patience? tolerance? resourcefulness?

I'm trying to figure out what lesson I'm supposed to be learning. Patience, perhaps? When we left Kansas, we were told our household goods were supposed to be delivered no later than December 23rd. I knew that was close to Christmas, but being optimistic tried to believe our shipment might arrive even a couple days early and we'd be settled before the holdiays. We then found out that our no later than date was changed to December 29th- almost a week later.  I had come to accept this as unhappy as I was about it - it's really out of our control. This morning, we received the following email:

Dear MSG JAMES DICKEY,

We received your Household goods shipment. Shipment reference number: KKFA0037175
Our offering date is: 29DEC2010
Please call us to set up an appointment for delivery of this shipment, also we need your *address with zip-code and contact phone number *
*/_The offering on your shipment has to be answered within 3 hours. _/*
*/_Otherwise another delivery date might have to be scheduled._/*
If offer date is not convenient, call us as soon as possible when residence becomes available. This is very important for planning your requested delivery date and our availability within a reasonable time frame.
Office hours 08.00 -- 17.00 Monday thru Friday , except on local holidays.
Regards
Doris Gospodarek

Tomorrow? Really? Jim's at the doctor since he's been fighting a horrible bronchitus/head stuff for two weeks so, I have no phone to call back. I ran to a neighbor's to borrow their phone only to find out it's turned off. So, I email back immediately (10 minutes after her initial email was sent)

Ms. Gospodarek,
YES, please, please, please... tomorrow is wonderful  will fit in with our schedule. ANY TIME At your earliest convenience will work.  We're here ALL day available. Our address is: 5d Hauptstrasse, Oberstaufenbach.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,thank you, thank you, thank you,
Sheila Dickey

I really tried not to sound too overly excited. But, come on... two months living out of suitcases and on horrible borrowed beds is long enough, right? My excitement didn't last too long. This reply an hour later popped my bubble:

Dear MSG JAMES DICKEY,

hereby we confirm your delivery for 04JAN2011
to
HAUPTSTRASSE 5 D
66879 OBERSTAUFENBACH
0170-6046434
regards
Doris Gospodarek

What the heck? January 4th, I don't think so- that's another whole week. She said December 29th and I followed her rules replying within the three hour window. Something must be wrong, so I emailed back as nicely as I could.

We responded within 10 minutes of your initial email that the 29Dec (offering date) would be perfect. Could we please schedule our delivery for the 29Dec-as it was offered to us. We will be available the entire day at your earliest convenience.

Thank you,
Sheila Dickey

Nope- this was my response an hour later:

Mr. & Mrs. Dickey,

We are sorry to inform you that 2 of our drivers have called in sick for the rest of the week. Therefore, we are unable to delivery your shipment on the day initially offered.
Please accept our apologies along with our new offering date of 04 January 2011.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding regarding this matter.
Francis P. Potts

Seriously? Who's allowed to call in sick for the rest of the week and get away with it. It's only Tuesday. Again, nothing we can do about it. Guess January 4th is the date.