Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again I sit here in a quite household in the early AM collecting my thoughts. Michelle and I went to the WVU Spring Game last night, we had a great parking spot, don;t think I have ever parked so close to the stadium as we did last night.

It started out with an old timers game and culminated with a scrimmage that left most people coming out feeling pretty good about the upcoming season. The offense seemed to have a flow to it that it has lacked for a number of years. I'm hopeful with what the upcoming season presents us, I'm thinking BCS Bowl.

On to today, Michelle and I are traveling to Maryland to do a little bit of possible Geocaching and to help a friend celebrate their birthday with a party this afternoon.

Weather permitting, and it looks like it will be, it's going to be a great day.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Mountaineer Football Friday.

Yes Football fans, we will get our first chance to see the 2011 Mountaineer Football team tonight with Head Coach in Waiting's Dana Holgorson's new offense that he has installed this season. Michelle and I are planning in being there, but if the weather gets bad I might just be sitting at home and watching it on the internet.

I can't remember the last time I missed a spring game, all I know is it has been a long time since I didn't go to one and I would like to continue the streak this year. I am anxious to see how effective the new Offense is going to be, or even if it is even better than last years. One would assume that it will be, but you also never know.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

It is once again Photo Flashback Thursday, the one Blog during the week when I take a little bit of time out to reflect on my tens of thousands of pictures and talk about one.

This one I will call my last walk. In 2001 I started working at the Natural Resources Analysis Center (NRAC) at WVU. I worked an internship there through college and continued to work there for a period of time after graduation while I was seeking that permanent employment somewhere else.

I would typically park at the Coliseum and walk up past the engineering PRT station to the other side of the Evansdale Library and to the NRAC. I did it my final four years of college and for a year after college. Every day IO would make this walk. The picture you see if from my "Last Walk". This was the last time I made this walk before I started working in Frostburg, Maryland the following Monday.

As I took this walk, I reflected on all my time at WVU and at the NRAC. The friends I had made, the classes I had taken, and the all the times both good and bad that I had at my Alma Mater. It was the end of a transitional period in my life. One that saw me go from steel mills, to the classroom to being a GIS professional. It took me a little longer to get to work that day, there was a good bit of reflection that needed done.

I don't think I will ever forget that walk, because it was my final walk and completion of my transition. It was a very good day.

Hump Day

We actually made it through the first couple days of the work week and if you look over the horizon you can actually see what looks like a possible weekend.

For you football fans, this weekend will have the 2011 NFL Drafton Saturday. I'm hoping the Steelers can get an Offensive Guard, Mike Pouncey would be my first choice, but his stock has risen and he may not be available when the Steelers Draft. His twin brother is our Center and I think Guard is the position we really need to address in this years draft.

Speaking of football, the spring game for WVU is Friday evening, so this coming weekend is going to be one heck of a weekend for this football fan. We're also planning on traveling and visiting some friends on Saturday.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays' Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again behind us and in our memories, and we are looking right down the barrel of a Tuesday, Can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* 1,138 magical days since Mine and Michelle's first date a little over three years ago.

* 361 days since our engagement last year.

* 102 days left until our wedding this August. Plans are going good so far, Michelle met with her sister and Kim yesterday at lunch about a Bridal Shower for her in early July and our invitations should be here some time soon.

* Bill Filcheck has officially made us all feel old when he said he watched Billy Idol in PBS yesterday on Facebook. I started to think about that, didn't Billy Idol use to be on MTV and didn't MTV use to actually show videos? You know the acronym for Music Television (MTV) would suggest they did.

* I was feeling a little under the weather yesterday when I got home, cranky and was running a fever. I'm feeling a little better this morning.

* hi ho hi ho

Back to Work Kind of a Day

Rainy days that we will remember as this weekend are now behind us and it's time to get back to the grindstone and return to yet another week of work today.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my future co-father in law and Michelle's step father Tom Andrews a very Happy Birthday today. By latest count I think he is about 29 years old and holding.

Michelle and I did have a nice Easter Dinner yesterday, she made a beer can chicken on the grill despite the rain and it was quite awesome. She outdid herself with home made bread, deviled eggs, grilled chicken, asparagus, potatoes and Sautéed mushrooms. It was a feast fit for any man and being it was just the two of us, we had plenty of leftovers.

