FRAGILE: Handle With Care

"That one don't sound too good," he stated plainly as he handed the box down from the truck. I shook it gently, hearing that unmistakable "tinkle" you might her while picking up a box of Christmas ornaments that just fell down a flight of stairs. Or, I guess, a box full of glassware that had been crushed under 200lbs of bigger, meaner boxes during a cross-country move. I stared at the big, orange "Fragile" sticker, crushed into near unreadability, along with the top half of the box. "You mind if I open this one?" I asked sheepishly. "It's your box now."

The damage report: 3 Pilsner glasses, 2 Bass pint glasses, 2 margarita glasses, 4 highball glasses, 2 wine glasses, 1 coffee mug, 1 beer mug. That and one 51" HDTV (it works, but I think the electron gun needs to be re-calibrated). Not bad for a trek of 2500 miles, all things considered. Little disappointed about the margarita glasses and the pilsners, but the trauma is outweighed by the fun of buying new wine glasses. I needed some anyway (or, at least, that's what I'm telling myself).

The moral of this story? None really. The movers (Von Paris, a United agent) were pretty competent and out of the 50-some-odd boxes this was the only casualty. I guess I should pass on the tidbit I got after the fact (hindsight is wonderful): If you ever move, be sure to pack glassware standing up like it would on the shelf (dishes, on the other hand, should be packed vertically). And make sure it's in a seriously heavy-duty box. The danger appears not to be mishandling so much as the need to cram absolutely every item into as small a space as possible.

Guess I should have bought some "Do not crush" stickers instead...