Entrepreneurship: More is Needed

...From guest columnist Ron Tilton in the Monday 24 November edition of The Rocky Mountain News:
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The Pilgrims' Legacy
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Thanksgiving usually is a celebration of gratitude and feasting in the tradition of the Pilgrims. But that satisfactory sense of plenty might not resonate with Americans this year, considering the current economic problems. And, in truth, that satisfaction certainly was not shared by the Pilgrims at that "First Thanksgiving." Like many Americans today, they were feeling some discontent and desperation.
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When the Pilgrims landed in North America in 1620, they brought with them the strong entrepreneurial spirit that is an important part of the United States' economic and cultural consciousness. Entrepreneurship still is the foundational rock of capitalism, just as solid as the famed Plymouth Rock. And in today's challenging economy, we should take a lesson from our Pilgrim legacy.
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Although Jamestown was settled in 1607 for profiteering purposes, the Pilgrims' Plymouth Colony really was the start of America. The Mayflower carried families of religious dissenters, the ship's crew, planters, workers and servants. To embark on such a journey, they all had to have some sense of adventure, a tolerance for risk, and a calling to create something new, all of which are entrepreneurial traits.
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New World venture capital was difficult to obtain, much like credit is today in the wake of the financial crisis. To fund their enterprise, the Pilgrims entered into a partnership with English investors. They accepted a high credit interest rate: a seven-year contract, at the end of which all lands and profits would be split evenly between the investors and the colonists.
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To achieve their strategic objective, the inventive Pilgrims used skills that are valued today. For example, in a recent survey, businesses said that innovation is one of their top three priorities; 40 percent said it's their first priority (The Boston Consulting Group, 2007).
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The first winter in the Plymouth Colony was hard, and more than half of the Pilgrims perished. They continued to face meager harvests and hunger, rescued only by long-awaited supply ships from England. Part of the difficulty was that the equalization-of-assets policy created conflict and dulled the motivation to work. When Gov. William Bradford authorized privatization in 1623, each family received its own portion of corn and land and became its own business concern. The result was increased corn harvests and more general success for the colony.
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The Pilgrims demonstrated that entrepreneurial expertise produces results. Today, more than 54 percent of Fortune 500 companies list entrepreneurial skills as a valuable attribute for new recruits (Zell Lurie Institute, 2008). Some things just don't change.
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There is a need for entrepreneurs at this moment in U.S. history, and they require solid financial knowledge and skills to develop successful businesses. We should utilize proven financial education programs, such as those offered by organizations like Junior Achievement, to inspire America's future entrepreneurs to effective action. Then they can be forces for positive change in the world, just as the Pilgrims were.
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Ron Tilton is president of FirstBank Denver, and chairman of the board of Junior Achievement, Rocky Mountain Inc.
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*****

A Tribute for Thanksgiving

... From reporter Jennifer James in the Sunday 23 November issue of the Los Angeles Times...

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" Giving Thanks"

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It was Thanksgiving, and for the first time our whole family was together. Mom and Dad had to drive all night just to get here, but boy was it worth it! The Grandsters really know how to do it up right. The Grandsters being Grandpa and Grandma. We were all seated at the table, and I couldn't wait to dive into those mashed potatoes and gravy. And the smell of the turkey -- I thought I was going to faint with happiness.

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"What's that, Mindy?" demanded my little cousin Sam. He can be such a pain. He is 8 years old, two years younger than I am.

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"What's what?" I asked.

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He pointed to a little paper cup containing just three kernels of corn beside Grandpa's plate. I opened my mouth to answer and then realized I didn't know. Ugh! How I hate admitting that I don't know something!

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Grandma answered, "It is to pay tribute to the Pilgrims."

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"But why three kernels?" asked the always curious Sam. Give it a rest, I thought.

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Grandpa answered, "It reminds me of what a tough time the Pilgrims had. In the beginning, three kernels of corn was each person's daily food ration." The table got real quiet after he said that.

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Grandpa continued, "Against all odds, they made a life for themselves in the wilderness. Let's talk more about it after dinner."

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Sure enough, dinner was over and Sam wanted to know more.

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" Squanto taught the Pilgrims to grow corn!" Sam exclaimed. He's never going to forget that -- he played Squanto in the Thanksgiving Day play at school.

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"That's right," Grandpa said. "But at first the Pilgrims were terrified of the Indians, as they called them. Then one day a tribesman named Samoset ventured into their encampment. He was tall and dark and by many accounts quite handsome. Loudly and plainly he proclaimed, 'Welcome!' in perfect English."

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"The Pilgrims must have freaked!" shouted Sam.

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Grandpa laughed and agreed. "I'm sure you're right. He had learned the language from English fishermen. For the Pilgrims, life was a constant battle for survival. Later, Governor William Bradford made a decision. Instead of the colonists sharing their crops equally, he assigned a parcel of land to each family and told them they could keep whatever they produced for themselves."

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"Then what happened?" asked Sam.

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"At last the Pilgrims began to prosper. Governor William Bradford wrote in his book 'Of Plimoth Plantation,' 'This had very good success, for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.' "

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"Shoot! If you can keep everything you make, of course you're going to work harder. Everybody knows that."

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Grandpa answered, "The first seed had been planted for the American Revolution. People were free to practice their religions as they saw fit and were free to keep the fruits of their labor. This had never happened before in the history of mankind. In the words of William Bradford, 'As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.' "

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"That William Bradford sounds like a pretty cool guy," said Sam.

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"He was a pretty cool guy," Grandpa said with a chuckle.

