15 sleeps

Our box supply was cut off unexpectedly when a sign appeared in Andrew's office above where the empty boxes are kept:

All boxes reserved for S.C.

Andrew's been bringing home empty paper boxes from work and hoarding them in our storage closet, but that reserve has all but dried up. And that serves as our excuse for why we haven't been packing lately.

However, with only 15 sleeps left in the US of A, it was time to do some more packing instead of just sitting around nervously watching the days tick by. We still have most of our kitchen stuff to do and some random books and things around the house. Other than that we're really almost finished.

Still, we needed more boxes, so this afternoon I went on the hunt.

I first turned to Craigslist. There were a few postings for free moving boxes. I called those first, but they were all taken. There were plenty more boxes for sale, but we aren't really in the mood to pay for used cardboard at the moment so I sat and debated about what to do.

We've had several families move into our complex recently. I'm sure they still have some boxes, but I haven't had the chance to meet any of them yet. Two of the three families had babies last week and weren't in church on Sunday. I would feel kind of awkward showing up at their door and saying something to the effect of,

"Hi and welcome to the ward! I hope you like your new place. Wow, looks like you have a lot of boxes there...we're moving soon so I won't ever really get to know you, but can I have your boxes? Cute baby, by the way!"

I'm just not sure I'm brave enough to do that, although they might have liked to have me offer to lug all the empty boxes out of their apartment and into ours.

I'll never know, though, because we next turned to Freecycle--where everything is gloriously free. Their mantra is is "changing the world one gift at a time," but I think it should be "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

The first number I called was Shaka, when the walls fell.

We hit the jackpot with the second number, though.

"Hi, I'm calling about the boxes you posted on Freecycle..." I started.

"COME AND GET 'EM!" the lady enthusiastically offered, "They've been stacking up all week!"

"I'll send my husband over on his way home from work,"

And with that, our box supply was replenished. Now all my excuses are gone. It's off to work I go...