Adventures with Amazon Shipping 2... And the Legend Continues...

In a previous installment, I experienced an Amazon shipping oddity and joked that I wanted to order more things just to see what would happen. Since then, I have had deliveries with completely mundane delivery photos. But now there is a new adventure, not with Amazon but rather a company that is on Amazon.

Having ordered a product, and after it shipped, I got an update saying:

"IMPORTANT

On Friday 9/6/2019 our shipping software ______ had a glitch. This glitch caused the shipping labels to be put on the wrong packing slip. In turn you received something other that what you were expecting or the incorrect quantity. Over the weekend we saw this error. Even though this is going to be an expensive error on our part we are making it right and sending the correct items out on Monday 9/9/2019. 

Thanks for letting us make it right and keep the item you received on us."

Slowly it dawned on me... there is a product headed to me that's mine for free and it could be anything. Literally, anything. It's J.J. Abrams' "mystery box" incarnate. It could be anything from a box of eggs to an 18th century violin. Someone I talked to suggested it may be a boat - that's not me speculating, "sources" are saying a free boat may be headed my way!

Now, it should be considered that the product that I ordered may be a clue to the product that I didn't order - and the thing I ordered was soda - but still, I find that our current age is defined by its endless possibilities and there is the feeling that anything is possible.

Alan Kalter's Celebrity Interview

Alan Kalter's Celebrity Interview is the greatest talk show that never happened.

If at any point you get bored with the format, skip to 36:20 for the "turn". I love it all though.

"That's not exactly how things went."
"That is EXACTLY how things went!"

Amazon Delivery Guy Gets Artsy with the Delivery Photo

Recently my neighbors recently decided to cut down all the trees that lined the boundary of our yards. Were they damaged, were they ugly? No, they were quite lovely. And then one day a crew is outside taking them out. Was I consulted for my opinion? No, the point is we need stumps. Stumps are the key, stumps are life. Our yards are now separated by stumps and lifeless dirt.

But this is all backstory to what took place next.

I ordered new bed sheets on Amazon. As you're probably aware, Amazon's new thing is to confirm that the package was delivered by taking a photo of the box on your doorstep. If someone in the neighborhood steals your package and you say it never arrived, hey, look at this photo, it is visual proof that we delivered it - it arrived.

So the delivery guy who delivered my sheets decided to "pose" (I can't think of a better word) the package next to one of my new stumps. Like so:

If the stump had been anywhere approximating a good delivery spot, this would be fine, as far as it goes, I'd still question why it's positioned that way but it would be fine. But this is not the case. The stump photo is far, far away from the door - yet the door IS where I found my package eventually. Here's a map of the difference:

So here is the reality as I understand it. And I apologize for how ridiculous this sounds. A delivery guy, instead of taking the package to the porch and leaving it, takes it over to a tree stump and sets the package down next to the stump and takes a photo of it.... with the stump. Then he carries it back to the porch and leaves it by the door.

Why? Why any of this? Are the delivery people getting bored? Is he taking up photography as a hobby and he wanted to make it more artsy? Is so, I have to say the result is not very good (rule of thirds and all that). I don't get it, I can't fathom what kind of plot this is. I'm so confused and at this point I'm motivated to order more things from Amazon just to see what happens.

The Nerd Crew - D23, Star Wars, D23, Disney+ and Streaming Services

Polyphonic - How Dave Brubeck Changed Jazz

Late Night - The Evil Puppy

The personification of evil.