Mission Accomplished!

We decided we would not go to bed last night until we had finished the puzzle.  We were down to about 50 what seemed identical pieces and we absolutely positively had to complete our project.  The pieces were sorted by type (the longer ones with the outies on the outside and the shorter ones with the outies on the top and bottom) so all we had to do was take each one and try it in a spot that required that type of piece.  Why the pieces never go where you think they should on this puzzle is beyond me....

When we went to bed last night we had four open slots on the puzzle and two pieces that for the life of us we could not fit in anywhere. Well actually one looked like it belonged in a spot but would not fit, the other one fit in neither of the long openings.  You of course see the first part of the problem, two pieces and four openings.  The puzzle has been on the counter for about 2 and half weeks now so in all honesty, loosing two pieces is not that terrible.  We figure that either we will find the pieces one day when we move from the house or....we will find them while scooping poop in the backyard (I suspect the backyard myself). 

The two extra pieces were driving me crazy....they had to go somewhere.  This morning after goofing off for a few hours back to the dern puzzle I went and Viola!  There was a piece where it didn't belong which went into one of the long openings, the extra long piece went where that one came out and the last piece fit in right next to it.

Right now the puzzle is sitting on my cutting board on the counter.  I think neither one of us wants to take it apart and put it into the box after how long we have worked on it or....those last two pieces will miraculously appear (but if they are in the backyard, that is the end of them). 

The decision has been made and in a while I will take myself down to the Dollar Store in hopes of finding another form of torture known as the 500 little identical piece puzzle.