Going postal

My 92-year-old mother is, at times, inundated with postcards ... but not from me. The daughter and granddaughter of her very good friend who died many years ago, never fail to send my mother postcards whenever they travel ... and they travel a lot. The mother and daughter also compete, to see if they can upstage each other. That's a tough act to follow. I don't try and compete with them (I've seen those beautiful cards), but it does shame me into sending some. It appears to be easier said than done though, at least in Arizona.

Photo by lacarabeis at pixabay
(Creative Commons License)

I've learned there are many outlets selling books of stamps for in-country delivery, including most grocery stores. However, when an international stamp is needed, they're only sold at a post office. That's where the problem lies.

Through the Internet, I can locate the closest post offices using our current home's zip code. From there, in any direction it's at least a 20-minute drive. I have them marked on Google maps in my phone, just in case we're near one ... but we haven't been for at least a week.

I've been carrying two postcards in my purse all that time. They're not for my mother, but for people in Canada. Thankfully, I sent my mother one recently with the last of my batch of stamps I bought a while ago.

When I whined to Greg about my dilemma, he pointed out that no one sends snail mail anymore. So I then wonder why they bother to sell postcards in major tourist areas? Don't they expect anyone to be from overseas? Maybe the vendors should also sell international stamps? Grrr!

Apart from my frustration at trying to find stamps, I do miss the interaction with the postal staff. In my experience, so many of them are the funniest, most entertaining customer-service staff you could wish to meet. The phrase "going postal" has positive recollections for me; on our way to Arizona, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, they were hilarious. At this rate, it may be a long time before I actually get to experience their comedy again though!