2017-10-14: Vivian's Birthday

Professor Layton and the Mysterious Birthday surpassed our wildest expectations. Last night, I laid out the iconic Layton hat, cleaned Viv’s Tea & Puzzles mug, laid out her jacket, and wrote a note addressed to the Professor, leaving it on her nightstand.

On waking, we all got dressed in our Prof. Layton costumes, and while I made tea (minus my glasses), the good Professor & Luke solved the puzzle of where I had misplaced my glasses. This proved to be quite a risk, as puzzle-solving before tea is as difficult as tea-making without glasses.

We headed off to Kelly’s Diner for breakfast, where our server commented how much she liked our outfits, and asked for the Professor’s help solving a problem in timing a 9-minute egg with only a 7-minute and 4-minute sand-timers. At the same time, the Professor received an urgent request from the Inspector (which set off her phone’s alarm, set to play the New Puzzle music). This one took some doing, and after a few false starts (including one face-palm for Luke), she had saved the day for the Inspector.

On our way back, both the Professor and Mike Dlott had sent in puzzles, and our day began in earnest.

Other highlights include the servers at Painted Burro, who not only delivered the puzzle out loud, but would not let me leave until I explained the answer. Heidi & Len joined us, and brought two puzzles with them, both quite fiendish and language-based, then gave us a ride to the Armory.

We met up with Spence (the Inspector, who ended up sending THREE puzzles, in the Layton font and layout, where we played the most 80s of 80s games, a round of Code Names Duo with Jason, and generally hanging out with the Arisia crowd. One of the 3DS gamers recognized the Professor..and so close to realizing my goal of having a complete stranger hand Viv a puzzle!..but no luck <g>.

We took a break at Starbucks - the barista shouted out the “name” on the cup; yet another puzzle. Relaxing, the Professor caught up with the three puzzles at hand from Rosie, Johannah, and Starbucks, all before going off to pick up her present at Blick.

Viv fell in love with a map we saw at the British Library; I had a print waiting for her, but it the invoice noted that it could not be handed over without solving a puzzle. The print manager was so into it she shifted her schedule to be the one who greeted her as “Professor Layton” and handed over the matchstick puzzle..and Viv loves matchstick puzzles. She also loves making lots of artistic decisions (like when she builds a character in a cRPG), so choosing the frame, mat, etc was right in her comfort zone.

Back at home, Tyler and Karyn had set up the final set of puzzles, and as we slowly climbed the stairs, we noticed the door was open. Our home had been invaded by the Insidious Dr. Nightsoil and Professor Limburger, who were holding our dessert hostage until the Professor solved an unsolvable Sudoku. Only with the help of Young Luke, who was able to collect the missing numbers, was the Professor able to solve the puzzle, just in time to save the Crepes Suzettes. Spence had a series-ous puzzle that hid a lovely birthday card, and the physical puzzle pieces we’d been collecting all day now set next to the pyramid stand where the rest now, waiting for the free time to build them out.

“Best Birthday ever”, she says.

“You inspire this kind of thing” I say.

To the creators and the inspiration, and the play between them that make magic.