Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, I am the first one to recover from a losing battle with that dreaded Sandman last night and I'm up early watching Funny Farm on HBO and starting to collect my thoughts for the day.

Well I have written a letter to Carol Pava Casey to move my lost sibling search to the next level. I'm going to send it our Monday unless anyone points out any revisions that need to be made. I've handed it off to Kim, Terri, Pam and Gary on a private Facebook message to read and review before I physically mail it to her. The letter provided the background, how I came to find her and a series of five questions that I have asked for answer to that will clear everything up. I need clarification on the accuracy of my research before I go any further. I think I may have found the name of the lost sibling, now it's just going to be a validation process before I move my search to locating them. I'll keep everyone updated as this progresses.

No plans for the day, but that can always change as I just hate to sit and do nothing all day. One thing that we will do today is start watching Season 3 of House of Cards on Netflix. It just became available yesterday. If you have never seen this, it is a great TV series done by Netflix. I think this show is responsible for the word purge watching. That is when you release the entire season at once and allow the viewers to watch it how they see fit. We will watch at least an episode every night for a couple of weeks to complete the season as we have done with the previous two as well as Orange is the New Black which comes out again this Spring.

Have a Great Day and stay Warm.

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.

Well I finally had to upgrade my Roku that I have been using for a number of years. The one I had was probably even considered pre-first edition. When I bought mine, they were not available in any stores at that time and you had to order it. Well the one we had was just getting so old it had trouble connecting to WiFi through wireless, so I replaced it with the Roku 3. The old one still works, but you would have to plug an Ethernet cable into it to get a connection. It was working fine until a couple nights ago, and then it went. If anyone could use it, let me know, it still works. I had just purchased a movie on Amazon when it had connection problems, so I replaced it.

No agenda for us this weekend, it's due to be cold so we're probably not going to get into too much of anything. Unless the weather is nice, then I'll get a case of Cabin Fever and drag Michelle out to do something.

One thing I did find out yesterday, the Balloon Festival will return this year in October. I for one am looking forward to its return.

Have an awesome Friday!!!

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to reflect upon my past and look through all of my pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years. Little lost moments in time to be briefly relived and shared right here with you the reader. Sometimes its pretty easy to find that one special image and sometimes you look and look and look and struggle, it is always a whole lot of fun however and something I always look forward to.

If there was ever any doubt as to whether or not I have ever had hair, this glamorous picture from around 1974 or 75 should solid for evidence that I did. I'm thinking this is Christmas 1974 or 75 at Grandma Hall's where I lived.

Don't you just love that flowered shirt I was wearing, I was setting the fashion world on fire but no one was noticing. LOL It's amazing when you look back 40 years later and notice our fashion sense and hair styles that we used in the 70's.

One thing that I did notice is my Grandmothers Nativity scene that she always put up on top of our Television. I also see the control panel for the TV was also down, back then it was sometimes an effort to get the vertical hold to work right as were were constantly adjusting it. One thing I do remember from that time period is that CB Radios were the big thing and anytime someone keyed the mic close to your house it seems like you always got the noise coming across the TV. It was annoying to say the least.

Have a Great Day


Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well that is two days down now, now all we have to do is get up over this dreaded Noon time hump. Once we are over that you can look just past a photo flashback and see the dawn of another weekend off in the distance.

I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this on my blog before, but I Hate Snow. Not only do I hate snow I hate the absolutely unbearable frigid cold temperatures that are associated with it, much like what we are currently experiencing. Bring on the Springtime and lets put Winter 2014-5 into our memory banks for the season, what do you say Mother Nature, let's see the rebirth of the foliage in the very near future please.

We are still looking into the Niagara Falls trip coming up in the near future. We are just on the initial planning stages of it right now, so there is still a lot to learn before we head up that way. I think we are leaning towards staying in Canada, but that's hasn't been decided yet as we really have a lot to learn yet such as looking into the maiden of the mist among other things. Two years at the National Mall and the Smithsonian were enough to take a season or two off.

Have a great day.

Tuesday's Tidbits

* That one day of the week that most of us hate the most (Monday) is now in our rear view mirrors and we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday. Other than the sloth and the blue footed booby's swimming in our creek I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It was 18,713 days ago that my mom evicted me from her belly and told me to start life. She was tired of carrying around my dead weight so she evicted me, or I decided to leave and be born.

* It was 3,936 days ago that I fulfilled a dream of my by Graduating from West Virginia University.

* 2,537 days ago I asked this very special lady out for a night on the town, if you consider pizza and a bad movie a night on the town.

* 1,761 days ago I decided I wanted to take mine and Michelle's dating to the next level, so I got down on one knee and proposed Marriage.