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*****

The Best Saturday of the Year

I was very happy for this week to conclude. This just ended week was one that saw me have my work schedule changed from an afternoon into evening (and sometimes morning shift) to one that starts at 7am and runs until 3:30 pm. I will be on this schedule for the foreseeable future, although I still think I could get laid off sometime in December or maybe January as the economy continues to seriously worsen. I start my day around 6am and have about a 20 minute drive out which is a little less timewise than when my shift started later. The return trip home does take longer, as there is much more traffic obviously than at midnight or afterwards when usually I only see 5 to 7 other motor vehicles in total on the road at bes for the eight to ten mile jaunt. It usually takes about one-half hour for the trip. I am working with a new group of crew members, and this seems to be a much better group as there is a better team workmanship ethic presence as well as a refreshing lack of conversation and discussion about the awful subjects the other crew seemed to focus on all the time day in and day out (sexual conquests, rap performers, criminal acts they were doing, mass profanity, and other numberous stupid and inane subjects) that drove me bonkers. Almost all of those people are still on nights on a staff that is basically a skeleton at this point and that shift will disappear in the coming couple of weeks completely which is why I still think a layoff for me may yet occur.
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The week was one of transition physically as I had to switch the body clock massively. Monday and Tuesday were days where I fell asleep early and struggled for continuity and longivity in my rest cycle. Wednesday was better, and I was good by Thursday. With afternoons after 4pm free now, I can do some tasks after work that were not possible or impractical after getting off following a night shift. Tuesday with the ideal weather I recycled my newspapers and plastic bags; straightened up the bed and cab of the White Knight; took some empty boxes down to the garage; and emptied all the trash. Wednesday I stopped at McDonalds to have a sandwich and leisurely enjoy reading the newspapers. Thursday night I cooked some mac & cheese for supper and accidentaly set off the smoke alarm which necessitated me having to open some windows and the door to vent out the smoke that accumulated from debris beneath the stove burner smoldering. And Friday I got the big job of doing the laundry completed. I had six washer machines full of clothes and linens, and after drying everything the expense was around $20. After getting this job done, I stopped at a local Mexican restaurant, Estevans, for dinner which consisted of smothered enchiladas, a taco, a tostada, and beans and rice. It was better than last week's meal at Guadalahara, so there is a clubhouse leader for best Mexican restaurant now. But I still need to check at least a couple of more options in the coming months. I think I will try to go out for a nice dinner for myself on Fridays or Saturdays (no fast food) each week over the coming months while I have this schedule at work. There is a steakhouse that is offering a steak dinner at half price for anyone born in 1958 so I definitely need to partake of that the next time I go out.
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The weather this week was up and down with much warmer than normal days Sunday through Wednesday; a cold raw Thursday; a brisk Friday; and today warming more more than forecast. We had a record high of 71 on Tuesday, but I awoke on Thursday to windows on truck covered by a thick glaze from an overnight session of freezing rain, of all things this late into November. Other than the 4 to 6 inches of snow on Thursday night/Friday predawn 13 - 14 November, snow has been all but missing so far this season. Usually by the last week of November we have a good couple of dumps which has had an impact. And the forecast for the upcoming week is devoid of any precipitation until at least next Friday. Maybe the outlook for a much warmer winter and one with less precipitation is going to be realized. If so, I will not be complaining at all. ==
Friday night after I returned home from the laundry and restaurant was an evening of relaxation after getting the newly cleaned laundry folded, hung, and put away. I remade the bed and then settled in for an evening of music. I am going to try to dedicate Friday evenings exclusively to music playing on the stereo for at least a few hours if not longer. My selections for this night were The Alan Parsons Project, Chuck Mangione, and Natalie Cole. I have such an extensive collection of music that I will be able to listen to some of my collection I have not enjoyed in a couple of years and longer. It truly is relaxing and gives me a chance to think and be inspired and moved as my circumstances and life have seen many changes, some quite profound, in the years since I lasted listened to some of this music. I finally fatigued by midnight and retired for a relaxing night of rest knowing I would not be abruptly roused by a predawn alarm clock in the morning.
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Saturday saw me waken around 9:15 am. After lying in bed for about one-half hour, I arose and had a couple of bowls of hot oatmeal for breakfast. This is about my favorite Saturday for college football all season, as there are always some good rivalry game and action that settles much. I started my day out with Michigan at Ohio State, a game I have watched every with only a few exceptions for 39 years. I think I have only missed 4 or 5 of these matches all these years. It was not as entertaining or important as in past years as Michigan is having its worst season in school history as they lose convincingly to the hated Buckeyes to end their year at a woeful 3-9.
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As the afternoon commenced, I slipped out over to DQ to get some Frozen Cappucino Lattes as I had a 2 for 1 coupon to use. Its a bright sunny day although a little windy, but better than I thought it would be as I probably did not need to have worn my coat as I did. I continued to watch games: The Border War between my alma mater Wyoming and their rivals Colorado St; Indiana and Purdue for the Oaken Bucket as former Wyoming coach Joe Tiller (an instructor of mine in a class I took 17 years ago) retires from coaching after 12 seasons for the Boilermakers in South Lafayette; Michigan St - Penn St from snowy State College; Air Force - Texas Christian; Washington - Washington St from Pullman for the Apple Cup ( a game I hope to attend in future years after I relocate to Washington in the coming years); The Big Game between Stanford and California from Berkley; Iowa St - Kansas St; Boise St - Nevada from Reno at the foot of the Sierras in a great setting; the first of two huge games with Brigham Young playing Utah at Rice-Eccles in The Holy War;

Oregon St and vastly improved Arizona from The Old Pueblo; Pittsburgh - Cincinnati (ironically in the same week as when the Steelers played the Bengals in the NFL); Florida St - Maryland from the land of crabcakes; Nevada-Las Vegas against the San Diego St Aztecs; and last but not least, the monumental matchup between Texas Tech and Oklahoma from Norman. A great lineup of games. There are still two weekends left of games to take in, but today is really the best day for games all season long most years, the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
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Unfortunately many of the games turned one-sided, so I was able to do some tasks while the time went on. I worked on my vacation trip packing and preparation. I would say I am mostly prepared with only the selection of shirts and trousers needing to be done still. I should be able to be fully packed before bed on Monday with the exception of bathroom personal hygiene supplies that will be used Tuesday morning before work and in the afternoon after work. I hope to be on the road before 5pm and arrive in Castle Rock by 7:30 pm. I am taking the trip with my youngest brother and his two daughters which will be nice though it will lengthen the time of the drive from around 7 hours to around 9 hours. We will try to depart Wednesday morning before 8am so we can drive the journey fully in daylight and be in Albuquerque by around 4:30 pm to 5pm.

