MAIL CALL: If your post office looks...

MAIL CALL: If your post office looks busier than usual this holiday season, blame Operation Desert Shield. In a 24-hour period Friday, the central mail facility in Santa Ana processed 91,700 packages--a 20% increase over last year, with most boxes heading for the Persian Gulf, spokeswoman Christine Dugas said. Still, Dugas vowed that first-class mail sent through Thursday will arrive before Christmas. . . . After that, she recommends overnight Express Mail.