The Mail Seekers

And now, faithful readers, let us return to the ongoing saga of..…(dramatic pause)…..The Mail Seekers!

When we last visited Mike and Trish, The Mail Seekers, it was Saturday, July 17th, and the mail was 3 days overdue. For the 3rd consecutive day, Mike made that long lonely walk, returning from post office to pickup. He was slow of tread, heavy of heart and empty of hands: the mail did not come through. Trish consoled Mike as best she could, a brave and hopeful look on her lovely countenance - despite her own deep feelings of frustration and disappointment.

“I told them to send it on to Homer – if they ever find it.” Mike reported.

“Oh. Good for you!” Trish responded.

Now we flash forward 4 days; the mail is a week overdue and our heroic Seekers are in Homer. Mike, with great trepidation, steps up to the PO counter and asks for the package. It is not there. He asks the postmaster to check with the Fairbanks PO to see if the package ever arrived there. The postmaster calls Fairbanks and returns to report, “It just arrived in Fairbanks today.”

Mike informs the postmaster that they’ll be leaving Homer early the following morning so sending the package to Homer would be useless. The postmaster says, “Let’s have it sent to Delta Junction. You have to go through there anyway on your way south.”

Mike would like to confirm the route but doesn’t have a map handy. He thinks to himself, the postmaster lives here so he’s sure to know the few main highways and towns. “Okay,” said Mike. “Please instruct Fairbanks to send it on to DJ.” Mike returns to the pickup and updates Trish. And, he asks Trish to check their southbound route on the map while he drives back to the campground.

“Delta Junction!?” Exclaimed Trish, a few moments later. “We don’t go through DJ again on our way south; it’s way north of our route, halfway back to Fairbanks! The mail should be sent to Tok.” Mike groaned loudly, amazed yet again by the ineptitude of the USPS. Are failing marks in geography a requirement for postal workers in addition to general incompetence? Incredible!

The Seekers quickly track down the phone number of the Homer PO; Mike calls and informs them that the route isn’t through DJ at all, that the package should be sent to Tok. The postmaster says he will take care of it.

Be sure to check back for the next episode of The Mail Seekers! Will The Seekers make it to Tok without mishap before the PO closes on Friday? Will the mail be there? Will Ranger, The Traveling Wonder Dog, sneak into the PO and bite the clerk on the butt? Will the Vegas bookies be placing the odds on the mail being there or not being there? Stay close to your computers this weekend so you can be among the first to know all the answers!