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I briefly considered ordering a pizza for delivery, but opted instead to eat a couple of cans of chile for supper. I also worked on straightening up my desks and filing paperwork.

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Sunday saw an arising of me around 9:30am and I had some oatmeal for breakfast. I halfheartedly watched some NFL before going out around 12:30 to get the newspapers. I popped into McDonalds to read them over a Coca-Cola. About 1:30 I headed out of town to Brant's home which is about 22 miles from me in Federal, WY. I had not been over there in several months so it was nice to get together and visit with him for a few hours while we watched the Broncos game. Denver got plastered by the Raiders by a 31-10 count in a stunning outcome, the Broncos' third consecutive home defeat. But we found plenty to talk about during the game. Both of us are of the same mind about leaving the Front Range Region within the next five years to move to the Pacific Northwest. My other friend Matt is also considering the same action at some point down the road. So if I do move there it is possible I may have some friends there already or soon to come. I will probably spend Christmas evening at Brant & Sara's home since I am planning on staying in Cheyenne for that upcoming holiday.

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I departed from Brant's around 6pm and made a brief stop to get gasoline ( I paid only $1.56 per gallon -- utterly amazing -- the least expensive gasoline I have purchased since March of 2004 when I was still driving a taxi !). Following that, I made a brief visit to Walmart for a quart of milk to get me through the next two days, some cookies and beverages for the upcoming roadtrip, and two bananas for lunches. I got home around 7:30 and spent the remainder of the evening mostly relaxing, surfing the 'net and watching the Colts / Chargers game won in the closing seconds by Indianapolis. I also selected my apparel for the vacation and responded to a text message from my sister M letting me know that I have an appointment on Saturday 16 May 2009 to be in Texas for the graduation of my first neice L.

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I will have to figure out how to travel to that wonderous event. The bus is one option but probably the least appealing. I could rent a car but that is a long haul from Denver (about 1100 to 1150 miles each way) which would take two days each way which would result in about a week of commitment. But when that time arrives, I plan on already being in Denver or just about ready to move there. I plan at this time to already have left my job and having started the process of packing to move. Of course, these plans are fluid at this time with what will happen over the next five months of critical importance on what I will decide to do. If circumstances and the environment compel me to stick out up here for another summer at least, then the car rental option for the trip is out. And then there is always the flying option. Southwest Airlines flys direct from DIA to Houston Intercontinental and I may be able to get a deal which makes the round trip cost less than $300. Frontier also flies from Denver to Houston or Austin, and with Matt's wife working for them, perhaps I can figure out a way to get a less expensive flight through her connections. The cost for the flying option would probably be in excess of $600 when factoring in a rental car, gasoline, lodging and meals for three days; the bus option would be about $50 to $75 less at best and it may be a wash when all is said and done; and the rental car trip option would be about $75 to $100 less at best. As Spring arrives (and boy I cannot wait when until that happens !) I will have to start more carefully analyzing how much and which way I will perform this trip.

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The weather forecast for the vacation trip this week is looking fine with no inconveniences expected. I caught the forecast from both Marty Coniglio and Mike Nelson on two of the Denver stations and they affirm what the NWS is already saying: it will be smooth sailing. Temps are looking to be in the 50s and 60s during the days and nighttime lows in the mid 20s at worse. Lets hope no troubles with H's white Honda van occur, particularly somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

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As I observed earlier, autumn thus far has been relatively mild and devoid of snow. Mike Nelson reported Denver has had but 0.1" of snow up to this point which is about 17" below normal. And here in Cheyenne, officially there has been about 4" of snow thus far which is about 14" below what can be normally expected. The forecast for the next three months across the Front Range region is for a much warmer temperatures and below normal precipitation. So far we are on target for following that forecast unlike what happened in the last few years. I also have seen video of the Colorado mountains around Vail, Aspen, and Steamboat, and they are all but devoid of snow as well which is unusual but could change radically at any point over a matter of mere days.

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Sunday saw a supper of two fishwiches and a can of spinach.

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The week ahead is the most momentous and event filled one for me in at least a couple of years. I think I will have a nice time and am grateful and greatly looking forward to sharing in the Thanksgiving Holiday three days period with my sisters and their families, as well as sharing in the travel with my brother and his daughters at both ends of the vacation journey and the holiday days as well.

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*****

Autumn's Last Hurrah...

...I am not sure if it will be, but for it to reach 71 degrees with virtually no wind under crystal clear blue skies in the last 12 days of November at this elevation and latitude is truly remarkable. It was really a fantastic beautiful day, and I took advantage of it to do some recycling of newspapers and plastic, as well as straightening up of the inside and in the bed of the White Knight. It was the third time this month a record high has been set. The forecast for the next three months is for it to be much above normal for temperatures; so who knows, maybe we are destined to get some days still into the 60s during these next 100 days before March 2009 arrives...
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This temperature reading at or above 70 degrees is the second latest ever recorded so late in the calendar year. A 71 degree day was recorded on the 25th of November in 1990 which is the latest ever for that threshold. December in Cheyenne has seen a best of 69 degrees once on the 5th (1939), and five instances of 67 degrees on the 6th, 9th, 11th (all three instances in 1939), 18th (1931) and 20th (1941). 66 degrees is as warm as it has ever gotten in January: twice, on the 20th (2005) and 26th (1934). And a 70 degree record is not seen again in the books until the 11th of February (1962), when it once hit 71 degrees, and later in the month when it reached 70 degrees on the 26th (1950). Ten days in the period from 19 December through 18 January have never seen a 60 degree day which says alot about the kind of weather we can normally expect in the opening month of winter.
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So as one can see, historically it is all but unlikely we will see any kind of nice high temperatures in the coming three months.

