Post Office Surprises and Questions

I went to the post office today. I needed to mail some letters that have been sitting on the table for 8 days now. Eight days! I tend to put off going to the post office when I need to buy stamps because I know I'll be in for a long, hot wait.

Today was no different.

Except that not only did I need to mail a bunch of letters, but I was expecting a package. I ordered a couple of Christmas presents from the Friends of Yellowstone bookstore. I sent an email along with the order, making sure that they knew this order was being shipped to Ukraine, not to the zip code on the package. For some reason, Ukraine chose to use a zip code system that uses the same numbers as the States uses. Grrr. We've had letters mailed to us before that ended up in:
Logan County, OK
Zip code population (2000): 1,059
Estimated population in 2005: 1,053
before they reached us. The person at the bookstore responded that they were sending the order to me USPS first class, or global first class or something like that. I don't think there is an Air Mail now like what I used to use when I worked in a mailroom.

I opened up our little post office "box" and there was a letter from our employer and a little slip that said there was a letter waiting for us behind the counter, and scratched in at the bottom, a package, too.

I got in line.
And waited.
And sweated.
And waited.
And sweated.
And waited and sweated.
And - did I mention that I sweated while I waited?

Unfortunately, some dear person who will remain nameless at this point is going to receive the letter that was on the pile that got dripped on the most. Sorry. I couldn't help it! The sweat was dripping off my nose and chin before I could catch it.

Gross, huh? :):):) ha ha

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of listening to old women bitch at each other (I've been waiting for too long! Why don't you have my pension NOW? When will Lyuda be back and why is she gone? Can't you hurry up? Why isn't my favorite paper in here yet?) and to the old woman behind me in line who got up 3 times to stand behind me when she happened to think that maybe, possibly, could it be that the line was going to move forward? No. She was panting and wheezing and panting some more all over my arm. (She was kind of short...)

Finally it was my turn and I said clearly that I wanted stamps for these letters (this pile is all the same, these are different weights) plus an additional 20 stamps ("Plus 20 additional stamps?" "Yes.") and the woman behind the counter went to work. I wonder why their computer does not do addition and subtraction? Why do they use a computer AND an adding machine? Why does she have to look in 4 (I counted) different little books to figure out what a couple of additional grams costs to mail to the US? Why don't they have stamps in the correct amounts, but instead have to figure out "If I use one of these and two of these, then it will be ... a kopeck too much. Darn. Let's start over now. If I use three of these and two of those stamps then it will be ..." And finally she finishes and hands me my receipt and I say: "Where are the additional 20 stamps?" And she laughs at me and says, "You wanted another 20 stamps??" And I respond, "Yes. But not now. This lady (indicating Wheezer) has been waiting a long time. Next time." And I smile at her, wipe the sweat off my face one more time, pick up my packages!!! and leave.

Why is it that no one else standing in there is sweating like I am?? Maybe because I drink an appropriate amount of water every day and very few people here do? Most likely.

While I'm standing there quietly watching carefully everything that is going on, inside I am jumping up and down with anticipation because:

There is a surprise box for me!!! From SDSue!!!! And I think I know what might possibly be in it and I'm wondering how in the world I will ever be able to say thank you enough!!!

The post office is 2 blocks away. I walked over in less than 10 minutes. I walked back in less than 10 minutes. I was gone for an hour. When I got there, there were 3 people ahead of me, and one left right away.

Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

So, what was in the box? When I got home, Cheyenne wanted to know, too!
What does this say?
Maybe it says something on the back?
Maybe it's something tasty!
If I keep rubbing all over it, maybe she'll open it so I can see!!
No wonder "mom" was so excited!

Thank you, SDSue!!!! Unfortunately, we are going to someones place for dinner tonight so this is going to have to wait until tomorrow morning.

I hope I can wait that long!!!!