DIY Envelope and Epic Adventure

A friend of mine was recently injured while playing the sport he's striving to make into a career, so it's a pretty big setback, and I thought he might be feeling bummed about it. I'd found a short story some time ago I'd meant to send to him, but I kept forgetting. It's actually about his sport: "Where Meat Comes From" by Chuck Palahniuk, if you want to know. Today I finally remembered...but I didn't have an envelope to put it in.

No problem! I'd just make one.

I started by cutting apart a paper bag. It even came with the instructions to reuse or recycle the bag. I'm sure they meant "make an envelope with this bag." I'm sure of it.

After a failed attempt at using most of the bag to create the envelope, I was left with only this bit. I cut off the handle.

I had to fold the story to make it fit. Then I folded the bag around the story.

Then I used masking tape to close it up.

And then I used packing tape to seal it up  some more. Then I wrote an apologetic note on the outside because I knew it would be a pain in the ass to open.

 And voila! The envelope was complete. Since I didn't have much else to do today, and I thought the exercise would be good, I decided to walk the two miles to the post office (and then walk two miles back home). My only other explanation for this decision, which is probably closer to the truth, is that today I woke up determined to be a total badass.

It was only 85 or 90 degrees outside, which isn't terrible for a summer day in South Carolina. I remembered the last time I tried walking to the post office, an event that ended with me calling my older sister in tears, begging her to come get me because I didn't realize how far four miles was. I hadn't brought water or worn the right kind of shoes. But today I was prepared! I filled up a water bottle, put on some headphones, and grabbed my camera. I decided to make this into an adventure where I took pictures of all the interesting things I found.

I like to think this car belonged to a tiny environmentalist. In all likelihood, she begged her mommy for a bumper sticker for her car and Mommy gave her one to shut her up, and it happened to be this one. I like my tiny environmentalist story better. I hope it's true. 

I'm sure this organization does great things for our veterans, but its name terrifies me. As if people are donating their hands to hands-less soldiers. I'm sorry if you're just now figuring out I'm demented.

This was also terrifying. I hope these folks made it out okay.

I made it to and from the post office without much trouble. I did have to stop and buy another bottle of water because I hadn't the foresight to bring two bottles, and there was nowhere to refill the empty bottle. I hate buying bottled water with a passion, but staying alive was more important at the time. In all, the trip was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon (at least part of it).