Mailboxes, etc.
Our old mailbox has seen better days. We've had it since we lived in the city, as back then we had mail delivery at our door, and as we didn't have a box the mailman just opened our screen door and dumped it there. Dad had thought about mounting a full-on mailbox there but never did. Most people in the city, if they have a box, have one of those smallish rectangular ones that mount to the outer wall.
When we moved out here, and actually had to have a standard box--and let me tell you how weird it was to have to go all the way outside and down the driveway to fetch our mail, for the longest time--we didn't need to buy one! Hooray dad for thinking ahead without even realizing it. But our box and post, over two decades, got more than a little use. Also snowplows like aiming for them. We don't have it as bad as our neighbor, the first box on the block, but our box and post have taken their share of hits over the years. The final straw came this winter, when dad came home--possibly on a Monday, because I don't think I came home until late that day and didn't find out about it right away--and discovered our mailbox in the middle of the driveway. The box had a hard time closing before, but after that it was nearly impossible.
We've been meaning to get another one for a while. However, upon returning home from the funeral last Saturday, we discovered our box was open. Now, we've had mail stolen from us before, so seeing the door open makes us nervous. It's really because the door is just that hard to close, and the mail people don't always take the time to make sure it's closed, but still. Dad had to go to Menards on Sunday anyway, and he popped for a new box. Strangely enough, I saw him install it, yet a couple days later when I checked the mail for the first time since it was replaced, it still stunned me. What's this? Oh, yeah, right.
The best part: Because it's so new, the box door is stiff and I have a hard time shutting it. Yes, this really solved the problem. :P
When we moved out here, and actually had to have a standard box--and let me tell you how weird it was to have to go all the way outside and down the driveway to fetch our mail, for the longest time--we didn't need to buy one! Hooray dad for thinking ahead without even realizing it. But our box and post, over two decades, got more than a little use. Also snowplows like aiming for them. We don't have it as bad as our neighbor, the first box on the block, but our box and post have taken their share of hits over the years. The final straw came this winter, when dad came home--possibly on a Monday, because I don't think I came home until late that day and didn't find out about it right away--and discovered our mailbox in the middle of the driveway. The box had a hard time closing before, but after that it was nearly impossible.
We've been meaning to get another one for a while. However, upon returning home from the funeral last Saturday, we discovered our box was open. Now, we've had mail stolen from us before, so seeing the door open makes us nervous. It's really because the door is just that hard to close, and the mail people don't always take the time to make sure it's closed, but still. Dad had to go to Menards on Sunday anyway, and he popped for a new box. Strangely enough, I saw him install it, yet a couple days later when I checked the mail for the first time since it was replaced, it still stunned me. What's this? Oh, yeah, right.
The best part: Because it's so new, the box door is stiff and I have a hard time shutting it. Yes, this really solved the problem. :P