What a time to be building anything! A 4x8 sheet of 5/8 OSB is over $20.00 now. Used to be able to buy these for $6.88 a year ago if you looked around. Lumber has tripled at least. What a total cluster fvck.

We have been trying to buy a new HD tilt trailer lately and they are few and far between. We can't order the one we want because the plant is shut down.

My son is building a new shop and it is only 3/4 done right now due to certain items on back order. The plants that make those items are shut down. They are not sure when they will be available again so that his shop can be finished.

My neighbor is a supplier in another industry. He says that inventory that comes from overseas has had a few hiccups, but nothing severe. But he says that he is having more and more trouble getting U.S. made stuff.

Locally, our small businesses are dying left and right. Small restaurants are absolutely reeling. Other small businesses are shut down because their employees wanted to be laid off. Many employees could often make more money sitting at home than they could working. Here in Illinois, the Feds kicked in $600 a week on top of the average state unemployment of $150. $750 a week works out to nearly $19 an hour. That is way above the average wage around here. Looks like the small powder coating business down the street from me is done because of that very issue. He had customers that wanted parts coated, but his guys were on unemployment and wanted to stay that way.

I really hope that the forthcoming vaccines are the game changer that they are purported to be. This whole virus thing is a real mess for individuals and for businesses. And I am afraid that the damage will continue to pile up for a while yet even if the vaccines are a go.