How do I hate the Post Office....let me count the ways...

1 - Last month - okay - maybe it was 2 months ago - I got a roll of 100 39 cent stamps. We use them pretty fast, I think - and we were out. The rates just increased, so I figured I'd be able to use them all before they went up again.

2 - I forgot I got the roll of 100 and remembered that I needed to get stamps and bought another 100 39 cent stamps.

3 - I have 188 -- 39 cent stamps. Postage, as you know just went up.

4 - I went to the post office to buy 188 -- 2 cent stamps, not really my purpose, but I had to get my new house set up so they'd deliver mail.

5 - They said I'd need my deed, any papers I had w/ my name & the address on it so that they could verify this was really my house - I understand - no big problem - although I only remember to go to the post office when I'm already out & about - and don't carry those particular papers with me...SOOOOOOOOO I had to make a special effort to obtain said papers from the vaults of Ross and bring them to the PO, since he was a little miffed we've had the house for over a month and I haven't set that up yet.

5.5 - I stood in line at 9:00 in the morning -- behind 7 people - and one employee - just before me went on break - WHY? On your FEET too long? What about me? I was standing in line long before I saw the whites of his eyes standing there at his post!!!

6 - When I walked up to the window for the opening of the mail box in the new house - the lady took my address from me and my name - and didn't ask for the big stack of papers I made a special effort to have with me at that particular trip.

7 - I got the stuff I thought I needed and then left. On the way out I thought it would be a good idea to buy 200 of those "forever" stamps...you know - pay 41 cents and they will work no matter what price? I figure I'd get a book once in a while & then when they went up, I'd have them stock piled and never have to buy stamps again.

8 - not wanting to stand back in line - I went to the vending machine & bought my stamps - I know they dispense $1 coins, which is nice for the tooth fairy - so I put my $20 in the slot, said I wanted a book of forever stamps - and VIOLA - there were my stamps and the sound of the jackpot. But I don't get enough change back for a $20 bill - THEN I read the fine print "Machine will not dispense more than $5 in change" YEP, very small - on a scrolling marquis...which you have to sit in front of for about 2 minutes to read the whole thing -

9 - I have to stand in line at the vending machine to read a marquis - and my 41 cent "forever" stamps cost me 58 cents each. To make this truly worth the price I paid, I shouldn't techinically use this book of forever stamps until I'm 114 years old.

I hate the post office.