redshifter.org

Starting about one day after xmas, my mom began a daily routine of emailing me with the question, "did you get it?" "Did you get it yet?" "Has it arrived?"

Of course, that makes the imagination begin to wander, and the secret wisher inside me thought maybe, just maybe , she and my stepdad went apeshit and bought me the iPod that was sitting on my Amazon wishlist.

The days ticked by, and each day her emails came in, and no package was to be found. Every day I'd ask Jennifer, our receptionist at work, if the package had arrived, to the point where she'd pretty much just give me a sad stare and a shake of the head every time I'd walk by the desk.

Finally, the anticipation got to the point where both my mom and I couldn't take it any longer and she asked if I knew what it was. At that point I ventured the iPod guess, half in jest, only to find that it was indeed the 'Pod! Stoked!!!

SUPER stoked -- that's way above and beyond the call. Definitely a great, great gift.

A great, great gift that was vapor! Where the heck was it? Finally mom contacted Amazon, and to my utter dismay I realized that I'd forgotten to update my shipping address on Amazon. UPS was busy trying to deliver it to my old apartment downtown.

We put in the request with UPS to route it to work, and I was expecting it today. After a grueling, 8-hour content management system class in Sunnyvale, I returned to the office and sprinted to the desk. Jennifer was there, doing the sad stare, head shaking thing. My heart sunk.

Now I was PISSED. I bolted to my desk and tracked the package on UPS.com. DELIVERED. To my old address! Someone signed my last name and accepted the delivery! Oooh, the blood boils.

I hopped in my car ready to go kick a little iPod stealin' ass, parked in the bus stop in front of my old apartment, and rang 036, my old bell code.

Lo and behold, the new tenant answered!

Me: "Hi, this is Bob Kissinger -- I used to live in that apartment and UPS goofed and delivered a package there last Friday..."

Voice: "They sure did! Come on up and grab it!"

My jaw dropped. I thought for sure someone had taken me for a free iPod.

The gate buzzed and I was greeted with the (somewhat sickeningly) familiar entryway to my old building. I jaunted up the stairs, rang my old doorbell, and was met by a kid not dissimilar to myself, who presented me with the fabled Amazon box.

He apologized for opening the outer packing, saying that he was expecting an Amazon package as well, and didn't realize that it wasn't his until after he cut the tape. With that, I thanked him yet again and sped home to get my rock on. And rocking on I am.

Now playing on the iPod: Jawbreaker, "Jet Black"

Faith in humanity: Restored, partially.