Balancing Act

Our beloved top-tier supporters receive a mystery box each quarter. We think they're pretty cool (our supporters AND the mystery boxes), so we look for different - sometimes unusual - items to include. Some gems - like this one - are created by hand & ex machina in the Secret Wizard's Workshop at The Motel. #IYKYK

A little challenge called The Balancing Act was inside the December box. It's a puzzle, and the goal is to - balance - a fistful of nails on the head of another, all while riding a horse at warp speed and firing another nail Into someone else's puzzle going the opposite dir... let's just say you can decide how far to take this diminutive game. Set it on your desk so that you and your customers/clients/family pets will have something to talk about when they're sitting across from you.

Seems simple enough, right? It actually is, but there's a little trick to the magic (isn't there always?) Just for fun, we'll assign identities to the nails, since that seems to be the societal norm at the time of this writing.

There are a total of 7 nails, but one of them is not like the others. We'll call that nail "The Oddball". The other 6 nails will be "The Conformists"

The Performers:

The Oddball may have a different colored head or be an altogether different color. The point is, he's the guy who'll be balancing The Conformists on his back. Well technically, he'll be balancing them on his head.

The first step is to place The Oddball into the small hole on The Balancing Beam.

Step 1:

Isn't this amazing? What a journey we've been on so far, and it only gets better from here, so a word or two of caution - if you have a weak heart or tire easily, take a little break or a nap; the next step takes some effort.

Lay out 5 of The Conformists just like in the picture. If you have to ask someone if you've laid them out right, you're doing it wrong.

Wizard's Words: for optimal comfort, make sure the surface you choose is soft and slightly gushy. Think fluffy towels or, if you're feeling adventurous, a field of tightly packed marshmallows. Just be prepared for the inevitable sticky situation when you try to get up—unless you want to start a new trend in marshmallow fashion!

Step 2:

Excellent! Now, position the last Conformist as in the picture right down cheer, In Step 3. Yes, he's labelled The Final Slacker, which means he's a member of TWO protected subsets of nails, so just watch yourself from here on in...or out.

There's some lifting involved in the next step (more efforting! - when will It ever end?), so refer back to the last caution for those of you light in the loafers. That means the same thing as 'weak of heart', right? In any event, don't say you weren't warned about the lifting!

Step 3:

The area labeled 'Pickpoint' is the place where you put your thumb and forefinger to pick up the whole shooting match. It sounds kinda highfalootin calling it a 'Pickpoint' though. And we are nothing if we ain't highfalootin.

Remember that handy tip about doing this on a towel or marshmallows? See how that can help? You can press your digits into the softness of that towel and get a better grip on the situation, because the next thing you're going to do is lift that whole schminglehoffer into the air, and onto it's final resting place - the head of The Oddball! Remember him? It seems like ages ago we left him to wither in that shallow hole.

Step 4:

This is another one of those 'life things' where you'll get a feel for the knack of getting it in the perfect spot. When you find it, you found it! And you have made an absolutely captivating piece of modern art that you can create over and over and over, to impress or frustrate your friends, neighbors, viewers, supporters, kids, pets, or random transient.

I know, you're seeing this whole golden future taking place in your tomorrow, and we say, "Yes! - be the best Balancing Act presenter the world has ever seen! You be YOU, boo."**

The Finale!

It seemed a bit anticlimactic to say anything else, so...

**NOTE: For legal reasons, our attorneys have advised that we should credit Jeff Fisher of Chewing The Grizzle or Chewing The Fat Five PLUS! podcast, or he'll file a frivolous lawsuit. But to be clear, he is credited ONLY for the last FOUR words in that phrase/sentence/exclamation/exclamatory phrase.

Thanks for playing.