Activity Galore

A very active, much fun day.  Mike put his bought items into one of the large packing boxes from Home Depot my friend had given me, and filled it about three-quarters.  Aware that the post office closes at 1:00 on Saturdays (and wouldn't be open Monday on President's Day), we set off about 10:00 for the Target in Atlantic County. He got more items to add to the Singapore box, then we went off the little girl's have-to-have-store, Justice.
Here, he bought a variety of tops, bottoms, and scuffs to the tune of more than three hundred smackers, adding to about the same amount for the things from Target.  My poor little granddaughters are so deprived.
We discovered that the Absecon post office was right around the corner from Sacco Subs, where we were to meet Betty between 12:30 and 1:00.  We arrived there about 12:10--great; plenty of time to get the box off to Singapore, right?
Well, sure, if Idiot Ivan and his co-worker, Clueless Clara, weren't the only ones on the desk.  "Ivan" weighed, looked up, announced postage, and so on, then gave Mike the usual forms.   Mike stepped to one side and filled them out in about three minutes, during which a young woman presented the clerk with roughly THIRTY manila envelopes, all addressed to different destinations.  I believe she wanted every possible track, guarantee, and other add-ons for each one, and "Ivan" s-l-o-w-l-y and methodically examined, discussed, weighed, and posted them while we cooled our feet waiting.
What infuriated me was that "Ivan" asked "Clara" if she would complete Mike's business, but she casually said she didn't know how to "do global."
WHAT?!  Do they have different levels of clerks in the post office, some for domestic, some international?  I'm serious when I say I'm going to find out.
The upshot was, we were there for forty-five minutes, and didn't finally get out until just past one o'clock.  (I had left my purse, with phone, in the car, thinking we'd be finished in a few minutes, and, of course, Betty had called and texted me.)  I gasped when the postage came to $250, but Mike was blase.  Easy-come, easy-go, I guess.
Finally got out of there and we had a good, leisurely lunch, for which Mike sprung, plus a nice visit with Betty.  Left her and headed to the coin shop Mike had found to see if any of my old/not-so-old/incredibly valuable coins were--well, valuable.
They were!  I received a total of $13.19 for coins with face values of--well, no more than about ten bucks (heh, heh).  Why, I had a number of coins for which the guy gave me double the face value! (Um, they happened to be pennies, though.)
Actually, I had a half-dollar worth $3.50 and a few others for which I would have gotten a few bucks, but Mike said he'd like to have them for his girls, so I gave them to him.   
After a sketchy dinner (I had leftover spaghetti, Mike leftover pizza), Mike and I played gin rummy (he murdered me).  Our game was interrupted for a half hour or so when Vivian called to get help with some math problems.  (Fifth grade; Paula didn't know how to do them and I sure wouldn't, either.)  I was so proud of Mike as he worked with his ten-year-old daughter so she could grasp the process.  He's a wonderful, caring, gentle father.  
Snow, wind, and drifts when we got up, but Mike went and got bagels.  My friend called; she and hubby were just starting back from the far north.  Hope we'll be able to get up to her place later in the afternoon, as planned.
Good little Mum that I am, I just ironed four of Mike's dress shirts, and folded them and his tee-shirts.  Since he has two servants at home, he's used to this.  Spoiled brat!  (But terrific father.)