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High temperature records have been set all over the Mountain West and High Plains over the last three days, including in Phoenix where high temps neared 90 degrees. But all good things must end being this is November, as a sharp cold front is in the process of arriving as I write this article. Winter is back in strong fashion within a few hours for the Front Range region.
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RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
1228 AM MST WED NOV 19 2008
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...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT CHEYENNE WY...
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RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 71 DEGREES WAS SET AT CHEYENNE WY TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2009. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 65 SET IN 1949.
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*****

New Star Trek Movie Trailers

The film is scheduled for release in May of 2009.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1086917/TRAILER-Star-Trek-gets-sexy-makeover-new-film-love-scenes-motorbikes-hunky-stars.html

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*****

The Slobs are Winning, The Classy are Disappearing

...From the Sunday 16 November 2009 edition of the Denver Post by guest columnist Teresa Keegan...
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Police yourselves — and don't frighten the horses
By Teresa Keegan
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I wish I could place a 911 call to Saudi Arabia, directly to the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Members of this unapologetically strict group regularly patrol the streets of that nation's cities, enforcing rigid dress and behavioral codes. They have nearly unlimited power to arrest, detain, interrogate and even punish suspected offenders. Prudes and proud of it, these men mean business.
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Showing cleavage? Drunk in public? You're in a world of hurt. Prepare to be flogged.
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Now, why would I want foreign virtue police running lights and sirens to our shores? Because I am under siege and in need of backup. Some examples:
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Last summer, all summer long, up and down my street late at night drove the boom cars. With supersized subwoofers thumping and bumping, rattling windows and knocking dishes off shelves, they transformed my peaceful neighborhood into the epicenter of a quake registering 8.0 on the Richter scale. Best I could tell, the "music" blaring from these mobile stereos consisted largely of chanted profanities in praise of gang-banging and cop-killing
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As I was strolling through Washington Park recently, enjoying the glorious weather, approaching me on my left was a young female jogger (aka near-naked wiggler-jiggler). As she passed by me, she turned her head and spat, narrowly missing my shoe. I had the temerity to give her a disgusted look. She apparently took this as a direct challenge to her First Amendment rights, called me a vile name and trotted off.
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Last week I was crossing Colfax by the courthouse, in the crosswalk, with the "walk" light. A man making a right turn on red nearly ran me down. I expected, if not an outright apology, at least a glimmer of contrition, some microscopic acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Instead, he called me a vile name, gunned his engine and sped off.
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Forget the Preble's meadow jumping mouse. I vote we declare ladies and gentlemen an endangered species. Every day the evidence mounts: polite, considerate and classy native flora and fauna are being inexorably overrun by noxious invaders (scientific name: malus vulgare). I'm talking about the gross and stupid, coarse and crude, aggressively rude, right-in-your-face crowd. You've seen them in LoDo at let-out, drunk and screaming, cursing and brawling, vomiting on sidewalks, urinating in alleys. You've heard them on the shuttle bus, loudly regaling one another with lurid details of their latest amorous exploits. And you, of course, are not allowed to object to their nastiness.
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Even the gentlest rebuke, the mildest criticism, elicits from them a torrent of obscenities, raised middle fingers, sometimes even physical assault on your person.
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Make no mistake, jackbooted jerks are everywhere on the march, trampling graciousness and courtesy into the mud. Their coup de grace? The demand that we in the white hats forgo all remaining manners and morals, join ranks with their anything-goes standing army and goosestep to its cadences: loosen up, lighten up, get a life, get over yourself.
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My response? No thank you. I choose to stand and fight.
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You want to cruise down my street blasting Ludacris at 3 a.m.? Fine. Here's a little Lawrence Welk right back at you. You want to chug nine beers and barf down my back at the ballgame? Say hello to 50,000 volts of electricity from my little friend the Taser. You won't see a white flag from me.
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I realize I can't totally defend against the blitzkrieg of modern-day slob culture. But I can join with like-minded others in demanding baseline standards for public behavior. Leaving public spaces inviolate is not a new idea. Consider Mrs. Patrick Campbell, 19th century British actress, who said, "Does it really matter what these people do, so long as they don't do it in the streets and frighten the horses?" If Mrs. Patrick Campbell could magically time-travel to present day Saturday night LoDo, what would she say?
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Please stop, people. The horses are terrified.
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Teresa Keegan (tkeegan@ecentral.com) of Denver is a court clerk
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Amen ! This column sums up my feelings, observations, and beliefs completely. But it is hopeless to think it is going to ever stop. I shudder at the thought of what it will be like in 2030...
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*****

Winds of Change, Season of Change

This week was one that saw some change arrive for me. I found out that I was going to keep working for the foreseeable future and not get laid off. But I do change shifts from my past swing shift, usually 3:30pm to midnight, or later, to one that will run from 7am to 3:30 pm. I guess it will be alright although I positively despise having to awaken at 6am five days a week especially in the dark, cold, and snow of winter. But I have to look at it as a means to an end: getting out of Cheyenne and back to Denver. My plan is to do that as soon as possible in the middle six months of 2009. The timing of the act will depend on how much money I have saved up. And of course, the more the better as there are always unanticipated expenses when doing a move. By working through the winter, I perhaps can leave in as early as six and one-half months or by the end of May. I could move that up to earlier that month, or wait until later in the summer. Right now I believe the latest month for leaving will be September of 2009. I simply cannot imagine or bear the thought of dealing with another winter here whatsoever.

Speaking of winter, our first real blast (and I mean blast) came late Thursday evening into early Friday morning. A potent blizzard came roaring around 10 pm and dumped about six inches of heavy wet snow accompanied by fierce powerful winds. The trip home from work was a treacherous adventure as I lost control of the truck twice on the snowpacked icy roads, and once slid into a curb which fortunately caused no damage and was at a moment when no traffic was around. The switch to dayshift at work started Friday, so after only about five and a half hours home, I had to venture out in the dark and discovered drifts around 3' in height around the truck and windows covered with a thick glaze. This storm was short lived as it was gone in a matter of hours. But there was still a lot of snow around still at dusk on Saturday night although the streets were generally clear. It got down to a frigid 13 degrees this morning but warmed up to 52 degrees Saturday afternoon. And the upcoming week is supposed to be very nice with a 67 degrees afternoon forecast for Tuesday the 18th.

