I'm Thankful For...

"Lighter" newspapers? (Lighter than last year, that is!)

Thanksgiving Day is traditionally the biggest newspaper delivery day of the year - and today was no exception! The paper is about 98 percent adds and inserts for day-after-Thanksgiving holiday sales, and about 2 percent "news." (Can you believe that some store sales start at 4 am tomorrow?!!! How ridiculous is that!)

But at least this year the papers averaged "only" 2.7 lbs. each, (compared to 3.0 lbs. last year.) Our route has about 56 subscribers, so today the papers weighed a total of 151 lbs. - a few pounds more than ME.

The paper route began for Josh a number of years ago as a way for him to earn a little spending cash and learn some responsibility. That lasted a year or so, and then the whole family took turns, dividing up the income. Finally, everyone tired of the early morning delivery -

especially in the winter - everyone, that is, except me! I look at it as a way of getting paid a little extra money (I'm saving for a new hang glider :-]) to go for a brisk walk and get some exercise every morning, which I might not make the time to do otherwise.

The weekday papers have to be delivered by 6:30 am, the weekend by 7:00 am. I can do the route in about 25 minutes, so I roll out of bed at about 5:50 am, and am out the door by 6:05. Clover has been going with me lately. She enjoys the walk without a leash, and gets to sniff and explore every yard in the neighborhood - pausing to torment a few fenced-in or kennelled dogs along the way.

Last year I had to put the papers into two 2-sided delivery bags.

This year I crammed them all into one.

Keri had to help me get the bag on and balanced just right, before I squeezed out the front door. She actually offered to drive me (for a fee ;-]), but I told her thanks but no thanks. I could have carried half of the papers at a time, but noooooo. I think it was a combination of my ego, pride, greed, laziness, stupidity, or a combination of all the above which led me to do it all at once by myself.

But I "got 'er done" without falling over once! Now I can really be thankful that it is 365 days until NEXT Thanksgiving!