# Heartbreak at Coinstar...My conscience got the best of me!!



## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

A couple of months ago; my beautiful custom mailbox was smashed to smithereens by vandals. It was a mini replica of my house. The wood was so thick, I don't know how they managed to bust it up so badly. After drying my sentimental tears...I pleaded on my father's mercy to make me a new one. (No small task...lots of cuts and angles and very time consuming). I forced thirty bucks onto him for the materials, hoping he'd say yes. Well, at 83, Dad pulled it off; with a lot of griping, of course... I must say, it turned out even better than my old one.

*ANYHOW*...the other day, while doing my monthly Coinstar run...I had nearly $50.00 for a nice little _Amazon_ certificate; and at the last second...I pushed LOWE'S and gave it to my father in a Thank You card for making me the new mailbox. It killed me to push Lowe's and not Amazon...but my conscience got the best of me!! The only good news, is that because it was over $40, the Coinstar Promo for $10 kicked in. I'll keep that for myself.

I'll post pics of the new mailbox when DH puts it up!! Though the old one had such sentimental value.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

You did the right thing, sjc.  Though it may have been difficult for your dad to recreate it, he was probably happy to do it for you.  

Why does anyone vandalize someone else's property?  I just don't understand it.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

> Why does anyone vandalize someone else's property? I just don't understand it. Huh


I often wonder. I am in an upper middle class neighborhood; so see, it doesn't matter where you live...can't stop punks from being just that...punks. Ride around late at night with nothing better to do than smash mailboxes; probably on a high of some sort. At first, I got scared and thought I had an enemy; but when I filled out the vandal report, the police said box bashing is common.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

So sorry to hear about your beautiful mailbox, but glad you have a nice replacement!  You did the right thing getting the Lowe's certificate.  Pat yourself on the back!  (And I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures!)

N


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Neekeebee: In response to your Coinstar post and the counting jug...
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.H07917.desc.Electronic-Money-Jug-w-Coin-Recognition


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

You did right sjc!  Besides think of all the kudoos you will get when you post the pictures!  I can hardly wait.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Thanks Anju, you always know just the right things to say.  You are such a kind person.  We love you on these boards.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

sjc said:


> Neekeebee: In response to your Coinstar post and the counting jug...
> http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.H07917.desc.Electronic-Money-Jug-w-Coin-Recognition


Love the pink color! And I wasn't expecting it to be really shaped like a jug...

N


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

*THE MAILBOX PICURES*

*The Old One...All smashed in*








*
The New One:*


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

Cool mailbox!  Sorry to hear about the old one getting bashed in.  My brother lives out in the country, and has had lots of problems with his mailbox getting vandalized.  Hope this one stays intact!


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Wow....I'm impressed!

N


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

Wow that is nice mail box. Where do you put the mail in?


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

> Where do you put the mail in?


See the knob on the right hand side of the box...that door opens downward; you just pull the knob. Now to find a flag to mount. We are rural so when we want our mail picked up we have to raise the flag for the carrier to take the mail.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Sorry to hear about your mailbox.  They call it mailbox baseball around here.  Just sheer vandalism.  You did the right thing getting a gift for your dad!  Very cool.  And we aren't rural but we put a flag up too....at least we did until the flag broke.  Gonna fix that one of these days...

(Reminds me of a story about Bill Bowerman, the legendary Oregon track coach and inventor of Nike track shoes.  He lived on a mountain with a mailbox at the bottom of his driveway.  A trucker that ran the route by his house routinely would wipe out his mailbox.  Bowerman tried to talk to the trucker but got no response.  So (and I'm not advocating this as a response, mind you) Bowerman put a small explosive in the next mailbox he put up.  Apparently enough to blow out the tire of the truck.  He had no further problem with the trucker.  Just sayin'.)

Betsy


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Cool mailbox!

While reading your story Betsy my thoughts went to Crankshaft


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## Carld (Dec 2, 2009)

I turned in $144 worth of change today. I had no idea it would add up to so much. It looked like mostly pennies, so I thought I'd be lucky to hit the $40 mark. Good on you for thinking of your Dad though.

