Roofing Contractor’s fifth Best of Success conference is in the history books. I know how tired everyone is of the trite sayings, but I cannot help it. The Best just keeps getting better. And the reasons are pretty clear to me.

The phone call was followed by a fax with some details telling me that Charlie Raymond, 87, had passed away. I was unable to make it to his funeral, which was held in his home church in South Florida.

You will not often find this blogger linking to publications other than my own, but here is one for you: www.residentialarchitect.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=0&articleID=1006682. Reason I share this piece, published in late June, is to compare it to a posting on this blog this past October: www.roofingcontractor.com/Articles/Blog_Rick/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000592463.

There is a lot of squawking these days about the “nationalization of the banking system” and the “nationalization of the auto industry” and the “nationalization of the health care system.” I do not know quite how to break it to you: that ship has sailed. It left the dock a long, long time ago and it will not likely return in my lifetime.

Trips to the old hometown are not infrequent as the roofing distribution company where I make my primary living has operations here. In fact, we still operate from the same facility we built back in 1989 when I was branch manager here. So much is the same and so much has changed.

As distasteful as I find most things political, it seems that I spend more and more time trying to figure out what the federal government is going to do next. It might not ordinarily matter a lot, with the exception of things like wars or political upheaval in foreign lands in which we have an interest.

As the Internet has grown in popularity the phenomenon of the educated consumer has grown along with it.

I was still a kid in the roofing biz when non-destructive testing of low-slope roofing systems began to gain some widespread popularity. There were all types of devices ranging from simple, handheld moisture meters to conductance systems to infrared systems. In other words, the idea of surveying an existing membrane as to the condition under it is not new but has gradually gained wide acceptance among roofing professionals, both contractors and consultants.

I was involved in more unpleasant business this past week than I care to think about much less blog about. But as the week comes to a close it is still good to look back and learn; we should gain something from the pain life is prone to dispense from time to time.

So I am driving through South Georgia earlier this week thinking about all kinds of different things. Don’t talk on the cell phone while driving anymore, so this frees up some time for random thoughts. Yes, I am focused on the road but one’s mind cannot help but wander even with all the natural beauty of South Georgia countryside passing by the window.