* It was 1,298 wonderful days ago that Michelle and I officially became Husband and Wife. We got married and had a feast with our closest friends and family at the Marilla Center.

* I have about 6,124 days or so, give or take a few hundred here or there until I enter into the world of retirement. Not exactly next week, so need to go to work today.

* In 310 more days I will publish my Goodbye 2015 Blog. My favorite blog of the year to write as it allows me to reflect upon my last year as seen through my blog.

* If you haven't started your Christmas Shopping yet fear not, there are still 304 more shopping days left until Christmas.

* I have another 280 days to go until my next Birthday.

* 163 days from now Michelle and I will be celebrating our Fourth Wedding Anniversary

* 124 and counting until the 2015 Picnic at Krepps Park.

* In 82 more days my Niece Brittany will be Graduating from West Virginia University and be joining me as an Alumnus.

* There are only a mere 24 more days to go until Springtime! I know I for one love the Spring as it is my favorite time of the year.

* I have written a total of 3,967 blogs for George's Journal. The over a decade old daily recollection of my life shared with everyone over the internet.

* Michelle and I are starting to get some details for our Spring Trip. It's Niagra Falls this year and we are leaning on staying in the Canadian side when we go up. She wants to have dinner at the Skylon Tower one night. There is also a Margarittaville  there as well. We're looking at Mid April as a time to head up there.

* I haven't done any work on the Hall Family Tree this past week, I admit I have been slacking a little bit on it as well as the Brother Search. No new information to report on either thing.

* Looking at the week ahead, it looks like Mother Nature is going to take a little vengeance for the unexpected warm weather we had last weekend despite a snow storm called for.

* We haven't said anything yet about a cruise in 2015. I'm waiting to hear something about the contract we are working on as it should be announced who the winners are very soon. Hopefully we should know something by this time next week one way or the other. I'm just a little hesitant on booking anything until we know what is going to happen.

* Jimmy Buffett has not announced a date for Pittsburgh yet this year, rumors are he is looking at a June 25th date to play Burgettstown. We will keep everyone posted.

* Have yourself a Great Day

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end, unfortunately that also includes those fun filled things that we enjoy so much and call the weekends. There is another one coming, but first we have to return to another fun filled week of putting our noses to the grindstone because this is Monday and those better days are now behind us and furthest from us now.

I did manage to finish up our taxes yesterday, we owed the state so I just wrote the check yesterday and Michelle is shipping it off today to close that out and get it done. I was going to wait, but no need as I just wanted to get it over and done with.

I think I need to start concentrating now on our Spring trip/extended weekend. The last two years we have went east to Washington DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Two years ago we kind of missed the peak season and last year we nailed it at peak season and got to see a lot of the sites that we had missed the previous year. This year, we have decided to head somewhere else rather than Washington, DC. We wanted to do something new and exciting that we have not done yet.   So we sat down and talked yesterday and have decided that this year we are heading North to Niagra Falls. We haven't decided yet on the New York Side or the Canada side, we do have our passports so both locations are being considered, we'll have to decide that in the next few weeks as we start to plan. It's about a 6 six drive from Morgantown, so this will be an extended weekend trip.

Have a Great Day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Rambling

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm the first one to recover from that losing battle with that dreaded Sandman last night and am up early collecting my thoughts for the day. There is nothing on the TV, I have it set to Amazon but haven't decided what to watch yet as there is nothing really on any of the other 1,000 channels that we have.

Well we got pretty lucky yesterday with the weather. We were supposed to get a good bit of snow, and from all indications in the early AM that would have been a correct assessment. Snow was coming down pretty good, the roads were horrible and it looked like everyone was going to be stuck here they were all day yesterday. Only problem is, I think someone forgot to tell the heat miser to say away as the temps rose to about 40° and the snow not only halted, but started to melt a little bit. Snowpocolypse avoided and I couldn't be much happier.

Today we'll just finish up laundry and do our normal weekly grocery shopping. Same as we do every Sunday morning.

Yesterday did turn out to be a good day for the local sports teams and athletes. The WVU Men's Basketball team beat #22 Ranked Oklahoma State 73-63, the WVU Women's Basketball team beat Iowa State 54-52 and the WVU Baseball team beat Georgia Southern 12-4. Judging by the NFL Combine they say that Wide Receiver is the deepest of any position in this years draft and may have as many as 6 first round picks in it this year. Kevin White may have just set himself apart from any of the competition as to maybe be the first receiver taken in the draft this Spring. He had a monster combine.

