Done Doodled Again

As September came to a close, my anticipation escalated for this year's edition of Inktober - the annual October-long celebration of pen and ink art creation. Thirty-one days in the month are assigned thirty-one different drawing prompts. Artists then create their interpretation of the daily theme through whatever medium they choose (although ink is clearly encouraged). Two years ago, Football Jason participated and his daily art displays encouraged me to climb aboard. Last year, I drew more pictures in a month than I had done in years. Along the way, I had an absolute blast. This year, participation among my friends exploded and it. was. awesome. Clayton, Rebecca, Sethel, and Robert all shared their (mostly) daily interpretations. Each day included an excited social media search of their names to see what they had created. I loved every second of it.

The fact that several others joined this year was not even the highlight of Inktober 2019. No, that distinction belongs to the kiddos.

• Robert's Keaton loves drawing and did a drawing for every single prompt. Even though his tonsils were surgically removed from his body during the month, he did the whole dang thing.

• Mackenzie and Carson started the month but, as a testament to the commitment that this requires, petered out as the month continued. Despite their early exit, Mackenzie already said that she would try again next year (with some pre-drawings happening to get ahead of schedule). Since she stopped, I have found her randomly grabbing some pencils and paper to sketch at the kitchen table. 

• My nephew Chase got all excited when he saw my interpretation of the prompt "Dark" -- a drawing of Batman perched on a roof. When I went to his house this past weekend to celebrate his sister's birthday, he proudly ran up to me with a stack of tracer paper that was covered in Spider-Man drawings.

As someone who has spent his entire life drawing pictures instead of doing important things like paying attention in class or taking notes or reading or whatever, seeing the excitement from the little artists about something I adore is amazing. If my sketches get them inspired to draw more pictures, then so be it! I hope they continue drawing all year and the 2020 version of Inktober has even more little people participating.

As for me, I tried to push some boundaries this time around. Capturing motion, drawing people, more complex drawings - things I tend to struggle with. Some of the final products ended up great (hello, "Injured"). Others could be a lot better ("Ripe" did not really finish the month strong). All in all, this year was more enjoyable and more fun than the previous year and I hope you enjoyed the art along the way. In the meantime, keep doodling people!

Day 1 - Ring

Day 2 - Mindless

Day 3 - Bait

Day 4 - Freeze

Day 5 - Build

Day 6 - Husky

Day 7 - Enchanted

Day 8 - Frail

Day 9 - Swing

Day 10 - Pattern

Day 11 - Snow

Day 12 - Dragon

Day 13 - Ash

Day 14 - Overgrown

Day 15 - Legend (wait for it)

Day 16 - Wild

Day 17 - Ornament

Day 18 - Misfit

Day 19 - Sling

Day 20 - Tread

Day 21 - Treasure

Day 22 - Ghost

Day 23 - Ancient

Day 24 - Dizzy

Day 25 - Tasty

Day 26 - Dark

Day 27 - Coat

Day 28 - Ride

Day 29 - Injured

Day 30 - Catch

Day 31 - Ripe

The Curious Case of Michael Thomas

The email arrived in my work inbox without fanfare. It contained a simple request - people were needed for leadership positions in our local Young Professionals Group. While my active involvement with the local YPG had waned due to my work and family requirements, I remain aware of the various YPG activities in and out of the office and continue to receive updates via my Outlook inbox. This email was different, though. It contained a reiteration of the general criteria of YPG members.

1. Less than 10 years of experience in the industry. 
2. Age 35 or younger.

I am neither of those things.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A group of college students wandered by our CSU football tailgate. We had noticed the youthful nature of the students for a while, but this time seemed different. They looked... like... babies... A discussion among our crew of regulars delved into simple math. At the time, our kids' ages ranged anywhere from newborn to 9 years old. We were 13+ years separated from our graduations.

Our kids were closer in age to the college students than we were.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah and I were in our well-lit bathroom. The reflection staring back at me above my sink begged me to clean up the lettuce atop my large, funny-shaped dome. I mentioned to Sarah that it was time for a haircut and asked if the boys needed one as well. She turned toward me, took one look at my mane, and said, "You can really see the grey when your hair is long." A quick glance back at the mirror confirmed her sentiments.

There was grey speckling my dirty blond coif.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This summer, I was fortunate to be in charge of three interns in the Denver transportation group. Two of the three were about to embark on their fourth and final year of school at CSU. The other one had just completed her first year at Colorado School of Mines. Once again, my lovely and astute wife pointed out the obvious.

