July 8, 2004
Dear Everyone:
Yes, more about ARMA. I spent last Saturday at our Chapter president’s place, along with our secretary. Over the course of a couple of hours we drafted a series of survey questions plus a cover letter, complete with the ARMA logo and our chapter logo. Then we ate dinner.
On Sunday, I visited one of the office supply warehouses and found shipping labels, envelopes and big envelopes to send the survey, cover letter and pre-addressed stamped envelopes to all 53 chapter members. This is where a home computer really pays off. I was able to run a “mail merge”, which took the 53 entries in my spreadsheet of chapter members and turned them into individual mailing labels.
I even figured out how to add the ARMA International logo to the labels. Of course, I went through a lot of practice pieces before I had everything in just the right places. The trick to creating labels is to print them on plain paper, place a blank sheet of labels behind it, then hold the two up to the light together. That way you can see if the printing is landing in the right places. Typically, you have to add a few spaces at the beginning of each line to get it to line up properly.
I also created an envelope with the Chapter president’s address and had the computer keep printing ten at a time until I had enough. As for the actual surveys and cover letters, Company supports ARMA. It just doesn’t always know how it is supporting it.
Printing 53 copies of a document including color graphics always works better on a color laser printer than on my little home printer. And it just so happened that I was working in an office that had a nearby color printer. And right next to that was a copier that could collate and staple the two-page survey 53 times. Such a time saver!
However, I still had to staple a raffle ticket to the first page of each survey. That’s our incentive to get people to send the surveys back. All the returned tickets will be put together for a drawing at our first meeting in September. I already have the Macy’s gift card to be the prize. (We now have enough raffle tickets to last forever. You can’t just buy 53, you have to buy a whole roll. Like “Marshall” once said, “You know, you can’t buy just one needle. You have to buy the whole pack.”)
I even went to the Post Office on Monday (it was closed for Independence Day Observed) and bought a roll of 37¢ stamps. I needed one for each mailing envelope and one for each pre-addressed return envelope. I added the stamps while watching television Monday night. I even thought to add return labels with my name and address in case one or two envelopes couldn’t be delivered.
On Tuesday, I printed the cover letters and copied
the surveys. Stapled the
raffle tickets, forged the president’s signature, stuffed the envelopes
and got everything into the post box at
They must have picked them up because all the envelopes were neatly rubber-banded together when I got home last night. There was a note in my mailbox alerting me that “something” had been left “inside the screen door”. Sure enough, there were all the envelopes, waiting for me.
Good thing I added those last-minute return labels. It turns out that regular-size envelopes cost 37¢. Large mailing envelopes cost 60¢. So I ran over to the Post Office this morning and got 53 23¢ stamps to add. Took care of it on my lunch break. Now all I have to do is remember that large envelopes cost more than number 10’s. And fill out my own copy of the survey when it shows up in my mailbox.
I certainly hope we get something from the Chapter members for all this.
All of this work doesn’t mean “Jeannie” and I didn’t find time to go and see Spider-Man 2. One must keep one’s priorities in order.
This is a movie that really takes it out on
As for the hero, Peter Parker, being a superhero can really take it out of you. He doesn’t get enough sleep, because he spends his nights saving the world. He’s failing at school because he doesn’t have time to do his homework. Too many villains out there. He can’t hold down a job because he’s too busy flying through the air. And the love of his life is going to marry someone else. All this builds sympathy for poor Peter.
Plus, there’s a terrific super villain in Dr. Octopus, a scientist whose plan goes awry, leaving him with gigantic metal arms extending from his spine. And he’s insane. But don’t worry. Spider-Man will save the day in the end. There’s even a neat little cameo to show where the next sequel will go.
There’s only one problem with the theater where we saw the movie. When the show lets out, everyone heads for the restrooms. Hence, long line at the ladies room. So, instead, it’s easier to leave the theater and walk across the street to the bookstore. Their restroom is always available. But then, we always have to check a few categories of books, just in case this author or that has come out with something new.
I always end up spending money on books after the movie.
Love, as always,
Pete
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