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For two days in Nashville, Roofing Contractor magazine will play host to the 5th Best of Success conference.

In 2004, soon after delivering my daughter at Cedarville University in central Ohio, she told me about this interesting computer application called Facebook. It was a new way of interacting with other students on campus and other universities.

This week I met with Todd Foster and Chris Edwards of Ideal Recycling in Southfield, Mich. Ideal expects to keep more than 15,000 tons of asphalt shingles out of landfills this year alone. The shingles are ground up and re-used by asphalt companies, which can use up to 5 percent recycled asphalt in hot asphalt mix used for paving roads and parking lots.

Last month, three single-family homes I pass while driving to work disappeared.

Poof.

I was aghast the first time I visited the annual trade show known as the South Atlantic Well Water Drillers Jubilee in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When the doors to the expo hall opened, in poured hundreds of families.

I rarely look out my seventh-floor window, but a few weeks ago a dangling window washer grabbed my attention. This guy--let’s call him Wally--was cleaning windows on a building adjacent to the one that houses BNP Media’s offices.

The federal stimulus package has a lot of people in the mainstream media talking about upcoming federal projects, but experts will tell you there’s a lot of work involved in just getting on the list for U.S. General Services Administration contracts.

I am not an economist, but I have been a business owner for over 20 years. This experience has led me to some insight on the economy and economic forecasts. As we all navigate through this year, the question remains: When will we see a turnaround?

I miss “junk mail.” It’s true. Even though I sometimes complained when digging out from a pile of mail, I actually enjoyed opening it.

I’ve been saving fortunes from my Chinese dinners and I’m elated. Apparently, I’m in line for an incredible string of good luck. And my good fortune is your good fortune because we’re all in this downturn together.