Lost in the Wilderness

So. I just spent the better part of 1 hour looking for my car keys.

Ha. Ha. Growing old is crap sometimes. I often wonder at how frequently I lose things. I almost always find them again, but sometimes it takes me DAYS. This has gone on for years. Since I turned thirty.

Fortunately I found my keys. I always do, just rarely right away if I happen to set them down - not in their special place! This generally happens when I return from an outing only to hear the phone ringing... I dash into the house grab the phone - AND SET THE KEYS DOWN. One would think this would mean they would be near to the phone. But no. This is not what happens. They disappear.

They find their way onto the bedroom dresser. Or the mantle of the fireplace. Sometimes even as strange a place as the silverware drawer. At the time I set them down there was a perfectly logical reason. Of course when I am hunting for them, the logic escapes me completely.

This is why I ALWAYS hang them on the hook in the kitchen next to the back door! Except when I don't. Obviously the last time I went out - I didn't.

~~~

I went to the mail box specifically to look for a package receipt (package sent from the US a month ago!) to find that yes, it had finally arrived; there was a message in the mail box- to tell me that I had to pick something up that arrived from the US and it would cost 3 euro. I decided to drive to our post office in Alepou to confirm.

Our local post office has either moved or changed hands five times, and our post office box number has CHANGED twice from when we initially received it. At first it was in Kokkini (3 times- it closed then changed, then returned, now changed again.), then in Agios Ioannis (once), now in Alepou. We initially had a 3 number post box number, then we had a number and a letter, then it just moved to 4 numbers. We are periodically "yelled at" by the post office if we "receive" any mail with the wrong address.

They won't deliver it.

The electric company and the telephone company LOVE changes of address, because then they can say that it's your fault for not giving them the right address to begin with! This bill-less situation can last three years- well so far. Now we just go in about once a month to both the electric company and Ote, and ask what the amount is and pay it - otherwise we'd never know... until they turned off our phone or electricity. (we've learned, as they have turned off our phone a few times!)

I will say that we do on occasion get mail. (No telling though, how much mail we never see...)

I would like to mention right now that the expression that comes to mind is: "That's no way to run a railroad" Another more common expression though is usually "NOW what??!"

I decided to make a list of shopping as long as I was out. I find it's always better to plan to do more than one thing so as not to be disappointed. So, I'd stop at the Pharmacy to check again to see if the pneumonia vaccine I ordered in August had arrived yet; I would buy bread; I would stop and get a soup bone to make soup this week and I would get the package at the post office.

Well, you must know that when I arrived at the post office - it was closed, because it was Saturday. Silly me, I still haven't learned. Fine.

I managed to stop and get the soup bone on the way back and the bread, but when I stopped at the pharmacy, I was begged to return on Thursday at 6 pm. For sure she would have it then.

I figure two out of four isn't bad for a day's success.