MeFi Card Club Appreciation Part III: Beyond Thunderdome December 20, 2018 9:39 AM Subscribe
I just had a fun exchange with my mail carrier.
I've lived in my apartment for nearly 7 years and have seen my mail carrier only a small handful of times, all at different times of the day. I don't think I could game meeting up with her if I tried. I had a small window of time today between calls when I was going to be able to run a few cards to the blue box a few blocks away before the collection, so threw on a jacket and dashed out my door...only to find her stuffing mail in my apartment's box. AMAZING.
me: Oh. HI! I didn't even know you were down here! Would it be ok if I gave you a few things to mail out today?
her: Hey no problem! [And I hand them to her. She looks at the return addy...] Wow, so YOU'RE [name].
me: ...yes.
her: You get a LOT of cards, you must know some nice people.
me: I sure do.
her: [looks in her hands] But you send them, too! See that's why. Nice people sending cards. See I like that.
And then she just walked off nodding.
Anyway, the official position of the United States Postal Service is that y'all are some nice people.
I've lived in my apartment for nearly 7 years and have seen my mail carrier only a small handful of times, all at different times of the day. I don't think I could game meeting up with her if I tried. I had a small window of time today between calls when I was going to be able to run a few cards to the blue box a few blocks away before the collection, so threw on a jacket and dashed out my door...only to find her stuffing mail in my apartment's box. AMAZING.
me: Oh. HI! I didn't even know you were down here! Would it be ok if I gave you a few things to mail out today?
her: Hey no problem! [And I hand them to her. She looks at the return addy...] Wow, so YOU'RE [name].
me: ...yes.
her: You get a LOT of cards, you must know some nice people.
me: I sure do.
her: [looks in her hands] But you send them, too! See that's why. Nice people sending cards. See I like that.
And then she just walked off nodding.
Anyway, the official position of the United States Postal Service is that y'all are some nice people.
Aw!
For December, I requested cards of support for dealing with some difficult times, and the responses I got were overwhelming. So so many heartfelt, beautiful caring messages. On top of that , I got a second Quonsmas gift package full of perfectly selected gifts from scraping my comments here from elsietheeel that was at first confusing, but left me in a pile of blubbering tears after I read the card. LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco sent me some cookies, which was another very touching surprise.
I havent kept track or anything, but there has to have been at least 5 cards/extras I got this month that made me cry. I agree with the USPS, you all are very, very nice people.
posted by Fig at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2018 [18 favorites]
For December, I requested cards of support for dealing with some difficult times, and the responses I got were overwhelming. So so many heartfelt, beautiful caring messages. On top of that , I got a second Quonsmas gift package full of perfectly selected gifts from scraping my comments here from elsietheeel that was at first confusing, but left me in a pile of blubbering tears after I read the card. LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco sent me some cookies, which was another very touching surprise.
I havent kept track or anything, but there has to have been at least 5 cards/extras I got this month that made me cry. I agree with the USPS, you all are very, very nice people.
posted by Fig at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2018 [18 favorites]
I hope you don't mind me talking about the holiday card swap here but my husband said yesterday, "I'm so glad you signed up for the that online holiday card swap!" Most of our in-person people don't send cards anymore and that's a bummer so I'm thankful for everyone here who takes the time to do so.
posted by kimberussell at 11:12 AM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by kimberussell at 11:12 AM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
I also got gifts from the wonderful elsietheeel, I thanked her in the quons thread, but as this wasn't really a quons I should thank her here as well! A bee house for the garden and a lovely metal grasshopper so my metal ant wont be lonely! I'm still doing research on when to put out the mason bee house, signs are pointing to March-ish being best for the buzzers. Besides the amazing amazing package, I've gotten so many wonderful cards congratulating me on my graduation that its really been a boost as I exit school. You people rock! Now I have to stop procrastinating, I have a paper to finish eek.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 11:38 AM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 11:38 AM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
I've received more xmas cards this year than I have in a decade. Go Card Club! I just wish I had saved all the return addresses so I could just send them automatically next year. Does anybody remember those card ledgers where you would record who sent you a card this year and who you sent ones to? My mom updated hers religiously.
posted by rhizome at 11:38 AM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 11:38 AM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
Lovely needlegrrl sent me a card when I didn’t have the spoons to join the card club!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:42 AM on December 20, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 11:42 AM on December 20, 2018 [6 favorites]
I finally got my card club cards and holiday cards out a few days ago! (I managed to send the international ones a couple weeks ago.) I've been saving all my incoming cards unopened this month so I can open them all when I really need it.