I was old enough to be their dad.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the realization that I am getting older has been lingering around me for a while, it smacked me in the face this past weekend as I watched my baby brother get married. His wedding to his beautiful bride signified the end of an era - all four Flick kids are now hitched. We ain't kids any more.

I ran into an old friend of mine at the last Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver. I have known her since my first year in Colorado and our families carpooled in differing combinations over who-knows how many years to both All Souls and Mullen. We had not seen each other in a while and we were catching up on each other's spouses, kids, and lives. I made some comment about how we were getting old and she responded in the best way possible: "I know. And I love it."

Even after we went our separate ways that day, Diane's words stuck with me. She was right. We should love getting older. For every discussion I have with Sarah about a looming expense that we need to make sure we have in the budget, we have fifteen conversations about the awesome picture that Mackenzie drew or the charming thing that Carson said or the hilarious thing that Camden did. Our bodies are not as flexible or spry as they once were, but they still can participate in cul-de-sac kickball games. Work may be causing us stresses we never imagined in our youth, but a delicious craft beer from the fridge and a quick hug from the kids and those worries are gone. Our free time may have evaporated, but our hours are now spent watching the little ones improve their throws to first base or grasp the concept of a force out or dance to whatever song is on the radio.

Getting older is a privilege.

And I love it.

You Play To Win The Game (Part II)

Jump to the predictions...
Mikey's Prediction Table

Preseason Predictions

The warm temperatures that are permeating through Colorado late into August are causing my brain to have issues accepting that fall is on its way. Despite the unbearable heat, autumn is coming and is bringing our favorite things with it: pumpkin flavoring, hoodie weather (PLEASE!), changing colors, and college football!!

Last season was a year of program changes from top to bottom. The two coordinator positions were new, the Rams had the least amount of starting experience in college football, and projected stud quarterback Collin Hill was sidelined for a chunk of the season recovering from surgery on his left knee. Add in a week-long hospital stay for Mike Bobo during fall camp and his lingering health issues throughout the year, and you get a program with some obstacles to overcome. Despite this systemic upheaval and regression indicators, I predicted the Rams to go 8-4. My predictions went 5-7. The Rams went 3-9. My heart was 0-12.

The Coaching Staff

Courtesy of Mile High Sports

This year provides my favorite football team with some stability - whether that is a blessing or a curse is yet to be determined. The coaching staff remains mostly intact with just three coaches moving onto different opportunities - strength and conditioning coach Ryan Davis was lured away by Maryland, safeties coach Eric Lewis was hired on by Boston College, and wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted took the same role for the Green Bay Packers. The biggest and most worrisome of these departures is that of Whitted, arguably the best wide receiver coach in NCAA football. Whitted is a gifted recruiter and a wide receiver whisperer, having recruited and coached the likes of Rashard Higgins, Michael Gallup, Preston Williams, and Bisi Johnson. A former NFL receiver, Whitted was able to deftly craft his receiving corps into NFL-quality players. With freakishly talented Warren Jackson set to make a statement and a glut of incoming talent (including Auburn transfer Nate Craig-Myers and several highly regarded true freshmen), recently promoted Joe Cox hopes to continue the run of wide receiver success in Fort Collins.

The Offense

Courtesy of CSURams.com

The program stability extends to the roster, as well. Collin Hill returns this season with the one thing that has avoided him most of his career - his health. Hill has been the hope for this program for a few years now, but has been unable to string together a full season of starts. His rehabilitation from his last injury is complete and he has been taking the #1 snaps all through the summer. Hill attended the Manning Passing Academy over the summer and the reports were encouraging. Chris Mortensen confirmed that Hill was a standout among the attendees and is a player to watch going forward. If Hill plays as well as his lettuce looks, he will be a top 10 quarterback in college football. The potential has always been there, the man has shown flashes, and 2019 would be a great time to showcase his capabilities for a full season. Should something befall Hill, the Rams have a solid backup in Patrick O'Brien, a Nebraska transfer who was originally recruited by CSU. Still, the offensive success of this unit will follow the trajectory of QB1. The trajectory of QB1 will follow the successes of the offensive line - a unit that struggled to control the line of scrimmage in 2018. The Rams need to be better at the point of attack if they want to put points on the board. They hope that new giant left tackle TJ Storment (6'-7", 320 lbs) will clear running lanes and hold a pocket for their quarterback. This team definitely has the firepower to score points. Marcus McElroy and Marvin Kinsey will be the thunder/lightning combo in the backfield. The aforementioned receiving corps is deep and skilled. Cameron Butler, Trey McBride, and Griffin Hammer are a formidable trio of pass catchers at the tight end position. Will there be enough improvement along the line to let the skill positions run?

