Two days before Christmas and I went on a spy adventure through the neighborhoods of Winter Garden trying to track down a rogue FedEx truck. Michelle had been waiting all day for a package containing an important Christmas present for me. Finally, at around 5:30pm, I saw the FedEx truck go whizzing past our house without stopping. I immediately let her know, but it was too late. When she hurried outside, she only caught a glimpse of it turning a corner before disappearing.

I thought I could catch up to it if I hopped on my Segway, but by the time I got it out the door and zipped down the street, it was already gone. Michelle frantically called FedEx to try to alert the driver, but they told her the next delivery attempt would not be made until Tuesday, two days after Christmas. But hope was not lost. I jumped in the car and sped away, promising her I would track the truck down.

My first instinct was to turn left out of our neighborhood, as there are many other subdivisions nearby in which FedEx could have been delivering to next. But just after entering a nearby community, I realized my mistake. FedEx surely wouldn’t have planned a route involving left turns. They take far too long.

I backtracked and ventured toward the other housing communities as if I had taken a right out of mine. But I quickly discovered that every other community nearby was gated, like mine, and I had no access. After passing four separately-gated areas, I turned back down the road and drove slowly, hoping to find a car to follow inside. But what I found was even better.

Not far down the street, a FedEx truck pulled out of a community in the distance in front of me. I quickly accelerated until I was on his tail. I was not going to let this truck out of my sight. I followed it into another housing development, matching its every turn until it finally came to a stop in front of a house. I waited for the driver to open the door – and then I pounced.

Flinging open my car door, I rushed over to him to let him know he, or one of his fellow delivery colleagues, had missed our house. And as luck would have it, was indeed the very driver who frequented our home, so much so that he instantly recognized me. He was at first puzzled by the notion that he missed a delivery, saying he had left a note on a house down the street from mine where no one was home. But then his error dawned on him.

He exclaimed a mild expletive as he checked a rather large package in the back of his truck, after which he told me that he had inadvertently tried to deliver our package – Michelle’s glorious Christmas present – to another house, not only on this day, but the day before as well! Fortunately, the occupants of the other house were not home either time and he still had it in his possession.

The package was far too large to fit into my own car, so he assured me he would return to our house after making a few more stops. I believed him, but didn’t trust him, so I continued to tail him, stop by stop, house to house, until together we reached my street. He pulled over to first pull off the note he had left on the wrong house before arriving at mine.

In the meantime, I had called Michelle to let her know my mission was a success. Upon stepping foot inside our house, she hugged me and thanked me for tracking it down. She greeted the FedEx driver at the door, accepting both the package and his many apologies. They exchanged holiday pleasantries and parted ways, allowing Michelle to finally secure my precious present. I was thrilled to have been able to succeed in my quest, but was left wondering just what was inside the extra large box.

To be continued…