Ah-ha!

    Regarding yesterday's post on the freaky postage incident Jean commented:
    "Patti, I might know what happened there. I mailed a package this week with
that same postage machine.  When the stamp came out it hugged the top of the
receptacle box and I almost missed it.  I thought it had not come down.  The
postman told me to feel along the top part and there it was.  Maybe someone ahead
of you did the same thing and no one was in there to tell them where the postage
stamp was and they left it.  So when you paid for yours you picked up theirs and
someone elso got yours and turned it into the desk. Does this make sense?"
    Yes, Jean this makes perfect sense!  
       Tom had actually concluded something along the line of your explanation,that is, somebody had left their stamp in the machine and I picked it up, but we still couldn't figure out why anybody would leave their stamp in the machine.  And how did the postal worker get ahold of the stamp that I had bought?  
      But now I get it:  When someone buys a stamp it gets stuck in the machine until the next person comes along.  Then the next person's stamp knocks  down the stuck stamp but gets stuck itself until the next stamp comes along and knocks it down and then becomes the stuck stamp until the next stamp comes along, etcetera, etcetera, per omnia secula seculorum...
        Anyway, I think our local post office needs to fix that machine toot-sweet, because - okay, I was about to make a dumb joke about "going you-know-what"  but my inner director just yelled "Cut! Cut!", so I'll try to remember that the better part of valor is discretion and cut it right here.  'Nuff said, right?   
        Anyway, thanks to Jean for clearing up the mystery!
        Everyone have a wonderful weekend - those on the East Coast and here in the Heartland, stay warm!  See you Monday! ;)