Canon Beach
Anatomy of a Package Delivery
Last quarter I had a really difficult time getting through all the required reading for my classes, so I thought this time I would take advantage of the long Christmas break to get a jump start on my reading for the winter quarter. As usual, things didn’t quite work out as I had planned.
It shouldn’t really matter because, as it turned out, I wasn’t ever able to scrape together enough time to get any reading done anyways, but nontheless… UPS officially sucks.
As soon as I had my classes finalized and confirmed which texts I would need I went shopping online and did quite a bit of comparison and actually ended up saving about $150 on the cost of the books. I ordered the books on Dec. 10, they were supposed to be delivered Dec. 20, it is now Jan 5 and customer service has no idea whether or not the package will be delivered today. They can’t even verify the location of the package. I’ve called UPS a few times over the past week, and it turns out that they can’t even hold the box at their facility and let me come pick it up. I am completely at the mercy of whenever they get around to dropping it off, there is no re-routing and there is no hold for pick up.
Of course the first week of school is generally not the most critical for having the appropriate texts, but the syllabus for one of my classes lists a chapter one quiz for tomorrow. ouch. Talk about hitting the ground running.
Normally, reading through the tracking information for a delivery is quite dull, but every once in a while you can find some interesting tidbits. Take a look at the journey my textbooks have been on along with my notes.
| Location/Date/Local Time | Description |
| US
12/16/2008 5:50 P.M. |
BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED
I ordered the books on 12/10, but I’m willing to concede that the late start to delivery might pertain more to the company from whom I purchased the books than UPS |
| COLUMBIA, MO, US
12/16/2008 8:24 P.M. |
ORIGIN SCAN |
| COLUMBIA, MO, US
12/16/2008 10:10 P.M. |
DEPARTURE SCAN |
| LENEXA, KS, US
12/17/2008 12:50 A.M. |
ARRIVAL SCAN |
| LENEXA, KS, US
12/17/2008 7:09 A.M. |
DEPARTURE SCAN |
| SALINA, KS, US
12/17/2008 11:00 A.M. |
ARRIVAL SCAN |
| SALINA, KS, US
12/17/2008 11:51 A.M. |
DEPARTURE SCAN |
| COMMERCE CITY, CO, US
12/17/2008 7:37 P.M. |
ARRIVAL SCAN |
| COMMERCE CITY, CO, US
12/18/2008 1:32 A.M. |
DEPARTURE SCAN package seems to be zipping right along, no foreshadowing of trouble here |
| SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US
12/18/2008 10:27 A.M. |
ARRIVAL SCAN |
| SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US
12/18/2008 3:09 P.M. |
DEPARTURE SCAN |
| SEATTLE, WA, US
12/19/2008 8:23 P.M. |
ARRIVAL SCAN |
| SEATTLE, WA, US
12/19/2008 11:10 P.M. |
DEPARTURE SCAN I live in Seattle, this package may be delivered on time tomorrow. |
| REDMOND, WA, US
12/19/2008 11:53 P.M. |
ARRIVAL SCAN |
| REDMOND, WA, US
12/20/2008 12:57 A.M. |
DESTINATION SCAN Package is 12 miles away. It was supposed to be delivered to me on this date |
| REDMOND, WA, US
12/22/2008 4:14 P.M. |
DESTINATION SCAN |
| REDMOND, WA, US
12/22/2008 4:37 P.M. |
DESTINATION SCAN
Package has now been in Redmond for 4 days |
| REDMOND, WA, US
12/23/2008 11:26 A.M. |
EMERGENCY CONDITIONS BEYOND UPS’ CONTROL Ok, I don’t blame anyone for not driving this day, roads really were impassable |
| REDMOND, WA, US
1/2/2009 6:01 A.M. |
THE BUSINESS WAS CLOSED TODAY. A DELIVERY ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY / PACKAGE WILL BE DELIVERED NEXT BUSINESS DAY-NO SATURDAY GUARANTEE Package has now been in Redmond 15 days. The “Business” was the office for our apartments and it was in fact open on 1/2/09, just not at 6:01 A.M. |
| REDMOND, WA, US
1/5/2009 11:58 A.M ———————————- |
THE PACKAGE WAS LEFT IN A UPS FACILITY / FORWARDED TO THE FACILITY IN THE DESTINATION CITY
!?! ———————————————————————————- |
Update:the package was finally delivered the next day. Luckily the shipper shrinkwrapped the books so they got here in decent shape evn though the box had been shredded in transit.
Baby Update – Week 27
My blog reading the past couple of days has covered a seemingly endless list of New Years Resolutions, many asking about my resolutions for this year. Ha! Resolutions. This year I will be happy if I manage to safely get this baby from inside my belly to outside my belly and then appropriately feed and bathe and keep her safe for the duration of the year while at the same time not failing my classes and continuing to do the necessary work to keep a roof over our heads and our bills paid while not going insane from all the other demands on my emotional reserves, time, and energy. I think committing to anything more is a bit much.
