Monday

All good things must unfortunately come to an abrupt end and we all must return to that place of employment for another fun filled week of doing what it is we do for a living to enjoy the lives we enjoy.

The good thing about this Monday, it will be our last one that Michelle and I work September 28th. Next Monday will be Labor Day and the back end of an extended three day unofficial  end of Summer weekend. Then we will work four days before we start our 2015 vacation by heading to Baltimore. Our vacation will extend one more day to the following Monday so that we can get all of our chores done before returning to the offices following a fun filled and relaxing vacation.

Looking at our calendar and the week ahead, nothing really sticks out for me or Michelle this week. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will be a boring week, it just means to expect the unexpected..lol

Have yourselves a great day and a greater week.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, I'm up early after recovering from that knock out blow from that dreaded Sandman last night. I'm watching Remember the Titans and collecting my thoughts for the day.

We had a great day yesterday, it started yesterday after we took Chad to work and we stopped by Mylan Park for the Fiber Fest. We had driven up to see Slide the City, but it was out of sight and there was really nothing to see.

So we decided to head towards Wheeling for something to do. We started off by visiting the Oglebay Good Zoo. We had been up there a few years ago for the Festival of Lights, so we decided to stop by when there was significantly less traffic if you know what I mean. It was a great time, the animals are well taken care of and for the most part they were rare animals.

After that we stopped by Cabelas to start doing a little bit of research for Smokers. I think Michelle and I would like to buy an electric one, one that is no muss or no fuss and you could walk away from, but we're just starting to do our research on this topic. We love smoking, but with the kettle grill you really have to pay attention and watch it, we're looking for a method that demands a little less of your attention.

After that we stopped by DiCarlos for dinner. Michelle was actually craving their pizza, so this was the main reason we headed to Wheeling. We picked up another one and delivered it to Mom and Gerald before returning home for the evening.

Today's agenda is going to be doing our shopping and finishing up laundry and the house chores and relaxing a little bit before we enter into our final full week of work before we go on vacation in two weeks.

Have a Great Day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet in a quiet household once again, I'm the first one to recover from that losing battle with that dreaded Sandman last night and I'm up watching the movie Career Opportunities and collecting my thoughts for the day.

Yesterday Michelle decided on a dress that she is going to wear for formal night this year on our cruise, so we went up last night and found a color coordinated shirt and tie to try to match up to it for our pictures on this year.

She also get herself a new refreshing hairstyle yesterday, she was getting a little tired of all that longer hair that took forever to manage and got herself a shorter hairdo. I think she looks very hot with the new look, but I'm also a little biased and love her to death.

Today is the big Slide the City event that we have been hearing about all summer long. My guess is that this is going to be a large and very heavily attended event today, so I'll do my best to avoid Mylan Park today..lol

No major plans for the day, but that does not necessarily mean that we won't get into anything, because knowing us we will always find something to do somewhere.

Have yourselves 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 it all starts tonight (actually last night) with the start of not only High School, but Football season in general. My Alma Mater Morgantown High will take on Anacostia, D. C. this evening at home. Cross town rival University High hosts John Marshall at their school and Clay-Battelle hosts Valley (Fayette) at their school.You can track all the High School action this week and every other on the Metronews High School Scoreboard. Good luck to all the area teams, let's hope they all have great seasons.

No major plans for Michelle and I this weekend as far as we know. Of course I have said that a number of times in the past as well and we all know how that turned out. Today should be the day the bank takes over a home that a home that has been in this family for the last 33 years. I've said my final Goodbye's to it, I've had some great times there growing up and I've had some bad times there. I've watched three people who were living there at the time pass away and it was introduced to not only Grandchildren but Great-Grandchildren. The legacy of that house closes today.

Have yourselves a Great Day

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 have either taken with a camera, scanned or just plain stolen off of the internet through the years. Little lost moments in time that I like to post up and briefly relive here for everyone. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, and sometimes you do struggle in finding something to talk about, it's always a whole lot of fun regardless.

I look back on my pictures this week and I have to reminisce about the last shall we say Holiday dinner that I ever attended at a home that is about to be no longer in the family. My Dad and Jean's was a place where there were always feasts, especially when they were both alive and around the Holiday times.

I tried to remember the last Holiday feast that I had there, and looking back through all of my pictures it seems to me like the last time this happened was Thanksgiving in 2005 for me. Jean went all out and made sure she made dinner for everyone.

The one thing that kind of shocked me in learning this past Thanksgiving, which was Jean's last and none of the family were there, was that my Sister Pam and her Husband George had not been to a Thanksgiving dinner since Dad and Jean had split up in the mid 1990's.

There were a lot of  great memories in that home, unfortunately our last memories are some of the worst we could ever imagine.

Have a Great Day

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well here we are again, in the middle of the work week going up and over this noon time hump working towards another weekend. It's always the hardest day of the week to write a blog for me, Tuesday's being the longest blog to write but I have content there. Wednesdays are just a bitch to write on or about.

Tonight Michelle and I will be going out to dinner at the Pines Country Club. They have a Boston Beanery there and we as a company are meeting with the people who handle our retirement accounts about investment options. Personally the Dow took a huge hit yesterday and me doing anything before it rebounds would be idiotic on my part and money lost. I always go long, so I'm not panicking and costing myself any money by panicking. I'll go and listen to the presentation and enjoy the free meal. =)

Michelle has finally seen the new layout for her new office. They are building a new complex out at Cheat Lake and will be leaving their Mileground location for the home office. Her new office will be a about the same size if not a little bit bigger than she currently has now. Not sure of a completion date for the project, it has been a couple of years for them settling on a final location, as it has moved numerous times before they have ever broken ground.

