Friday, July 13, 2007

Two Strange Dreams and A Nightmare

Bears, boys, and postal rates



I've been dreaming a lot lately. Well, to be more precise, I've been remembering my dreams lately. That's unusual for me. I often dream vividly, but forget what it was all about as soon as I wake.

Here's a sampling of my recent dream adventures.

  • I was driving my car through the woods on a terribly crooked road. My kids and other people were with me. A large, brown, bear cub was also in the back seat. Except for his color, he looked a lot like Knut, the polar bear cub at the Berlin zoo. The cub wasn't mean, but he was biting and scratching playfully (much like our half-grown kitten.) We were taking him to the park ranger's house. Finally, we arrived. We put the bear out of the car and started to drive away, but the ranger came running out of his house. "Wait! Come back!" he shouted. "You can't just dump a bear here for free. There's a $20 fee for bears..."

  • I was at a social event of some sort. I was wearing heels, and I was walking around gracefully in them. I was surprised at how comfortable they were. Apparently, I was young, beautiful and charming, because men were standing in line to talk to me. (Yes, really.) I was enjoying myself! Then my little brother appeared and started whining. He was hungry. He was tired. He wanted to go home! I took a good look at him. That wasn't my little brother. I don't have a little brother! That was my son, Isaac...

  • I was at the UPS store with two packages to mail. I was happy because they were light in weight. I had my money in my hand and I was ready to pay. The clerk weighed them. We decided they should go by U.S. mail, not UPS. Then she and another clerk had a long hushed discussion. Finally, my clerk announced the price. "Nineteen dollars and twenty cents." "Nineteen dollars and twenty cents?" I shrieked. "Nineteen dollars and twenty cents," she said. "It's the new rates." I put away my money and got out my debit card. Then I went to my car and sat for a few moments in shocked disbelief. When would I wake up?!


Actually, the last little story above wasn't a dream plot at all. It really happened to me yesterday.

I paid $7.50 to send a little knit top in a padded envelope by standard mail to Mama Netz in Kansas City. The girl said mail was cheaper than UPS for it. And I paid $11.70 to send a backpack by standard mail to Freeport, Maine for repair. The backpack didn't weigh much. Most of its weight was the small cardboard box it was in.

The total for the two packages: $19.20.

I'm thinking about my mother-in-law's Christmas. Early in December, I've been sending her several pounds of homemade candy (made from her recipes) to share at the assisted living center. Then I've sent a second package with several gifts at Christmas.

It's hard to know what to do for her at Christmas because she doesn't want or need anything, except to be young and strong again.

This year, I need to get an estimate on how much the postage or freight will be. If it's too much, I'll have to think of a new way to do Christmas for her -- and that's a nightmare.

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6 comments:

Collagemama said...

Good laugh. I'm also remembering nutty dreams lately. In the latest I could go to the rifle range for target practice with Jack Nicholson if I could only get my tiny student to finish his business in the bathroom!

Genevieve Netz said...

Target practice with Jack Nicholson? That sounds dangerous. I think I'd just stay in the bathroom.

Anonymous said...

We've recently our Royal Mail has started a new system over here called 'pricing in proportion'. Basically if two items were to weigh the same but one was in a larger or fatter envelope it would cost you more. So if you had to send something that you could not fold you would have to put your hand deeper into your pocket. I was wondering if you guys do the same?

Genevieve Netz said...

They are doing "dimensional-weight" pricing here now, which sounds much like what you are talking about. I suppose I was charged a package rate for the large padded envelope. The entire envelope (minus a one-inch border) can't vary more than 1/4 inch in thickness. I didn't know all this when I mailed them, but I read about it when I got home.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why they are not more honest - agree to mail your package, then hit you over the head and take your cash. That's what it feels like anyway.

Genevieve Netz said...

I guess then you wouldn't just feel stunned. You would actually BE stunned!

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CONTENTMENT: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry, live simply, expect little, give much, sing often, pray always, forget self, think of others and their feelings, fill your heart with love, scatter sunshine. These are the tried links in the golden chain of contentment.
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