When it comes to packing the most essential items for a lengthy journey, you want to weigh the importance of what you’re packing. There comes a time when you have to decide whether you want to Move the Manatee. Your manatee might weight 900 pounds and be about 10 feet long. Keep in mind that you might also need to pack his dietary requirements: turtle grass, plants from mangrove trees, and specific types of algae. OR: your manatee might be a stuffed animal. If this is the case, you are in luck! UPS could ship your beloved stuffed manatee to Argentina and even provide the box, and with ease!
Flowchart for the process
A few days ago, I walked to the UPS Store with my 30-inch manatee in tow. The man seemed surprised to see such a nice, velvety looking manatee and produced a box the same size. He asked me where I intended to ship it and I said, “Well, it’s headed to Buenos Aires, let me get the address,” and then I realized that the address was at home on the table. So I left the manatee in the box with the man, ran home, came back, gave him the exact address.
He said, “Hmm. I don’t think you’re going to want to do this.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He replied, “Well it’s going to cost $600 to ship your manatee.”
Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
In a state of shock, I lugged the manatee home, dejected and distraught at the thought of abandoning him. This manatee was like a long pillow, a great companion to snuggle up with when you lack a decent pillow or blanket. He was probably one of the most realistic stuffed creatures available on the market today.
Could I really abandon him? I thought about it over a Night Owl Ale, what I consider a true taste of autumn (and the Northwest that I would soon be leaving behind).
Then it came to me: I would try to squish him up and shove him in a small suitcase. Hopefully he would easily bounce back to manatee form once he arrived in Argentina. Because he was so supple and squashy, it worked perfectly! And I only had to pay $25 for the extra piece of luggage. Now that’s more like it!
So remember: when it comes to maneuvering a manatee (or your loved one) and it’s going to cost you a lot of moola, just try squishing him.
Patrice said we might be the only people in the city with a stuffed manatee who has made such a long journey. I’m pretty sure we are. Well, I’m off to learn more about Argentina before I can make such an assumption.
