MISSING OUTGOING MAIL - BORROWERS?

We had a busy day today and while out and about I was composing my post for you for tonight's post.  Now it is all gone.  I know that the theme of it was things that are missing, but aren't, so I will go from there.  

I try to be careful not misplace or lose things.  As an accountant (since I was 12 and started helping my dad) I have learned to be extremely careful and organized with work items.  I strive for the same care and organization with personal items also.  I have written previously about “borrowers” - as in the series of children's books about same.  The “borrowers” are tiny people in who live in people's houses and borrow things  - they do not take or steal, they only borrow and then return the items.  

Husband and I say that they have taken things when items are not where one or both of us knows the items were put, and then they reappear exactly where they should have been, but were not.  Okay, we probably missed the items sitting where they should the 10 or so times we – taking turns – looked there for them and they did not disappear and reappear, but it does make us feel that it was not our fault we could not find items which were they belong and where we looked multiple times.  

Our latest occurrence was this past Monday.  Before the pandemic we went to the post office daily as we have a box there and would go to check what was in it.  Mid March 2020 we decided that we did not want to go out or go into the Post Office.  After a long period of time we managed to change the mailing address for any mail that went there to our home address and did not really have a reason to go the Post Office on any sort of regular  (or almost any) basis. We went late night on the last two Sunday nights of that March and were not inside the Post Office again until about two months ago and have been there once since – both times after receiving an email from the Post Office that there was something in our box.  (A wonderful service of the Post Office.)  

We had not been in the Post office while it was open during the day since mid March 2020 until this past Monday.  Husband sold one of craft tools that he no longer was using and we had to go there during open hours to ship it out (would not fit in an outgoing mail box, especially since there is now a slot instead of the pull down opening.  

As long as we had to go into the Post Office anyway, we had been about to renew our passports when everything shut down.  We don't plan to travel out of the country nor have we done so in decades, but it is good to have alternate ID to our driver's licenses, just in case.  In addition to go into IRS if needed for clients I need to either have a special driver's license or a passport – the passport is easier to renew then get the special license (for which I would have to go to into the DMV office and bring alternate ID with me – such as my passport….).   So I filled in the forms to renew our passports, wrote the checks,  and we each signed our renewal form.  I had each set of passport renewal papers in a different envelope  - one for me and one for him – and was mailing them separately.  I also had 3 regular pieces of mail which in a regular week we would have posted late Sunday night either at a local USPS collection box a couple of blocks away or in same outside the Post Office, so instead of making an extra trip Sunday night, we were posting them at the same time as the rest of the items on Monday afternoon.

I have been putting our outgoing mail in a gallon size zip bag to keep it all together.  Sunday night I put the two passport mailings and the three pieces of mail in the bag, counted the number of items in the bag – 2 larger envelopes (the passports) and 3 regular #10 envelopes – just what should be in the bag.  I then went downstairs and put the bag next to the item husband was shipping.  I opened the bag and counted again – 2 +3 is 5.  

Monday afternoon we took the bag (which I did not open and check again) and husband's item and set off the Post Office.  We parked as we normally did every day in the lot of an adjacent park and walked through the park with the bag and husband's box to the Post Office.  Dropped the three regular items to be mailed in one of the boxes in front of the Post Office.  No customers inside and we felt good that the normal huge waiting line was not there.  We handed the clerk husband's item – found out that one no longer fills in the little form for insurance – done through the computer.  No problem.  I went to take out the two passport envelopes and ----- THERE WAS ONLY ONE!!!!  It was husband's.  We paid for it at the clerk (found out that Passport does not sign and return Certified Mail and had to mail by Priority Mail – a lot more expensive – to be able to track it.  

We then started back home – looking carefully as we walked along.  No sign of the envelope with my passport renewal anyway along the way to the car or in the car.  Drove home.  Checked all the way to the house.  Checked in the house to the table in the living room everything had been on.  Checked the floor – nothing (well,  a lot of dust of course, but not what we were looking for).  I went up to our office looking at the floor as I went.  Where would it be in the office?  Not in the outgoing mail basket, not on my desk or under my desk or in the sorter trays on my desk.  Not by my computer or calculator.  Husband has been following me and double checking every place I look and look for alternative places.  If I lost this envelope I cannot renew my passport (at least not easily and by mail) and will be worried about what happened to it and WHO HAS IT?

