I NEED FOUR STAMPS!!!!

I went to the post office today so I could establish a local address since I am rogue living at my current residence. (that whole no one not on the lease is allowed to live for more than 10 consecutive days) I nicely waited my turn while the man in front of me scribbled an illegible zip code on the letter he was mailing and the lady had to check with him to make sure his mail could be delivered. then it was my turn. I handed the clerk the form I filled out from the internet and my two forms of ID (credit cards, social security cards not counting) and waited. and then...

"I NEED FOUR STAMPS"

enter belligerent man with highly slurred speech.

the clerk nicely tells the man he needs to wait his turn. the man says "BUT I ONLY NEED FOUR STAMPS" and the clerk tells him to wait again because she is helping a customer. the man grumbles and waits. the clerk asks me if it's ok if she helps the man I say sure and she calls the man up starting to say she'll help him but next time he needs to wait his turn.

"I DON'T NEED NO LECTURES"

and the clerk says fine you can wait now. the clerk goes to help me and the man stands uncomfortably close to me disgruntled at the counter. I huddle near the wall, credit card, passport and driver's license in hand. finally the lady asks the man to go stand in the line place.

"AREN'T THERE SUPPOSED TO BE 2 CLERKS WORKING???"

disgruntled man's newest complaint. he repeats this several times, and then starts grumbling to the other people waiting in line.

"WHEN MY FATHER OPENED THE POST OFFICE THIS PLACE WAS GOOD. NOW IT IS BAD"

never have I been so glad to finish a post office transaction.

just for claire

mail?

in all the things that are supposed to be difficult about moving making my mail appear is not supposed to be one. I'm supposed to fill out a form at the post office and voila! mail appears at the new location. maybe I change a few addresses for magazines update my contact info and I'm done.

apparently not.

since mail doesn't seem to get sent to my new address unless the name of the lessee is on the envelope and well "me care of others" just doesnt sound very professional. so I've mailed myself a letter at my new address to test the system. if not one more thing to add to my list.

downsizing

its been decided that I have had the luxury of living in too big of a space for too long and Ive been free to accumulate too much stuff.


it took a van load and two car loads to get this all home. my life in stuff. i'm now moving to a one bedroom apartment shared with another and a cat (and another and another cat for a month) after spending the last two years living first in a 3 bedroom apartment and then in a 3 bedroom duplex.

I should cherish this time as an opportunity to get rid of the stuff that I've just been hauling around. those things that serve no real purpose in my life and just take up space. Instead i find myself tormented over what material possessions I could possibly do without and my list is coming up short.

I like a well stocked kitchen...is this a crime???