deliveries

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 20 May 2004 12:04:46

This afternoon I put on my delivery boy hat again and hit the streets. I picked four people out of the delivery box who lived in sort of the same area (1 hour round trip) and who couldn't wait til tomorrow. So...

House number 1. A widow who lives in a HUGE house - this house takes up two blocks of land and I think it would have been very beautiful in its day. I'm not sure if the lady ever comes downstairs, in fact I hope she doesn't as the combination of the steep, badly carpeted stairs and her walking frame/very poor eyesight may be bad. I pushed the intercom button and stated my business, she buzzed the door open and said to come upstairs. The downstairs of the house is amazing - chandeliers, huge dining room with an enormous table, all sorts of fancy stuff that I can't think of names for. Located the stairs and walked up. Upstairs is very different - feral green/blue carpet everywhere and strange interconnected rooms with all sorts of odd things in them. Had trouble locating the lady until she called out from a sunroom. Conducted business, did a brief check on her medications and how she is coping with everything, bit of chit chat, then got lost trying to find my way out.

House number 2. This one is a couple of streets back towards work from the first house however not as far away as I first estimated. Arrived to find the door chocked open with a chair. This struck me as odd - last time I visited these people they wouldn't open the door until I identified myself, my business and gave my mother's maiden name. The open door also obscured the doorbell. This created a quandary. I don't know these people well enough to just walk in. I tried knocking, but to no avail. The doors in this part of the world are not particularly good for knocking on - can't produce much noise. After standing on the doorstep like an idiot for a while I moved the chair and rang the bell. This had the desired effect. Mrs O appeared and expressed regret that I'd had to walk all the way there. Handed over the drugs and had a bit of a chat about the massacring that a hairdresser had given her hair - it does look terrible. She's been wearing a hat all week, poor thing. I hope it grows out soon.

House number 3. Mr S was standing on the doorstep in his dressing gown when I arrived. Pleasantries were exchanged but it was a fairly uneventful visit.

House number 4. Another person I'd never met before. I am always a bit nervous turning up at someone's house for the first time. I have trouble remembering who the "nice" ones are. After a bit more trouble getting a response from door-related noises (at this house the doorbell was ineffective yet knocking proved quite useful) I heard the sound of a walking frame edging up the extremely dark corridor (deary me, so many of these folks are at such a huge risk of falls - I'm sure half of them can't see where they're going). Eventually Mr A made it to the door. A bit of small talk about his daughter who I met last week and he gave me $20 to cover his $8.80 medications. Don't worry, I didn't pocket the rest, I paid his account off to the full amount.

So yes, that was my afternoon. I wore a pedometer today, for no real reason and can report that I did 13000 steps in the course of Thursday. I also received $4.05 tips for my services. And had a lovely little hour away from work. Sadly we have a new delivery boy lined up for next week.