No blue money this year..

The town that we have just settled into has a very depressed economy. The kid that delivered our washer and dryer from Sears is actually a trained pipe fitter, but can't find work, so he lugs appliances around town for a living. This is one of the few places where being on a fixed income brings more security than having a job. My brother works for Bank of America. Lay-offs are pending, and I hope he isn't one who receives that random pink slip. I watch people shop in the grocery stores, picking up items, and than sighing, put those items back on the shelves. Soup and grilled cheese are now on the menu for dinner instead of lunch. Parents trying to surprise their children for the holidays, getting cash advances and car title loans to buy all those presents that are becoming hard to pull out of their ass every year. Hawking the mailman for THE CHECK. Whoring out whatever skills you have to stay ahead of the utility bill. Festivities seem hollow this year. I wonder how merry our auto workers are? Optimism seems to be what keeps me moving forward, yet it is wearing a bit thin. Aw shucks, we are pissin' in the wind and it's blowin' on all our friends. (John Prine has great quotes)