Anvil Graphics Blog

The death trap at 25/34 begins reconstruction today – not a moment too soon for this driver. We have been avoiding those clover loops whenever possible for many years now. Congratulations go to Centerra, who is funding the $9 million project, and the City of Loveland, for spearheading the effort for a long time. The project will take nearly a year to complete.

Anybody who has driven the 25/34 interchange more than a few times has a hair-raising story to share. We have been frustrated for a long time to see major interchange construction in both north and south parts of I-25 through Colorado Springs, the massive T-Rex project in south Denver, the new bridges along 25 in north Denver, and the updated entrances to Fort Collins — when all the while the worst of the bunch went from bad to worse. This has been a regional concern when considering the amount of traffic using that intersection everyday by commuters traveling between the cities of northern Colorado and points south. THANK YOU to anyone who had a hand in getting this construction going.

Up next, the I-25 and Hwy 392 exits at Windsor.

Today in Europe they celebrate Armistice Day, the ending of World War l. Of course, here in the US that commemorative day has become Veteran’s Day, when we have the opportunity to pay homage and say thanks to those who have served in the military in defense of our nation. Thank you veterans and active duty personal for your commitment to freedom and your dedication to the ideals and principles this country is founded on.

It is a cliche to say, “Your freedom it not free”, but it is true. A steep price has been paid for over 200 years on battlefields on nearly every continent by US soldiers, marines, sailers and airman. I honor their lives, the sacrifice of their family and friends, and pay tribute in a tiny little way for all of those who gave their last full measure.

God bless you all, living and died, for defending America and all she stands for. If at all possible, thank a veteran today – and everyday.

We have already had a little preview of the cold months ahead – even cold enough in October to break a pipe on my sprinkler system. Despite the recent beautiful days, we all know that Old Man Winter is about to strike again. Most mornings have been cold enough to require scraping ice on my windshield. So, it is time to clear out the garage.

The house I grew up in had no garage, so my mom and dad, and later all of us kids, scraped thick ice off February windshields. All our neighbors had garages, and my dad always planned on building one but just never got around to it. I swore that my wife and I would park our cars in the garage, and we do every winter.

So here’s the rant: Why don’t more people do that? My neighbor man is a single guy who owns one small truck and a large two-car garage, yet he will certainly scrape his windows every day for the next 5 months, just like he has for the past 15 years.

For goodness sake, take a weekend, park a dumpster in front of your house, and clean that garage out – if not for you, than at least one stall for your wife. Winter is harsh in Colorado, enjoy a clean windshield and warmer car each morning.

I really enjoy Halloween – it is a unique holiday which has an interesting history. I like haunted houses and have been to some pretty cool ones over the years. I like the make believe of costumes. I like the parties and masquerade. I enjoy seeing the little kids come to the door dressed as princess’s, Spiderman, ninja, army guys, and all the rest. My favorite costume is probably the classic “hobo” – but today we have to be PC and call them the formerly housed. Actually, I think hobo was more of a lifestyle choice, but I digress. Halloween is also a HUGE money maker, second only to Christmas in terms of consumer spending. Adults like to fantasize as well.

The problem is that so many people dislike Halloween, and believe it to be a pagan festival or invitation to join the dark side. It reminds me of the original debate regarding the Harry Potter movies. Some parents where completely against HP, yet those same parents watch re-runs of Bewitched. Halloween teaches kids the difference between fantasy and reality, and lets them act out, if only for an evening, the feeling of being a Princess, or even a wicked witch.

Adults, lighten up! Quite spoiling everything. Let kids have some imagination and a playful holiday. You can control the outfit your kid wears, he doesn’t have to go as a vampire. Halloween is fun and can exist at that level – by pointing out all the dangers we actually encourage kids to investigate the darker side — but then knowledge is power, so it probably isn’t all bad.

Throughout our lives there are waypoints along the path, things which occur that mark special occasions as well as the passage of time. This past week has included a major milestone for myself and our family. My son Brandon has gone off to join the new freshman class at Colorado State University. We went to Fort Collins to help him move into the dorms, and saw all the other parents there; some tearful, some full of advice, some concerned, but all hopeful. A milestone is set along the highway, it measures the miles behind, when we watched our children take their very first steps or learn to ride a bike. Those miles in the midst when we walked our child to the first day of kindergarten, hand in hand and hopeful. Those memories of painful orchestra concerts or dropped balls on the field, those times when others hurt them and we could not do anything but comfort and encourage them, and know that time would heal this wound too. Today that marker along the edge of the road is like a starting line, chalked on the pavement for 4000 freshman students to line up and wait for the starters pistol to fire. Bang! Go! It is your turn to mark the milestones along the journey of life, to create memories, to be hopeful. We are always there for you, watching from a distance now, but keenly interested in the life you make for yourself, and still hopeful that you make the most of this and every opportunity.

While I have mixed feelings about increasing the national debt and a massive (what is a trillion anyhow?) budget deficit, I am happy to see Colorado getting some of the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We noticed signs along C-470 about projects on that stretch of highway. There are other projects going on all over Colorado. For more info on how funds are being spent, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery .

Recovery spending in southwest Colorado – Cortez Journal

Congratulations City of Evans, here in Northern Colorado. Leashed dogs have been allowed in Evan’s parks for sometime now, filling a huge gap left by Greeley’s no dogs in the park rules. Now Evan’s has built a beautiful dog park which allows dogs to run free off the leash. The dog park is divided into 4 different areas, one for timid and tiny dogs, two for larger dogs and an obstacle course training area. The dog areas are filled with green grass and new trees, and are large enough to allow throwing frisbees and balls for man’s best friend. In the commons area there is a unique drinking fountain for both human and canine users. We appreciate Evan’s efforts at quality of life issues important to many people. We look forward to visiting the Evan’s city pool at the end of summer, when dogs can take a swim. Bow WOW.

My dad pointed this out to me the other night, and I simply couldn’t believe it. In the U.S. bank TARP fund passed last fall, our benevolent government has given Captain Morgan, yes, the rum distiller, $2.7 Billion to move from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Virgin Islands. How stimulating is that? Oh there’s more…

Captain Morgan is profitable, has over 20% of the global market for rum, and is the world’s largest liquer distiller. Captain Morgan is owned by a British company, based in London. Why are we paying a British company to brew rum in a different location? Check out this article at Bloomberg. What’s next, paying Exxon/Mobile to locate to Canada.

The wealthiest industrial country in the world can not provide health care for 45 to 50 million Americans, and the number is growing as job losses mount. When the Clinton administration took the issue on 16 years ago the number uninsured was around 40 million. Clearly the time has come to address this issue. Read the rest of this entry »

I am probably going to take some flack about this comment, but I think Twitter is an enormous waste of time. Remember when computers came along and the experts thought productivity would increase so much that we were all promised a three day work week? I do. It is things like Twitter which make the computer (and your mobile device) more time consuming then ever. I know, I know – Twitter is a tool to build relationships, but so is a phone call, or a three-martini lunch (who does that anymore?). I just have to look at the great business leaders of the past 150 years who built huge empires and fantastic wealth, all without the superficial relationships offered by Twitter. I suggest engaging in activities which actually propel business forward rather then doing what the mass media suggests is essential.