The past week saw a lot of wind. Most days and nights it howled, often with gusts in excess of 50 mph, and there were a few nights and days where gusts were in excess of 70 mph. One just has to bear it. The worst is still yet to come in January, February, and March.

Working over 16 hours in a 24 hour period left me exhausted as my body clock has to be reset for a major time shift which will take a good part of next week to accomplish. After completing my shift on Friday I went and had Mexican food at Guadalajara's, a joint on the main commercial drive on the north side of town, Del Range Blvd. It was okay but I have had better. I have been out to about five Mexican restaurants here in Cheyenne in the nearly two years I have been here and have yet to find one I am enthusiastic about, like what I have found in Denver with Santiagos, the Armadillo, and Little Anita's. I figure I still have about five to ten other ones to visit here in Cheyenne in the coming months, so maybe I will find one that is worthwhile.

I slept a lot after getting only about two and a half hours on Friday morning after that Thursday shift and before the Friday shift. I fell asleep on Friday night before 7pm and woke up around 3 am. After a few hours, I got sleepy again and slept from about 5:30 am until around 1:30 pm. I think I also am battling a little bit of a cold which is impacting me, so the rest was helpful with that. I have been sneezing alot and have congestion in my throat and sinal cavity which is difficult to loosen and remove with coughs. How I got it is an unknown as I am largely not exposed to possible risks, but I do touch door handles at work which may have been the source.

Saturday was largely a day of rest. I watched some college football in the afternoon and a good part of the evening. I did venture out around 5pm for about an hour to pick up a part for the truck at Checker; go to the post office; get gasoline; and pickup a submarine at Subway. The evening wrapped up with a look into the end of the Avalanche / Oilers game, which went into a shootout won by Colorado in a thriller.

The price of gasoline continues to sink like a rock, a shocking and stunning development. Even into early July we were around $3.80 to $3.90 per gallon here in Cheyenne which was a fast and furious increase from where it was last February at $2.30 per gallon. But as of today the price here in Cheyenne has fallen to $1.85 per gallon. I do not think its been this inexpensive since 2004 or 2005. And its likely to go lower. Up the road to the north 80 miles in Wheatland, the price is all the way down to $1.40 per gallon, and in Casper its around $1.65 per gallon !!! For the price to have dropped so precipitously and quickly is simply amazing. I know its going to go back up again, probably to even higher levels, but I am very surprised and grateful to have this enormous benefit. I am saving about $50 a month already which is a nice gift.

With the cold weather here, I am less than enthusiastic about getting my frozen cappucino lotte; so its back to home made hot cocoa. I also will try to drink some hot green tea regularly.

I made my reservations for my rental car and have targeted my motels that I will be staying at for my vacation which is now but ten days away. One thing about now working earlier is that I will be able to work on Tuesday 25 November before going down to Denver. But in a trade off, I will have to take Monday 1 December off since thats when I am going return the rental car. I am truly looking forward to the trip and getting an opportunity to visit with and share activities with my sisters and their families, as well as see a friend from my past, Mark. I just hope the weather is cooperative. It is a little disconcerting to see the forecast for the upcoming week to have temperatures to near and above 70 degrees across the Front Range region. I cannot think that the next week, when I need to travel, will be as pleasant.

But I still have much to do in these ten days. I have to get thoroughly organized and prepared for the trip and vacation, making sure I think of everything I need to bring with me and then be sure to do so. Usually one forgets something for a trip like this, so I have to be fully aware of what I need to bring.

Sunday was another usual quiet day. Todd surprisingly stopped by briefly in midafternoon with his three rowdy pooches as he was out on a walk with them. It turned out to be a pretty nice day as the temperature reached 60 degrees. After watching NFL for a time, I went out around 5:30 to get the Sunday papers and make a stop at Walmart for a minimal amount of supplies for lunches. I may get back there later this week if I get around to it to further stock up on foods.

The remainder of Sunday evening was spent relaxing, and I went off to bed before midnight in preparation for the early arising Monday and the following four days ahead.

*****

Colorado Rockies Ship Matt Holliday to Oakland

Seeing Matt Holliday leave the Colorado Rockies was not a surprise, except for what team he was traded to, the Oakland Athletics. And the players acquired in the deal do not generate any kind of anticipation or excitement whatsoever. Nevertheless, it is a tremendous disappointment to see him go. Holliday may have been the best player in the history of the club, and would have been without question had he played his entire career in Denver. I am not angry, but some others truly are.

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I fully understand why he had to be traded, and the truth is unpleasant. Basically the ownership of the Rockies is financially unable and unwilling to sign players to long term contracts and to sums of money that are really obscene. The owners, the Brothers Monfort, have been burned three times seriously doing just that: with Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle in 2001, and with Todd Helton in 2002. All three deals turned out to be disasters.

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The Rockies simply lack the revenue to support a payroll much in excess of $75 to 80 million dollars. It took them those three expensive contract errors to understand that. The club only gets a limited amount of income from televison and radio, and it is of an amount that will never be more sizeable anytime soon. Revenue for naming rights to Coors Field will only increase marginally in the coming years with the contract in place for the future. Attendance for games will never return to the levels seen in the first decade of the club's existence except on a limited basis. The club is reasonable to budget for an average attendance of around 25,000 to 30,000 fans per game. The season ticket base will likely remain around 10,000 to 12,000 for the foreseeable future with swings of 20 % either way depending on how the club performs on the field and in the standings. While the internet holds some promise of new revenues, most of that will be kept by Major League Baseball and distributed in a shared way to all 30 clubs. Beyond that, there is little or any other revenue sources that can be increased.