Have a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Well here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm the first one to recover from that losing battle with that dreaded Sandman (Not Snowman) last night and I'm up early surfing the net and collecting my thoughts for the day. The 70's classic Semi-Tough is playing on the TV in the background.

We were supposed to have gotten this huge snow storm last night, as much as a foot of snow here was predicted from some last night up until this morning, well it did not come and I don't think we got any snow accumulation overnight. Michelle has has they Do You Want to Build a Snowman lyrics from Frozen stuck in her head so I had to come up with something to counter act that damn song..LOL

 Today they are once again calling for more snow to hit the area, so with that in mind we once again have no plans for the day. We're pretty stocked up if we get snow bound, (plus we have two four wheel drive vehicles) so we are prepared for anything pretty much.

I do hate to be stuck in the house, and do tend to get a little bit of cabin fever around this time of the year, so I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this before, but I Hate Snow. Not a big fan of the cold wintery white stuff that the heavens pukes all over the place like an inebriated college kids delivers street pizza. Give me the Spring time.

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.

Well due to the bad weather that we are due to get this weekend, it's probably going to be a boring one where we really don't get into too much of anything once again. This practice is becoming all too common for us, I need for Spring to get here and end these boring weekends.

Tonight we'll do our typical Sams's Club shopping followed by us heading home and relaxing for the evening. Nothing out of the ordinary for us the past couple of months. The weather is pretty much dictating what we will or will not do this weekend. (Sigh)

It's supposed to be below zero frigid temperatures today, remember to bundle up in layers if you are going to be outside and exposed to the elements. Try to stay warm.

Have a Great Day

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look at my pictures that I have either captured with a camera, scanned or just stolen off of the internet. Little lost moments in time that I like to pull up and post just one of and relive that time just briefly. Sometimes it's pretty easy and sometimes it's not that easy to find that image. One thing it always is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks picture goes back to a time where I can not honestly place a time on it. It's a picture of my two Grandparents who raised me, but I can't even start to guess when or even where this picture was taken. Even by looking at the background, I can't place a time or even a place on this image.

My first guess was it was at Fort Gordon Georgia where I was born, however all of the images that I have seen from that time period where black and white. Not that color images weren't available at that time, as they obviously were, but I don;t think they owned anything other than a black and white camera in 1963.

Have a Great day

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well that is two days down, even though I had one that I didn't have to work. Now if we can just get up over this noon time hump, just on the other side of a Photo Flashback and maybe another I Hate Snow reference or two, you can see the dawn of another weekend off in the distance.

Looking ahead at the weather, I realize why it is that I hate this time of the year so much. It's going to be more cold and snow. I'm ready for shorts and sandals to tell you the truth. I think I handle this winter crap best up until about Christmas, maybe it can even be extended to Groundhogs Day, but after that Spring can't get here soon enough for me.

I'm ready to see the buds start budding on trees, listening to the birds put out that aesthetically soothing sound in the early morning, when the young are crying to their mothers to bring them their morning breakfast. I'm ready for warmer weather, longer days and green grass. I'm ready for Baseball season to start so I can keep track of my favorite teams every day to see how they are doing. I'm ready to shed the winter jackets, scraping ice and warming cars up in the early morning. I'm ready for Daylight Savings Time (March 8th) to make the days longer and give me a little bit of hope that my favorite time of the year (Spring) is about to bless us with its awakening.

I Hate Snow, just in case I've never mentioned that before.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well my wonderful and cold three day weekend is now a thing of the past, now it's time to head back into the office and start a new work week. Still can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* 18,706 days now I have been alive. I wake up each morning and am thankful for each and every one of them and even more so that I get to add to that total once again.

* 3,929 days ago, I fulfilled a lifetime dream of mine and Graduated from West Virginia University.

* 2,530 days ago Michelle and I went out on our first date. If was dinner at Pizza Hut and a horrible movie, but I think she forgave me for the movie choice.

* It was 1,754 days ago that I got down on one knee and proposed marriage to Michelle. We were already living together, so it was just a matter of when I was going to ask and not if.

* 1,291 days ago at the Marilla Center, Michelle and I exchanged our Marital Vows in front of out closest friends and family at the Marilla Center.

* I have about 6,132 days ot so, give or take a few hundred here or there, until I enter into the world of retirement.

* There are 317 more days of content that I can write this year before my Goodbye 2015 Blog is posted.

* If you are waiting to start your Christmas Shopping, there are 311 more shopping days to go.

* In 287 more days I will be celebrating yet another anniversary of my 21st birthday.

* I am 170 days away from Michelle and I celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary.

* Picnic 2015 has been scheduled and it will be in another 131 days. Same place as last year, at Krepps Park and we have the pavilion.

