NFL Corrections

I was wrong. There are more Rams out there than I thought. In addition to the ones listed in my last post:

Mike Brisiel - Texans
Eric Hill - Panthers
Blaine Saipaia - Lions
Jason Craft - Saints

I apologize to those four because I am convinced that they all read this blog and were extremely disappointed that I left them off the list.

My new favorite NFL team

After a short hiatus, Bradlee Van Pelt is once again a professional football player. The Houston Texans picked him up after Sage Rosenhaus broke his hand making a tackle on a weird play. Rosenhaus is the holder and they attempted a 59 yard field goal. They were short and the opposing team returned it. Sage made the tackle and broke his hand in the process. Enter the BVP.



That makes three CSU Rams on the Texans. BVP, David Anderson - who was picked up by the Texans after the draft, and Dexter Wynn - who was cut by the Eagles and picked up by the Texans at the beginning of November.




Let's hope the Rams can represent themselves in Texas well. I believe that 3 is the highest number of CSU alums on a single NFL team. This is the list as I know it:

Broncos : 2 (Cecil Sapp, Erik Pears)
Steelers: 2 (Joey Porter, Clark Haggans)
Seahawks: 1 (John Howell)

I think that is all. Eight players currently. Hopefully Kory can make it too.




That is all from Flickville right now. One of these days I will sit down to give everyone a good update on my life. Stay classy, people.

Dirty Ol' Uncle Flick

This past weekend I turned 24. Wow. It's really hard to believe that I am almost 1/2 way through the 20's. One more year and I will finally get a break on my car insurance!! Boo-yah!

I think:
The Broncos better start playing better than they did against the Raiders. If not, they are in some big, big trouble against the Chargers.
As much as it pains me to say this, Jimmie Johnson has the Nextel Cup wrapped up. The only way it won't happen is if someone wrecks him early and he ends up 43rd.
"Cars" is a great movie. Clever, funny, and entertaining. I'm mad I hadn't seen it sooner.
The election in Colorado really got my blood boiling. It bothers me that people vote for some of the obviously flawed ideas. If only people would read about the issues before they stepped into the voting booth.
Thank God those stupid political campaign commercials are done. I don't know if I could take any more of that crap. Just tell us what you think, you sleazy, dirty, stupid politician.
Ayn Rand has become one of my favorite authors. I can't say enough about "Atlas Shrugged". Easily one of my favorite books of all time. It is only time before I finish off the rest of her collection.
It's funny how you put up a whiny post saying that nobody reads your blog and within hours you get responses from people saying they read it. It's good to know that this blog actually is used!! I don't like the thought of doing this completely for my benefit. There are definitely better things I could be doing. . .
Nothing in this world aggrevates me more than Rubik's Cube. I just can't solve that stupid thing. And thanks for all your help, Jorge. I still am stuck!!
I can't wait for Sarah and I to be able to travel. There are a ton of places I would love to go that I have never been before (Seattle, Alaska, Mexico, Europe, Hawaii, New England, Djibouti). When they are working, there are no items better than a computer. However, when they are not working. . .
Spanky is going to get his balls chopped off on Saturday. He is also going to get some shots and some teeth pulled. Poor little guy. I don't envy his position!
I want to get a new dog. It will have to be something fairly small until I have a house with a yard. I'd like to hear some sweet dog names for both boy and girl dogs. Any suggestions?

And although it is not even baseball season, I have some baseball news for Timmay. This week, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Matt Holliday were awarded the Silver Slugger award for their respected positions in their respected leagues. Those three absolutely killed the ball this year and they all deserved it. However, Jamey Carroll did not win the NL Golden Glove for second base. His fielding percentage was incredible. I think he was robbed.

