imalocalboy

10:35 pm: Daughter AWOL
I am concerned about Gala_Teah's daughter Inky_Jewel being AWOL.  This is so hard on a parent in these crazy times.  My daughter was supposed to come home for a visit but did not make it as she could not get gas in Eugene due to the lines.  She tried for a few days but did not have time to wait it out and then went back in the middle of the night but the gas station was closed and there was still a line of people waiting, sleeping in their cars, waiting for the station to open. She said there were several people lined up with sleeping bags and gas cans.  So, Gala_Teah, please keep us posted on when you hear from her.

I had one of my jobs abruptly put on hold due to a client losing his job and being very concerned about cash flow.  However, our job near Bend was slowed because of the vandalism at the biofuels cooperative, which forced the facility to shut down for a couple of days to increase security.  Now, the prices have gone up even more to cover the increased costs for round-the-clock armed security.  I know of several people losing jobs, laying people off, and looking for other work.  My buddy who runs the stables at Black Butte says tourists just aren't coming so he is making no money.  He's having a tough time covering his costs for upkeep, such as food for the horses, etc.  He's making do with odd jobs, such as selling firewood to folks anticipating increased heating costs next Winter.  Another friend runs a local restaurant that caters to tourists and she has cut back her hours to the weekend only.  Overall, I am lucky that most of my clients are wealthy, funding construction on second homes so tend to have disposable income and can ride out this crisis.  That said, I am raising any new bids due to the increased costs I am incurrring for fuel and for paying my crew more to cover their increased living costs. But there's fewer jobs and more competition so people are getting desperate.  I am hoping that my good reputation for good quality work within budget will land me enough new jobs.

Tags: biofuels, fuel, gala_teah, security, worldwithoutoil

11:25 pm: Supporting children
It's amazing what's been happening.  At gas nearing $6, things are getting crazy.

That said, I feel lucky that my wife is such a great gardener, between what she grows in our yard her increased involvement in the Sisters Community Garden, we're doing ok in terms of fresh vegetables and fruit, which are costing increasingly more as farmers and subsequently retailers are forced to raise prices. 

Because it's so hard to get gas, we're trying to be very efficient wtih how we use our vehicles for our jobs, doing our best to ride share.  We've taken to using our older diesel trucks given the cost differential.  One fellow on my crew has been leveraging a carpool matching service called commute options to get to one of our work sites.  We're having a hard time getting new construction supplies so have taken to going to salvage yards to supplement our supplies and are bartering with other construction crews.

My daughter, who is highly independent, sheepishly called saying she might not be able to make her upcoming visit because she lost her part-time job working for a florist who said sales dropped (a non-essential good) and prices went up to cover higher delivery costs.  She is trying to carpool with some others but just in case, I offered to pay for the gas as we love seeing her but don't want her to feel too dependent.

I am trying to find others to link up with in my area to share ideas and resources so if you're out there, gimme a hollar.

12:34 am: Biodiesel
People sure aren't in denial around here.  The fellas in my crew are all car pooling now.  My partner Speza, who has been part of the Bend Biofuels cooperative from early on, is retrofiting another of our diesel trucks to run on biodiesel.  He was saying that the membership had to be capped as so many people want to make the switch now that the biodiesel is cheaper than gasoline that they could not guarantee a supply to the members.  Fortunately, they have done a good job of contracting with lots of the local restaurants to get their left-over vegetable oil and have a long-term contract with their mid-west suppliers.  It's possible that the suppliers could renege on the contract but they are busy trying to ramp up supply to meet their growing demand.  I feel lucky that my hybrid has a the on-board power source as it's cheaper to run right now than my diesel generator.  I also feel lucky that many of my clients are people with disposable income so my business should be alright.  One of my clients asked to pare back the budget while another is asking to have solar panels added to his remodel so he can move more off-grid.

Tags: worldwithoutoil biodiesel bend biofuels

11:39 pm: Nervousness
The change in mood among folks round here really shifted in the past week.  I was not surprised by the headlines of fuel stockpiling as folks around here really depend on their vehicles for getting around and tend to have a few extra full gas cannisters lying around.  Some of the workers on my crew are now trying to carpool when feasible to save a little dough.  One of my clients owns a farm in Willamette Valley was complaining that the rising fuel costs really taking a chunk out of his already small margins.  He is real reluctant to raise prices because he planned his plantings based on assumed demand that will likely be reduced if he charges more.   Further, he is hearing rumors that theres a growing shortage of migrant laborers due to immigration restrictions coupled with rising fuel prices makes it harder for workers to reach as far north as Oregon.  He said some farmers are banding together to share workers and pay overtime and perhaps pay the travel costs for some workers.  This problem could not only affect the size of their harvest but also their livelihoods.  He still wants to proceed with our remodel but wanted to scale back the budget a bit, which doesn't thrill me.

I heard about that crazy truck accident down in the Bay Area.  Good thing there's public transport alternatives as folks now have another reason to get out of their cars.   And those crazy casual carpool lines just got longer.  That said, I sure wish we had that available around here, although folks are too spread out to make that work.  Hmm, I wonder if there would be a way to leverage a some kind of transporation dispatch system such as one used by shipping or cab companies to link people in need of a carpool with those who might pick them up, perhaps for a few bucks to allay fuel costs.



Tags: cost, gas, stockpiling, worker, world without oil

01:47 am: Helping Neighbors
I've been slow to get online to share my thoughts as so much has been happening quickly.  I was at a job on the east side of Bend and got a call from my wife asking me to stop by the Bend WalMart and pick up a bunch of groceries for our elderly neighbor, Mary Kate, who is on a fixed income and reluctant to drive if she can help it.   My wife said Mary Kate went on and on with stories of prior energy price spikes during the war and in the 70s and was going to stock up now before everything gets more expensive.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that I will also lug her groceries into her house.  When I arrived, Mary Kate asked me to bring in a bunch of wood from her pile as she's making fires more because her heating bills are also going up. That woman is a good egg; I'd lug stuff her anytime.

I feel lucky that I got that new Chevy Silverado hybrid for its slightly better gas mileage.  At $4+ a gallon, this is is adding up fast and starting to pinch my profit margin on my jobs.

http://www.chevrolet.com/silveradoclassic/#silveradoclassic-Hybrid

Tags: "gas", "price spike", "war", "worldwithoutoil