Blah, Just Blah.

I woke up yesterday morning to a sunny, albeit frigid, day.  

Out my front window

But it was okay, I was excited!  My chicks were supposed to arrive.  I anxiously waited all morning for the post office to call me, and even checked the USPS tracking website.  It stated expected delivery day was Monday, so maybe it would be in the afternoon.  

I had everything ready, food purchased, and my brooder box set up in our (finished) basement.

The yellow device is the heat lamp, a Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder.  It is supposedly safer than a traditional bulb, uses less electricity, and I have read rave reviews about it.  I even remembered to put marbles in the water dish.  The "box" itself is a large livestock tank that will be repurposed as a dog swimming pool.  We made a cover for it using wood and hardware cloth, and the dogs will not be allowed unsupervised in this room for a while. 

Needless to say, the call from the post office never came, so I ran a couple of quick errands.  

My dogs have a dog door, with access to a secure area outside.  Upon returning home from my errands, I looked out my kitchen (back) window, and saw this.

Its hard to tell, but that is the rug from the downstairs bathroom.  Sigh.  I don't know who is guilty.  Neeko was the only one outside when I looked out, looking all pretty.

I took a deep breath, and let it go.  There are much worse things than a destroyed bathroom rug.  

I had also taken today off of work, just in case the chicks didn't arrive on Monday.  Good thing, because they didn't.  I was up at 0530, anticipating a call from the post office.  It never came.  The USPS tracker had not updated since yesterday morning, still listing yesterday as the expected delivery date.  I was frustrated.

At 0900, I called the hatchery, explaining my predicament.  They were kind, concerned, and shocked that I had not received my chicks.  I went in on an order with a friend, as the minimum order is 25, and I don't want THAT many chickens.  I updated her as well.  The hatchery suggested calling my local post office, and seeing if I could track down who brings the mail to them.

I called my post office, only to learn that all of their carriers and mail goes out of the post office the next town over.  So I called them, explaining my situation.  They informed me that their express/priority mail was late in being delivered today, and that they would call me as soon as it came in, if the chicks were present. 

I waited an hour and a half, and called that post office.  My chicks did not come in.  I was livid, and upset.  By tomorrow, they will all be dead.  Newly pipped chicks can survive for two to three days on the last bit of yolk sac they draw up, which is why they can be shipped within several hours after hatching.  Tomorrow will be too late.  

I called the hatchery, and they shared my frustration.  According to them, they are unable to track USPS any differently than I am.  They said they would work on it, and attempt to find out when the chicks are or will be delivered to Indianapolis, with the hope that maybe I can pick them up later this afternoon.

I am heartbroken, and devastated.  As it stands now, 26 baby chicks are going to die.  What will probably happen is the post office the next town over will call me tomorrow morning.  I have to work tomorrow, and cannot take off (more on that in a minute.)  Les has volunteered to just go to the post office when he gets off tomorrow, because odds are they will be dead.  He said he will open the box at the counter, and if all are dead, he will leave it to the post office to take care of, as this is their fault.  As morbid as it sounds, I asked him to take a photo, so I can email it to the hatchery, and hopefully get my money back, including the shipping fees. 

This morning, a friend of mine at work informed me that the powers that be have now said that weather-related call-ins are now considered an occurrence, when they were not in the past.  So the day I called in last week is now an occurrence, and I don't want one two days in a row.  Frustrated about this as well, amongst other things related to my job.

A friend of mine sent me the image above, saying it made her think of me.  Add grow veggies, raise chickens, and raise goats to it, and I would be perfectly content in life.  Sigh...