to the puzzle's website. Then used Chrome Dev tools (Wrench -> Tools -> Developer Tools -> Elements) to simply edit the "About us" page in just two or three clicks.
Before: "Our goal at Buffalo Games is to make products that enhance the lives of the people who use them—to make life more fun and rewarding. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do, and look forward to more fun to come!"
After: "Our goal at Buffalo Games is to make products that enhance the lives of the people who use them—to make life more fun and rewarding. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do, and look forward to more fun to come! And on the back of every one of our puzzles there is a bonus puzzle!"
I closed the tools, and showed her the laptop. And of course she wanted to check out that bonus puzzle! :-)
Everyone wonders how I convinced her to flip the puzzle over. I was using Chrome (of course) and went to the puzzle's website. Then used Chrome Dev tools (Wrench -> Tools -> Developer Tools -> Elements) to simply edit the "About us" page in just two or three clicks.
Before: "Our goal at Buffalo Games is to make products that enhance the lives of the people who use them—to make life more fun and rewarding. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do, and look forward to more fun to come!"
After: "Our goal at Buffalo Games is to make products that enhance the lives of the people who use them—to make life more fun and rewarding. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do, and look forward to more fun to come! And on the back of every one of our puzzles there is a bonus puzzle!"
I closed the tools, and showed her the laptop. And of course she wanted to check out that bonus puzzle! :-)
Countdown begins and oh man Google+...
The countdown is beginning right now, less than three hours to go. Crystal is checking her email and seeing an influx of Google+ adds, "wow a lot of people are joining Google+." I was like "oh cool, like who?" And then Crystal proceeds to name almost everyone who's joining the Hangout tonight. /facepalm
I quickly changed the subject.
I quickly changed the subject.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Puzzle Done!
Wow that was fast, I think it took us three hours, but we finished the puzzle late last night.
Here's the last piece...
And there's Crystal posing next to it!
Okay now for a day in San Diego and then tomorrow's the big day!
Starting the Puzzle
Here we are starting it. Look the puzzle is totally new... and unopened! :-)
Crystal thinks it's a race!! (which of course it is... because this needs to be done before 8pm Sunday) ... but she thinks it's a race to beat Tim's puzzle challenge. hehe
Look you can't see the back of the puzzle is different colors! whew.
Crystal thinks it's a race!! (which of course it is... because this needs to be done before 8pm Sunday) ... but she thinks it's a race to beat Tim's puzzle challenge. hehe
Look you can't see the back of the puzzle is different colors! whew.
Quick ring update!
Picked up the ring yesterday - it looks great and much better than last week's design. Glad they were able to fix it within a week.
It was a very tightly coordinated schedule - there was a one hour slot in which the revised ring arrived at the jewelers, the insurance agent needed to see the ring and I needed to leave for the airport. But thankfully the insurance agent came to the jewelry shop as well.
Time to act cool on the weekend and stop touching my pants ... "No I don't have a ring in my pocket that I keep needing to check is still there... " :-P
It was a very tightly coordinated schedule - there was a one hour slot in which the revised ring arrived at the jewelers, the insurance agent needed to see the ring and I needed to leave for the airport. But thankfully the insurance agent came to the jewelry shop as well.
Time to act cool on the weekend and stop touching my pants ... "No I don't have a ring in my pocket that I keep needing to check is still there... " :-P
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Special Bonus
Alright things are moving according to plan so far, in spite of Friday the 13th! :-)
Last minute planning and scrambling at work. JR, Wen-ai and other co-workers gut checked the plan, we came up with last minute tweaks to make it more reasonable to flip the puzzle. It's a long shot but the strategy is "oh man, you get free stuff if you solve a special puzzle on the back of that jigsaw puzzle!" Hopefully it works!
Last minute planning and scrambling at work. JR, Wen-ai and other co-workers gut checked the plan, we came up with last minute tweaks to make it more reasonable to flip the puzzle. It's a long shot but the strategy is "oh man, you get free stuff if you solve a special puzzle on the back of that jigsaw puzzle!" Hopefully it works!
A lifetime guarantee!
Revealing a message about a secret puzzle on the back of the jigsaw puzzle! Solving that puzzle will yield a lifetime guarantee! :-)
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Competition!
I've hyped up the puzzle significantly on every phone call and the fact that we have a four hour time window to beat. She's totally hooked on this puzzle and is definitely keen on finishing this by the end of Friday night. This will lead to a much earlier Sunday. Instead of 10p Sunday, I can move the target time up to 11:15am.
Time to move to Stage 2!
Time to move to Stage 2!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Success!!
After calling multiple places and getting shot down I was awfully close to reading the return policy on a manufacturing supplier website, purchasing a shrink wrapping machine (~$3000) and returning it when this was done.
But I remembered that you can return almost anything to Fry's and they'd re-wrap and throw it back out onto the displays. So I went over to Fry's and asked them to re-wrap the puzzle.
