It's been a busy week! This past Wednesday I received notice that my 2000 books would be arriving. Well, of course, it was pouring rain that later turned to ice, and the books did not arrive. Thank goodness! But I was nervous as a cat all day waiting for them, gained about five pounds munching. The problem (besides the weather) was that I was wondering how a huge tractor trailer was going to turn around on my road -- a dead end. The printer's rep who took the order knew it was a residence and I hoped they would send a smaller truck. I was in a state all day wondering how I was going to get the books into the house and wasn't even sure they'd be packed in boxes. By dinnertime I realized they weren't coming that day, but started worrying about where they might be. I had images of the truck overturned on the Maine Turnpike and the books scattered all over the highway. At midnight I received a message on the tracking site to call customer service. That was a big change from "on time to Belmont for delivery 3/5/08!
When I called customer service, they referred me to a number in Bangor. Yes, the books were safely there and would be delivered Thursday. I had the chance to explain about the road and we agreed that the driver would call me once he was in Belfast and we'd arrange to meet. I knew it would take at least two trips in my SUV to unload the books from the truck and get them home.
Finally in the afternoon the driver called. He did indeed have a huge tractor trailer. We set up a meeting by the town sandpile and the driver very kindly helped me unload and load about two-thirds of the boxes into my SUV. He then went on another delivery in the area and agreed to meet me back at the sandpile in a little while.
I drove the two miles to my house and managed to work feverishly to get the boxes out of the car onto the patio -- all the while wondering what I would have done if they had arrived the day before in the rain and ice!
I got back to the truck and the driver was waiting patiently, and had the remaining boxes sitting on the back of the truck. He again helped me (although his instructions had been that he couldn't help with the second loading) so now I at least had all the books.
The rest of the evening was spent bringing the rest of the boxes from the patio into the house and figuring out where to store them! I left one box in the car for ready sales. I was really glad I didn't order 3000 books!
This story will be in my third book that will be about becoming a publisher. The one that's in the works now is about moving to Maine and renovating the house.
About Me
- Jean Boggio
- I graduated from Allegheny College in Western Pennsylvania many years ago with a degree in Drama. It was lots of fun but not very practical. I eventually became a teacher. That was also fun, but others found it fun also and there was soon an oversupply. When I tried to go back after several years out of the field to raise a family, I found it difficult to get a job. That's when my neighbor suggested I become a nurse. Plenty of jobs there. So it was back to school again for degrees in Nursing. However, I've always been an arts person at heart and had often thought about writing. People always said I wrote well. It was now or never. I began, and one thing led to another. And here I am with my first book coming off the presses and my own publishing company taking form. It's never too late.
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