Miss Terry set a new record getting all of the envelopes stuffed with the new issue of the paper, and by yesterday afternoon the majority of them were in the mail. We’ll drop the remainder off at the post office and UPS this morning.

The Gypsy Journal goes out to our subscribers several different ways, depending on their preference. The greatest majority are sent as Standard Rate mail, which used to be called Bulk Mail.

We use different commercial mail houses around the country, depending where we happen to be when we publish a new issue. We send the mail service our address list and they print the names onto envelopes. Then we pick the envelopes up, stuff them with papers, and return them to the mail service, which uses its mail permit to send them out. Because a mailing permit is specific to one post office, and we travel all over the country, we don’t have our own permit, which would require us to return to the same post office for mailing every time. Standard Rate is the least expensive way to subscribe, but it is also the slowest delivery method. If subscribers are traveling, the post office will not forward Standard Rate mail.

The second option is First Class mail, which costs more, but moves faster through the postal system. First Class is also supposed to be forwarded, but it has been our experience that no matter what the rules say, the good folks at the post office do (or don’t do) whatever they feel like. We use Stamps.com to print our own First Class postage, and we can mail items anywhere.

We also have a lot of subscribers who use mail forwarding services such as Escapees, FMCA, and Alternative Resources. We have so many subscribers who use these three mailing services that they all allow us to put the envelopes with the papers for their clients into boxes, and ship them to them by UPS. This saves us a few dollars in postage, and gets the papers into subscribers’ mail boxes a little quicker than Standard Rate.     

Last year we also made digital subscriptions available, and we have had a lot of subscribers switch to that option. When a new issue is uploaded, we send them a link to its location on the internet, where they can either read it online, or download it to their computers. The digital subscription is the quickest way to get each new issue of the paper, because subscribers can be reading it minutes after I upload it.

Now that the new issue is making its way to subscribers in every corner of the country, we can relax a little bit, and we can even try to squeeze in a little bit of fun. Today we plan to drive down to Tucson and visit my cousin Beverly, who is one of my favorite people in the whole world. For the last three or four  years, we have spent a couple of weeks in Tucson visiting Beverly, but this year our schedule is so crowded that we’re not sure if we can get down for a stay or not. But we at least want to make a day trip to the Old Pueblo and spend some time with her before we head to Yuma for our Gypsy Gathering rally.

While Terry and I were busy dealing with mailing chores, Bad Nick was busy posting a new Bad Nick Blog titled 10 Things That Piss Me Off. Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – New survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world’s population.

Register Now For Our Arizona Gypsy Gathering Rally

We took a break from moving yesterday to get caught up on other chores.  We had several orders to fill and get mailed out, so that was the first order of business.

Last year we signed up with Stamps.com to be able to print our own postage online, and we have found that the small monthly fee is well worth it to be able to avoid standing in the long lines at the post office. We just weigh the envelopes and packages, enter the customer’s name and address, print out a label, stick it on, and drop the orders in the nearest mailbox.

Then I had to track down a missing book order that was returned to us by the post office. As it turns out, the address that came with the customer’s original order was incorrect. If you are ordering anything online with a credit or debit card, please be sure you specify the correct shipping address if it is different from the billing address on the card. Otherwise it creates delays in getting your items to you, and costs us extra to mail it out a second time if it gets returned to us.

All of that was too much like work, so we decided we needed some fun. Fluid Fun, to be exact. As I mentioned a while back, I wanted to replace my Ocean Kayak Angler model with a different boat that fits me better. Last winter when we were on the Texas Gulf Coast, I paddled a Wilderness Systems Tarpon kayak in Corpus Christi Bay, and really liked the way it handled and the room I had in it.

When we first started kayak shopping, we stopped at Fluid Fun Canoe and Kayak Sales in Bristol, Indiana. Even though we didn’t buy our boats from them, we were very impressed with their selection, prices, and most of all, their customer service. They are located right on the St. Joseph River and let us paddle several boats to get a feel for them, even though we told them we were not in a position to purchase anything at that time. These folks live and breathe canoes and kayaks, and they gave us a lot of valuable information to help us in our shopping and eventual purchase. I told Terry then that if I ever bought another boat, I would be sure to see what they had to offer.

Last week I sold the Ocean Kayak, and after leaving the post office yesterday, we drove out to Fluid Fun, where they had just finished unloading a shipment of over 90 new boats. Owner Matt Streib gave me a great deal on a Tarpon 120 Angler model, which I can’t wait to get into the water.

We have had yet another cold snap in northern Indiana, but hopefully it will warm back up in time to get some paddling in before we have to leave here for our Ohio Gypsy Gathering rally in a couple of weeks. If you are interested in a canoe or kayak, and are anywhere near the Elkhart area, it will be well worth your time to visit Fluid Fun and see what they have to offer. 

Speaking of the Gypsy Gathering, I have updated the seminar schedule, and I think it’s about finished, with maybe two or three last minute additions to come. Check it out at the rally link by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The rally starts in less than a month, so be sure to get your registration in and put us on your travel schedule. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

Back at Elkhart Campground, we needed to make a trip to the dump station. It took a few minutes to remember where all of the switches and controls are in the Winnebago to get the slide rooms in and the HWH leveling jacks up, but soon enough we were able to go take care of that chore.

When we pulled back into our site, it was so nice to push a button and let the automatic leveling jacks do their thing, push two more buttons and deploy the slides, and push a couple more and have the rooftop Wineguard TV dish find the satellite and be watching Dish Network in just a couple of minutes. I can see that I’m going to get spoiled real quick in this motorhome!

Thought For The Day – Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those that matter don’t mind, and those that mind don’t matter.

Register Now For Our Ohio Gypsy Gathering Rally