Well, I must say, the USDA reports are coming in thick and fast these days—dairy output up 1.1% in June, peanut prices down 3.2% this past week—and I’m not sure what’s more surprising, the numbers or the fact that we’re still using the same old spreadsheet to track it all, just like back when we had that one guy at the post office who could read a spreadsheet upside down and still find the right box.
I remember when you could walk into the post office, hand them a note, and they’d put it in the right box—no need for fancy spreadsheets or digital signatures, just a friendly wave and a nod. Now, they’ve got all these online portals for permits, and I’ll be honest, I’ve still got a hard time figuring out how to get the cheese out of the fridge without accidentally turning the whole thing into a spreadsheet. It’s like they’re trying to make it harder for folks like me to keep up with the changes, and I’ll say it again—this isn’t just about dairy output or peanut prices, it’s about whether we’re still the people who live here or just another data point in a report.
And another thing, speaking of cheese, I’ve been thinking about that new parking situation downtown—last week, I went to the library, and they’d put up those little signs that say "Reserved for County Employees" right where I used to park for free, and I couldn’t help but think about how we used to have a hardware store on every corner, and now the only thing you can get for free is a parking ticket. I mean, I don’t know if they’ve got a new parking policy or if they’re just trying to make it harder for people like me to get around without a car, but it’s getting to be a real issue, and I’m not the only one who’s noticed.
That's all for this week. You know where to find me.