I hope you will join me in celebratory delight at the news sent down from the New York-based "Conference Board" this week. I temporarily suspended my concern that there was something as generic sounding as "The Conference Board" in existence so that I could properly celebrate their proclamation but it did remind me of Superman comic books when Clark Kent stood outside in the bad guy's ante room and used his X-ray vision to pierce a door on which was written "The Conference Board".

Big Brother concerns aside, I became absolutely giddy to learn that, as a consumer, my confidence had risen to 117.9. Odd, I didn't feel it go above 115.7 or so but I stand corrected by the folks in New York. There around Thursday afternoon, just after my nap, I thought I felt it quiver upward a bit but I attributed that to a re-heated burrito I'd had for breakfast. I never suspected that was me scaling the lofty heights at 117.9.

This is up, we are told, from the doldrums of May when we could only manage to indicate a meager 116.4.

As soon as I got the news I went to my desk and thumbed through my files to double check my personal indicators and make absolutely sure I was in lockstep with the rest of America.

Let's see...June 26...any bounced check notices from the bank? Nope. That fact alone usually sends my index into the low 90's. What else...AH! Look here! I'm only on my second late notice from the phone company! Frequently I'm fielding veiled threats by now from Cindi or Bambi or somebody in their collection department whose first name ends in "i". That takes me to about 105.

Just as I started to tabulate my charge card balances the phone rang and I answered it. Now this may not seem like an economic indicator to you, but if I'm answering my phone this near the end of the month in my own voice and without screening the call through my answering machine, it means I am truly testing uncharted waters of fiscal confidence.

"Consumers are currently more optimistic than they have been all year regarding business and job prospects over the next six months,'' said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's Consumer Research Center.

When I read that I felt my personal index jump another half point. The fact that "The Conference Board" had sprouted a "Consumer Research Center" alone got me thinking in terms of cartwheels.

Americans remained less bullish about the current situation, however; the report went on to say. She added that there was "little reason to expect consumers to go on shopping binges" and predicted the economy will continue to expand slowly.

I think next time Bambi calls me from the phone company I am going to refer her to Miss Franco and perhaps between them they can figure out when a payment can be expected on my account.