posted by moonmilk at 12:04 PM on December 20, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by moonmilk at 12:04 PM on December 20, 2018 [6 favorites]
the mail carrier for my block, potentially the entire neighborhood, hasn't delivered mail since december 6th. the post office yesterday was like the sack of constantinople: screaming people, crying babies, physical violence, public urination, trebuchets. only 2 ppl were working and the package room lady whispered to me that everyone else just didn't show up all week; they had 10 days worth of unsorted mail and packages stacked up so high she was afraid someone would be crushed to death. if anyone sends me mail it will probably murder an innocent overworked postal employee so please don't do that.
posted by poffin boffin at 1:57 PM on December 20, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 1:57 PM on December 20, 2018 [20 favorites]
Our local post office has decided that the week before Christmas is the PERFECT time to replace our mailboxes (I live in a rural area, so we have groups of boxes at the end of the street and apparently they keep getting vandalized?), which requires going into the post office - where generally only one person is working behind the counter - with ID and a utility bill to get the new key.
Surprisingly, this is better than UPS, who are due to deliver an international package that absolutely must be signed for in person. Well I work all day, they won't let me change the delivery address...and the local UPS depot is only open from 0800-0930, M-F.
That is not a typo. That is an hour and a half. And I think they've added the half hour on specifically for Christmas.
Also there are no UPS stores in town. There aren't even any mom and pop pack 'n ship places anymore. And oh, Amazon won't let me do returns via USPS anymore.
This has nothing to do with card club, but it's related to mail in general and I'm very frustrated.
Also my unsanctioned Quonsing of Fig and Neanderthal via my card club assignments this month was probably my favorite gifting experience of this year - and I've had some good ones so far.
I READ AN ENTIRE GARDEN BLOG LOOKING FOR IDEAS.
posted by elsietheeel at 2:33 PM on December 20, 2018 [13 favorites]
Surprisingly, this is better than UPS, who are due to deliver an international package that absolutely must be signed for in person. Well I work all day, they won't let me change the delivery address...and the local UPS depot is only open from 0800-0930, M-F.
That is not a typo. That is an hour and a half. And I think they've added the half hour on specifically for Christmas.
Also there are no UPS stores in town. There aren't even any mom and pop pack 'n ship places anymore. And oh, Amazon won't let me do returns via USPS anymore.
This has nothing to do with card club, but it's related to mail in general and I'm very frustrated.
Also my unsanctioned Quonsing of Fig and Neanderthal via my card club assignments this month was probably my favorite gifting experience of this year - and I've had some good ones so far.
I READ AN ENTIRE GARDEN BLOG LOOKING FOR IDEAS.
posted by elsietheeel at 2:33 PM on December 20, 2018 [13 favorites]
I have gotten the most amazing cards from MeFites! I actually participated in 3 different card swaps (MeFi, plus two others) and sent out slightly over 100 cards.
But it's MeFites that send the absolute coolest cards, and I am so very glad that people want to send cards.
My grandparents used a receipt box and 3x5 cards with people's addresses, and they would mark the years they sent and received cards on the index card for each person.
posted by needlegrrl at 2:58 PM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
But it's MeFites that send the absolute coolest cards, and I am so very glad that people want to send cards.
My grandparents used a receipt box and 3x5 cards with people's addresses, and they would mark the years they sent and received cards on the index card for each person.
posted by needlegrrl at 2:58 PM on December 20, 2018 [5 favorites]
Others have enjoyed exchanges with their mail carriers, too.
posted by jamjam at 3:12 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by jamjam at 3:12 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
I finally sent out all my cards today -- I know most of them will arrive after Dec. 25th, but they'll reach their recipients before Twelfth Night, at least :).
posted by Annabelle74 at 3:31 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Annabelle74 at 3:31 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
Aw, that's so cool/sweet! I love it. Now you're not only metafilter famous (in my mind anyway), but you're postal worker famous! ;) ;) :)
posted by bookworm4125 at 4:11 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by bookworm4125 at 4:11 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
It occured to me that Card Club and Xmas Card Club are different groups, but that just means twice as many great groups!
posted by rhizome at 5:11 PM on December 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 5:11 PM on December 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
I know most of them will arrive after Dec. 25th, but they'll reach their recipients before Twelfth Night, at least :).
Is Twelfth Night the same as Russian Christmas? I have claimed to be sending gifts for Russian Christmas before, it's a winning strategy!
