Bless the postal service

Quickly.

The last pair of mittens¹ showed up on my doorstep last week.

That’s felted perfection right there.

I took all of the mittens (and two scarves (long story)) to the post office yesterday and they should be at the collection point by tomorrow.

[on soapbox] I know we like to crap on the postal service but I remain amazed that I can get something from here to almost anywhere within a day or two for not that much money. Just think about how complicated that system is. Is it perfect? No. But dang. It’s still pretty good. [off soapbox]

I should have counted all of the pairs but didn’t because I didn’t think of it until just now. Maybe 30? From places far and wide — and delivered to my house by, yes, the U.S. Postal Service.

Thanks to one and all for adding to the pile!

Now, a couple of links because I can’t help it:

• The indignity of “vaginal atrophy”²

• Thanks to Lovett or Leave It, I now know about Sarah McBride and want to vote for her but cannot so I’ll donate instead.

• Telemarketers,³ a new doc on HBO Max,⁴ is a one-of-a-kind reporting operation. Sam Lipman-Stern, one of the telemarketers in question, didn’t start out with the intention of making an expose. Instead, he was a bored kid/wannabe delinquent with a video camera whose workplace had no rules and employed a bunch of felons, addicts, and other misfits who’d have a hard time in a traditional field. All of that footage, however, adds up to a potent take-down of one of the longer running scams⁵ in America. It also proves that all reporters should work as telemarketers for a few years so that they can learn how to cold call anyone and keep them talking long enough to get what you want.⁶

Hope the end of summer⁷ is treating you well. Today feels like fall and I am HERE FOR IT.

1. for this iteration, anyway

2. Not the actual physical experience, which will likely happen to every woman who lives long enough, but the phrase.

3. This link is to an NPR review of this and BS High, which is also very good and also very infuriating.

4. or whatever it’s called at this point. Max? Just Max (with jazz hands)?

5. pretty sure it’s still going

6. and they should use this power for good, of course

7. in this hemisphere