We got Pearl Inspected earlier this week, so now both Subaru's are good for another year as far as West Virginia State Inspections. We also had the oil changed and some routine maintenance done as we are getting ready to travel to Baltimore in about 2 1/2 weeks.

Speaking of Baltimore, I need to start writing my absentee Blogs for when we go on vacation this year. Everyone needs a vacation and that includes bloggers from blogging as well. We are talking about getting limited internet access on the ship this year since the Pride has upgraded to a Funship 2.0. I think the one upgrade I am really wanting to try is going to be Guy's Burger Joint which the Pride now has.

Have a Great Day

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that dreaded and dreary thing that they call Monday is now once again behind us and we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday, I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It was 18,895 days ago that my Mother gave me an eviction notice from her Belly. I guess living there for 9 months was long enough.

* It has been 4,118 days since I Graduated from West Virginia University. Seems like only yesterday I was in pursuit of my degree, now my Nephew Calvin is in pursuit of his as Brittany graduated this spring.

* It was 2,718 days ago that I took Michelle out for a night on the town, actually it was a horrible movie and some Pizza. This is the day my life changed for the better forever.

* 1,943 days ago I decided I had made Michelle wait long enough and proposed marriage to her. Probably the second smartest thing I have ever done in my life.

* 1,480 days ago I did the smartest thing I have ever done in my life when I married Michelle.

* I have about 5,942 more days to go until retirement, give or take a few hundred here or there.

* There are 347 more days to go until our Fifth Wedding Anniversary.

* We are 208 days away from the beginning of my favorite season, I love the Spring time. Some people love the fall because of all the beautiful colors, give me the Spring and the renewal of all the foliage.

* There are 128 more days to go until New Years and my Goodbye 2015 Blog. It has been an eventful year to say the least.

* There are 122 more shopping days left to go until Christmas, it's time to start planning, laying away or watching for sales. I can see the Christmas stuff coming out to your local Walmart stores in the very near future.

* There are only 98 more days to go until we have another Anniversary of my 21st Birthday.

* In only 56 more days start to be on the lookout for a flying DeLorean and a guy named Marty McFly, since we are getting close to the time when Marty jumped ahead to.

* In 39 more days we will be heading to the Springs Festival in Springs Pa. It's a great time and a chance to get some very good produce at a very cheap price.

* There are only 19 more days left to go until our 2015 Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

* There are only 11 more days until the start of the 2015 WVU Football season, I can say that I am ready to watch some football.

* This is the 4,173rd Blog that I have written for George's Journal. I'm coming up on the 11th Anniversary of my first post here in a few weeks.

* No work on the Hall Family Tree this week, it's getting to that time of the year where I start concentrating on it.

* Nothing new coming up on the Brother search, I think we are at a dead end on the search. At this point I have no idea what to do next.

* I have come across a few more old family pictures that I will be scanning in the near future, some are duplicates and some are not. I want to get them captured and back to my Sister Pam.

* As events are getting closer and closer and some events are falling off of my countdown, I'm going to need to start adding new events and things to count down.

* I did receive my first letter from my Brother over the weekend. He's done some very bad things and hurt a number of people who love him, but it is time for some very tough love.

* Hopefully the new Pheonix Bakery will be opening up its doors once again in the very near future. They are hoping for sometime in early September.

* I'm thinking we need more family get togethers, I was thinking about maybe trying to organize an afternoon or a night where everyone goes bowling or something.

* I have been telling a number of members in my family about the Kübler-Ross model so that they can maybe understand when it will be safe again to trust. It's a very good thing to remember as we all go forward.

* It was on this day in 1835 that the Great Moon Hoax took place.

* Have yourselves a wonderful day and enjoy every minute of it.

* Hi ho hi ho

Back to Work Monday

All the fun that we have had this weekend is now coming to an abrupt end, it's time to get back to work and put the positives in your memories and the forget the bad things that you may have seen or been experienced to. It's time for us all to get back to work.

Looking at our week ahead, I guess our highlight this week will be going out to dinner on Wednesday at the Pines. It's going to be a company get together to talk about our retirement plans and if we are investing in the most optimal way possible. I go long with high risk, maybe in another ten years I'll change my plan to one not as aggressive to protect it.

It's starting to get closer and closer to the time we cruise, I have only one more Monday to work after today before I will be off for a few Mondays for vacation. Two weeks from now is Labor Day and three weeks from now I'll be out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean heading to Grand Turk. To say that we are starting to get a little antsy waiting for our vacation to begin is a little bit of an understatement.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, I'm the first one to recover from that losing battle with that dreaded and undefeated Sandman last night. I'm up early doing a little bit of computer work and the TV isn't even on.

Yesterday was a very long day, it started out with me renting a U-Haul and taking everything out of Dad and Jean's old house to all of the locations that any of the items inside of it that anyone wanted were going to go. It went rather smooth and I have to send out thank yous to everyone yesterday that either helped, assisted or even supported I have to express a very big thank you. We knew it was going to be a long day saying goodbye to a home that this family has owned for the last 32 years.

