Apparently….the United Parcel Service (UPS) has no creed or motto! (I thought everyone has a creed! I know I do! 😉
I just found out that the United States Postal Service has no official creed or motto,…
However, an inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City reads:
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”
So if the Post Office is not using their unofficial creed or motto, …..and we certainly know they are not!!! Perhaps UPS can adopt the unofficial creed of the Post Office.
Somebody should be using it right? 🙂
I shop on-line as I have stated previously in other posts.
I planned a Valentine’s Day gift to arrive in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day. I ordered the item on Jan 19th, 2014.
29 Days, or in the real world…three weeks and 5 working days…(20 Days) The package has not arrived and today is four days after the scheduled delivery and Valentine’s Day is well past!
I originally received an email notice on the 12th, saying the package would arrive on Thursday, the 13th of February between the hours of 9:45 am and 1:45 pm and that UPS was pleased to provide me with home delivery that fits my life! Hmmmmm?? just what does that mean?
Then I received an email on the 14th (too late) that said my package was delayed in Nashville due to adverse weather conditions.
OK, so they had a snow storm in that area….however, the big Brown trucks must have gotten through the “adverse weather conditions” in Nashville, because my next notice showed the package in Chattanooga, arriving at 3:41 am on February 12th.
OK,…now we are cookin’….My Valentine package is on it’s way!
Not so fast, “Miss Assuming that all is well with the package”.…As you will note from the above notice, the package stayed in Chattanooga for 36 hours!
The package finally left Chattanooga, Tennessee and arrived in Orlando, Florida at 3:25 am on the 15th of February….missing the delivery date and Valentines Day! (Thank you very much)
Now, an email arrives on the 15th with a new declaration… and I am told that the package will be delivered by Monday, the 17th of February….even though the package is only 150 miles away (as the crow flies), in Orlando! (Carrier Pigeons carry packages don’t they?)

I know some airports closed due to “adverse weather conditions”…but they weren’t closed for 36 hours straight! Hmmmmm?
Apparently the “rest or down time” the truck driver (or pilot) had during his 36 hour stay in Chattanooga…(during regular week-day work hours, I might add) ….wasn’t enough, so he or she is allowed to “rest” on Saturday and Sunday!
Now, my Valentine package languishes in the back of the Brown UPS Truck…. or worse yet….tossed carelessly to the side of a pool at some hotel in Orlando, while the driver is drinking Pina Coladas and enjoying the wonderfully warm Florida Weather. (some might say he deserves the rest…but I won’t say that!)
Meanwhile back at the ranch…I mean at the house…the Valentine Surprise is spoiled and is now a non-event, leaving me to gasp sputtering words like…
- “they promised the package would arrive in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day” OR
- “OK, I should have ordered it sooner and taken into account the adverse weather conditions this time of year in Chattanooga” OR
- “What is so special about Valentine’s Day anyway?”….”it is just a Holiday made up by Greeting Card Companies!”

This is UPS delivering packages in Venice, Italy!!! I live on the gulf, couldn’t they have delivered it to me by boat?
At the UPS website I found the following … “Enjoy these fun UPS Airline facts for Valentine’s Day”. (Fun? Really???)
Enjoy these fun UPS Airlines facts for #ValentinesDay and #floralfriday :
–UPS has flown 118 million flowers from the Americas to the U.S. for Valentine’s Day. (But I can’t get a little package from Chattanooga to Florida!)
–To meet demand during rush of flower imports, UPS adds approx. 44 flights between Miami and Latin America. (what about Southwest Florida International Airport… RSW? It is close to Miami and in the same Country!)
–UPS is the largest air cargo carrier at Miami International Airport. (Then why couldn’t a Brown truck drive 150 miles from Miami to my house?)
–UPS has a 27k sq. ft. refrigerated warehouse at our Miami hub where we stage flower imports. (The Captain bought me yellow roses for Valentine’s Day and we don’t need your refrigerated warehouse…just deliver my package please)
–UPS can’t use flower power to transport 118 million stems. We prefer 767s. (I used to work for Boeing….we need to talk)
–The average 767 flight into Miami w/flowers carries 135K stems. (Soooo why wasn’t there room for a small Valentine package?)
Thank goodness the Captain is a patient and understanding man…(he has to be after being married to me for so long. :))
Meanwhile, I am still waiting…and waiting…..AND Today (Monday) is President’s Day and a Holiday!!!!
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”
Who writes this stuff anyway?
Me
In honor of all those UPS, FEDEx, Postal Carriers and all people whose jobs require braving the elements…. there are printable recipes for the below soups and a chowder….plus a drink! And a big thank you… for what you do! 🙂
- Meatless Black Bean Chili
- Shrimp and Corn Chowder
- Old Fashioned Chili Recipe
- (as well as a Cherry Sidecar Drink Recipe)..


