Last Tuesday, I got the pink slip for a Taro 
package. Normally they try to deliver them two 
days in a row, and after that keep them at the 
Post Office. Normally I only have time to go 
there in the morning before work, and if I went 
on Wednesday, by the time I got there they 
probably would have put the package in the truck 
so they could try to deliver it the second time. 
So I decided to wait until Thursday morning, when 
I was sure they would have it there at the Post 
Office. I got there, gave them the slip, they 
went to look for it, and...they couldn't find it. 
They said it hadn't been checked in the day 
before. I didn't have time to wait while they 
investigated, so I told them I'd come back the 
next day. Friday, I left work early so I'd have 
time to talk to the Post Office in the afternoon. 
Now they told me that my apartment manager had 
signed for the package on Wednesday (I've gotten 
lots of packages from Taro before, and they never 
let anyone but me sign for them). So I had to 
rush back home before the apartment manager left 
for the day. But I was too late, she was gone, 
and the rest of the staff didn't know what she 
might have done with my package. She doesn't work 
on the weekends, and nobody could get ahold of 
her. 

So Monday, maybe finally I'll find out where the 
package is, and the odyssey will be over. 3 days 
to travel however many miles from Japan, a week 
for me to get it from the Post Office a mile 
away.