* In 89 more days my niece Brittany will be graduating from West Virginia University.

* If you are counting like I am, there are only a mere 31 more days to go until Spring!!!!

* I have written a grand total of 3,961 posts for George's Journal.

* Not sure if I have ever mentioned this here before, but I really Hate Snow.

* Did anyone watch Saturday Night Lives 40th Anniversary Show on Sunday Evening, I DVR'd it and watched it yesterday morning. What a wonderful show that I have grown up with.

* Josh Judy has signed with the York Revolution of the International League for the 2015 season. Her had a season ending injury last year on Fathers Day as he threw a 96 MPH Fastball and broke both bones in his wrist with the throw. He has been cleared to play, but MLB teams are hesitant to sign him at this time. He went through this a couple of years ago as well and was with York only briefly before being picked up by the Angels Organization.

* Be careful out there with travel, we were supposed to have a winter storm warning for last night and I haven't looked outside yet. Travel may be a little hazardous. Be safe.

* Today is Fat Tuesday. Meaning tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Meaning all kinds of deals on Fish on Fridays!!!!

* Hi ho hi ho

President's Day

This is one Monday that doesn't really suck. Normally I'm heading off to work, but since it is President's Day my weekend gets to extend one more day before I have to head back into the office for a new week of working.

My plans for the day are pretty simple, I'll probably do a little work on the Hall Family Heritage Site, and do a little bit of updating to the Brother Search that we have started. I'll find something productive to get myself into, just not sure exactly what as of yet.

We looked into getting a couple of 16" x 20" portraits that we had done on our last cruise actually mounted and framed. Going by the estimates that I have printed out, it would have cost us $1,100 to get both of them done without any discounts, about $6-700 with the "discounts" that we were being offered. Needless to say, we did not have them mounted as I was figuring on about $100-$150 each to get them both mounted. I think we can find an option, or two or more to make this a much more economically feasible option than having it framed professionally. Talk about a sticker shock......

Have a Great day.

Sunday Morning Rambling

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm up collecting my thoughts on a very cold Sunday Morning and watching the end of American Hustle.

I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this before on my blog, because I'm usually pretty quiet about this subject, but I hate snow. Not just a little bit, but a whole lot. Especially when we are out yesterday afternoon and there are moronic drivers everywhere that have no idea in the world how to drive in these conditions. Spring can't get here any quicker.

Our plans for this Sunday, probably heading out to grocery shop, finish up laundry and get into a whole lot of nothing else. I would imagine that due to the bitter cold temperatures today, it's currently 3° F outside, that we'll be here most of the day and most likely on the electric blanket staying nice and toasty. It's going to be a little too bitter cold to do do anything outside today.

So have a nice relaxing Sunday.

Saturday Morning Rambling

I'll post this blog a little later this morning, I'm up early collecting my thoughts for the day and watching the Faculty on HBO.

Nothing planned for us today, other than Michelle has to go over and do a little bit of blood work later this morning. She has a Doctors appointment later this week, and they are wanting to test her blood to see how she is doing.

Other than that, nothing really planned for the day. It's supposed to be cold, so that may weigh pretty heavily into our plans when we decide what we may or may not do.

The Mountaineer Basketball team plays this afternoon at 4:00 on ESPN 2, so I may watch that if I get a chance to. The Mountaineer Baseball team started the season off yesterday on a high note as they beat #24 Clemson 2-0 to open the 2015 season up. They open up at home on March 17th if the stadium gets completed on time.

Have a great day and stay warm.

To My Wife

On this Valentines Day, I would like to ask a very special Lady if she would in fact continue to be my Valentine as she is every day of the year.

Michelle is the love of my life and my best friend, she is the ying to my yang and the lamb to my tuna fish (lol).

Now we just have to decide what kind of a Valentines Day gift we have to get for each other. Each year we go in together and get each other a big gift, last year it was the Webber Grill, there have been other grills, bread makers, vacuum sealers, and about anything and everything that has been associated with food that one could imagine. This year I think we are looking in another direction, especially since she can't really go out and eat, we just haven;t decided what yet.

Michelle, I love you with all my heart, will you be my Valentine?

Big Ole Hairy Friday the 13th

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 the 13th and a Three day weekend for yours truly since Monday is President's Day.

Well considering this is a holiday weekend for me and one that not a whole lot of people get, and the fact that the weather is supposed to be quite frigid here means I won't get into much of anything this weekend other than trying to stay warm.

For those of you looking for a little cheap, and as in cheap I do mean free dinner and a movie, the Cassville Firehall will be the place to be. Dinner will be at 5:00 this evening and the movie will start at 6:00. No information as to what will be on the menu or the movie that will be playing.

