For your convenience I have included a short version which precedes the long version.
[Short Version}
I talked to Tripler about sending me something, it didn’t come, and didn’t come, then it came and it was cool.
To summarize, Tripler is cool
[Long Version]
Tripler offered flags from Qatar to those who requested them here. I dropped him an email and made my request. Tripler was a little delayed in responding but I thought I would “cut him some slack” as he was out defending western civilization from terrorists and all.
I started out with feelings of paranoia. After all, Tripler was military trained and I would be giving out my personal information. He may:
not like the way I post and hunt me down.
like the way I post too much and start stalking me once he returned.
have no idea who I am and reject my request.
have no idea who I am and acquiesce.
I submitted my details anyway, hoping Tripler would pick the last option.
Eventually, he responded to myself and several others, in early July of this year, that the requests had been received and that the flags would be sent out shortly. I promptly went to the post office to wait. Well, I didn’t do that because of the loitering laws in Canada, but I did go and inquire as to how long a small package coming from Qatar would take to get to me. The response was, to no surprise, 6 to 8 weeks.
So I waited and waited and waited.
Two weeks, nothing.
Waiting…
Three weeks, nothing.
Waiting…
August, nothing.
Waiting…
A few people that I had told about the package I was to receive, who have no use for the Internet or messageboards, started taunting me.
“See!”, they said, like I had discussed with them whether to ask for a flag or not, “People on the Internet are just made up personas. I bet this person is not even in the middle east and has no intention of sending you anything.”
I tried to defend Tripler saying, “He’s a Doper and they are generally not like that. They have cool Dopefests and everything.”
“When do they have these Dopefests?”, they asked.
“Lots of times.” I retorted then quickly lamented, “But not around here. There are no Dopers around here.”
“Uh-huh!?”, they said. And I could tell they were waiting for me to leave the room so they could look up the phone number for the funny farm.
Waiting…
September, nothing.
I cried out and prayed to… well, I emailed Tripler just to see what was happening. He replied more quickly this time, perhaps the defence of civilization was more of a hobby thing and he was done now. One time I started to collect hockey cards but that only lasted a couple of weeks until I couldn’t chew the gum anymore, maybe it was like that. Anyway, he said he would look into it.
4 weeks later (There must have been a bug in the postal system that violated the 6-8 rule), I received my package from Tripler.
This may be mundane and pointless but it was way overdue:
Thanks Tripler.
