The mailbox project....

We needed a new mailbox.  Somehow ours got hit with my car.  I was there.  It literally lunged into my car, committing some type of mailbox suicide.  Apparently I can't own a car without a scrape down the left side of it....   Sigh.  Poor Gus.  (that's my car-not my suicide committing mailbox)  

Because we're completely heartless human beings, we left the mailbox up after it decided to end it's life as a postal receptacle.  In order to get the lid closed we had to use a sledgehammer to "ease" it back into a life like position.  Even then, the strength of a giant and three small schoolboys was required to get it to shut.

Handy little thing...

After the hammer,  you can imagine what it was like before.  

The final decision to get a new mailbox happened the other week when I was rollerblading.  No, I didn't run into the mailbox.  (Thanks for the vote of confidence.)  I witnessed our postal carrier trying to get the lid shut.  I was sooooo embarrassed.   I think she grunted as she slammed it shut.  Probably because she pulled something in her arm.   She was pulling away when noticed that the door didn't close with her herculean effort, so she backed up her car and tried again.   I wanted to melt into my rollerblades.  She was still courteous enough to wave with her now strength depleted arm.  Uuugh.   

I will admit that in my 30-something years on this earth, (not 40 just yet!)  I've never put up or changed a mailbox.  While Mr. P was out of the house I got the new box and the new numbers and set to work.  This shouldn't be so hard-should it?

Since I'm a bit anal retentive about some things, it's imperative that the numbers be on straight.  I'm not sure why.  I hardly ever look at the numbers on the mailbox.  BUT in order for all the numbers to be straight, the first one must be straight.  And I really didn't want to fail at this whole mailbox thing anyway.  So I cracked out all the tools I knew to use.  I had a level (my favorite and maybe a billion years old), a straight edge (aka-a piece of cardboard that was straight), a tape measure and a sharpie marker.  I was set.

On the level...

And NONE of those things helped me.  The box curves just so and I don't know what else.  In the end I just said "screw it" and eyeballed it.   I have to admit, it turned out pretty good (not that I'm breaking my arm by patting myself on the back or anything.)   But, at least the postal carrier hasn't complained yet!  

Yes, we are #1.  

Isn't it beauteous???