What the heck? Who is this Mysterious Donor?

Al Launier

Member
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1,683
Location
Bedford, NH
So today I'm on my way to run an errand & stop at my mailbox. There's a box inside & it has some weight to it. I wasn't expecting anything, so this is a bit curious.

It's a USPS Priority Mail box & is postmarked Shelbyville, MI. I didn't order anything & don't know anyone there. What the heck?

I'm sitting behind the wheel, dig into my pants for the jackknife, cut the tape on the USPS box & find another taped-up box inside. There's wood crumbs on it. Now this is really curious. What the heck?

I place the second box on the steering wheel, cut the tape & open the box. Out pours wood shavings, all over my pants & jacket, like it was meant to go off. What the heck?

I'm on my way to a meeting & now I smell like a tree. :rofl: Hope people at the meeting enjoy woodworking.;)

Digging through the fine shavings, I latch onto a radius plane. Have to admit I haven't seen one of these before. Then I pull out an adhesive backed foam mat that apparently is used to hold something from sliding on a table??? Next is a "Red Diamond" model hand plane, a blade & latch. This really is a bit strange as just last week I was wondering if a hand plane would be a useful tool, and suddenly one shows up in the mail, but from whom? What the heck?

Both the USPS box & the inner box has my name & address on it so it seems someone from FWW knows my address. Yet, only two people from FWW know my mailing address Carol & Glenn, but the postmark states that it was mailed from MI. Glenn lives in CA and Carol lives in NV, so it can't be them. What the heck?

Time to sleuth. The USPS tracking label is on the box, so I backtrack the details of the shipment & confirm it was shipped from Shelbyville, MI on 3/26/2013. So who lives near Shelbyville? I recall receiving a PM from a fellow FWW member who is also a bow hunter. Checking his profile tells me he's from Delton, MI, not too far from Shelbyville. What a coincidence!

I can only guess that the package was sent to me from Larry Merlau. Are you the mysterious donor Larry?:wave:

Whoever it was, I can honestly state that I will put the plane to use & each time will think of I received it. Good stuff going on here, but What the heck? Who is this Mysterious Donor?

Whoever did send this to me, I can only express my thanks, that it was thoughtful of you to do so, that it will be used & that each time it's used, I'll remember how it just showed up in the mail.

Thank you!:thumb:
 
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...Both the USPS box & the inner box has my name & address on it so it seems someone from FWW knows my address. Yet, only two people from FWW know my mailing address Carol & Glenn, but the postmark states that it was mailed from MI. Glenn lives in CA and Carol lives in NV, so it can't be them...

Obviously, Carol and Glenn are moles for the woodworking underground. :whistling: :cool:

I've gotten a few nice surprise packages over the years from all over the country. Apparently, woodworkers can't keep mailing addresses secret very well. :D
 
i wasnt that serious.

there are alot of generous good hearted people on this site, and this Im being serious about.

ofcourse, thens theres me, so I help balance things out. like a ph level in the swimming pool.
 
well your stealth is to good for this fellar this time:) the plane actually is from Jim Delaney and the chips are from me Al, the foam pad makes nice push stick padding and the radius plane will round off the high points on your next bird house:) the chips were made from that plane Al:)
 
Well . . . I may have buckled under pressure and provided your address but, that's it; I'm clean on any thing else :). There's a few of us goofballs around here that get a kick out of blind-siding folks with some random goodies. I have also been on the receiving end and can say that around here, giving and receiving hold equal value for me. There's a great bunch of folks around here and we're glad to have ya.
 
Well, Larry you certainly have my thanks and appreciation. I'm certainly going to use the pad to make up some push pads for the Ridgid TS when I get it. The radius plane looks like a very handy tool to have it will definitely be used, but doubtful on another bird house; something a little higher up on the woodworking ladder. :thumb:

As for your cohort Jim, I don't know how you managed to conspire with Larry since you live in OH & Larry lives in Shelbyville, MI, and you live in Allenstown, OH, a fair distance apart, but together you guys ganged up & really surprised me. Just know that I appreciate your gift. It was very thoughtful of you to do this. Since I didn't have any planes, you have now given me a reason to develop new woodworking skills. Thank you Jim.:thumb:

Glenn, I suspected either you or Carol were complicit in this set-up. Just remember.........I have your address too.;):rofl:
 
...As for your cohort Jim, I don't know how you managed to conspire with Larry since you live in OH & Larry lives in Shelbyville, MI, and you live in Allenstown, OH, a fair distance apart, but together you guys ganged up & really surprised me...

Just so you know, Allentown is in Pennsylvania. I live in Austintown, Ohio. :D

As for distance, it's only about 300 miles between Larry and me. We've visited each other several times, and when I was at Larry's last summer, I gave various planes to several people who were there. I also left several planes with him. He's sorta been doling them out, and I'm glad to see you're one of the recipients. Enjoy the plane.
 
I'm amazed that Jim was able to find some spares to give away. He's only got two or three hundred for himself. :thumb:

As Jeff said above, well played by everyone!
 
I'm amazed that Jim was able to find some spares to give away. He's only got two or three hundred for himself. :thumb:

Don't be exaggerating, now...Last count was 137. There may be a few more going out this coming summer...depends on if/where there's a get-together. I can't make Brent's, though. Sure wish I could!
 
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