Goodbye 2005

Since this is my last post for the year 2005, I thought it would be nice to look back on my log and reflect what has events have happened through the year month by month. All events can be found in my Archives of my BLOG. Let's see how this goes.

January

* Looking back at January, I noticed that I started the year working the door at the Country Inn for the New Years eve celebration.

* Randy had just entered the Mountaineer Challenge academy

February

* The first thing that sticks out to me was a list I created of things I wanted to do.

1. Fly a Kite.
   
2. Take lots of pictures (like thats a surprise)
3. Reunite family members and go see some other family members that I haven't seen in literally decades.
   
4. Get a group of people together and rent some bikes and bike rails to trails as a group for a few hours. What would really be nice is if we could start in Masontown, WV and bike to Morgantown. (It's all downhill)

Well, it looks like I didn't do #1, I did do #2 and #3 and #4 never happened. I think people would enjoy #4 and #1 still sounds like fun, so I'll put them on the 2006 to do list.

* I did manage to get a few old family pictures scanned, thanks to Mom and Terri for helping supply the pictures and giving me access to a scanner.

* The biggest event of the month was me breaking the ice with my sister Kim and visiting her. It was the first time I had actually seen her since her wedding.

March

* I can see that March was a very good month for me.

* I had an interview with my current employer, closed the books on process for another employer that was just strung out too long and received an offer for another interview from another company.

* My Nephew Daniel got Married on March 4th

* I totally redesigned george-hall.net to its current style.

* Brittany worked as a Page in Charleston

* Everyone was falling in love again with the WVU Men's Basketball team. We welcomed their returns from not one, not two but three basketball weekends with larger, larger and larger crowds.

* The WVU women's basketball made it to the WNIT Finals.

April

* April I started working for VARGIS and said goodbye to the NRAC. I had what I called my ceremonial walk of passage to the NRAC my last day, that was a significant day for me. I was leaving West Virginia University and moving on with my career.

* I managed to make it to a few WVU Baseball games and the WVU Football scrimmage. I went to one game with Ed and Brittany on a nice warm spring Sunday Afternoon.

* Val had started her new Job at Neighbor Care.

* Pam had taken and passed her Pharmacy Tech certification.

May

* VARGIS had its official opening during the month of May. We had been there over a month, but this was the official opening.

* Softball season had kicked off and I was spending Friday evenings with a great bunch of guys, and we usually visited Prime Thyme for dinner after the game throughout the year.

* Probably the most significant event of May to me, was that I had came full circle. I had had my first paid day off in eight years. That is a long time to go without any benefits.

June

* Big Family Pic Nic. Jean and Mickey did a great job once again and hosted a great Pic Nic at Krepps Park. TON's and TON's of great food.

* Randy Graduated from the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.

* I went to my first Jimmy Buffett Concert. Wow, what a show and what a day.

July

* Bill Trevillion had retired from the Morgantown Fire Department.

* Kim had her first surgery that would lead to months of frustration. It's still not all settled as she will enter the Cleveland Clinic next week.

* Brittany visited Mom and Gerald for a weekend. It had been a long time since this had happened and it was the ice in Mom and Kim's relationship starting to melt.

August

* Mom and Kim finally broke their silence.

* We had ended a great Softball season with a second place Regular season finish and runner ups in the Championship Tournament. It was the first time since I played for Sterling that I had advanced to the Finals. Been on a half dozen #1 seed teams, but somehow always abvoided winning anythign in the post season. Talk about Choking.

September

* Michael opened up Cool Ride

* We lost the families oldest pet, Tucker.

* Sharon had a Pic Nic Honoring Bill's retirement. I was nice to be able to visit family members that I had not seen in a few years if not decades.

October

* Went and had a nice visit at Big Bear Lake.

* Kim hosted a Texas Hold'em Tournament that I never made it to. Note to Kim, have another one.

* We celebrated Halloween by giving tons of candy out at Jeans.

* We also had a Huge Snow storm in North Crentral West Virginia. Everyone lost power for a period of time.

November

* Moke took his ACT's

* WVU SMASHED Pitt in the 2005 Edition of the Back Yard Brawl.

* Jean hosted a Thanksgiving dinner.

December

* I celebrated the 21st Anniversay of my 21st Birthday

* I was named the 2005 VARGIS Employee of the year.

* Christmas Eve at Jeans and I did a media file for everyone to remember it by.



In a nustshell that was 2005 according to my BLOG. We broke the ice, we celebrated, we took on new challenges and weaccomplished a few things. I would say for me personally it was a good year.

It's nice to have a BLOG where you can write your thoughts downa dn be able to reflect at the end of the year what has happened.

Obviously, this is my last BLOG for 2005, so I hope everyone enjoyed my recollection of the past 365 days and maybe start their own BLOG for the next 365 days so they can reflect on 2006.

Have a Safe and Happy New Year.

Eve of another four day weeknd,

I think I am going to take next Tuesday off from work. West Virginia battles Georgia Monday night in the Sugar Bowl, and even though something tells me we are going to get blown out, I'm preparing for us to pull the upset. It's not the biggest game WVU football has played, but it certainly will measure up there as one of the most significant.

