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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

What are the Chances?

It's A Small World...


It's a red-letter day for sender as mail from 1981 returns home

Snail mail? Think again. Even snails don't move this slowly.

In September, 1981, then-15-year-old Julie Williams was planning a little surprise for her older brother, Steve Williams, who was away at college and living in Brooklyn.
Back home on Grantwood Drive in Toledo, she wrote him a letter, had her two younger sisters sign it, and stuck it in the mailbox. The letter - complete with X's and O's from his adoring little sisters - was soon forgotten by the teenage girl after she sent it on its way to New York.

Almost twenty-six years later, the letter has reappeared.

The letter was returned to sender on June 29, 2007, marked "not deliverable as addressed."
But Julie Williams, who is now Julie Foster, had moved out of the home on Grantwood Drive about 18 years ago. Instead, it was delivered to Crystal Jozsa, who had recently moved into Mrs. Foster's childhood home.


As fate would have it, Ms. Jozsa works with Mrs. Foster at a Fifth Third Bank branch in Sylvania, although they did not know each other when Ms. Jozsa bought the house.

Julie Williams affixed only a few cents in postage on this letter in 1981, but that was enough to take it to Brooklyn and bring it back. The Postal Service always tries to return such lost items.
Sifting through her mail last week, Ms. Jozsa said this handwritten letter stood out like a sore thumb.

"You could tell just by looking at the envelope how old it was," she said, laughing. "The stamps were only 15 cents."

Although it was sent by a Julie Williams, which is Mrs. Foster's maiden name, Ms. Jozsa said she recognized her co-worker's writing after reading only the first few lines.
"I could just tell it was her," she said. "What a small world, that after so long it would come back, and I happen to know Julie."

But the mystery of the lost letter was not solved.
Mrs. Foster of Whitehouse still wonders what happened to the letter during those 26 years en route to Brooklyn.
When she told her brother the story a few days ago, he said it was amazing - as if the letter had been put into a time capsule.


Both Mr. Williams and his sister believe the letter probably got lost in New York. He said it would not be his first unusual experience with the Brooklyn post office.

Mr. Williams recalled one Christmas when his mother sent him a box of chocolate chip cookies. Because he was not home when the package was delivered, and it was too large to fit in his mailbox, Mr. Williams said the mailman left the package with his elderly neighbor.
Later that day, he said the old woman died mysteriously.
"There was a whole crime investigation going on, and police tape up around the door," he remembered.
"I had to talk to all these police officers and detectives before I could get my Christmas cookies," he said.


Craig Cummings, customer relations coordinator for the U.S. Postal Service in Toledo, said letters can sometimes fall in cracks behind the mailboxes or end up behind walls, especially in apartment buildings and post office boxes.
When the letters are discovered, either through cleaning or renovations, it can be many years later, as in Mrs. Foster's case.

He said the post office will always try to return letters to the sender, no matter how much time has passed.

But they make no guarantees that coincidence will help it reach the right hands as it did with Mrs. Foster.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

TWO YEARS

JUST IN CASE SOME OF YOU DIDN'T NOTICE THE DATE...JASON AND I CELEBRATED OUR TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY YESTERDAY. HARD TO BELIEVE I KNOW. THE TIME GOES BY SO QUICKLY. AMAZING HOW FAR WE HAVE COME IN TWO YEARS, WE NOW HAVE A HOUSE (AND ALL THAT GOES ON WITH THAT) I HAVE A NEW JOB (BEEN THERE A YEAR AND A HALF ALREADY)-WE HAVE HAD TRESSEL NOW FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF OUR MARRIAGE HAVE BEEN GREAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH SOME TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS (AS YOU MAY REMEMBER THE EBAY SCAM, THE CHECK SCAM, OUR HOUSE FLOODED, WE HAVE HAD TWO TREE LIMBS FALL ON OUR HOUSE, OUR CENTRAL AIR WENT OUT) BUT LOOKING BACK THOSE AREN'T EVEN THE THINGS WE REMEMBER! THE GOOD TIMES OUTWEIGH THE BAD EVERYTIME! TO MANY MORE YEARS TOGETHER!

Old Friends

I got a chance to hang out with two of my childhood friends over the weekend-always great to see old faces. Rachel is moving to Tennessee in about a week and a half with her mom to start a new job and be closer to family. It is a great move for her even though I'll miss her being up here (even though I don't see her as much as I would like now when we are only an hour away) We will stay in touch and Rachel I wish you all the luck at your new job! Sounds like a great opportunity for you! Also got to hang out with Bridgit who I graduate high school with-who lives in Toledo (but I rarely see). She just passed her test and is now an RN for Toledo Hospital so we got to celebrate that-she always makes me laugh. We went to dinner-a Mud Hens game (until it wouldn't stop raining-then went out for a little bit-where my lil bro Andy joined us. Anyways, hope everyone is doing well!


Me and my lil bro


Bridgit and Rachel

Me and Rachel


Me and Bridgit

Andy and Rachel

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

TRESSEL


TRESSEL WAS HAPPY JASON WAS HOME FOR THE DAY.

IF IT WEREN'T FOR BAD LUCK...