Last night Michelle and I as well as Terri, Amy and Val all attended the Johnny Koon Lantern Release at Westover Park. I think the event went very well and I would guess that they raised a good bit of money for the Johnny Koon Brain Tumor Research Fund at WVU Children's Hospital. It was a great night and we had a chance to see a number of family members that we don't get to see every day. I've also put of a few videos from last night of the Lantern Launch and the Butterfly Release.

I also received my first letter from my Brother Gary yesterday. Last night was a nice bit of change of pace from what we had went through yesterday morning and also Friday evening. I know I'm very vague when it comes to my Brother, but if you are close to the situation you know what has happened and it doesn't need to be explained here.

My Brother in law Jim is preaching this morning at the United Methodist Church on the Mileground for anyone who needs a little saving.

Have yourselves a great day.

Happy Birthday George "Moke" McClain

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my nephew Moke a very Happy Birthday today.

It seems like it was only yesterday that Pam and George were having their first baby, a small and precious package of a young child that has grown into the Mountain of a man that he is today.

He is a pretty remarkable man, he's an Iraqi War Veteran, a great Husband and a soon to be in a few months best father in the world candidate as he and his wonderful wife Ang are expecting their own wonderful precious package in the form of a beautiful baby here in a few more months.

Not sure what Ang has planned for Moke today, but whatever it is it is going to be a special day for him.

If you happen to see him today, take a little bit of time out and wish him a very Happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Moke.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again on a quiet Saturday Morning, I'm the first one to recover from that losing battle with that dreaded Sandman last night and I'm up collecting my thoughts for the day and watching Captain Ron on the Boob Tube.

First and foremost of all tonight is Light Up Night at Wesmon Park. All proceeds from tonight's festivities go to a very good cause, the Johnny Koon Brain Tumor Research Fund at WVU Children's Hospital. Lanterns and Butterflies are a $5.00 Donation, should be a great evening and a very photographic evening for all. Come out and support a great cause.

Well yesterday was the first time I had actually seen my brother Gary since everything went down earlier this month. He had a Preliminary Hearing yesterday afternoon and Pam, Terri, Val, Amy and I were all there to see how everything turned out. I think things turned out more than fair for him, but I have to say that it's time for a little tough love and realize that he needs some professional help and he's not going to get it when he has the ability to do what he wants. He is on the road to recovery, but it is going to be a long road.

This morning we are going to go and grab Gary's possessions from the house and clean up what we need to clean up there. The house has been in our family for 32 years and it will be a very sad day to see it go, but it is just a structure and no one can take away the memories that we have formed there. It's time for the next family to create their own memories there as we preserve ours in our memories.

Have yourselves 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 with BOPARC's Summer of fun completed and High School Football not really starting until next week, there is no Friday events that I will be talking about this week. Next week Morgantown and University High School are both home to open up their 2015 seasons.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend look no further than right here. Tomorrow night at Wesmon Park in Westover the Koon family is going to have a Lantern and Butterfly Release with all proceeds going to the Johnny Koon Brain Tumor Research Fund at WVU Children's Hospital. Michelle and I are planning on attending this year and I know I had a few other relatives who attended the event last year. It's a great time to bring out your camera and get a majestic shot or two as the lanterns are set to be released.

No big plans for Michelle and I this weekend, we are counting down until we set sail on our cruise in just a few short weeks.

Have yourselves a great day and enjoy your 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 have either taken with a camera, scanned or just plain stolen off of the internet through the years. Little lost moments in time that I like to post up and briefly relive here for everyone. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, and sometimes you do struggle in finding something to talk about, it's always a whole lot of fun regardless.

This weeks picture takes us all back to a happier time, and by happier I mean I was skinnier, had hair and taller than my brother Gary. This was a picnic we had at Grandma Halls, and I would put the time period at around the summer of 1978, judging by my attire that I was wearing since everything was Elvis Presley that summer, who had just died the previous summer.

This was also the day that the first group picture of all of my siblings was taken. Same clothes and the same background of our old garage in the background. The house is gone now and on the other side of where that garage once stood is now a Starbucks Coffee Shop. It seems like only yesterday when everyone with the exception of my Grandpa Hall (who died the year earlier) was still around and everyone had came together as a huge family unit (meaning all my siblings and cousins) were there.

Have a Great Day

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well here we are again, we have a couple of days from the dreaded work week completed and we have a couple more ahead of us after we get this one in, so up over that noon time hump we are a heading today.

I guess the big news of the day is that Sheetz has finally decided on their sole Pepperoni Roll provider for their West Virginia Stores. They used to use three and were going to buy everything from out out state until everyone started complaining, so they chose a Clarksburg Bakery to supply the West Virginia stores.

I got my first weekly fitbit report yesterday. 80,598 steps, 37.51 Miles, 170 floors, 26,957 Calories Burned and average sleep 5 hours 42 minutes. You have to love this thing in how it tracks absolutely everything that you do. It is also a heart rate monitor as well so you know what your true resting heart rate is. I'm actually quite impressed with everything this thing does, Michelle has had hers for a few months and loves hers.

I've started to write a letter to my brother Gary, but I have no idea what to say to him at this time. Val and Terri are scheduled to visit him this afternoon. Val called yesterday morning and arranged the visitation as there are only so many visitors allowed each day. I'm curious to hear how he is doing now.

