As part of my karmic re-alignment plan*, I was helping J.F. move today. She has always been there for us. She's a nurturer. When she was our roommate it was hell, but as a friend she is A-number-one-gold-star. So I helped her move all of her posessions into a huge cargo truck, which is going to take everything to Los Angeles.

The deal was this: They give you one hour to get everything into this huge truck. J.F. only paid for 6 feet worth of truck space, so we had to pack verrry carefully. And quickly. There were four of us bumbling around in there, juxtaposing boxes and chairs and tables and whatnot in some hopeful-but-pathetic Tetris sort of way. Then the truck driver chimed in: "You know how you do this? You put the mattress and box spring in last. That way all your stuff is cushioned by the mattress and not bumping up against the bulkhead. You put your chairs and tables in first, then pack your boxes into the spaces above and below. That way, your boxes are protected, and so are your tables and chairs. Then, you stack your lamps and duffle bags and soft stuff on top."

Then we all proceeded to let him do the directing. It was obvious who the expert was in this situation--It was the angel with the beer belly and the heavy native-Chicagoan accent.

We finished the entire move in a half-hour. Exactly. It was beautiful! Beautiful!

I can now send my friend off to California with a much lighter heart.

*There is no plan. Things like this just keep happening!