The Year of Disruption
There are few things we try to do these days that doesn't entail a nasty negative surprise, an unavailable product, a delayed shipment, a harried vendor. It started with pressure treated decking and wood last spring, spread quickly into appliances, hot water heaters, basement floor stain, electrical conduit or machine parts to repair equipment. What wasn't in short supply was engorged in price - with some framing materials up 800%.
We were busy as all get out, and were building right into the teeth of this angry inflationary and shortage sea serpent. I basically just closed my eyes and forged ahead hoping the increased volume and increased sales prices would offset the increased prices. So far, that has been the case, but it has been shocking at times, and actually quite hard to track.
I've spent my last 2 weeks - besides building 25 homes, leading a new marketing campaign, managing 12 employees and host of other issues - trying to get a washing machine repaired at one of my rentals in Phoenixville Pennsylvania. I'm 24 calls, 4 site visits, 87 texts into it, and still no final solution or resolution. It's a microcosm of what we've been dealing with. Just hard to look good right now, regardless of your tan or fitness level.
My son and I are engaged in completing the construction of a 2500 piece Land Rover lego set. It's taken us months or more since he's only with me every other week, and he has a short attention span and it's a bit tedious at times, and it's a lot of pieces. But it's cool, and I can't say it went that smoothly from a father and son perspective, but we powered through the anger, frustration, impatience etc... and reached the end with a well-built machine that seems to be put together more or less as designed. 800 pages of design instructions. There's something to be said and learned from that, however indirectly and unintended.
Been taking down some books as of late - Band of Brothers, Beyond Band of Brothers, News Junkie. Just finished No Ordinary Time, a 30+ hour audible book about the Roosevelts by the historian who wrote the Lincoln biography Team of Rivals.