Our last doctor appointment was a couple weeks ago. You may have heard about the freakish weather here in Seattle. Well on the day of the appointment the roads were a sheet of ice. We live 5 blocks from the office and that walk was slow and occasionally frightening because the sidewalks were just as slippery as the roads. Just putting one foot in front of the other was a challenge in grace and balance – both of which are a little short on reserves thanks to my displaced center of gravity and loosened joints (we won’t mention the general clumsiness that exists even when I’m not pregnant). Everyone keeps telling me “don’t fall down.” Uh, ya think?
The doctors appointment went well, but I had to do the glucose challenge to see if I have gestational diabetes. Gak! That is some nasty stuff you have to drink. I was an extremely high risk for that condition but, as it turns out, I don’t have gestational diabetes which is an immense relief to me. After giving up wine and unpasteurized cheeses and all the other goodies you have to give up for pregnancy, and then losing anything with any appreciable amount of fat because of the gall bladder issue, if they took away my carbs too I’d go nuts. I’m about at the end of my rope stress wise anyways – After that diagnosis you would have found me rocking under the table clinging desperately to my remaining allowed foods of celery and water while pulling my hair out.
Meanwhile, my doctor tells me I need to gain more weight.
Baby is doing very well and extremely active. She knows exactly where my bladder is, it’s her favorite spot for clog dancing. She also knows how to kick me in just the right way to make me sit straight up in bed. I’m starting to feel like a puppet. She’s not even born yet and already pulling my strings.
We live in on campus in the married housing section. Someone whose probably never had kids came up with the brilliant idea that pregnant students living in married housing must move to family housing in the third trimester. So we have to move. What day do we move? We’ll find out when it happens. We’re on a waiting list, so sometime between January 8, which is the date the school has determined that I will be in the third trimester, and April 8 when the baby is due, we will move 3 miles down the road to our new apartment. We just sit and wait for the school to assign the new apartment and give the go ahead to move. We’re in the middle of trying to get things packed up, but because we don’t know if it’s going to be a week or three months before we move, it’s hard to know what to pack. We’re packing the dishes and eating off paper plates (how very ungreen) and packing all the books that are not reference or school related, and packing my pre-pregnancy clothes, but there is still so much crap that we use every single day…
I can’t believe school starts on Monday. This break has flown by and there’s a part of me waving at the sky saying “Wait! I was supposed to get a chance to relax!” But off it goes as if I had no say whatsoever in the passage of time. In a way I’m relieved because school makes it easier to establish a routine, and routines make it easier to get things done. Also people respect your time more when school is in session. The scary thing is that the quarter ends 2 weeks before baby is due. I hope baby waits till after finals to make her grand entrance.
What have you done?
I found this list on amadisonmom.blogspot.com and thought it was interesting.
Things I’ve completed in purple. What have you done?
1. Started your own blog (you’re looking at it)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (Disneyworld)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Visited the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (drawn)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie as an extra
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Made amends with someone who offended you
101. Flew in a small plane
102. Ran out of gas
103. Eaten fried okra
104. Swam in the ocean or a foreign sea
105. Peed in a swimming pool (I was a little kid once too)
106. Rented a beach house
107. Hosted an exchange student
108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need
109. Worked on a political campaign
110. Coached a sports team
111. Gone kayaking in the ocean
112. Certified as an elementary teacher
113. Been the mother to twins!
114. Eaten sushi
115. Swam with sting rays
116. Married someone you met online
.117. Lived in China
118. Ridden through the floating market in Thailand
119. Given your kids a big kiss and hug just because
120. Had your name in U.S.A. Today
121. Been to Mexico
122. Shot a gun
123. Mountain Biked in Moab
124. Learned to Snowboard
125. Originated an idea and had it published
126. Tried out for Reality T.V. or Game Show or Talk Show
127. Wasted lots of time on blogs and the internet
128. Made up an original recipe
129. Won a writing contest
130. Won a trip to Disneyland
131. Won something on the radio
132. Had too much time to do things like this
133. Thrown a surprise party for someone
134. Gone without sleep for 48 hours
135. Survived in the wilderness without matches or fresh water
136. Worked at a Ski Resort
137. Taught group fitness/aerobics classes
138. Visited all 50 states
139. Lived in NYC
140. Roller bladed in Central Park
141. Been a member of the New York Road Runners Club
142. Ran a marathon with your Grandma
143. Visited the grave of your Great, Great, Great Grandfather
144. Totaled more than two cars
145. Had a pet—– hamster, frog, mouse, rabbit-only for one day
146. Eaten a whole carton of ice cream at once
147. Gone tanning in a tanning booth
148. Had a ride in a limo
149. Driven a giant-front-end-loader
150. Served as a tour guide
151. Paid off a credit card in Full!
152. Given everything up to be a Stay-at-Home-Mom and hold the world in your hands
Monday Haiku
Confounded by life
In perpetual beta
On the job training
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Be safe and have fun.
Westlake, Seattle, WA
