I Thought Someone Was Playing a Trick On Me!

So yesterday, I loaded Leah into the car and we were backing out of the driveway on our way to the berry patch when I spied a package on the front porch.  I was so excited—I figured my DVD’s had arrived extremely promptly from Amazon and I’d have something to do with my afternoon.  I hopped out of the car and went bounding up to the box, and stopped dead in my tracks.

A bright green sticker on the box declared, “Live hermit crabs!  Do not delay!”

Now, I knew damned good and well I hadn’t ordered any hermit crabs.  I went through a phase where every time I went to Myrtle Beach, I wanted a hermit crab, but I was always talked out of it, so I am still hermit crab-less.  However, this last trip, though I enjoyed watching them, I had no desire to actually have one.  It was the first time I had thought, “Gee, I might just buy on this time!” and then thought, “No, I really don’t want one.”

So I thought for sure this was someone’s idea of a sick joke.  Someone who knew me well enough to know that I had wanted one at some point had then decided to ship me one.  I nearly opened the box, but decided to check the label to see who it was I was going to have to kill.

Well, surprise, surprise!  The package was shipped to the wrong address!  It was supposed to go to the same street address, but in Colonial Beach, not in Fredericksburg.  I called FedEx immediately and said, “Someone dropped live animals on my door step and they are not for me!”  The guy on the phone was cracking up.  I explained how we had just gotten back from the beach and I was sure someone had been playing a practical joke, but the only joke was on the part of the FedEx delivery man, who had to come retrieve the crabs and bring them to their rightful owner.

I suppose it’s nice to know that if I ever change my mind about getting a hermit crab, I need only drive about 30 minutes down the road and I can get one!