Have you ever wished you didn’t have quite as much money? Well, no, not personally I haven’t. But I’ve sometimes wished it for other people. There are some athletes, for example, who have way too much money. (Some might say all pro athletes are overpaid, but up to a point you have to respect the market.) There are plenty of young entertainers who would have been better served not to have so much before they were able to handle it. If that sounds condescending, sue me.

Personally, I’ve never felt I had too much money, or more than I could handle, or more than I needed. My tastes aren’t extravagant, and maybe I could have survived on less, but I don’t think I’ve ever been at the point where I thought I was throwing money away just because I had an excessive amount of it. (Let me think… No, never happened.)

The company got a huge infusion of cash today. That’s cause for rejoicing, considering the state of the economy (loosely termed “recovery,” but still on life support) and the perpetually cash-strapped nature of the construction business. So I took half a minute to rejoice, and then I looked at the mountain of bills I can now pay. I will be writing checks all the way through the night and all the way through the weekend. (Not true. Frequent breaks are required for cramping hands.)

The other aspect of the business is that money we take in is never ours for long, and there sometimes isn’t enough left over to keep the figurative stove filled with figurative wood. Two years ago we were rolling in clover for the only time in the 23 years I’ve worked here. Then the hard times hit and now it’s like the old days, gasping for just enough air to stay alive. And managing to do so, like the old days. It kind of wears you out, though.