Husband is thinking and looking around.  “Did you scan the envelope before you dropped in the bag to take it?”  “Yes.”  He lifts the top of the scanner – there it is!!!  How could it be there when it was counted twice in the bag while downstairs?  We have no idea, but at least it was found.  A trip back to the Post Office and it was on it's way also and we were on our way to Wendys for lunch.  

Why would the borrower's want my passport envelope – just to see it?  No idea and it makes no sense at all as so many of these incidents don't.  

The passports have arrived at the government office - “whew” - per the USPS packing.  On the other hand, the package husband shipped still shows only that it was accepted at the Post Office – three days ago!  It is suppose to be delivered by Friday and we are hoping that  it is not sitting in the back of the Post Office and someone will scan it and let us know where it is!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

No matter how many times one checks something – another check is not a bad idea – even better if one gets someone else to check it for them – just to be sure.

SORRY TO MISS A POST AGAIN - DEALING WITH RUNNING ERRANDS UNDER COVID

 My apologies for missing last week's post.  The night I was to write and post was the start of the holiest day of the Jewish year and I could not do so, the following day is the main day of the holiday so I could not do so that day either.  (Writing and turning on/off electrical devices of any kind are among the things not allowed during the holiday.)

The days after were taken up with a problem in switching our business bank account. We went in Wednesday (before the evening when the holiday would start) to open an account at a credit union we use.  I had telephoned first due to the pandemic to see if we needed and appointment.  The main office said we did not and told me items I needed to bring to open the account.  When we went in on Wednesday we were told – and there were signs around – that an appointment was needed to see one of the “platform people” (did you know that what the people at the desks are called).  We had to go home and made an appointment as they were fully booked or else they would have accommodated us.  I went home and made the appointment for Friday – after the holiday. Oh, and the list of what I needed to bring was missing some items from the printed list I was handed while in the credit on Wednesday.

Thursday night after the holiday I put the needed paperwork and also some other items for us to deal with while at the credit union – such as two deposits to go into the new account when opened and paperwork to make an IRA withdrawal to transfer money to our personal bank account elsewhere.  (I am not working or getting paid as I normally would as I am not going to clients.)  We spent Friday going to the credit union and then the bank.  Friday night I realized the credit union employee never did give us starter checks for the account, so I cannot order any. Luckily it is rare these days we use the account so when we get our ATM cards and go in to pick PIN numbers we will ask for the checks.  

And so between these larger matters and the smaller matters of every day – a week passed and I realized that I had not posted – again, my apologies.  

THOUGHT OF THE (TWO) WEEK(S) -

Try to group your errands outside the house.  It makes no sense to go to the same place (whether it during the current pandemic or in normal times) more than once if you can go there once and do everything you need to do.  (When we went to the credit union I did transactions for us, our business, and for our reenactment unit in the same trip and then went to a branch of our bank about 3 blocks away to save time out running errands.)  

Similarly if we are going to do something in the community “L” and eating lunch out – we eat lunch in the community “L” and not at the location nearer us  - but not in that direction – where we prefer to eat lunch.  Saves time and we will look for any other things we need to do that we can do while in that community/area.  

The supermarket we are currently using for most of our grocery trips has a Home Depot across the street.  It is not a Home Depot we particularly like as it is small and in an older store (a small Kmart) they took over so nothing is located anywhere that makes sense, but it saves time to go there as it so close to the supermarket. 

ANNUAL LOOK AT WHEN IS THE START OF A NEW YEAR AND MAKING RESOLUTIONS

 Time for my annual discussion on years and resolutions.  

We have all been brought with the idea that December 31 to January 1 is the change of the year.  One sits at that point and looks back at what one has done and looks forward to coming year and what they would like to do (or not do) in the coming year.  One may not do this formally –  even if no resolutions one does this in their head.  

Similarly when one's birthday comes along the passing of time is in our head – how long do I have left?  What do I want to have done by next year's birthday or what do I want to stop doing.  

In the same way every day is the start of a new year.  Various religious and cultural groups have a different date for when the new year comes than the Christian calendar – Jewish New Year, Muslim New Year, Asian New Year… As I do every year, I offer my Jewish New Year to all of you as a start date for changes in what you want to do in life as well as in organizing.  Yesterday, Tuesday September 8, started the new year for us – it is considered to be the day that Adam and Eve were made.

