Russian living: The Post Office...

It is always a gamble going to the Post Office. Will it be busy, will it be empty, will I have to wait a long time, are there new people working there, what time do they close again for their break? All these questions I wonder going into the post office.  Now let me just preface this by saying that even russians say that the post office system makes no sense to them.  I went into the post office today to mail a few letters and immediately saw that there was a line (everyone was paying bills and mailing new years gifts) and I figured there would be since it is the holiday season.  I go and stand in the line for picking up or mailing letters/packages and not in the line for paying bills.  I stand wait, and wait some more. Slowly the next person goes to the counter.  I should also mention that this "line" is just a jumble of people and where you must claim your spot in line and then you can either stand/sit or leave the post office then come back and get right back in that spot.  So I wait some more and realize that there was another person in front of the woman standing in front of me, and wait some more.  More people enter the post office and ask who is last in line, the grandmother behind me, as well as a few other men behind her,  are very vocal in letting the new people know who exactly is last and the grandmother lets them know that she is behind me, the girl.  We wait some more and by now I am sweating (as it is 5 degrees Farenheiht outside and I have on my thick coat) and the grandmother behind me is saying how it is hot and there is no organization and that the organization is interesting.  I smile nod my head and mumble a couple words of acknowledgement back to her.  Slowly the time passes, more people join the line/crowd, the temperature rises and I still wait. After an hour it is finally my turn and in less then three minutes I get my stamps, pay, mail my letters and am walking back out into the sunny cold afternoon.  Minus the extra wait it was a normal trip to the post office, with each visit being a slight variation on todays trip. Don't take for granted being able to put a letter into your mailbox or have Fedex/UPS deliver a package to your door.