Week 29: The Mailbox Expert

One of my hobbies is making mosaics. Cutting glass is probably not the smartest hobby for someone who is a little clumsy, but neither is cooking...that's just how I roll.

The first mosaic I made was a mailbox, and I was pretty much clueless about how to do it. I used the wrong adhesive and the wrong grout (which cracked badly), and a standard mailbox with a door that eventually got rusty and wouldn't stay closed.

After learning a lot about mosaics (mostly through trial and error), I decided it was time to retire the original mailbox and make a new one. This time, I got a very sturdy "premium" mailbox, and I did a much better job than the first time...until I realized the mosaic would be in the way of the flag. Uh oh, you can't have a mailbox without a working flag!

I went to a few hardware stores and they gave me all sorts of cockamamie advice that included drilling through metal rivets in the original flag, which I am not qualified to do (see clumsy comment above). Then I called the mailbox company and spoke to an expert -- a live person who understood what I needed and advised me on the flag and also a strong post to hold up the extra-heavy mailbox (glass and grout add a lot of weight).

She was so helpful! We talked about what I was doing and the clearance I needed for the flag to move easily. Everything she suggested worked perfectly, and didn't require any crazy jury-rigging. Thanks to her, the new mailbox is in place and working perfectly. It's so great when people know their stuff and are helpful and friendly.

Our postal carrier loves it, and so do our neighbors. I hope you like it too.