Inside a Fireworks Display

Once I mailed some homemade salsa to a blog friend. The postal clerk asked, "Is it fragile, liquid, or dangerous?"

I replied, "All of the above."

One of the two jars broke in transit. They put the whole mess in a plastic bag and delivered it. The recipient thought it was ruined, until I told him there were two jars. He opened the bag, rinsed out the salsa, and found the second jar still intact and sealed among the bagged broken glass, cardboard, and packing material.

This was a great article to read, sounds like lots of fun. Made me sad, because the postal clerk in my local post office is a raging d-bag, the epitome of someone who loves to enforce the rules for the simple feeling of power it gives him. None of these would have made it into, or out of, his post office, and no notice would have been given either (I've had "lost items" that required opening a formal case via the USPS complaint web site)

oh don't get me started on the USPS. ugh!!!! my sister sent me 2 packages. they both came to me torn and crazy taped up and they even made a handle for one of the boxes. the postal lady told my sister that they just throw stuff on top and most likely the box will get damaged. and she needs insurance for her box but to have receipts for everything or they wont help you with any claims. i sent a box to my sister 3 weeks ago and put tracking and she still hasn't received it. it is a very large box....we now will ship through UPS or fedex.

We ship a lot of packages with the postal service, and with very rare exceptions, the packages arrive in timely manner (We do pack and box items well - I have no delusion that the packages will be treated gingerly in the transit system).

The strangest thing we've ever mailed is the Animail postcard.