Big Ole Hairy Buckwheat Festival 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!!!!

If you have never heard of a buckwheat cake, take a look at my picture and that is going to be my dinner for this evening. I'm still negotiating on how many plates I am going to be allowed to eat, Michelle is still holding steady at one is all I am allowed to eat, I'm still bargaining for three. Something tells me she is going to win however. Damn diabetes.

Looking for a little bit of football this weekend? The Morgantown High Mohigans are hosting the Preston Knights. This game is usually at the Buckwheat festival, but my indications are that it is at Morgantown. University travels to Fairmont to play Fairmont Sr High School. The Fighting CB's are hosting Valley Whetzel in Blacksville.

Looking for College Football? The Mountaineers are at home this weekend and will be hosting Bowling Green at 3:30 on Saturday afternoon. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 3.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little time out and look through all of the pictures I have either taken or scanned through the years and take a little bit of time out to reflect on that photo. This weeks photo is no different even though it just looks like a picture taken at Coopers Rock.

This was taken a few months after I graduated from college. My salary had just went from poor struggling college student to "OK you can actually survive meagerly". I had managed to save a few dollars from ever paycheck for a few months and purchased a new Digital Camera that at the time was pretty high end. I managed to save $300.00 and did my research and purchased my first "real" camera. I had a few others that I had had in college, but this was a very good Kodak that I still have today (until my sweetie bought me a newer and better camera). I BLOGGED about it, when I purchased it. Funny thing is, that blog was my third blog post ever after the first two of testing and playing around with Blogger. You could say this was my forst "serious" blog that I had ever wrote.

Anyways, I was still working at the NRAC and the leaves were changing so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get some good photos. If you have never been to North Central West Virginia, it is the heart of Appalachia and is filled with hardwood forests that their leaves change colors before they fall off. It is as if someone painted the forest and I was not going miss this opportunity.

On this picture I was standing on top of the overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest when I noticed this bird was flying high above the Cheat River. I had a great vantage point and looking down on the bird, so I could not let this opportunity pass. Hence this photo.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Two down, two ahead and today. We're starting to get to where we can enjoy the fruits of our labors for a few.

I went to my final diabetes education class yesterday, it's been a refresher from the one I went to a few years ago where I got my initial education about being diabetic. It had been a few years, and Michelle needed to be educated a little but about it as well although she could not get off work yesterday. She made the important one about diet.

Speaking of diet, I'm not on one. I have done a lifestyle change however. I'm walking in the mornings before work and have even started to life weights before I start work. We have a state of the art gym and it is right across the hall from my office, so I really needed to start taking advantage of what was available to me. We have a 1.5 Mile fitness trail with a lot of elevation changes that works you pretty well. My blood sugars have been solid good.

Speaking of, hi ho hi ho off to the gym I go.

Tuesday's Tidbit's

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

* It's been 1,292 days since mine and Michelle's first date. How many people would still be counting this? I am.

* 515 Days since our engagement.

* 52 days since we were married.

* 89 shopping days left until Christmas.

* The official Josh Judy Major League strikeout count still stands at 10, he had 2 last night. The season is winding down and they are playing their last couple of games of the year in Detroit.

* Sugar Free chocolate jello pudding is awesome inspiration while writing a blog.

* I have a diabetes education class this afternoon, so I'll only be working half of the day.

* Hi ho hi ho

I Hate Mondays

Weekends are awesome, they meant to relax, have fun and enjoy the fruits of our labors and spoil and enjoy ourselves a little bit. This was a big football weekend in Morgantown and the town is still standing, so I guess that means it didn't go as well as we all wanted it to, but it was still a great weekend.

Now it's back to the grindstone of that thing we call our jobs. Hopefully we are all rested and relaxed and ready for another week at the office.

Hi ho hi ho

Wow what a game

Well, we gave it all we had and came up on the short end of a 21-47 loss to LSU last night here in Morgantown. Geno Smith lit it up for a school record 463 passing yards against what may arguably be the best Defense in college football as I mentioned yesterday.

LSU kept winning the battle of field position all night, their punter continually pinned us inside the 10 yard line and it seemed like LSU started every drive at mid field.