Hope everyone had a great Easter, but now it is hi ho hi ho

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone. The Holiest day of the year for those of the Christian Faith.

Michelle and myself will be at home today making a beer can chicken and just enjoying the day. Yesterday we managed to make it up to Amy's for an Easter Egg Hunt that I managed to get one or two photographs from and have posted them online at both my site and Facebook.

The rain did manage to hold off enough yesterday afternoon to allow the kids to have a few rounds of finding Easter Eggs. I think that Erica, Josh and Kaiden had an absolute blast going to look for the eggs. You could see the excitement on their faces when they were told to go and find the eggs. I don't think they cared about the prizes inside, I think they got their joy from just looking for them. Hence why they were hidden more than once.

With our Sunday shopping completed yesterday, today should be a day of relaxation for Michelle and Me.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet house with almost everyone sleeping. Hayley is in Pittsburgh visiting family, so the house is nice and quiet on an early Saturday morning.

Maybe it's just me, but I think the water table is in good enough condition that it could stop raining for a while. If April Showers bring May flowers, we should be getting ready for a jungle of flowers coming up real soon. I should just be thankful that at least it is not snow.

Since tomorrow is Easter, we're going to try to get our shopping done this morning so we can try to make it to Amy's this afternoon for an Easter Egg Hunt, weather permitting. If it is raining we probably are going to stay home rather than just crowd inside of her place getting mud everywhere. I hope it stops raining today.

Have a good Saturday

Big Ole Hairy Good Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Good Friday.

Yes it is the start of a holy weekend for Christians, the holiest time of the year and a time when Peter Cottontain will be hopping down the bunny trail and leaving goodies for little boys and girls for Easter.

Weather permitting my niece Amy will be holding the 2011 Easter Egg Hunt at her home this year. Hopefully the weather will be cooperative.

Haley is going to Pittsburgh for the weekend to stay with her cousins and I think Chad is going to Maryland with Laiah. It'll just be a relaxing easter morning with me and my baby.

Hi ho...er hippity hoppity hippity hoppity

Photo Flashback Thursday

It's Photo Flashback Thursday, the one day of the week when I take a little bit of time and look back through all my photos and relive a small portion of my past life on the internet.

This particular picture was taken just up on top of the hill from where I live now, it was a time when my Mother was in visiting from Georgia and her and Terri stopped in to see me. It was also a time when I had hair and actually tried to grow a mullet (yes this was in the 1980's and they were in style). Might be one of the last few pictures taken of me with a full head of hair, it was later that summer that I started getting crew cuts and having next to no hair.

It was a time when I was working at Sterling, partying my butt off and having as much fun as I possibly could muster. We had some great neighbors downstairs and it was a fun filled couple of years when I met some great people. Most of if not all of them are out of my life now, but it was a time that I think everyone needs to enjoy.

These were my wild and crazy years.

Hump Day

What is up with this weather? If I were a duck I might love this, but I'm not a duck and I think the water table is more than full. It's time to start bringing the sunshine instead of all of this rain. With Easter weekend fast approaching, it would be nice to have a little bit of a break from all this rain and see a little bit of sunshine. Kids do have to find those eggs.

Michelle was sick once again yesterday and stayed home from work. She's usually a trooper and a hard one to keep down, so I know those headaches had to have been horrible. Hopefully she will be feeling better today and will be able to get back to work. I know she is starting to feel a little bit of cabin fever and wants to get out of the house.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is now a distant memory and we are on to the next day of the week, can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* 1,131 days since mine and Michelle's first date a little over three years ago.

* It's been 354 days since our engagement.

* and were are at 109 days and counting until our wedding this August.

* My niece Amy is going to be hosting the Easter Egg Hunt for 2011 this Saturday. I've donated my eggs from last year to the cause and I'll even try to fill most of them up before the hunt.

* Michelle was a little bit under the weather yesterday morning when she woke up. She wasn't feeling that well when she went to bed Sunday Night, and she definitely wasn't feeling very well yesterday. Hopefully she'll feel better this morning when she wakes up.

* Funny story, Michelle woke me up yesterday morning at 6:30. No big deal except when you consider I'm up between 4-5:00 EVERY day including Saturday and Sunday. So, it felt like I slept in.