(I can't think of any clever titles)

Here it is November already. Damn, time flies by so quickly. So here is the update of the world that is Mike Flick. . .
Sarah got herself a job. Thank God. I don't have to support her any more!! She is excited. It is with two surgeons that work out of St. Anthony's Central and Lutheran Hospitals. Very very awesome. She was getting sick of not working, so it will be nice for her to be working for a while. Because she got this job, it looks like we won't be moving to Phoenix. Like I've said before, I'm torn on that issue. While I'm happy to be closer to both of our families, the mountains, the cold weather, and the Rockies, I'm a little disappointed that I'm not doing something new and exciting like moving to a new state with just Sarah and my truck. Either way, Sarah and I will do great. Plus, I love my job and the people I work with, so it would have been tough to leave them.

Random thoughts for this Monday evening -

• I hate the Raiders with every ounce of my being.
  
• I wish more people would read this thing. It feels somewhat like a waste of time, but I do get to update the few peeps that read it (Dunham, Fitz, JB, Timmay, Mandy)
• Catholic weddings are ridiculous in their cost and preparation.
• Michael Dunham has officially raged me in the race to the alter.
  
• I'm glad the Broncos finally got their offense going. If only both sides of the ball would play during the same game. . .
• I miss having a garage. This apartment thing is completely overrated. I can't even change the oil in my Xterra here. I have to go over to my parents' house to do that. So lame. Give me a garage anytime!
• Robby Gordon is switching to Fords next year. Not sure how I feel about it. He'll get better equipment, but it is from the enemy. I think I have to stick with the driver and not the manufactorer.
  
• Let's hope Jimmie Johnson blows two engines in the next two races.
• Ditto for Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch.
• The civil engineering market in Denver is exploding. Hopefully, HDR will keep me moving up with it.
• I have a constant urge to go buy a puppy. Spanky is just not enough any more (he is still a badass dog, I just want more).
• Thankfully, ski season has begun. I can't wait to get my first turns. Don't know when that will be, but hopefully soon. Get back here Rosie!!
• There are Christmas commercials on the TV already. It is the first week of November. I love Christmas, but not quite yet. Let's get through Thanksgiving first.
• Voting tomorrow. Make sure you get out and get your voice heard.
  
• For all of you Coloradoans, vote yes on I. It's not marriage, it's just basic human rights.
  

Talk to you all soon (I hope).

I'm Back in the Saddle Again

Apparently I suck at life. And by life I mean updating my blog. But I am updating now, so that is better than 95% of my friends who have blogs. I don't feel so bad now. Right now I am sitting in my apartment amazed at how fast this weekend went. Just a little bit ago it was Friday afternoon and I was leaving work. Now I'm on the brink of another work week. This week should be a pretty good week, though. Tomorrow I will be in the office until about 11:30 or so. Then it is off to the airport, where I have a 2:00 flight to Phoenix. I will be driving up to Flagstaff for the night. Then it is off to the Grand Canyon again. Tuesday morning, I have meetings with the people from the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and the National Park Service (NPS). Then the rest of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning I will be walking our project with the same people. Thursday afternoon I head back to Phoenix for my flight. Then Friday is Sarah's birthday, Saturday is my mom's birthday and the CSU game. This week should fly right on by.

Since the last blog, the Twins have been swept out of the ALDS by the A's who were, in turn, swept by the Tigers in the ALCS. Wow. What a way to go out. But whatever. Next year, it will be the Twins beating the Rockies in 6 games in the World Series. Remember, you heard it here first.

Wedding update - Sarah and I are finally on our way making plans for our wedding. We have a date, a church, and a reception hall. Now all we have to worry about is the rest of the stuff. Which happens to be a ton of stuff!! Damn. On we go. . .

Sarah's still looking for a job. The Denver market is so, so, so, so, so bad. But she has two interviews tomorrow, so let's hope for the best. In the meantime, I have found myself surprisingly ok with moving to Phoenix if a job in Denver doesn't work out. I have never really had such a big life-changing event and I think it would be a good time/place/situation to have one. We shall see. HDR has already told me that they would allow me to transfer down to Phoenix. They are desperate for help, so they are more than willing to work with me. We would both like to stay in Denver, but if nothing works out, we are both excited for the prospect of a new state, new jobs, new everything. I'll keep you posted as things progress.

