Walking on a sunny day

[fbhjr]

It is very hard not to buy helium.
“Hi, I’d like this balloon, please,” I said to the woman at the balloon store.
“I’ll fill it right up for you,” she said.
“No thanks,” I said. “I’ll take it like it is.”
“But, there is no charge for filling it,” she said.
“I don’t want it filled.”
“It won’t float as well if you just puff it up yourself.”
“I do not want it inflated.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “It’s free and will only take a minute.”
“I’m sending it to Australia,” I said, pulling out the envelope I had all set up for it. “If it will fit in here inflated, go ahead.”
She looked at the envelope.
“It will fit in much better uninflated,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Does the person you’re sending it to have helium?”
“I have no idea.”
“We sell tanks of it.”
“Will they fit in the envelope?”
“No.”
“Then just the balloon.”

Of course, I turned out to be the stupid one at the post office.
“I want to send this to Australia,” I told the man.
“You have to fill out this form to say what is in it,” he said, handing me a little piece of paper.
“It’s a balloon,” I said.
“Put it on the form, sir,” he said.
I went off and did that.
“You didn’t fill out the address, sir,” he said.
“But, it is the same as what is already on the envelope you’re going to stick it on,” I said.
“The form needs it, sir,” he said.
I went off and did that.
“You didn’t fill out the green section, sir,” he said.
“Isn’t the green for post office use?” I asked.
“We use what you put in it, sir,” he said. “Please fill it out.”
“It’s the same information as in the white section,” I said. “Isn’t there some carbon paper thing to transfer it?”
“No sir. Fill out both sides by hand, even if it is the same information.”
I went off and did that.
“You didn’t sign it, sir,” he said.
“Yes, I did,” I pointed. “Right there.”
“That’s the green section, sir. You didn’t sign the white.”
I signed and dated it.
“You didn’t put the date on, sir,” he said.
“Yes I did. While you watched. It’s right there.”
Pause.
“Very well sir,” he said. “I can send your package.”
He did. It is remarkably little money to send a balloon to the other side of the planet. I guess it would have been less to fill it up with helium and let it go. But, the odds it would get to the right spot that way are pretty slim.

As with my other walks, it was a fairly nice temperature on top of the hill where I live. But, awful at the bottom of the hill where it is all paved over.
Today I was smart enough to bring a parasol. (OK, umbrella.) While still hot, that made it much nicer then to climb back up the hill with the sun beating down.

Comments

[saeble.livejournal.com]

thankyou dear Sir

it's nice to be remembered for such a trivial item given such attention

here's hoping the use I want to put it to, comes to pass

then I'll really owe you ;)

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Being a helpless romantic, how could i not help you with this hopeful course of action?

[saeble.livejournal.com]

indeed :)

I've had a total clusterfuck of a day... thanks for a bright spark to aid with the restoration.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Sorry you had a bad day, but happy I could do something to offset it.

[saeble.livejournal.com]

you have no idea how much it helps. thankyou.

details up in my LJ now

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaaaand they say the Postal Service is suffering major pains and shortages and no money and won't survive.....Hmmmmmmmmm...

Are you sure that clerk wasn't wearing a BestBuy shirt??!