There was a point when we pulled to within 21-27 and the crowd was fired up, then LSU responded with a 99 yard kickoff return for a touchdown where the runner should have been tackled and just never quit.

I actually seen a lot of positives for the Mountaineers last night. The Offensive line, one that I have refereed to as a continuation of the worst line in WVU history played like one of the best lines in WVU history last night. I can see this team winning the rest of the games with the next challenge coming on December 1 against South Florida that will probably be for the leagues BCS spot.

We were blown out, but I saw a lot of positives last night. Watch LSU win it all this year.

Happy Birthday Kaiden Dalton

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Kaiden Dalton a very happy third birthday today. Amy and Ralph hosted his birthday party a couple of weeks ago to avoid all the excitement around Morgantown today and any conflicts with Calvin's birthday last week.

The family assembled and had fun with a cookout, games for the kids, cake and even a little old fashioned chicken chasing.

If you see Kaiden today, make sure that you tell him lets go mountain...er Happy Birthday.

Calm before the potential storm

Here I sit, early on a quiet Saturday Morning in a quiet household on a day when Morgantown will be the center of the College Football world. If all goes well this evening tomorrow morning's story will be how Morgantown is still standing after the defeat of the #2 team in the Country here in Morgantown last night (tonight).

It promises to be a very good game. The Mountaineers went to Baton Rouge last year and lost by six points, 20-14 in a game where star running back Noel Devine was injured and never was himself again after that game. LSU has arguably one of the toughest defenses in College Football, they pretty much dismantled a high flying Oregon team that played for the National Championship last year earlier this season. This will be Offensive Guru and WVU's first year Head Coach Dana Holgorsen's trial by fire. We will not see another team of this caliber the rest of the season and it will be a true test to our newly revamped Offense.

Should be a good one, stay tuned to ESPN all day as Gameday is set up at the Mountainlair. Maybe we can watch a lot of excitement in this town tonight.

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!!!!

Are you looking for a little football? Well this weekend should be very exciting especially here in Morgantown. The University High Hawks will be playing at home tonight and hosting Parkersburg South High School. The 2-2 Hawks will be trying to improve their record with a good showing tonight.

Talk about football, College GameDay will be broadcasting from the Mountainlair all day tomorrow as the college football world will be centered here in Morgantown tomorrow culminating with the 16th Ranked Mountaineers will take on the 2nd ranked LSU Tigers on prime time network Television Saturday night. 8:00 on ABC and hopefully a few hours later this city will see a few some chaos as a victory celebration.

Let's get this party started, hi ho hi ho

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary

I would like to take this opportunity to wish both Abdul and Farida Rehmani a very Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary from both me and my wife Michelle.

This is my brother in law Nick's parents and it's not really that often than you see someone celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.

Farida and Abdul were family long before Nick and Terri ever took their wedding vows, they have always seemed to have been a special part of our family ever since they first arrived to the US from Zaire a number of years ago.

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary, may you see another 50 more Happy years.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through my pictures. I sort through them all and see if I can find one that may interest me that just hasn't really been posted and tell a little story about it.

With September winding down and looking at early October that means one thing, the Preston County Buckwheat Festival is right around the bend. I LOVE Buckwheat cakes and want enjoy them this year, me and Michelle are debating if I can have one plate of three or my bid of three plates of nine. This may take some begging and pleading and negotiating, but I'm working towards it.

I've been hit or miss on the Buckwheat festival through the years, I missed it last year and am planning on making it up this year for the celebration and my three plates of Buckwheat cakes....LOL

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well we got the first two days down and now once we get passed today we can concentrate on the down ward part of the week as we work towards another weekend.

Does anyone else feel that once they get to the workweek that their days all seem to run together. Maybe I am in need of another extended weekend when I can sit and relax a little bit and break the monotony. I sure could use a couple of days at a nice tropical beach on a warm summer day with the sounds of the waves just crashing against the seashore. Feel a nice crisp wind blowing as the seagulls are flying over head looking for scraps of food. Days long gone by and it will be a while before I can enjoy that comfort again.

It's getting cooler in the evenings and I am starting to notice the days are starting to shorten a little bit, could be that we are in the last couple days of summer and the Autumn Equinox (Fall) starts this Friday. I'll miss you summer, it was a great time.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

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

* 1,285 days since mine and Michelle's first date.

