Forgive me, but it’s time for some Soapbox Time:  Now I’m not saying Opelika is the Magic Kingdom where Mickey and Minnie lead a parade everyday, but we sure have it better than many similar sized communities in other parts of the US.  Have problems in the auto industry hit us, sure they have.  Temporary layoffs at Mando and slow car sales have forced many to go home early for the holidays.  While no Opelika & Auburn car dealers have closed, you see fewer sales folks on the lot these days. Can you find good deals on cars? Huge rebates say yes, if you can get the money.  Is it going to get better quickly, probably not, but those that have planned well will survive. There have been some foreclosures, but you don’t see sign after sign like some others cities.  And friend Redman can tell you that there was a rush of refinances at the end of the year as some money is freeing for some.  Look at downtown Opelika.  Several new businesses that opened in the past year or two are still there. That doesn’t always happen in good times. Work continues to fix and restore old store fronts for a better looking downtown.  And that work hasn’t stopped with current economic situation, it continues. Add another downtown upstairs condo to the “Sold” list for confirmation of this growth.  Will I change some of my spending habits in the coming year?  I suspect you won’t see me at Outback as much now that I’ve started doing cooking and freezing.  And why not stay at home a few more nights to watch 4 movies for less than $10 in High Definition? Was 2008 a good year to invest in the redesign and reformat of this website, time will tell. Mayor Fuller’s comments in the OA News Saturday on the cities growth bring me to this.  I think I can control what I can, so if I do a better job of that, I too will be ready for 2009! And for me it always seems to go back to the fact that Opelika, a town I didn’t know much about 13 years ago, is a Great Place to live!  Photo Credit: ltsblogs.org.uk/cpdteam/2007/09/