Have a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that dreaded and dreary day of the week that we all hate so much is now behind us ans we are looking ahead towards a Tuesday. Still can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It has been 18,888 days since my birth, I consider myself lucky for each one that I have lived and fortunate for each new one that I get to experience.

* Since yesterday was the first day of classes at WVU, I am reminded that it has been 4,111 days since my Academic career completed with my graduation from WVU.

* It has been 2,712 since mine and Michelle's first date, a day that changed both of our lives for the better.

* 1,936 days ago I got down on one knee and proposed marriage to Michelle.

* There was a nice party and feast 1,473 days ago at our wedding, where we tied the knot in front of our closest friends and family.

* I have about 5,949 days to go until retirement, give or take a few hundred here or there of course.

* There are a mere 354 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Fifth Wedding Anniversary. I am very fortunate that this wonderful woman has come into my life.

* There are only 215 more days to go until Spring 2016, my favorite season of the year.

* There are a mere 135 days left for content before I post my Goodbye 2015 Blog, reliving this past year based on events that I have placed right here.

* There are 129 more shopping days left to go until Christmas, it might be time to start planning and getting ready.

* There are only 105 more days to go until I celebrate yet another Anniversary of my 21st Birthday.

* Michelle and I will be traveling west in 46 more days for the 2015 Springs Festival. An event that we have went to the past few years with Smitty and Stephanie. Lot's of great deals and things to see.

* There are only 26 more days left before we go on our 2015 Cruise. I've watched everyone else enjoy their time away for vacation and trips to the beaches, now it's about to be our turn.

* There are only 18 Days left until the start of the 2015 WVU Football season. The Mountaineers will host Georgia Southern right here in Morgantown.

* This is the 4,165th Blog that I have written for George's Journal in the nearly 11 years it has been that I first started writing it. It's a very nice point of reference for me and things that have went on during my life.

* No work on the  Hall Family Tree this week, it's just that time of the year when I do nothing on it.

* Absolutely nothing new on the Brother search this past week, although I can't say that it has not been eventful this week concerning my other Brother.

* At the Buffett concert last week one of the people we were tailgating with made a game called Tumblerz made by Zanesburgh. Donnie and Wendy whom we have went to the Buffett Concert with the past three years played an epic game that I caught on video. If anyone is interested in purchasing one of these games, you can e-mail Larry at ZANESBURGH@gmail.com

* This Thursday Michelle, Kim and Brittany will be doing a Da Vinci and Dessert class where they paint a scene from fall.

* Our contract at work has been extended another six months beyond November with a possibility of two more three month extensions. It's a legal mess sorting this all out.

* Doing good at my lifestyle change. The Fitbit I bought a couple of weeks ago is tracking my activity and sleep patterns and works in conjunction with my LoseIt ap to track everything and award exercise bonuses. We're definitely back on track.

* One of the places that we traveled to this past Saturday that I forgot to mention was Heston Farm. We stopped in to check the place out as it was one of the places we considered for our wedding. We bought a bottle of Blackberry Wine to bring home. We also went to the Pokey Dot for dinner before coming back home.

* There is a Light UP the Night - Latern & Butterfly Release this coming Saturday at 6:30 at the Upper Field in Westover. When went to the event at Chic-Fil-A last month we learned of this event and have planned on attending.

* Have yourselves a great day and stay positive.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

Good morning, it is once again that least favorite day of the week that we all tend to dread, it's Monday. Monday that day of the week when we realize that our extended fun filled weekend is now behind us and it's time to get back to doing what it is we do for a living.

Well it's the first day of classes here in Morgantown and at Fairmont State. My Nephew Calvin starts his second semester today at Fairmont State. If you are driving around town, be a little extra cautious as there is a large number of Freshman that are here for the first time and probably trying to find their way by just aimlessly wondering around. Good luck to all the students starting today, let's hurry up and get the school year over with so you can all get the heck out of my town again. =)

I have a feeling it's going to be a slow week for me this week, there is a Conference in Pittsburgh that I went to one year but haven't attended the past few years. Some of mine and a few co-workers works will be either on display or be being presented.

If you want to feel old, yesterday was the 38th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. What a tidbit to start a work week on, you're welcome.

Have yourselves a wonderful start to this work week.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a semi-quiet household, Chad has been up all night playing some RPG game on his computer and has been very animated in his game playing to say the least, he sounds like he has been having a great time back there. I'm up early watching a great movie, Remember the Titans, one of my all time favorite sports movies.

We had a great day yesterday, we ended up going to Meadowbrook Mall which is slowly becoming one of my favorite malls again. When we walked into it yesterday I felt like I was back in the 80's again at a crowded Mall. If you haven't been there in a while, it's more than worth the trip.

We ended up going to Valley Falls on our way home, it had been a few years since we had been there and we were looking for something to do. It's a beautiful park, and it's always a nice relaxing place to go and spend a little bit of time to put aside some of the headaches that life deals you.

West Virginia University is doing something a little different this year, instead of the regular Fall Fest that always took place on Monday evening, they did a few things last night including last night at the Football Stadium where the band formed the West Virginia on Game Days and all the incoming Freshmen were contained within its shape. Thanks to Bill Shultz on Facebook for this wonderful pic.

Tonight the remainder of Fallfest will be held at the Mountianlair Plaza and the first day of classes for West Virginia University start tomorrow. Needless to say that traffic is back to being pretty heavy like it was before commencement earlier this Spring.