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The Rockies made pre-emptive strikes with Troy Tulowitzski and Manny Corpas in signing them to longterm deals after only their rookie seasons. In hindsight, this is what should have been done is regard to Holliday. A deal should have put in place in '05 to keep him in Denver for several years, but it was not done due to the bad taste left in the mouths of the Monforts after the disastrous deals for Hampton, Neagle, and now Helton.

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I expect the Rockies to continue their strategy of signing promising young players to deals similar to the ones with Tulowitzski and Corpas. I believe similar deals with length of years in the same range (3 to 6 years) for C Chris Ianetta, 3B Ian Stewart, and OF Ryan Spilboroughs. If young up - and - comers like Dexter Fowler also excel, they may be signed to early deals.

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As for current players 3B Garrett Atkins, C Yorbit Torrealba, and CF Willie Taveras, I expect them to be traded in the weeks and months ahead. RF Brad Hawpe is another player I would not be surprised to see dealt, probably during the upcoming 2009 season.

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The pitching staff should see some turnover as well in the back of the rotation and in the long part of the bullpen. Lets hope Jeff Francis bounces back from a disastrous season. And hopefully the decent to good pitching we saw for much of 2008 from Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Jorge De La Rosa will continue in 2009 for the most part. Who will be the 5th starter is one of the questions to answer before Opening Day. Candidates on the roster currently include newly - acquired Greg Smith, veteran Glendon Rusch, oft - injured Jason Hirsch, and often roughed up young Greg Reynolds. One has to think the starting pitching will be better in 2009, and if there is to be any hope for contending, the area where success will be have to be generated beyond expectations.

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The bullpen looks as if it is the best and most promising part of the club in spite of the departure of longime closer Brian Fuentes. Corpas, newly - acquired Huston Street, Taylor Bucholz, Jason Grilli, and Ryan Speier have the history and continued potential to to perform superbly overall in the upcoming season.

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The projection for the 2009 starting eight is an infield of Todd Helton at 1B; a platoon of Clint Barmes, Jeff Baker, and Omar Quintinilla at 2B (but one of these three could be dealt away); Tulowitzski at SS; and Stewart at 3B to replace the soon to be traded Atkins. Ianetta is now established at C, while the outfield now looks to be Spilboroughs in LF, newly acquired Carlos Gonzalez in CF, and Hawpe for at least the time being to be in RF. The bench will have OF Seth Smith, 1B - OF Joe Koshansky, C Edwin Bellorin, and one other OF. Dexter Fowler could get the job, but I believe now it is more likely he will start the season in AAA Colorado Springs until the need arrives for him to come and play regularly either due to a trade or an injury to one of the other Rockies outfielders. I have heard the Rockies would like to re-sign Scott Podsednik, but he is a free agent right now and may end signing with another club this offseason. Another veteran free agent OF will likely be signed to fill the reserve role if Podsednik moves on.

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There will be a big hole in the Rockies lineup with Holliday leaving. Helton is nowhere what he was several years ago, and Hawpe has yet to show any consistency over the length of an entire season. With Atkins likely gone as well, the offense will struggle to score runs a lot more often. And the ability to manufacture runs will be steeply limited with the departure of Taveras following that of Kaz Matsui prior to the 2008 season. I look for the Rockies to be in the bottom half of all NL team batting and hitting statistics in 2009.

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Most fans had high hopes for the Rockies coming into the 2008 season after their sudden and exciting National League pennant victory in 2007. The mood for the upcoming 2009 will be completely subdued. I would say at this time the Rockies are ticketed for a fourth place finish in the National League West in 2009. They will struggle to win 70 games. They will be thankful San Diego is in their division, as only the now hapless Padres are sure to be worse than Colorado due to the messy divorce proceedings ensnarling San Diego owner John Moores that will keep the Padres from any kind of improvement in 2009 from their disastrous 2008 season. It is amazing in some ways and not in others how these two clubs, participants in an exciting great memorable play - in game on 1 October 2007 to get into the NL postseason that my brother and I witnessed in person, have crashed to earth so fast and so hard.

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With others and my glum outlook, it is probably better than 50 - 50 that Manager Clint Hurdle does not survive the season, and a managerial change before midseason would not be shocking.

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Maybe soon, very soon, there will be a change of ownership for the Colorado Rockies and the Monforts will depart and not let the door hit their collective large asses on the way out. But it seems unlikely another owner with deeper pockets and a willingness to spend his own money will be coming anytime soon. There simply are not many of the kinds of individuals in the Rockies region, and the ongoing economic collapse and deep recession is paring down their numbers as we breathe.

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Lets just hope we are not doomed to become like Cubs' fans.... Another winter of our discontent is now here again for us Rockies fans throughout the West and nation...

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But I still plan to attend at least one - half dozen games in the upcoming 2009 season, largely with my good friend Matt but also hopefully with my younges brother as well.

