Paper Delivery Lady/Paper Mailing Lady

Today was delivery and paper mailing day!

The papers are mailed via bulk mail, so I have to put the individual papers in rubber-banded groups in zip-code order. Thankfully, the computer prints out the labels in that order, so I just have to remember to start a new "group" when the third number of the zip code changes (papers are put into groups in which the first three numbers of the zip code are identical).

Before I took the addressed papers to the BMU (Bulk Mailing Unit)--which is a different building than the "regular" post office--I delivered papers around Norfolk. It's always fun to visit the different businesses and churches, and say "hello" to the people there.

Today one of my first deliveries was at the Downtown Coffee Company in Norfolk. I'm not a coffee drinker, but wanted something hot to drink. The employees are always friendly, so helped me choose something hot and caffeinated. I had a "dark" chai tea--chai tea with a shot of expresso. It was yummy, warmed me up, and kept me going all day!

The first time I did the deliveries in Norfolk it took me about 4 hours. This time, it took me just a little over two hours, and that was with having to backtrack twice. I'm sure it will continue to get easier as I do it more. Hopefully my friend and Newspaper Assistant Lori will be able to come and help in the future. It takes as long to park the car and turn it off as it does to actually take the paper in. If two of us go, one can wait in the car, close to the door, and that will cut down on time needed.

At first I was apprehensive about getting the bulk mail papers ready to go. I envisioned a government person scrutinizing every single paper, telling me that if a label was on crooked or one paper was out of zip code order I'd have to take them all home and start over! The man who works there has been extremely nice, and helpful, and it just takes a few minutes to get that part of paper delivery done with.

It is very satisfying to get papers delivered and on their way to their destination. I pray that something in the paper will touch the heart of, or meet a need of, every person who reads the paper. After I was done with deliveries and the mailing, I had a few minutes to go to the mall--yea!

Ideas

It's funny--it always seems that right after I pick up the paper, I start getting ideas for the next issue. On the way home from picking up the paper on Tuesday, I heard at least three stories, on the radio, that I wanted to check out and possibly write about for the next issue. Unfortunately, the clipboard, paper, and pen I keep in the front seat for just those opportunities (don't worry, I jot down just a few words and can even write without even looking at the paper) was in the back seat, under a box of papers!

Hopefully the stories will show up on one of the blogs I use as a resource, or the newspaper, or I'll remember what the stories were . . .