Nothing special planned for us today, grocery shopping and finishing up the remaining laundry. Nothing too special planned for the end of our eventful four day weekend.

Have yourselves a great day and get out and enjoy some of this wonderful weather.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again up in the early AM, I'm the first one to recover from that losing battle with the dreaded Sandman last night. I'm up watching I have no idea on some channel, how is that for specifics, and I'm collecting my thoughts for this new day.

First of all as everyone knows I write my weekday blogs a day ahead of time and my weekend blogs are always live blogs, meaning I write them before I post them. I do have to say that this entire week has been a very eventful one for everyone in the family, I've seen highs and lows, great times and disappointment, disgust to excitement. The highlight so far has been the Jimmy Buffett Concert where I grabbed as many pictures as I could. Everyone had a great time and we are all waiting for next years show.

I'm not going to discuss the low points as they involve my brother and I see this as the end of a problem and the chance for a new beginning. It will be a while before he will be the brother that we all know and love so much, but rest assured that this is now the time to switch our emotions from anger to support as he will fight this long battle on the road to recovery. He is after all is said and done and after all that he has done, my brother and my family. If you still hold anger at this point, your problems lie withing your own heart. It's time for some very tough love, but love is still and will always be the key word. I've had a few disagreements with family members and siblings before in my life, too many to mention, but the one common factor in all of them is the fact that we are still family and I still love each and every one of them from the very bottom of my heart, even though at times you would just love to smack them upside the head and say "WTF are you thinking"...lol

Have yourselves a great day, and try to avoid this side of town. Those pesky residents known as students are still on their way back and the head ache has just began.

On a side note I wonder how my niece Brittany feels right now, she graduated from WVU this spring and this will be the first fall where her academic career is behind her.

Once again, 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!

We had a great time last night, it's always a pleasure to not only see Jimmy but enjoy the tailgating with friends and family. Already ready for next years concert.

Be warned, today is move in day at West Virginia University. Our little vacation of little traffic and being able to easily get around town are now over with until the Thanksgiving break. Allow yourselves a little extra time to get to where you are going today.

There is a movie coming out real soon with a some pretty good friends in, Families Like Yours just released their trailer a couple of days ago and Jane, Chris and the kids are all featured in the documentary. They filmed it a few months ago, and I'm not sure when the full feature film will be released, I'll keep everyone updated.

Have a great day.

Fins Up!!!!!

Alright Parrot Heads are you ready???? Today is the day that Jimmy returns to Burgettestown for his 20915 Concert. We will be there and ready to party.

I have listed the information that I have found about today's event below, the doors open at 7:00 PM, Show starts at 8:00 and they have moved the parking lot opening back to 3:00 (was 4:00 then 3:30) to let a;; of the Parrot Heads in to set up their tailgates.

You can bring in one bottle of water and a one gallon bag of snacks per person.

Let's Do This!!!!!

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through all of my pictures that I have either captured with a lens, scanned or stolen from the internet. Little most moments in time that take us back to another time and another place. Sometimes finding these pictures is very easy like this weeks, and sometimes you tend to struggle a little bit, but it is always a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic was pretty easy. Later this evening we will be seeing Jimmy Buffett in Concert and I wanted to grab a picture from a previous concert to use.

This weeks picture is of someone that we all hold dear to our hearts but is no longer with us. It was just two short years ago that Jean was the center of attention for the whole parking lot for the concert. She was playing beer pong with some young college kids, after she had basically fed everyone around us as well, and was having a great time.

Make sure you have yourselves a great day, we will.

Big Ole Hairy Hump Day

Well for the rest of you it's hump day, that day of the week when you go up and over the hump looking at another weekend. For my wonderful wife Michelle and I it is the start of a four day weekend for us.

Yes my work week will be over this evening and it'll be time for us to start cleaning and organizing tomorrows Tailgate.

Jimmy Buffett will once again be coming to Pittsburgh, even though that we thought he was just going to completely bypass the city this year for the first time in I don't know when. To tell you the truth, I'm glad he waited as when he was going to schedule was the rainy season and tomorrows weather forecast for Burgettstown looks quite awesome with a high at a very manageable 84° and no rain.

Bobby and Val and a couple they went with last year as well as Trish and a couple of her friends as well as the group of people we are going with could make this a tailgate of potentially about 15 people, not including the people who tend to stop by as they pass by as we have met a number of great people in neighboring tailgates through the years.

Have yourselves a wonderful day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is now once again behind us, we've got that work week started and it's kind of a hump day for Michelle and I. You know what that means.

* It has been 18,881 days since I was born. One thing this makes you realize is that life is in fact very short, make the most of each and every day.

* It's been 4,104 days since I Graduated from West Virginia University with a Degree in Geography. I've been fortunate enough to have been working in my field even 4 years prior to me graduating.

* 2,705 days ago Michelle and I went out on our very first date, we had known each other some years earlier, but she was married at the time with two young kids but I still remember the first time I saw her very well.

* Its been 1,929 days since I proposed marriage.

* 1,466 days ago in front of our closest family and friends, we had ourselves a Caribbean style wedding.

* I have about 5,956 days or so to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there of course.

* I have 361 more days to go until my wonderful wife and I celebrate our Fifth Wedding Anniversary. Never too early to start counting down on that one lol.

