Hump Day

Two days down, two more ahead of us and now all we have to do is get up and over this noon time hump and it will be all downhill working toward another fun filled weekend.

Well I have to admit that this is one of those brain fart Wednesdays that I do occasionally have from time to time. I thought about making this a Wisdom Blog, but just chose an image that covers that, keeping my options open just in case I happen to get some kind of magical inspiration to put down something meaningful and memorable.

In the coming Months I would like to plan maybe a family trip to Amish Country hopefully some time in October or November. If we can get enough people wanting to go, I was thinking about maybe everyone going together and getting a passenger van rather than take multiple vehicles there. Then again I can see the advantage of taking multiple vehicles as then everyone can split up and hit multiple locations.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is done and we are now looking towards a better Tuesday, I'm off the next three Mondays and I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It has been 19,266 days since I first set foot on this planet, now using my math and my new and improved 905 days calendar, which I should trademark™, that makes me just 21 years old.

* 4,489 day ago I fulfilled a lifetime dream and graduated from West Virginia University, my hometown University and Alma Mater. Now we are starting to get close to the best part of having the students here, Football Season.

* 3,090 days ago I was fortunate enough to take a very special lady out for a night on the town, we did Pizza and a movie that was horrible and that was the start of the rest of my life.

* 2,314 days ago I proposed marriage to Michelle, I had made her wait until a certain number of days, but she knew it was coming and said yes.

* 1,851 days ago in front of our closest friends and family at the Marilla Center, Michelle and I exchanged our marital vows and became husband and wife. It was the most special day of my life and the one that I hold dearest to my heart.

* I have around 5,571 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there depending on how I feel.

* We are 2,209 days away from the Backyard Brawl being renewed when WVU and Pitt will once again take the field and the Mountaineers will once again whip that pathetic ACC rear end into the ground. Panther meat for sale the next day.

* There are 341 days to go until Michelle and my sixth Wedding Anniversary.

* My nephew Calvin and his GF Jeanetta will be getting married in 298 days from now. They have their wedding website up and running and are doing all kinds of planning.

* My favorite season of the year is Spring, which were are just a mere 202 days away from =)

* Phil the Groundhog takes center stage in 156 more days where he will predict our next 6 weeks worth of weather. Phil is my buddy and once again will not disappoint me, I have faith.,

* My Goodbye 2016 blog where I relive everything that was posted in my blog over the last year will appear here in just 123 more days.

* I still haven't seen WalMart put up Christmas stuff just yet, but it's getting closer as there are only 117 more days to go until Christmas. I say give it until next weekend and we'll start seeing it.

* The next anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in just another 93 more days.

* We tried to make it to the Springs Festival last year but the weather was not cooperative, we'll try it again in 39 more days. It's a great place to go and see if you have never been there.

* Our fifth Sea Cruise will take place in 12 more days when we set sail out of Baltimore once again. Everything is already booked, paid for including out hotel room and we're just counting the days down until we head east. Here is the AFT Deck cam of what is going on right now.

* The WVU Football team will take the field and open their 2016 campaign in 4 more days when they take on Missouri. It's GAMEWEEK!!!!

* This is my 4,582nd blog that I have written for George's Journal. I'm going on 12 years as a blogger while I am on my cruise. What a way to celebrate anniversaries of blogging.

* The Hall Family Tree is still up and running with 370 members in the database and that will continue to grow this fall. I've added the DNA .GED file, so we'll see if that generates any information which it hasn't yet.

* There will be a couple free concerts here in Morgantown in the next week or so. Brett Michaels will be at Triple S Harley Davidson on September 5th and Brad Paisley in the brown lot by the Law School on September 9th.

* I still think down the road I would like to assemble a few people for a team to take on the Morgantown Escape Room. The cost is $25 per person and to have an intuitive mind that can help with the solution. I'm starting to ask around and getting a pretty good response for that. I'm thinking sometime after our cruise.

* We have actually started organizing for packing for our cruise, I'm starting to anticipate it now.

* I have all of my blogs for vacation written and ready to go, it's time for a blogger vacation as well as my normal vacation.

* Brittany has put together a August/September family get together still. A kickball game at one of the little league fields at Marilla. I think this would be a lot of fun and everyone would have a great time. It's a three day weekend and a good day for kickball.

* Hi ho hi ho

Long Day kind of Monday

Well here we go, it's time to stick our collective noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what it is that we do for a living. It's time to start another work week.