The Defense

Courtesy of Rashad Ajayi

Despite the return of a healthy Collin Hill, the success of this program will be dictated by how well the defense can improve over the previous seasons. Two years ago, the late game defensive breakdowns inhibited the Ram's ability to move from good to great. Last year, the defense was nothing short of awful -- unable to put any pressure on the quarterback while getting gashed for big play after big play. A bright spot from the deep darkness of 2018 was Rashad Ajayi. A sophomore cornerback, Ajayi might be the best player on the defensive side of the ball. As a true freshman, Ajayi started all 12 games and was the best and most consistent part of the Rams secondary. Ajayi was so much better than his cohorts that opposing teams basically ignored his side of the field, picking apart whoever was playing the opposite side. A more experienced pair of starting safeties (Jamal Hicks and local kid Logan Stewart) and better athleticism at the cornerback position are defensive coordinator John Jancek's solution to limit the big plays that plagued this squad last year. The secondary could be the best in the Mountain West Conference, but it would not matter if the front seven does not take a positive step this year. Copying a sentence from the paragraph on the offense: the Rams need to be better at the point of attack. I could point to any of those 2018 losses and show you play after play where the opposing offensive lines moved the Ram defensive front wherever they wished. This backwards leaning defense must disappear if the Rams hope to turn the corner.

The Schedule

The Ram's schedule does not do them any favors. They start the non-conference slate with the new Mel Tucker version of CU that still includes Heisman hopeful in Laviska Shenault and third year starting quarterback in Steven Montez.

The non-conference schedule continues with a winnable game at home against Western Illinois.

Arkansas was horrible last year and suffered a loss in Canvas Stadium to the eventual 3-9 Rams. The Razorbacks will be amped up for their revenge game in their house.

The final non-conference game brings high-flying Rockets from Toledo to Fort Collins.

Conference play begins with arguably the best Mountain West team in Utah State.

San Diego State heads to Colorado, where it will inevitably blizzard but yet the perfect weather patrons of San Diego will still rush for 300 yards and throw for another 300.

New Mexico was the only team behind the Rams in the Mountain Division last season. Rams should be good enough to win this game on the road.

Fresno State won the West Division of the Mountain West Conference, then proceeded to beat Boise State (what's that like?) in the Mountain West Conference Championship game. In Boise. On the Smurf Turf. It will be tough to beat the Bulldogs on the road.

UNLV continues their poor run in football.

Air Force and Wyoming are rivalry games that NEED to result in trophies coming back to CSU's campus.

CSU has never beaten Boise State in football. Ever.

The Predictions

After last years flop, any bowl game will be a great goal for this squad. More importantly, Mike Bobo is 2-10 versus CU/Wyoming/Air Force. He is 0-4 against CU and 1-3 against both Wyoming and Air Force. His only victories in these rivalry games came in year one with the leftovers of McElwain's recruits. If this team ends up below .500 without a victory against one of those three schools, Mike Bobo might be looking for a new gig. I sure hope that is not the case. Prove me wrong, Rams!! 

Week	Opponent	Prediction	Result	Flick's Picks
1	Colorado (Denver)	L
2	Western Illinois	W
3	at Arkansas	L
4	Toledo	W
5	at Utah State	L
6	San Diego State	L
7	at New Mexico	W
8	BYE	--
9	at Fresno State	L
10	UNLV	W
11	BYE	--
12	Air Force	W
13	at Wyoming	W
14	Boise State	L

Final regular season record: 6-6

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

We found out that we won the project in the third quarter of 2010. I moved into the project office to start design in the fourth quarter of 2010. Along the way, I moved to the construction office. In 2014, I transitioned off the project and back to normal life in the Denver HDR office. It finally opens today. 

Courtesy of Mike Flick (that's me, yo)

The A-Line opened to the public in April of 2016. At the time, it was a huge relief to get the first of the new commuter rail lines up and running. Despite a few hiccups (stranding passengers on a bridge, requiring bus bridges, etc) and the jokes courtesy of Kyle Clark, the A-Line has been running smoothly since the first passengers embarked three years ago. Yes, there have been issues with FTA, FRA, and PUC approval. Yes, there have been flaggers positioned at every at-grade crossing for what feels like eternity. Yes, there have been letters flying back and forth between RTD and DTP. But the train has been running. And people have been riding. Lots of people. 