* The weather looks like it may want to start cooperating with us now, at least a little bit. I'm not holding my breath though just in case.

* Speaking of easter Dinner, Michelle is going to prepare one for us here. I have to come up with some ideas for food.

* Hi ho hi ho

Mondays

All good things have to end, and that includes weekends. It's back to the grindstone for the next few days for us, before we can enter into Easter weekend next weekend.

Our bas day Saturday with a great day yesterday, we did start to get our garden set up and a portion of the dirt into it. We wanted to at least get it set up and give the soil a little time to settle before we officially start planting our tomatoes, different varieties of peppers, probably a little bit of loose leaf lettuce and some green beens as well as some assorted herbs like Basil, Parsley, Chives, Mint, dill and maybe or two others. I'm going to plane some cucumber plants, but not in that planter.

Onto this week and another fun filled week of putting our noses on the grindstone. Don;t you just hate Mondays?

Hi ho hi ho

One of those days

Today has to be a makeup day, yesterday was one of those days that you just wish you could forget about. It seemed that anything that could go wrong, did go wrong and it started early in the morning with our easy up being blown across thew yard and ended up with the us having the alternator go out in the car and having to change it.

Once again a big thank you to George McClain and Pam for coming over and giving me a hand changing the alternator out in our car. I was having one heck of a time getting the serpentine belt back on, he came and worked his magic in a small space and was able to slip the belt on.

We didn't want an already bad day to end, so we decided to do our weekly grocery shopping last night, the day was already bad, I just thought we might as well get everything done yesterday so we can relax and have fun today.

I'm just hoping today is going to be a relaxing kind of day, we deserve it.

Early Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I am, once again in a quiet house with everyone sleeping except this early bird who is up in time to make sure the roosters are awake.

I don't think Mother Nature is going to be as nice to us this weekend as she was weather wise last weekend. It's calling for rain in the forecast and at 5:00 AM it appears to have rained last night. I'm sure we'll make the most of it though, somehow or another. I know Michelle and I have plans for this evening for dinner, but the rest of our weekend is pretty much open.

We did get our first shipment from Oriental Trading for a lot of items we ordered for the wedding yesterday. There is still one shipment that needs to be made, but that is for items that were personalized and took a little more time to ship. In case anyone didn't know, it's going to be non formal, Hawaiian/Beach/Margaritaville styled wedding. Everyone will bet leid, some of us more ways than others. =)

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

I'm kind of hoping that the weather holds out this weekend, we bought an herb garden from Sams last weekend that I would kind of like th get set up this weekend. I want to line it in plastic and be able to to use it as a Herb/Vegetable garden on the back deck this year. I figured I retired from softball, I can find something else to do with my time and I have always missed having a garden.

Oh well, let's get this party started. Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Well here we are once again, another Thursday and yet another time to look back through my tens of thousands of pictures I have either taken or scanned through the years and take a littlebit of time to reflect back on times gone by.

This picture I can date back to I think January 7, 1973. It was my grandfather's 80th birthday and everyone was helping him celebrate it. It also marked the time when he actually retired from working a job and only worked around the house.

To say that he was a hard worker was an absolute understatement. It was up every morning between 3:00 and 4:00 AM and he was at work at the church by 4:00 AM every day.

On this day, it was a very special memory for me as my grandfather and grandmother posed for a picture together, probably one of the last times they had a picture taken together when they were both 100% healthy and definitely a very fond memory for me.

Hump Day

Well we are now at the day before Friday eve and looking at the downhill part of the workweek and staring at yet another weekend.

Michelle's Mom and grandmother are coming into town this afternoon for Gigi's eye appointment at the WVU Eye Institute here in Morgantown. We are talking about getting together and having dinner with them this evening after work. Gigi likes eating at the Golden Coral, so that is where we will be dining for dinner this evening. I hope it's a seafood kind of evening myself, I would have a little mbit of fish this evening.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again in our rear view mirrors and we are looking down at a Tuesday, I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,124 magical days since mine and Michelle's first date a little over three years ago.

* It's been 347 days since our engagement, and we are looking at a year on that pretty soon.

* 116 days to go until we are blissfully merged together in wedlock.

* I guess all good things have to come to an end and that included the great weather we were experiencing yesterday. A couple days in a row of 80° weather kind of spoiled me, but I like that kind of spoiling. I love the spring time.

