Saturday, April 24, 2010

Lost in the Mail

The majority of my life has been free of any postal mishaps.  No presents from far-flung relatives ever arrived completely smashed.  No checks disappeared.  And not once have I answered the door in my robe and given the mailman a free show.  All in all, quite uneventful.  Until these past six months.  How much can get lost?  And is it me?  A curse?  Did a black cat cross my path as I walked under a ladder, knocking over salt shakers and breaking mirrors as I went?

While there have been several mishaps the past eighteen months, here are the most notable:

Upon moving, the mailman refused to forward our mail (slippery mind, I suppose) which meant that I had to drive 20 miles to fetch our mail from our old address every few days.  This problem was finally fixed when I locked the mailbox closed at the old house which prevented him from delivering no matter how hard he tried.

Last fall was the great Siggie Block Swap.  I made 70 of those suckers,  They weren't that hard but signing them drove me nuts.  I just couldn't get the writing to look as nice as I wanted it to.  Never fear.  I got to do them all over again after the first 70 I sent failed to arrive.  I think my signatures were better the second time around.  Silver lining, eh?

In February I sent a friend in Germany a couple of jellyrolls and some cuts of fabric.  It's not what you're thinking....the package arrived in Germany safe and sound.  But she sent me out a package a week later that never arrived.  (We've determined that our packages usually take 7-10 to get to each other.)  So, she faithfully sent another package the first week of April.  This has also failed to arrive.

And last, but not least, the potholders I made for the swap are MIA.  Egad!  I've remade them now but I think I liked the first ones better.  I'm just sad that someone didn't get theirs on time.  I hope the originals don't end up in a trash bin somewhere.

Okay, this post is quite whiney.  I actually had a reason for writing about this so I will get off the pity potty now.  This arrived yesterday:





Aren't they lovely?  And guess where they are from?  My friend Melanie in Germany.  It is the package she sent out March 8th.  Which means it only took 6 short weeks to get here.  Obviously, it came by canoe.  Maybe there is hope for my siggie blocks yet.

13 comments:

Joanne Lendaro said...

What is up with the postal service?? I'm not one to complain, but since we've moved we can't seem to get all of our bills. One month it's the cable bill, the next month it's the cell bill, you get the idea. I love not writing the check but HATE when I have to pay two!! We have post office boxes, a new concept to me. Before we had our mail dropped through a slot in the front door. Now I have to drive 5 miles a day to pick it up. AND when I get mail for box 1195 (our box is 1193) I take it to the counter and turn it in. What happened to MY mail?? Oh, wait I guess I "didn't get any that day"!!! AND to beat all the wonderful USPS lost a Flat Stanley!!! How sad is that?!?!?! Can you imagine not getting your Flat Stanley back??? Of course I filled the box with magnets, maps, candy a t-shirt and all kinds of fun stuff!! I'd cry if my Flat Stanley didn't come home!

Oh my...I need to get another cup of coffee and take a breath!

Glad your box arrived, the fabrics look fantastic! Hope the other box shows up soon....fingers crosssed!

Claire said...

Boy, am I glad I'm not you....how do you stay so patient?? I'd probably be yelling at the post office to see how they could rectify the situations, since it happens more than once.

I guess I'd be sending stuff out with a tracking # and insurance, at least this way you'll have proof! or use either FedEx or UPS.

Needled Mom said...

Shipping woes are so frustrating and they seem to be getting worse while we keep paying more. Hmmm.

Pat said...

Yes...service is getting worse but for a higher price AND the postal service wants to know why people don't like to USE them as much nowadays??? DUH....improve your service and maybe we will resume using you again!!!

Deanna said...

Have you reported all of this? That is an unusual number of loses and sometimes (not very often but it does happen) there are dishonest mail carriers. It seems very suspicious that all crafty things are missing.

LINDA BYLSMA said...

Your comment on Gene's blog about the bunny in the outhouse had me cracking up. I had to come over for a visit. I do appreciate a good sense of humor. Now I'm a follower.

Barb said...

Wow....that really stinks...but what you got in the mail is soooooooooooooo wonderful...

Sally said...

I can feel your pain on a much more minimal level. In August, my friend mailed a birthday card to my husband...she doesn't live in our town but was passing through and did actually drop the card and the post office in my town...that is less than a mile from my house. That birthday card has still NOT made it to our house! How does that happen? Glad at least something made it to you. Oh, and my cousin had some of her wedding invitations lost. That's really crummy!

Meghan said...

Hopefully the missing package you received yesterday is indicative of a change in post office luck :)

Debbie aka Marblesbestfriend said...

Our insurance agent used to say "the more miles you drive, the greater your chance of an accident". Maybe that explains your string of bad luck with mail service...except the postal carrier's refusal to deliver properly.

patty a. said...

My sister use to live in Florida and the postal service was awful. I sent her a birthday present in August and she finally got it in February. They told her it was just sitting in a corner at the P.O.
I have found that if you put insurance on the package the chances are that it will be delivered. I have a broken blender I sent to Cusinart 6 weeks ago and have not heard anything. Guess what - no insurance. I maybe SOL on this one.

Barb in Mi said...

I hear you on postal service. It seems to me: whenever I opt for the expensive fast version, things get messy. Now I go cheap - and everything gets there in time. And it GETS there! Yep, I know Germany is special. But: usually it will get to you. I have never had something completely lost, only delayed! There may be many more packages to come to your house... eventually.

prashant said...

I do appreciate a good sense of humor
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