This will be a bittersweet Monday for me, I'll be traveling this evening after I get off work to do some more field work for RTI, this is going to make it a long day of working that is for sure. On the flip side of the coin, next Monday is Labor Day and I'll be off, in two weeks I'll be in the Ocean on my way to Grand Turk and I'll even be off on the 19th after Vacation to get some things done before returning to work on the 20th of September. IOW, this is my last Monday for a while.

I didn't mention how the Softball playoffs went last week. We actually made it to the Championship, but fell a little short of winning the title. Personally I was on fire for the Tournament and if you go by the last 6 games, or since the sole fell off my cleat and I had to play in tennis shoes rather than going out and buying a new set of cleats. This team is talking about staying together and playing together again next season, so this winter I'll be anticipating the Spring for Softball for the first time in a number of years.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again on a quiet Sunday morning, I'm up early collecting my thoughts for the day and watching Roadhouse on the Television. I've slept in a little this morning, but I'm still the first one to recover the effects of battling the Sandman last night.

Light up the Night was a success yesterday, I grabbed a few pictures and some videos of last nights festivities at Wesmon Park in Westover. They have a prize raffle of things that were donated to them and my niece Amy absolutely cleaned up at the Raffle. Her and Ralph took many of the best prize packages and Brittany took a couple herself. Michelle and I for the second year didn't win a thing, but Amy won what she really wanted with the American Doll for Kynlea.

My plans for the day are to head back to Fairmont this afternoon to see if I can get any of those illusive remaining interviews that I have for RTI. I'm hoping to find everyone home today and have a great day, it would finish me up for this quarter.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again on a quiet Saturday morning, I am once again the first one to recover from a losing battle with that dreaded Sandman last night and I'm up collecting my thoughts for the day. Noise is playing on the TV behind me and that is the best I can describe it as I have no idea what is playing.

I'll be heading to Fairmont this morning to do a little bit of work for RTI, we're just trying to close out this quarter. I have spoken with Michelle and I think that she is going to go with me this January to St. Louis. We will be staying at the Hyatt Regency as I get re-certified for 2017. This will be the first trip for either of us to Missouri.

If you have a few extra coins in your pocket and would like to make a quality donation to something very worthwhile or just looking for something majestic to look at, come to Wesmon Park in Westover this evening at 6:30 for the Johnny Koon Brain Tumor Research Fund at WVU Children's Hospital's Light Up The Night Lantern and Butterfly Release. Lanterns and Butterflys are just $5.00 each and all the proceeds go to a very worth while charity. Last year was the first year that I went and I'm going once again this year. Come one Come all and make a difference in Brain Tumor Research.

This coming week will be mine and Michelle's last full week of work for a while, we'll be heading to Baltimore in two weeks for vacation, I finally have all of my vacation blogs written and ready to go. This blogger is ready for a vacation.

Have yourselves a great day today, come donate to a worthy cause.

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 High School Football Sports fans, High School Football season is once again upon us as tonight is the start of High School Football for all three area High Schools. My Alma Mater Morgantown High will be at home taking on Anacostia, DC at Pony Lewis Field. University High travels to Moundsville to take on John Marshall and Clay Battelle travels to Valley Fayette. Good luck to all three area teams on this upcoming season.

Not sure of mine and Michelle's plans at this time, she was going to go back home for the weekend but I think that the event that was taking her back home are on hold. There is always the lantern release tomorrow night.

Have a great day and a great 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 my 30,000+ lost moments in time that I have either captured with a lens, scanned or just stolen from some place on the internet. I like to post up one picture and relive it briefly for everyone. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task like todays and sometimes it is a struggle to find that special picture, one this it always is is a whole lot of fun for this writer.

This weeks picture flashes way way back, back to Tuesday night at the Jimmy Buffett Concert. This is a picture that I took of Michelle and I in the lawn right after they started letting people in the gates, Jimmy was probably an hour from coming on stage and Michelle and I grabbed a selfie before the show started.

Have yourselves a great day today, It's back to work for me and Michelle after a couple day break. Remember we're playing Softball this evening.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Well we survived the yearly trip to see Jimmy Buffett yesterday, as always a great show and we will see you again next year Jimmy. It's always a whole lot of fun gathering with all the other Parrot Heads to see Jimmy.

I found out yesterday that I will be in St. Louis the first part of next year. I have to go for re-certification from RTI (annual thing on their dine) from January 3-5. I'm not sure whether I am driving or flying out, it all depends on whether Michelle wants to go with me or not to St. Louis. I've never been there, but I have been across the Mississippi a couple of times driving, so it'll be new uncharted territory in my travels.

