it's the economy, dammit

Things have been getting bad for a long time, but it seems like the shit is really getting ready to hit the fan now. I don't like being on a month long vacation while things are going down. I have been staying in touch  just enough to keep up with things and it is good that my boss is on vacation at the same time (and also that  I met him in NYC yesterday) but I get a very uneasy feeling about what the immediate future will bring.