"The Art of Packing" or "Why Tetris isn't a waste of time"

Packing sucks. When I start repacking all our stuff (tomorrow, I swear I will start tomorrow!), it will be the third time since February. I spent my spring break packing all of our stuff in Newfoundland. Nicole and I had tossed about the idea of renting a van or a trailer for that move, but both were too expensive. We ended up selling or giving away our furniture and packing what was left into Nicole’s Ford Focus.

I like to approach packing as if it were a puzzle. It involves fitting odd shaped objects into square boxes. Every time there is more stuff and stranger rules. In February, the challenge was to fit an entire apartment into a Ford Focus. Last week, when I moved out of my apartment in Halifax, I had to pack everything in 24 hours, and all I had was garbage bags and about six small cardboard boxes.

Now I’m at level three. Because we’re mailing our stuff up, the rules have again changed. Boxes must be no larger than two meters squared, and must weigh no more than 66 lbs. And no, I don’t have a scale to weigh anything.

We agreed that I will take care of the packing, while Nicole will take care of the worrying. She does this by making lists: To-do lists, and lists of things we don’t have and will never need.

Nicole: I was thinking of picking up some bungee cords from Princess Auto. They’re on sale this week. And skidoo saddlebags are on sale too. We might need one if we get a skidoo.

Me: Are you planning on getting a skidoo?

Nicole: Probably not. But you never know.

Me: Well, it’s your money, but I think we can live without a saddlebag. It’s just more junk for me to pack.

Nicole: OK. But what about the bungee cords?

Me: What are we going to use those for? We don’t have a vehicle. There are no roads. Remember?

Nicole: Yeah, but if we get a skidoo, we might want to strap stuff down on it.

Me: (sound of hair follicles ripping)

Her philosophy is “buy it, and if we ever need it we’ll be glad we have it.” After living in one too many small apartments, I’m a practitioner of the “do without” school of living. Why buy a whisk when a fork will do? Who needs a flathead screwdriver when there is a drawer full of butter knives in the kitchen? Do you REALLY need a magnetic hook to hang oven mitts on the fridge?

That may be the greatest thing about living in Tulita. With luck, our house will not mysteriously fill up with junk we don’t need, and empty boxes we can’t throw away.