someone quoted tom hanks on their blog this month, “i would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if i knew your name and address.” i love that quote, because who wouldn’t love a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils? or colored gel pens? or a fun stack of paper? or for that matter, a new book of stamps?
this afternoon, i had to go to the post office to send a package. i don’t go to the post office very often because, well, i typically just use email (although i did visit quite a bit while the hubby was deployed). as soon as i walked through the door, the familiar smell of the post office, which i can’t quite put my finger on, washed over me and a dozen memories from my childhood went running through my mind. once upon a time, people used to visit the post office all the time. now you can do it all online in the comfort of your own home. i think more people should visit the post office in person, though. those postal workers are very friendly and willing to help. you don’t get customer service like that just anywhere, you know.
since i was sending the package by way of registered mail, the postal worker behind the counter informed me that i would have to wrap all of the edges and corners in a special brown tape. she handed me the roll of tape, a water bottle with a sponge at the top and some scissors. why the water bottle? because the tape wasn’t actually sticky until you wet it down. she even carved out a little space on her countertop just for me. i felt almost as excited to be working at her counter as i do whenever i go to kinkos to make copies. i could honestly spend hours in there, playing with the colored paper, paperclips and giant paper cutters. after i had sufficiently taped up the box, the lady asked if i needed anything else. absolutely, yes! i needed christmas stamps for our christmas cards. those “holiday knit stamps” were so cute and fuzzy that rather than split up a book of 20, i told her to go ahead and give me three whole books of stamps, because i would use them this season. will i? we are sending out 50 christmas cards, so that leaves me with 10 extra christmas stamps. my challenge for the christmas season is to use up those extra 10 stamps that i bought. surely it can’t be that difficult to sit down and write an actual letter on genuine paper. can it? as much as i love paper and pens and pencils and crafts, i should be able to meet my self-imposed challenge with gusto. look out friends and family: mail is coming your way and it isn’t the electronic kind!
do any of you share my love of paper, pens, pencils and stamps? and what exactly does a post office smell like anyhow?
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8 comments:
i don't know what it smells like either, but you put your finger on it! funny how smells bring out so many memories...christmas cards, i so wish i was ahead of the game, and i'm not. hey, k and i had lunch today and you came up. we're still loving that pic of you and hubs. anyway, she told me where you are, where you're going soon. i have friends in the area if you want to shoot me an email. y'all would love them, and they you.
I guess it's the teacher in me, but anythign resembling a school supply kind of gets me excited, lol.
I love when she smells scotch tape.
I once DID send a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils to somebody.
Oh you are so right! I love the post office...and everything that it respresents (okay, not the people that go postal...rather the normal aspects). I spent so much time writing friends when younger, that the post office was my little looking glass to the rest of the world. And now...it's my link home.
Lovely post.
I love the post office, any office supply store, mailboxes etc., kinko's... any place that will assist in shipping, organizing, etc. In fact, I actually worked for one of the largest third party logistics company in the states. There is just nothing like it.
Yep as teacher (but currently a SAHM), I get so excited over things like that. :-)
BTW,I feel badly because you asked me a diaper question a week or so ago and I can't remember exactly what you asked and I can't find the comment. Was it about what inserts I use? If so, I ordered some hemp inserts off Diaper Swappers to use as doublers in addition to whatever inserts the diapers came with. If that wasn't the question, ask me again. :-) I'm glad you like Diaper Swappers as much as I do. It's so addicting!
I could play with papers, pens, markers, and scissors for hours! I love it. Back to school time was always my favorite because of the school supplies. There's just something about them.
I love office supplies places. :)
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