Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Adios, White Mailbox

Replaced by Rubbermaid
Can one be nostalgic for one's old mailbox? I always said our house was the seventh from the corner with a white mailbox at the end of the driveway. But after so many hits by the snowplows it finally cracked up and had to go.
Ah, the adventures of having to go into the street to pry open the stuck door to retrieve my mail. It never opened easily and closing it was something the mailman never quite got the hang of either. Mostly it was hanging open for me whenever the weather was inclement (Illinois, 84% of the time). I was always promising to wash out the interior, since road dust was coating its delicate innards, but never did get around to it.
Now I can safely check the mail, while remaining on the parkway, since the new one has a back door. And the red flag denoting that I have placed mail to go, is available to me again.
But it is so ordinary, so like the others on our street. At least it is not beige. I'll bet if Rubbermaid made a red one, people would find excuses to replace their old box. I know I would.
Quilting content... uh, I am packing up for my weekend, and still have 56 pieces of Special Editions to wash and iron, 80+ patterns to fold and stuff in envelopes, and tons of quilts to gather up. So what am I doing? Knitting lace. And ripping lace. And starting over.
I am having project panic. I will be away for days with nothing to knit so I decided to start this lovely lacy thang and take enough yarn with me for three sets, since May is nigh and I have three (or more) girlfriends with May birthdays. I started last night while making dinner... ok dinner was in the oven and I had to start and swatched a bit first, before ripping out #1. Then I sat down to watch American Idol and got to the end of the first repeat and had one too many stitches which meant ripping out #2. Second glass of wine precipitated rip #3 and then I announced I was going to bed, closed the door, cast on again and got to the first repeat, and onto the second!! and again one too many stitches! Arrgghhh #4 followed. I blame it on the fact that I couldn't watch one stinkin' rerun of Law and Order, to get my daily fix. Finally at 10:30 it came on after the dreadful end of Nashville Star (I really was desperate) and I fell asleep to a fine rerun, in which I even remembered the perp.
I got up early to do my emails and now at 6:49 I will again cast on. Wish me luck.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:22 AM

    Krylon's new paint will work on that mailbox.....paint it nice and bright....makes it easier for the snowplow driver to find it!!

    Started watching SVU last night (missed the one on USA..it's normally on at 8 and I watch NCIS on Tuesdays- didn't realize SVU was on at 7 on USA); it was a rerun and I remembered it so I went to bed (DH stayed up to watch it- he couldn't remember who dun it.....)

    Won't even offer suggestions on the knitting; I can't even do garter stitch without adding or losing stitches....

    teri

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  2. Yeah, what Teri said about Krylon's plastic paint. Actually, they make a plastic primer which will allow you to use ANY COLOR regular spray paint on your box.

    I keep hoping for a L&O repeat that I don't vividly remember. When the series first started, I missed the one where the mobster (masucci) was hit my his sister.... missed the entire thing. It was such a surprise when I saw it on TNT.

    Now I just watch for the "unknown" guest stars whose face is now common because of other shows. Like Brad Whitford (Josh on West Wing)... played the husband of the pregnant lady that Dr. Green kind of killed the first year of ER. Surprised the heck outta me when I saw that.

    I sitting here waiting for a guy to come and give me an estimate on some work. He's only 40 minutes late with no phone call yet... Hmm. I probably won't be hiring him.

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  3. Hoo Ha - such luxury to have a mailbox on your own front lawn. We live in a condo development and ours is in a cluster up the block. So not fun in the rain, snow, and freezing cold.

    And yes, I know about packing for workshops - aarrggh. In the midst of it right this minute: all those found objects...they are here somewhere...

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  4. Your poor old mailbox looks so forlorn sitting in the trashcan...

    Living in the city, I never used a mailbox before until I moved to the 'burbs about 2 years ago. I always just had mail slots in the door or apt. style lock/key mail compartments. Yet somehow I knew about pulling up the red flag for mail to go out.

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  5. Both of these look exotic to me .. we don't have them at all in the UK...
    Liz

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