Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Mail

I am waiting on a call from the office of Bob's cardiologist. Will see what he recommends.
Later: Cardiologist cut in half one of his medications. We'll try this a few days and see if it gives him a little pep.
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How do you feel about mail, the paper kind, that appears in your mailbox?

Mail time around our house is super important. Bob absolutely has to get the mail every single day, rain, shine, sleet or snow. If he's not able to make the trip to the mailbox it becomes my job.

Another one of those things we differ on. I would go days before I'd remember to pick up the mail if it were left to me. In fact, our postman says Bob is one of a very few, out of 500 apartment units, that checks for mail every day. Our postman complains because many residents let the mail build up until their box gets full and he has to take it back to the post office.

I don't complain about picking up the mail because it gives me a little exercise walking the two blocks to the mailbox but I never expect anything of importance to be in the box. Most days I'm right. I don't know why Bob bothers to carry the ads home only to throw them in the trash here. I would trash them at the mailboxes except I know Bob expects me to bring back every scrap of mail.

I pay all our bills on line. We no longer receive hand written letters. There's just not much of importance that still comes to our mailbox. Oops, wrong, we do receive our prescriptions by mail.

For a time we heard rumors the postal service would cut home delivery to five days a week but haven't heard anymore about that. Once a week would be fine with me.

I'm a little surprised we still receive so many catalogs. I don't order out of catalogs. I go online and order. I suppose we have to keep some of this stuff going because printing catalogs gives somebody a job.

I don't want to cut jobs. I just wonder if the postal service could not be managed better, retrain some people, run the place more efficiently. Probably too much to ask.

How important is daily mail delivery to you?

29 comments:

  1. It's only important if I am expecting a package or a card. I usually let it go for days. I still pay my bills by mail, so it takes extra effort to make sure I send the checks on time. DH doesn't like to pay online or automatic bank withdrawal.

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    1. Yes it is considerably more work writing checks and using the postal service to pay bills. DH is doing his part to keep the postal service running in the black.

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  2. I was complaining about junk mail once and somebody told me to be greatful because their payments allow our postage rates to be low. I don't know if this is true. I'm like you about the need for mail. I don't want to cut out anybody's job but mail today is pretty worthless - except for the coupons I get for the thrift store. How great is that - not only a thrift store, but coupons. Now that's what makes America great.

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    1. Our sister-in-law moved out of a house in Houston two years ago, letting it go back to the mortgage company. To this day she still drives by that unoccupied house and picks up the mail every few days, says she doesn't want the box to fill up with junk mail. There's dumb and then there's dumber. That's dumber.

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  3. I pay all our bills online too. I'd be fine with a reduced mail delivery. And why do we get all those catalogues??? They immediately go into recycling bin. I don't order from them as I prefer to order things online. Seems like such a waste.

    My very elderly mom lives for her daily mail. She lives in a handicapped apartment, so it gets delivered right to her front door. It's her connection to many folks whom she does not see anymore.

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    1. I'm delighted your mom has that kind of mail service and I hope it lasts the rest of her life.

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  4. The mail never crosses my mind, but my husband can't stand the thought of there mail in the box. Even if we get no mail, he checks the box a couple of time just to be sure the mailman wasn't just running late.

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    1. Oh, do I hear you on that one. Nothing like running your arm in an empty mailbox multiple times a day!

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  5. Our mailbox is on the street so we do check it every day. Usually only junk mail and bills so there is no great joy or eagerness in doing it, just one of those little chores that needs to be done. (Coincidentally I wrote about hand writing letters today, it would be nice to receive hand written letters again but I'm afraid that is a thing of the past.)

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    1. Our mail box is not that convenient but we need the exercise so that makes it all right. It is frustrating to go and realize you've gone to early and have to go again.

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  6. We always check the mail daily. We still get some bill statements via mail, even though we pay them by auto-pay. I pay most of our bills that way, or on line. Mail theft is a problem here.
    But yes, jobs! Our son finally has a long term job as a USPS letter carrier, after many years of unreliable employment as a surveyor. He admits that he delivers "junk", even though he is cautioned not to call it that. He really likes the job but says the USPS management is terrible. I say "jobs" - obs making the junk, jobs delivering it, and jobs recycling it. Hail the mail!

