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.

Day trip

Mossy Bank Park

     I  took a small trip to Bath, NY on Sunday to see my father and brother in-law. Dad is in a nursing home and my brother in-law is in a group home. Dad was sitting in the hallway when Ann and I got  there and he was fast asleep.( I usually try to get there before 10am in order to catch him awake.) I got to have a small conversation with him, around a minute. The rest of the time he slept and I just sat and watched.  After a few minutes a resident scooted to us with his wheelchair and said to us "you two look well rested". You could tell the gentleman just wanted to converse with us. He had a plastic necklace on and a straw hat with a colorful band on it. I said I liked his necklace and he said " I think it's kind of ugly. But, it brings up conversation." I asked him if he got much company and he said no, they are too busy and that his wife and him never had children. All the whole time you could see loneliness in his eyes. He also said he liked to fish and at that moment my father sits up and says"let's go fishing!"  I said' let's go! And, he dozed off again. We stayed a few more minutes and woke him long enough to say we would see him next week. I might try to find the other gentleman to talk with him too next time. I figure there are close to 100 relatives in my family to see dad, I can give that lonely man a few minutes of my time.

     We then headed to my brother in-laws home. We stopped by the store and picked up his usual soda. When we got there he was sitting at the table getting ready to eat some oatmeal. He was in his grumpy state, not to us but to the aides. I have learned not to take his grumpiness to heart a long time ago. We stayed for about a half hour, talking about the relatives and who has stopped to visit. we found out why he was grumpy though, he decided he would get up and walk with his walker without help and he fell. The way he was acting he was blaming the aides for it. I just said it was his way of getting the pretty aides attention, he laughed out loud and says "YEP".
     We do find our lives busy and it is hard sometimes to pull away from our schedule to see our relatives and friends. But, we try our best to see them and sometimes thats not enough. I have relatives that are strung up and down the east coast Some I see on a yearly basis and others I haven't seen in years. So, do your best to see a friend or relative, it might mean the world to them.
    

I'm an IDIOT!!!

  
 I know this is the same story I put on Facebook but, I had to put it on here too.

 

 

        Most of you noticed the work being done across from the Rockwell Museum. I usually deliver to the UPS Store in the back. With the work being done I have been delivering out front and double parking. Today I did the same thing,as I was turning the corner to park I turned on the flashers, stopped and parked the truck. I was getting out and heading to the store, when a lady yelled from her car " Hey!! I think what you did was illegal you IDIOT!!!" When I looked she was right up the to the back of my truck, she gets around me and squeals her tires, swearing all the way. I guess if you weren't driving so close you would have seen my break lights and flashers. I walked into the store laughing and I said "I have been double parking on market for twelve years and no complaints" At that moment a customer says to me "you may have been doing it that long but, is it really legal??" Wow! I get called an idiot and insulted in the same few moments. I'm so loved!!! 

TICKET!

    

Not so tough!

Corning Wineglass Marathon

    I got a chance to watch the Wineglass Marathon today. I must have taken over 500 pictures, showing the young and old,Some did the half marathon and some did the full,  some were there to compete while others just wanted to say they did it. . The first guy in on the half must have been at least 15-20 minutes ahead of everyone. In most of my pictures the runners would smile for the camera, I had some stop for a pose before finishing the race, they were just having fun. I got a big thank you for coming out to support them as they ran by. I saw at least ten friends, family and customers while I was there and I got most of their pictures. I sometimes want to get out there and do it but, to try running after I have walked all day just doesn't motivate me. You never know I might surprise you next year, just to say "I did it!!"

Gregg

Do you recognize these people?? I know a few of them.

First place half marathon.

Stopped for a shot.

I didn,t recognize the guy in the beard until he said something to me.

Al
 

 



Kirsten

Missy

Courtney

    All of the pictures will be on Facebook to view.If you see yourself or a friend get a hold of me, since they are in a small format. I will send you the full size in order to print larger sizes. Also if you know some of the people, tag them for me, this way they can see them. Here is my photobucket link of them:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3833346520023.2142869.1468714655&type=3
     I also had Kathleen Ricardson shooting pics with me. So, if you see similar pictures you will know why.

 



To my surprise!!

     I had been on vacation for two weeks and one of our part time employees was delivering my route. There were no big complaints and I don't worry too much about the mistakes, we all make them. As I was getting to the end of my route I was delivering to an apartment complex which had six buildings in it. I had cut over to start the third building and was almost to the end when I heard the next door I was to deliver open. When I got to the door a well rounded girl in her twenties and only about five foot was standing in front of me in a slinky teddy. When she saw me she realized it wasn't who she expected and screamed. " Oh my God!! You're not the mailman that was here all week!!!" As she is saying this she slams the door shut, I blurted out quietly "Amen!".  I confronted the substitute the next day and explained what happened. He couldn't stop laughing and said she had been hitting on him and trying to get him to go out with her all week and thanked me for saving him.
     Since this is a short story I decided to tell you one of my favorite Postman jokes:                                                                                                  



 

 





It was a rainy day so, I decided to sit at Donnas Restaraunt and have lunch. 

 

     I was walking down the street one day dragging my right leg, around the corner an older man was walking toward me dragging his left leg. We met up at the corner and sized each other up. He says grabbing his leg. "Land mine Vietnam 1965 tore it up good. How about you??" I looked at him and tried not to laugh and said grabbing my leg." Dog crap 2 blocks back!!"

Race day Sunday



Glasses for the runners