So today was the day that my new Canon EF-S 10-22, Canon 100 2.8 Macro, and 580EX II were scheduled to be delivered. I live on the far edge of FedEx's route and never receive deliveries before 5pm, so I re-arrange my work schedule to accomodate leaving early. I pull into my neighborhood at 3:15 in the afternoon confident that I will have enough of a cushion even if they are running early.
As I pull into my driveway, I see the dreaded slip on my door and my heart instantly sank. I check the slip and it says that they tried to deliver it at 3:10pm. I just missed the truck! I jump back in my car and start driving around the neighborhood in seach of the elusive FedEx van. As I'm frantically driving around, I'm also navigating the menu on FedEx's 800 number. (sounds safe huh?) I asked the FedEx oerator if I could track down the truck and arrange to meet him somewhere. She said "Sure, no problem." So I gave her my tracking number and then she said, "Oh, I'm sorry. You're scheduled for our home delivery service and it is an independent contractor that is delivering your package and we have no way to contact them." I also found out that an independent contractors drive their own personal vehicle, so no amount of searching was going to help me locate the driver. 
I asked them if they could pull the package back and I would make the 15 mile drive tomorrow to pick it up at FedEx's pick-up location. She said they would make the request, but communications are often poor between FedEx and the independent contractor, so they couldn't make any guarantees. 
If they forget to pull the package tomorrow, then it will be another 5 days before I get my lenses due to an out-of-town trip.
Oh well...what can you do. I guess I'll cheer myself up by going out and taking some pictures this afternoon.
Thanks for listening POTN! 
Bryan
