Wednesday, May 06, 2009

For lack of a nail...

I've let a week slip away since my last missive; I've started to write something more than once, but thought better of it.

I still have enough standing water behind the garage that I could plant rice, but it's too wet to try and grade it to make it drain and more rain is inbound. In a bit I'm going out with a hoe and try to trench it just a bit. After 5 days since the last heavy rain, it's finally quit draining down the hill and across my driveway. I mowed, except for the swamp next to and immediately behind the garage; as I finished the landlord up the hill sank his tractor in the center of that yard on his first swath through it. We pulled his Cub Cadet out and he decided he'll pay his grandsons to mow it by hand this weekend...I don't envy them!

Dillon's 10th birthday party is on Saturday, a joint affair with his best friend Andrew. Perspective has me thinking lots about him turning a year older than I was when I lost Dad's Dad and 5 years older than my oldest was when he and his brother lost my Dad; anytime I start to get depressed, that is enough to make me know I'm lucky!

Having watched a minority share of bondholders throw Chrysler into bankruptcy, I don't have much hope for GM avoiding it. I'm not sure that killing Pontiac will leave GMC and Buick viable on their own, though perhaps if they bring them in under the Cadillac dealerships they can pull that part off. When they say that 42% of their dealerships are going to close through this whether they go through bankruptcy or not, it sure doesn't bode well for a lot of jobs...let alone the factory and supplier jobs!

I look at the railyards each time I head south; the largest switchyard in the midwest, knowing it used to bustling, almost all the rails full, seeing it half empty kind of tells you where the economy is, along with all the empty billboards around town!

May the rest of the week be kind to each of you!

alan

5 comments:

CrackerLilo said...

I have been thinking about you so much with the news regarding Chrysler and GM. It's really scary that such a vital industry has shut down. I have relatives in Michigan who call and e-mail to tell how weird and bad things are getting. The fact that one can now buy Red Wings season tickets on a layaway basis says a lot, too.

I hate that damned John Rich song--I think NYC is "real America," too--but I understand why it's so popular.

On a more upbeat note, it's so cute that Dillon can celebrate with his best friend! And it's downright wonderful that he can celebrate with you!

Hope your yard dries out soon. (Though I see by your little weather gadget that it'll be a while, realistically speaking.)

Riot Kitty said...

What did you think better of writing? Inquiring minds want to know!

We're right up there with you on flooding, unfortunately.

Green tea said...

It's sad to see Our Auto Industry in such trouble.
I will never understand why they didn't jump on the hybrid wagon sooner..
Hopefully they can recover, because if they don't Obama will be in trouble in four years..

Teresa said...

Flooding here doesn't happen- it just runs down into the mines under the town :)
The delayed action suicide of the US car makers is sad to see but a good lesson in corporate hubris for future enterprises.

Sassy said...

Damn economy.