Have a great day and try to stay safe and warm this weekend.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look through all of the pictures that I either have taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years. Little lost moments in time to be once again relived here briefly. Sometimes it's pretty easy coming up with a picture to use and sometimes it's not that easy. One thing it always is however is a whole lot of fun. It's nice to take a little bit of time out and reflect.

This weeks pic takes me back a few years, back to when I used to look forward to every Summer with great anticipation because I loved playing softball. The "Boys of Summer" I used to refer to this bunch as. A great group of guys that joined together and had some good days playing a that we used to play as children, and still had a passion for well beyond those years.

This was the next to last MiHaley's Softball team, and my next to last year of playing. The season was over with and we all headed out to MiHaley's to enjoy a few legal beverages and spend some time out on the back deck and have fun.

Even though this group does not play Softball together anymore, we all still stay in touch on Facebook. I will say that these are some of the best people I have ever met in my life, brothers of the diamond we all were. A Big Family that just doesn't see each other enough anymore.

Have a Great Day.

Hi ho hi ho

The Search Has Began Again

Years ago, the day I passed my drivers test, my father dropped yet another bombshell on me. I had knew my Sister and Brother Pam and Gary since birth as I was around for both of those births. When I was around 8 years old I met my sister Terri for the first time and when I was around 13 I met my sister Kim for the first time. Strange growing up not not knowing your siblings, but it was par for the course for me. When I passed my drivers test my dad dropped one final bombshell on me, I had an older brother.

He is supposed to be about two years older than me, that would make him about 53 (or 23 depending if you believe my lie) and my Dad never wanted to reveal any information about this individual. Any time we started to look for them, he got very defensive for what ever reason. I respected his wishes and never started to search until after he passed away in 1999.

My Mom provided me a few tidbits of information like who the mother was, but all searches lead to a dead end. The name she had given me was a Carol Ann Pava, whose grandfather was a barber here in Morgantown.

We used Facebook to try to track down the information yesterday and have gotten some amazing information to assist us further on our search. Seems Carol moved to California in the early 60's and finished up High School there. The picture you see is her Sr Class Portrait from her yearbook. Thanks to my wonderful wife Michelle for signing up for an account that provided me this information. I posted the pic on Facebook and had it confirmed that this was her.

A poster named Sondra Nicholas is absolutely amazing and took that little bit of information and ran with it giving us all kinds of information to follow up on.

We have not found the sibling as of yet, but a big thank you to the people of the group Growing up in Morgantown for possibly pointing us down the path to complete our journey.

Have a great day.

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that dreaded day of the week that we hate so much is now behind us yet once again. It's time to start looking ahead to a Tuesday and you know what that means. Time for a Tidbits.

* 18,699. That is how many days that yours truly has been alive and kicking on this earth. I feel more and more blessed with each passing day.

* It has been 3,922 days since I made my walk at West Virginia University and earned my Degree in Geography. It's been going on 11 years and it just seems like yesterday.

* 2,523 days ago, on a Saturday evening, I took a young recently widows young lady with two kids our for a night on the town. It was dinner and a movie and her first date since her husband had passed two years earlier.

* 1,747 days ago at around 4:00 in the morning, I took this wonderful young lady out in the back yard and got down on one knee and proposed marriage.

* It was 1,285 days ago that we got in front of our closest family and friends and exchanged our marital vows at the Marilla Center.

* I have around 6,138 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there.

* 324 more days left in this year, meaning that I have 324 more days of content to write before my Goodbye 2015 Blog posts.

* There are 318 more shopping days left to go until Christmas.

* I'm 294 days away from celebrating yet another birthday.

* 177 days away from celebrating my fourth wedding anniversary with my wonderful wife.

* We are only 96 days away from Brittany's Graduation from West Virginia University.

* There are only 38 more day to go until Spring. I'm starting to hear birds a singing and trees getting ready to start budding. I have a feeling this is going to be an early Spring, but I always think that and have been wrong before.

* This is my 3,953rd blog that I have written for Georges Journal since I first started writing it a little over a decade ago.

* The Hall Family Website is up and running, there has been a whole lot of progress made during this season of the weather season. I still have a long way to go.

* The 2014 family picnic was such a success that we're going to do it again. A lot of the prime dates that I wanted were already booked and paid for, so I had to act fast. This years 2015 Picnic will be on June 28th at Krepps Park once again. We have the big pavilion once again as we did last year, so this is the hard date some rain or come shine. BTW, there are only 138 days until that event =)

* We need to come up with some creative or craft ideas for the picnic, any creative people have any ideas? Maybe something to honor those who are no longer with us.