I've also got a decision to make very soon and this will give me a good chance to contemplate it before I make it. It's getting to be the end of the year and I need to make a decision about where I am going to live during the next year. I have three options.

The first and least likely to happen is that when my lease is up at the end of January I move closer to work. I'm thinking of the West Virginia side of the river in Cumberland. I really haven't gotten a chance to check it out yet, but plan on doinf so soon.

Second, and this is a 50/50 chance, is that I extend my lease one month and leave at the Begining of March. This would be a financial decision. It gives me time to get my Tax Return and have a few enough money to make the move. W-2's will come the last day of my lease, so that puts a time constraint on everything for me.

The third option which is also 50/50 right now is to stay right where I am at for one more year. There are a few things in my life I want to settle, handle or find in the next 12 months. My health being the biggest one because of my sugar levels. I really need to get that under control. This last 12 months for me was establishing stability in my life. this next 12 months I want to work on health, financial security and maybe even the empty and incomplete part of my life.

My career is going good, I like where I am at, who I work with and where my career is heading. I did have an interview last month with a company in Morgantown. They were interested, I told them wheat it would take and haven't heard anything more from them. That was a 50/50 thing also, but getting employee of the year from a company that went from seven to thirty million in sales in 2005 is not something you can overlook. I have played this scenerio the way I wanted to play it, and as exciting as it may have been to stay in Morgantown, I think I would be doing myself a discredit if I didn't challenge myself in my career. My future lies with VARGIS.

There are a lot of factors in my decision where I will live next year, and I think I really need to make a decision over the weekend. Honestly, I don't know what the final decision will be. I change my decision at least once or twice a day.

Anyways, I'll work tomorrow and have a four day weekend for the second weekend in a row.


It's amazing how fast 23 years go by.

Let it Be Christmas

My 2005 Christmas Eve Media File

Christmas Eve Pics

Link to latest additions from Christmas eve. Here are a few random pics, go to the album to see all the pics from Christmas eve.


Merry Christmas

NORAD is Tracking Santa Claus

Yes boys and Girls, Santa Claus has officiall started his Journey. Keep track of St. Nick and his journey around the world with NORAD.

Keep track of Santa as he works his busiest night of the year visiting all the good boys and girls around the world.

Special time of the year.

It's finally here. The one day of the year that we all look foreward to. In my family, I think the biggest event of the holidays is Christmas Eve. It's a time of the year when we all get together, put aside our differences and just enjoy spending time with family. Last year we had Christmas Eve at the Old Country Inn, this year it is returning to its traditional home.

It's amazing sometimes when and where you see and meet people. I was at Wal-Mart last night and I saw Amy and Val. It's nice to see that these two sisters were spending the day Christmas shopping together. After I left Wal-Mart last night, I had to make a return trip at about 2:30AM. I ran into Patty (Toth) Dewitt. I enjoyed conversing with her for a little while and she caught me up on Michaels new addition to the family Christopher Michael Toth.

I told her about Christmas Eve and that Jean keeps saying she needs to go see Christopher Michael, so maybe there will be a little surprise tonight.

I've seen some Christmas Magic work, and it's some pretty powerful stuff. I don't know what Christmas Eve 2005 has in store for it, but whatever it is it usually one for everyone to remember.

I think my most influential Christmas Eve of my life was 1998. After a few years of Hiatus, the Hall Family Christmas was once again in full swing. We had convinced my dad that we wanted to have Christmas Eve there and he really wasn't into it. However, December 24th has some kind of magic associated with it and at the last minute he switched shifts with someone else to join in on the family fun. There definately was some magic to that day, because the ceremonial Christmas eve that had returned to its roots was the last one for dad. We lost him 7 months later. For me, it was a magical night that one of the single most influential people in my life walked back into my life.

It was a night when Jane and I started speaking again, and I think the night that I realized I really didn't want to be with Jackie anymore, even though we had split months earlier, we were still on and off. Less than a month after that night, Jane made me look at Life differently and the next thing you know I'm assembling an entrance application for West Virginia University. The rest is history.

Years have went by and other Christmas Eves have come and passed. I don't know what tonight has to offer, it can always be the the doorway to a life changing event for someone else as it was for me. What ever happens tonight I know it will be special. It has to be, because anytime you can have all your family members associated in one place and it's not a Funeral, it is special, even if it were merely for five minutes.

2005 VARGIS Christmas Party

Last Night, my company had our 2005 Company Christmas party in Frostburg. It was a great evening and the food was great.

I was named the 2005 VARGIS, LLC Employee of the year. That was a nice little added surprise on the evening.

He's still alive (aka Tidbits)

* Yes I know, it has been a while since I have Blogged. People are probably wondering if I still exist or did I lose interest. I've been a little under the weather this week and am just now starting to honestly feel better.

* Christmas is coming up real soon and plans have been made, changed and then rechanged again. You sometimes have to think that this family would make a good soap opera, or at least a sit com.

