Full-timing! It's not all pretty sunsets!!

1 Feb, 2017;   Roadrunner BLM, Quartzite AZ

Today’s tale of woe concerns getting one’s mail

Today’s topic is not heavy on photos, being essentially, a rant.  So, I will include some random photos of rainbows, sunrises and sunsets for your entertainment.

Now, normally, the process of getting one’s mail while constantly moving around is fairly straight forward. 

• Sign up with a mail forwarding service: Check -  I have a Personal Mail Box through a UPS store.
• Periodically, have mail forwarded to a General Delivery Address near you: Check – I have had mail successfully forwarded to Quartzite G.D. several times.

Small frustrations may arise

Expect to stand in line – if it’s Quartzite, in January, expect to stand in line for a LONG time (45 min or longer)

Expect that your mail may not be there, or it there, not available for you to pick up  – even if you wait a few extra days, even if you have a tracking number.  The Post Office can only process so much mail every day and there are a LOT of temporary people in Quartzite in the winter expecting packages of mail.

Expect that in order to serve local people who only want to buy some stamps, G.D. pick up will only be available a couple hours a day – plan your schedule accordingly.

Bigger frustrations may arise

So far, I was OK with all this.

I calmly stood in line for 4 days in a row (the package I was expecting contained necessary medication for Fay Wray – important stuff!!). 

The 4th day, I was given a post card that had been delivered A WEEK AGO, informing me that my package was undeliverable and being held in Blythe California (30-45 minute drive away).  And, because a week had already gone by the package was due to be returned to sender the very next day! 

I called the UPS office, begged them not to return the package, assured them that I would come pick it up the next day.  This would be a little tricky because the office was only open to customers ONE HOUR a day and I had to figure in the time change crossing into Calif.

No problem, I arrived bright and early the next morning, having driven through high winds and constant rain to get there when the office opened at 9am.

Not a great sign of things to come

Only to find a sign on the door that ‘because of staffing issues’ they wouldn’t be open that day – but, if one cared to hang around for SEVEN hours, mail would be available at 4:30pm.

So, what to do in a small town . . . . in the pouring rain  . . . for 7 hours.  I ended up spending most of the day in the public library (where their free wifi wasn’t working).  One bright spot in my day was lunch at La Casita Dos (best Mexican food I’ve had in ages!)

When I went back to the UPS office at 4:30, it STILL wasn’t open!

I was just about to leave when a driver called over to me and said I could just walk around back (past the prominent signs that said ‘no customers past this point’) to get my package. 

Luckily, the package was still there and Fay Wray got her medications.

a full rainbow to end my day!

What went wrong?

In examining the postal receipt, I find that this package was sent via UPS Ground;  all the other mail deliveries had been via the USPS. 

Why and employee of the UPS didn’t know that UPS doesn’t deliver to PO Boxes or General Delivery will remain a mystery.


But, I now have a new item to add to my checklist – when requesting mail forwarding, verify the method of shipment.