Friday, April 18, 2008

bad economy, hard times

I’ve been trying to figure out, this evening, why I’ve felt grumpy all day.  Of course the waiting for our mobile home is hard: we got an inch-and-a-half of rain yesterday, which can only delay things; and there are plenty of chances for rain next week.

However, I knew that was no reason for me to be in the dumps.

A couple of hours ago I finally remembered the conversation Cliff and I had this morning.

There was a meeting at his place of employment, he said.  

There have been many changes recently where he works.  They’ve shut down unprofitable segments of the company in other states, leaving lots of people without jobs.  However, their local operation has produced profits consistently.

But with the loss of so many employees nationwide, health insurance is going to go up.  Geesh, it just went up in January; here we go again.

Oh, and some company in China is going to start making the product that Cliff’s employer makes, very soon.

I must have put all this at the back of my mind this morning, because it took me the whole day to figure out why I was grumpy.  Of course it didn’t help that we were almost out of propane.  I called our propane supplier.  The cost was $238 for two hundred gallons of propane.

I don’t believe in borrowing trouble.  Today things are fine, and I’m good with that.

Am I worried?  No.  Cliff and I have been through this sort of thing before and survived.  In fact, we thrived, back when R.B. Rice closed down with no notice.

As I told Cliff this morning, our car, our motorcycle, and the John Deere tractor are all paid for.  He can take his retirement and we’ll go riding every day.  That’ll be fine with me.

It’s just that I hate change.

Yes folks, the cloud hanging over this nation’s economy has finally settled in over our heads, too.

We will survive.  We’re the surviving-est folks you’ll ever meet.

When times get tough, tough people get going.

Now where did I put all those Norman Vincent Peale books, anyhow?
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Now playing: Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Buffalo Skinners
via FoxyTunes   

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been known to walk around for 2 or 3 days, wondering what that nagging feeling was.  Did something get left undone?  Is there something I should have done, but didn't?  Why do I feel this way?  Then it hits me: Kevin and I discussed something about money, or I filled my tank in the car or we're low on propane. Powerball, anyone?

Anonymous said...

I agree, the economy is in a sad state, I work at a mall and it has been a lonely place lately, my store included :( Hugs Lisa

Anonymous said...

I think this slump is felt by a lot of people. Every thing has went up in price. Seems like gas, utilities and groceries are just about all a person can handle. Not much left for anything else. Helen

Anonymous said...

those jobs being sent to China have to stop..... and it can't stop sopn enough if you ask me. Americans should start to get really angry. pretty soon they will own us
Sandra

Anonymous said...

Hello,

First let me say that I am so glad that you and your family are well and no damage from the earthquake. It seems like all our jobs are going overseas! I worked for a company that was owned by Koreans and they got where they imported all the car parts that we were making and cutting out jobs here! Had large layoff! I guess that the way it is this day and time!

God Bless

Randy

Anonymous said...

My health insurance is going up $20.00 next month and I'll bet a dollar to a donut it goes up on my birthday in July again. Good attitude about going riding if Cliff has to retire. We have to look on the bright side. Paula

Anonymous said...

Tsk. This kind of thing really bothers me too.  I was downsized out of a company I worked at for 10 years.  The husband was laid off after working at his company for 25 years...took him a year to find a new job.  The running joke around here is, if things get really bad we can always sell the house and go buy a little shack down in Panama or somewhere and live like kings.  LOL

Anonymous said...

The insurance we have at my job has not only gone up, but so has the deductible. After all is said and done what it boils down to is after paying $600 a month out of pocket for almost 3 years I'll be paying for my own surgery!

Anonymous said...

I keep telling Jesse we need to sit down and make a budget.  This has been going on for 6 months now.  aurgh....he drives me crazy.  :-P

~Amy

Anonymous said...

Yea, I'm feeling the pinch too.  I have a $400 propane bill I have to pay.  I will probably put it on a card until I get my IRS check and then pay it off.  Linda

Anonymous said...

How long does that much propane last you guys?
Pam

Anonymous said...

It does seem that things are not getting any better anywhere. Gas is sky high and getting higher. Everything is going up up up in price. Not good at all. I am glad to hear you and Cliff will be alright.