There is a general sense of optimism. The new owners of our company did a direct mail advertising program last month. A profitable response is 2%. They got 6%. In 30 years of publishing I never got 6%. So yes, business is good.

Things are defo different here. Roads are packed with trucks hauling all sorts of stuff, seemingly every business is looking for help, two brand new KwikTrips going in and another a short distance away, new pizza joint going up...

For some people the anticipation of "the great reset" gets them giddy as a schoolgirl. Me, not so much.

In the past 6 months, I've changed careers completely to something that excites me every day. My wife has moved to a new office which is 50% bigger, and she's already expanded business to fill it. We are already putting together plans for the Next Big Vacation.

But...my ankle is kinda messed up, and I haven't been working out in 6 months, so my belly is starting to grow. So, not all wine and roses :p

I am quoting your initial post in hopes of picking up some positive karma. Sad to say not feeling it here in NJ. Maybe it changes? That inflation thing seems to be picking up, $3.00 per gallon gas, $8 2x4's, a screwed up DMV, no ammo and Murphy is still in office playing games.

Turn the fan in your shop South and blow some of those good vibrations to New Jersey.

I will give you my gf's answer to that question. Feel what?

That is really awesome Mike!

Sending it your way Don. Gas and lumber isn't inflation, it's supply and demand. I guess I shouldn't tell you registering the new Cayenne at the RMV was a breeze but MA RMVs have always been good. Ammo, get a reloader. It's going to be a great year, you'll see!SmileWavy

The place I got my pool heater from says a lot of pool parts are going to Texas. He says the supply will get tighter before it gets normal again. Apparently a lot of people had frozen pool pipe and pumps this winter.

Newsweek report from September explains the lumber shortage.

https://www.newsweek.com/why-there-lumber-shortage-us-1526548

Pool heater? Yer livin the fancy above ground pool life! :)


And Shaun,
Reloading isn't the answer. You can't find the supplies needed to reload. Primers almost don't exist right now and haven't since last August. Powder is getting a bit scarce. Bullets you can find in certain calibers but many are out of stock with at least a 3-6 month expected wait.

One more thing. I was talking with my sister in Nantucket yesterday. She shares the business optimism but right now they're seeing a surge in covid cases. Not a lot of optimism around getting this virus behind us. I thought it was a bit odd since Mass seems to have a pretty high vaccine utilization percentage but for some reason they seem short on supply.

Damn! Mass is a mess. Seems really weird with masks still being mandatory and good vaccine utilization. No wonder sis is concerned.
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mass-among-areas-of-greatest-concern-as-covid-cases-continue-to-rise/2341477/