Friday

This is the happy ending to a previously mentioned story about my travails in replacing the watch band to my Timex Ironman.

When the watchband had broken earlier this year, I had been completely frustrated in finding a replacement at any of the local stores. I then went on-line and found a company that specialized in replacement bands, but I couldn't identify the size or style for my specific watch.

I "bookmarked" the Internet site and vowed to take a fresh look at a later date. My broken watch sat on my desk under tax files and miscellaneous stuff. I went several weeks without wearing a watch. And kind of got used to it. I mean, I could always open my phone to get the time if I really needed to.

On April 16th, when in the office to "clean off my desk", I received some do-dad in the mail that had come in a convenient-sized, small-ish cardboard expandable envelope. With a properly-sized mailing package, I decided to give up the ghost and ship the watch to the address on the Internet rather than try to guess the right band from pictures on the site. (Internet dating isn't the only place that you can get into trouble by relying on pictures.) I enclosed a hand-written note requesting the replacement and included a check for $20 which was $6-8 more than the most expensive band on the site.

I figured it was 50-50 if I ever saw my watch again. I even refused to insure it when asked to do so by the clerk at the post office. And I certainly didn't pay for express delivery or return receipt. I called the effort "a shot in the dark".

Well, flip on the switch. Light is shining in my world today!

In the morning mail here at the office today there was a small package addressed to me from a NY firm. Inside was my watch. With a new band. And a second band to boot! I figured that they had merely done what I had asked them to do, and that they threw in the extra band as a means of making"change" for my $20. I was (and remain) ecstatic.

The final piece of the story came in the noon mail. There was a hand-addressed envelope from the watchband company containing a copy of my original note, with my check attached. Hand-written on the page was a request for me to re-issue my check for $14.45 as they didn't issue refunds! My replacement band came in a two-band pack!

Whoa, Nellie! Checking the time (on my wrist!), I see it's Biaggi's time! I'm outta here.

But I am stopping on the way and buying a lottery ticket. I'm feeling pretty lucky today!

BCOT