January 2025 News + Swaps

[danieloneiroi]

January is coming! In only days. 

I lost a few weeks to a not-RSV thing that was serious enough for me to be *actually* bedridden for days. My partner is still coughing from secondary pneumonia, four weeks, a round of steriods and antibiotics, and now two inhalers later. 

If you haven't gotten all of your vaccines, it is NOT too late. I mean, if you've already gotten the 'things' this year, maybe, and it does take a few weeks for those vaccines to take effect... which is why you need to start getting them in August and September... but even so. Talk to your pharmacist. If you don't have insurance, call your local Health Dept., which may have a free program they don't advertise.

I still don't want to do anything. Burnt. Out. from the past few months. The clinical kind of burnout.

Some news:

Get your postage if you can! Postage prices are raising again in January! 

These price raises apply to Priority Mail, express, and ground advantage (regular packages.) Priority Mail flat-rate boxes are available for pre-purchase, which is why I say something.

Swaps in January:

I love Swap-bot and the people I've met through there. And it has not escaped me at all that actual participation has dropped significantly, which gives me extra incentive to make so many swaps and encourage participation. Other 'competitor' sites only do things like postcard swaps and I'm really not interested. 

This year, I'm doing fewer swaps that I'm no longer interested in receiving, but I may make arrangements to have items sent to someone else instead. 

I may just do the colour or 1oz swaps this year, with bonuses. I have way too much stuff. I'll have to develop a list for myself, I think. Or something. I don't know. 

I don't think I can plan things right now. I'll start in February. 

Catching up:

I think I may have one or two swaps that actually aren't done, regardless of how they're marked. I also got one swap back, but the address is damaged. I wrote it instead of using a sticker, so it's smeared a bit. I need to figure out who that is. 

BIG QUESTION! PLEASE MESSAGE ME ON SB!

Do you collect stamps? Think like, from decades ago. Many, many people smoked frequently and heavily in the 60s and 70s, BUT I don't actually have the stamp books for another week... so I don't know what the damage will be. I'm slated to bring in some specialty items from an estate sale, and I'd love to find homes for unique things. One of those things is a vintage stamp collection. If that sounds like a potential for you, message me on swap-bot and we can email about photos + price.