Category Archives: Work

Phoenix Trip -Tobacco OR Health

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Britton and I are leaving for our Phoenix trip tomorrow afternoon for a conference for my work. It’s the National Conference on Tobacco or Health. I like how it is Tobacco OR Health. The weather has been cooler than usual which should be a relief from the usual 105-110 degree weather there. Working for non-profits you don’t usually get the best of everything. The last conference like this was in Minnesota in late October (brrr). We wish it were held in Hawaii or Puerto Rico…but oh, well a free trip and a mini-vacation for Britton to sit around the pool. Plus it’s a really interesting conference. The last one I went to we saw an incognito tobacco exec  (slime ball).

I love this ad. It’s so true! Is there any other product like tobacco that can continue to kill people? Why don’t we hold the industry accountable for what they are selling?

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New Frontier Bank Closes in Greeley

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Well we saw something you don’t see everyday.  The reason for the FDIC.  It took over as New Frontier Bank closes in Greeley (in Longmont and Windsor as well).
NewFrontier Bank
News Crews out Front

We do have an account there and a CD.  So we have some concern, but the FDIC had a spokesman out front today to assure customers that their money is safe.  It’s interesting that the spokesman they hired was a HUGE guy.  The guy was 7 feet of nicely prepared suit.  I started to think about why they had such a huge figure representing the FDIC?  Of course!  They want to appear as big and strong as they can.  Makes sense.  Rest assured citizen, your money is safe.

big-guy
You can see the huge FDIC dude on the right.

We drove by late last night on our way to get some pizza and knew something was up.  All the lights were on and there were a TON of cars around the parking lot.  This was about 10pm on a Friday night.  We also knew someone who worked pretty high up there and we were aware that this may happen but you never really expect it.

dr-evil
600 meeelion dollars

Turns out around $600 million dollars will be used to cover the losses of the bank.  That’s taxpayer money.

We needed to drop off some checks and other odds and ends at the bank this weekend and had planned on going to New Frontier. We ended up going to another bank as a result of it closing. We had some coin change to turn in which was an interesting journey in itself.  Their coin machine got jammed and they had to take it all apart while we stood and watched.  There was at one point 3 employees working on the change machine..lol.

Anyway, as far as New Frontier, and actually the  entire U.S. banking and financial system, we are witnessing history.  We knew a lot of customers and employees.  Family and friends banked there so its weird to see it make national news.  Something in our small backyard. Are these the Great Depression type stories we will tell our grandchildren?

The Interesting times we live in
Right click to save as MP3

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The Cigarette is Dead in Greeley

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cigarette-is-dead

I work in the Tobacco Education Program at the Weld County Health Department and we have a new marketing campaign that we are promoting throughout the Greeley/Evans area. It’s called the Cigarette is Dead. I think it’s pretty cool. It has the edgy look of revolutionary change. Our team has been working with the billboard company, local businesses, UNC, Aims and others to get the message out. We also wrote press releases and are working with our coalition to get the word out.

It is great timing because the cigarette companies just announced an increase in the price of cigarettes by about 71 to 81 cents/pack, and the federal tobacco tax of 62 cents/pack will go into effect on March 31. So, to many people, the cigarette is dead, or at least dying. Better the cigarette dead, than you!

Anyway, that’s what I’ve been doing at work lately. I like the media/marketing aspect of it, although I am sure it is much different when you are trying to sell a product instead of trying to NOT sell a product…

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Gardening in Greeley Colorado

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free-seeds
Our Seed starter setup

It is the start of the gardening season here in Colorado.  All the local stores start to stock seeds, compost, potting soil, pots, shovels, gloves and all the related items a person might need to grow some food or do some landscaping.  Cassie was lucky enough to score some free seeds at a local gardening workshop.  More seeds than we could possibly use.

We are going to plant a variety of peppers, tomatoes, melons, lettuce, strawberries and some flowers.

I got an early start last weekend but maybe I wore myself down to much.  I was sick the previous week and recently I’ve  had a fever of 102 for the last few days.    It really sucked, mainly kind of a chest cold.  It put me down for the count  and all I could do was sleep and try to keep warm.  Luckily today I am feeling better and I decided to resume light garden work and it was a beautiful day.

We’ve decided to move the chicken from the greenhouse (which was a temporary location) into a home built chicken coup that I am making so she wont eat all the seedlings.   More on the coop in coming days.

When I was expanding our vegetable garden I moved some rocks and landscaping fabric.  I found a whole lot of bindweed.  This stuff lives under any condition imaginable.  Its been under wraps for over 3 years and was just continuing to grow.   Why can’t food to grow this easily?

bindweed
Bindweed

Noodles?  No…Bindweed!

We bought some compost a week ago to amend the soil in our vegetable garden.  It was $1 a bag which I didn’t think was too bad.  But it is cow poop, so I dont think they could charge too much.  Their marketing spin on it was “Steer Manure”.   Makes it sound better.
garden-expansion
Chicken bug buffet

It is also time to cleanout the greenhouse where the chickens have been fertilizing all winter long.  We use an old cat feeder for the chicken food and Cassie’s mom Charlotte was kind enough to give us a chicken water dish.  She actually just happened upon it beside a trash can  one day while she was watching the chickens for us when we were in Puerto Rico! That is just plain lucky.
greenhouse-cleanup
Chickens old house

Due to the chicken needing to be restricted from growing plants we also have to build a section of fence.  We were finding parts today and some of them wouldn’t fit in the Honda so they went ON the Honda.

gate-on-car
Strapped to the roof

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