Sometimes the lack of a system really works

My Mexicali neighbours have moved out of the house next door to us. I don't think I had anything to do with it. At least I hope not. I think it had more to do with their innate desire to live in a house that would most likely not implode at any arbitrary moment of the day or night.

They moved around the corner into a brand new place where one can reasonably expect everything to be in working order. One reason that I don't think they left because of me is the fact that they told me where they were going -- in other words, they weren't afraid that I might have that information.

And the one other nice thing that they did for me -- although not intentionally and really not of their own doing -- was leaving behind their daily delivery of the Jerusalem Post!

I am too cheap to buy it daily (11 nis for 8 pages) and after my bad experience with subscribing, I am definitely not doing that again any time soon. However, as further proof of the Jerusalem Post's inability to deliver newspapers to people who actually pay for them (and by default, not deliver newspapers to people who don't pay for them), the old Mexicali house is still getting its daily paper. And now that I have figured that out, I scoot over there every morning and pick it up. My morning coffee tastes much better with a newspaper.

David and Batia, I would just like to thank you for leaving me such a fun free gift -- six pages of stories previously posted on the internet and a few editiorials that I have not yet read on any given day. Also, I now have a growing collection of rubber bands which can be used for a wide assortment of things.

My greatest concern is that the Jerusalem Post is eventually going to figure out its error. I am pretty sure that the Mexicali's called the Post's Admin Office to tell them that they wanted their paper redirected to their new address. I am also willing to bet that even if they are now getting the paper at their new address, that the Post will still send a daily copy to the old address for at least the next six months.

So, with a little luck, I have about five months and three more weeks of free reading before my newspaper gravy train runs out. Technically the Post owes me several free issues for all the unwanted issues they sent me and charged me for, for months after I canceled my own subscription three years ago.

I just hope that my new neighbours, when and if they arrive, decide to get a subscription to Ha'aretz. Then, I hope they also leave after a year. But with my luck, Ha'aretz has a more efficient Administration Department.