Up, Down and Around Our Town

Sometimes just watching and listening is a pretty good gig. As Yogi said years ago, "you can learn a lot from just looking". Or something to that extent. And this week - a grand week for watching.

I watched with great delight the continuation of what has been a spectacular fall. The abundance of water (sometimes too much) has extended the "green" season and on the heels of our first little cold snap, those once-a-year colors are starting to appear. There is something rewarding about seeing those trees turn - it reminds us all that we are on a cycle of sorts and that part of those seasonal changes are for us to keep watching. So we did.

Also in the eyeline was the view of some of the neatest vintage automobiles that one can imagine. Some were post WWII Kit Cars, restored to new avenues; others were cars that I had coveted as a young man that have been preserved and now are in wonderful condition. Of particular note was a Corvair Spyder. This vehicle was panned by Ralph Nader way back in the mid 60's, but a restore Corvair, even with all of its history, is still something to revel. But, most of all, it was watching the owners treat these vehicles as if they were newborn children and with the respect and the anticipation that was deserved, they showed off the extension of their own egos. Well done.

Grammy and I took our little hero to her first parade. What a neat time. No political signs and nothing but marching band after marching band. Big Brother thought it was pretty neat, but did ask the question after the 10th band or so that "this is starting to repeat itself." Code word for boring, so we retreated to the sanctity of home and did what any grandparents would do - went to McDonalds. Sometimes life just gets good when you least expect it.

The World Series is this week. As of this writing, the Red Sawx are still alive and look to be on a roll. The Phillies are resting in Ben Franklin's hometown wondering whether to go north or south. The extended playoffs make you realize that the wonderful records of the Angels and the Cubbies are now distant memories. It is how you perform in LATE October that is the defining role. Maybe next year.

I have written on this before and a reader reminded me of this. Yes, I adore Candy Corn. I know it has no nutritional value (other than to make business for my dentist), but there is something as seasonal about Candy Corn as there is with a turkey on the table next month. Plus, it tastes good. And no, I don't go in for Christmas Corn or Easter Corn - the only Candy Corn worth its salt is the orange, black and yellow that only appears this time of the year. Plus, with my Grandson working the Halloween neighborhood in our back yard, we get to inventory his haul before he can; most of the time, the Candy Corn is still available. Case closed.

The Wall Street mess continues. Lots of silence from Washington other than to worry with the rest of us. Meanwhile, we hear tattered tales of even more greed from the AIG boys as they partied like it was 1999 and took as many of our profits with them. Reform? I certainly hope so. The thought of Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan being retails banks just doesn't thrill me at all.

But the real story is the jobs story. Government cannot create jobs; only the private sector can do that. And those numbers are going in the wrong direction. I get a kick out of the experts who were surprised that retail spending was down, jobs were down and the prospect of a holiday season was ramped way down. Why? The simple fact that, since February, the cost of everything has gone up. People spent their money on heating oil, gasoline and food - just like they do every day. Discretionary income was spent on essentials. So, J.C. Penney and K Mart were no longer on the list. Result? Spending down. Connect the dots.

Learning from the young people is an on-going adventure. Board member Ron Leftwich gave them a wonderful briefing as to his work with Shell Oil (all over the world) and then answered questions that needed answering. Whether or not gas prices will go up again was a simple "yes" and he proved his point by asking how many had cars (many) and how many had cut back on their driving (few). Supply and demand. It never fails. Except when Washington gets in the mix.

The final debate was boring. John McCain is fighting two fronts - the first that his ultra conservative base isn't what it used to be and second, the young vote appears to be on its way. That bodes well for Obama and when you see McCain in Florida and North Carolina, once staunch GOP states, one can only guess that there are storm clouds brewing. Perhaps Obama will be the minister of change; there is certainly plenty to start with. My first visit would be to Speaker Polosi's office. See if she is there. See if she has a clue.

In Illinois, there is call for a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the laws of the state. This is a blighted effort to get a way to remove our ineffective Governor from a legislative move. The cost will be $80 million at least and will do nothing more than line the pockets of those already doing the shuck and dive. A sales tax to help schools may have some staying power in Adams County, but you can bet that the Quincy District will most likely turn it down. Yet there has to be a better way.

Finally, the promise of Christmas season when optimism may not be primary is something to consider. Financially, those living on credit have been stopped and reigned in. Ultimately, those who cannot get credit will be in major difficulty. The stock market report looked more like an EKG than a business report; consumer confidence and fear of the unknown remains the primary motivators.

And our sitting President sits. That perhaps is the saddest part. He's not even a Lame Duck yet. But, Sarah Palin made her SNL debut and the world came alive on Sunday. Or so it seemed.

A Saturday with the future of those that I hold dear was marvelous; watching the excitement of 17 year olds is great work. Spending the rest of the day with those who will replace us and having a chance to look into the eyes of my newest hero just made it special. And the sunshine and the smiles. And....the Candy Corn.

Till next week, and as always, I remain....