Today Michelle and I are both off and recovering from yesterday, it was just me and her this year as opposed to years past when we took a number of people with us to tailgate. Today is a day of unpacking and getting ready for the next couple of days in the office.

Tomorrow night we are holding the Softball playoffs and it's all going to be done in one night, as a double elimination tournament. Only the top 4 teams make the playoffs and finishing the year at .500 put us in that top 4 (yeah there are only 4 teams in the league). Come on out at 6:00 and support a bunch of old guys.

Have a great day.

Fins Up!!!!!

It's Buffett Day!!!!!!!!!!!!


Michelle and I will be heading north here in a little while to sing with Jimmy.

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is done and we are now looking towards a better Tuesday, I still can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits other than if my long lost brother would show up in my DNA results.

* It has been 19,259 days since I first set foot on this planet, now using my math and my new and improved 905 days calendar, which I should trademark™, that makes me just 21 years old.

* 4,482 day ago I fulfilled a lifetime dream and graduated from West Virginia University, my hometown University and Alma Mater. I think the students are finally learning where to go and how to get around town.

* 3,082 days ago I was fortunate enough to take a very special lady out for a night on the town, we did Pizza and a movie that was horrible and that was the start of the rest of my life.

* 2,306 days ago I proposed marriage to Michelle, I had made her wait until a certain number of days, but she knew it was coming and said yes.

* 1,844 days ago in front of our closest friends and family at the Marilla Center, Michelle and I exchanged our marital vows and became husband and wife. It was the most special day of my life and the one that I hold dearest to my heart.

* I have around 5,578 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there depending on how I feel.

* We are 2,216 days away from the Backyard Brawl being renewed when WVU and Pitt will once again take the field and the Mountaineers will once again whip that pathetic ACC rear end into the ground. Panther meat for sale the next day.

* There are 348 days to go until Michelle and my sixth Wedding Anniversary.

* My nephew Calvin and his GF Jeanetta will be getting married in 305 days from now. They have their wedding website up and running and are doing all kinds of planning.

* My favorite season of the year is Spring, which were are just a mere 209 days away from =)

* Phil the Groundhog takes center stage in 163 more days where he will predict our next 6 weeks worth of weather. Phil is my buddy and once again will not disappoint me, I have faith.,

* My Goodbye 2016 blog where I relive everything that was posted in my blog over the last year will appear here in just 130 more days.

* I still haven't seen WalMart put up Christmas stuff just yet, but it's getting closer as there are only 124 more days to go until Christmas. I say give it until next weekend and we'll start seeing it.

* The next anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in just another 100 more days.

* We tried to make it to the Springs Festival last year but the weather was not cooperative, we'll try it again in 46 more days. It's a great place to go and see if you have never been there.

* Our fifth Sea Cruise will take place in 19 more days when we set sail out of Baltimore once again. Everything is already booked, paid for including out hotel room and we're just counting the days down until we head east. Here is the AFT Deck cam of what is going on right now. I need to start writing my absentee blogs.

* The WVU Football team will take the field and open their 2016 campaign in 11 more days when they take on Missouri. I'm anticipating a good season this year, my expectations are actually a little higher than in years past.

* We are 0 days away from all of us Parrot Heads uniting once again in Pittsburgh, yeppers, that it TODAY!!!!!!! Fins Up!!!!!!!!!

* This is my 4,573rd blog that I have written for George's Journal. I'm going on 12 years as a blogger here in about another month. Amazing me trying something out has turned into 12 years of my life.

* The Hall Family Tree is still up and running with 370 members in the database and that will continue to grow this fall. I've added the DNA .GED file, so we'll see if that generates any information.

* The results are back for the brother search, here are my ethnicity results from the test. The closest relative that I have is a second cousin by the last name of Greer. I've sent a correspondence to the administrator of that site in hopes that it leads to something.

* I still think down the road I would like to assemble a few people for a team to take on the Morgantown Escape Room. The cost is $25 per person and to have an intuitive mind that can help with the solution. I'm starting to ask around and getting a pretty good response for that. I'm thinking sometime after our cruise.

* I still have to write all my blogs for the cruise. I pre-write them for when we are gone so as to post as we are on vacation. I'm slacking this year and have not started yet.

* Don't forget that the Butterfly and lantern release for Johnny Koon is this Saturday evening.

* Brittany has put together a August/September family get together still. A kickball game at one of the little league fields at Marilla. I think this would be a lot of fun and everyone would have a great time.

* Fins Up!!!!!!!

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 one of the best father in the world candidate's for Ryleigh's Daddy.

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.

