I have a confession to make. Six days ago, Matthew sent me an email which promptly got buried under a bunch of other emails.  I may or may not have valid excuses for allowing it to do so, but let me just say that the email contained a request that I go to an auto supply store, of all places, for “a 1 and 1/16 inch deep socket with a 1/2 inch drive.”  I don’t exactly speak that language… There were other details, instructions to get a “regular” socket and not an “impact” socket, etc.

Yesterday, I got a rare phone call from Matthew.  Did I get his email?  Oh, that email.  Oops!  I set forth, anxious to get this socket purchased and sent to Alaska as soon as possible and redeem myself.

It was a gorgeous day.  The flowers tossed lazily in the hot summer breeze.  I don’t even know if it’s appropriate to call it a breeze, it was so humidity-laden.  Look at how tired the flowers were:

I don’t know why I was worried.  The guy at Kunkel Auto Supply didn’t even grimace as I stiltedly read my request off the printed-out email.  Within minutes, I had the appropriate deep socket.

This socket had spent a good long time waiting for a lifetime warranty-less socket to fail… or maybe auto shops just collect a lot of dust?

It certainly was a deep socket.

I escorted the socket to the post office (did I mention it was a gorgeous day?),

where a postal worker helped me determine the best, sturdiest package for the socket.  The socket is now travelling post haste to Alaska, land of the sockeye salmon.

In the meantime, let me also redeem myself in your eyes, readers, by presenting you with photographic evidence that I have in fact finished, completely finished, preparing the subscriber mailing!  (Don’t worry, your addresses are actually on the labels; I just photoshopped them out for the picture.)