secret rules for snail mail

i'm going to lend everybody here a hand. i'm going to let you in on a secret. apparently in evanston, il, the post office will not deliver mail unless your name is on the mailbox. who knew? not me. i just found out today. it would've been a tad handier to know this about 3 weeks ago when i started forwarding my mail to my new (temporary - this comes into play later) address.

since i was just moving into heath's place for about a month, i didn't bother worrying about getting my name on his lease or getting the address changed on my driver's license. it wouldn't be worth the hassle to change it all on june 20th, since i would have another address change as of july 15th. i did, however, have my mail forwarded, since receiving bills and other correspondence is something i did want to maintain for those three or four weeks (crazy, i know).

after 2 weeks of not receiving any mail, i called the lisle, il (former) post office to inquire about my mail. they said, yep, it's going to evanston, you should be getting it soon. i figured it was just delayed - no big deal, just an annoyance. after three weeks went by, i started to get worried. lisle told me to call evanston. when i did, they informed me that they were holding all my mail until my name appears on the mailbox. what? am i supposed to psychically know this? yes, apparently so.

i asked about picking my mail up, and she said i could come down there, but i'd need my updated driver's license (doh!), lease with my name on it for that address (i repeat, doh!) or a piece of mail (.........). she immediately identified her error in suggesting a piece of mail, since she was probably staring at the mountain in front of her that is my mail (thank you, usps employee for not being entirely dense).

i've manged to print off a bank statement with my new address on it. (thank you internet.) hopefully they take that as proof, particularly when i present it alongside a credit card statement, cell phone thing, another credit card statement, and my sad, sad, pleading expression complete with puppy dog eyes.

so a word to the wise: make sure you put your name on your mailbox if you move to evanston! i'll have to figure out a way to stick my name on there with heath's for the remainder of this week. how silly. somehow i think my preferred solution of a post-it note isn't going to fly in this case. can't wait for the continued adventures when i have a mail forward on top of a mail forward following this next relocation. let's see what you do with that one, post office!! muahahaha!