Doubled Down

ENTRY 0010


I don't go by the post office every day.  Usually, once or twice a week is sufficient.  And it can be depressing to stop by the post office a week after the last visit, just to be staring into an empty mailbox.

I didn't know if anything would be waiting for me.  I was hoping that at least one of my recent Ebay purchases would be waiting for me.  When I opened the door, I found a key waiting for me.  Good sign.

I walked over to the lockers, found the match for the key, and gave the key a twist.  Much to my surprise and delight, both of the items I was waiting to receive were inside the locker.

Once I found a place where I would be undisturbed for a few minutes, I opened the packages for my usual quick inspection.  Both were securely packed, and took a little careful maneuvering with my knife to get them opened.  Not that I'm complaining; to me, that means that it's less likely that anything was damaged in transit.

First up was the copy of Dreamwatch #16.  It was in great condition, and everything looked just as it was described in the listing.

Then came the copy of the July 1997 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction.  This particular auction turned out to be an even better deal for me than I originally thought.  When I sent the seller a message asking for the mailing information, I mentioned that I was also looking for the August 1997 issue.  Just as a longshot, I asked if he had a copy of the August issue, and if so, when he might be listing it.  He said that he did have a copy, and told me how much it would cost.  So when I sent the payment, I was paying for both issues.

The issues of Asimov's were probably in better condition than the copies I had lost a few weeks ago.  (Long story; don't ask.)  And I was definitely relieved that I had been able to replace what I thought would be the most difficult items of the bunch.

It took a few hours before I could get online.  As soon as I could, though, I left messages that I had received the packages, then went to Ebay to leave feedback.  My feedback rating was still at 233, but as soon as I posted feedback for each item, feedback was left for me, upping my rating to 235.

Yes, later this evening, I will be taking some time to enjoy my new acquisitions.


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