One of the sales associates (Mia) was kind enough to take the puzzle to the back, machine wrap it for me and refuse payment of any kind. Yay, thanks for helping wrap the box! I could hear her in the back "Hey, make sure you wrap this really nicely!"
Look at the wrapping here! This is exciting!
But I remembered that you can return almost anything to Fry's and they'd re-wrap and throw it back out onto the displays. So I went over to Fry's and asked them to re-wrap the puzzle.
One of the sales associates (Mia) was kind enough to take the puzzle to the back, machine wrap it for me and refuse payment of any kind. Yay, thanks for helping wrap the box! I could hear her in the back "Hey, make sure you wrap this really nicely!"
Look at the wrapping here! This is exciting!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Packing it up!
Time to pack it up and get going.
Introducing another helper!
Man I hope these don't come apart. Maybe I can keep them in large chunks and they can stay together!
Introducing another helper!
Man I hope these don't come apart. Maybe I can keep them in large chunks and they can stay together!
Everyone is excited!
Everyone is super excited about this. One of the ideas today by someone was to get a glass coffee table where we could do the puzzle and then say "oops something fell, and then look up through the glass... brilliant! But the glass does seem a bit scary to have.
Had dinner with Wilfred and Michelle tonight, Michelle has volunteered to be my legal representative in a proposal and would propose to Crystal on my behalf...
Had dinner with Wilfred and Michelle tonight, Michelle has volunteered to be my legal representative in a proposal and would propose to Crystal on my behalf...
Sunday, January 8, 2012
I think it's going to work!
Crystal just said she'd be interested in working on this puzzle next weekend!!
Writing the secret message! :)
Stil chugging along
Puzzle Time!
Done sorting...
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Oh no....
I don't think any plan ever goes smoothly. I went to pick up the ring today and it wasn't made right (or rather not the way I wanted). So now they'll need to do it again.
This is going to cut it close since next weekend is supposed to be the big weekend. Its not going to be ready until Friday. So I'll need to literally pick it up on the way to the airport!
Well at least it'll be exciting!
Sent from a mobile device
Decoy thwarted!
So I was trying to set up a decoy getaway when I saw a cool LivingSocial deal for a one night stay at a Sonoma Hilton with wine tasting etc. (So this was a real getaway that was supposed to be a decoy for the proposal!) The plan was to set this up and divert Crystal's attention to that weekend in early Feb. That (brillant) plan was totally thwarted today since there were no more rooms to book. The nice lady working at Hilton checked Napa, LA and New York for me.
But I think I've managed to hype up that early Feb weekend enough to make her think something is happening then... hopefully!
LivingSocial ... you suck.
But I think I've managed to hype up that early Feb weekend enough to make her think something is happening then... hopefully!
LivingSocial ... you suck.
Gathering the Troops!
I'm pretty excited, I emailed everyone yesterday as well to see if they were free to come on Sunday. I'll need to follow up with more details, hope they'll be excited about this!
D'oh put the wrong date on the email, I'll need to send a follow up. And I noticed there was gratuitous use of exclamation points in that email...
Note to self: don't send out mass emails after 2am.
Here's a copy of the email...
Hey <name>,
You might not know me (I however have certainly have heard of you!)... I'm Ronald, Crystal's boyfriend. I'm planning a surprise for Crystal next weekend and wanted to know if you were free at around 10pm PST on Sunday, Jan 16th (don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to fly to LA). If you are free, just let me know and I'll give you the details once I iron them out. I promise you'll be able to partake in the comfort of your PJs.
As one of Crystal's closest friends, you've got to do TWO things:
If this gets out, who cares how sad/mad I'll be... just think how mad she will be! :)
Thanks!!
~Ronald
D'oh put the wrong date on the email, I'll need to send a follow up. And I noticed there was gratuitous use of exclamation points in that email...
Note to self: don't send out mass emails after 2am.
Here's a copy of the email...
Hey <name>,
You might not know me (I however have certainly have heard of you!)... I'm Ronald, Crystal's boyfriend. I'm planning a surprise for Crystal next weekend and wanted to know if you were free at around 10pm PST on Sunday, Jan 16th (don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to fly to LA). If you are free, just let me know and I'll give you the details once I iron them out. I promise you'll be able to partake in the comfort of your PJs.
As one of Crystal's closest friends, you've got to do TWO things:
- Do NOT tell anyone about this email or the date, including Crystal. I think she thinks these sorts of surprises would happen in February.
- Even after the time mentioned above do NOT post anything on the internets or whatever the young kids do nowadays... like send a twitter, facebookering or Google pluses. Crystal wants to tell you herself about what happened.
If this gets out, who cares how sad/mad I'll be... just think how mad she will be! :)
Thanks!!
~Ronald
This arrived a couple of days ago...
I started sorting out the edges... this is going to take a while... : -)
Sent from a mobile device
Plan coming together!
Alright I decided to start this blog to track the planning process here. Just because I know Crystal loves the planning part as much as the finished product (maybe more!). New Years Eve was when this plan was hatched and slowly has grown in awesomeness (and complexity) ever since then!
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