That's all I have for you guys right now. If there is anyone still reading this thing. At least it keeps my ADHD brain concentrating on one thing for a little while!! Hope everyone is doing well with whatever they are doing.

So much has happened

I last posted on the 8th, right before our triumphant day at INVESCO Field at Mile High. I was fairly upset with the way that our running game played, but a win over CU is always nice. Since then, however, there have been a plethora of monumental things that have happened in my life.

First, and most importantly, Sarah's grandfather died in the early morning hours of September 11th. He was an incredible man who had fought, scraped, and struggled with lung cancer for 2 years. Let me put that into perspective. The average life span of a human who is diagnosed with lung cancer is 6 months. He lasted 4 times longer than that. Needless to say, the disease finally defeated him and he died in his house at about 1:30 on Monday morning. This morning was the same morning that Sarah was scheduled to sit for her national boards. Excellent timing all around. Well, her grandmother had made me promise that I would make Sarah go to her test. She did go, even though she was very upset. Sarah and I spent the rest of the week with her family. It was tough, tough week. The visitation was tough, the funeral was tougher, and watching Sarah's grandma go through all this was the toughest of all. But she, like her husband, is a fighter, so she will make it through.

Back to Sarah and her boards. It usually takes 1-2 weeks for boards results to come back. After a week, Sarah started getting antsy. This past week, she got the results back and she had passed!! I wasn't too worried about it, she is a smart girl who had studied her butt off for that test. But she wasn't in the best state of mind when she took it, so she wasn't sure how she did. But she passed and is now a certified physician's assistant. Now, it's time to find a job!! She currently has four offers from doctors in Phoenix. None in Denver. However, she has had a few interviews, so hopefully something pops up. Not that I would be against moving to Phoenix. It would be a good time and a new experience. But Sarah and I would both prefer to live in Colorado. Plus it is so damn hot there all the time!!

Timmy - it has been a while, so I thought I would give you a belated baseball update. Twins rule. Rockies drool.
The Twins are just two victories away from securing a postseason berth. They are also only 1.5 games behind the Tigers. Not bad considering they were 12.5 games back at one point in the season. With only 7 games left in the season (6 for the Tigers), the Twins need some help from the Blue Jays and the Royals. Then it is postseason time!!
On an individual basis, Joe Mauer has continued to rake. He still leads the majors in BA as he attempts to become first ever catcher to win the AL batting title. Justin Morneau has also been on a tear and has solidified himself as a top 3 MVP candidate. Meanwhile, Torii Hunter has been turning on the jets as of late, leading the Twins for that postseason spot.

As for the hapless Rox, they have fallen faster than my jaw when I found out Dunham was engaged. They are currently out of every race. It is impossible for them to make any sort of playoffs. None. They are 1/2 of a game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, so we are not cellar dwellers yet!! And they won their last three against the Braves. On the plus side, Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins are for real. Those two can really mash the ball. Hopefully, the Rox don't pull their normal tricks and let them go for nothing!!
Matt Holliday - .332 average, 107 RBIs, 32 HR, .391 OBP
Garrett Atkins - .321 average, 114 RBIs, 27 HR, .398 OBP
Tell me those numbers aren't sick!! If only Helton could regain his form from a few years ago, it would be the most deadly 3-4-5 in baseball.
That's enough for now. I'll update everyone on my "business" trip to the Grand Canyon next time around!! Hope everyone is doing well.
Mike

Hippies - remember that I hate you

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year. HIPPIE BASHING DAY!!!! (aka the Rocky Mountain Showdown) For those of you not schooled in Colorado football, tomorrow is the CSU-CU football game. This year, the contest is being brought back to INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver (where the Broncos play). The last two years, those crybaby hippies from Boulder have refused to play at a neutral site. Apparently, their ovaries couldn't take the neutral beating that CSU had been unleashing on them, so they tried to get any advantage they could. Like home field advantage. Not this year, sister. We are going to be in Denver, in INVESCO, and insane at that game. I'm already resting my voice (hard to believe, I know) for tomorrow. I have to be ready to yell at my ultimate capacity from 11:00 AM until at least the end of the game. Should be an incredibly good day. Plus, CU just lost to Montana State, a Division I-AA team. Montana State had not defeated a Division I-A school for 30 years or something like that. Totally embarassing for them!! But I enjoyed it, for some reason!! We plan on being in the parking lots when they open. We plan on Flickergolfing like crazy. We plan on eating some burgers and hot dogs. We plan on drinking some beers. We plan on yelling at the hippies. And we plan on winning the game. Simple as that.