* No rumors yet for a 2015 date for Jimmy Buffett to appear in Pittsburgh, it is getting to that time of the year when I really need to be paying attention for an announcement.

* Waiting on planning to see if we are going to take a cruise in 2015, I would normally be booking and paying for it now however our work contract is up in May and I have to wait to see if I am still with the same company or will have to start working for someone else, hopefully here doing the same job. I hope I can hear something soon so we can start planning or make alternative plans.

* My Brother and Sister in Law Jim and Chris are hosting a dinner and a Family Movie Night this Friday at the Cassville Firehall. Admission is free and dinner is at 5:00 with the movie starting at 6:00. If you are looking for a good cheap time with some great people, I highly recommend this event.

* Have a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

I love my weekends, it's time to relax and there are really no schedules that we have to meet or anyplace that we have to be. So much for that, it's now time to stick our collective noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of working and doing what it is we do that allows us to live like we do. The weekend is over and it's time to get our butts back to work.

It was a semi productive weekend with my getting a little bit of work done to the Hall Family Tree and adding a few people and pictures. It has 157 people and 65 photos as of the time I am writing this. There is still a great deal of work that I need to do with it, but I'm piecing it together as slowly and as accurately as I can. I'm using multiple sources and have found out that My Mother's side of the family is better documented than my Father's side of the family was, or at least as far as anything available on the internet or online at the Census. I still haven't purchased any commercial products yet, so I am having a good deal of success without having to do so. There are a few things that I want to add to the site, like linking Find A Grave sites to a profile, so there is still a long way to go before I am even close to being done.

One thing I think it is time to do, is start planning the Summer Picnic for 2015. Last Years Picnic went very well, it was Christmas is July for Jean as we knew she was fighting a life threatening battle at the time, so maybe this years picnic can meet or exceed last years. I'll start looking around to reserve, I would like to get the same weekend time frame and the same location. I think that worked out very well last year. Anyone have any input, I feel doing this early will prevent any scheduling conflicts from anyone and set a hard date that people can schedule other things around. I know it's been a tough time for everyone in the family from the last picnic, maybe it's time to take a little bit of time out and enjoy each other.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning

I would go through my normal spiel about a quiet household, but we have a couple of house guests this evening and I'm not the only one awake at this hour in the morning. We are dog sitting Rocky and Lilly tonight as Michael and Ashley went to see Garth Brooks last night in Pittsburgh.

The puppies are doing fine, but it seems like all they want is attention and treats. To say that they are both spoiled is an understatement. Yesterday was Rocky, aka Little Rock of Love, aka Richard's third birthday. He's sitting on my chest as I am trying to write this blog, which makes it more of a challenge to say the least, he needs a whole lot of attention sometimes.

Yesterday we did get out for a while and made it a road trip to Springs PA. I am out of my favorite Amish made jam so we ran up and grabbed some. I usually get it at my brother in laws auction, but the guy who sells it was not there at the last auction we attended, but I should have looked last night as he had another auction last night. Oh well, it was good to get out around and out of town for a while, made for a fun and adventurous day. We did have lunch at the Casselman, which was wonderful as usual.

Today our plans are just our normal and typical Sunday. Grocery shopping as well as a trip to new day bakery and followed up by finishing the weeks laundry as we prepare for another fun filled week of work coming up.

Have a great day and enjoy this above average temperatures that we are having.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again ht early AM, I'm the first one to recover from a losing battle with that dreaded Sandman last night and I'm up early collecting my thoughts for the day. The Television is not even on yet, but that won't be true for much longer as I'll find something to watch once I'm done with this.

Well Mom was released from the hospital yesterday, she went in earlier this week due to a heavy cough and they had kept for for a few days for observation. Nothing out of the ordinary, so she is at home recovering and resting now. I think it was a bit of the flu bug.

The Mountaineers will be taking on Baylor in Basketball here at Noon. The 18-4 Mountaineers try to bounce back from the loss earlier this week at Oklahoma and will try to get the 19th win of the season.

It's calling for it to be a nice warm above average temperature day here in Morgantown. I'm sure Michelle and I will get out and around doing something, we're just sure just exactly what that will be yet. We may have to discuss what our Valentines Day Gift will be to each other. In the past we have bought three grills, a surround sound system, a bread maker and a vacuum sealers as our joint gift to each other. No ideas yet what this years gift to each other will be.

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.

Oh what to do with myself on weekends now, Football is completely over with and now we are just waiting for the Springtime weather to get here so we can get out and about rather than just staying home and staying warm although it's supposed to be pretty nice tomorrow.