JASON AND I HAD A RUDE AWAKENING LAST NIGHT ABOUT 11:30. WE BOTH WOKE UP AND HEARD SOMETHING (SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS OUTSIDE) JASON WENT AND LOOKED SAID HE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND THEN MY PHONE RINGS AND IT WAS OUR NEIGHBOR CALLING TO SAY A TREE FELL ON OUR HOUSE. I DON'T KNOW HOW IS THE WORLD JASON DIDN'T SEE IT WHEN HE WENT TO CHECK IT OUT!?!?! ANYWAYS, SURE ENOUGH ALMOST A YEAR TO THE DAY WE HAD ANOTHER HUGE LIMB FALL. LAST YEAR IT WAS JULY 3RD WHEN THE FIRST LIMB WENT DOWN AND SLIGHTLY DAMAGED OUR ROOF. SOMEHOW, WE REALLY ARE LUCKY BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT TOTALLY MISSED THE HOUSE-WE SHOULD PROBABLY GET ON THE ROOF TO DOUBLE CHECK BUT IT SOMEHOW ONLY SEEMED TO FALL AND HIT ANOTHER TREE AND MANAGED TO JUST TAKE DOWN A COUPLE OF MY BIRDHOUSES. COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF IT WOULD HAVE FALLEN A LITTLE BIT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. JASON GOT TO TAKE THE DAY OFF-NOT LIKE HE HAD A FUN DAY-HE SPENT IT CUTTING THE TREE INTO PIECES AND GOT IT OUT OF THE WAY AND AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. THOUGHT YOU MAY WANT TO SEE PICUTRES.





Sunday, July 08, 2007

Weekend

Jason and I got a chance to spend a few hours with Clark and Clementine on Saturday and the rest of the Metz/Dellinger clan. Always good to see everyone and see how the kids are growing up. You can see some pictures mostly of Clementine below. For some strange reason Clark didn't want his picture taken. I tried but wasn't too successful. Clementine is changing and getting bigger each time I see her.







Happy 4th of July





Tuesday, July 03, 2007

I just thought this was kind of funny!

Everyone shows ID for beer in Tenn.
By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II, Associated Press WriterSat Jun 30, 11:36 PM ET

Comer Wilson hasn't had to show his ID to buy beer in a while. Maybe it's the 66-year-old man's long white beard. Starting Sunday, gray hair won't be good enough. Wilson and everyone else will be required to show identification before buying beer in Tennessee stores — no matter how old the buyer appears.
"It's the stupidest law I ever heard of," Wilson said. "You can see I'm over 21."
Tennessee is the first state to make universal carding mandatory, says the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association. However, the law does not apply to beer sales in bars and restaurants, and it does not cover wine and liquor.
Supporters say it keeps grocery store and convenience store clerks from having to guess a customer's age. Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said it's a good way to address the problems of underage drinking.
And the 63-year-old governor said he personally won't mind the extra effort to buy beer.
"I'll be very pleased when I'm carded, and in my mind I'll just imagine it's because I look so young," he said.
Rich Foge, executive director of the Tennessee Malt Beverage Association, said he expects there might be some initial resistance from the beer-buying public.
"But once people live with it for a month or two, it's going to go fine," he said. "It gets routine after a while."
Jarron Springer, president of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association, said he understands the law "may seem a little odd" to people who are obviously older than 21, but he said it's necessary to make sure no one slips through the cracks.
"If we're going to hold clerks accountable for their actions, then there's no room for discretion," Springer said. "It's either all or nothing."
The blanket requirement makes it easier for stores to comply, said Steve Schmidt, spokesman for the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association
"There's no need to judge whether someone looks 21, 25 or 30," he said. "It's a set, consistent standard across the entire state."
Richard Rollins, who owns a convenience store in Nashville, is already using a computerized scanner to check everyone's driver's licenses when they buy beer. "We just say we're trying to keep our beer permit, and this is the safest way," Rollins said.
But it has stopped Jeff Campbell from shopping at Rollins' market.
"I don't mind them asking for my ID, but they don't need my driver's license number," said Campbell, 43. "I'm just buying a six-pack. All they need to know is how old I am."
Rollins said scanning licenses has proved beneficial in other ways, such as catching criminals.
When one customer tried to make a purchase using a counterfeit bill, Rollins said police were able to track him down because the receipt from the scanner showed his name and license number — and his address.
The new law, which expires after a year unless the Legislature decides to renew it, also creates a voluntary training program for vendors and their employees. Participating businesses would face lower fines if found guilty of selling beer to a minor, and their beer permits cannot be revoked on a first offense.
However, they face fines of up to $1,000 for each underage sale and they lose their status if they commit two violations in a 12-month period. Another violation could mean suspension or revocation of a license, and fine of up to $2,500.
Noncertified vendors can face those penalties on a first offense.
Marylee Booth, executive director of the Tennessee Oil Marketers Association, which represents gas stations and convenience stores, said the intention is not to hurt vendors, but to help them protect minors.
"We're doing everything we can to keep minors from buying beer," Booth said. "This is just one more tool we want to try."
___

Associated Press writer Erik Schelzig contributed to this report.