This will be a short report for this week – like most other guys, we have

left all of our Xmas shopping until the last minute. It’s not that we hadn’t

thought about it, or hadn’t done anything about it – rather we had

(mis)placed all our trust in the new promised land of eCommerce.

The proposition is so tempting – browse in the comfort of the home office, don’t even have to lift a finger turning the pages of the fishing catalogs when a click of the mouse will do – and hey presto ! The whole family has a new gaff for the season – even one of those nice gold ones for my wife.

Unfortunately, there is weak link in the chain – and it is called the US Postal service. Whatever happened to those dedicated men of days gone by, when the mail would get through no matter what the weather or what turpitude was placed in their way………..now a little bit of snow causes delays at the “sorting facility”  - and I have to go to the mall on Xmas Eve.. Well actually, I have to go to the car park at the mall first and cruise for a couple of hours sparring with the school moms who have advanced degrees in finding open parking spaces before anyone else.