BUSY BUSY

I've been in all day meetings for the past few days.  Nothing new to report other than I'm ready for fall.

NUMBERS

I would like to know the percentage of high school students who go to college verses the students who attend trade school, join the military, or immediately join the work force.  I would then like to know the same number in 20-30 years.

My bet would be the number of students who attended college right after high school will drop in the future.  Not because education is losing its importance, but based on the experiences of my generation.  Think about it.  Everyone knows quite a few college graduates who have a pile of debt and low paying jobs which don't require a degree.  Not because these people are stoners who play video games all day but because the job market is so lean.

On paper college should be the answer.  Most of our grandparents had manual labor jobs.  They saw education as a way to advance their kid from the field or factory to the office--many times meaning a better life.  So, it goes to figure our parents had the same thought-process.  If the wheels didn't fall off our economy this might still hold true.  But it doesn't.

It could be argued that attending a trade school might be a better option than going to college.  I know when/if I have kids, I'm going to strongly suggest they give that route as much consideration as college.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see what the numbers say.

BUSY BEING LAZY

This past weekend I set out to accomplish a few goals (watch 3 movies, go for a bike ride, go to the gym, grill 2 times, and stay in both nights).  I didn't say they were very productive goals...but goals none-the-less.  I'm happy to report that all of these goals were met, although I only grilled once.

The highlight of the weekend was the ride on Saturday.  We didn't really have any specific destination or distance we wanted to go.  We ended up down town and checked out the local scene.  It was awesome.  Nice weather, not much traffic, and a sense of freedom from not having a plan or schedule.  I hope to have a few more days like that before good weather is a thing of the past.

GOALS

For the past couple months it seems like we have been traveling at 100 mph.  A lot of fun and adventures have been had while traveling at warp speed, but this weekend my goal is to slow it down a bit.  So, I've made myself a list of lazy-man goals. Here they are...

1. Watch 3 movies
2. Go for a bike ride
3. Hit the gym
4. Grill 2 times
5. Stay in Friday and Saturday night

So while all you young kids are going out and getting crazy I'll be sitting on my couch with my feet up.  I couldn't be happier about it, either.

WEEKEND ADVENTURES

Boulders, mud, standing water, and steep inclines...all of which were experienced (and overcome) on our trek to the top of Chinn Lake (10,000 ft +) this past weekend.  It was the most intense off-road driving I've ever done and the truck handled great.

Next on the list was fishing in Barr Lake which was less than eventful due to the extremely low water levels, but fun none-the-less.  Good thing we have grocery stores and don't need to rely on our food catching abilities in this day and age.  Although eating only what you catch or grow may help me lose a few pounds...

Toss in eating at a few great restaurants, a day trip to Red Rocks, checking out a few local shops, and relaxing on the patio and you've got the gist of my weekend.  An awesome couple days and a great way to introduce Big Ron to a very small sample of what Colorado has to offer.  Come on back now, ya' hear.

HAPPY EARS

Thanks to a super-kind co-worker, my ears have new music to listen to today (about 8 CDs worth).  Some bands I've heard of, others not so much.  So far, both new and old groups have not disappointed.  Happy Friday to me!

NO RUNNING

Tweaked my back the other day so I didn't go to running club last night.  Super lame.

MEASURE TWICE

I bought some new fancy pants the other day and because my legs are a weird length they had to be hemmed.  The tailor was quick with the ruler and my pants were measured quickly.  Maybe too quickly.  When I tried them on at home (I know, I know) they were way too short.  Heading back to the tailor tomorrow eve to see what can be done to them there britches to make them the correct length.

COFFEE

Our break room has been graced with a new flavor of coffee...it's the small things in life.

Lists

I’m back…for today at least.  Over the last few months I’ve been doing a lot of things.  Most make me happy, some not so much.  Here is a quick list of the things that have made me happy.

1.       Traveling to the mountains
2.       Joining a running club
3.       Biking more
4.       Eating healthy
5.       Making new friends
6.       Doing good work at work
7.       Reading books
8.       Seeing family
9.       Seeing people wear fanny-packs
10.   Going to concerts

Here are some things that haven’t made me happy

1.       Drinking coffee that was too hot
2.       Driving behind slow people
3.       Listening to bad music