Let us celebrate the fuzzy timings of various Christmases with the fine composition, Russian Christmas Music, written by an American for Americans 75 years ago.
posted by rhizome at 5:18 PM on December 20, 2018
Is Twelfth Night the same as Russian Christmas? I have claimed to be sending gifts for Russian Christmas before, it's a winning strategy!
Let us celebrate the fuzzy timings of various Christmases with the fine composition, Russian Christmas Music, written by an American for Americans 75 years ago.
posted by rhizome at 5:18 PM on December 20, 2018
I READ AN ENTIRE GARDEN BLOG LOOKING FOR IDEAS.
God bless you for doing so you hit the nail squarely on the head! Once I'm done with my paper and the year has turned over their will definitely be a post on my new wonderful bee house!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 7:03 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
God bless you for doing so you hit the nail squarely on the head! Once I'm done with my paper and the year has turned over their will definitely be a post on my new wonderful bee house!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 7:03 PM on December 20, 2018 [3 favorites]
I love getting Christmas cards. So many neat creative and beautiful cards gracing my banister this year.
posted by vespabelle at 7:38 PM on December 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by vespabelle at 7:38 PM on December 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
hey Fig, I MeMailed you to ask if I could have your address to send you a card...
posted by huimangm at 7:45 PM on December 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by huimangm at 7:45 PM on December 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
I get paralyzed by stress at Christmas and thought I couldn't possibly deal with the card swap and now I'm sad. I suppose all the Christmas-card-swappers will be swapped out by Valentine's Day but I could see a Valentine swap with funny poems being fun. I need some love.
posted by HotToddy at 9:18 AM on December 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by HotToddy at 9:18 AM on December 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
HotToddy—I know there was a Valentine’s card swap last year, and you can always join the MeFi Card Club at any time! It’s very low-stress and Fig makes it so easy to participate! It’s perfect for those months when you just need a little pick-me-up!
posted by bookmammal at 9:31 AM on December 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by bookmammal at 9:31 AM on December 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yep! I'll be posting here on MeTa for the upcoming Valentines exchange in earlymid January. Come join us!
And seconded re: fig's monthly card exchange being easy to use. She sends us an opt-in message every month so you can skip the month if you want, or send as many cards as you feel like sending.
Many cheers and thanks to needlegrrl and Fig! These exchanges have been such a bright light for me. Right now, I have a gorgeous row of holiday cards in my living room greeting me every time I come in. And it makes me happy to send them. (AlthoughIamsuperbehindontheDecemberswapIamsosorry!)
posted by mochapickle at 9:46 AM on December 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
And seconded re: fig's monthly card exchange being easy to use. She sends us an opt-in message every month so you can skip the month if you want, or send as many cards as you feel like sending.
Many cheers and thanks to needlegrrl and Fig! These exchanges have been such a bright light for me. Right now, I have a gorgeous row of holiday cards in my living room greeting me every time I come in. And it makes me happy to send them. (AlthoughIamsuperbehindontheDecemberswapIamsosorry!)
posted by mochapickle at 9:46 AM on December 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
I have four holiday cards left and plenty of stamps and will gladly send cards to the first four people who memail me!
posted by moonmilk at 9:58 AM on December 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by moonmilk at 9:58 AM on December 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
After confirming that I won't have to make handmade cards (whew!) I joined the monthly exchange. :)
posted by kimberussell at 11:16 AM on December 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by kimberussell at 11:16 AM on December 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
No handcrafting required! (Thank goodness!)
Pretty much the only Card Club “rules” are to send any sort of card/postcard/note, etc—your choice—to the MeFite(s) you get that month, and to enjoy what you receive!
That’s it. Low stress level, and a very high FUN level! Please join us!
This concludes my semi-regular MeFi Card Club commercial!
posted by bookmammal at 11:30 AM on December 21, 2018 [8 favorites]
Pretty much the only Card Club “rules” are to send any sort of card/postcard/note, etc—your choice—to the MeFite(s) you get that month, and to enjoy what you receive!
That’s it. Low stress level, and a very high FUN level! Please join us!
This concludes my semi-regular MeFi Card Club commercial!
posted by bookmammal at 11:30 AM on December 21, 2018 [8 favorites]
Yes, there are some real overachievers in the card club(s) and I have gotten some lovely original cards, but I also get (and send!) postcards and notecards with just a signature and they're all delightful!
And just to reiterate what mochapickle already said, for people on the fence about the regular on-going club Fig organizes, you can opt out any given month and participate just when you have the extra spoons- very low stress, high delight!
