Going Postal

I have gone to the post office two times in the last two weeks and boy do I regret it.

Trip #1 - Background: day after a decent-size snow storm - 2 packages to mail - drive downtown to get out of the house and some errands off my list - no parking in front of the post office so I have to walk 1 1/2 blocks from a paid public lot - Jack is in his stroller

I get to the front of the building and the ramp (which I had intended to use) was blocked off at both ends with yellow caution tape. I had no way to get in the front door as there were about 10 steep steps and I had a baby, stroller and 2 mid-size boxes. Somebody helped me carry the stroller up the stairs but I was totally shocked the federal post office wasn't, at this time, handicapped accessible. What on earth was someone on crutches or in a wheelchair supposed to do? I waited about 10 minutes in line and after mailing my packages I asked how I was supposed to get out of there. The clerk said there were icicles near the ramp and so it was closed, I pushed and spoke my mind about how bad it was it wasn't accessible. She brought me to the "superintendent's office." He basically said "well you aren't handicapped" so it isn't an issue. Also, I kid you not, he said "handicapped people do not go out on days like this." WHAT? It was 35 and sunny. He also informed be that the ramp is closed due to the potential of sheets of snow from the roof sliding down and hitting the ramp. Umm, ok, but the stairs are right next to the ramp, does it not effect those people? Is there a way to get the snow off so that isn't a danger? Handicapped people can't go to the post office unless it hasn't snowed recently? He also told me in the future that this wasn't an issue at the other 2 Arlington POs. A lot of good that does me this time. I wrote a letter to my congressperson and the USPS.

Trip #2 - Background: Jack needs a passport - you must appear in person for new passports and both parents need to be there (or have a notarized form saying it is ok from one) - Steve and I head to the Lexington PO that starts doing passports at 9 (rather than 10:30 like Arlington). We have all the forms pre-filled out and our check made out and ready to go.

We get there at about 9:15 - the two women in front of us both also have passport issues. They both need to renew expedited. It took at least 25 minutes to get through the first woman!! WHAT? This is not an unusual procedure. She had to, no joke, address the envelope to the state dept and then insisted and putting in their return address for them on her return envelope. Couldn't they have a stamp for this? Pre-filled forms? She also, after it was all closed, realized that the express mail by which she wanted her passport returned required a signature, and she wouldn't be home. So they had to reopen the whole package and write a note.

The next woman was equally inane but luckily (saved us another 20 minutes) another clerk decided he too could do passports. Well turns out, that even though it says a new passport is $82 on the sign and on the website, it is actually $52 to the state dept and $30 to the PO so you can't have one check. Ugh... Admittedly if you read the medium (ok, not quite fine) print on the website this is made clear, but it isn't at the PO where there was a big sign saying "$82" and nothing else. Once we got to a person, we were done in about 5 minutes, for what is a more complex procedure than a renewal as the clerk actually verifies documents and our identities.

There are SO many ways to increase the speed on these transactions it is ridiculous. I guess all my quality improvement exposure at my last job (including on flow) did indeed rub off on me. Of course part of the problem is people can't read and don't do the easy thing. Both women could have renewed their passports with a regular clerk had they just read instructions and paid for 2 express mail envelopes.

Another easy recipe

Italian Meatloaf

I use whatever bread we have on hand (usually whole wheat) and only use 1-1/2 slices.