HAPPY HUMP DAY
I have a happy to share! I'm delighted to be sharing these pages with so many wonderful authors.
Malice Domestic 14:
Mystery Most Edible will be published in May by Wildside Press.
My story, "Sticky Fingers" is a tale of murder, revenge, and...cupcakes!
Yummy.
Speaking of yummy (yes, this is a terrible segue)... You all know I have a grandson serving in the Marine Corps, and being the wonderful Nana that I am, I like to send him care packages. A pretty simple thing, right?
Well, sometimes. A couple weeks ago I started putting together a package. I had all the usual - jerky, peanut butter crackers, microwave mac & cheese, etc. - but I wanted to toss in something special. When he was home at Christmas, he discovered these special chocolate candies he thought were wonderful, so a couple Sunday's ago, I stopped by the fancy chocolate store and bought a half pound. As I was checking out, I mentioned I was mailing them. The clerk expressed concern, telling me their chocolate contained no preservatives and needed to be kept refrigerated.
I spent the better part of the next week trying to decide how to send his care package, which I knew from experience could take anywhere from three to seven days to arrive. I thought of adding a freezer cold pack, wrapped with the chocolates, but finally settled on sending the package - without the chocolate - regular priority mail as I usually did, and then sending the chocolates overnight express.
So I mailed the bulk of his package on Friday and held the chocolates for Monday (his Post Office is closed on the weekend). Then I decided it was a bit of a waste to send just a half pound of chocolates by themselves, so on Sunday I stopped by the chocolate shop again and bought an additional pound.
Just to be certain, I asked the clerk - a different person this time - if the chocolates would be okay being mailed overnight express with a freezer pack to keep them cold. She informed me that, while it's true the chocolates did not contain preservatives, they would be fine unrefrigerated for a week, possibly longer.
But which clerk was correct?
I debated what to do next. Freezer pack? Overnight express? Both? I finally decided to send them overnight express but without the freezer pack since those frozen bricks are quite heavy. After all, how much could a pound and a half of chocolates cost to mail? I wrapped them up and headed to the Post Office on Monday morning.
Would you believe $45.00? For a pound and a half of chocolates? I couldn't do it. I couldn't spend over twice what the chocolates cost just on postage. I said the heck with it and sent them regular priority mail. Maybe I'd get lucky.
Later that day I checked the USPS tracking on the package I'd mailed the previous Friday. It had already been delivered. Fastest time ever! Now I'm tracking the chocolates.
They appear to be traveling by sloth.
Guess who is NOT getting a chocolate bunny for Easter.
I've been a little wordy so here's a visual funny.
Oh yeah. Piece of cake.
And, of course, your weekly "aw"...
I know you said it.
See you next Wednesday.
Thought for the Day:
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
15 comments:
Bummer! Maybe next time try dry ice. It doesn't weigh as much and you can send regular priority.
Well kudos to you for sending your MC grandchild a care package. I can't even do it for my son! (I'm pretty lazy). But I am going to see him in May--in Okinawa! The Marines are there too.
Murder and cupcakes, the perfect match! lol
I'm stealing your road sign.
YIPES! I don't blame you for not sending those chocolates. That cost was absolutely outrageous. Then again, mailing any package has gotten pretty darned expensive. A friend in Canada asked me to donate copies of my books to her to auction off in a fundraiser for the animal shelter where she works. I did, of course, but it would've been a lot cheaper just to send her a check.
Congrats on making it into yet another anthology! :)
Congrats on the anthology. And I hope those chocolates make it safely!!!
Alex - I didn't think of that. Good suggestion. Thanks.
Jacqui - My grandson's first choice of assignments was Okinawa. Instead he's been in 29 Palms, Kuwait, and back to 29 Palms. Sand, heat, scorpions, and rattlesnakes. So I send care packages. (Have a wonderful visit in May.)
Donna - Steal away. I stole it from someone else. LOL
Susan F.S. - Oh, mailing books is the worst. And thanks.
Stacy - Thanks. And I'll let you know.
Hi LD - yup ... things cost to post. Chocolates in Kuwait?! I expect he'll be so pleased you're thinking about him and sending him parcels - he'll be happy and laughing regardless of the state of the chocolates - but hope they survive. Love the sign too ... save your pennies for some chocolate on his return - he might share at that stage! Cheers Hilary
Only you could combine murder and cupcakes! LOL!
re: chocolate
Aw, that's a shame about the chocolate. That's a care package best carried the next time he visits.
Years ago, I did a giveaway. The grand prize was a big box of new release books. Unfortunately, I didn't specify that I couldn't mail outside the US and the winner lived in Holland. It was a very costly prize. I don't remember what it cost but it was an ouch number.
Hilary - Oh no, I'd never try to send chocolates to Kuwait. He's state-side right now, although still in the desert. I did send care packages when they were deployed but nothing that could melt.
Maria - Ouch! I hate to think what mailing books to Holland cost you. Bet you never made that mistake again.
Not wordy at all. Good story. I hope he appreciated what a splendid grandmother he has :) --> and feel free to send me chocolate candles and cupcakes any time, with or without ice :)
Your grandson is very admirable and I’m sure he’ll enjoy your care packages whenever they arrive. Sorry you had to go through such an ordeal. Congrats on being featured in the anthology!
Julie
I had to overnight some documents to my daughter once and it was thirty dollars. You are a great Nana to think of doing that for chocolates.
Mike - I can't even think what it would cost to ship chocolate to you in "before they melt" time.
Julie - Thank you, on both.
Susan G/K - You can send an overnight envelope now for $21. I thought about doing that but smashing the chocolates so they'd get there before they melted seemed to defeat the purpose. Lol.
I've never shipped any food products, but I've gotten a number of shipments of chocolate covered strawberries from my daughters. They are shipped from the supplier who is well experienced in packaging the product with an ice pack. I've saved all the boxes since they are so nice and sturdy, but I have no idea what I'll ever do with them.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Arlee - I've also received food products shipped in heavy Styrofoam coolers. I hang on to those because it seems like they should be usable for something but I've never actually used one. They're too big for sending chocolates.
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