The Pony got snowed on Friday night. More like flurried on, around 6:30, while still delivering the mail, in the dark. No accumulation.
Saturday was 38 degrees when I came home from town at 3:30. At least it was sunny and not as windy as the previous few days. Poor Pony had to work until 8:30. No sun then! One of his head-lights went out. The lights he clips onto the bill of his official USPS cap, so he can see in the dark. I think he might have been issued a head-light, but The Pony uses HICK head-lights.
In fact, Hick brought The Pony THREE head-lights, so he can wear one, and have a spare, and a spare for the spare. The Pony only takes two of them to work with him, and leaves the other here waiting for new batteries when he has time. Hick didn't even charge for the head-lights! That's at least three 50-cent profits that he gave up!
The Pony says they've had extra mail for a couple days, that they can't get delivered, so it's added to the next day's workload. He was scheduled off on Sunday, but that got canceled on Saturday. He may or may not get a day off this week. He can be worked 13 days in a row without any rules being broken. This is Day 8. The build-up started when the sorters or whatever they're called got behind mid-week. It didn't help that on Saturday, six regulars had scheduled time off. Probably for deer hunting, I'm guessing.
Deer season has cut into Hick's Storage Unit Store business. He was back home by 11:30 Saturday, when he usually sells until 3:00. Hick blamed the cold, but I told him his customers are probably at deer camp. All those rifle/ammo/fishing equipment customers. The outdoorsmen who shop for Hick's wares.
Anyhoo... The Pony knows the next two months will be the hardest part of his job. He says his office has hired 5 new CCAs (City Carrier Asstistants, the same job classification as The Pony), so that might help a little. Even though right now they have just gotten the phone offer, and still have to go through two weeks' training. The Pony is optimistic that at least a couple of them will stick it out. Although he does say, "Now if we can only get vehicles for them to drive!"
They may get vehicles, but I'm pretty sure they're not going to be top-of-the-line!
The US mail delivery is a juggling show. We never know whose mail we will receive. Hope pony gets a break soon. Sure wish I could get back on my blog!
ReplyDeleteWe've been getting the right mail lately. But there's no way of knowing if somebody might have gotten something meant for us. I never got last month's DISH bill...
DeleteI don't have any solutions for your BLOGcade! The only thing I could think of is to start a new blog, and put a link to the old one on it. You won't be able to use it, but all your previous stuff will be one click away. When you comment on other people's blogs, you could leave your new link.
Mrs. C gets 3-4 catalogs every day this time of year, has to be an extra tough job until 2022.
ReplyDeleteThe Pony has been warned since his first day that the Christmas season is a challenge. It hasn't scared him off yet. Today, Sunday, it was his responsibility to lock up at 9:00 p.m. A responsibility of which he was happily unaware until 7:51 p.m.
DeleteWe get 5-6 catalogs a day. The Pony says, "Mailmen hate people like us! Not just the catalogs, but the awkward mailbox to stuff them in."
EmBee, our mailbox, is made of a 6-inch diameter steel pipe. I can't believe our mailwoman doesn't feel sorry for ME, trying to get those catalogs rolled up tight enough to pull them out!
Being a postman during Christmas must be hell. Good luck to him for the next months!
ReplyDeleteIt's a little slice of Not-Heaven, but at least the overtime pay is great! As long as he can remain healthy, with unbroken limbs, The Pony will pull through.
DeleteThe Pony is exaggerating when he calls those broken down rust buckets vehicles.
ReplyDeleteDeer season! The time when men are men and provide enough venison to feed an army, in spite of having maybe one wife and just a couple of kids.
Yes, I agree! I guess if it has 4 wheels and can steer, it's considered road-worthy.
DeleteWe've heard shots all weekend down behind the house. Probably our neighbor, who DOES eat everything he kills. He's not a sport hunter. He even uses a bow during bow season. We've given him permission to hunt on our property, since Hick hasn't hunted in many years.