One Day On and Two Off

Well as summer winds down and I have watched everyone else enjoy theirs, now starts to come to the time that we have been waiting for. Today both Michelle and I will be working, me both jobs and Michelle a long day. All in preparation for being off the next two days.

Tomorrow Michelle and I will travel to see Jimmy Buffett in Burgettstown once again as we meet with the rest of the Parrot Heads in the area to hear Jimmy sing once again. We sold all six of our extra tickets and recovered everything that we had invested in them.

My Sister in Law Chris and Jim, and their daughter Amanda are all on their cruise right now on the Carnival Victory. You can watch for them on the Foreward Cam or the Aft Cam the next few days. This is their first cruise so I hope that they have a lot of fun, I think they will. Michelle surprised them and had their rooms decorated to surprise them. What a way to start a cruise! You can track where they are here.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I am once again in a quiet household, I'm up early watching who knows what is playing in the background, not that I am paying attention anyway. I'm here waking up and collecting my thoughts for the day and enjoying the peace and quiet.

Yesterday afternoon we made a couple of stops around town. First we stopped and visited my Mother and to check up on her. She's been hospitalized five times in the past month and she doesn't tell anyone until she basically gets out. Stubborn woman to say the least.

Afterwards we went to my Sister Kim's to pick up a few items for Michelle from Thirty One and Mary Kay that she had purchased. We stayed a little while and visited, Michelle buddied up with Bella, the younger of Kim's two Miniature Yorkies that like our neighbor dog Rocky is a fireball of energy. Bella and Michelle posed for a picture that she put on on Facebook.

Plans for today are our typical Sunday. We'll be grocery shopping later this morning, a trip to Phoenix Bakery and a few chores around the house such as finishing up Laundry for the next week. We'll be off a couple of days this week for the Buffett Concert which seems to be getting later and later in the tour.

Have yourselves a great day today, make the most of it and live it to its fullest.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household once again, I'm up early with some kind of noise on in the background playing on the television, not really paying attention to it. I'm here just waking up and collecting my thoughts for the day.

I have to take a minute out and wish my step mother Jean a very Happy Birthday today. She left us all a couple of years ago after long battle with Pancreatic Cancer, but she is still missed by everyone and today would have been her birthday.

My plans for the day are to once again head to Fairmont and do some field work for RTI. I'm just trying to finalize this section for this quarter so that we can move on and start to prepare for the third quarter.

I did find out yesterday that a Sportsman's Warehouse will be coming to Morgantown with plans on opening up sometime next year. I would imagine that it will be going in somewhere around the next exit that is due to open up September 1st. It will be like Christmas in the coming months as we find out new businesses that will be opening in the area.

I did find out this morning that the Lantern and Butterfly release for Light Up Night will be held next Saturday evening. I plan on being in attendance, but Michelle has plans next weekend on going home and helping her family celebrate her Grandmother's Birthday. It was a lot of fun last year and it raises money for a very good cause, the Johnny Koon Brain Tumor Research Fund at WVU Children's Hospital. Come on out, bring some extra cash and release some butterflies and lanterns.

Have yourselves a great day today and make the very most of it.

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 once again I will be going out tomorrow to do some work for RTI, we're trying to finish up this quarter, so I'll be out and about tomorrow trying to get some interviews in.

I know Michelle is talking about going to the Women's Expo at Mylan Park this weekend. Maybe that will work out for us as I am out doing field work, we'll be off a couple of days this coming work week for the Buffett Concert so that will be OK.

Well I guess by all the pictures I saw all over Facebook that yesterday was the first day of school for school aged kids here in Monongalia County. I hope all the students have a great year, knowledge is power so gain as much as you can.

Have 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 my 30,000+ lost moments in time that I have either captured with a lens, scanned or just stolen from some place on the internet. I like to post up one picture and relive it briefly for everyone. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task like todays and sometimes it is a struggle to find that special picture, one this it always is is a whole lot of fun for this writer.

This weeks picture is of my and my lovely wife a few years ago, this was right after the ship had taken off from Baltimore on our very first cruise that we had ever been on. It seems like only yesterday, but we are getting ready to go out on our fifth cruise here in less than a man. We are already Gold members in Carnival's VIFP Club and after this cruise we should be just short of half way to the next level where you get all the perks and goodies.

Speaking of the picture though, this was taken right after the ship had left the port, we were probably still turning around in the Bay to start to head towards the ocean. It was a very memorable moment for us, because we were both on our way out of the country for the first time in either of our lives.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Two days down, two more after today at my regular job plus Saturday, so all I have to do is get up and over this dreaded noon time hump today and it will all be downhill working towards another fun filled weekend.

