Day 807
Showing Up
It’s Sunday. That means it’s time for my most cherished experience of the week … Sunday Bliss. Defined as a morning when I don’t set the alarm, allow my body to awaken when it’s supped fully on REM, arising I make a pot of coffee, deconstruct the Sunday edition of The New York Times and graze happily as my dogs nap.
That is, when my copy of The New York Times shows up. I only get that paper in hard copy one day a week. Sunday. On average it shows up 50% to 75% of the time. Meaning of four given weeks, I’m on the phone *at least* once to the customer services folks complaining and getting a credit for my not delivered paper. I’ve groused about this here before. It’s gotten ridiculous. I actually know several of the customer service folks by name. They’re lovely. They’re equally incensed as I, but unfortunately they are powerless to do anything other than credit my account and file a report. For several years it was fine. There was an occasional issue, but since January it’s been horrid. Just horrid. Failure rate of a 25% to 50%.
About two weeks ago I started getting the local paper every day. The Las Vegas Review Journal cants far more heavily conservative than I personally like (especially as I come from the old school belief that Journalism is supposed to be at least relatively unbiased). Be that as it may, the paper is the paper of record for the city in which I live. It’s important to stay informed locally. Since starting that delivery, that paper has arrived almost every day — including today’s Sunday edition. You’ll note I said almost. Last Sunday only the Times arrived. No R-J. One or two mornings during the week when the subscription began, it didn’t arrive, but it’s been pretty darn steady. Including this morning’s Sunday edition.
Here’s the thing. The delivery depot that delivers the Review-Journal? It’s the same one that delivers the New York Times. Now I’d go all conspiracy theorist and say something like it is a play by the conservative paper to muffle the more liberally inclined progressive voice of the National paper of record.
I can’t do that, though. Several of my friends who also get both papers have had no troubles at all. So, this is a case of employee ineptitude and flat out crappy management. I cannot think of a single instance where an employee failing to do their job 25% of the time or more should be allowed to retain their job. Not a single one. As for the managers who are handling this situation? If I were the person at the top of that food chain, you could be sure that I’d clean house there too.
The good news is that I had a lovely time with my paper this morning. It wasn’t The New York Times, but then again, no other paper really is.

Today’s Gracious Gratitude. I am grateful for:
- Sunday Bliss
- My friends
- Being able to show up in a fashion for a friend who always shows up for me
- Unexpected gifts
- Sleeping in
- Turning the clocks back
- Getting a major to do thing done
- Fresh sheets on my bed
- Making it through last week still smiling
- When someone does their best to sabotage me and they fail

