Back, sort of

Um, hi. Once again, I got out of the rhythm of regular blogging, and was somewhat swallowed by the rush of life. In fact, right now, I am only taking a brief break from trying to organize the ridiculousness that is my office to drop by and remind myself and anyone still visiting here that yes, I do still have a blog. In case anyone is wondering, my office will cease to look like a donation center when I can ship off the last of the hygiene and baby kits to Haiti, which will happen when I acquire about 10 baby sleepers/gowns, 12 cloth diapers, 5 nail clippers, about a dozen gallon bags, some shipping boxes, and the check that needs to go with the kits to cover handling costs.

It has been a week of minor irritations. My back is out, I have some sort of hacking cough illness that won't quite go away and that is keeping me from sleeping well, I've spent too much time on hold, fielded too many complaints, had too many things go just slightly awry. In honor of the times in which things are just not quite right, I share with you this poem.

In Answer to Your Query

by Naomi Lazard

We are sorry to inform you

the item you ordered

is no longer being produced.

It has not gone out of style

nor have people lost interest in it.

In fact, it has become

one of our most desired products.

Its popularity is still growing.

Orders for it come in

at an ever increasing rate.

However, a top-level decision

has caused this product

to be discontinued forever.

Instead of the item you ordered

we are sending you something else.

It is not hte same thing,

nor is it a reasonable facsimile.

It is what we have in stock,

the very best we can offer.

If you are not happy

with this substitution

let us know as soon as possible.

As you can imagine

we already have quite an accumulation

of letters such as the one

you may or may not write.

To be totally fair

We respond to these complaints

as they come in.

Yours will be filed accordingly,

answered in its turn.