* 508 days since our engagement.

* 45 days since our wedding.

* 96 shopping days left until Christmas.

* The Big East was shocked this past weekend with the announcement of Pittsburgh and Syracuse moving over to the ACC. West Virginia will be exploring its options on what to do on Conference affiliation. Three possible options are probably on the table.

* Merge with the remaining members of the Big 12.
* In invitation to the SEC.
* An invitation to the ACC (Not likely)

* In case anyone has missed it, Gameday will be in Morgantown for the WVU-LSU game this weekend.

* I got a text message from my sister Terri yesterday, she had lost her iPhone over the weekend but she had managed to find it behind the couch. I had an older one I was going to loan her, no need now as she found her 3GS.

* The Official Josh Judy Major League strikeout count stands at 8. I was speaking with both his Mom and dad over the weekend and it appears that he will be up for the remainder of the season.

* Hi ho hi ho

Weekend Recall

before I put my nose back on the grindstone for the day, let's reflect back to yesterday and avoid that the thinking about work until I actually get to work.

It was a good day yesterday, we all converged on Pam and George's to help Calvin celebrate his birthday. I grabbed quite a few photos yesterday as did my niece Amy, we have both placed all of our photo's on Facebook for friends to share.

I think Calvin had a good time, he had a few friends over and the younguns as you can see by this picture took a moment of time for a photo opportunity that makes us think back to our own youth and days of worry free innocence.

That being said, hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Calvin Michael McClain

I would like to take this opportunity out to wish my Nephew Calvin a very Happy Birthday today.

Later this afternoon Michelle and I will join the rest of my family at Pam and George's for a little bit of celebration to help Calvin ring in his birthday. If my math is correct, and don't hold me to this, I think this is Calvin's 16th birthday.

I have to say I have really watched Calvin grow up in the past couple of years, not so much physically because he is about 6'6" or 6'7" now, but as a young man. It really is an honor to have him as a Nephew.

Happy Birthday Calvin.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again I am sitting here in a quiet household in the early AM collecting my thoughts. The People Vs Larry Flynt is playing in the background and I'm the only one up right now.

Last night was not very good to the local High School Football Teams, let's just hope that when the Mountaineers take the field at noon today that they do not continue that trend. I think this will be the first test during the Dana Holgorsen era and next week will be the BIG test if we pass this one when #3 LSU comes to town. We'll see how today plays out before we worry about next week though, I am concerned with our lack of a running game so far this season.

Have 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 Friday!!!!

Looking for a little football? Both Morgantown and University are on the road again for the second straight week. The Mohigans will be traveling to Martinsburg to take on the defending State Champion Martinsburg Bulldogs and the hawks will be traveling to play Wheeling park.

West Virginia is also on the road this wee as they travel to Maryland to take on the Maryland Terrapins in College Park Maryland.

If you are looking for something local to do, the Wine and Jazz Festival will be held both Saturday and Sunday at Camp Muffly.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little time out and go back through all of my pictures that I have digitally stored on my computer and select one and reflect a little bit about the picture.

Today's picture takes me back a few years, back to the year 1988 and a great group of guys and a great softball team that was the Sports Page. If there was ever a season that we should have walked away with a Championship, this was one of them that should have. We were the #1 ranked team going into the playoffs and we had more talent than anyone we faced.

However that doesn't always translate into playoff series wins. I recall we bowed out in the semi-finals that year as did the team seaded #2 in the tournament.

It was a summer of change for me, I left a team that I played for the year before to go back and play with a group I started with and we had an absolute blast that year.

There were two others on that team that I played with until I retired this year, this was also the first year I played with Chris and Paul.

Good times, we may have even had noodle salad that day.

Hump Day

Two own, this hump and then two to go. That's a nice way to look at things. Weekend isn't that far away and I'm about ready for another one.

This is a brain fart kind of a day, nothing really to say today. As I am writing this (I write them the evening before), I'm actually in an empty house as Chad and Laiah are at a cookout and Michelle has taken Hayley to work. Sadie is camped out on the pillow sleeping and the cats, who knows what those two little hellions are getting into. Actually one is sleeping atop the staircase, so one must be plotting the mischief.

