Day off!

     I have the day off today! I thought I would go to Market street for a haircut(much needed) and pay a few bills. Then I will see what pictures I can get  for today.









I toured the west end of market at the Vitrix glass, Corning Art and Frame Shop and 94 West Antiques

 

 At the Art and Frame Shop James does more then fames, he also makes his own guitars and sells music posters and art.

. I got permission to get up close and personal at Vitrix to get some great shots, it was quite hot in the furnace area.

Another day of faces.

    I sat under an awning today taking candid shots which, only a handful of people dodged the rain. Half were just your regular Riffraff. ( Just kidding guys). Others yelled from their cars telling me to get to work. That would be Dan doing the yelling who, is a retired postal worker. I just sit and watch the people walk up and down market street looking at their expressions and to see if they catch me taking their picture. The ones you see looking at me as I shoot are mostly my regular customers.

Faces of the day.

     I thought I would post daily pictures on the blog. I will save the stories for the weekends. This way you see pictures every day during my lunch break. I will add some jokes once in a while.

Lack of mail!

    
      In the last ten years the mail volume has gotten less and less. The total routes in Corning have gone from seventeen routes to eleven in the last twelve years. Almost every customer got at least a piece of mail every day, from a piece of advertisement to a love letter or birthday card. Now a days some customers are lucky to get a piece of mail a week let alone daily. The funny part is what some of us carriers were talking about the other day and this has happened to most of us. We would walk past a house or two that normally would get mail and after getting down a few houses a customer would come out , yell down to us and say... "HEY!! DID I GET ANY MAIL???" The customer would sometimes call us back just to ask us that question.  I have even made the mistake of delivering to the wrong house because, I usually go to that house daily. I would realize what I did when I got to the next house, then have to go back and sometimes stop the customer before they take it.

My home town!

     The wife and I got to get out of town for a few hours to visit some friends. I forget sometimes how isolated things still are in the country. I do miss being in the country just not the isolation, being only a half block from work and a half mile from stores has its perks. The pictures are of our drive back from the country to the "big city".

Stamps!!!

The stamp price is going up again! I will here for the next few weeks "I see your getting a raise!" If only that was true. Here is a link that explains it. http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/uspsabout.htm

     I have seen different ways that people have tried to send a letter or package in the mail or have tried. You know when you get a book of stamps and there is a large stamp when you use up all the regular stamps, I have seen people try to use that large stamp. I have seen people send birthday cards and not put on enough postage, making the birthday person pay for the rest when they recieve it or have to go to the post office to get it. People have cut a stamp from another letter or package and taped it on a new letter. (our machines pick up tape covered stamps.) Also, people have used the stamps you see on bulk business letters, the ones businesses use to get a lower rate. I have had people put their letter in the box with no stamp and wonder why it came back. Most of the time if  I catch the mistake I will explain why your item can not be delivered. I think the biggest reason people do this is to cut corners and to see what they can get away with, even for 46 cents.

     As for the stamp going up, where in the world can you drive your car or fly a plane to pay your bill for 46 cents. Also, can you travel from NY to CA for 10.95 to deliver a package of goodies to a loved one?? Just think! You  go to the P.O. pay for your shipping, the clerk puts your package in a hamper, a driver picks up that hamper, drives over 100 miles to a larger facility, gets processed, loaded on a larger truck and heads to your state destination and all taking approx. 3 days for only $10.95. Think about it! I mean, if you want to pay for my gas and lodging on the way to CA. I would love to take a few days off. That would be a nice trip. But, I'm guessing your going to go for the $10.95.LOL

Something Punny!




Vases at Vitrix Glass

Growing up,I had a hard time looking people in the eyes when I talked to them. If any of you ever really noticed and looked back when you first met me, I didn't look at you eye to eye. It took working for the post office and my wife to be able to get better and it worked. I still have issues when I meet a new person or customer. So, to help me break the ice I tell little puns and sometimes jokes. If you laughed or even cracked a smile I was in.If, you glared at me I was worried!

One of my favorites






 
       Here are some of the puns I would say to my business customers, most would get the pun right away, others I would have to say it again. like:


Linda of 94 West Atiques

     I was delivering to the liquor store and asked if business was "pretty loaded!"  I asked the window washer if his job was"paneful"
 I have asked the antique dealers if business was"old"

I even asked the water cooler guy if his job was "fluid"
  I stopped in and asked if the hairstylist if their business was "cut and dry"
 
 To the jeweler I would ask if his business was "faceted"

A few pieces from the Carder- Steuben Glass shop

This also shows that I do have a sense of humor. I may look grumpy when I work but, I don't need to smile to do my job. I'm more concerned on getting the right address and tripping on something when I walk.
     When you see me on the street with my camera, don't hesitate to stop and talk. Maybe I will take your picture and you will be on my blog. Besides, how often do some of you see a mailman with a camera instead of his satchel?



Scarecrow in front of Beyond Baskets

Giving directions.

     I have a lot of people asking for directions, some looking to get out of town, others looking for a good restaurant or business, I can also tell when people are lost. I was delivering on the southside of town when I noticed this car passing me every few minutes, it was stopping every few seconds and the lady was looking around. She finally pulled up to me and asked if I could help. She says " could you tell me where the court house is.. I saw the one down the street but, that wasn't it."  I asked her if she had a paper with the address on it. She hands me the paper and it said 3 East Pulteney Square, Bath, NY. I  handed her the paper back and said "You are in the wrong town. This is Corning."

     I have also helped people find there own homes. A car pulls up to me and the driver asks if I knew this woman and that she found her wandering down the street looking for her house. The woman was in her eighties or so and It was around 95 degrees out and you could tell it affected her. I finally asked her name and when she told me, her address clicked in my head. I also realized that the woman must have walked a mile or so. To be able to get where she was found, she must have walked a few blocks to get to the train under pass. There is no way to cross at where she lives. They drove off and when the driver came back She told me it was the right house and thanked me.