Going Postal

I know that it is very easy to complain about the post office, but, REALLY?...

I do my voting by absentee ballot and have done so for a couple of years now.*  While there are a few 'rules' and instructions to follow, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to vote, put the ballot in the envelope, and mail it.  This I did a couple of weeks ago for the upcoming primary election.  Done and done.  Except...

Two days later, the envelope that I had mailed was delivered to our house.  It was canceled, it was addressed properly, there was the proper amount of postage on it, but it was returned to me.  NOT, however, as a 'return to sender,' but as a 'here is the envelope that was mailed to you.'  I cannot for the life of me understand the glitch that happened.  It. Makes. No. Sense.

The Husband took the ballot envelope and went to City Hall to deliver it to the clerk's office, as the post office had already delivered it and wouldn't deliver it again.  He explained to them what happened.  They looked at him as if he had grown another head.  No one has been able to explain this snafu.  The clerk accepted the envelope--after making sure there had been no tampering--and will add it to the absentee ballots to be counted.  And, I suppose, that will be the end of it.  Still, I DO continue to wonder what happened...


*When you have the chance to vote by absentee ballot, do so.  It is SOOOOOO much easier than having to go to the polling place.  You get your ballot weeks in advance and have a considerable amount of time to fill it out.  You can take your time and decide on how to vote without worrying about being rushed.  I don't believe I will ever NOT vote absentee again!

Weird Phone Calls--and Texts

The other day I got a phone call that left me completely perplexed.  Here is the entire conversation:

(phone rings)
Me:  Hello.
Caller:  Hi, is C___ there?
Me:  That would be me.
Caller:  Oh, uh, I mean is Jennifer there?
Me:  Jennifer?  There is no one here by that name.
Caller:  Oh, okay.
(phone hangs up)

Now, am I wrong or was this the weirdest call?  I don't understand it at all.

But, that is not all.  A couple of months ago I got a text message.  Here is the screen shot of it:

Weird?  I think so!

Ridiculous, Bizarre Fear

I am a neurotic--I freely admit that.  I probably should be in therapy five days a week--I freely admit THAT.  However, for the most part, I don't think I'm much worse off than most people are--except, possibly, when it comes to my fears.  All I have to do is THINK about stinging insects--bees, yellow jackets, wasps, etc--or being in the middle of a lake/ocean and I can cause myself to have a full-blown panic attack--a panic attack that makes my heart race, my blood pressure go up, my breath to become rapid, my stomach to start churning.  JUST by thinking about my fears, I could make myself faint.  But still, I don't think I'm all that different than a lot of people--until I admit to one very ridiculous, bizarre fear.  For years, whenever I'm near my washing machine when it goes into the spin cycle, I worry that the agitator--or another piece of the machine--will break off, fly through the side of the machine, and cut me in half--killing me in the process, of course.  THAT is bizarre.  (This doesn't keep me from doing laundry, however--I just suck it up and stay away from the washer during the spin cycle.  :D)