the post

i'm not a gambler, me. apart from the occasional splurge on lottery tickets (i would make such a great millionaire!) i don't like to throw my money away on something so intangible. but sometimes you just have to.
i'm talking about like when you post stuff.
when you post stuff it's like buying a lotto ticket. will the item make it to the other end? in one piece? unopened? un-messed with?
it's the only service in the world where it is acceptable to receive a disservice. the prize you win, not millions, is your packet arriving at the other end, unscathed.
we've had several packets recently not turn up. a painting sent to nannie in france, a letter from france and a couple of parcels from germany. the french post, la poste, are notoriously bad. it is accepted in france that if la poste goes on strike while your parcel or letter is 'in circulation', well, that's it. it'll go on a pile untill the grievance is settled and the postal servants get a spare moment to catch up. -get in the queue at the lotto shop, you're just as likely... deutschpost don't really have a reputation, except for the fact that they're german, known for efficiency & like volkswagens, i expect they'll be working forever regardless.
new zealand post, (no longer the post office) well, i don't know. when my parcels didn't arrive from germany. i asked- what has happened to my post? the post office chick replies (with special post office chick accent) -is it track n trace?
-well, no; does that make a difference?
-if it was track n trace we'd be able to trace it. without that we can't do anything.
-so it's lost?
-we don't know that. you may have to make a claim on your insurance.
so how is this? you pay your money to post your stuff, and it's not cheap, and off your parcel goes. you cross your fingers and you never know, it may turn up within the week, or maybe, if you're lucky, within the year.
my girlfriend made me a gift for my bday, back in september she posted it with plenty of time. it didn't arrive. she confessed that there were chocolates inside and maybe the customs folk got it... we waited, and after an acceptable period of time (like mourning), we gave up waiting.
my girlfriend made me another gift. she packed the chocolate and cheekily left a note in the packet for the customs guy "dear customs, if you need to take the chocolate: feel free. but PLEASE forward the box to my dear friend!".
she posted it.
and we waited
and waited
and waited some more for good measure. and then we gave up.
until last week i read an article in the press about a fat lazy arsed post man who hadn't been delivering his post, who had been hording it at his house for months on end.
my girlfriend said -perhaps he scored the swiss chocolate and now he's addicted and searches all packages on the off chance, growing fat.
his post mountain growing like his girth.

but this morning
in my letterbox
was a parcel from germany.
:)

a beautifully made box filled with swiss chocolates and love.

xxx
mama b
(diet starting tomorrow)

ps, there were loads of postfolk about today delivering parcels left and right. and me, woo hoo, i'm off to buy a lotto ticket. just after i finish this chocolate...