I worked my butt off last week on the Hall Family Tree, but haven't bothered touching it this week. I have more information to add, I've just been a little lazy about adding any content or doing much research this week. Michelle on the other hand has started filling out her families information and the database is growing. It is coming along nicely and the easy parts are pretty much done so to speak, now is when it really starts to get challenging.

Have a great day and come one quitting time.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thuesday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look through all of the pictures that I either have taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years. Little lost moments in time to be once again relived here briefly. Sometimes it's pretty easy coming up with a picture to use and sometimes it's not that easy. One thing it always is however is a whole lot of fun. It's nice to take a little bit of time out and reflect.

This weeks pic goes all the way back to 2010. Michelle and I were at a WVU Baseball game one spring, something we used to do every year and are eagerly anticipating this season, and we met the new Mountaineer at that time Brock Burwell. This was Brock's first outing as the Mountaineer after winning the competition just a few days earlier. Brock is the best Mountaineer in WVU sports history (yes I am biased) and he stopped by to take a picture with Michelle.

I had actually known Brock prior to him being named the Mountaineer as he was the Little Mountaineer when his Uncle Rock Wilson was the Mountaineer, so it was his destiny even though he did lose to a girl the year before.

This was a nice, warm and bright spring day, the Mountaineers played a double header against Eastern Michigan. We split the day taking the first game and getting hammered in the second game if that score is right. It was a great day for as long as we were there and we are looking forward to being there on St Patricks Day when the 2015 Home Schedule at the new stadium

Have a Great Day

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well that is two days down this week, now if we can just look up over that noon time hump, just on the other side of a photo flashback, you can see the dawn of another fun filled weekend off in the distance.

Well for you college football enthusiasts such as myself, today is a big day. It's when all of the recruiting over the last year has the first chance to be binding. Today in National Letter of Intent Day for College football. When High School Seniors actually sign on the dotted line and committing them to their school of choice. Prior to doing that a recruit can change his mind at any time and select another school with no problem. After today and when a recruit signs his LOI, it is now biding and if they want to choose another school they will have to sit out a season prior to transferring.

WVU has 21 kids in this class so far, with a few waiting until today to make their announcement. Four of these recruits are either Junior College Players or High School players who have already enrolled in the January Semester, that leaves 17 kids that we will need to sign today including Morgantown High's own Stone Wolfley.  It should be a good class, but we have lost a few recruits in the past couple of weeks, so we'll have to see how it all works out today.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that dreaded Groundhog just added to my Monday yesterday, time to move on to a Tuesday. Time for a Tidbits.

* I'm on day 18,692 since I was born. Still going strong and happy to be adding to that total. It's something that you just can't take for granted.

* 3,915 days ago I graduated from West Virginia University.

* 2,516 days ago I had the pleasure of taking a wonderful woman out for a night on the town.

* 1,740 days ago at roughly 4:00 in the morning I got down on one knee in the back yard and asked this wonderful woman to be my wife.

* We have been married for 1,277 days now and we are still going strong.

* I have roughly 6,145 days to go give or take a few hundred here or there until I finally retire.

* 331 more days left of content to write until my Goodbye 2015 Blog is posted.

* If you are thinking about Christmas Shopping, you only have 325 more days to go until we get there. You have time, but that clock is constantly ticking.

* 301 more days to go until my next Birthday. I will be 21 once again. =)

* 184 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary.

* My niece Brittany only has 103 more days left until she will go through West Virginia's 2015 Commencement.

* There are only 45 more days to go until Spring.

* This is my 3,946th blog that I have written for George's Journal. Over a decade long and still going strong.

* Not sure if I have ever mentioned this here before, but I kind of don't like snow. One could pretty much say with all certainty that I Hate Snow.

* I did get a couple of Jean's DVD from the funeral made this past weekend. Val wanted a couple copies, one for her and one for my sister Terri. If anyone else wants one, just let me know.

* I do have to say that this past week has been very productive on the Hall Family Tree, arguably my most productive week of working on it. According to the site, there are now 145 people in the database. 75 Males, 69 Females and 1 unknown (sibling). It's really starting to come along and take shape.

* The Super Bowl was alright Sunday Night, I hate the New England Cheaters but they won 28-24. Seattle should have won it but a bonehead coaching call at the end cost them the game.

* Our taxes are done and have been approved by the IRS. We owe the state once again.  Now we just have to finish up Hayley's and get hers out, she was still waiting on one W-2.

