Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Where do we go from here?

UPDATE:
UPS recovered our package (a week after it was delivered) from the couple who were guilty of nothing more than not being neighborly enough to walk the damn thing over. To my chagrin, we opened it up and there was no remote control inside!! (Just some other equipment that I don't care about.) So the man says he'll send the long-awaited remote right over...via UPS.

Enough wasted energy! I'm not going to try to wrap my mind around "why?"

Original post:

I'm frustrated and beside myself over the stupidest thing.

I spent 30 minutes tracking a UPS package that was "delivered" last week. The sender thoughtfully left an automated message asking how I was getting along with my new stuff.

I saw the UPS guy deliver the package to my next door neighbor last week. The driver was blocking me in as I was getting in my car to leave one day, so I walked down the driveway to see if it was the new equipment we were eagerly awaiting, namely, a remote control that works...a brand new one (you starting to understand how important this is to me/us???)

To my delight, the box was clearly marked Di$#
Network; but instead of delivering the goods into my outstretched hands, he sliced right and left it on my neighbor's porch.

I fear this was a crossroad in my life, and I choked; chose the wrong path.

I could have said,
"Excuse me, but I was waiting for a package from that same sender. Are you sure that's not meant for this house?"

Or I could have immediately called UPS Worldwide Headquarters and put them on the case.

Or, I could have (and in hindsight, should have) waited until the driver left, snuck up to the door and grabbed what was rightfully mine.

Knowing that my neighbors have the same, shall we say,
master, I gave 'em the benefit of the doubt that just maybe, they too, were waiting for a box exactly the right size to fit my stuff. I let it go. I never doubted that if the box was meant for us, it would find its way to our porch.

That never happened and now UPS is on it and I'm not responsible for the loss. But I wonder...

Are they partying down with my new remote?

Was I
intentionally wronged? (A teeny-tiny, perhaps naive, part of me wants to believe it is an honest mistake.)

And most importantly, where do we go from here as neighbors?

Do they suspect we know they took our sh--, our stuff? (Don't stand between me and the ability to pause and replay live TV. I'm from the barrio; it'll get ugly.)

These are
Next.Door.Neighbors, for the love of all that is right in the world! This is not suppose to happen on my street. (Remember my wonderful street?) But that house, I'm afraid, has a spirit that attracts the weird ones... I'd better leave it at that.

I'm torn.

Our pastor was just preaching on Sunday that Christians give the benefit of the doubt. They don't bring up old trash. Or gossip. Or talk the way I sometimes talk onmyblogandinreallife. I'm suppose to set an example and love my neighbor as myself.

But
myself wants to bang on their door and demand some answers. And get my remote, NOW, not five days from now when the man acknowledges my loss and reUPSes it.

Today, I am not only Woman Interrupted, I am
Woman Scorned.

And when you hear from me next time, I'm going to be so over this petty diversion.

9 comments:

Terra said...

Oh my, I think I would make a point of knocking on several neighbors doors and saying I ordered this, and UPS says it was delivered but I never got it I am wondering if it got delivered here by mistake? Maybe "the" neighbor will fess up?

Bonnie said...

Oh what a dilemma! it must be so frustrating for you. I would be torn also. I think I would probably have to confront them though. Do you think they realize for sure it was meant for you? We have a neighbor that we have difficulty with. We've learned to live in relative peace but when the kids were smaller they would leave things at their house when they were playing and it would be like pulling teeth to get it back!

Jill said...

Oh my gosh... I would be SO MAD. I think you should (very nicely) knock on their door and tell them you were expecting a package from UPS. It hasn't arrived at your house so you called UPS and UPS thinks they may have left it at their door. Smile and nicely say, "Have you seen it or had an unexpected package?" Expect the worst and say, "Okay, thanks."

They'll know you know but you were nice and classy about it. I've feared this situation too. I travel so much for work, I wonder if a package will still be at my door when I get home. Sometimes I have important things sent to my parents house in SA. They're retired and always home. I have to wait a while to get it but I know it's safe. If your husband has an office, you could have it sent there in the future.

Very frustrating!

jmt said...

I am serious in this response. Take your pregnant behind over there, knock on the door, and smile. Tell them that you were on your way out last week but saw the UPS man at their door with a package from Blah blah company. You were expecting a remote to be delivered that week and it didn't arrive. BEFORE you give them the chance to talk....TELL THEM you feel silly for asking, and you've already got UPS looking into where it was delivered and on what day...but you thought you'd ask if they got it by mistake and weren't sure what to do with it.

ASK THEM. Just like I said above...print it out and read it verbatim if you have to. LOL If they have a conscience at all and realize you'll still be neighbors after they get caught, you've given them the chance to confess as an "honest" mistake about not being sure what to do with it.

Anonymous said...

I was worried it was me. But after reading more I sumized that it isn't me. We have Directv.
The mayor

Girly Stuff said...

Maybe they have it sitting in there kitchen "meaning" to return it to you and just haven't made the effort.

Just go say that UPS tracked the package to their address...is it lying around unopened.

Then if they deny it you know who is NOT invited to the chili cook-off next year!

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Oh no - that is just not right. If you ask the neighbor innocently, I wonder what they would say? Hmmmm, sounds awfully fishy to me!

I hope you get to the bottom of this!

XOXO
Jen

Aggie2percenter said...

This is so ridiculous! So much drama over a DVR and remote. I'll go over there tonight and explain the situation to them. I'm sure they'll be very understanding and we'll get our stuff.

Unknown said...

Grrrrrr....

I hate it when frustrating things like this happen. You're smart not even trying to make sense of the "why?" !!!!