I thought 2020 was the rough year but 2020.1 is proving tougher. In my humble opinion, the world is about to pay the true cost of the plague. Last year we saw the stuff we need/want made from stockpiled raw materials, these have run out in the links of many supply chains. We all are now facing long delays because things like steel, aluminium, lithium, fibres and fertilisers are in short supply. We've always used Aussie steel for our frame manufacture but as supply drops off of imported stuff, it's getting harder to snaffle. As sure as a hangover follows a skinful, market forces roll up their sleeves and drive up prices. Shortages of shipping containers and demand for freight services has jacked up freight costs both inter and intra-nationally. Large parcels to out of the way places in Oz have almost doubled. It's nothing to see a freight charge of $50 for a set of panniers and frames to NQ or SW WA. I heard tell that forty-foot containers out of the EU are now in the region of $11K if you can get one. There's an irony in the reports I've heard that we have a stock of containers hanging around Australia but as don't export much in the way of finished goods they are just sitting, forlornly looking for an unlikely backload. To my mind, this means that the logical result will be significant price increases in just about everything we buy. Whether it turns into a significant (and possibly a bull run of) inflation is yet to be seen. Governments of all stripes are gonna want to keep wages under control, so we'll continue to see the gap between the rich and the poor gap even wider.
On the yours truly front, my injuries have mended but the scars on the new bike are not healing. My confidence took a whack too, a 40kph front end tuck gave me a very quick look at the dirt. I need some bike time to restore it. Also packed into the healing jobs to be done, my Mum blew a head gasket recently and woke up dead. As an ED Nurse death was part of my working week for a couple of decades, but when it comes through our front door, it's still a shock. My first response after working through the technical stuff like CT Scan results, infusions and advanced care directives was to jump on my bike and head north. Unfortunately, it would take me 4 days to get there; and while that is just what my head could have done with, these times involve, flights, hire cars and gathering our far-flung mo. Mrs Strapz and I have been dead keen to get to see the Finke Desert Race for about 4 years now. Life, the plague and work just kept getting in the way. Again we are thwarted as Vic-bloody-toria gets locked down again. My feeling is that this year's event is going to be bigger than Ben Hur! Faeces occurs I guess.
Closed this Saturday Morning due to COVID Lockdown
This month has been a bit of a write-off, a death in the family, COVID and short days have put a serious damper on life. That's all I got this month, I'm sure you'll understand. Copyalater