With that being said....hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is now once again a faded memory and we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday, can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,278 days since mine and Michelle's first date a few years ago.

* 501 magical days since our engagement.

* 38 days ago we met stood in front of all our friends and family and exchanged our vows of marriage.

* 103 more shopping days left until Christmas. It'll start to close in on you faster than you think.

* I guess Sams Club and Target in Morgantown were evacuated due to a Carbon Monoxide leak, this was done just as a precaution.

* hi ho hi ho

Kaiden's Party

Yesterday afternoon Michelle and I went to Amy's to help Kaiden celebrate his third birthday with a group of friends and family.

Amy and Ralph did a great job playing the part of the party hosts and making everyone feel welcome. They had a little BBQ and fed everyone before setting up a pinata for the kids to whack on a few times to see if they could release all of the candy treats.

I managed to capture a few picture of the day and have them on Facebook and hosted on my site.

It was a nice relaxing end to a almost perfect weekend (way to go Steelers, screw it all up).

Hi ho hi ho

9-11-01

It was ten years ago today that the lives of all Americans changed. A day when we saw a domestic terrorist attack on our own soil to a magnitude that we have never before seen.

A group of crazed terrorists Hijacked four planes, the first two were ran into the world trade centers in New York, the third one was ran into the Pentagon in Washington DC and the fourth was brought down by a brave group of American Heroes that were on the flight in Shanksville PA.

It was a day I never have forgotten, it was a day that I was in college and had one class that day in the evening and was not working that day at the NRAC. It was a day that I sat glued to my television all day to watch the days events as they unfolded.

It's been ten years, Osama Bin Laden is now dead, but the memories of that day lives on in all Americans.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again I sit here in a quiet household in the early AM collecting my thoughts. I think the only ones who are awake are me and the dog Sadie as she just came out of the bedroom and plopped down in the living room. I just got finished watching the great movie "Bob the Butler" on TV. Such great television on in the early AM.

Anyways, it's game day here in Morgantown once again. This is also the day Michelle wanted to initially get married, but it was quickly shot down when we realized that the Mountaineers play today. Hopefully the Mountaineers will be able to get a full game in today without any Thunderstorms interrupting the game like last weeks blowout of Moo Tech after only three quarters.

We did our Saturday shopping last night in preparation for today so we can watch the game and not have to deal with the heavy traffic that seems to accompany game days in Morgantown.

Have 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 Friday!!!!

Looking for some Football? The Morgantown High Mohigans will be traveling to Parkersburg WV to take on Parkersburg South High School. The University High Hawks will be putting their undefeated and unscored upon record on the line as they travel to defending State Champion Brooke.

College Football what you are wanting to see, well the West Virginia Mountaineers are at home Saturday against Norfolk State.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I take a little bit of time out to look through my tens of thousands of pictures that I have managed to take through the years and pick just one and talk a little about that lost moment in time that was captured with a camera.

This weeks pic is from May 16, 2004. When I graduated from WVU there was the College Graduation where I received my Degree (actually grabbed it off a table upstairs at the Coliseum). There was the University wide one that was in the Coliseum where the featured speaker, David Selby spoke to us and was the bug one.

First of all though that day was my Departmental one, the one where I actually made my graduation walk. This weeks picture is with one of my first digital cameras and is of that walk. When my name was announced and I walked and shook the Department heads hand.

It was a very special day and a very special moment in my life, it was the completion of a lifelong dream that I finally completed.

Hump Day

Well that was quick, I like these weeks with Holidays in them because you get through the week much faster. Today we are already at Hump Day and are starting to look towards another weekend just over this horizon.

With this crappy weather however, it may be an inside kind of weekend with the weather that is on the horizon. It's calling for rain all the way up until next Tuesday, but that is not set in stone and I'm sure things could change before then.

It's not that often that I get addicted to a TV program, but Michelle and I have been watching an awful lot of Pawn Stars on Netflix. Arron got us started a few weeks ago and we are about done with the second season right now.

