We can certainly tell that the Christmas/gift-giving season is at hand. The poor mailman has been leaving from eight to twelve catalogs per day for the past month. This is up from four to six per day during the spring and summer. Apparently merchants think that if you buy one widget (because you needed that widget for a one-time operation) you need to buy three more widgets and all the widget related gear ever created. I don't think so. One year, I bought my daughter's roommate a bed for her cat. The next thing I know, I'm getting Drs. Foster and Smith, PetSmart, Petco, Petmeds and I don't know what else pet-oriented catalogs. Actually, these had tapered off, but now I've bought a few things for Speedy they've started up again.
I don't know why I need two catalogs per month per merchant after October 1st. If I work at it, I have most of my year-end gifts bought before then anyway. Catalogs after that get dumped as soon as I can strip my personal info and push the rest into the bin. Except for stocking stuffers, all that needs to be done now is wrapping and addressing. I'll stop at the Post Office before Thanksgiving to buy the holiday themed stamps and after to send boxed gifts and stamped cards. I expect a catalog from the Postal Service any day now.
The word of the day for November 8, 2008 is "catalog" — Pronuciation: \ˈka-tə-ˌlȯg, -ˌläg\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English cathaloge, cateloge, from Middle French catalogue, from Late Latin catalogus, from Greek katalogos, from katalegein to list, enumerate, from kata- + legein to gather, speak — more at legend
Date: 15th century
1: list , register. 2 a: a complete enumeration of items arranged systematically with descriptive details. b: a pamphlet or book that contains such a list. c: material in such a list.
Our quote for the day is (for all the librarians in my life) from Barbara Tuchman, Informal talk to library staff when 8,000 oak drawers were replaced with 800 black-bound dictionary catalogs:
;^)
I don't know why I need two catalogs per month per merchant after October 1st. If I work at it, I have most of my year-end gifts bought before then anyway. Catalogs after that get dumped as soon as I can strip my personal info and push the rest into the bin. Except for stocking stuffers, all that needs to be done now is wrapping and addressing. I'll stop at the Post Office before Thanksgiving to buy the holiday themed stamps and after to send boxed gifts and stamped cards. I expect a catalog from the Postal Service any day now.The word of the day for November 8, 2008 is "catalog" — Pronuciation: \ˈka-tə-ˌlȯg, -ˌläg\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English cathaloge, cateloge, from Middle French catalogue, from Late Latin catalogus, from Greek katalogos, from katalegein to list, enumerate, from kata- + legein to gather, speak — more at legend
Date: 15th century
1: list , register. 2 a: a complete enumeration of items arranged systematically with descriptive details. b: a pamphlet or book that contains such a list. c: material in such a list.
Our quote for the day is (for all the librarians in my life) from Barbara Tuchman, Informal talk to library staff when 8,000 oak drawers were replaced with 800 black-bound dictionary catalogs:
For me, the card catalog has been a companion all my working life. To leave it is like leaving the house one was brought up in.
;^)
I think there is a site you can write to remove you from catalog hell. I forget the name of it, if I remember I'll be sure to let you know. Me? I stopped having companies send me catalogs. Most places have their catalogs online so you can look through them their. It saves a few trees with less paper being used that way too. (Hugs)Indigo
ReplyDeleteFound it! Here's the link hon. (Hugs)Indy
ReplyDeletehttps://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/?ref=G
Thanks, Indigo. I complain, but I do shop the catalogs and then buy online. I just wish they didn't send so many.
ReplyDelete:^) Jan
I get tons of catalogues many from firms I have never even heard of. They all go in the bin, I dare not look at them, I might be tempted.
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me is the two catalogs a month in paper form, and the two spams a day in electronic form. Alright already, if I want something Google is my friend....
ReplyDelete