Oh, the Woes of the Post Office!

We have been hearing for years now about the sad state of affairs at the U.S. Post Office.  I am certain I can't fix it, but Gee Wiz!  I could sure tell them a few things that are wrong.

I had to go today to buy stamps for the office.  There was one person working the counter.  There was a line.  I finally moved up and asked for two rolls of stamps.  All was well until I asked the woman for the new rates for additional ounces and for post cards.  She didn't know.  She didn't have a list.  She left the counter for a couple minutes hunting the answer and came back without one.  To sum it up, NO ONE in the Post Office knew what the new rates are!

Before Christmas I succumbed to their advertising.  The emails and TV ads all said "easier, quicker" to order your stamps and have them delivered.  I don't like standing in lines any time, but especially at Christmas, so I ordered some stamps we needed.  It took over TWO WEEKS to get them!  And they were coming FROM THE POST OFFICE!

Their problem is ongoing and not just something that has popped up all of a sudden.  Years ago I had to go speak to the office manager because some of our mail - bills I had paid and sent - took twelve days to get from one end of town to the other.  The person in charge told me, to my face, that it was not the responsibility of the Post Office to make sure the mail got to the destination.  When I questioned that,  I got snippy attitude.  This was a factor in my learning how to pay bills online.

I still use the Post Office.  There are a couple things that still need to be paid by "snail mail"  and I still send greeting cards.  UPS has been an alternate source for sending packages but they are pricing themselves out of business for some things.

I know the Post Office is an American "institution" and has been around forever.  I wish them well.  But come on, guys.  Get your act together!

And stay safe!

BRRRR!

Hey, all!

It is still cold here.  We got a couple inches of snow and some ice yesterday as I mentioned in the previous post.  And I just know if you live farther North or out West, you're just rolling your eyes and laughing about how everything shut down around here.  But that's just the way it often is the farther South you live.  We deal with it.

Many years ago Golfer and I were stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC.  I was working at a shopping center and we both had to be out on the roads.  A rare snow storm hit and everyone got excited!  The "powers that be" decided the snow had to be removed from one of the bridges and they sent the firetruck out to hose it off.  I think you know where this story is headed... not only did the snow stay put, but it was now covered with thick ice and they had to close it down!  A good learning experience there.

Anyway, things were still COLD and a lot of roads were icy this morning.  Golfer and I have stayed home today.  I tackled some cleaning and other household jobs.  We watched some TV and a movie.  We're both working on a couple good books.  There's a pot of chicken on the stove cooking right now for chicken and noodles.  The furry kids have burrowed under the big quilt on the bed.

The temperature finally got above freezing about mid-afternoon and the dripping has begun off the roof.  It will refreeze tonight, but it's supposed to gradually warm up the next couple days and actually be sunny and 50 on Monday!

Golfer and I did not go to the concert last evening.  We just decided it was silly to take a chance on getting hurt or stuck somewhere.  Ferguson Center let him exchange the tickets for a show later in February.  We'll be seeing the "Doo-Wop Tribute" !  As Golfer says, "Old people rule!"

Bikini is busy taking care of Brief.  She successfully checked his incision without getting sick, so everyone was happy about that.  :)   Brief is having to make some adjustments and it is hard to accept help when you are used to doing for yourself.  I have personal experience in this area and know what I am talking about.  But I am sure he is in good hands.

I hope all is well wherever you are.  Stay safe!

A Peaceful Birthday

Hey, all.

It's freakin' COLD here!  I don't think it's gotten above 30 degrees in several days.  We had flurries yesterday.  It just started snowing again about thirty minutes ago and today it is sticking.  We're supposed to get two to four inches.  The traffic alerts are going out.  Like I said, snow for thirty minutes.  Already one lane of the James River Bridge is closed.  There's an ice advisory at the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, a seven mile back-up at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and multiple other accidents around the area.  And it's Friday.  Fun times!