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    1. Linda, I once worked as a substitute mail carrier and we were told to call junk mail "bread and butter mail" because without it we wouldn't have jobs.

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    2. Very interesting. It is true if the USPS depended on hand written letters they'd go out of business. They are being hurt by the decreasing amount of subscribers to magazines and newspapers.

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  7. The dog would not like it if he didn't get to leave pee mail while I'm picking up my mail down at the street. I don't like the idea of paying my bills online so I still get a fair amount of important mail. With catalogs, if I don't want them I call to get taken off the mailing list because I hate to see paper/trees wasted. But the minute I order online the catalogs start over again and I have to call again.

    Glad you called Bob's doctor!

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    1. It's so hard to remember how all these pieces fit together to provide jobs and income for people and businesses plus income for USPS.

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  8. Weekly mail would be fine with me. When I was in the arctic each spring and fall we would go six weeks without mail!!!

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    1. Hmmmm, six weeks, I'll have to think about that. I think we're spoiled.

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  9. Hi Linda, I picked up your site at Linda's Life Journal. Love the Chapmans. If you would send me your address, I would send your Bob a letter or card here and there. I love mail too. especially in the winter...just have to walk to the end of the drive. There's no better feeling than getting a letter from my sister or daughters. Blessings to you dear lady. xoxo, Susie

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    1. Susie, thanks for leaving a comment. I have emailed you my address. As you know we are pretty homebound these days. Bob's health is pretty fragile. Looking forward to getting to know you.

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  10. I still pay my few bills by paper so I guess paper mail is important to me. Though I no longer get letters, I do still love the seasonal or birthday cards. Also look forward to the magazines I subscribe to plus our weekly newspaper that is delivered by mail. Add in the several former and current USPS employees in my family--think I'd better vote that it stay.

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    1. Fortunately for you I don't see mail service going away anytime soon. It's sad we've all stopped writing notes, cards, and letters. For us older people we've often outlived family and friends.

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  11. I still check the mail although most days there is nothing in the box. I like to get catalogs, actually, just to browse the]rough them.

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    1. Once we retire checking the mail becomes something to do during the day. I don't see catalogs going away so you should have plenty to browse through for years to come.

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  12. It's funny you talk about mail just when I was about to ask you to private message me your address! Yesterday I mailed off a dozen notecards to blogging friends with little fingerprint art book markers the quads made. Some cards had a signature or two from them as they are learning how to write their names and a couple of cards had all their names plus my handwritten note of course! Back when Amber and Benjamin were home, we wrote and mailed at least one card every day. Letters, art, notes, etc. of course we didn't have Facebook and Blogger to keep in touch with everyone like we do now. Still, I love to get and receive mail!

    As far as the 'other' kind of mail, I do the very same thing you do! Trash it fast! I have taught Louis Dean the 'only touch it once' principle- bring it in and DO NOT LAY IT DOWN! Either trash it or take whatever is important straight to his desk if it's his or to my kitchen planner if it's mine!

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    1. I have responded with my address and will look forward to receiving bookmarks from the quads. You've trained Louis Dean well. That's an excellent way to handle mail.

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  13. We rarely receive anything of interest in the mail. I pay our bills online. Most of our mail consists of flyers and solicitations for donations. Most of this stuff goes directly from our mailbox to our trash can. I remember fondly my penpal days when I was a teenager. Before that, when I was in grammar school, I remember finding the summer Weekly Reader in our mailbox. Oh, the glory days.

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    1. Yes I remember those days. It was great fun going to the mailbox in those days. Seems like I got a Wee Wisdom magazine in the mail.

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  14. P.s. I meant to mention I subscribe to Postcrossing.com. I send a postcard about once a month, and I receive one from China or Russia, or some foreign country in exchange. I enjoy this project.

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    1. I need to check out this Postcrossing.com. Thanks for the info.

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