* We are just a mere 222 more days away from Springtime, Phil has made numerous visits this summer enjoying some of the apples in the back yard. Maybe I need to find him a steady woman, the hookers just aren't doing it for him anymore.

* There are 142 more days of content before I publish my Goodbye 2015 Blog, where I relive the previous year based on what I write in my Blog.

*  We only have 136 more days left of Christmas Shopping, I'm surprised Walmart doesn't have their Christmas stuff out yet, let the students get settled and something tells me we will start seeing it.

* There are 112 more days to go until I celebrate yet another Anniversary of my 21st Birthday. Don't ask me why I stay at 21, I have been legal to drink since I was 18 in West Virginia. They raised the drinking age after I was already over the age.

* There are 53 days until the 2015 Springs Festival. Michelle and I love going up there to this Amish Community, we always get some great deals on recently harvested crops.

* There are only 33 more days to go until our Cruise aboard the Carnival Pride. Be sure to watch us.

* There are only 25 more days to go until the start of the 2015 WVU Football season, I'm getting ready for this season and things look like they may be shaping up well for the 2015 squad.

* There are only 2 more days until the Parrot Heads unite in Pittsburgh once again to see Jimmy Buffett, we are absolutely ready this year. Fins Up!!!!! This is going to be a great year and a great tailgate.

* I have written a total of 4,157 Blogs in the nearly 11 years it has been since I started writing this documented portion of my life.

* Nothing new on the Brother Search this week, we are at a crossroads and I have no idea really where to go from here other than just simply hope for fate.

* Very little  work on the Hall Family Tree this week, I think I updated a birthday or two but nothing really that major.

* I had hopes that Josh Judy would be picked up by some MLB team this season after last years injury, but he has spent the entire season so far for the York Revolution.

* I'm loving this new fitbit that I bought, I see myself doing things that I would not normally do just to get my steps in or burn calories. I'm monitoring everything and have been for over a week now, son the weight is coming off again. Blood sugars are back to semi-normal and I'm sure my Doctor will love that fact.

* Michelle is flying solo this week at work, her Partner in Crimes Husband is having surgery and will be out the entire week. Our thoughts are with Joe and Lydia in hopes of a speedy recovery.

* We set the new EZ Up up Sunday, I bought a 12' x 12' one to go along with the 10' x 10' one we have for the tailgate this Thursday.

* Have yourselves one heck of a fine day.

* Hi ho hi ho

Back to Work Kind of Monday

Well we had a fabtabulous weekend, but all good things must come to an end and it is time to stick our collective noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of working.

It's going to be a short week for both Michelle and I as we are going to take an extended weekend this coming weekend. The Jimmy Buffett Concert is Thursday, so we will both be off both Thursday as well as Friday leading into next weekend.

We did have a great day yesterday, we smoked a pork roast on the Webber and it turned out really well and no there is none left. Other than that we are got everything organized for the tailgate this coming Thursday. Brats will be on the menu in the Parrot Head nation, that and I'm sure a few creative alcoholic contraptions that Wendy always seems to come up with.

Michelle's Sister Dani became a Grandmother for the first time yesterday. Megan and Cory had 7 lb 1 ounce Baby Boy that that named Cole David Marsh. Congratulations to the parents and Grandparents.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a very quiet household, I'm the first one to recover from that losing battle with the dreaded Sandman last night and I'm up early watching Malibu's Most Wanted and collecting my thoughts for the day.

Had a whole lot of fun yesterday and went to the WV Black Bears game with Michelle and my Sister and Brother In Laws Chris and Jim. It was a fun evening at the Ballpark, but the Black Bears dropped the extra inning game 2-1 to the State College Spikes, the short season affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. I think we did more than enough to win the game, but idiotic base running in having 3 runners picked off the base paths at very inopportune times lead to our downfall.

I set the DVR last night, I have to see if we won our show KDKA McDonalds Pittsburgh Steelers Trivia Show last night or not. I was cheering for us to get the win, that bald guy on the far of the Pudgy Polamalus looks pretty familiar.

A couple of months ago Michelle bought a thing called a Fitbit. She has absolutely loved hers and after looking at it a little closer, I was rather impressed on what it keeps track of during the day. Heart Rate, steps, distance, stairs, sleep and a number of other things that also sync to my iPhone and my Loseit application that I used last year to lose all my weight and am also currently using again. I have to say that for the longest time I was a skeptic about the product and really didn't get it after buying a Charge HR, same one Michelle has, yesterday afternoon. it makes your daily activity and exercise a game. I have wanted a wrist time piece for a while now, but never could justify getting one simply based on the fact I have an iPhone, now I found something that works in conjunction with my iPhone and really love this thing.

Our plans for the day are gong to be our normal Sunday Shopping and finishing up laundry. We may start bringing EZ Ups out and other things that we are going to need this Thursday for the Jimmy Buffett Concert on Thursday.

Have yourselves a great day.

Steelers Trivia Tonight

Tonight is the night we make our debut for the 2015 KDKA McDonalds Pittsburgh Steelers Trivia show for the season.

We are the defending Champions and are coming back this season to defend our title that we won last year (we also won in 2008 as Poised to Strike) tonight at 11:30 PM on KDKA Channel 2 in Pittsburgh this evening.

Can the Pudgy Polamalus defend their title or will one of the other worthy challengers prevent us from winning it all again. It all starts this evening with our first round game.

