Saturday, August 20, 2011

Hey, You Got A Pickup Truck

It's official.

I failed in my goal to blog every day this month.

But more and more it seems as if failure is the way of the world.

The stock market, dictatorships, Tiger Woods, The USA's credit rating. Things are falling all around us.

Not even my employer, the venerable United States Postal Service is immune.

Earlier this week Postal Management announced plans to shutter 60% of it operational facilities. Currently there are 308 such facilities. I work in one of them.

Is Amarillo, Texas important enough logistically or financially to make the top 40%?

I have my doubts.

We have geography on our side. The only operations plant close by is Lubbock 2 hours south but their building is small and old. They do nor house as much or varied equipment as us. We also have I-40, an important trucking route, running through town.

Amarillo is the only show from Dallas to Denver. Oklahoma City to Albequerque, but will that matter?

I have my doubts.

Will postal powers that be/congress care that a vast region will see their mail delayed both directions.

I have my doubts.

So what will that mean for me and my family? Well, unless the upcoming release of my book, of The Feedstore Chronicles sells tens of thousands of copies I will be forced to pack up and move to one of the few facilities that survives.

Dallas or Fort Worth? Oklahoma City? Denver?

Who knows which places will remain, but of those Denver would be my preference. I have family and many writing friends in the area. Besides, the hunting, fishing and great outdoors is better. I'm not a fan of state income tax or 3.2 beer or of leaving the great State of Texas, but heat/humidity/10 bajillion people/ and notoriously crappy postal facilities will keep me away from the DFW area.

So, while I hope Amarillo's faculty makes the cut, the time may come where this Texan becomes an ex-pat. On the bright side, that may be the only way I escape having Rick Perry as my Guv-nuh.

11 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Keeping my fingers crossed for you! So long as you have a job, you'll be fine wherever you are.

Hilary said...

I agree with Debra. I hope all works out for the best for you. Keep us.. ummm posted. ;)

jjdebenedictis said...

Best of luck, however the shake-up shakes down.

(And I'll be buying a copy of The Feedstore Chronicles, so there's that too.)

Old Kitty said...

I have everything firmly crossed that the Amarillo, Texas Postal Service operational facility will survive this economic storm.

Take care
x

texlahoma said...

I hope you don't have to move to the land of 3.2 beer and state taxes but if you do, you might find it's not as bad as it sounds. Beside you can earn extra cash smuggling in Texas beer.

G. B. Miller said...

Good luck on surviving the cuts. I know here in Connecticut they're looking at eliminating a few of the branch offices, some of which are located in extremely poor communities.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Dude, I too have failure and doubt. But we can push through. We can, and we will.

Thinking of you.

Charles Gramlich said...

I hope your branch stays open. I did hear they were going to close our local Abita Springs branch. Gonna be a real pain for a lot of locals.

ssas said...

Um, 3.2 beer? Huh?

I would LOVE to see you in Denver!

Deanna said...

If your Amarillo is important enough to mentioned in a song, then it is important enough to survive the cuts. Keeping my fingers crossed!

*Moves on, humming... Amarillo by morrrnnninnnnggg.....*

Phats said...

Good luck hope everything works out for you guys!

I can't imagine blogging everyday