Slipping clutch

C

Chum

Location
Grand Marais, MN
With looming and greater questions regarding the economy and planned futures requiring some adjustments, does anyone feel like you're stuck in neutral gear?

(Or have I had too much time to think about it?)

Reasons I ask, one element is my daughter turned-down a seemingly great opportunity out of the country but it's rooted in finance, long-term possibilities unknown. Another offer for my son, based on energy industries but requiring committment long before the money becomes available, if ever.

Friends have a B&B in Bonaire, enjoying 100% booking for coral reef divers last fifteen years, no calls yet this season, another friend who captains a small week-long barque sailing trip out of the Canary Islands...going out of biz, as another charter I know of out of Fiji, no calls.
Same in town here...half the calls for B&B's than last year.

We know reports are disposable incomes aren't being spent like the past, more clerks becoming jobless and sales down for all except booze and lottery numbers. If you could secure financing for new equipment, would you now if you crunched speculative numbers instead of historic ones?

I'm not worried on a personal basis, got plans that resist turmoil and change but wondering if this overhead cloud of change spells serious storm weather or just a burp in the overall environment of humanity.

This morning have choices before me - work related stuff or should I just play dumb and find pleasure in a few little things relating to keeping the fire going and animals fed and the lights on.
 
Will a thread on doom and gloom really make things better oak?

The America I love is about optimism and perseverance. Come on dude, hold your head up and think positive.
 
I'm with both of you...maybe it's a Minnesota thing...

Here's a real time experience that sums up my feelings. At the end of January I'm doing a day of presentations in Helena. My travel is covered so I considered taking some time before or after for skiing. After thinking about the idea of spending more money on play I decided to pass up the opportunity and make it an in and out trip. It's going to hurt I know! But the practical part of me tells me that I should keep the money in my pocket. If I really need to get out and play I have a huge new area to explore here in Texas.

Besides, January skiing means colder and shorter days. Making a late winter working trip to Colorado is more enticing!
 
Have been thinking positive, very in fact. And also cutting back out of reality, like Tom. Didn't think, however, that I'd have to face the prospect of supporting the kids way past the adult stage as their training and academics far undershot what I know they'll need to know and practice to at least adapt wholly.

We hunt, fish and grow stuff. Daughter's skilled at the Singer Featherweight sewing machine my grandmother left my mom, and tools for everything, even navigation and minor medical emergencies. Have many friends who require no nation or systems to succeed, and feel I've done most of what I set out to do, and some. Kid's experience is worldly at this point, but...

Driving back from the big city today, where one sees the endless and futureless concentrations of retail empire, had some thoughts about community and family. A community of familes more specifically. Somewhere where the well is shared, the garden attended by all, the old folks can age and die gracefully and in company, and skills are shared yet privacy and individual rights are respected.

This plastic card, commuting to sales clerking $8.50hr jobs and buying gas and nightclub entertainment for two weeks off a year for Disneyland and hopes for 401(K) retirements are dashed world doesn't seem to jive with humanity on a family or productive scale, does it?

I crunched the numbers the payscale offered my daughter means: they'll pay her $38,500 to start, no insurance or medical or retirement or longevity beyond 6 months. She'll need 15,000 to lease living space, 10K roughly in taxes, and more for food, incedentals, car rental, goodies and clothes, etc. Airfare back and forth? No. Thirty-eight is a lot of money but it isn't, not anymore. Not when an appendectomy costs $22,000 or a broken arm is $5K. She's paying back student loans in the meantime, her education isn't considered compensatable I figure.

Better to let her sit out the professional world for now and stay home, stay safer, and save maybe. Son too, his future is environmental but until things finish falling apart, his experience isn't applicable yet. Might want to send for my aged mom and bring her here too, to age the little left in her and die with family instead of Nursing Home Corporations expediting it and charging for it and making her sadder and sicker all the meanwhile. We can absorb her worth and live even better as a larger community/family as it always once was in civilization.

These just thoughts on my mind as things change faster than anyone, especially those who still don't think about, thought possible. I can always cast off and sail away, but family means something more than business opportunities used to. Thoughts?
 
She took practical majors. The shrinking job market is as much interested in those currently as a garden-variety high school teacher is in a student who asks questions.
 
I'll have to digest that some.

What if a 20-year veteran over-the-road trucker who was just layed-off, a salesman from the Chevy/GMC/Cadillac dealership, a kid from Toys-R-Us and a waitress from Red Lobster all want in too?

I could play Noah, eh?
 
I don't have a lot to offer to the commune...except a truck load of tools and a cuddly house cat :)

While I was working in the shop I heard, for the umpteenth time, a song by Ryan Bingham called 'Hard Times'. His music is easy on my ears and he writes a lot lyrics that sit well with me too.

This one has a nice balance of reality with hope worked in to the feeling.

HARD TIMES~Ryan Bingham

When I was young my daddy said son
Never be ashamed of where your from
There's nothing wrong with your last name
So don't be lookin' for people to blame

Cause hard times they come and they go
Most of the time there in the middle of your road
Same pain, in different ways
Don't ya know son when it pours it rains

Hard times, in the middle of your road
Hard times, creeping up on the good folks you know
Hard times, your daddy wakes up in your liquor store
Hard times, from the California hills to the Cumberland road

You got yours and id have mine
Most of the good folks have tried and tried
Make a minimum on your minimum wage
Your Comin' up short nearly every day
Whats enough and whats the cost
They cant stand up cause all is lost
??? is up and your doors are locked
There's a poor boy living on every block

Hard times, in the middle of your road
Hard times, creeping up on the good folks you know
Hard times, living down where the rest of you know
Hard times, from the California hills to the Cumberland road

When i was young my daddy said son
Never be ashamed of where your from
There's nothing wrong with your last name
So don't be looking for people to blame

Cause hard times they come and they go
And most of the time there in the middle of your road
Its the same pain every way
Don't you know when in pours it rains

Then I'll always be around
Following you from town to town
But you can get up when they put you down
Cause everybody's got 'em if you look around

Hard times, in the middle of your road
Hard times, creeping up on the good folks you know
Hard times, huddling around the wood burning stove
Hard times, from the California hills to the Cumberland road
 
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I'll have to digest that some.

What if a 20-year veteran over-the-road trucker who was just layed-off, a salesman from the Chevy/GMC/Cadillac dealership, a kid from Toys-R-Us and a waitress from Red Lobster all want in too?

I could play Noah, eh?













Let's do it!

We'll call it "oaktown" you know? kind of like "jonestown" without the cool aid.
 
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...a kid from Toys-R-Us and a.....



[/ QUOTE ]


Does the kid work for Toys-R-Us, or just wander the aisles, looking for Star Wars related merchandise?


SZ
 
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These just thoughts on my mind as things change faster than anyone, especially those who still don't think about, thought possible. I can always cast off and sail away, but family means something more than business opportunities used to. Thoughts?

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I'm totally with you on this Oak, I can't believe it was 11 years ago but, I left a great job and life at the time for my Grandfather. He was 93 years old and was in the hospital and did not want to die there. So I went back to take care of him so he could die at home. It was a tough 9 months, but would not have changed a thing about what I did. Would I be better of in life right now financially? Yes, but could I live with myself not taking care of my family? I think not.....
My two cents Scotty
 
Cool Aid is for those who don't think for themselves, which in large part is why we're in this mess and a greater part of how much it's going to hurt.

Scotty, you're what I was taught meant hero. A real one.
 
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