For your convenience... or feeling easily irritated
I seem to have hit a wall. Actually I hit the wall about 11:30 this morning when I called J. at work and burst into tears. (Lucky man.) I managed to get the bills paid (painful), and a friend came over and together we packed some things I wasn't quite sure what to do with. I am feeling a little better, but am avoiding looking at any boxes at the moment.
I also realized that I had yet to fill out a change of address form at the post office. Now, those of you who have moved recently are laughing at my thinking that I had to actually go to the post office to do this. The last time I moved, you really did have to go fill out the little card at the post office. That was 16 years ago. I discovered you don't have to do that now. Conveniently, this can all be done online.
If my version of Blogger that I use was updated enough, I would italicize the word 'conveniently' in the above paragraph. But I've learned the hard way that if I italicize words, they disappear. So pretend it's in italic. Because it's not all that convenient. I was already at the post office for goodness' sake, and quite willing and ready to fill out the little card. The little card which would cost me no money to drop into the mail slot.
So, discovering that I couldn't do what I went to the post office to do, L. and I went back home, and I pulled up the USPS web page. Well, I pulled it up after I completely had to reboot my wi-fi, because our wireless stinks and no one's devices which use wi-fi can hold a signal with it. So, I'm already at about 8 minutes for this 'fast and easy' method. But I get on and find the form. I fill out the information and click through the pages until I get to the page which asks me for credit card information.
What?!
I just want to change my address, I don't want to buy anything. What's up with that? Well, it would seem that by making the change of address form so quick and convenient, they realized that someone might change another person's address who wasn't allowed to. So, to verify someone's identity in this new, quick and easy method, you now get the privilege of paying $1.00. I looked, both at the post office and on the web page, and there are no other options for changing your address. You need computer access and a credit card to do so. (Apparently the only people who get mail have both these things. I don't think I really believe that.)
I realize that $1.00 is really not that much money. People routinely give my children much more than that when they are selling 'drawings' at their art sales. It's the fact that none of us really has a choice about it. We cannot choose another company to deliver our mail for us. We can't look to see who has the better service and better rate. We just get to accept whichever 'convenient' system they come up with which they tout is for our 'benefit.'
As you can probably tell, I wasn't happy. Since I tend to write kvetchy emails to businesses I'm not happy with, I did the same this time. Their response form is another multi-page fun fest. As I was reading through my rather lengthy message, I noticed a typo. Since I was at a page that was not editable, I did what any normal person would do and clicked the edit button.
And it sent me back to the first page, erasing everything that I had filled in and written, so that I could start all over again. Thus, you get a blog post.
I'll go back to my packing now. Since my bills are paid, it's time to pack up desk, filing cabinet, and fireproof safe.
I also realized that I had yet to fill out a change of address form at the post office. Now, those of you who have moved recently are laughing at my thinking that I had to actually go to the post office to do this. The last time I moved, you really did have to go fill out the little card at the post office. That was 16 years ago. I discovered you don't have to do that now. Conveniently, this can all be done online.
If my version of Blogger that I use was updated enough, I would italicize the word 'conveniently' in the above paragraph. But I've learned the hard way that if I italicize words, they disappear. So pretend it's in italic. Because it's not all that convenient. I was already at the post office for goodness' sake, and quite willing and ready to fill out the little card. The little card which would cost me no money to drop into the mail slot.
So, discovering that I couldn't do what I went to the post office to do, L. and I went back home, and I pulled up the USPS web page. Well, I pulled it up after I completely had to reboot my wi-fi, because our wireless stinks and no one's devices which use wi-fi can hold a signal with it. So, I'm already at about 8 minutes for this 'fast and easy' method. But I get on and find the form. I fill out the information and click through the pages until I get to the page which asks me for credit card information.
What?!
I just want to change my address, I don't want to buy anything. What's up with that? Well, it would seem that by making the change of address form so quick and convenient, they realized that someone might change another person's address who wasn't allowed to. So, to verify someone's identity in this new, quick and easy method, you now get the privilege of paying $1.00. I looked, both at the post office and on the web page, and there are no other options for changing your address. You need computer access and a credit card to do so. (Apparently the only people who get mail have both these things. I don't think I really believe that.)
I realize that $1.00 is really not that much money. People routinely give my children much more than that when they are selling 'drawings' at their art sales. It's the fact that none of us really has a choice about it. We cannot choose another company to deliver our mail for us. We can't look to see who has the better service and better rate. We just get to accept whichever 'convenient' system they come up with which they tout is for our 'benefit.'
As you can probably tell, I wasn't happy. Since I tend to write kvetchy emails to businesses I'm not happy with, I did the same this time. Their response form is another multi-page fun fest. As I was reading through my rather lengthy message, I noticed a typo. Since I was at a page that was not editable, I did what any normal person would do and clicked the edit button.
And it sent me back to the first page, erasing everything that I had filled in and written, so that I could start all over again. Thus, you get a blog post.
I'll go back to my packing now. Since my bills are paid, it's time to pack up desk, filing cabinet, and fireproof safe.
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