Another Step Back In Time

Hi. Remember me? I have been deeply mired in technobabble all week. It only took me three days to get the help I needed from Verisonwireless to finally get my Blackberry phone, and then it took another day or so to get it working. But it is sweet. Instant Web access - oh, yeah, baby. As one of my 20-something co-workers so eloquently pointed out yesterday, I have been pulled, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century.

So let's take a moment to step back in time. The other day I mentioned something to someone, somewhere (all my days and locales run together any more) about when phone numbers had letters in them (mine was CR4-6809, which later turned into 274- ); when the USPS told us all the state abbreviations on letters (yes, we wrote letters) were going to be only two letters instead of any other shortening method (Pennsylvania used to be Penn, Florida was Fla, Mississippi was Miss, Ohio was ... er, Ohio); and instead of the city code thingie, we were going to have 5-digit ZIP Codes. [Did you now that the ZIP in ZIP Code stands for Zone Improvement Plan? I am not making this up - look here. Yes, I am full of useless trivia.]

What is this city code thing of which I speak!?!?! I lived in Dayton 6, Ohio. With the blind-siding of both the ZIP Code and the State abbreviation changes, this became Dayton, OH 45406. See? It was HARD growing up back then. Kids have it so EASY today...

Here is some photo evidence. I took this in the bathroom at work the other day. Never let it be said I missed a photo op.

The first thing I'd like you to notice is how old this shelf is. It is yellowed with age! My building was built back in what I now understand to be "mid-century", and this is a relic of those times. Still attached to the wall and everything.

But what I really want you to notice is this:

Check out the city: Indianapolis 4, Ind. Yep, this is ooooooold. And I had 'a moment' in the ladies' room to record it all for posterity. Please do not mention that to anyone, okay?

And last, but not least, I STAMPED SOMETHING! I did! It is little, but it serves a purpose. You see, I had my first etsy sale a few weeks ago, and I failed to exercise the proper protocol. Etsy, being a hand-made stuff site, encourages us to enclose a personal note when we ship an order, if only to emphasize the whole 'hand-made' aspect of the site. Well, in my glee over the actual SALE, I neglected to do this. So tonight I went through my Cache Of Things Purchased In A Good Demo Moment But Never Used items and pulled out a package of scalloped notes. They are little notes with one scalloped edge, with envelopes, and they are too small to mail. Soooo, I decided to open the package and make little thank you notes to enclose with what I hope will be future sales.

It is very difficult to see, as this is a totally horrid photograph, but the bottom edge of the top part of the card is scalloped. I actually used a 1/4" punch to make a notch in the side of the card to keep the ribbon from sliding off. Not bad, not bad.

Alright, then, I have managed to waste another 5 minutes or so of your time talking about nothing at all! Back to finish programming my phone with actual phone numbers. Thanks for stopping by!