In the not too distant past, along this blog path I penned a piece about my experience with Anything But Syndrome (ABS) . Today, a quick note to say, I am experiencing ABS once again. Specifically, it is a case of ABCC-Anything But Christmas Cards.
It’s not all me though. Technology conspires to throw up such barriers to my efforts that if you follow the thing to its logical conclusion, it’s no wonder ABCC is the result.
Background in brief
Still in good time to send cards
- Decide to send Christmas cards-still have some time.
- Look up address list-currently part written, part electronic.
- Find addresses that are different for same person/people.
- Decide to update and consolidate list into one electronic database (aka time-consuming).
- Find electronic addresses are not synced across devices-iCloud, shmyCloud.
- Start troubleshooting (hah, as if) to find why devices aren’t synced.
- Two other adult family members start to help.
- In the end it still doesn’t work and then one device has duplicated all its addresses.
- In trying to fix it, a certain Luddite deletes some addresses completely.
- Set it all aside for a week.
Start to feel a case of ABS coming on.
- Do we have Christmas cards? Dig throw boxes (takes more time). Find some-hooray!
- Tackle the address list again-look up things on Apple forums (understand 2 words in 6).
- Set it aside for a week (the deadline for mailing has come and gone).
Conclusion
- Call Apple Support-very helpful. We do things to erase the address book with glitches and reinstall and presto, it works!
- It’s now one week to Christmas, our address list is not all in one shiny new database, it’s a hodgepodge. There is potential though-it will work when someone spends the time to update it all.
- The cards, envelopes and stamps sit out on the table.
- Outside the weather is alternating between freezing rain and snow. Forecasters and traffic reports recommend that, if possible, stay home today.
Good day, methinks, for a case of NBCC. Nothing But Christmas Cards. Speaking of which, I should go.
Barb's True Stories 
Well I can relate – my dining table looks very much like this photo – managed to find past Christmas list of friends, realized needed to buy cards, now have them – but is it getting too late to send (especially overseas); should I do an email letter instead, do I have time to include notes in the ones I send by snail mail???….I think my cards will be New Year wishes instead!
I am always happy to know I am not alone. I like to hear from people all year long and if it’s after Dec 25th, some people may have more time to linger over your message!
That is why I email my Christmas letter. When I write it. Someday…soon. When Ella did a real letter, we had it all set up to print envelopes and everything. Now if you don’t have email you are either off the list or I send it to someone who has email and ask them to print a copy and deliver.
We’ve done the letter/addresses thing in the past too. It usually involved a fair amount of cursing until we got the mail merge thing figured out. Then we’d forget how to do it when the next year rolled around.