Speaking of working, hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Well a Holiday Monday is now behind us, and we are looking to start our workweek on a Tuesday, still can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,271 days since Michelle and I had our first date a few years ago. I actually tried to buy the movie 10,000 BC that we went and saw yesterday afternoon and she still told me no. yes, it was that bad.

* 494 days since our engagement.

* 31 days ago we partied down at the Marilla Center and exchanged our vows.

* There are 110 shopping days left until Christmas 2011.

* Only 4 more days left until the Mountaineer Football team plays again this season.

* the Official Josh Judy Major League Strikeout count has been bumped during the past week and is currently at 4 as Billy Butler became victim number four on the season.

* Hi ho hi ho

Happy Labor Day

It was a day of firsts yesterday. It was the first game on a Sunday for the Mountaineer Football Team, it was the first time beer was ever sold at Mountaineer Field, it was the first time I can ever remember a game being delayed because of weather (see pics) and it was the first time I can ever recall that a game was not played to it's completion with WVU.

The Dana Holgorsen era kicks off with a real bang as WVU beat Marshall 34-13 with the game halted in the 4th quarter. There was a 3 hour and 3 minute rain delay midway through the 3rd quarter, and an additional 4 minutes or so was played where WVU scored again, but late last night the Athletic Directors met and for the welfare of the Student Athletes deemed the game final as is.

I think we are calling for extended rain today, so it may be a relaxing movie day at home for our holiday and the culmination of our three day weekend.

It's Game Day

There are about 6-7 Saturdays a year when Morgantown transform into the states largest city, it's on six or seven days a year when the Mountaineer Football team plays a home game.

The 2011 College Football season has started this season, and today for the first time ever on a Sunday the Mountaineers will host the Blundering Turds from Huntington. Dana Holgorsen will lead the 2011 edition of the Mountaineers to the field with the schools new tradition of the Man walk, which will debut today.

Ironically even though the game is on a Sunday, this will be the first time beer will be allowed to be sold at the Stadium. It's kind of funny that it's on a day of the week that the Mountaineers have never played, that alcohol will be sold.

I love this time of the year, I love this school and this team almost to the point where it has a large affect on my blood pressure and Michelle's sanity. Although I am a level headed fan 99.9% of the time, I feel my team should dominate every game and ever snap.

Standards are high for not only being a Mountaineer fan, but a Steelers fan too.

A Pittsburgh Day

I know, we buy a new car and we are off an running, but Hayley's iPhone has been acting up to the point they may need to replace it, we are heading to South Hills Village today and the Apple Store to see about getting her phone looked at or replaced.

Normally I am up early and writing my BLOG, but this morning Michelle actually woke up before me and is cooking my breakfast (Turkey bacon, Eggs and toast) while I am writing this, I am so lucky to have such a loving wife. We have both decided to get healthy again and make a lifestyle change, knowing that this is the time of year when I put on weight (Football season).

Should be a good day.

Big Ole Hairy Friday and three day Weekend

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 a three day weekend!!!

Are you ready for some football? My Alma Mater, the great Morgantown High Mohigans will be playing at home against Annacostia, a team from DC who is looking to come down and try to lay the smack down on the Mohigans. The University High Hawks are at home and will be hosting the East Fairmont Bees in what could be a very good game.

Then the biggie, on Sunday the Marshall Blundering Turds will come into Morgantown and leave a residue of pure stink at Mountaineer Field as the Dana Holgorsen era officially begins in Morgantown with the first game of the season.

Should be a good weekend of football, but first I have to get this party started,

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little time out and look back through all of my older pictures and select one to make a blog about. I've been doing this for a couple of months now and it is one of my favorite blogs of the week to write, mainly because it makes me take a little time out and reflect upon my own life a little bit that I have captured in pictures.

This weeks picture is from a few years ago with what I used to refer as my "boys of summer" with Chewy, Phil and Chris. We had taken that afternoon off and traveled to Pittsburgh to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Diego Padres at PNC Park.

Believe it or not, this was only my second Pirates game that I had ever attended in my life (Willie Stargell's last game was my first) and the first one I had ever attended at PNC Park, although this was not my first event at PNC.

You'll notice we are all chowing down on beer and Primanti Brothers sandwiches, and enjoying a great summer afternoon. It was a good day and a very memorable day with some great guys.

Hi ho hi ho