Yesterday my wife and I visited Bricktown, the dining/entertainment

[daninthemoon]

hub of Oklahoma City. It is usually a very busy area, as it hosts dozens of restaurants and pubs. Nearly half of the properties were closed up, offered for lease or sale. Oklahoma has been isolated from most of the downturn, but apparently we are catching up (or is that down?). We started noticing the abandoned buildings on the rest of our day out, and realized that there is a huge number all around OKC, as well as our town Lawton. Has anyone else been noticing this in their communities? How far in to this do you suppose we are? I'm reminded of the movie futuristic movie "Demolition Man", in which it is revealed that only Taco Bell survived the food wars. I can't make it on only Taco Bell.

[On the Road]

1. Yes, But You Remember

that Taco Bell went upscale. Finest restaurant in town.

[OKNancy]

2. My business in Tulsa has been really hit

I've had a dance studio ( ballet, tap.. the old-fashioned kind) for 33 years. This year was worse than the oil bust in the 1980's.
People may not be out of a job, but they are scared they will be. Ballet lessons are a luxury.

It's so bad I started making soap to help my income. LOL It doesn't bring in much, but there aren't any parents telling me they can't pay for lessons and can I please let them take for free. Damn that is a sad situation. I feel so sorry for the child and usually say yes ( and then wonder if they are taking advantage of me)

[oldtime dfl_er]

4. Your soap looks lovely

and your website is beautiful. I gave you a heart, and I hope soon to be able to buy some of your product. Bookmarked.

[OKNancy]

5. Wow thanks!!! I did the website all by myself

It's amazing the things you can do if motivated! And thanks for the heart!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. I've bookmarked your website

and am sending the link on to others. I work for a non-profit health education foundation, and we often get patients that are sensitive to soap--I notice you have some that is fragrance free. The well-being soap was also intriguing. If the ice storm we had hadn't robbed me of two week's pay, I'd get some now.

[OKNancy]

14. as posted above, pop me an email

and say you are from DU and I'll send some extras. The best one IMO is "calming" and I took the plunge and purchased real chamomile EO ( need to change the ingredient list - lol )

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

22. I sent your link to our Naturopath

who makes herbal remedies but doesn't do soap. I also sent it to my MD, who is a holistic physician.

[OKNancy]

13. pop me an email if you do

and tell me you are from DU and I throw in some extras!

[wellstone dem]

19. I just got some! I can't wait to try it.

As you will be able to tell from my order, I love lilac and lavender.

[maddezmom]

18. Hi there

I gave you one as well for sendinng me that bumpersticker. :hug:

[oldtime dfl_er]

23. back at ya

Oh it looks GREAT on your car!!! :loveya:

Might be time to pass out some more freebies soon!

[rvablue]

8. Do any of those parents have something that you need....

It's nice what you are doing and I can understand having a little trepidation about it.

I would suggest that you ask for total confidentiality on their part. And I think it is totally fair for to ask them to repay when and if things improve for them.

But the reason why I responded to this is to suggest that maybe you can barter?

Is Dad a car mechanic? Do they own a restaurant? Do they work somewhere where they might be able to use their employ discount to buy things you need?

Maybe that might lighten the financial hit a little?

[BlooInBloo]

11. :) It's better to have a world with more dancers in it, regardless of getting paid, eh?

:)

[Mist]

12. I've bookmarked your site too OKNancy--one of my favorite indulgences is really good soap. You'll

get an order soon!

[yorgatron]

15. remind me to buy some soap from you.

i need something that doesn't irritate my skin,since i've worked with some nasty stuff over the years i react badly to a lot of the soap sold in stores.
BTW you might look into advertising on Bartcop,a fellow Tulsa resident of yours.

[OKNancy]

16. I hate to brag, but this is the best stuff ever.

smooth and creamy and mild. Soap sold in stores is really detergent even if it's a bar.

( I feel guilty pushing my stuff on DU... I hadn't even thought about it before today! )

[Muttocracy]

20. I think there's a DU Marketplace forum - you should post an entry there. nt

[Kool Kitty]

24. Don't feel guilty.

That's how you grow your business-get the word out. I've bookmarked your site and if my husband ever gets back to being employed full-time and I can find something (got a few applications in and you'd be surprised at how many places aren't even accepting applications anymore, dammit) I will buy some. I have a hard time finding soap that doesn't make me itch. I used to be able to use anything, but as I get older, I notice that my skin is almost as cranky as I am.

[JCMach1]

25. For those of you who don't know, OKNancy has one of the best ballet

schools in Tulsa... including classes for special needs children. My nieces still love you! I only wish you the best...

[PassingFair]

28. I pulled my kid out of dance in the late 90's....

because of the cost of COSTUMES.

I didn't mind the dance lesson
costs, but I refused to pop for
the ridiculous get-ups that were
required.

Maybe you could get the word out
that you are putting together recitals
that DON'T require expensive costumes?

[Phoenix-Risen]

3. Funny, I was just reading another thread here

that said "we need to kill consumerism" in order for our country to survive. Looks like OKC will be safe.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. about a fourth of the businesses on the town square have shut

their doors in the last year. It was only a few years ago that the square--and downtown--had made a real come-back, with all buildings occupied, some even on the second floor. An antique mall, shoe store, formal wear shop, clothing store, health food store, gift shop--all are gone. Just off the square we've lost a sporting goods store and a used sporting goods store and a costume shop. The mall is a ghost of itself, with only a Christian book/gift store and Penney's left.

[BlooInBloo]

7. Yup. Discretionary spending is the first to go in tough times....

Bars seem to make it through better than most, though.

[GentryDixon]

10. There is such a dichotomy.

We went to Denny's for breakfast after my grandson's basketball game this morning and had a 15 minute wait. And on Monday my son must terminate three employees because of the downturn in the business (non food) he works for.

It is very frightening out there.

[pansypoo53219]

17. there will always be starbucks.

or was it starfucks? and buttfucker's. not that i want to live in idiotacacy either.

[daninthemoon]

27. One of our two starbucks closed months ago

[MadHound]

21. There are signs where I live here in Missouri

The small town close by hasn't closed many businesses, but nobody, absolutely nobody is hiring. Columbia, the large college town in the area has seen a halt to the massive sprawling development, a good thing in my opinion. However while it hasn't lost any jobs, there are some closed storefronts here and there, especially in the mall and strip malls.

Missouri generally weathers these things fairly well, we'll see how we do this time around.

[JCMach1]

26. Tulsa was already hurting last Summer when I visited... I suspect

it is no better now. Am in Tampa/Clearwater now... For sale signs are like mushrooms here.