At the post office I asked for stamps, on account of me having a lot of letters I need to write and mail out—and when the woman behind the counter asked me if I wanted Christmas stamps, I told her I wanted Kwanza stamps instead. There was a large line behind me and when I said this I turned around and flashed my gold tooth at the people there and some people look horrified and others looked at me in the way I hoped they would: as though I were a big huge dumb idiot.

She said: “Shoot, we’re out of Kwanza stamps.”

To which I said: “I’ll take Hanukkah instead if you’ve got em.”

They did have Hanukkah. She handed me a little booklet and I opened it and inside there were twenty menorah stamps with “HANUKKAH” written on the left side and “FOREVER USA” written at the top.

I said: “These are great!” and I paid the woman and left.

Next I had a package to drop off at a UPS store, which is way up Hawthorne, and past my house, and so on. It was an errand that would only take 10 or 15 minutes. But there was ice all over the car and the roads were still slushed with dark snow and I groaned thinking about all the traffic I would hit at Hawthorne and Cesar Chavez.

And then as I turned onto 9th Ave. one of those strange little mundane miracles that I love so much entered my life. In the middle of the street was a UPS truck with its hazard lights on. I drove up to the truck and rolled down my window. A UPS guy was unloading boxes onto a dolly. I said: “Hey man. Can I give you this package?” He walked over and read the label. “Oh yeah!” he said, and he took the box from me. I love it!

I went home and had a fire in my fireplace. Kerwin and I drank a whole bunch of tea and watched huge sheets of ice slide off the farmers’ market tent across the street. What a fine day!!

Now I have some letters to write. Minus the birthday letter I sent to my father, I have nineteen Hanukkah stamps left. Who’s in for one?! Shoot me an email with your address!!!