I picked up a package of cockroaches from Katt today, and much to surprise they were all alive and well -- I actually opened the box outside because I didn't want to stink up my apt with dead roaches.
Katt now wraps things in cute colored wrappers now so that half blind folks like me are less likely to throw out her extras. The roach pots were wrapped in pink!
The reason for my surprise was the fact that she had mailed the package from Bloomington, IL on Mon, 100509 and today was the 14th. Katt always uses Click 'N Ship which doesn't tell you much on Priority, but after a first message that it had been picked up in Bloomington, the tracking service said that my USPS-generated number did not exist. However, from Wednesday until Saturday, I checked my PO box with no result (they leave a card in your box if you get a parcel). I tried calling USPS on Saturday, but they were already closed and I also discovered that the automated number checking site was now officially "temporarily out of service." I called USPS again on Monday (they were open despite the holiday), and when I got through to a real person she told me that she could not check the number because the computer was down (!)
By last night the service was up again but still without any knowledge of my package. I called the USPS number today and this time the machine lady refused to put me in contact with a live operator. I tried the old trick of hitting "1" over and over without effect and finally had to resort to the duck method. If an automated service lets you give verbal answers, answer "quack" to every question she asks until she (it) finally gives up and transfers you to a live person. Live person told me that the package was waiting to be picked up at the PO, and when I went down and presented the 'non-existent" number they found it right away. I told the guy that they had not left a slip in my box and he said, "Oh."
One of the reasons that Katt's roaches survived so well, aside from the good packaging, is that she put them in deli cups with a lot of leaf mold in them. It obviously works very well. Thanx, Katt!
Morals: All's well that ends well, and don't mess with folks from Chicago.