Their Timing Is Incredible

While I was in Oklahoma for less than 24 hours, I got an email from FedEx saying they couldn't deliver my package. Surprise, surprise. It's not like I could do anything about it from 280 miles away. I figured they saw the icy stretch of gravel road down by the creek, and didn't make an effort. Even though I knew the road had been bladed down to the dirt a little farther on, where it got hilly.

Thursday, I got another email that my package could not be delivered. Further investigation into the shipping details revealed a recommendation from FedEx that I pick up my package at my LOCAL POST OFFICE.

That would be the dead mouse smelling post office. But I've gone there before, only to have them refer me to the main post office over in Sis-Town. So I told The Pony, my chauffeur, that we would take the route through Sis-Town, to check on my package.

As we pulled into their parking lot, we had to avoid a FedEx truck that had just parked on the street. A FedEx dude was carrying in a see-through plastic bag full of packages.

"Huh. I wonder if MY package is in there!"

I went inside, and found a man doing his business with one clerk, while another clerk talked to another man off to the side. When it was my turn, I explained that I'd gotten an email from FedEx saying my package would be at my local post office. I was trying to find out which one.

The talking clerk said, "I've got this one!" and called me off to the side to a computer. "FedEx has been killing us with this for the last two days! Do you have your shipping number?"

"No. But it's somewhere in this email. Can you look on my phone?"

"Sure! Whew! I need my glasses for that fine print. Oh. This is the FedEx shipping number. Not the USPS shipping number."

"Go into the shipping details. That's where it said to pick up my package."

"Oh. There it is!" She typed frantically on the keyboard. "This is working really slow today."

"Probably people looking up their FedEx packages! On our way out Highway 8 yesterday, my husband and I passed 15 FedEx trucks in a row!"

The two clerks looked at each other. "YEAH! Because for two days, they didn't send us ANY packages! Here. Let me print this out. Your package is at your post office. I'm giving you these two pages. RIGHT HERE it shows that they have your package. Don't let them send you back here! They like to do that. To say that we have it. But once a package leaves our facility, only Sis-Town packages come back here if they're not delivered."

So I did what she said. Waved my two-page printout around all willy-nilly, self-importantly, and got my package. It contained two gifts for Farmer H, and one for The Pony.

I suppose FedEx would have kept sending me undeliverable messages. There is STILL ice on the gravel road along the creek. A UPS package was delivered, though. On Thursday as Farmer H and The Pony were carrying in stuff from the cars.