If we win tonight, we will appear in the second Semi-Final round on September 5th and if we advance from there the Championship will be on September 12th.

Tune in tonight and see if we can do it once again, it all starts tonight. Tune in and cheer us on.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, I'm the first one to recover from that knockout by that dreaded Sandman last night. I'm up early watching something or another on the Boob Tube and collecting my thoughts for the day.

We had a great time last night at Kaiden and Kynlea's Birthday Party, the kids got some great gifts, there was a great turnout and the kids had an absolute blast. There are days and times in your life when you have the opportunity to create lasting moments for a lifetime, something tells me that for a whole number of kids that last night and the events of the evening will be one of those moments that they will all look back on. From the kids water battle and tug-o-war to Amy getting thrown into the pool.

Today is pretty much going to be a relaxing one for Michelle and I, we have tickets to go see the WV Blackbears this evening. This will be the second time this season we have made it to a game, we will be attending with Michelle's Sister Chris and Brother in Law Jim. It looks like it is going to be a great evening at the Monongalia County Ballpark. Go Black Bears. 

Have yourselves a wonderful day and get out and enjoy yourselves and live life to the fullest.

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!

Thank you to everyone who wished Michelle and I a Happy Anniversary yesterday, the overwhelming response was heart warming.

If you are looking for a little bit of cheap, and by cheap I mean free fun, Boparc is playing the movie
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day this evening at Woodburn Park. This is the last movie of the year for the Summer Series.

This evening Michelle and I will be attending Kaiden and Kynleas's birthday party this evening at either my nieces house or the Mountain View Jamboree Building up near their home, it all depends on whether or not it is raining. Should be a fun evening with some wonderful people. If you are going Kaiden likes Star Wars and Kynlea is anything Princess.

Have a Great Day

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Randy "Bub" Hamrick

 I would like to take this opportunity to wish my wonderful and camera avoiding nephew Randy "Bub" Hamrick very happy Birthday today.

If my math is correct, Randy will be celebrating his 27th Birthday today.

Not sure what Randy will be getting into today, I don't get to see him that often but I know the last time I did speak with him he was working pretty steady. Hopefully I will be able to see him this evening at the kids Birthday Party.

If you happen to see Randy today, and hopefully most of us will, make sure that you take a little bit of time out and with this fine young man a very happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Randy.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Cruise 2014

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through all of the pictures that I have either taken with a camera, scanned or just stolen from the internet. Little precious lost moments in time that I post up here and briefly re-live for the world to see. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, finding that one special picture like this weeks, or there are times that you do struggle. One thing it always is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic was an easy one, it's a picture from the formal dining night on our 2014 Cruise to the Caribbean. This picture was actually taken before dinner as we were still in our cabin and preparing to leave. I'm sure everyone has seen the pictures that we had taken or even have a copy of them, but this is the scene before the dinner and before the pictures were taken of me and my wonderful wife of four years as of today.

We are planning on doing this all again in about 38 more days.

Have a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Fourth Anniversary to my Wife

There are a few days in my life that I have the fondest memories of. Days that were special to me and that you will never forget. On top of that list and in the number one position was this day just four short years ago.

What was four years ago, well for me it was the day that my biggest dream in life, to find and marry my soul mate, came to fruition.

At the Marilla Center in front of our closes family and friends and pretty much on a limited but decent budget we managed to pull off getting married with a little bit of help from our friends.

There are so many people that Michelle and I would love to thank and see once again, as it was a very special day for the both of us. The effort we received from everyone made out "Jimmy Buffett Caribbean Style" Wedding one that we both loved and still cherish to this day.

To my wonderful wife, thank you so much for rescuing me from that purgatory known as lonesomeness from which I suffered but would never admit. Thank you for being my best friend, my lover and my soul mate. We have done some wonderful things and seen some wonderful places in these past four years. Thank you for having the patience as I made you wait 777 days just to have a ring around your finger. You are my inspiration, my strength, the love of my life and most importantly my Soul Mate.

Happy Fourth Anniversary, I love you with all of my heart.

Hump Day

Well once again that is two days that are completed, now we just have to get up and over this noon time hump and it will be all downhill working towards another fun filled weekend.

The one blog that I have trouble writing every week is this one, it's the one that just sits there in the middle of the work week with no viable theme other than the Wisdom Wednesdays that I have done, but in fear of repeating content you tend not to do too many of them.

I have to try to live to my standards and not do certain things like air dirty laundry (a big no no in my book) or anything of that nature. Offending anyone is the furthest thing from my mind, I could probably increase readership if I did or even made it political, but this blog is about the things that are going on in my life at any given day. It's a great point of reference for me or anyone around me to help put time stamps on events surrounding my life.

I mean in 2007 we had Josh's First Birthday Party or that in 2001 we were getting ready to start a ten day vacation which included Michelle and I getting married and going on our Honeymoon to Ocean City Maryland. How about 3 years ago when we attended the BFS Company Picnic.

A blog can be a wonderful thing, it can be a place to place and share your memories with family and friends. It's a way to get your thoughts out providing it doesn't start some kind of a war and it is a great way to look back upon your own life and legacy and see what you were doing  on this day in some distant far off year.

