2009-02-11 - 10:18 p.m.
Half Packed, No Fighting
************
Shunsuke Nakamura takes the field. He has no actual role in the day's event, but has been casted by ELOFTING@HOTMAIL.COM for his infallible ability to make the crowd go wild, which they do.
Well done Mr. Nakamura.
Shuhei and Erin step out onto the field soon afterwards and walk to its center where their apartment, minus only its roof, is waiting.
Let the packing begin!
I'm throwing this out, Shuhei says.
'This' is a bird's nest Erin found on the road which has since become a charming part of their bathroom decor.
No you're not, says Erin.
It's dirty, Shuhei protests.
It's art, Erin counters, pausing briefly before adding, nature's art.
Shuhei thinks about this for a moment, probably already knowing that there's no way he's going to get permission to throw out 'nature's art'. But, just in case, the gears in Erin's brain are already spinning out an outrageous story regarding the finding of the nest which will endow it with sentimental value and thus make it impossible to throw away. The story will probably involve school-aged children throwing rocks at the bird's nest and knocking it out of its tree. Erin will arrive upon the scene in time to save the bird and probaby to yell at the kids too, but will be unable to reattach the nest in the tree. At this point in the story Erin might even cut off a lock of her hair to aid in the bird's efforts to rebuild...
...But the bird's nest has already been given a place in a box along with Beyonce One, Two, and Three.
I think I wrecked your shirt, Erin says while pulling things out of the washing machine. The tag said it didn't need to be handwashed. I'm sorry.
It's OK. It was like that before, says Shuhei.
Oh... Are you keeping it? It looks like it was attacked by cats. (The fabric is kind of shiny and there are a lot of really obvious snags around the cuffs and hem.)
I'm keeping it.
But I've never even seen you wear this shirt. Actually, I've don't think I've seen this shirt until today.
I'm keeping it.
Erin thinks about making Shuhei promise to pay her a dollar if he doesn't wear the shirt at least once within the next year. Then she realizes that she doesn't actually want Shuhei to wear the shirt and decides the best thing to do is just quietly allow the shirt tag along to Shizuoka with them.
Can we give that back to Numasawa Headquarters, Erin asks.
'That' is a pink plastic glass/cup rack/stand thing. It has pink plastic points onto which one would place upsidedown cups sticking up from its pink plastic base and, inexplicably, a pink plastic handle protruding above all the rest.
We're keeping this. It's useful, says Shuhei.
It's hideous.
I'm going to use it to dry cups on after washing the dishes.
If you do that it'll be hideous and mildewy.
Erin vaguely recalls having had a similar conversation while they were appropriating things from Headquarters in preparation to move into this apartment two years ago. The result of that conversation was that the pink plastic cup holder came with them to the apartment, but that Erin hid it deep in a neglected closet during the unpacking process, which she decides to try to do again in Shizuoka.
Are we taking this, Shuhei asks.
'This' is a diorama Erin made of a dog and a panda eating lunch in a ramen shop. It was probably inspired by the movie Tanpopo, but probably also has almost nothing to do with that movie.
Duh, Erin replies.
Half packed, no fighting! Half packed, no fighting! The crowd continues to chant and cheer as Shuhei and Erin tape closed yet another box.
