Economical notes

February 4, 2009

The local UPS center is laying off 19 drivers. The hemp twine people are closing. They've pointed us to another source, but it is truly a drag when this happens. Frame and bike orders have been canceled. The phones are quiet. It's not doomsday, but there's a lousy feeling in the air and this small mention is a little helpful, just to get it out.
We're cutting way, way back on inventory buying. We have several new-small things in the works and we'll flag them as NEW on the home page when we get them (or, in the case of the SaddleSack bags, before we get them). But overall, we're feeling a part of the news now, not apart from it, as we felt a few months ago.

On a more positive note except for the printing cost: Reader 41 will be mailed within a month. It will cost $4 for a real live paper one (that includes shipping). Otherwise, it will be free online.

A month ago it was up to about 60 pages---a biggie, by Reader standards. But the printing costs and the extra time it was taking to tie up all the loose ends with it was stretching it out too much, but the pages dropped from 41 will give a good start to 42.

On the good side: Obama!
 
 -Grant

The paper Reader will be available two ways: as part of a regular order, or by mailing us $4 cash, along with an address label of your own making, to Rivendell Reader, PO Box 5289, Walnut Creek, CA 94596.

The address label can be any piece of blank paper, 2.5" by 4" or so, with your name/address/city/state/zip. Something we can glue or tape onto a large white envelope.

Not intentionally "retro," but the only way we can do it. You can send that anytime, and we will mail it as soon as it's done.

-John