Last Christmas, there was some egg on the faces of UPS and FedEx when it turned out that they couldn’t get their packages delivered in time for the holiday. A number of USPS-boosters pointed and laughed about the non-existent efficiency superiority of the private sector.

Truth be told, UPS and FedEx were somewhat consistently bad about getting things to me in the appropriate window of time when I lived in Arapaho. I was at least moderately forgiving because, well, rural Arapaho. What can you expect? Living there changes your expectations when it comes to such things, for sure. We were five hours from the nearest major airport, two hours from the nearest minor one, an hour from the nearest Walmart, and on and on.

What’s puzzling to me in West Q is that it’s the USPS that simply cannot get its act together. I was forgiving for a while because of the weather. There are limits to the postman’s creed, after all. But the weather has gotten better and the postal delivery has not. Arapaho changes your expectations. But here? Here I am within 75 miles of two major cities and three airports. I’m within 200 miles of at least two more. I’m within ten minutes of Walmart.

Perhaps most importantly, I’m within three or so hours of Hanover.

I say “most importantly” because that seems to be where a lot of the stuff I am having shipped comes from. I don’t know why, but it seems every other thing I order comes from Hanover. And takes more than two days. Stuff sent from Floridia is getting here faster. Some ecig supplies are sitting in central Queenland right now that were ordered a couple of days ago. Perhaps the Hanover shippers are particularly bad about how they drop the shipments off? Maybe, but it’s still registering as out for shipping more than two days ago.

No complaints about UPS or FedEx here, where packages sent from Amazon that arrive ahead of schedule and often the next day. I have always explained the fast turnaround times by how close we are to the fulfillment center in Seneca. Until I realize that we’re even closer to Hanover.