Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Fourth Anniversary Postcard-Sending Binge!

Tuesday is the fourth anniversary of the L&TM5K, and I am hoping to celebrate in characteristically ridiculous fashion.  I'll need your help!  I will need you -- that's right, YOU, dear reader -- to allow me to send you a postcard.


What's Up?

Well, remember these stamps from about ten years ago?  I recently discovered that I had set a couple of still-in-the-wrapper sheets of them aside, apparently in the surprisingly naive belief that they might accrue value during my lifetime.  (Unless you started in the Nineteenth Century, it's pretty much true what they say: philately will get you nowhere.)

With the postcard rate recently having risen to within a nickel of the face value of these puppies, it has become more economical to use them as postcard stamps than to fret over supplemental stamps to get them up to first-class value.  And that is the genesis of this idea:
I am going to use each of these stamps to send a postcard to someone in its appropriate state!!!
Yes, this kind of thing is my idea of a good time.  Don't judge me.

The Postcards


I'm purging the collection, frankly.  The cards I selected are the ones I'm tired of looking at and can't really imagine having an excuse to send otherwise.  They are mostly boring, but not boring in an interesting way, or are surplus cards from trips of the past.  These are basically the cards I'm tired of looking at.


Oh, plus for some reason I felt moved to make a few postcards out of a cereal box I used up this morning.





So anyway, fifty postcards!


And then I went through and put the stamps on them in determinedly random order.


"So what do ~I~ do, again?" you ask


YOUR job is to indicate your willingness to be the postcard recipient for your state!  You can do this in the comments, or if you don't want to publish your address for all and sundry to see, you can contact me at my gmail account, which has exactly the address you would expect a guy named "Michael5000" to have.

What if I want a postcard, but my state has already been claimed?  Well, I actually have another sheet of these stamps with only "Oregon" and "Ohio" used, so you can play too.

What if I'm, say, FROM Kentucky but live in New Jersey now?  Sorry, the New Jersey stamp has to go to a New Jersey address.  Rules are rules; without them we are no better than animals.

But... but... I am not currently resident in one of the Unitedstatsian states!  The L&TM5K is all about international brotherandsisterhood.  If you want a postcard, just say the word.  Unless something weird happens and this goes all viral, I should be able to accommodate all comers.

And I get what?  A postcard with a cheery greeting, a note of gratitude for reading my blog, and perhaps an anecdote about how the postcard was acquired.

Happy Blog Anniversary Week to Me, AmIRight?

19 comments:

Christine M. said...

Ohio!

Elaine said...

Arkansas! but you've already been so generous, that if you have another reader from The Natural State, I defer.

My daughter lives in Mississippi...

Elaine said...

I meant to add: Happy Anniversary! Hope you keep on keepin' on.

(There's a heron next to the pool this morning! He also sends greetings.)

Voron X said...

Maryland! I'll send you the address!

The Calico Cat said...

I can't belive someone stole Maryland out from under me! Is DC available? (No of course not, they just pay taxes without the benefit of representation in congress.)

Will it arrive before 4th of July - I can muster a NY address too...

Damn someone else in Md. reads this _____.

The Calico Cat said...

Hey I just reread - I can be MD2!

Nichim said...

You can sign me up for Vermont

Aviatrix said...

I am not resident in the United States, but I heartily approve this project. I like to send postcards, too, so if you really like to get postcards, especially those from obscure Canadian communities, then ask and I will send you one now and again.

Rebel said...

I don't have to tell you how much I support this project. I should however tell you that I claim OREGON! w00t!

dhkendall said...

I'd love one but a) I'm not a Unitedstatesian (a Canuck), and b) I'm also a philatelist, and wouldn't want to take part for two reasons: i) getting stamps off envelopes/postcards/etc. is a pain in the @$$ for me, I much prefer to buy them either mint or where someone else has done the hard work (ie used, off-the-paper). Since I prefer old stamps (ie pre 1960), not a problem; and ii) I cringe in horror that you separated a perfeclty good stamp sheet! I'd love to get the whole sheet (can that be my consolation prize as a canuck?) much more than the 50 individual stamps!

sugarfoot said...

The Wittemans claim Alabama.

Jenners said...

Well, if there are no takers, I am willing to accept the New Jersey postcard.

Michael5000 said...

All right, we've got the postcard love going out in tomorrow's post to Ohio, Arkansas, Maryland, Maryland, Vermont, obscure Canadian communities, and Oregon, and that's all I got to because I'm all tuckered out.

Keep those claims a'comin!

Jennifer said...

Should nobody else in PA put in a claim, you know I'm always happy to receive a postcard!

margaret said...

M-O-N-T-A-N-A! Can it be postdated for August? If not, can I elect c/o relatives?

Rebel said...

w00t! I just got my postcard and I must say I am honored to be representing Oregon! Also, mildly dismayed that Mrs. 5000 may be seething in resentment. ;)

Dug said...

I'm happy to be your Masshole if you need one. Maybe for the states that get no takers you can write to various political leaders asking them to explain themselves.

Michael5000 said...

Mags: If the Montana card is still available in August, I could certainly send it c/o.

Reb: Mrs.5000 is not a vengeful sort.

OK, I got as far as Penna tonight. And now I'm all tuckered out again. It's been a helluva week.

Michael5000 said...

And at loooong last, the Texas postcard is heading for lizt! Excellent Hungarian composer, lizt....