To be framed and cherished until 2010.

It’s a postcard-sized, peach-colored piece of paper I got in the mail today. It says:

November 3, 2005

Dear Resident:

As requested, your address was removed from our list on 10/1/05&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp.

It takes 6-8 weeks for this process to become effective as ADVO pre-prints its mailing labels in advance. Your delete status will remain effective for a period of five years. You will need to contact us again by 8/1/10&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp to reapply your removal request for an additional five years.

[paragraph about how I’m missing out by not receiving their offers and that other companies may mail me with other catalogues too]

[paragraph with the address to write to if I opted out by mistake. ha!]

This is the awesome prize I get from the afternoon of boredom when I excluded my address from those pesky grocery ads that come with the missing child thing. I used Shopwise‘s parent company customer support. I also tried to stop ValPack, I don’t know how that went. (btw: they are lying, they don’t really need your email.) I also stopped all other catalogues by going to the dma website and mailing them (oh, yes, they charge you to do it via web). I know it really seems to the untrained eye that I have nothing to do or am an annoy-ing/ed grandma, but I really hate the ritual of going straight from the mailbox to the recycling bin. Let’s hope they keep their word and leave me junk free until 2010. Or the next valued resident.

UPDATE: I got the missing child slip from ShopWise and NO GROCERY ADVERTISEMENT!!! Ohhhhhh…
UPDATE2: For a more complete guide to opting out, check the Center for Democracy & Technology guide