Deliveries, Orders and Other Hectic Stuff

If you can, take some time to stop and smell the flowers.

It’s Tuesday afternoon, and I am waiting for a freezer to arrive next door, which means I am trying to use the “track your delivery” feature that Lowes offers to determine when we need to run over there and let the delivery guys in. Trying is the operative word. The freezer is supposed to arrive sometime between 1 and 5, but otherwise we are more or less in the dark.

In order to use the tracker I need to have a code sent to me. The website tells me to select how I would like the code sent, but then only offers me the “call me” option. So I do that and my phone rings. The automated voice on the other end tells me to press 1 to get my code. I do. The automated voice tells me to press 1 to get my code. So, I do. Again. Eventually the voice tells me that they seem to be having difficulties, and the call is terminated.

I try again, this time the automated voice tells me to hit 6. So, I do, and miracle of miracles it works and the automated voice starts reading off my number. I enter it in the boxes. For whatever reason only a sliver of each number is visible so I have to trust that I have actually entered the number correctly, but it seems to have worked, and a little map pops up telling me that the driver is five stops away. Okay, I guess we have time.

After lunch, we decide to check in on the status of our delivery. I left the page open on my phone thinking I wouldn’t have to log back in, but no such luck. I call the number and the voice tells me to enter 2, but nothing happens. I call back again. This time she tells me to hit 8. Why is it a different number each time? It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t work.

I wait a few minutes, and try back again. This time I’m told to hit 6, and it’s kind of like winning the lottery. It works, I get a code and enter it. We wonder if 6 is the magic number. Now, the truck is two stops away according to the little map. We’ve got time so we figure we can get some other things done before we need to run over and let the delivery team in.

Roughly thirty seconds later a text comes in. The truck is on its way to us. What happened to the other two stops? Do we trust this text? Yesterday, June 9th, I got an email that said our delivery would be arriving by Tuesday, January 6th. So, could this text be an error like that?

I need to call back in again to check the map, and this time I’m told to hit 8. I do, and it works. So, much for our theory about the number 6 being the secret. Unfortunately the map still indicates that the truck is two stops away. Which communication do I trust?

We decide we should go over to the house, just in case. As we’re getting our shoes on, I get a phone call from a real live human. The delivery driver says they will arrive in about 15 minutes. So, obviously this information trumps all the wonky text messages.

And now, we are back home. The freezer has been delivered. One of the zillion and one things we need to do this week is done. So, now we can move on to all the other tasks and maybe along the way take a moment or two to catch our breath.

— Alissa