Have a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that nightmare of a day called Monday is now once again behind us, now we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday. Unless the blue footed boobies and the sloth show up at my door selling dehydrated water, I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It has been a very short 18,874 days since I was born, hopefully that number will continue to grow

* It has been 4,097 days since I Graduated from West Virginia University, something that I am very proud of especially considering how late it was in life that I even started.

* It has been 2,698 days since Michelle and my first date, 10,000 BC was the movie. Good thing I didn't take her to a good movie, she might not have ever went out with me again.

* It was 1,922 days ago that I proposed marriage to Michelle.

* 1,459 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, we had ourselves a little bit of  a wedding.

* I have about 5,963 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there of course.

* There are only 229 more days to go until Spring 2015, my favorite season of the year.

* I have 149 more days of content to go before I wrote my Goodbye 2015 that is my very last blog of the year. I recall my previous year based on what I put right here.

* There are only 143 more shopping days left until Christmas.

* There are also only 119 more days to go until my next anniversary of my 21st Birthday.

* There are only 60 more days to go until my wonderful wife and I once again attend the  Springs Festival in Springs Pennsylvania.

* The one thing we are really paying attention to is that there are now only 40 more days to go until we once again set sail on our Eastern Caribbean Cruise aboard the newly remodeled Carnival Pride.

* There are only 32 more days until WVU officially opens up their 2015 season for Football. Fall drills officially got under way yesterday, so Football season is upon us.

* There are only 9 more days to go until we party down with Jimmy Buffett.

* There are only 2 more days to go until mine and Michelle's Fourth Wedding Anniversary

* This is the 4,147th Blog that I have written for George's Journal in the over a decade that I have been writing it.

* No work this week on the Hall Family Tree, it's just that time of the year when I have other things that I would prefer to concentrate on.

* Nothing new in the Brother Search this week, don't know where we will go from here but it's going to be challenging.

* For you KDKA McDonald's Pittsburgh Steelers Trivia Challenge fans, this Saturday night at 11:30 is when our first round game will appear. If we win here we will appear in the Semi-Final round on September 5th. If we advance there we will make it to the Championship to be determined September 12th. Tune in and cheer, we will need the luck.

* It was 31 years ago yesterday that this happened, my how time flies by.

* Michelle and I will be going to the WV Blackbears game this Saturday Afternoon, Happy Anniversary to us.

* There is a Poker Run this weekend to honor Sgt Todd May who was killed in the line of duty a few years ago.

* Just a little reminder that if you have some spare time and you want to broaden yourself, Coursera is a great tool to brush up on just about anything. They are free online courses from from of the top Universities.

* Angela McClain is a Consultant with Tastefully Simple if you ever order from them.

* Have yourselves a fabtabulous day

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

Well all good things must come to an end, that also includes those fun times that we enjoy so much and refer to as weekends. It's time to stick our noses back on the grindstone for another week.

We did have a great weekend, yesterday we really got into nothing new other than washing the cars. They both look pretty good right now even if I do have to say so myself. Michelle had fun making her first big batch of green beans in a while, we have a huge stock pot that she loves to use when she makes a batch.

We have a few things coming up in the week ahead including us meeting with Michelle's neurologist so see if we can get a handle on what had been happening to her the past month and a half that have scared everyone. Thursday will be our fourth Wedding Anniversary and Friday we are going to another kids birthday party when Amy hosts Kaiden and Kynleas.

I would get out and enjoy this coming weekend, it's probably the last one that you will have for a while as the WVU students will be starting classes two weeks from today, meaning that two weekends from now they will return with a whole new batch of Freshmen. Two days later local school children will return for their school year as well.

Can we go back to June?

Have a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet household. I'm the first one to recover from a losing battle with that dreaded Sandman last night and I'm up watching something on HBO and collecting my thoughts for the day.

We had a pretty good day yesterday at Jonny's Birthday Party. I would say that he had himself a very good day when it comes to presents, you can tell that this little boy is very much loved by a very large family. Jon and Laura did a great job of hosting and organizing yesterday's festivities.

Since we traveled yesterday, today is going to be pretty boring, grocery shopping this morning as well as our weekly laundry that we fell a little behind, but it's still very manageable.

I am officially restarting my diet and blood glucose monitoring again today. My last A1C wasn't anything to brag about and my blood sugars have not exactly been healthy. I lost 105 pounds and then but about 50 of it back on since Michelle's surgery, and that has thrown my blood sugars out of whack. I'm officially documenting everything once again as of today (I basically stopped after Michelle had her surgery). Goodbye excess Carbohydrates, it's been fun.

Have a great day.

Traveling to Monaca

I would go through my normal spiel of being the first one to awaken, but Michelle woke up a couple of hours before I did so she is way ahead of me on waking up. I'm a bit of a slacker to say the least this morning.

Today's plan is to pack up the Forester and head north to Monaca Pennsylvania for little Jonny's Second Birthday party. Both Chad and Hayley will be riding up with us today as well as taking Jonny's present which is a Little Tykes Grill that he always plays with at Daycare.

Other plans for the day will be to stop at Tanger Outlets again so Michelle can do a little bit of shopping and I would imagine that we will be making a trip to their favorite Hot Dog Shop since we will have a car load for the trip.

I did wake up this morning to sheer terror, my sister Kim made a video of my worst nightmare to scare me. That would be a travesty, especially when it is shorts and sandals type of weather. I don't cruise to the North Poll, I go to the Caribbean.

Have a Great day as I try to recover from the mere thought of that white stuff falling.