Tuesday, November 22, 2011

mr. postman

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Dear Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe,

I read about your speech earlier this week, the one where you spoke to the National Press Club in Washington DC. In your speech, you mentioned that "Congress needs to step back and look at the postal service as a business".

What ever happened to the idea that the basic function of the Post Office was to provide a service? Remember the old quotation:

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Sir, I realize that you have a lot of speeches to make right now, and that things look grim for the future of the U.S. Postal Service.... but could you please find the sock that I mailed to my Uncle R. last week?

This past summer, my Uncle R. kindly requested a pair of hand-knit socks from me. I picked out the nicest color of a good quality sock yarn, Zauberball, and set to work on them. I found just the right pattern in the book, "Folk Socks" by Ann Budd. I was faithful..working nightly on my US size one bamboo knitting needles. Once, I had to frog back when I noticed a small mistake....however, I finally finished one of the size 12 socks just in time for his birthday.

I carefully packed it in a padded envelope that I purchased from my local Post Office, which, by the way, is within walking distance from my cabin. I enclosed a birthday card with instructions for my uncle to try on the sock to make sure it fit properly, and to let me know if any alterations needed to be made. If the sock fit perfectly, I would make the other sock and deliver it to him for Christmas.

You see, Post Master General, Sir, it has been over 2 weeks ago that I mailed the sock. When I was mailing the size 12 sock, I asked my Postmistress, Ethel, (yes...we are on a first name basis)..."Ethel", I said, "How long do you think this package will take to deliver?" And Ethel answered that it would probably take a few days at the most. I was mailing it First Class, and it was just going to the next state over. I picked out the stamps and paid the fee of three dollars and twenty-five cents. I didn't think it was necessary to purchase a tracking code, which now, in retrospect, I wish I had.

My Uncle R. and I talked over the telephone on his birthday...I asked if he had received a package from me, and he had not. We figured it must have been the Veterans Day holiday that delayed things...giving the U.S. Postal Service the benefit of the doubt. As of yesterday, my uncle has not yet received the sock I made for him. Or his birthday card.

If there is anything at all you can do to find the missing sock package, I would be very grateful. After all, I did promise my uncle I would make him a pair of socks, and size 12 socks require a lot of knitting, especially on size one U.S. knitting needles with Zauberball Sock yarn. And if you don't find the missing sock package and deliver it to my uncle, I shall have to make two more size 12 socks...and I'm a little worried that I might not have enough Zauberball yarn left, and you know how tricky it can be to match up yarn from a certain dye lot.

Also, I notice that you and I share the same last name. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that things go a little better for both of us in the near future. I have attached the above photo of the unfinished sock for identification, you never know how many single socks may be lost in the U.S. Postal Service System.

Hopefully yours... deliver de letter de sooner de better....

9 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

This sort of sounds like the dryer got a hold of your sock. I always lose socks when I do laundry. Often only one sock comes out of the dryer when I know I put two of them into the wash load. Hmmmm If the post office runs like my laundry you are in a bad place. That sock might not turn up or it might be a couple of years before it does if it does. :(

Valerie said...

Good post, Cyndy. But does Zauerball even come in dyelots? Size 12 socks on size 1 bamboo needles?! Those needles would look like the St. Louis Arch by the time I was done.

Maybe you should go have a "wee dram"..by verification word is "inglugg" :^)

judy said...

I am ever hopeful. Chris is also not above wearing two mismatched socks. At one count, and since please note that many HAVE become dusters, he had 92. Many, I should tell you, were from a friend that had a store and were found as singles. The rest... well...

I do hope you find your sock.

Linda said...

Oh geezzz. I'd be a raving lunatic; at the post office every day. I hate it when that happens. Right now we're waiting for books ordered 10 days ago - which normally take 2 days to arrive!! The post office sure isn't proving their case on what a valuable service they are! If this is a ploy for force the government to fund them more money, they're going at it the wrong way - pissing off the citizens. There's always UPS and FedEx!!

cyndy said...

Valerie, yes! Zauberball most certainly comes in dyelots! Check the number on your Zauberball!! This was pointed out to me at the Mannings Handweaving School where I purchased the yarn....

...smiling at your reference to the St. Louis Arch! Hee!

Louisa said...

You Americans are completely spoiled with your postal service! Canada Post can take 2 weeks just to deliver a letter across town or 2 days to the opposite coast so you never know what to expect. I'd be patient. Panic only sets in after a month or so. :)

cindy said...

I hope they deliver it soon!

Perhaps you should mail the postmaster your blog entry.

Jody said...

That sucks Cyndy!
Our Postal service is just as bad here in Canada :-(

susancoyotesfan said...

Well, honestly, the delivery of the mail is the ONLY government mandated service named in the Constitution. It's Article 1 Clause 7 Section 8. We had postal service and a Postmaster General (Ben Franklin) before we actually had an independent nation. I don't think a public service that was considered so very important that it was mandated in the Constitution should be considered as a business. In fact, I think that is much of what is wrong with our govt - public services are not a business, they're not supposed to make money, they're supposed to serve the public.

That said, however, I am very sorry your sock is MIA. I recently made kilt hose on size 1 needles for a commission - for someone with 10 inch diameter size 11 feet and 18 inch calves! I feel you pain.

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