Deliveries N E V E R Arrive Earlier- Word Games

You remember, (previous post) I was told that a delivery I was waiting for would arrive on Monday next, also, that deliveries never arrive earlier than stated, well, guess what happened............... 


I was out all afternoon. On my way home I felt a bit jaded, so, I stopped off at the local supermarket café, bought a drink and munched a moist blueberry muffin, (naughty but nice).  

A grotty [news]-paper for café customers had an interesting word game, the kind where you are given a number of letters, you make words found in a dictionary and each word must have  a minimum of three letters from those given plus  the given centre letter.  Adverbs are not usually allowed.  There's always one eight letter word to find. This word game allowed adverbs, just as well, the centre letter was a 'Y' . Generally, average ability is given as fifteen words. My brain sizzled while I scribbled. 

 Half an hour later, with two eight letter words and fifteen words in total - Yay! at least average - I decided I had better pick up my bags wander on up the hill to home.  My brain was still actively composing words as I walked. 

My key turned in the lock of the front door about 5pm. I felt the need for a wee rest, all the brain work with word creation must have used up some energy. I sat in the armchair and dozed off. Half an hour later, I was startled awake with the doorbell.  I found our local friendly courier at the door with my parcel.  

The courier commented that he was always doing deliveries for certain companies earlier than customers expected.  He had to wait for me to set in motion various things which, if, I had been better informed, I would have completed in advance of the delivery.  While I did those things, the courier sat patiently waiting in my kitchen. 

I signed his electronic machine.  Oh bother, I did not get the man's signature, obscurely, in a booklet he gave me, which I discovered was part of the delivery process, only after he had gone.  I'll try get it done, if I see the guy around town. I often do, but, you can bet on it, that because I now need to see him, it won't happen.

Apart  from a blip or two, Lady luck smiled, thus far.

A BIG QUESTION

"You'll get the confirmation and a form to sign in the post within three working days,"  she said, "and thank you for your call."

Five working days later I have received all sorts of mail, but not the correspondence I am waiting for. As time is of the essence - there's a deadline to be met - there is nothing else for it, but to phone. There's the usual recorded message and a couple of menus; however, my sense of calm is short-lived as the android pipes up and wants all sorts of information, which has to be tapped out on my telephone keys. I search for the answer to one question and by the time I've got it, the android has given up on me and I find I am in a queue.  I sit and hope it is the right queue.

Ten minutes later, when I get to speak to her,  the operator is very apologetic for my wait, and for the lack of delivery of the letter. Yes, it was sent, the records show that it was.  
BIG QUESTION....... "who have you used to deliver your mail?"  
"We have just started to use TNT".  
I groan.  "If I get the mail," I tell her,  "from previous experience, it will be earliest seven days, more likely ten".  
"They use first class mail." She said.  
"Not here they don't." I insisted.  "I would not need to have called if that had been the case."

Because of where I live, it is agreed that another set of papers will be sent out to me, but this time, to be delivered by Royal mail.  

The replacement correspondence arrived today, two days after my call.  The original lot, which is being sent via TNT,  is still floating around the U.K. somewhere.