Going Postal

Saturday morning I trekked over to the post office after hitting up the hospital lab for some blood work.
Surprisingly, for someone who had been fasting since 7:00 the night before I was in a relatively good mood.
The thought of breakfast was sustaining me.
The post office stop was necessitated by my need to mail a couple of packages - one, a book return to Amazon, for which I have been charged, and for which I hope now to be reimbursed since I've exceeded the 30 day return limit.
The second, a package to a certain knitter in the Bronx, as I told her I would send her a book.
I sent her two - because now I can tell DH I am fixing his perceived problem of having too many books in the house.
"No, all these books are not just sitting around here unread! Why just the other day...."
It used to be the post office was open from 8:30-1:30 on Saturdays.
Of course they changed the time, and I showed up at 8:50 thinking I was doing okay and surprised to find a good parking spot right in front.
(Our post office is on Main Street, and doesn't have a specific lot, so you have to wrestle with patrons from other businesses for a parking spot.)
Then I saw I had to wait another 10 minutes.
People, this is why I keep a book in the car, which I retrieved, thwarting the efforts of another waiting customer from engaging me in conversation.
(I'm anti-social, a misanthrope, and I'M READING - leave me ALONE!)
During my time in line, I noticed they had some Christmas mailing packages on sale.
Since I don't shop the day after Christmas, I thought I might grab ahold of a bargain while there was still one to be had.
When it was my turn at the window, I put my packages down, and the mailing packages, and realized I was at the window of the postal worker who drinks.
How do I know?
Because I can smell it on her every time I go there.
She has great hair! but I think she has a serious problem.
And I'm sure they're not helping her there either.
She tried to ring up my discounted mailing packages, but it wasn't working, and man was she flustered.
She turned to the back room where the mail is sorted, but the Postmaster was having a meeting with the mail carriers in there, so there was no help from that quarter.
She told me, "I'll have to wait until my boss is done with his meeting."
"No problem," I told her, "I do have these other packages to mail."
She asked if I was paying in cash.
As if! I wanted to reply.
This girl was on a mission, and she ignored my books and focused on ringing up these mailing packages.
She tried typing the numbers in, and scanning them, and she still couldn't get it.
I stood calmly at the window as people started coming in behind me.
(I could be calm - I was being waited on.)
This worker was so flustered - I even tried to help her by reading the numbers off a sign posted by the window which showed the discounted price - still no joy.
She left the window and went over to ask another worker, and came back even MORE out of sorts!
Looking at me she said, "I asked the girl who takes care of these and she said she wouldn't help me."
This poor worker was shocked.
I was actually kind of shocked too, because I thought – isn’t this a customer service-based operation?
Apparently not at our post office.
I kept my mouth shut.
Can you believe it?
I mean about the packages, not about me keeping my mouth shut.
I did tell the girl as she apologized, "It's no hurry, and I have plenty of time until next Christmas."
She thanked me again, and I told her, "I'm pretty easygoing, it's no problem."
Looking at me she said, "Well I'm glad someone around here is."
Wow.
I ended up leaving my phone number and she said she would call to let me know when she knew how to ring them up and that she would hold them for me.
I didn’t get there on Tuesday, but I went today after my doctor’s appointment*.
The same girl waited on me, and do you want to know where my Christmas mailers were?
Back in the bin, waiting to be sold to another customer.
Sheesh.

*normal cholesterol, normal BP, everything’s in good working order, but have iron-deficient anemia and am now taking 2 ferrous sulfate supplements a day, thank you for asking