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*****

Into the First Depths of Winter

Like with many if not most people across the nation, my workplace has started to see a significant downturn in business. No shifts were run last Friday (Halloween) and the same was true for today, 7 November. I expect this to be the case for the foreseeable future, and it is likely to worsen. A letter was posted 16 days ago stating layoffs would be coming and it is all too possible to have this happen in the next week or two. Whether I am included in the numbers to be laid off remains to be seen, but my age is working against me as well as my complete lack of seniority having been working there less than five months. But I am a good and hard worker and I seem to be on the good side of the manager which should work in my favor. I will just have to see what eventuates in the coming weeks and beyond.
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One of the big concerns about a layoff possibility is how it could impact my plans to move from Cheyenne to the Denver area next May. An early and prolonged layoff could force me to delay my move until next October or November, and the worse case scenario of having to delay the move until 2010 move becomes more possible as well, much to my ardent dislike.
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So this Friday was one free of any obligations. After staying up until around 5am the prior night/morning, I rested until around 2:30. I then went out into the icy cold wind to get some newspapers and enjoy a leisurely afternoon reading them at a nearby McDonalds. I made it back home around 6pm and spent the remainder of the evening relaxing, watching some television and surfing the 'net. I got to talk on the phone for about two hours with my youngest brother in some rich and informative conversation which was a nice treat. I prepared myself some chicken brocolli rice for a late supper and worked on my blogs.
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The weather this week turned seriously from warm Indian Summer - like Autumn into the start of harsh winter. After a record warm stretch in late October and the first days of November, winter roared in Wednesday and I mean roared in as winds howled with gusts in excess of 60 to 75 mph and a continuous sustained wind around 35 to 45 mph all of the last three days. We got a dusting of snow on Tuesday night but otherwise it has been mostly clear, but cold, with temps only making it into mid 30s Wednesday and Thursday and upper 40s today. Saturday is supposed to be slightly nicer, and then all next week it is forecast to be unsettled with highs only in the 30s and 40s with periods of snow and lots of wind. Sunday night and on through Monday should see our first real snow session as the last two were overnight events and amounted to less than an inch which melted away within an hour after sunrise both times. That will not be the case this time as it should stick around for at least a day if the forecast is correct. And nights from now on for the next five months or so will always be cold with lows below freezing for the most part.
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Saturday started out with a change of plans. After arising around 11am, I thought I was to be going over to Todd's to watch football, but when I called him I found out he was in Estes Park and would not be back today. So I settled in at home instead. Around 1pm I went out and was dismayed to find that my truck would not start. The battery had lost its charge so I had to juice it to get going. I have decided to deal with this on Sunday once and for all as there is a Checker not far from here. After getting going, I went and checked the mail at the post office and cruised down to B&R for my weekly frozen mocha cappucino. The weather was improved as the wind was barely blowing if at all after three days of terrorism. Skies were strongly overcast and the temperature was about 45 degrees. I returned back home to catch some more college football. Then I caught some reruns of movies half-heartedly before calling it a night.
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Sunday was a nicer day than earlier anticipated as the wind completely ceased and temps made it into the mid 50s under partly to mostly cloudy skies. After watching some NFL for about an hour and a half, I went out to take care of the battery problem. It took a little longer than I anticipated, but eventually I got a new replacement battery that is more powerful. I ended spending over $45 as the original battery was now 28 months past the initial purchase in spite of having been replaced in April 2007 a first time, making today's transaction the 3rd battery. I do not believe I will be purchasing a motor vehicle battery ever again at Checker, given this experience of annual failures with this product. While in the process, I stopped over at Family Dollar and got some soup, applesauce, cookies, and pop for the week ahead which allows me not to have to do the Walmart trip until another date in the next week or two. I do need to get some milk, bread, and bananas in the next few days. After the battery mission was completed, I got the Sunday newspapers and took them while having a chicken sandwich at Carl's Jr. Then it was back home by around 7pm to enjoy the SNF game and my other television I regularly watch this evening.
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Later I embarked on a lengthy post for my biography blog as well as watch some movies deep into the night, including Wild at Heart, Twins, and Flipper.
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I almost forget to mention how much I really enjoyed blogging all the election results and my observations and reactions last Tuesday 4 November and well into the early morning on Wednesday 5 November and keeping up on all the unsettled even afterwards. That experience was truly rewarding and enjoyable, and it gave me a sense of purpose over the short term which is almost always missing in my life at this time: I have long term goals and purposes but unlike most I rarely have a daily purpose outside of the mundane and trivial. Blogging is one noteworthy exception to that seemingly regular daily norm.
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The week ahead does not have anything of importance looming. I will probably work but 32 hours and have Friday off. I do have to get that Walmart grocery run done, but I have enough food for the most part to make it through the week with no problem. I still need to do that laundry I have been procrastinating on for a few weeks now. This Friday may be the best time to do this. But I also have thought about going down to Castle Rock to see my brother and his daughters. I have not been down there for almost four months now, so I am long overdue for a visit. I know he and his wife are seriously busy and stressed out with their workload and other numerous responsibilities. But maybe I can get them dinner like a pizza and occupy the exuberant girls briefly to allow him to focus on some other matters while I am there, perhaps even overnight on Friday into Saturday for a time.
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If this option does not eventuate, then it will be laundry Friday and perhaps the last Saturday of college football at Todd's. He will be gone to Utah the last two Saturdays in November, and has his monthly weekend national guard duty the first weekend of December which means the 15th is the finale this year.
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I also need to make all the reservations and plans for my upcoming Thanksgiving trip to Albuquerque which is now but 16 days away. I am greatly looking forward to it; hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate at all the key moments of the trip.
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*****

November Comes in Like a Lamb

We have made it to November, the eleventh and penultimate month of the year, and it is the month where any remains of Summer completely disappear into the gloom of winter for the next five months or so. Thankfully, the month started out with a nice surprise as we had a record high here in Cheyenne of 72 degrees, a temperature more typical of early to mid September. Days in the 70s in November are pretty rare for places at this latitude and at over 6000' in elevation, but we may cross the treshold again on Sunday. But the big changes are nearing as by Wednesday it will be near 40 degrees for a high with lots and lots of wind and a chance of precipitation in the form of snow. It is forecast for there to be a large number of record high temperatures across the Great Plains on Sunday before the cooldown starts. But it was a nice stretch this last week as the last five days have been at least ten to fifeen degrees above normal overall relative to normal which is usually means highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 20s. November sees a decline in normal highs from 50 to 42 and lows from 27 to 19 through the month. And although the forecast is for a much warmer than usual winter ahead, I suspect we will get at least a few days where the lows drop close to zero and the afternoon highs fail to make freezing during November and more often for sure in December. Brrrr !

The workweek was shorter than expected as we were given Friday off meaning I only got 33 1/2 hours in which is disappointing. I enjoyed the extra day off and did run a few errands: mailing the gift for J & C at the post office; stopping by TV repair place to get some info; stopping by the newsstand; talking for awhile to Brant on the phone; and spending about two hours in Barnes & Noble doing some reading and browsing. I had some tomato soup and French bread for dinner and spent the rest night surfing the 'net and watching some TV.

Saturday was spent entirely at home as I did not venture out. After getting a good nights sleep I just relaxed watching college football and surfing the 'net. I had some oatmeal for breakfast and I fixed a box of Hamburger Helper for supper.

