Things Should Be Easier

So we are moving to the country. Sounds great doesn't it? No leash laws. No nosey neighbors. No subdivision rules. Well it turns out that some things aren't as easy as they should be. To begin with. How do you get mail? You can't just put up a mailbox and start giving out your address. It turns out that you have to go to the post office and ask to add a new address. The problem is, which post office? When you are in the country, the nearest post office has no bearing on your mailing address. Which side of the street do you install it on? It took us three weeks to get a mailbox installed, and wouldn't you know, the gas and electrical lines run under it!!!!

Trash . . . seriously, this should be an easy one. But when you ask around, most people say, "You are in the country. Most people just burn it." So where do you get a burn barrel? I don't have one laying around. I don't plan to buy anything in a large metal barrel. Do they sell these things?

Ordering things. So going to the store isn't convenient. No problem, I'll just get on the Internet . . . it turns out that until your address has been listed for six months, many companies don't recognize it as a legal address and won't ship to you. Are you kidding me?

Oh, and the UPS man informed me the first of December that we needed a plan. Huh? It seems that when it snows or is icy, UPS won't try to come up the drive to deliver packages. So where would I like him to deliver them? Is he kidding? I haven't met my neighbors yet. Do you think the bank ladies will take my packages? They at least call my by my name. Mr. UPS says that maybe we can build a box and "secure it" out by the end of the drive to put packages in. Only, "It needs to be tall enough not to get buried by the snow plow." What????