FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Today I rinsed a bunch of peat moss, as well as some sphagnum and silica sand. I got them all set to air out upstairs (my fungus gnat breeding program takes place on the main floor), and I cleaned up the myriad containers and accoutrements required to make said rinsing possible.
Then I messed with setting up my new smart plugs (thanks for the rec., andynorth!) and bargain greenhouse fan, and moving things from one mini-greenhouse to another (back and forth and back and forth, raising and lowering all the lights each time).
I played with a heat mat under my VFT seeds, setting an arbitrary on-and-off daily schedule for it in an attempt to keep the heat steady-ish without frying my seeds.
And best of all, I contacted a former postal coworker to have my box of live plants held for me to pick up tomorrow morning in order to prevent it from sitting in a 28F parking lot for an hour early tomorrow morning before spending the day in an unheated LLV. Actually, he said he would drop it off at my house if possible (it probably will be, since I live six blocks from the post office)

So all in all, a pleasantly productive day, and I’m in a great position for my new plant babies from ChefDean to arrive early tomorrow morning!

I'm kinda surprised yours are going to be there so fast seeing as how it's 1,000+ miles. Fingers crossed that it does as the last update was arriving in Nashville.
I sent some to East Tennessee (330 miles) and that one should be there tomorrow. But the Louisiana and Florida ones (650 and 630 miles respectively) won't be there until estimated Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
Estimated because I sent some to just south of Atlanta (335 miles), estimated delivery Friday, and it stalled 30 miles from delivery for two days, then updated as arriving back in Atlanta this morning.
Oh those scamps at the USPS!
Let me know how they arrive.

I’m pretty surprised too, but I just checked the tracking, and they are already at the local distribution plant that will send them to my P.O. at about 2-3am. The timing is perfect, because today and tomorrow are extra warm, compared to previous days especially.

Chef, a niece of mine was at UAB hospital, roughly 140 miles from us. We mailed a package to her containing some reading glasses, phone charger, etc.,...kind of necessities. I watched the package go from our little bump-on-the-road post office to Montgomery (roughly 90 miles from B'ham). Then on to...ATLANTA where it sojourned for a few days!!!! From Atlanta on to South Carolina and then (of course) to North Carolina. Then back to South Carolina again. Tiring of the hospitality in the Carolinas the package headed back to Atlanta for a wild weekend before heading towards Birmingham, it's well-intended desitination!!! But, wait!!! Once in B'ham did it head to the hospital?....why, of course not. It meandered all around the UAB area for a few days, criss-crossing the campus, running up and down 6th Avenue S, chilling with the college kids playing beer pong (and apparently winning). (By this time I was really wondering what the package even looked like...dogeared, ya think? Probably more "round" than square.

Anyhow, the package finally arrived at UAB. Of course, by that time my niece had been discharged and the package ended up...I guess sitting in the unclaimed/lost/forgotten/etc., room in the basement of one of UAB's buildings? We never heard from it again.<sigh> So, yeah, I can *easily* see how a small package can take the scenic route. That was an epic trip those reading glasses took!!! Makes your confidence in the USPS reach all time highs.

USPS in Atlanta is in the process of changing warehouses, so anything passing through here is a crap shoot.

I saw this on a chicken page but it also applies to plants. If you are sending via priority mail you might want to consider UPS for the next few weeks.

Panman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 2:50 pm USPS in Atlanta is in the process of changing warehouses, so anything passing through here is a crap shoot.

The situation my niece was there or four years ago. I can’t imagine it getting worse.

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 11:20 pm I can’t imagine it getting worse.

Shhhh! The Postmaster General will take that as a challenge.

True. Or, it will create a horde of disgruntled postal employees!!!
What *was* I thinking!!!!!

I remember when I first joined the forum, it only took 5 days for my SASE to reach Chef. Nowadays, it usually takes 12 days or longer.

thepitchergrower wrote:I remember when I first joined the forum, it only took 5 days for my SASE to reach Chef. Nowadays, it usually takes 12 days or longer.

Ooh, that's only three years ago and now it's taking an entire week extra to make the same trip. I remember years ago having a heated conversation with a downtown letter-carrier when I remarked the USPS being supported by tax dollars and he quickly jumped in my stuff telling me how the USPS supported its own self!!! How's that "self support" thing working out now? I've had rural letter-carriers drive right by me (I saw them) when it was showing a package was out for delivery to me. Suddenly the package status went to "No one to sign for package" or whatever it was. I called the local post office and asked to speak to the postmaster. Interestingly, about 30 minutes later the letter carrier drove up at my house with my package and muttering something about "I forgot to stop"....sure, sure she did.