Last week was our deadline to ship Part I to our distributor, and we blogged about our production line, etc. We shipped several 40 to 50 pounds boxes two days in a row, and we were excited to have them out the door and on the road to shops and stitchers everywhere.
Then 2 days later we get a call from Katy at Norden and she is a little surprised at the condition of the first box that arrived. To make a long MYSTERIOUS story short...the box weighed 56 pounds when it left L*K, and lost almost 20 pounds on the 2 day trip to Chicago. Yikes...the PLOT THICKENS!!
Inquiring minds want to know...could it be cross stitch corporate espionage? Or..the more likely scenario...UPS severely damaged the box, lost 1/3 of the contents, didn't bother to replace them, retaped the box and merrily sent it on it's way...hoping we wouldn't notice?! Twould have been nice if UPS had slapped on one of those friendly labels the USPS uses when something arrived in MYSTERIOUSLY altered condition.
OR...are the UPS drivers and dockworkers happily distracted while stitching Part I of the Mystery Sampler Club? This MYSTERY may never be solved!!
Since we're in such a MYSTERY funk this morning, here' s another sneak peak pic I snapped while I was working on the sampler. You can see the stitchery and the computer printout I was using for my pattern.
If you're still reading, here's one more MYSTERY for you! Every year Alan and I do a couple bicycle rides for charitable causes. Last Saturday we braved rain and wind to complete the 100K Bishop's Bike Challenge. It's a fundraiser for Open Door, a local comprehensive homeless ministry. We rode through the county, stopping at numerous small towns for snacks and drinks...and bathrooms! We began in drizzly 68 degree weather and finished in some very humid 88 degree sunshine. Below is pic of the "official socks" we received in our ride packet.
The MYSTERY is...why is this our idea of having fun? Could it be the hours spent with our best riding buddies, the beautiful Kansas scenery, or the serious snacking required to ride for hours? I think it's the great stories we have to tell afterwards! One of us begins..."Remember the time...." and then we're all doubled over in laughter!
Notice the beautiful green cornfield in the background. It's corny in Kansas and it's only June. I'm the one in the back in the slime lime green shirt!
never thought those UPS dudes liked to stitch so much..! ;D
ReplyDeletelet's just hope the second part will have a happier journey to NC..
enjoy your rides!
chiara
Holy moly. That box IS demolished! Ridiculous, UPS!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could take a two day trip to Chicago and lose 20 pounds !!!!
ReplyDeleteI guess if we hear about a rabid pack of ladies ambushing a UPS man, while screaming about a mystery sampler, we'll know what happened. LOL
ReplyDeleteI like Barbara's comment!! Me too. The folks at UPS have no idea the possible riot they may have instigated. We girls are serious about our stash! Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteHaving worked for UPS for 24 years -- I'll guess at what happened. It looks like you reused a box and that it got caught on a conveyor or set of rollers. The patterns fell out and the box continued on to its trailer. By the time the patterns were discovered - the box was long gone. Those patterns were sent to Overgoods and ready for this...will be auctioned off in some lot for next to nothing. Unless you call UPS and make them do a damage report - the patterns will never be looked for. And even though they should pay for your package - they may not look in Overgoods. Call your local center and complain to a manager! And yes, some UPS dudes are girls and we do stitch! lol
ReplyDeleteRut Roh - oh my! I hope somehow the missing 20 pounds show up and not damaged - now that would be a miracle!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for my mystery sampler experience. All other projects will be on hold. So naturally I have been stitching like mad! I don't know how UPS wouldn't think the missing documents would go un noticed. I am sure they will be careful in future.
ReplyDeleteI used to work in the warehouse of an electronics repair facility (they would repair TV circuit boards that repair shops would send in) and we would get one filled UPS "pup" (the smaller trailers that some of the brown trucks haul behind them - they would leave the entire "pup" with us for the day, we would unload it (with the driver scanning each package as it came off the truck) and then reload it with the day's outgoing shipment throughout the day, and the driver would pick it up at around 6pm), there was one box that came in, long & skinny (sort of like the ones a dozen roses would come in, but stronger) that looked like an accordion! We didn't even have to open it to know the circuit board inside was destroyed - circuit boards don't normally rattle! Needles to say a damage report was filed.... but we never did find out what happened to that box to do that to it (looked like a semi trailer was squished between to locomotives)!
ReplyDeleteOh no, what a nightmare! I know my ladies are really looking forward to starting (but none of them work for UPS lol)
ReplyDelete