* Hi ho hi ho

Groundhog Stew

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless groundhog, preferably one named Phil from Punxsutawney cut into ¾ inch cubes
1/2 C onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
To taste black pepper
1 pinch ground cloves
1 C Big Spring Mill Seasoned Flour
3 C water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 med. potatoes, diced
12 Oz. bottle brown ale
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas
¼ stick
¼ C Butter
¼ C grapeseed Oil
1/4 C olive Oil
Directions:

Beat Phil to death with a blunt object. Coat meat with seasoned flour and brown in hot cast iron skillet with ¼ in. of grapeseed oil while cussing the fact we're going to have another six weeks of winter. Remove meat from skillet and set to the side remembering that this rat is responsible for the next six weeks of winter.. Deglaze skillet with ale, preferably any that he has left over from what I sent, while slowly adding remainder of seasoned flour. Stir constantly until lumps from his beating dissolve and rue thickens, remove and set aside. Brown onion, carrot, and celery in melted butter and olive oil in large stock pot, adding salt, pepper, and cloves when vegetables begin to soften. Add water and heat to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer. Remove vegetables from broth. Skim fat from broth; measure and, if necessary, add water to make 3 cups liquid. Mix cornstarch with 1 cup cooled broth by shaking vigorously in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Pour into stockpot with remaining broth and add reserved rue and cooked vegetables. Boil potatoes in saucepan until semi-soft, drain water. Add potatoes, peas, and browned meat to stockpot, stir gently to combine and heat to boil, then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for about 1/2 hour or until meat is tender, hopefully this will last you for six weeks.

Damn Rat!!!!

Idiot saw his Shadow.

Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary came out of his hole today to make his prediction for the next six weeks. He came out of his home this morning, mind you I sent him a bunch of beer, liquor and a few easy female Groundhogs to keep his attention away from anything that resembled any kind of a shadow.

Phil spoke with his handler (Bill Deeley) from his own inner circle as they gathered on Gobblers Knob, in the very secretive language of  Groundhog-ese, on this day the 129th Groundhog Day. What did he see or not see? What is his prediction?

At 7:22 (they said 7:25) AM Phil came out from a long night of partying he was presented his two scrolls and spoke to his handler in Groundhog-ese and said said he saw his shadow.

All my efforts did not work, it's time to make Groundhog Stew and no Phil, you are NOT a Jedi.

#sixmoreweeksofwinter

Groundhog Day!!!!

As we start to head back to work today, we have to remember that this day belongs to my fine furry friend Phil from  Punxsutawney, that magnificent prognosticator of prognosticators and that marvelous little friend of mine who will determine today whether or not if we will have to suffer through another six weeks of this dreary winter or if spring is right around the corner.

Now I'm not sure if I have ever once indicated my feelings about how I feel about this Winter stuff, but I more than dislike it I down right hate snow.

So Phil, I hope you have been enjoying the liquor and easy female Groundhogs we have sent up to party with you this evening. I know there is probably a big party on Goblers Knob including the big fireworks display that they usually put on just about now, I hope you have partied your furry little butt off and done so that you don't care to see your shadow even if it is there.

So please Phil, lets let this Winter crap end and allow us to enjoy Springtime. I'm ready for longer days, shorts and Sandals. I'm ready to break out the grill and smoke some stuff on the Webber. I'm ready for Spring.

Phil, I would very much appreciate it if you would make this happen. =)

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Rambling

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, I am once again the first one to recover from getting knocked unconscious from that dreaded Sandman last night (he's undefeated BTW) and am up collecting my thoughts for the day. TV isn't on yet, but it should be.

Well all I can say is mission accomplished yesterday. I was able to make it to my Grandmothers Grave Site and get a few images of the tombstone. My Aunt Bonita in Alaska had been requesting a picture of it for a number of years and requested I try to get it for her on Friday. I honestly had no idea where we were going, where the tombstone was located (I've never been to the final resting place) and to add to that, there was snow on the ground and as you can see the marker is level with the ground. Talk about finding a needle in a Haystack. I did manage to both create and update her graves site on Find a Grave and upload the picture to Facebook for Bonita. I would say yesterday was mission accomplished.

In case anyone hasn't been paying attention, there is a football game this evening. The last two NFL team standing will vie for the Lombardi Trophy this evening. The NFC Champion and defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks will take on the New England Cheaters who got to the super bowl with Deflate Gate. I'm cheering for Bruce Irvin to get his second ring as I am cheering for the Seahawks this evening. On a good note, Jerome "the Bus" Bettis  will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in the 2015 Class.

Normal day of shopping for us, no winter storm that hit and devastated the area although I'm not complaining. Not sure if I have ever mentioned this before, but I Hate Snow.

Have a great day.