BEST Great Box Hunt EVER

So, Emmmm and I are moving yet again… for those of you keeping tally, this will be residence number 4 in the DC metro area. I don't want to talk about the various circumstances that have led to this. They aren't pleasant.

Anyway, after our last move (11 months ago), I threw out the various cardboard boxes I had acquired because they were crumbling and gave my darling sister all of my rubbermade totes for her move. I was banking on the fact that I would live in my current apartment for more than one year, which in retrospect, was an extremely ignorant assumption to make.

Long story short: We needed boxes.

Emmmm purchased some boxes on E-bay and we both thought everything was peachy keen, but it turns out that the seller was beyond shady and after a few screaming matches with various individuals at a UPS warehouse located Illinois, she came to the realization that the boxes were not coming.

We were out $25. We needed boxes.

This prompted what I am going to term "The Great Box Hunt of 2006". Here is the recap of the all consuming box hunt:

Wednesday:
8:05 am - Got in elevator at our apartment building. There was a girl with two boxes. I asked "are you throwing those away?" It turns out she was, and she offered them to me instead. She gave me a lead on the possibility of more boxes on the dock behind our apartment.

9:00 am - Carpooled into work. Carpool buddy offered 8 UPS boxes from her recent move. She suggested I contact various other coworkers who have also recently moved.

10:02 am - Emmm emails me a Craigs list posting about banana boxes in Falls Church. Posting said boxes were on front porch for first person to come get them.

12:00 pm - Had lunch with a coworker. After explaining my dilemma, he suggested that I inquire with the print shop at work about empty boxes.

1:15 pm - Print shop gave me one box and promised to stash any extras away for me. Guy at the print shop told me that empty boxes are usually placed by 9th floor freight elevator.

1:18 pm - Acquired three boxes from closet by 9th floor freight elevator.

7:00 pm - Drove to Falls Church and picked up six banana boxes from front porch of a house. As an added bonus, my car smells vaguely like bananas now.

8:30 pm - Went to dock behind our apartment building and acquired three more boxes.

Day 1 Actual Box Count: 15
Promised boxes: 8

Thursday:
9:00 am - Sent email to various coworkers who have recently moved asking for boxes. Was promised five rubbermade totes.

11:00 am - Rummaged around office (different office than on Wednesday) and found two boxes. Coworker sent me an instant message saying that two boxes were in her office that I could have.

12:00 pm - After recounting my Falls Church experience and the resulting banana smell in my car, another worker promised some additional rubbermade totes.

11:15 pm - After a work event, went and picked up promised five rubbermade totes.

Day 2 Actual Box Count: 9

So that brings us to today. Right now, Emmmm and I are working on a few leads from Craigs List (we may be appearing in Rockville, Adams Morgan, and Alexandria this weekend to pick up them up from various locations). I'm going to swing by and pick up the 8 UPS boxes promised on Wednesday and the coworker who promised additional rubbermade totes yesterday is going to do a handoff with Emmmm this afternoon. Apparently, he emptied out totes that had things stored in them for us to borrow… "I've got boxes for you and a pile of Christmas decorations sitting on my floor"

Ah yes, the Great Box Hunt of 2006*. May it never happen again….

*Note: If you are moving, please contact me in two weeks. I will have boxes for you.