December 19, 2007
Whew! That’s done!
I’ve been wrapping gifts for a couple of days. Last year I didn’t “do” Christmas - I was broke and depressed and felt just awful about not having gifts for my son. Sometimes I over-compensate. This morning I finished wrapping his stocking stuffers (so he won’t see them when he opens the boxes - his girlfriend can play Santa and put them in his stocking.) Everything else for the two of them was already wrapped and packed into shipping boxes.
I’m not sure about the rest of the US, but yesterday was the deadline for using Priority Mail to send packages between Hawaii and the mainland. I thought today was the last day. I was rather proud of myself for reaching the finish line in time. I crammed the three boxes in Hokulele’s back seat and headed to the post office to get them shipped to the kids in the San Francisco area.
I got lucky at the post office. A parking spot right in front of the door opened up just for me. I carried the boxes up the steps one at a time, then began shoving the stack towards the door with my foot.
A father and daughter, in the spirit of the season, offered their help. Sweet little Kelsey, held the door while her dad and I carried the boxes inside, past the rows of mailboxes
in the outer lobby and into the service lobby. She posed for a picture but got shy at the last moment and turned away. Apparently coming a day late was a good thing. The line wasn’t long at all and my boxes were on their way about fifteen minutes later. My three boxes weighed in at 46 pounds, 1 ounce. Total cost for shipping: $93.40. I selected Priority Mail. Express would have cost considerably more. The Postmaster (talking with the lady in pink) said that since my packages won’t have to go beyond California I could probably count on them arriving in time even though I was mailing late. Cross your fingers for me, folks!
You would think that cleaning up this mess would be my next priority. Wrong! I still have packages to mail to my brother and sister in Dallas. If I get them wrapped tonight and mail them via Express Mail tomorrow they should arrive on time. The shipping rate will be higher, but I can put all of their gifts into one box, so the final total cost will be much less than what I paid out today.
Maybe next year I’ll finish shopping and shipping early. Probably not. 
[tags]Christmas, Christmas packages, family, Hawaii, US Mail[/tags]
Posted by skeet @ 3:43 pm • Photos, Home & Family
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December 19th, 2007 at 4:02 pm, Elizabeth Says:
Every year, I say that next year will be the year that I get everything done early instead of at the last minute. It never happens
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!!
December 19th, 2007 at 5:52 pm, Jennic Says:
46 lbs! That’s amazing, almost half of me
And almost $100 for shipping.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:22 pm, Tina Kubala Says:
I didn’t ‘do’ Christmas the last couple years. Not even cards. I mailed cards today. Late, but sent.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:48 pm, skeet Says:
And a Merry Christmas to you, Elizabeth. Yeah, we know that procrastination is going to get us in trouble and still continue to delay, don’t we?
December 19th, 2007 at 11:50 pm, skeet Says:
The postage would have been less than half that if I’d mailed earlier, Jennic. You’d think I’d have learned that lesson by now, hmmm?
Merry Christmas to you and your family, too!
December 19th, 2007 at 11:51 pm, skeet Says:
I still haven’t gotten to the cards, yet, Tina. Maybe I should just call them New Year’s greetings?
December 20th, 2007 at 12:21 pm, Whim Says:
I hope they arrive on time.
December 20th, 2007 at 7:00 pm, skeet Says:
I hope so too, Whim! I’ll be sending my brother & sister their stuff in time for New Years, but at least I got my boy and his girl covered. As disorganized as I am, that’s a small miracle!