Fight on you stalwart Ram team
On to the goal
Tear the Buffalo's line asunder
As down the field we thunder
Knights of the Green and Gold
Fight with all your might
Fight on you stalwart Ram team
Fight, Fight Fight!
GO RAMS!!

Boulder Sucks

It looks nice, doesn't it? The Flatirons right against the town. The red roofs of the University. Too bad the city of Boulder is trying to keep a secret from all of us. Fortunately, this secret has been revealed to everyone in Fort Collins. . . Boulder sucks. Hard. Really, really hard. Let's take a serious look at that city the past 10 years. What good has come out of that? You have the JonBenet case. You have the Churchill issues. You have the recruiting violations. You have Katie Hnida. Gary Barnett. Ricardo Patton. 4:20 celebrations. The worst fans in college sports. The Boulder Police Department. University officials owning liquor stores. Betsy Hoffman. Riots. Burning couches. The "term of endearment". Racist CU athletes sending racist emails. Number one party school rankings.

The crazy thing is that I'm sure I'm missing a lot more examples. What a dirty, hippie-filled, terrible place. Every day that I hear more crap about that school, the more thankful I am that I am a Ram through and through.

InRoads

I am creating this post at work. Yes, I am at work. No, I am not wasting company time. I am currently in training for InRoads, a roadway design software. I have been using InRoads for a while now and this is the "advanced" training, but we are still talking about things that I already know how to do. This makes for a boring time. I figured I would make my time worth something and blog for the first time in a while.

There are a couple things of importance going on in my life right now:

My CSU season tickets came to my house yesterday
I leave for Vegas one week from today

That is all.

Broken Google?!!

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of taking the three hour car ride (one way) to Torrington, Wyoming. HDR is doing an Environmental Assessment for the Town of Torrington to determine the environmental implications of a new bypass that would go over the railroad tracks through town. These EA's require public involvement, so every once in a while HDR representatives head up to the towns for these public meetings to present information to the townspeople, to listen to any comments the townspeople might have, and to answer any questions. Since my direct boss is managing these projects, I get the opportunity to join her in Wyoming to get yelled at by small-town people for ruining their towns!! (That actually only happens in one of the six towns we visit. Torrington people are really nice.)
So back to the story. . . the town reporter for Torrington always comes to the Torrington public meetings. I have found, through my various trips up there, that he is not the brightest person in Wyoming. And I am not the only one who has noticed this personality trait. A member of the Wyoming Department of Transportation deals with this reporter on a fairly frequent basis. Apparently, last week, this reporter called this WYDOT person three times in one day. The first time, the WYDOT guy answered all his questions. The second time, the WYDOT answered all of the same questions from the first call. By the third call and the third set of similar questions, the WYDOT guy really stressed a certain piece of information that the reporter didn't seem to comprehend. On this call, the reporter started to understand what the WYDOT guy was getting at. The reporter asked where he could see the information. The WYDOT guy told him that the easiest way to find the information is to "Google" it and it should pop up. The reporter told the WYDOT guy that that method would not work because "his Google wasn't working very well".
Yes, the reporter did say that his Google wasn't working very well. Does anyone have any idea what that means? Did he mean that his internet was slow and as a result his Google search was expectedly slow? Did he mean that the version of Google that is brought up on his machine was not working properly? Can this happen with any website at any time? Will my ESPN.com not work well some day? I sure hope not! Please let me know what this means, if you have any idea!