I am beginning to see some things happening in our area that tell me the recession has arrived. Yesterday I went into a national chain for some supplies. When I walked in I was greeted with a portable marquee announcing new hours. They now open at nine.

When Krl and I worked at the family business, we did a lot of shopping at this store. The reason was, they opened at seven in the morning. Then they did an hour change (that the local manager told us didn't fit this store but nationally it was supposed to save like a kazillion dollars). They moved opening to eight on week days, but also moved Sunday from noon to eight.

I know, go figure.

Krl and I are finding one thing we are in need of is a copy machine. If we have a small copy job, we can use the copy mode on the fax. But, we are finding more and more, when we are making billing copies, the fax is slow, low quality and expensive.

Yesterday I needed to copy eighteen pages. Friday, Krl copied a comparable number of copies for a different vendor. Usually, I go to Kinkos, yesterday I went to Office Depot. Neither have been good experiences.

Use to be the people at Office Depot were it's most valuable asset. Now you can wait in line fifteen minutes while one register is open and three employees are gathered, visiting mid-store.

Krl had given me a $10 off coupon on a fifty dollar purchase. I needed some printer ink and decided to get some fax supplies too, in order to make the fifty dollar threshold. The way I looked at it, with ten dollars off, either an ink or toner were going to be half price with my coupon. Turned out when I got to the checkout, they rang my copying separate from my supplies, then the cashier didn't take my coupon card, saying it wasn't good for ink or toner. When I told Krl, she took the coupon and her reading glasses and read to me from the back. It was good for what I bought!

I oughta ......... . . . . ...!

My favorite is Staples in Midland.

From there I went to the Post Office. It seems I am sending a lot of over-sized envelopes lately. Use to be I would use the four pages to a stamp rule of thumb, but now they have a size coefficient. It is doesn't go through their sizer, it has to mail as a flat package. No wonder the Post Office loses money.

On the P.O. subject, I saw this morning where one out of every four Postal employees will be offered early retirement, and they are still looking at trimming one day from Postal deliveries.

And of course, they are already telling us that 44 cents is not enough for first class.

Krl talked with a company yesterday that is quickly becoming one of our largest and best. They had a note on the load confirmation faxes listing pay options. When Krl talked with them they told her they would pay from faxes in two days for a 1% discount. Otherwise it was thirty day pay. I can handle that!

One of our biggest problems this time of year is cash flow. The trucks do the work, we are out the fuel and maintenance, the drivers are paid weekly and by the time the paperwork is in, some loads have been done a week previous. Add to that the thirty days, and you can have a lot of money out, very quickly. Even with $2 diesel the fuel can eat your lunch.

I'll take the two day pay and give up 1%.

I guess I admitted to myself that gas was about as low as it is going to get. I filled the Explorer, then I filled the S-10, then I decided to get Krl's Expedition out (it hadn't been out of the garage since Pepa's Birthday partyin January) and I filled it with gas. My final fill was the gas can for the mower.

I guess we are going to take the lawn duty back. Our old lawn guy hasn't returned our calls and Saturday his daughter and son mowed one of the five yards they do in our neighborhood. I am curious what is going on. Krl prepaid him for four weeks (or four mow-ings) when we went to the seasonal jobsite, and he didn't mow again after we left. He may want to take the money and run.

We could probably use the exercise.

I booked my first show yesterday. Announcing only. Hey, that is the lowest in put, highest return show I do. I can grab my brief case and little cooler and go! I don't know why people try it, but this man's last negotiating tool was the question, "Does that price include a PA system?"

"Uhhhmm. Nope!", I replied.

I could see me going through the airport a few years ago with speakers, amplifier, and microphones in tow!

I thought I was doing the dude pretty right, I am driving and I didn't charge him mileage or motel.

Actually, I will drive and take one of the travel trailers. I am going to take Chris with me. I think he needs a wholesome activity outside of Roscoe. It will also allow Rian and his buddy Kyle a base camp. They are taking one of the eighteen wheelers, and the trailer has built in living quarters up front. It is kind of crude, but it works. I figure throw in a bottle of propane, my turkey fryer burner, my big cast iron skillet, and a barbecue pit and we can have a mans weekend! I'll probably throw in a couple of lawn chairs.

I've never gone to this place, but it has always sounded like it would be a fun weekend. They call it Melody Ranch. I'll have to give a post show report!

It is supposed to be a weekend filled with activities. Rian will be participating in the hot classes tractor pulling competition, but he had also toyed with the idea of entering their cook-off contest. The also are going to have antiques during the day and each night they finish the day with a star studded concert and dance.

I wonder if I could pull some strings and be a cook off judge too?

Another phone bit the dust yesterday. For the last few days my flip phone had developed a creak when you flipped it open. Late yesterday I flipped it open and ended up with a phone half in each hand!

I went to Alltel and the girl was very nice. I called in a claim on insurance and they approved it. Initially the representative told me my phone was no long available, but they discovered they had three of them. Thank goodness!

The man who helped me after the claim was good. He was able to transfer all my numbers, although he cautioned me I might need to cull some. I had 331 numbers in my phone book. Probably the worst thing was he couldn't transfer my photos. I wasn't even aware, but my old (and new) phone had memory card capabilities. They had a card on sale for $19 (a regular $39 value) so I bought one.

I hadn't been in a cell phone store lately, but good golly has there been a rush of technologies! The greeter told me to just wait another couple of months and I would be wowed again!

I would love one of the touch screen phones, but don't know how durable they would be. My work atmosphere is usually very abrasive (lots of dust and dirt).

One thing that really interested me are the laptop wireless connectors. My buddy K.O. has a new laptop that came with this feature. It is pretty neat!

Makes me wonder what we'll see next!

Hey, have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for all the blessing I enjoy. Thank YOU for the good reports on Pepa, and I pray the improvements will be long term gains. FATHER I pray for YOUR blessing of rain, for our area and out friends and family down South and out West. YOU are good.