Times are not at all bad, or as bad, as I thought that they would be.

Collecting coins is a passion, and a way to get away from what is going on in the world today. The news has got a little better, but still. If I could offer mr. Thompson a job, I would. I am a Journeyman carpenter, here in Calgary, Canada. I have my own buisness, and for a while just after Christmas, I thought that the world was collapsing. Within the last 2 months I am seeing job starts rise to the point that I can't keep up to the quotes. 15 to 20 a week. I build custom decks(high end) a few fences and custom sheds. I go inside in the winter and do odd jobs. Last year I built over 100 decks. It hurts that I can't help my struggling cousins to the south. Sometimes, I would just love to call up and say, "come on up, I'll give you a job." I did take this year to clean out some dead weight from my company. I felt bad for who I had to lay off, but I was done being used and abused. Then I read the journals about guys having to sell their collections, it just hurts. My sancturary is being affected. I really wish that I could help end all of the bad times that I keep seeing in front of me. God bless and take care. Jay