The Post Office - A Story From Maylia

Hello All! I'm sure none of you are surprised by my silence these days given renewed motherhood...but I just have to tell about a recent trip to the post office. If you are behind on the blog, please read Jeff's last entry before continuing with this one as the postal slip in question is the one he included a photo of below.

So, I just finished my first 30+ hour solo stint with the 2 kids. I guess I shouldn't find this such an amazing feat as I AM their mother, but I am patting myself on the back for not only surviving, but for actually making it out to do some shopping AND getting a couple loads of laundry done, too! Another "accomplishment" was a trip to the post office.

A couple days ago, I took the "Parker Crew, The Whole" slip to the post office to retrieve our parcel to no avail, they couldn't locate it. I realized after the fact that the slip had just been put in our mailbox that day and more than likely the package had simply not made it back to the post office yet. So with Ella and Mattias in tow (in our awesome double stroller) I decided to try again. Please keep in mind that I have to get by on my horrid Czech at the post office as VERY little English is spoken (why should it be?!).

The first problem I encountered was that the post office clerk indeed thought my name should be "The Whole" and wanted to know who "The Whole" was and why the name on my passport was not "The Whole". With considerable effort I managed to get the idea across that the sender had simply meant the package was for our entire family.

That hurdle crossed, she looked for our package but came back empty-handed. Then went and looked again and came back with a package that I noticed immediately was not addressed to "The Whole Parker Crew" but to "Jeff Parker", and most definitely in Larry's handwriting. Now, this was interesting because a couple weeks ago we received one package from Marilyn and Larry when they had sent two at the same time...and at that time I had expected Jeff to return from the post office with two packages because written on our single postal slip was "x2". My detective mind deduced that the package she had must be that second package. However, we faced another hurdle...that being that my passport also doesn't say "Jeff Parker". How many Parkers live in Prague, let alone at Jana Zajice 8? It doesn't matter, I was not allowed to retain this package.

I couldn't just turn away though, because, I realized, if this was #2 package of the "x2" postal slip, we no longer had the slip and would have no way of retrieving this package. I struggled in Czech to explain my point of view...that without a paper slip we'd have no way to get this package. I wasn't making any progress with the clerk, but I had something on my side....TIME! The longer I stood there stumbling along in broken Czech and English, the more the line behind me grew with people who had to get back to work from their lunch break. A man got out of line and complained to the clerk. Next, another postal worker came from behind the desk to find out what was going on. I assume he was a manager of sorts for after talking to the clerk he made the executive decision that (most likely to get rid of me) I should be able to have the package addressed to Jeff.

VICTORY WAS MINE!!!! Or was it?!?

Because apparently giving someone a package without taking a slip was not an option...so he ceremoniously grabbed the "Parker Crew, The Whole" slip and "filed" it. Hmmm...now how are we ever going to get THAT package?!?!

So I left the post office shaking my head in disbelief, muttering away to Ella (the only person available for me to mutter to), and laughing at this adventure we are on. For what else can you do but laugh? Only, we are not laughing at the fact that someone went through all the trouble (and spent some cash) to send us a package that we most likely will never receive. Whoever you are, we are very, very sorry for this postal mess. We appreciate your generousity and hope by some freak of post office nature we get another slip in our box addressed to "Parker Crew, The Whole". Or that, at least, the package is returned to you. Please let us know if you are the sender.

And the lessons learned...well, there's nothing we can do about the post office losing packages. But, it would probably be best if when you send us some mail you simply put "Parker", that way either Jeff or I can pick it up without any trouble. And next time we will be more assertive if we get a slip with a "x2" or some other note on it.

I'll end with some photos!

Ella stylin' in her kimono from the Manchester contingent of the UT.


Proud Big Sister!


Quiet time with Baboo.