* Jean has mentioned that she would like to maybe do an Easter Egg hunt this year somewhere. I told her we have probably 100+ plastic eggs from last year and would do anything she would like to assist her. It's for the kids and she mentioned possibly doing it at Marilla and let the kids seek eggs.

* We were thinking about going to the trails yesterday evening, but the weather was a little less than cooperative and we ended up just staying home.

* Hi ho hi ho

Back To Work

Well we had a great weekend, we got a few things accomplished that we wanted to accomplish for the wedding, got our law chairs and canopy hooked up outside and even took a little bit of time yesterday to grill up some awesome steaks, little potatoes and some fresh asparagus on the grill. We also purchased a little garden that we are going to build on the patio and line it with plastic. It was pre-fabricated with recycled material and we can tale it down in the fall and reuse it next year. 3 1/2' X 7' x 8" will give us a chance to plant a few fresh veggies and some fresh herbs.

So much for the fun though, this is Monday, we have a Federal Budget and it's back to the grindstone for both Michelle and me today.

It was a great and very productive weekend and I just loved the weather!!!

Hi ho hi ho

Geocaching 2011

We finally got our start on the 2011 geocaching season yesterday. We had been out once earlier looking for a single cache that we did not retrieve, so we tried it once again yesterday and once again failed. However we did manage to do a couple of other caches yesterday afternoon, officially giving us a start to or season.

One of the caches we did asked you to upload a picture of yourself, as the young couple that set the cache had met at this location.

I am hoping to do a little more geocaching this year than I did last year, mainly because I have now officially hung it up and retired from playing the game of softball. I'll miss the game, but I can keep myself busy geocaching.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again I sit in a quiet house with everyone sleeping collecting my thoughts. I've always been an early morning person, and yes I am up at 5:00 AM even on my days off. I think this sleep schedule was bestowed upon me by my grandparents as a child growing up and I have never really shaken it. I've had other sleep schedules, but this one has always seemed the most comfortable for me. I guess I'm a get up and get it over with so I can enjoy the rest of the day kind of a guy.

Well I guess I still have a place to go to work on Monday. Yesterday Secretary Chu announced that the DOE would continue operations with money that had no year associated with it and all employees, Feds and Contractors were to report to work Monday if Congress could not agree on a budget. So regardless I have to report Monday.

However last night at the 11th hour (Midnight actually) the Senate Approved a budget presented by the House earlier in the evening calling for 48 Billion in cuts (about to Billion less than Obama had called for) preventing a Government Wide Shut Down.

I think both sides were playing poker, but knowing a shut down was the last thing anyone wanted they passed a budget late last night.

I was prepared either way and may even start my own company on the side. When opening up a GIS business the one thing you need is first a market (it's there) and a work flow that will keep you busy and that might have just fallen into place Thursday by sheer accident. I was presented a chance to tie into a large company as an independent contractor, and I think I really want to pursue this market and make my own name on the side. More to come on that, it's something I have always talked about doing.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

I should watch what I am wishing for though as the Federal Government is fighting over a budget still and have a deadline of midnight tonight or the Government is going to shut down. What does this mean to a Federal Contractor such as myself? It means my office is locked up and we are not permitted on site or to be able to work until the budgeting issues have been resolved.

To say that it is on my mind is an understatement. I hope they get this resolved as soon as possible so that any Federal Employee or contractor can get back to doing what we do and earn our money.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Terri Beth Hall Rehmani

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my beautiful sister Terri, aka "Teddy Bear" a very happy birthday today.

I could combine this post and talk about this picture as my photo flashback. This picture was at a party that she had at her house a number of years ago. She and Nick always had an open door and were always hosting get togethers if for no other reason than getting together. I think this is one of my personal favorite pics of her, I even remember using this photo in my wonderful world movie that I did a number of years ago. It was through her eyes that I got the inspiration to do the video.

If you see Terri today, make sure you wish Terri a very Happy Birthday today.

Hump Day

Well 14 hours after I left the house in wearing a tie I finally made it home. Talk about a very long day, at least I had dinner at the Hotel Morgan and someone else picked up the tab.

Now we're at Wednesday and day two of the conference. It'll all be over with tonight after we give them a tour of NETL this afternoon and show everyone a few things.