Many thanks to Fig and needlegrrl and mochapickle - I did the regular card club and the Valentine's and winter holiday exchanges in the past year, and I recommend any or all of them.
posted by the primroses were over at 12:40 PM on December 21, 2018 [6 favorites]
And just to reiterate what mochapickle already said, for people on the fence about the regular on-going club Fig organizes, you can opt out any given month and participate just when you have the extra spoons- very low stress, high delight!
Many thanks to Fig and needlegrrl and mochapickle - I did the regular card club and the Valentine's and winter holiday exchanges in the past year, and I recommend any or all of them.
posted by the primroses were over at 12:40 PM on December 21, 2018 [6 favorites]
you can always join the MeFi Card Club at any time!
Really? Yay! Joining!
posted by HotToddy at 1:31 PM on December 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
Really? Yay! Joining!
posted by HotToddy at 1:31 PM on December 21, 2018 [5 favorites]
My favorite MeFi holiday card says "An internet stranger and 3 of her 4 cats send you lovely holiday greetings and the fourth cat is an asshole."
Friends, I laughed until I cried.
posted by blessedlyndie at 10:42 PM on December 21, 2018 [29 favorites]
Friends, I laughed until I cried.
posted by blessedlyndie at 10:42 PM on December 21, 2018 [29 favorites]
I've been feeling a low grade guilt all year about not thanking all the wonderful people who have sent me such original and thoughtful cards this year! Seeing a card in the mailbox for me was always such a thrill.
To assuage that anxiety, I'm going to send lots more cards this year!
posted by kinsey at 12:05 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
To assuage that anxiety, I'm going to send lots more cards this year!
posted by kinsey at 12:05 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Is it possible to join the card club and send notes or short letters? Because I am not a card-sending person but I am very much a short note/brief letter person. Happy to get cards and/or notes. Just bad at sending cards, which somehow paralyses me. Let's blame my parents, shall we? Or that fourth cat, the asshole.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:57 PM on December 22, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 1:57 PM on December 22, 2018 [4 favorites]
Little notes and letters totally fit Card Club! Any kind of mailed positive correspondence is fine. It's really very low-key. Send me an email at meficardclub@gmail.com to get set up!
posted by Fig at 3:54 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Fig at 3:54 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
Metafilter: The fourth cat is an asshole.
posted by drlith at 4:44 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by drlith at 4:44 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
I always send lots of cards - this year my Christmas stamps cost over £100. But that's okay, as I have very few people to buy gifts for. I love sending cards and receiving them. I've had some beautiful cards this year from MeFites all over the world. I didn't know there was a Card Club other than the December holiday card exchange and I'd be totally up for that.
posted by essexjan at 2:24 PM on December 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by essexjan at 2:24 PM on December 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
Fig—if you have time at some point, could we get some updated stats on how many MeFites are participating? Seems like we may have added some new folks lately!
posted by bookmammal at 9:39 AM on December 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bookmammal at 9:39 AM on December 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yes, belated thanks to everybody! This year we needed a third piece of string to hang them on, and it's very nice.
posted by Grangousier at 10:55 AM on December 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Grangousier at 10:55 AM on December 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
I am getting a late start on assigning and have an everlasting cold from hell, so I'll be back with more membership stats tomorrow, but ones that don't involve a lot of additional calculation are :
We have 6 new people that joined in December (and 1 leaving); compared to 2 new people in November, and 10 in October.
There are 103 Mefites that are currently in Card Club.
In January, there are 39 senders sending a total of 209 cards to 19 recipients. Generally, there are about 40-45 senders so this is a little low, but I think there was a lot of holiday burn-out. 3 people picked the "send to everyone" option, and the majority picked either 2 or 3 cards to send out.
It took me about 2ish hours to do everything, meaning make all the changes people requested, send out info to those who wanted to see their registration, do the assigning, and send out the assignment emails. That time also includes interruptions from a cat and a dog, plus breaks for tea and cough drops so if I crunched it, it's probably about 90 min of real work.
posted by Fig at 9:21 PM on December 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
We have 6 new people that joined in December (and 1 leaving); compared to 2 new people in November, and 10 in October.
There are 103 Mefites that are currently in Card Club.
In January, there are 39 senders sending a total of 209 cards to 19 recipients. Generally, there are about 40-45 senders so this is a little low, but I think there was a lot of holiday burn-out. 3 people picked the "send to everyone" option, and the majority picked either 2 or 3 cards to send out.
