Mail, and The Tilley

The thing is, that mail is important out here.

First, it's a bit like christmas, even if it's a bill or a flyer for 20% off your next Jeep. SOMEONE KNOWS YOU'RE ALIVE! Remember, we're isolated out here, bubbleized, and sometimes there's this thought in the back of your head that people have forgotten you. So mail is important. It reconnects you with home. Also, my folks, god love them, sent me a care package in a box they got from somewhere. Why care about a box? They didn't notice that it was formerly used for shipping a bunch of rum. AHHHHHHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!! ..I fully expect my hooch to get turned upside down in a quest for a bunch of alcohol I don't have. Heh. They touch my icy pops though, and IT's ON!!

Anyways, delivery of mail is usually 10 days to two weeks. Unless it's 6 weeks because the person responsible for mail cannot be bothered to go pick up mail or takes a smaller vehicle "So they weren't able to pick up all the mail this time." LOOK COCKBITE, you had NO problem picking up YOUR mail. Give ME the mail card and I'll go pick up my own damn mail. Hell I'll go get a fucking panel van and pick up ALL the mail!

Understand, this would be less frustrating for me if the people responsible for this were really busy doing something besides watching AFN TV and listening to iPods. But they're not. And it seriously burns my ass. Both because I am an online shopper and because my mommy sends me stuffs! Once I know that package is on it's way from one or the other (and especially the latter) then BY GOD LET NO ONE INTERFERE WITH IT UPON PAIN OF DEATH OR BEING YELLED AT IN A REALLY CRANKY VOICE OR SOMETHING! SERIOUSLY!

See, *I* can't blow off my job to go watch AFN or listen to iPods. I have no issue with anyone doing either of those if they're in a lull. I do have a real problem with people blowing off their responsibilities where it involves me and the timely delivery of my cookies, computer parts, or new hat.

Which brings me to Tilley. The hat people.

http://www.tilley.com/

My dad has a Tilley, and now, so do I. I know, I know, it can seem a bit pretentious to buy a 70 dollar hat for use in Iraq. Hell, maybe it IS pretentious. Whatever. It is now painful bright outside during the day, and a hat of some sort is basically just about required. Lots of people use baseball caps, and that was my original intention too. But a co-worker (since departed the AO) turned me on to Tilley when he went on a search for a nice wide brim, but cool, hat for the environment. Being the kind of person who likes to overthink and over-prepare, I immediately began an exploration of all the Tilleys but wasn't sure I'd buy one. Then I remembered that Dad has one (and swore by it). So I looked around, and low and behold, found the right one for me. Sold. Plus, it has snaps on both side so I can fold up both sides or just go all Aussie style with one side folded up! Sweeeeet!

Now I just need a long feather of some sort and I'll be pimptastic!

I'll admit it's comfy, the built in sweat band works as advertised, and it's so far met or exceeded all my expectations. Course I've only had it since yesterday. Even though it was ordered in May and has been sitting in a mail room since mid-June. Indeed. Which takes me back to mail.

It was more difficult to get that hat here than to get myself here or bring in an entire satellite communications system. And it weighs quite a bit less than either of those and is smaller to boot. First, the folks at Tilley had a real problem with the US Post Office. Seems USPS decided that apparently, Iraq doesn't exist so they can't send mail there. So I worked with Tilley and convinced them to send it to me, instead of my co-worker, at the exact address he used. And this time, the Post Office DID discover Iraq. WooHoo! So it got sent here.

It arrived around June 18th. And sat at the mail pick up point. For three weeks. Until *I* went and got it (with another person with mail room access who was doing me a favor) On July 6th.

You'd be smoking hot too if you knew the only thing keeping you from getting a piece of mail from home was the laziness of the local mail person. I wanted to beat them with a stick. A lot. And then kik them. And stuff.

The next day I got a brown card for another piece of mail. This was the first of two pieces which were sent. The first one was sent, and then the next about four days later. The second one arrived days before the first. It all makes the bunnies cry. It really does.

Still I get mail (sooner or later), and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for the family who remembers to send me cookies and pillows and love.

It's funny how a simple brown paper wrapped package can make you smile like a little kid.

Regards,
-Bouncer-