Useful Tip #1: Priority Mail Doesn't Always Mean Priority Mail

So last night I had a book signing at the new library in my town. 

A litlte over a week before the signing, I was really looking forward to it.  I ordered my books via priority mail with the USPS and set up an alert on their site so I would get a text on my phone the moment they came in.  The stars aligned with my organizational OCD, and I felt confident all was in order.  Day after day I waited for my books, but no text came, so I checked the site two days before my book signing only to realize the books never left the post office they were shipped from. 

YIKES!

I might want to mention right about now that I'm an alpha, type A personality, so not having my books arrive when I clearly ordered them in plenty of advance made me want to break down in some kind of childish fit of anxiety topped with a nice helping of rage.  If I had hair, I'm sure I would have pulled it.  But the truth is, I'm a mellow person by nature--most of the time--so I suppressed those feelings and instead went down to my local post office and begged for them to magic up my box of books out of thin air which of course, they couldn't do...no matter how much they sympathized with my situation.

In the end, I tried to look at the positives of the situation.  I had another box of books at home that I could use, I had cute little bagged candy with my business card attached already prepared, and I live in a small town full of understanding people who hopefully would not be too upset if I sold out. 

And I did. 

And I took written orders.

And I breathed, and everything was just fine. 

No one accused me of being unorganized, ill prepared or things of that nature, and I left with an empty box and a wad of cash. 

Merry early Christmas to me :)

Note to self: Just because you get something shipped priority mail doesn't mean it will always get there in that glorious 2-3 days window, and therefore, I must order earlier in the future...lesson learned. 

And by the way...you'll never guess what came in the mail today.  Yep, my books.  Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase--A day late and a dollar short.  Sheesh!