* Terri, Gary and myself went to Jean's last Saturday and helped put up the Christmas decorations. It was the first time I had seen or talked to Terri in a while, so it was nice to catch up with her a little on things.

* Nick and Terri have shut down the Country Inn. They are planning on opening up "Nick and Terri's" on Rt. 73 near the Goshen Road exit before the end of the year. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as things happen and the new establishment opens.

* Val has indicated that she is interested in continuing her education at the Vo-Tech center. I really didn't get a chance to talk to her about it much, but I think she is going into medical Billing.

* I did manage to finally put up a few pictures from Thanksgiving, they are in my renamed Holidays Album. I think I am also going to put this years Christmas pictures in there as well.

* Brittany is in for the Holidays from Linsley. I know Kim was very happy to finally have her baby home for the Holidays.

* Speaking of Kim, she captured a great movie of Robert shooting a dear last week. You couldn't ask for a better opportunity than what she had and she hit a game winning grand slam with it. I tried to put it up on where I host my movies, but it only brought in a portion of the movie.

* Tomorrow is my companies Christmas Party. It's on a Sunday night, so I will be staying in Frostburg Sunday Night and commuting about 5 mins to work. Wow what a change that will be. Maybe I should drive to Frederick and back before work so I can keep in practice.

* I have noticed one thing this week. Morgantown only gets a small portion of snow that Frostburg gets. I left work Thursday and there was 12" of snow I had to remove from my car before I could leave. I get back to Morgantown and it's raining. No snow on the ground and to warm to snow. Have I ever mentioned I hate snow?

* I'm going to take my camera to work with me on Monday, or should I say with me for the Christmas Party, hopefully I can get a few nice pics so everyone can see the people I work with on a daily basis.

* Speaking of work, I had an interview with an Engineering firm in Mon County a couple weeks ago. They are interested, but I'm getting the impression that they don't want to offer me what I was asking. It could be that they are waiting on equipment, but for once in my life I didn't interview for a job out of necessity, but rather out of just exploring my options.

Since it's been a while since I posted, I thought I would leave everyone with a couple Christmas gifts.




I'll Be Home for Christmas.



Holly Jolly Christmas


And how about my Encore just for good nature.



Wonderful World

Have a great day.

Survivor Guatemala Final

Tonight was the Survivor Guatemala Final, unfortunately I am a little under the weather and have taped it so I can view it tomorrow, however I am awake when the Million Dollars was awarded to Danni Boatwright. She was the last one standing and beat Steph in the final two.

Happy Birthday Kim

Today is December 4th, I would like to take this chance to extend a very Happy Birthday wish to my Sister Kim. She's a year younger than I am, but I seem to forget what that number is because I tend to celebrate anniversaries of previous birthdays.

So to Kim, I hope today is a special day for you. May your coffee be the perfect temperature, may you get enough rest and enough to eat. I hope that everything goes exactly how you choose.



As I look back on the years,
I realize there have been so many times
when my heart has been touched by your kindness...

So many times,
when something you said helped me to see a solution;
Or something you had done helped to brighten my day.
So many times,
when your wide open arms and soft gentle smile,
helped to ease all my troubles away.

Thank you for making such a beautiful
difference in my life...so many times.

Survivor Night

I missed last week because it coincided with the back yard brawl. Seems like I missed Gary Hogeboom being voted off last week. If you need a review of what happened, you can read about it here. I was a a little bit too occupied watching a great football game.

This weeks show starts off as usual as a review of what happened last week. The final six survivors are contemplating who will be the next to go, Danni is the last remaining member of her tribe, so it would be good guess that she will be the next to go.

The rewards challenge is an auction that gave survivors a dollar amount and food items were auctioned off. First was Beef jerky, then three chocolate chip cookies, then a mosquito net, a Philly steak sandwich and fries, a sealed envelope that needs to remain sealed until the immunity challenge, a visit with family members to stay over night, plus the winner was allowed to pick two other survivors to allow them to stay with their family, leaving half of the survivors visiting people from home and three with no one.

Danni won the envelope that contained something that could possibly help them win immunity, but it was not revealed as to what it could be. I guess we are going to have to wait and see as to what it is that will give her a unique advantage in the immunity challenge. If she were to win immunity, it would reveal who the alliances pecking order would be.

The immunity challenge was a big puzzle that they had to complete. Danni's envelope that she won during the auction was a card that allowed her to change positions with any other player at any time during the puzzle solving. The first person to solve the puzzle wins immunity. It was enough to allow her to switch places with Steph and she managed to be the one winning immunity. This means one oof the five remaning alliance members would be going home tonight. Lydia I would imagine seems to be the odd member out of the alliance, but they also could get rid of the biggest threat of Rafe.

I have my own personal favorite that I would like to be seen gone, but it could be interesting to see who will be the next player who will be joining the jury.

At Tribal Council I got my Birthday gift when the asshole Judd Seargant was sent home.



Bye Bye Asswipe!