Golfer is taking me to the Black Watch Pipes and Drums concert this evening for my birthday.  Fortunately, it isn't too far away.  Snow around here always makes us uneasy.  We're okay with it, having grown up in Ohio and living in Germany and Colorado.  But most of the drivers here have no experience with it.  The mind set is "drive faster and get out of it sooner".  That just does not work.  Golfer and I will be extra careful.

I worked this morning and we've just been hanging out here at home this afternoon.  Obviously it is too cold for Golfer and his buddies to go play golf.  They are smart men.  :)

Our son-in-law Brief had shoulder surgery today.  Bikini has him home and is watching over him.  We hope he has a smooth recovery.  It's been a busy week there as one of the kitties -Jett - had eye surgery and Boxer got sick and had to see the doctor.  Boxer and Jett are doing fine.

Nurse J is doing well.  BeyB had exams this week.  She's happy for a long weekend after studying and testing.

I took BeyB to see "Les Miserables" recently.  This isn't the kind of movie I would normally see or like, but she wanted to see it.  Her friends had seen it and no one else in the family was enthused about going,  so I took her.  It was pretty good. The French revolution was an ugly time for humanity, and I didn't realize the whole show was singing.  I knew it was a musical, but not that there were only about a dozen or so spoken words!  I will say that Hugh Jackman deserves every award he gets for this though!

Golfer and I saw "Zero Dark Thirty" this week.  Well done, but another tough subject.

Nurse J took me to see "Beauty and the Beast" at Ferguson Center for my birthday.  Great performers!  It's one of the traveling Broadway shows that visits here.

Thinking about movies, shows and TV that we watch made me think about some favorite and famous lines....you know, like Arnold's "I'll be back!"  And from "Steel Magnolias" the line by Weezer (sp?) "he's a boil on the butt of humanity".  But one of the best was one Golfer and I heard last evening while watching "Suburgatory".  Dallas was speaking of her ex-husband: "he's an absolute skid mark on the pristine panties of my soul".  We just cracked up over that!

My phone has been beeping with more traffic alerts and I heard a thump on the other side of the sound wall at the back edge of our property.  I'm headed off to a hot shower.  Stay warm.  Stay safe.  And be happy!

Happy Anniversary, Bikini and Brief!

We love you!  Have a good day!

Happy Birthday, Bloomer!

We love you!

Virginia Weather, the Week in Review

This picture of the lovely daffodil blooming outside my office window was taken on Monday.















And this was taken at home Friday morning, after having rain all week.  We actually got more snow than this, but it didn't stick because of all the puddles around!

Stay safe!

Just Saying "HI!"

I hope you are all doing well and getting off to a great start of the new year!

At our house the flurry of activities around the holidays is over, the un-decorating is done.  Cleaning has been done, sorting out of things to donate has been started.  The "bad" medicine is out of my system and things are getting back to normal.  Life is good!

It's been cold here in Virginia.  No snow yet, but that's okay with me.  It can warm up and stay sunny any time now!

Our large kitchen window had to be removed and reinstalled.  There was a persistent small leak that caulk did not fix.  We are waiting for the next windy rainstorm to check it and then we can get our "painter guy" in to do some touch-up fixes. 

Golfer spent some time putting together a new desk chair for us.  It was one of those deals where we thought the huge box would hold a couple pieces that would "snap" together quickly.  Not so.  Many pieces, but pretty good instructions and he got it together nicely.  It's comfortable for both of us and the furry kids enjoyed the huge box for a while!

I plan to read the owners' manuals on my new kitchen items and maybe try some new recipes soon.  I'll let you know how that goes.  Also on the to-do list is cleaning out the filing cabinet and starting to collect info for the tax preparer. 

I've started reading some of my new books that I got for Christmas, plus some that the girls have loaned me.  Also getting back into the regular routine of going to the "Y".  So as you can see we are settling in to the new year.

Stay safe!