So, on a whim, I decided to complete some of the puzzles on Google's movie tie-in, the Da Vinci Code Quest. It consisted of 24 puzzles over 24 days -- I did the first 21 bored on a Sunday and finished the rest right after they were released. The first 10,000 participants to finish all 24 were promised a cryptex in the mail and a chance to win some prizes.

Today, in the mail, I got a mysteriously heavy box in the mail from noblecollection.com. Inside was one of the 10,000 winning cryptexes. The code to open the cryptex was written on the box: "GRAIL." I entered it in, and the cryptex opened up. (Is there any way for me to change the code?) A rolled parchment was tucked inside, with the words "Congratulations!" and a URL written upon it. Now I get to partake in a time-sensitive puzzle contest this weekend -- if I complete in the shortest time, I win.

Here are some pictures of the cryptex:

  

A hokey contest when I first started, yes, but getting the cryptex in the mail was pretty neat.