I have sharpened my knives, I have 
Put on the heavy apron
Maybe you think life is chicken soup, served
In blue willow-patterned bowls.
I have put on my boots and opened
The kitchen door and stepped out
Into the sunshine. I have crossed the lawn,
I have entered
The hen house.
-Mary Oliver
Tomorrow is the 4th, or is it 5th, annual Great Chicken Caper. The day has arrived again, complete with Dad's emails and promise for the live webcam of the chicks (each time with a different, yet still clever, web address). And of course, each year we have a new Chicken Caper Virgin who still isn't quite sure what to expect and awaits the day with eagnerness and anxiety. Yup, tomorrow is the day in which we butcher 100 chickens in day.
Since I have been telling people that my parents put on such a shin-dig, I've gotten one of two responses: "That's great! I'd love to go!" or "I like my chicken packaged and in a store." Both reactions leave me a little at odds... #1. It's my parents' party and an invite-only party... After all, we can't have all of the guests meandering around and upsetting the chickens or our assembly line. #2. I have my little 'you're so uninformed' cringe and have to nod and smile back at them. It's hard to be a snob when talking about butchering chickens, but I somehow manage to pull it off.
So, think of our delicious Cornish Cross hens tomorrow as the entire Jochim population is massacred. Nothing says "June is Busting Out All Over" like blood and chicken on the lawn.
...Before the chaos commenced... (2007)
Put on the heavy apron
Maybe you think life is chicken soup, served
In blue willow-patterned bowls.
I have put on my boots and opened
The kitchen door and stepped out
Into the sunshine. I have crossed the lawn,
I have entered
The hen house.
-Mary Oliver
Tomorrow is the 4th, or is it 5th, annual Great Chicken Caper. The day has arrived again, complete with Dad's emails and promise for the live webcam of the chicks (each time with a different, yet still clever, web address). And of course, each year we have a new Chicken Caper Virgin who still isn't quite sure what to expect and awaits the day with eagnerness and anxiety. Yup, tomorrow is the day in which we butcher 100 chickens in day.
Since I have been telling people that my parents put on such a shin-dig, I've gotten one of two responses: "That's great! I'd love to go!" or "I like my chicken packaged and in a store." Both reactions leave me a little at odds... #1. It's my parents' party and an invite-only party... After all, we can't have all of the guests meandering around and upsetting the chickens or our assembly line. #2. I have my little 'you're so uninformed' cringe and have to nod and smile back at them. It's hard to be a snob when talking about butchering chickens, but I somehow manage to pull it off.
So, think of our delicious Cornish Cross hens tomorrow as the entire Jochim population is massacred. Nothing says "June is Busting Out All Over" like blood and chicken on the lawn.
...Before the chaos commenced... (2007)
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