Ever have one of those days where it just seems, despite all reason, that everyone in the world is trying to tick you off by being inconvenient, uncooperative, selfish and willfully oblivious? Yeah, that was today.
Well, we'll start with the good news. I bought a new digital camera. The one I've been using was 8 years old, and though I loved it, it was just old enough (by one generation) that it wasn't compatible with my new Mac. Since I know you're going to be wanting photographs of the Cats Across America Tour as it progresses, I figured investing in a new camera was a justifiable expense. I got an Olympus FE-230; I'll let you know what I think of it, but you can judge for yourselves by the pictures I post.
I have NO idea how to work the photo editing program that came with it. In my old program you could size the photo by choosing inches; now I have to choose pixels. This means nothing to me. So, the picture above is HUGE, I'm sure. It's also hard for me to judge since the screen on my Mac book is a lot smaller than I'm used to working with. I need to work on that. Anyway, this photo above is the building where I work -- at least until April 13. I'm on the 20th floor, so it's quite a view.
So after an inordinately frustrating day (attention people at work: didn't you get the memo? I quit. I'm leaving, get it? Stop throwing projects at me!) I got off the subway (another fabulous ride -- I surely won't ever miss the A train!) and there was a message on my cell phone from my father. One of the boxes I shipped home had arrived. Empty. Well, there was a note with it, saying that it had been "received" empty. Well, it wasn't sent empty. It is awfully thoughtful of the post office to go ahead and deliver what's left of the box they destroyed. God only knows where the contents are. According to my index, the box contained "scores/books." Sigh. Some of those scores were rare and valuable. And some just had sentimental value. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. I guess maybe it's worth the extra money to send things UPS, instead. Oh well. This is why we shouldn't attach ourselves to material things, I guess.
After getting the message, I turned 180 degrees and headed in the direction of the liquor store.
11 comments:
Oh yuck!!
I definitely understand being upset about the music and books. None of my old scores are particularly rare or valuable, but I'm very attached to them nonetheless. Actually, while I was home last week I nearly drove myself mad tearing through my old stacks of music looking for a particular piece (alas, I was unable to find it).
I don't suppose there's any chance you insured it? And how would they know it was empty when they got it? Presumably it was taped shut when they got it, and I'm pretty sure that tampering with someone else's packages sent via USPS (correct?) is a federal offense. (thus, they'd have no way of knowing what was in it.)
I hopped over from, o goodness, now I forgot where!?!
Anyway, congrats on you new digital cam, but terrible, terrible that USPS lost your stuff. That really bites. And you're so right not to get attached to material things, even no matter how sentimental the objects. *sigh*
I hope you have a better day tomorrow. Or maybe somehow miraculously you might get some of your belongings back!?! Maaaybe.
That's right. From Crash.
Toodles!
Law Fairy: I'm guessing the box came open in transit and everything fell out or some such. This is actually standard practice by the USPS. I've heard other people tell of incidents where they received a plastic baggie with the shredded contents of a letter (one the person expected to receive weeks ago) with a simple note saying, "We're sorrry, but your mail appears to have been shredded in transit. If possible, please ask the sender to send a new copy."
Andy: I'm sorry you lost such important things. I know it can be frustrating. As for coworkers who try to pile as much on you before you leave, I think that's a pretty standard practice at most places of employment.
Ack, the above comments was by me. Apparently, due to the merge of blogger and google, I have two different accounts I can post from. I'll try to be consistent on which one I use, providing I think to notice which account is logged in.
Jarred: isn't it ANNOYING?? I'm constantly having to log in and out :P
Andy - I'm sorry about the box! I know the feeling of losing something important to you (just a few weeks ago I ripped apart my photo collection looking for negs from Spain that are more than long gone) I hope they can recover your stuff.
What program did your camera come with, and what were you using before? In theory you should be able to still use your old program to edit your stuff. Even if your camera requires it's own software to upload the pics to your computer, you can save them & open your old program for editing purposes.
Lost stuff: the film developers lost the roll with the picture of my grandma, my mom, my, and my infant first daughter. I frankly have no idea what else was on that roll ... but I pray pretty hard before leaving rolls of film for development now, because THAT was irreplacable. (Luddite me, no digital camera ... someday I'll have the spare cash (ha ha).)
Found stuff: I had a friend who moonlighted at the local USPO in college. I received in my mailbox an empty padded envelope, about two weeks after I was engaged, from my newly-minted mother-in-law. Happily, I was too busy to call her that day and tell her it had arrived empty ... because at the post office the folks were busily trying to figure out who the little wedding planner book was supposed to have gotten to ... they figured probably the college (it was a smallish town), they chanced asking the college kid when she came in, she happened to know me (unlikely in itself--I was NEVER outside the theatre) and of my engagement ... and two days later I was reunited with the gift from my mother-in-law.
Obviously, the NYC and PDX post offices are a little too big to allow for that sort of thing ... but not everyone in the postal service is uncaring ;).
Damn USPS. Can you at least make an insurance claim for what they lost? I know money won't replace a rare manuscript, but maybe some of what you lost can be replaced.
My dad said he would go down to the local post office today and see if anything at all could be done, on the (reasonable) suspicion that the postal workers in Tigard, Oregon are going to be more helpful than they might be in Washington Heights.
I figured out the picture size issue; if it's 72 pixels per inch resolution, then 720 pixels across is 10 inches. That actually came to me in a dream last night. Hurray for subconscious problem solving!
Awwwww, sorry you had such a shitty day, Andy. Hopefully it's of some comfort to you that you'll be making your journey soon, and starting anew. :-)
We had to get a new digital camera last year when we got a Mac, so I know what you're talking about there.
btw, are you still thinking we might be able to meet-up during the Cats Across America Tour?
If you need any assistance as you pass our way during the trip, don't hesitate to ask.
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