Use this time as a chance to start fresh for a new year without needing to wait for January 1.  No resolutions – just pick one thing that you want to change – one thing – and do it.   Don't drop your jacket on the end of the staircase when you come in – hang it in the closet or on its hook.  Don't leave the dishes to do them all at the end of the day (and then end up saying ala Scarlett O'Hara “I'll think about doing them tomorrow).  Wash your dishes after every meal you have – or if you use a dishwasher put them in after every meal.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

Whatever small thing you can do to make a change – do it - TODAY!  Then set another day which will be next your next “new year” and plan what you will start to do then.  Little steps add up to big organization and lack of clutter.  It took years or decades to get to where you are  - you will not catch up in a day or a week or a month, perhaps not even in a year – but little steps add up.

THE EVENING IDA STOPPED NEW YORK - PLANNING AHEAD OF TIME WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

 Late again in posting – then again, this week was sort of a repeat of last week.

Well, remember last week that problem we had in the basement from Henri passing by?  We were lucky  - within 3 days the carpet on the floor that had been wet was dry.  We kept the dehumidifier set to a very low level all week making sure that the basement stayed dry.

This week “the remnants” of Hurricane Ida were to “pass by”.  This is not unusual around here for the leftover rain from a hurricane down south to pass through – normally a bit of rain, no big deal.

Early on in showing the route of these remnants it was obvious it was coming here and that it was going to be a large storm coming through.  As we got closer and closer to the storm being here we were warned and warned about this would be a major storm.  

I did our laundry on Tuesday night instead of on Wednesday and Thursday - just in case, I wanted to make sure we had  as much clean clothing as possible.

As we had the news on the TV on Wednesday we saw major flooding in Pennsylvania – 2 states away.  I heard that the area there, Lancaster County, that we often travel was being hit terribly bad – showing flooded roads and hearing of flooding in areas we know.  The campground we stay in Lancaster is adjacent to a creek – we hate to think what it must look like and how damage may have been done as the creek probably ran over its banks – for the second time since we started staying there 20 years ago. 

The storm came closer.  As I heard about what might be happened here I started looking up online – What does one do if a flash flood comes – go upstairs in the house  - yeah, that was I figured.  A lot of rain here (though not this much) is not that uncommon here, but flash floods not common.  Tornadoes, on the other hand – DO NOT HAPPEN HERE!  We were put on notice that there might tornadoes with this storm as it passed through.  Looked up online what does one do if a tornado is passing through – go in the basement – hmm, sort of figured that, so I was right.  BUT – what if a tornado and a flash flood pass through at the same time??????  Stay in the middle of the house and pray?  We have a small half bathroom on the lower floor of the house which has no windows and is surrounded on all 4 sides by other rooms and I have always figured it to be the safest place if a hurricane was coming (hurricanes not the most common thing, but do pass through here as you can probably tell) – would that do?  High enough to avoid the first 8 feet or so of flood and fairly low down?  No idea and thank goodness we did not have to figure it out.  

For the first time since the system was started – we received text alert messages that flash floods were in the area – looked out the front windows – looked okay to us, looked out the back windows – ditto, stayed where we were on the first floor.  We received 5 text messages about flash floods in the area over a 3 hour period.  

Luckily we did not receive any text alert message about a tornado in the immediate area – but there were several in the greater NYC/Long Island area.  

I had cooked dinner a bit earlier than usual – always best to face a disaster with a full stomach.  I am the sane, sensible one of the two of us – my husband is the one who panics.  My brain says “What are the chances this will happen?” and “What do we need to do to deal with it if does happen – taking into account the chances that it will?  

I was not going to start packing clothing and such to take with us.  What we would actually NEED if we had to run? Hmm, cash, prescription medications, keys, cell phones, our wallets with identification and credit cards and -  these days -  our Covid-19 vaccination cards and masks.  

Husband keeps his wallet in his pocket all the time.  I have mine down here in the kitchen on magnetic pocket on the refrigerator with the rest of the items I need when I walk out of the house.  

I have a smaller zippered purse that we have items we take when we go on trips that we don't normally need at home – including a third wallet with a credit card that I don't normally carry and a different one which husband does not normally carry (if one of our wallets was stolen, we could cancel all of the other credit cards and still have one to use).   Debit cards from banks we don't normally use – but do have money in accounts there.  Important to have – I went upstairs and got it.  I added into it the 2 credit cards (on one account) we keep upstairs and only use when have to order something and pay with a credit card.   