It took me about 2ish hours to do everything, meaning make all the changes people requested, send out info to those who wanted to see their registration, do the assigning, and send out the assignment emails. That time also includes interruptions from a cat and a dog, plus breaks for tea and cough drops so if I crunched it, it's probably about 90 min of real work.
posted by Fig at 9:21 PM on December 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
Thank you, Fig! You continue to be the most Fabulous Facilitator!
posted by bookmammal at 4:00 AM on December 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by bookmammal at 4:00 AM on December 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Thank you, Fig!!
posted by moonmilk at 9:20 AM on December 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by moonmilk at 9:20 AM on December 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Fig, you are fabulous. Thanks again for everything you do to keep card club going!
posted by danabanana at 12:33 PM on December 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by danabanana at 12:33 PM on December 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
The count is up to 7 people joining in December, so 104 total. Yay!
posted by Fig at 4:49 PM on December 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Fig at 4:49 PM on December 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
So Fig, do I have to sign up with mochapickle for the Valentine card exchange? I'm a bit confused now.
posted by honey badger at 11:39 PM on December 27, 2018
posted by honey badger at 11:39 PM on December 27, 2018
Yeah, the holiday-specific exchanges are their own thing, ran by other people.
posted by Fig at 9:07 AM on December 28, 2018
posted by Fig at 9:07 AM on December 28, 2018
^ Yep! You can totally ask for individual valentines through Fig's card club, if you like.
But for the classroom-swap style valentine holiday exchange I'm setting up, you'd sign up to send/receive from a group of like 12-14ish people. Everyone you send a valentine to sends a valentine to you!
posted by mochapickle at 10:42 AM on December 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
But for the classroom-swap style valentine holiday exchange I'm setting up, you'd sign up to send/receive from a group of like 12-14ish people. Everyone you send a valentine to sends a valentine to you!
posted by mochapickle at 10:42 AM on December 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Holy crap y'all, from Dec 1 - today, we added 17 (!) more people to this thing, for a grand total of 114.
Also, I never came back with updated stats. My bad. In my (lame) defense, I am still under the weather (but, now on a course of antibiotics which will hopefully kick this stupid cold/bronchitis I've had for a good month now).
Anyway, the "who is sending what" information is now gone because I start with a clean slate every month, but I can still do some number-crunchin for overall demographics. Let me send out the opt-ins, and i WILL come back to do that.
posted by Fig at 3:16 PM on January 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also, I never came back with updated stats. My bad. In my (lame) defense, I am still under the weather (but, now on a course of antibiotics which will hopefully kick this stupid cold/bronchitis I've had for a good month now).
Anyway, the "who is sending what" information is now gone because I start with a clean slate every month, but I can still do some number-crunchin for overall demographics. Let me send out the opt-ins, and i WILL come back to do that.
posted by Fig at 3:16 PM on January 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
DATA!!
We have a total of 113 members*.
96 are in the USA
8 are in Canada
6 are in Europe
2 are in Australia
1 is in Asia
There are 7 different countries (UK, USA, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, Japan, and Australia) and 29 states plus Washington DC represented.
On average, 23.8 members are requesting cards every month. The "busiest" month is October with 35, and the least is May with 15.
Everyone who participates in Card Club is 100% awesome.
*there was a miscount in my previous comment, we had 16 new members for a total of 113.
posted by Fig at 4:03 PM on January 12, 2019 [5 favorites]
We have a total of 113 members*.
96 are in the USA
8 are in Canada
6 are in Europe
2 are in Australia
1 is in Asia
There are 7 different countries (UK, USA, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, Japan, and Australia) and 29 states plus Washington DC represented.
On average, 23.8 members are requesting cards every month. The "busiest" month is October with 35, and the least is May with 15.
Everyone who participates in Card Club is 100% awesome.
*there was a miscount in my previous comment, we had 16 new members for a total of 113.
posted by Fig at 4:03 PM on January 12, 2019 [5 favorites]
Oh, and 1 very pesky cat who is my Assistant Facilitator. (Pictured with her fluffy butt in front of this thread to depict my actual working conditions).
posted by Fig at 4:08 PM on January 12, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Fig at 4:08 PM on January 12, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love that new people keep joining Card Club! It makes it extra suspenseful to receive my list each month—will I be sending cards to fun, familiar folks, or a brand new Card Club member???
Also—I just bought some scented postage stamps! Who knew???
posted by bookmammal at 9:25 AM on January 13, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also—I just bought some scented postage stamps! Who knew???
posted by bookmammal at 9:25 AM on January 13, 2019 [2 favorites]
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posted by ChuraChura at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2018 [8 favorites]