A Very Expensive Letter

It snowed, and rained, and snowed, and rained today- in that order. What a mess. By 4:00 I was tired of being inside, and remembering the notice in my mailbox for a letter with postage due, I decided to walk to the post office even though the weather was...uh...inclement. I suited up with my down jacket, Norwegian wool hat, and umbrella. It was not a nice day for a walk, but it only takes fifteen minutes to get to town and back. Near the second stop sign I scowled at a truck that did not slow to my satisfaction as it passed me. It sent mist spraying a bit too close to my new GAP trouser jeans that I had carefully tucked into my hiking boots. There were more cars coming as I crossed near Country Farms, so I made my way over to the sidewalk that begins at Village Market. I laughed out loud at the umbrella I held to protect me from the drizzle once I found myself up to my knees in freezing slush. I don't know how I didn't realize it, but all of the water gushing across the street was funneling under the snowplow's berm that I thought I could quickly pass over.






I finished my errand with some previously lacking abandon. I swam on to the center of town and left puddles on the floor of the post office as I collected my mail. It was, as I'd suspected, a Christmas card that had evaded its stamping.



Usually when I walk in the snow, drivers all along the way slow down to offer me a ride. Not this time. Maybe it was the sopping wet/ hysterical laughter combo that kept all cars in motion.