In 2010, we began design on what we referred to as the East Corridor - the tracks stretching from Union Station to the airport (the infamous A-Line). I was a young whippersnapper designer on the roadway team, responsible for the physical at-grade crossing design, the adjacent roadway design, and all sidewalks and pedestrian crossing facilities. We powered through our preliminary design and submitted it to the client. That was the end of my A-Line career. 

At that point, I transitioned with a couple other individuals to focus on the Gold Line, the portion of the project from where the tracks split with the Northwest Electrified Segment (the B-Line) at Pecos Junction to the new Ward Road Station. I was the lead designer of the same elements as on the A-Line - the sixteen at-grade crossings in Adams County, Arvada, and Wheat Ridge; along with any adjacent roadway/sidewalk/trail designs. For four years, I worked on primarily on that portion of the project, working hand-in-hand with the contractor, RTD, the local public agencies, and the design team to construct this western half of the project. The G-Line was my baby. My pride and joy. 

The B-Line opened in July of 2016, just a few short months after the A-Line's inaugural run. The G-Line sat in silence. 

Courtesy of Colorado Public Radio

I live in west Arvada. Ward Road Station is only a 5 minute drive from my house. It was extraordinarily convenient for me to swing down Ridge Road to check out the status of the construction. I watched my roadway work go from plans to reality. I watched the sidewalks and pedestrian crossings do the same. The stations emerged from the ground. The overhead catenary system was installed. Then the construction equipment disappeared. Everything was built. The trains never came. 

I remember hearing that the testing was going to begin on the G-Line. I was ecstatic. Any excuse to drive past the G-Line was a good excuse to try and see a train. I was leaving Target in February of 2018 and I cut through the apartment complex to Miller Street. The gates were down. A train was traveling on the tracks. REVENUE SERVICE WAS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. That was over a year ago. 

But today... today is the day. In a little less than an hour from the time of this post, trains will be running with regular people on them (and no horns!). To say that I have been waiting for this day for a while now is an understatement.

THE G-LINE OPENS TODAY!! 

Courtesy of denver.org

Inktober - 2018

Thirty-one days.

Thirty-one prompts. 

Thirty-one drawings.

One great month. 

There are people in my life who are my go-to sources of conversation for specific topics. When I feel the need to talk about animation, kids movies, drawing, writing, or anything art-related, Jason is that person. Last year, he participated in Inktober. Inktober is a celebration of art, an artistic challenge, and a call to the artists within each of us to develop a drawing a day based on a suggested prompt for each day of October. Jason's Inktober manifested itself on a small white board with dry erase markers. I wanted in. This September, he reminded me of the pending challenge and I jumped aboard. I grabbed a new drawing pad and my standard sketching device (my favorite pens - Pilot Precise V5s) and started drawing. Thirty-one days, prompts, and drawings later, we have the completed Mike Flick version of Inktober 2018. 

As an engineer working in the transportation industry at an engineering company surrounded by a bunch of engineers, I embrace the opportunities to massage the right side of my brain and Inktober was a perfect avenue for the corralled creativity inside me. I had a ton of fun trying to imaginatively address the prompt for the day and challenging myself in areas that I struggle with artistically (mostly drawing people). As the month progressed, I found myself excited with prompts that forced me to find a new angle to develop the concept. I also found myself having to accept what I considered imperfections in my work through the permanence of the pen and adjusting accordingly. The month was cathartic, providing confidence in self and an outlet to decompress from the daily stresses of life. Thanks to each of you who provided positive feedback and for all of you who came along for the ride. Next year, you should join me.

Day 1 - Poisonous

Day 2 - Tranquil

Day 3 - Roasted

Day 4 - Spell

Day 5 - Chicken

Day 6 - Drooling

Day 7 - Exhausted

Day 8 - Star

Day 9 - Precious

Day 10 - Flowing

Day 11 - Cruel

Day 12 - Whale

Day 13 - Guarded

Day 14 - Clock

Day 15 - Weak

Day 16 - Angular

Day 17 - Swollen

Day 18 - Bottle

Day 19 - Scorched

Day 20 - Breakable

Day 21 - Drain

Day 22 - Expensive

Day 23 - Muddy

Day 24 - Chop

Day 25 - Prickly

Day 26 - Stretch

Day 27 - Thunder

Day 28 - Gift

Day 29 - Double

Day 30 - Jolt

Day 31 - Slice

Let's Go, Colorado

Picture yourself in 1991. I was an eight year old kid who loved baseball and riding my bike. When I wasn't doing one of those activities, I was playing on our swing set, bouncing on the neighbors trampoline, or climbing the huge boulder that had been placed in the front yard of our Savage, Minnesota home. That is, I did those activities around our Savage, Minnesota home until my family uprooted from our suburban Twin Cities abode for a new adventure out west. My dad's company transferred him to work on their largest project at the time - the construction of a new airport in Denver, Colorado. After the completion of my second grade year at St. John the Baptist Catholic School, the moving trucks came and loaded the house. We piled into the wood-sided Oldsmobile station wagon, hooked up the pop-up camper, and headed out to a new apartment in a new state while our new house was constructed in a new town by a new school where I would make new friends and start my new Colorado life.

Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

The year 1991 was also big for the entire state of Colorado and not just because of the increased number of Flicks residing within its boundaries. It was during that year that the State last changed funding sources for transportation - through an increase in the state gas tax from $0.20 per gallon to $0.22 per gallon. The following year, Colorado implemented the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (or TABOR), prohibiting any tax increase without public vote.

In the twenty-seven years following the two cent increase in gas tax, Colorado has not added a funding stream for transportation in the state. In that same period of time, population in the state has nearly doubled (census data shows a population of nearly 3.3 million in 1990 compared to nearly 5.7 million in 2017). Average fuel economy has seen drastic growth in the last decade. Electric and hybrid vehicles add vehicle miles traveled to our roadway networks with little to no financial input to the system. Add in the lack of adjustments to the gas tax to keep up with inflation and we are seeing more vehicles driving more miles with less capital to improve the infrastructure at the same rate.

The result is the mess that we get the pleasure of experiencing on a daily basis. Poorly maintained roadway surfaces. Bumper-to-bumper traffic. A system of highway bridges with failing ratings. Incomplete transit systems. Transportation in this state is struggling.

This November, Colorado voters will have two separate (and different) ways to fix the transportation issues we face in our beautiful state. And I have a very strong opinion about which option is better.

Proposition 109 - Fix Our Damn Roads

The first is Proposition 109, which reallocates money from the general fund to pay for $3.5 billion in transportation infrastructure. One hundred percent of the funds would be applied to state highways. The funds would not be available for transit or local agencies. The proposition replaces $1.5 billion in existing state funding for CDOT so the $3.5 billion "increase" actually amounts to a $2 billion increase in state transportation funding. And this is not a new funding source. It is taking money from the general fund to pay for transportation, thus diverting funds from the state budget over the next 20 years to pay back the bonds. This proposition is a shell game - moving money from one pile to another. While it will help the transportation industry in the state, other facets of the state government will suffer as a result.

Proposition 110 - Let's Go, Colorado

The second transportation initiative on the ballot is Proposition 110. Proposition 110 is a 0.62% increase in sales tax for the entire state. The sales tax would sunset in 20 years. Unlike Proposition 109, the funds generated from this tax would be distributed to agencies around the state for diverse transportation infrastructure improvements. The allocation of dollars will be as follows:

Courtesy of CommutingSolutions.org

The sales tax is estimated to raise an additional $7 billion for highway projects around the state, while maintaining the $1.5 billion currently budgeted from the general fund. An additional $8 billion would be raised for city and county transportation projects and an additional $3 billion would be raised for transit/bicycle/pedestrian projects. In the first year alone, the state anticipates a $787 million increase in transportation funding statewide.

If my biased typing did not come through clearly enough - Proposition 110 is the better option for Colorado's transportation system. Proposition 110 will provide aid to a deteriorating and vital piece of our state - the transportation system that allows the movement of people and goods. The benefit of Proposition 110 (over Proposition 109) is not WHAT the money is doing, but HOW the money is raised.

• The proposition introduces a new funding source and does not siphon money from away from other parts of the state budget. 
• The new funding source is a sales tax. 
• Meaning the tax will be skewed toward those who purchase more things.
• Meaning it will generally have a greater impact to people with higher incomes.
• The sales tax will gather money from the tourists who visit our state each year. The Colorado Tourism Office reported that over 86 million people visited our fine state in 2017. Each of those visitors add strain to the already tired infrastructure system. The money spent by those 86 million extra people as they visit Colorado will help offset the wear and tear that they place upon our infrastructure. 
• The sales tax will collect from the users of the system who do not pay the $0.22 per gallon gas tax due to driving an electric car and from the users of the system who pay reduced gas tax on their fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. 

I would encourage those of you who reside in Colorado to take a good look at what these propositions do for our great state. Find information about Proposition 110 at their website. Hopefully you agree that a change is needed and you join me in voting for Proposition 110. 

Colorado looks nothing like it did in 1991. It is time for our transportation funding to be able to say the same thing. 

Courtesy of ColoradoPolitics.com