Around the country economic check-in:

[Mend]

I don't know if the end of September is usually like this, but here in SW Florida, it looks deader than dick cheney's dick. The stores are empty, the restaurants are not doing much business, not much is happening at all. I wondered if it was different elsewhere (excluding disaster areas, of course).

[Vincardog]

1. Thee has not been any activity in N Texas for years

[MildyRules]

3. Well, things never

really slow down here in NOVA and DC. So activity is still pretty brisk.

[Dora]

2. Wouldn't know.

We haven't been in any stores or restaurants because we're not spending our money either.

Only stores I go to are the grocery store 3 times a week, and an occaisonal trip to Target for what the grocer doesn't sell.

[rkc3]

8. I'm in the same boat - we didn't go out much before the gas prices,

now we hardly go out at all.

It's a lot easier to balance the checkbook though - I'm sorting through half the receipts I did three months ago.

[bigscott]

4. Boston is laying off lots of Biotechs

At least 1000 I know of in local companies in Boston/Cambridge. Having said that, the bars, restaurants and (of course) FENWAY are full every night. Since we will be playing baseball for another month or so (PLEASE GOD), and the B's are back in town, that will continue. It seems that the people I now that have been let go from Biotech have very little trouble finding new jobs

[MildyRules]

5. Go Yankees!

Couldn't help it...

[newyawker99]

14. Hi bigscott!!

Welcome to DU!!

[yy4me]

6. North of Boston not too good either but I must not be seeing things

as well as I should. With gas over $3.00 per gal, heating oil almost the same, natural gas up 71%, electricity going up about 28%, groceries creeping up, interest rates on the rise among other things. Whats not to like? Just bought 4 pieces of lumber, , each one 10'; 2 pcs 1X3, 2 pcs 1X6 preprimed. Came to $50.00. I almost dropped my checkbook. Good grief! You all know, the list goes on. According to Washington, things are "ducky"...well, not in my pond!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Gas prices jumped over 20 cents a gallon yesterday

My husband and I are moving closer to town to save money. We've seen more house repos here during the last year, and new vehicle sales are flat. Seems to me that the thrift stores and salvage groceries are doing more business, too. When I drove by the local Wal-Mart yesterday, there were hardly any cars there. There are now three empty storefronts on the courthouse square (one was a freeper bookstore, which I'm glad is gone).

But tomorrow will be more telling. The annual Harvest Festival happens on the square. They are setting up booths right now. I doubt if I'll be able to attend (getting the new apartment cleaned so we can move in), but I'll try to find out what everyone was talking about there on Monday. One thing about working in a small town is that everyone knows everything about what is going on.

[earth mom]

9. Gas prices have come down here

in Oregon. Saw it for $2.65 regular unleaded at Arco yesterday. I'm not a mall shopper, so I don't know what's happening there, but it looks like the same amount of traffic and same amount of cars at the stand alone stores like Barnes and Noble, Target, Ross, Trader Joes etc. However, I don't think people will really open their wallets for big ticket items around here until the holidays which is how it's been the past 7 years we've lived here...in other words, Fall is pretty slow retail wise here.

[triguy46]

10. Nothing like $70/bbl oil...

for things to pick up in Oklahoma. Please Lord, don't let us screw it up this time. We are a third world state, with an economy dependent on selling off our natural resources. When oil is down, which is "good" for everyone else, it sucks here. When oil is up, which is "bad" for everyone else, its good here.

Truthfully, its hard to say, we have so much driven here by credit card debt and meth labs, who the hell knows?

[5X]

11. Things are really slow here....

I work at a small computer repair shop
in Ok. We are normally busy this time of year,
but the phones aren't even ringing. A store that had
been around for years recently went belly up, I thought
we would get his business, but the business just isn't
there. I really think it is the gas prices here,
we are used to cheap gas in Ok. but no more.

[Opusnone]

12. SE Florida

Business is slow (that's why I have time to post), people all seem angry, gas prices jumped 10% while we were sleeping. We're ready for summer and hurricane season to end. Wake me up when September ends.

[sandnsea]

13. Down since August, before Katrina

Just like the new economic report says. Oregon Coast.

[Jim Warren]

15. "recession special"

Saw a diner ad for breakfast today in the local western mass. daily rag, said:

"recession special- 2 eggs, home fries, toast, coffee, $1.89"

Seems like the people who still have a job here abouts and the businesses that cater to them didn't get the good times memo.