- Juice of 1 lemon for sugaring the glasses
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of dried cherries
- 6 ounces cognac
- 2 lemons juiced
- 3 ounces of Grand Marnier liqueur
- ice
- Put the lemon juice on a saucer and the sugar on another saucer, Dip the 2 glasses' rims in the lemon juice and then in the sugar and set aside to dry
- To marinate the cherries, microwave on high (microwave save bowl) the cherries and 2 ounces of cognac for 60 seconds and set aside
- Combine 3 ounces of lemon juice with the remaining 4 ounces cognac, the Grand Marnier and 1 teaspoon of the marinated cherry liquid
- Fill a shaker 3/4 full with ice and add the cocktail mixture
- Shake for 30 seconds
- Strain into the prepared glasses either straight up or over ice.
- String 3 or 4 marinated cherries on small skewers and serve each SideCar drink ice cold.


- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 large chopped onion
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
- 1 chopped jalapeno pepper
- 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 cans tomato paste (6 ounce)
- 1 bottle dark beer (12 ounce)
- 2 cans pinto beans or Ranch style beans
- 1 can chopped green chiles (4.5 ounce)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large can of diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- In heavy dutch oven, place the ground chuck, the onions, green and jalapeno pepper, green chiles and garlic
- Cook until no longer pink
- Drain excess oil if necessary
- Add the spices, chipotle powder, paprika, cumin
- Stir well
- Add the liquids, Worcestershire sauce, beer, tomato paste, tomatoes, and beans
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- I really like the flavor of Ranch Style Beans but I am not sure if they are available in all areas. I prefer to cook my pinto beans from the dry state, but canned pinto beans will certainly work well in this recipe.
- Toppings: grated cheddar cheese, sliced green scallions, sliced red (or green) jalapenos. (I always have a jar of sliced jalapenos, red or green or both in my fridge)


- 1 large diced onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 chopped garlic cloves
- 3 large chopped yukon gold potatoes
- 1 medium chopped sweet potato
- 2 cups whole kernal corn (can use frozen)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound peeled large raw shrimp
- Saute the onion and garlic in hot oil in heavy dutch oven
- Add potatoes, corn, chicken broth, evaporated milk, salt and pepper
- Bring to a boil, stirring to keep from sticking
- Reduce heat and simmer chowder for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Add the shrimp and cook until pink (about 4 minutes)
- Toppings can include coconut and unsalted peanuts for crunch


- 3 cans black beans (15.5 oz)
- 1 large chopped onion
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 teaspoons chili powder (use chipotle for more spice)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (I like Rotel)
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon beef base
- Drain 2 of the 3 cans of black beans and set aside
- In heavy pot or dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil that has been heated on medium high heat
- Stir onions and garlic to keep from scorching (about 5-7 minutes) until tender
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper
- Add the tomatoes and green chiles
- Stir in the beef base and the black beans
- Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
- Lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes
- Sliced Jalapeno peppers, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese (I keep a jar of sliced jalapenos in the fridge...I sometimes add a teaspoon of the juice to chili.)
- If you want to add soy burger crumbles, you can add about 12 oz.
what a bummer! we were out of town for a funeral from thursday-sunday. we couldn’t have the post office hold our mail (short notice). so we came home late last night to a notice “couldn’t deliver mail due to insecure mailbox”. we live in an apartment complex so we have one of those mail stations…and ours NEVER shuts well, even when we lock it. when other people open theirs, ours pops open too. ugh!
Hi Sarah….
Thanks for your comments…
I once had a mailman put a stop on my mail at my mailbox! When I questioned the post office after not receiving junk mail for 4 days..(who doesn’t get some sort of junk mail most days)….they said it was because the mailman said the “weeds” around the mailbox had bees in them, and he couldn’t leave a notice. The “weeds” by the way were beautiful Columbine Flowers, that I kept under control! I was ordered to remove them or I would no longer receive mail.
I am still waiting for “My Valentine’s Valentine” 😉
Me
What a bummer! And to add insult to injury, your recipient probably didn’t get the valentine on time….
I hear ya!
Me
LOL Frankly, I’m not too happy with the postal service right now, Kari. I left a stamp off one Valentine card, and what does the post office do? They place a sticky over the top of the address and name and return it to me. I had to scrap off the sticky to try to figure out who I sent it to.
To say the least, I was hot. I got enough of the name to figure out who it needed to go to, but what in the heck is wrong with the stamp they used to use saying return to sender. No wonder people are paying their bills on-line.