I hope everyone has a great hump day. I'm brain dead this evening (I usually write the blog the evening before) and really aren't the most articulate this evening. Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Well, Monday is not behind us and we are looking straight down the barrel of a Tuesday. I can;t think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1117 magical days since Michelle and I had our first date a little over three years ago.

* It's been 340 days since we became engaged.

* We are 123 days before our wedding date later this summer.

* I'll have a busy week this week starting today. It's the first day of the three Country NACAP Conference that WVU and NETL are hosting. Needless to say that this will be a very long day for me. Tomorrow shouldn't be as long as today.

* Trish, Arron and Layla stopped over yesterday evening for a nice little visit. It had been a while since we had seen them, so it was nice to see them as it always is.

* Yesterday was also Michael and Ashley's third year wedding anniversary.

* Hi ho hi ho, it's going to be a long, tie wearing day.

End of the Weekend

All good things must come to an end, and that includes weekends. The weather was a little less than cooperative for us, but we did manage to get out yesterday evening and help out Smitty and Stephanie find a graveyard that they couldn't find by using the GPS. Her grandparents are buried in a small graveyard off of Snake Hill Road and they were having trouble locating it. She had used Find A Grave to located the coordinates, we converted them to something our GPS could use and plugged them in. It took us right to it. When we got home I managed to find by Grandparents Gravesite on that site.

Michelle made a large batch of home made chicken noodle soup yesterday. I bought a canning jar attachment for our FoodSaver and we put it into 8 quart jars and a 2 quart vacuum sealed container. Michelle loves soup and will be taking them for lunch at work. She is one heck of a cook.

This week for me is going to be chaos starting tomorrow. We have the NACAP Conference here in Morgantown this week. It's not going to be the typical week for me and that's for sure.

Have a great day, hi ho hi ho

What is Up With This Damn Weather

Paging Punxatawey Phil and Mother Nature. What the heck is up with this weather? And Snow? In April? Give me a break, it's going on NINE, count them NINE weeks since Phil said we were going to have an early spring. By my count that is three weeks past your jurisdiction, and we are ready for Spring Time. So make with the spring time NOW.

I've had enough of this cold winter weather, it's time for shorts, sandals and Spring time weather. The past few days have been the most absolute craziest weather wise. One minute it's bearable, next thing you know it's pouring snow down. It was snowing yesterday and calling for 72° tomorrow. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Well April Fools is now behind us and I do have to say I saw and heard a couple good ones that were not even mine.

On WVAQ Kevin and Timmy kept apologizing for something that was said on air and offered a chance for viewers to chime in. Michelle, my co-conspirator on yesterdays pranks said they kept talking about it and wondered what was said. I just looked at her and say Ken in pretty good at this, just like a few years ago when he and Eric started an hour early and reported the time an hour ahead fooling many into thinking they were late for work. Good prank Kevin and Timmy.

Josh Hertlein a guy I work with actually had me second guessing on one that he did when he announced his wife had their baby. He had a lot of details and I almost bit, but once again I knew it was April Fools Day so I held of on congratulating them until today. Good thing, because that too was a good one.

I also tried one on Facebook telling people they could see who has viewed their status by using the windows command to close a window "CTRL + W".

Yesterday was a pretty productive day however, I finally made it to the DMV to have my address changed. It's only been two years and I've actually started using checks with my current address and now have the drivers license to support that.

We also stopped in at the Marilla Center and had a chance to go in and take some notes. I managed to grab a few pictures for those of you who have not been there recently or not at all.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday and an April Fools Day.

Hope everyone liked my first post today, it was a lot of fun trying to come up with something. We had to keep in par with what we did last year when we told everyone we ran away in the middle of the night to get married.

Well consider this, by the time this posts I'll already be off work for the day running some errands with Michelle.

Have a great weekend.

We're Going to Have a Baby

Michelle and I have been blessed, she did a pregnancy test this morning and it came back positive, we are going to have a baby.

We are both stunned and excited and can't believe we have been blessed with this little bundle of joy. It does come as a surprise as she is a few months pregnant already and we are thinking of moving the wedding up from August to later this month.

We are both very excited, we already have a name picked out for our little bundle of joy. Sloof Lirpa Hall. We derived the name from a special event.