We can always gain a different perspective about the Postal Service from our customers. Today, a customer in the line asked to purchase 5 rolls of the flag stamps. Nothing unusual about that. This is an Level 26 station, we deal with a lot of business-oriented customers. This man whom I am dealing with tells me that one of the four different flag stamps in the coil will be a collector's item someday.

Ummm....okay....where did he get that information? Apparently, in the Linn's Stamps News magazine, they have a picture of that particular flag stamp which I "borrowed" and pasted above my blog. The magazine makes the comment, "....according to Postal Math, the American flag has 14 stripes!" If you look at the pic above - there are 14 stripes on that stamp! It looks like the public knows about our Postal Math!

I was not online yesterday because I was eating tacos and swilling Mojitos with a Postmaster.

Omigawd, this dude is a union steward and he is schmoozing a Postmaster? Throw the bum out!! He's as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle!

It is true, but not what it sounds like. A former co-worker of mine, Bob Huggins, left our station to become a clerk in the small town of Eaton, Colorado. After working there for awhile he became the town's postmaster. My friend will be tying the knot soon and invited me to see his new house and his fiance. I also visited the post office where he works. It is amazing to me the difference between a Level 15 station and a Level 26 station. It is like night and day! I am sure they have their problems too - but, I just noticed more teamwork and felt less tension in the building. I suppose the more people involved, the more likely that you will incur conflict. Because Eaton is a small town, they have only 5 rural routes. Where I work, we have 50 city routes and 28 rural routes.

I told my friend Kevin O'Reilly who is the NALC steward in our office about my visit to Eaton. He went off on a tangent about how many rural routes should be city routes. I work in an area that has doubled in the last eight years and there are certain areas that were established as "rural" eight years ago. Some of these areas now have shopping centers and large housing tracts. This is somewhat of a local controversy here. My friend Kevin grumbled that there are just too darn many rural routes in the office that should be city routes.

Naturally, I reasurred my friend Kevin that this area was once largely rural and it has grown immensely in the last few years. The rural carriers aren't taking over the post office!!

But then again, I just looked at my friend's list on this site. Out of the ten pictures I have SEVEN rural carrier pics on my homepage. Hmmmm...........perhaps Kevin is on to something and there is a secret plot going on!

I will be back later, I am stopping off at the Kroger store to buy some Reynolds Wrap to make more tin foil hats.