Waiting around

Our building has a magical front door. It is secured by spells and enchantments, and poses a riddle to any who would enter: they must punch a mystical sequence of numbers into a graven metal keypad. Should they succeed in answering the riddle, the spells awaken a mechnical homunculus who opens to door to the lobby. In the lobby, there are mailboxes and then another door with an arcane electric mezuzah. Waving a magical RFID talisman by this mezuzah awakens a second homunculus who opens the inner portal, allowing you to access the stairs or the seductive elevator.

The only problem with all these protective spells and sigils is that they seem to utterly stymie many types of delivery. Canada Post knows the secrets of the outer door and can enter to put mail into our mailboxes. Amazon delivery people also seem to know the ways of the outer door or have some other form of deep magic that lets them pass. But more mundane delivery folk must either be admitted by one who knows the secrets or fail in their mission.

Several items we have ordered were to be brought to us by Purolator. But sadly, Purolator couriers are not wise in the ways of magical doors, nor is there a way to inform them through their web site or induce them to call us upon their arrival. Therefore, they cannot but fail their mission, and, upon failing, the Purolator couriers slink back to their headquarters and take our packages back with them. Alas!

Thus, when a package of any importance is to be delivered this way, there is nothing to do but wait out front, and hope to intercept the shipment upon arrival. Which means waiting around. Fortunately, this world is full of interesting distractions, and within eyeshot of the front door, there are many interesting things to see. Here are some of them, as observed ths afternoon.