I think I have eaten Hamburger Helper probably about 4000 times in my life. I have tried every variety, and some of those have been discontinued. Lasagna is my favorite, and the stroganoff with the dried slices of potatoes is my least favorite. Sometimes I make my own version of hamburger helper by cooking some beef and mixing in something of my own choosing like rice, noodles, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cheese, or a can of soup like Cream of Mushroom. Nevertheless it is a filling meal and easy to prepare. I used to fry the beef in a skillet on the top of the stove, but in recent years I place it in a covered glass dish and microwave it for eight minutes, stopping it midway to stir. It doesn't seem any different than frying it stovetop. It may cost more money to run the microwave for 20 -25 minutes to fully prepare the dish but it requires less attention as I do not have to keep constantly stirring it like when it is in the skillet. I wish there were more that had a vegetable element to them, but it not like vegetables will keep in a box. Hamburger Helper and its cousins Tuna Helper and Chicken Helper are godsends for longtime bachelors like me who lack the discipline, skill, and motivation to cook fancy meals. I am sure, however, that there are many strong rebuttals and rebukes from some about my choice of HH on my menu. I probably eat Hamburger Helper about twice a month; Tuna Helper about twice a month, and Chicken Helper about once every two months.

Saturday evening was spent the same way the day was as I caught more college football including Texas Tech defeating Texas on the last play of the game. I largely did nothing else of any significance. That will have to change on Sunday.

I have started to work on my autobiographical blog http://dob5-31-58thestoryofmylife.blogspot.com/. One must have special permission to enter into the site and read it. If you are interested, please email me at mtzperspective@mail.com to let me know you want to read it so I can send you an invitation.

Sunday was a day similar to Saturday. We had another record high as the temperature reached 71 degrees under partly cloudy skies with a warming southerly breeze. This is probably the last 70 degree day here until perhaps sometime in the second half of March at the earliest, but more likely mid - April. I rested until late morning and then watched football which included another disappointing loss for the Denver Broncos with their fourth defeat in five games to drop their record to 4-4, still good enough for first place at this point in the AFC West. I slipped out afterwards to make a small grocery run at Albertsons and get the Sunday papers. I stopped at Subway for a footlong and read the papers.
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Today was the first day after the end of Daylight Savings Time and it was noticeable as darkness came around 5pm. I always strongly dislike the end of DST as it is very disappointing for darkness to come much earlier so suddenly. I sometime would like on the western edge of a time zone so the change is not so abrupt. One thing I would like to see is to have DST extended in November to the first Saturday night /Sunday morning for the changeover after the first Tuesday of the month instead just being the first Sat pm/Sun am changeover we have now. I think it is important to have Election Day conducted while DST is still be observed for the safety and welfare of voters and to help assist in late afternoon turnout. Maybe Congress will consider this at some point in the future.
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Sunday evening saw nothing special as I watched my TV shows while keeping track of the SNF game between the Patriots and Colts. The night ended around 2am as I retired for a nice nights rest.
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The week ahead is one that initially will focus on the elections. I will record the Monday Night Football game between two of my favorite clubs, the Redskins and the Steelers to enjoy after I get home from work. Then I am taking Tuesday off and will blog live starting around 4:30 pm and will stay with it through at least midnight and maybe beyond, reporting anything I find out from news sources such as CNN, ABC News, NBC News, MSNBC, as well as local sources such as KMGH, KUSA, KTWO, and KCNC. There are too many internet sources I will be looking at to list here. I believe I will be largely happy and satisfied with the anticipated results that occur in this election; more so than anyone with the close exception of 2006. This is the tenth presidential election I have followed since when I was a boy and probably the one that is bringing me the greatest level of excitement and anticipation ever. I was not able to be so involved in 1976 with the Jimmy Carter election, but it seems somewhat like that one was similar to this one with an honorable GOP candidate being exceeded by an exemplary Democratic one also. The elections in 1968, '72, '80, '84, '88, '92, '00, and '04 were very disappointing, and '96 was another one like '76 and this year as a Republican that was highly respected and decent was exceeded by a simply better Democrat. In '68 I was pulling for Humphrey; in '72 McGovern; in '80 Anderson; in '84 Mondale, in '88 Dukakis; in '92 Perot; in '96 Clinton; in '00 Nader; and '04 Kerry. So it looks like '08 will be only the third time that I will have been happy with the results. And it looks to be sweeter if the results for the Senate and House turn out to be as good or better than expected.

Later in the week I will record the CMA show; the Broncos game at Cleveland; and the TCU - Utah game. I also need to pay the monthly bills for the rent, cable, internet, and cell. For all of that it runs about $625 or so. And as usual there is the ever endless task of trying to get the place more neater and organized that seems to always be on the plate but never gets done. And next weekend will definitely require me to face the ugly fact of having to do the laundry after procrastinating on the project for a few weeks now, with it being done perhaps on Friday if that is another day off. I also see The Dark Knight is showing at the Dollar Movie Theatre so I may have to take that in while I have the chance to. I have to remember to bring my free movie tickets gift card I got from my sister earlier this year with me to Denver the next time I go down there or with my to Albuquerque later in the month so I can take in some newer films at some of the nicer theatres there.

I also need to make reservations for my motel rooms and car rental for my upcoming trip to NM Thanksgiving week. The itinerary as of now is to leave Cheyenne Tuesday afternoon; spend that night in Centennial; pickup the rental car Wednesday am and leave my truck at either Matt's or Hank's; drive Wednesday afternoon and early evening to Albq; check into the motel probably around 8pm; and make plans for Thursday. I will stay through Sunday morning and spend that night in Denver so I can return the rental car Monday morning and return to Cheyenne that Monday afternoon to return to work. Of course the itinerary is flexible and is contingent upon the weather so I may have to make changes as needed.

I also have to do that Walmart grocery trip, but I think I can delay that until next weekend with the exception of picking up some bread, milk, fruit, and vegetables which I will need sooner than then.

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