We have a plastic shopping bag we have been keeping in the kitchen – hangs on the door to our basement – which has items we need to take out with us these days due to Covid – masks, plastic zip bags to put the worn masks in, a handle husband made to open doors which one has to turn the handle to open while out so we don't have to actually touch the handle, his eyeglasses (these are unrelated to Covid – he happened to find out just before the pandemic started that he needs to wear his eyeglasses while driving and by keeping it in this bag we take when we go in the car, he has his eyeglasses and since it is in the kitchen, if he needs them while watching TV, etc he can easily get them, and small plastic bags (sandwich sized) to use to push doors open and similar without touching them.  The bag is from a different store than our other stored plastic shopping bags so it is obvious  to us what it is.  I added to this bag the zippered purse from upstairs and also added our main checkbook.  (I thought about grabbing our passports – but they both expired in the middle of the pandemic and no one would accept  them for any purpose due to same.)

I then took all the backup medications we have – we get 90 days at a time so these bottles currently hold 30-60 days worth of our meds – put them in a plastic zip loc bag and added them to the bag in the kitchen – which was now a bit too heavy so I put it in a large more sturdy shopping bag and back on the basement door knob.  

Hmmm, we don't keep a lot of cash in our wallets – cash is always something good to have in an emergency – credit card machine might not work, might need to buy something from someone who does not take credit cards, etc.  We keep cash for change for when we do an event with our craft business – grabbed the bag of cash ($100) and added that.  

I had decided to keep all of this in the kitchen with me.  Husband would soon be down here also and I could meet up with him outside if something did happen and he had to go out the front door and I had to go out the kitchen door.  I also grabbed our two rain jackets and hung them on the hooks in the kitchen.  

Not perfect as nothing else in the house is set up to be cared for, no spare clothing, but we could get by in an emergency.  

We ate dinner and were watching TV in the kitchen (where we normally do so in the evening) when the emergency warnings started – and mostly we were local news.  

Thank goodness as far as our area is concerned we were fine!  The rain came pouring down – we could hear it, but no flash flood in our area and no tornado.  

In NYC (at least) 15 people died – several of them due to the fact that they lived in a basement apartment (some legal, some not) and it flooded and they could not get out.  Roads were overrun with rain elsewhere in the NYC area to the point that vehicles had to be abandoned and people saved from them.  The commuter rail lines were stopped for hours.  The subway – well, there is footage of one subway station with a gigantic wave of water coming down the stairs – the subway also had to be stopped overnight and people who not get home spent the night in the stations.  Municipal buses could not run – in at least one case the bus driver who could not go anywhere was letting people into the bus just to stand on the seats (bus was filling up with water also) as it was safer than being out in the street.  There were at least 2 tornadoes in the general area.

Then the clean up began – vehicles which were abandoned on the road had to be moved to reopen the roads – and I am talking 3 lane, limited access roads in addition to more local roads.  People cleaning up around their homes and businesses. In one case a couple in their 80s actually slept though a tornado and a tree coming down through their roof to next to their bed – their poor son who lived in the house had trouble both getting in their room due to the tree and waking them up and thought that they were dead – luckily they were unharmed!

It will take some time for all to be cleared up.  We went out for lunch today – things seem to be okay.  Most areas managed to keep their electricity somehow and much of what was out has been (surprisingly based on other events in the past) restored by the local utility already.  We did not lose our electricity.  

We did get water in our basement for the second time in the 31 years we have been here (Henri being the first time).  We again vacuumed up the water with a wet dry vac and ran the dehumidifier, which is always on in hot weather any way, but we set it to a dryer setting so it is pulling more water out of the air and by this morning the carpet was dry.  

The area had more rain from the remnants of Ida than New Orleans had from the actual hurricane and worse wind than same.  

What I pulled out in case we had to run out of the house for safety is all put back where it belongs.  We are hoping we will not need to do any of this again – or at least not soon.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

One does not know what will happen.  Do YOU have a plan of what to do if something like this happened in your area?  Do you know what you need to take and where to go?

By the way – what I think is terrible thinking – The New York Tennis Open has been on this week.  They did not call off the scheduled games the day this happened.  The storm hit here as people were leaving.  At least one of the areas of play was outside.  People left the Open by car and subway as the storm was starting so many people who had been there were caught in the mess on the subways, trains and roads.  With what was known to be coming, they should have canceled playing that day!