Tuesday, August 5, 2008

There we go again!

Not enough stress with one missing/lost show quilt? Need another nightmare?
Well..Irena, there you go again!

For almost one week I am looking out for DHL truck delivery of my newest quilt coming back from another quilt show. This time I did all I could do. I did purchase shipping insurance! After waiting a reasonable amount of time for my quilt to be delivered and after no show of my quilt, I made a call to express my concern. My quilt needs to be delivered to another show right away, as soon as it shows up! This time I have a DHL tracking number! Hurray! I made it! At least I have something in my hands! When I entered the tracking numbers into the DHL system, my package info ended in Oklahoma City on August 31st 2008 as "out to be delivered on August 1st 2008". No show on August 1 st, August 2nd, August 3rd is a Sunday.

I call DHL on Monday, August 4th to only find out that they don't deliver to the place where I am! I was not aware of the fact, as I have quilts delivered by DHL to my house at least twice within the past 3 years since I have mailed quilts back and forth to so many shows.. This very polite lady told me that the package has been handed over to the USPS. Great! There we go again, I thought! Sending my quilt via the Black Hole again? Oh no! However, she provided an USPS tracking number for my package! Irena! Hold on, think you are in good hands!..

Today was, I must say August 5th, [it is just few minutes past midnight where I am] and no show of my quilt... I went to the local post office this afternoon and gave them my USPS tracking number. They checked through the intranet system.
My package estimated delivery date is August 5th [today] after checking the delivery status and according to the tracking records, my quilt has been handed over to the USPS in Oklahoma City on August 2nd 2008 and mailed Parcel Select! How lucky I am! The cheapest way possible! Hey, at least I have a tracking number! No show today...maybe tomorrow. No delivery signature confirmation for the whole $1.18, just a delivery confirmation for $0.18! It's good enough for a blanket, or textiles insured for $2.500!..

Please forgive me for being so cynical! What does it take to learn my lessons?... How many quilts do I need to loose in order to learn that the only way to retrieve my quilts from shows safely, is to claim them in person as soon, as the show closes?.....

I hope that my quilt will be delivered this week. It needs to be shipped to AQS show in Nashville Express Mail with insurance, latest on Monday August 11th!

For now, I need to rest for the night. Tomorrow will be a better day. My quilt will be delivered!
The day after tomorrow on Thursday the August 7th, I need to leave for Dallas for 3 days. My husband is going to take over the lookout for my quilt delivery for me! He is retired and spends the most part of a day at his computer desk which is located at a window, where he can monitor the mail box and the USPS delivery man!

Wish me good luck! However, I am getting fed up with the emotional rollercoaster lately!
I hope, I can make a happy post about my quilt's safe return tomorrow or by the weekend!
If I could, I would stop sending my quilts to the shows, but I can't! I can't keep them in the closet! That is not why I made them in the first place. I want to show them and I need to.
My whole business is based on making them and sending them to shows.

Wednesday, August 6th
Update on my strayed/missing quilt
No delivery today! I just checked with USPS by entering the tracking numbers.

My quilt was already in Oklahoma City on July 31st! It has been transfered to USPS on Agust 2 , 2008 with scheduled delivery date for August 5th. What in the world is my package doing in Swedesboro, NJ 08085 facility on August 6, 2008!!!!

Status: Processed
Your item was processed and left our SWEDESBORO, NJ 08085 facility on August 6, 2008. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.

I will check the status tonight again!

Thursday, August 7th 2008

Checked the status last night. Nada, no change.

Checked it this morning and in the afternoon. Nada, no change. No delivery either!

Thanks to the AQS in Nashville show managment, my deadline for the quilt delivery is running out on Wednesday next week.

Friday, August 8th 2008

Your item was misrouted. The error has been corrected and every effort is being made to deliver it as soon as possible. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later. Just need to patiently wait until the quilt is delivered.

Saturday, August 9th 2008

Your item was misrouted. The error has been corrected and every effort is being made to deliver it as soon as possible. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.

I only hope that my quilt will make it out of the "Black Hole". I can't help but be that cynical, as I have lost an order of books of over $600 in May of 2008 as well before my first missing/lost quilt ordeal. The books were mailed USPS media mail with no insurance. The books just have evaporated...Each book has my name and address in the back. Each book was placed in a ziplock clear plastic bag. All 25 of them. The books apparently did fall out of the box. An empty box has been delivered to the recipient. I had a shipping record but no insurance. I have filed a claim with the USPS Mail recovery center to no avail. The books are gone, evaporated, no tracking number with media mail. You get what you pay for, or not....

By nature, I am not a whiner at all. However, what has happened within the last 3 months; makes me feeling helpless and cynical. I have no clue about whether it's just bad luck or something darker than that.... Bad luck, I understand and accept.

My last chance to ship my quilt to AQS in Nashville is on Monday, August 11th. I am back from Dallas and back on guard duty for the USPS delivery man on Monday...

At this point, I will be pleasantly surprised if my "Serenity" quilt is delivered...

I can still manage to be just cynical about the whole situation but inside of me, I don't want to make more quilts for any crooks' enjoyment anymore!...

Irena

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