Well, all right … we’ll go with the not quite binary 121212.

Somehow seems like it should be 123-123-123.

But then, it would not be nearly as funny when called “Sound Check Day” … as my friend from Ireland posted today.

And guess what I was doing at 12:12:12 on 12/12/12?

Talking to a person from the US Postal Service to try to find out why a very valuable Registered Package appears to have disappeared into thin air.

He: Why yes, I see that you dropped it off at the Post Office on December the 6th.

Me: And?

He: And I understand that when you gave those numbers to the phone tracker it said there was no such package.

Me: And the history?

He: Yes, the history has absolutely nothing since then.

Me: And they said it would deliver when?

He: It was to have arrived on the 8th.

Me: Help me understand why it has not arrived yet, then.

I learned the phrase “Help me understand …” from a marketing rep years ago where I worked. It lulls the other person into a false sense of security that you just don’t understand something … and they, the superior one, must explain it to you.

It works best with something like this … “Help my understand why you were not able to do the easiest thing in the world?” They then have an undefensible position.

But I digress.

He: Well, maybe the label got scratched so it was hard to scan.

Me: Hold on! (as I hastily click the Ctrl-PrtScn keys in the background)

He: Whats that?

Me: Well it’s exactly 12:12:12 on 12/12/12 and I wanted to get a screen shot at exactly that time … for my blog.

He: Ookkaaay.

Me: So what about my Registered Insured Parcel that was supposed to arrive in two days and hasn’t been heard from in six days?

He: I just looked at its value … and see that it is quite a lot.

Me: And?

He: We are assigning a person to research just this package. We will have an answer for you by tomorrow morning. This is serious.

Me: Thank you very much.

Now reality is that I don’t much care to get the package found if they are willing to use the insurance to cover it … so there is no great urgency.

But I thought it interesting that the USPS … who makes no mistakes … ever … at least not that they ever admit to … on this day … at 12:12:12 on 12/12/12 … admitted there was something wrong.

And no, I don’t really think that there is one person who will work tirelessly on looking for just my package … it’s not worth all that much … but it sounded good on the phone.

The timing was perfect.