We move at the end of June, and we really should be packing, but there are infinitely more pleasurable activities than packing. For example:
1. Box hunting
Much more than packing, I enjoy box hunting. The cafeteria at the school throws out a lot of high quality boxes, so I spend my lunch creeping around behind the kitchen, snatching up the discards. One of the lunch ladies (why do we universally call them lunch ladies? I guess ‘noontime supervisor’ sounds less endearing) told me to keep an eye out for the fry boxes on Wednesday, and oh, how I love me a fry box. They’re so big and sturdy, with dense cardboard… the very thought of fry boxes sends shivers down my spine. Whenever I collect an especially luscious box, I brag to my mom about it, and we praise each other’s daily finds while we try to shove them all into the Jeep. Our garage is overflowing with boxes, and it’s a sight to be seen. It’s kind of disappointing that this massive collection will be wasted on something as silly as packing. There’s a real thrill to the hunt, and my eyes light up whenever I see a pile of boxes.
2. Buying chickens for the new barn at the new house
I doubt many other people in our suburban subdivision can say they have a box full of 4-day old chicks in one of their bedrooms. The babies are getting all feathery in the wing and are very cute. I spied on them for half an hour yesterday, and was very fascinated by their behavior. They’re really into the buddy system, and like to do things as a herd. One of them will get the brilliant idea to get a drink of water, and 5 others will follow her to the watering thingamajig. If one starts mysteriously pecking at a random wood shaving in the corner of the box, another 2 will show up and start pecking at the same shaving. I also like how all but one will get randomly tired, and huddle up in a corner to fall asleep. Then the odd bird out will figure out it’s nap time, and bound over, leaping into the center of the huddle, waking everyone else up. Thus rudely awakened, they all get up and start running around again. They peck at each other’s eyes a little, which is worrisome but seemingly innocuous.
I’m still on the lookout for some exotic birds to add to the flock. I have a lead on a place that sells Araucana chicks, and I’m anxiously daydreaming about collecting blueish/greenish/pinkish/goldish/olive drabish eggs.
3. Gardening at the new house
Who knew gardening was fun? We’re putting in a huge vegetable garden with 9 different kinds of tomatoes (including “Black from Tulsa,” a blackish heirloom tomato that’s supposedly the “ugliest, most delicious tomato ever grown”), potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, spinach, lettuce, cabbage (2 or 3 kinds! Too bad cabbage is semi-inedible), broccoli, cauliflower, squash, basil, garlic, and onions. And probably other things I forgot. There’s a peach tree, an apple tree, a pear tree, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and grapes. Once our chickens start laying eggs, we’ll be full-fledged farmers!!! We’re also growing some small pumpkins and also those useless mini pumpkins that have no purpose except for strewing about the Thanksgiving table for decoration. I’m enchanted by some albino pumpkin seeds I saw, so maybe I can sneak those in, too.
I also planted some GIANT zinnias, including some giant Green Envy zinnias that I’m frivolously hoping will match the Bug. I also got some CRIMSON sunflowers!
4. Crocheting a hat to wear while gardening at the new house
New hobbies require new tools. I’m also looking for gardening shoes!
5. Buying fish for the new pond at the new house
Koi! Sarasa Comets!
6. Lusting after furniture to buy for the new house
My 2006 Ikea catalog is more dog-eared than the proverbial Playboy under the mattress. I peruse, I plan, I calculate, I lust. I got rid of my old fiberboard desk in favor of the future desk of my dreams. New house, new desk. I’m currently leaning toward the Tovik, just because solid wood (albeit pine) seems dreamy. Also, it’s cheap.

Oh, so many things I want to buy at Ikea.
7. Buying bedding for the new house
Psychedelic duvets! New house, new sheets! Right? … right??
I’m such a whore for mod 60s stuff. I also want this chair:
8. TiVoing* decluttering/organization shows
Oh, how I love those decluttering shows. I think my family will be horrified when they find out that the hard drive is filled with episodes of Clean House, Clean Sweep, and Mission: Organization. I like to pretend that these shows will inspire me to throw out most of my earthly belongings in preparation for the move. My real love is Neat, with the irrepressibly lovable and irrepressibly Canadian Hellen Buttigieg. Hellen, I could listen to you say “about” and “out” for hours. Please come organize my life.
* When did TiVo become a verb? I’m so glad it did; it’s so much cooler than taping things. Although I’m a TiVo wannabe with my Comcast-branded DVR.
9. Getting a hybrid Natalie Portman/Kylie Minogue-post-chemo (yay for remission!) haircut

Except mine doesn’t lay nice and flat like theirs. Mine’s more hedgehoggy.
10. Blogging about not packing
See above. I’m obsessed with the new house. I don’t want to have anything to do with the old house, particularly something as mundane as packing. I’m ready to move into the new place RIGHT NOW. Let me just grab my toothbrush and I’ll be ready to go.