Mail saga

This topic amazes me, even after living here for many months.

As I was collecting the mail I noticed a postcard with my handwriting. I couldn't imagine what it could be. Had I mailed something that had been returned? I hadn't put my return address on a postcard. It took a long moment, but then I remembered I had written from Madrid.

But we had left Madrid 1 March!

I checked the back and noticed my date, 27/2/17.

Then I checked the postmark, 10/3/17.

I probably mailed the card in the evening of 28/2, so maybe it was not picked up until 1/3. And maybe it got stuck or fell out of a bag so that explains why it was not mailed for another nine days. What I have no guesses about is why it would take an entire week to get from Madrid to a suburb of Barcelona.

On the positive side, it was the first time I had bought a stamp for use within the country and liked the origami elephants.

More mail

Postmarked on 30 January 2017
(did you know the US Postal Service wrote the date that way?)
Arrived on 3 February 2017

Normally that would not be enough to warrant a blog post, but there is a twist.  My sister wrote four cards, two to the kids and two to the parents.  She mailed the two to the kids in one place and several hours later mailed the two to the parents.  On Friday one kid and one parent received a card!

Retraction

I take back everything I said about the mail system.  Maybe not everything since I still don't understand the system, but I take back a lot of my unhappiness.

In the last couple weeks three large envelopes from my mom arrived here.  By here I mean at the apartment building, not with a note saying I had to go to the post office to get it. Inside were treasures - crossword puzzles cut from the NY Times, newspaper clippings from my dad, magazines, articles about the World Series.

All fifty postcards arrived from my sister (#25 was the last one, more than a month after it was postmarked in the U.S.) and two thick letters arrived this week.

The most amazing thing was when the door buzzer rang, which it never does unless A. has not taken his keys or my language partner is visiting.  Who could it be?  Someone who was lost?  No, it was the mail carrier!  I let him in and was unsure about what to do next, but he came up the elevator with a large box.  He brought it right to our apartment and did not ask for my passport, did not ask for money, did not ask for anything related to customs, and just asked if I were American. Wow!

Inside were the most amazing treasures.  A dear friend had gathered cards and goodies from other friends and had sent them along with the biggest gift, which is now hanging in the front hall. Seeing our home made me a bit homesick, but I love seeing it everyday. Thank you, friends!

Update

I opened the drawer and instead of special stash of rubberbands I found this.  A. used his own money so I could have as many as I wanted.  On the one hand I appreciate his generosity, but on the other hand I no longer have the joy of finding a rubberband at the base of the kale or around the mail.

The day after I posted about the package arriving in October D. got a message that it was waiting in in the reception area.  Maybe it wasn't worth the 29-day wait, but it was great to have refried beans and I look forward to using the running clothing.

All the mail from the wet envelope dried out.  The running magazine is very thick now, but it is legible and that is good enough for me!

Stiff upper lip

I am trying to have a good attitude.  I loved the mail I got for my birthday and it is fun to see that one postcard mailed from Ohio 31 October arrives on 15 November, but a postcard mailed from New York City 14 November arrives on 18 November.  Maybe the difference is whether it has Spain in the address or only lists the region of Barcelona?

But some things have gone too far.  A friend mailed a package to D. at work and he had notice that it arrived 24 October.  He has filled out paperwork.  He has paid a lot of money.  And customs is still inspecting it.  I think the contents are a coat I left behind, some running clothing, a used book, and popcorn.  I hope they don't send it back.

And then there is the large envelope of magazines and newspaper clippings sent by mom on 1 November.  On 18 November I finally received a note that it would be waiting for me at the post office starting 21 November (I was home when the note arrived so this could have been avoided). Today I went to pick up the package. The person went to look for out. Came back out front. Asked for help. Disappeared for a while. And finally returned with a soaking wet partial envelope wrapped in plastic.  Today was the first day of rain in over two weeks so when did it get wet?  Where is the rest of the envelope?  All I want is my mail in a timely fashion.

Yes, that IS a special section of the Plain Dealer about Cleveland being in the World Series.
How could the mail carriers be so careless with something so rare?

Sigh.  I hope this is the biggest problem of the year.

p.s.  Just checked the mail.  For the whole apartment there was one form letter for a neighbor and six postcards and two letters for me from my younger sister, the trail end of my gift.  Okay, no more complaining.

Mail

Here's a mailbox at a roundabout not far from our place. 

I haven't figured out the mail yet.  It comes through a slot by the front door
of the building and falls to the floor because the box is missing a part.

Someone in the building picks it up and sorts it and stuff
that doesn't belong to anyone goes onto a shelf below the personal boxes.

Yesterday I was leaving the building and saw one piece of mail on the floor so I put it in the right box.  I thought that meant that one piece of mail came for six apartments.  Today I was leaving and saw about three or four pieces of mail in a rubberband (yippee, a rubberband).  I took them over to the personal boxes and saw an envelope for D. that was not in our personal box, but on the shelf.  When did that mail come?  And why wasn't it in our box?  I can't figure it out.  

I also haven't figured out the people who deliver the mail.  I see some people pushing the yellow Correo (mail) carts, but they aren't in uniform.  Then I saw someone driving a Correo motorcycle and he did have a uniform.

The only personal mail I have seen in the past twenty days was the piece my older sister sent to us!