Carl


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

That mailbox kicks serious butt.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

> Bowerman put a small explosive in the next mailbox he put up. Apparently enough to blow out the tire of the truck. He had no further problem with the trucker. Just sayin'.)


LMAO!! Betsy...you're a hoot.

DH decided (and I tend to agree) to wait until Spring to put it up. He's afraid that with the winter coming; a snow plow might hit it.
I'm proud of my Dad; the mailbox does kick a$$. Jeez...now IT looks better than the house!! *"Hey, Dad...now I need the house to look like the mailbox again; can you come over?" lol.*


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

That mailbox is a work of art.  You have a great Dad, and he has a great daughter.

Mailbox bashing is about the worst crime we have in my area.  I've been lucky so far.  It seems to me that the kids would find my oversized mailbox to be a challenge, but they haven't touched it (just knocked on some wood).


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Thanks *GERTIE*: You make me blush. I am worried that at 83 it will be one of the last treasures I'll have from him. I'm petrified that some ass is going to bash it again and dad will making mailboxes in heaven instead...and I won't have one.


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## Jaasy (Feb 28, 2009)

That mailbox is a pure work of art - I love it!! Your Dad does beautiful work.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

sjc said:


> Thanks *GERTIE*: You make me blush. I am worried that at 83 it will be one of the last treasures I'll have from him. I'm petrified that some ass is going to bash it again and dad will making mailboxes in heaven instead...and I won't have one.


My Dad is 90+ and is restoring a model sailboat he built (not from a kit) when he was 14 to give to my grandson. So I understand how you feel about your mailbox.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

*GERTIE:* 90...Bless him!! And to tackle such a project!! Nothing like the old timers...they put their good name to their work. Today, most just rush to get the job done and who cares if it's crooked.

My father wants to get on his hands and knees and lay hardwoods in our family room when we rip up the carpet. He wants to save us the labor costs in having it done. I say, no way!! DH said, "I can't do that to him." He did our living and dining areas, with gorgeous dovetailed borders; but that was nearly 20 years ago!! He has 5 stents in his heart now...*He's nuts!! *

Treasure your Dad...he sounds like a wonderful man and take pics of the boat when done...it will be a masterpiece!


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

The mailbox is so beautiful. I hope the vandals leave it alone. Too bad you can't set up a security camera and catch them in the act.


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## Linda1915 (Feb 10, 2009)

I agree, beautiful.  And so precious that I would probably put up a regular mailbox (for vandals and snowplows!) and mount this one closer to the house or in the backyard as a showpiece.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Make sure you tell your dad how much we all love his work.  I too would be worried someone would bash the new one.  
Thank you for posting pictures.
deb


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

sjc said:


> See the knob on the right hand side of the box...that door opens downward; you just pull the knob. Now to find a flag to mount. We are rural so when we want our mail picked up we have to raise the flag for the carrier to take the mail.


Eh, you're lucky; our carrier doesn't take outgoing mail out, no matter what we do :/

That mailbox is beautiful, though. Your dad is very talented.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I agree with Linda 1915, put one ugly one out for the "mail" and move this one closer to the house, it is an absolute masterpiece!


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

He should open a business, he will get good reviews on Kindle boards


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## Neversleepsawink;) (Dec 16, 2008)

sjc said:


> *THE MAILBOX PICURES*
> 
> *The Old One...All smashed in*
> 
> ...


Wow your dad did a awesome job! So sorry about the first mailbox. People can be so lame sometimes.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Thanks everyone!! (Blush...)


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

sjc said:


> Neekeebee: In response to your Coinstar post and the counting jug...
> http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.H07917.desc.Electronic-Money-Jug-w-Coin-Recognition


just found something similiar to this at bed bath and beyond. Bought It and love it.

By the way, I love the mailbox!


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Vegas:  Thanks.  Hey, maybe I'll run to B, B & B tomorrow to check it out; because I have a 20% off; which beats QVC with sh & h.


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