Cross-country treasure hunt

Written last night:

Dear Friends,

Gretchen and I went on a cross-country treasure hunt by phone today. 

Around her birthday last month, Gretchen and I were talking about napkins — I told her that Clark had brought me around to using cloth napkins, and how I love them. Which led to me asking if Gretchen would like some cloth napkins for her birthday. If you know Gretchen, you already hear her saying “Yes! I’d love them. Blue or green and white, please!” 

A couple of days later I mailed some napkins. To the wrong address. You see, that was when Gretchen and Rich moved. Seems there’s lag time of about two weeks between when you write a change of address form and when it takes effect. That’s when I sent the package.

After a month I asked Gretchen if she’d gotten them. “What napkins?” she said.

Luckily, I'd saved the tracking number. Online, the post office seemed to say the package had been delivered and then returned to the distribution center in West Sacramento. So this morning Zing and I went out there. The manager told me, no, you read the tracking record bottom to top, not top-down. It said the napkins started out here and ended in Columbus. They weren’t returned to California. 

On her drive home from work today Gretchen called me, and I told her the post office people thought it unlikely we’d find the package after all this time. But after we’d talked awhile, I heard Gretchen’s voice get clearer, as if she’d gotten off the car phone. We kept on chatting, and I heard little walking sounds. Then a click, as in a door. “They’re here!” Gretchen shouted in my ear. “Right here in the hall!” 

Seems no one has moved into her old place yet, and the package has just been waiting. For Gretchen. She hurried home to open the box, and soon I got a photo. The birthday napkins match her new tablecloth. She likes them. 

Gretchen’s birthday gift wasn’t supposed to include a treasure hunt. It was nerve-racking, but it sure was fun. May the new napkins see many fine meals!


Love, 
k