My lucky day

I woke up before 6 probably. When I got up it was little after 6:30 so I stayed up. I got dressed and put out the recyclables. I read e-mail. I swished and exercised. I made breakfast and ate it while reading more e-mail. I got it down to 100 unread e-mails. My friend texted me to say we would drive instead of walk to the market. Oprah is doing another 21 days of meditation so I listened to the second one. I looked through my purse for a postal slip with a tracking number for my sewing machine. Then I got ready for the trip. I put on my coat and sling purse. I stood outside to wait. I brought in the recycling container. I went back for my sunglasses. I waited some more and she pulled up. I got in her van and waved to her little blond girl. First she drove us to the ROK navy base. I saw their little gallery of stores and fast food places. Then we stopped at a little road side stand. I got dried squid and tomatoes. She got oranges and apples. Then we walked to an office type store. I got some suction hooks and a roll of sparkly net that could be decoration for Christmas. Then we paid the parking attendant and went to the internet place where she paid her bill. Then we drove to the market district. Some were storefronts, but most were in the alleys. Some people sat on the ground and others perched inside with their wares displayed outside. There were all sorts of fresh unknown plants, roots, vegetables, live seafood, meats, etc. We went in a few stores. I got kimchi at one stand. Then we drove to a kimbap place. She ordered two rolls and gave me one. Then we came back to the base. I showed my ID but the guard said I wasn't in the system. So I showed my driver's license, and he let me in. (How can I not be in the system but they gave me a ration card? Turns out I gave him my ID from Yongsan) She dropped me off at my place and I picked up all my bags of purchases. We had decided to split the basket of tomatoes and one of spinach but she was out of time so promised to come back later. I cut up the kimchi and ate it with the kimbap, poking out the little radish pieces because they have food coloring. It was soooooooo good. Then I took notes for my blog. When I finished lunch, I walked to the library. There was no one there so I waited. Finally a man came in. I returned my book and checked out another. He had me fill out a form for a library card. Then I went to the phone store. The lady gave me the plastic protector sheet. I asked how to use it, and she offered to do it. I watched her use rolled up pieces of tape to get it exactly where it needed to be on the front of the phone. It wasn't quick, but she did a perfect job. Then I went to the post office. There was no mail and no boxes. I asked how to find the sewing machine if I did not have the tracking number. She said to contact the post office it was mailed from, that they would keep a copy for 30 days. Yikes. I think it's been longer than that. I walked back to the duplex. I tried to contact the post office in Huntsville. I found a link where I could e-mail the post office system to explain my problem. I composed a message but it needed the date I mailed the machine. I figured it would be on my blog, but I scoured it and found no traces of when I mailed it. And then, all of a sudden, it was there, on Saturday October 3rd. So I entered all the info. The system would not accept AP for the state field, so I put Alabama. When I hit enter, I was told my request did not go through and to try again later. AAAARRRGGGHHH! So I started over. I tried to find an e-mail address for the specific post office, but had no luck at all. Phone numbers, yes, but how do I call from here? And it would have to be at 11:30 pm. I went through the FAQ's. All kinds of help, IF you have the tracking number. But I didn't. I tried their e-mail system again, making different choices in the drop down menu. Finally I was able to submit the problem. But will it reach someone in time? I listened to a paraliminal, twice, because it was so relaxing. I read e-mail. I ate some dried squid. Kathy came over with some tomatoes and spinach. But she couldn't stay. I got a response from USPS. The link asked me to make an account, which I did, but then there was nothing helpful there. I tried the link again, and this time it directed me to enter a tracking number. So I responded that I did not have it, and who could help me. I watched a video about Star Trek Renegades. Then I looked up Big Bang Theory vids on Youtube. My alarm rang, indicating that it was time to send Kurt the 'morning edition' of my blog so he has something to read while he eats breakfast. After sending it, I went back to BBT videos. Then Chris skyped me. He said things were going so well that he was coming home a day early. His skype account can make phone calls, so I asked him to call the International Inquiry Center (for the post office). But all he got was an automated message that one has to call during business hours. I went through my purse and wallet again, looking for the receipt. It was hard to believe that everything rests on a piece of paper. Without the receipt, there is no way to find the tracking number (unless I bought the label online – which I did not). And they have no other way of tracking it. Chris gave me his skype account info before he signed off. Then I did some tapping. I watched BBT clips on Youtube until 11pm. Then I signed into Skype as Chris and called the post office in Huntsville. The man who answered said it was probably stuck in customs. Amazingly, he also said it might be possible to find the tracking number. He took my information and I gave him my e-mail address. After the call, I thanked God. I still have hope of getting my machine back (and all the sewing things I packed with it). Praise the lord and pass the sewing notions! I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* Live crabs *