Well today is the actual first day of classes here in Morgantown for WVU. The students will start another year today which means football season is right around the corner. My town I believe is officially back to oh no mode for traffic as everyone is back now including anyone who was waiting for the last minute to come back. They are officially back.

Well we have finally unloaded all of those extra Jimmy Buffett tickets and recouped our cost. It's money we have been planning on using on our cruise and things just did not work out as they have in years past as our tailgating friends have separated as a couple. I hope they get back together some day, I thought they made a great couple, but to each their own. All I know is I will not be fronting anyone's tickets anymore unless I have the money up front.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is done and we are now looking towards a better Tuesday, I still can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits other than if John Denver showed up at my door singing the best of Metallica.

* It has been 19,252 days since I first set foot on this planet, now using my math and my new and improved 905 days calendar, which I should trademark, that makes me just 21 years old.

* 4,475 day ago I fulfilled a lifetime dream and graduated from West Virginia University, my hometown University and Alma Mater. They start another school year tomorrow, arrrgh.

* 3,076 days ago I was fortunate enough to take a very special lady out for a night on the town, we did Pizza and a movie that was horrible and that was the start of the rest of my life.

* 2,300 days ago I proposed marriage to Michelle, I had made her wait until a certain number of days, but she knew it was coming and said yes. Happy 2,300rd Day dayinversary Michelle =)

* 1,837 days ago in front of our closest friends and family at the Marilla Center, Michelle and I exchanged our marital vows and became husband and wife. It was the most special day of my life and the one that I hold dearest to my heart.

* I have around 5,585 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there depending on how I feel.

* We are 2,223 days away from the Backyard Brawl being renewed when WVU and Pitt will once again take the field and the Mountaineers will once again whip that pathetic ACC rear end into the ground. Panther meat for sale the next day.

* There are 355 days to go until Michelle and my sixth Wedding Anniversary.

* My nephew Calvin and his GF Jeanetta will be getting married in 312 days from now. They have their wedding website up and running and are doing all kinds of planning.

* My favorite season of the year is Spring, which were are just a mere 216 days away from =)

* Phil the Groundhog takes center stage in 170 more days where he will predict our next 6 weeks worth of weather. Phil is my buddy and once again will not disappoint me, I have faith.,

* My Goodbye 2016 blog where I relive everything that was posted in my blog over the last year will appear here in just 137 more days.

* I still haven't seen WalMart put up Christmas stuff just yet, but it's getting closer as there are only 131 more days to go until Christmas. I say give it until next weekend and we'll start seeing it.

* The next anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in just another 107 more days.

* We tried to make it to the Springs Festival last year but the weather was not cooperative, we'll try it again in 53 more days. It's a great place to go and see if you have never been there.

* Our fifth Sea Cruise will take place in 26 more days when we set sail out of Baltimore once again. Everything is already booked, paid for including out hotel room and we're just counting the days down until we head east. Here is the AFT Deck cam of what is going on right now. I need to start writing my absentee blogs.

* The WVU Football team will take the field and open their 2016 campaign in 18 more days when they take on Missouri. I'm anticipating a good season this year, my expectations are actually a little higher than in years past.

* We are 7 days away from all of us Parrot Heads uniting once again in Pittsburgh, that is just four weeks and we'll be hearing Jimmy sing. If you need tickets, I still have 2.

* This is my 4,565th blog that I have written for George's Journal. I'm going on 12 years as a blogger here in about another month. Amazing me trying something out has turned into 12 years of my life.

* I have moved to the next step with the Brother Search, I have submitted my DNA sample and it has been accepted at the Ancestry site. They have started the lab analysis, so it's just a waiting game now until I get the results.

* The Hall Family Tree is still up and running with 370 members in the database and that will continue to grow this fall. I'll add the DNA data once I get it back.

* It was 39 years ago today that Elvis Presley died. Strange how I can always remember that date and where I was when it was all announced.

* I think down the road I would like to assemble a few people for a team to take on the Morgantown Escape Room. The cost is $25 per person and to have an intuitive mind that can help with the solution.

* I think the first day of school for Monongalia County was yesterday, it's back to work for all of our teacher friends.

* With classes starting  tomorrow for WVU,  Fallfest and the bunch of bands I never heard of will be playing tonight.

* Happy 13th Wedding Anniversary (I think I am counting right) to my niece Valarie and her Husband Bobby.

* Brittany has put together a August/September family get together. A kickball game at one of the little league fields at Marilla.

* I love these warm temperatures, and just in cast anyone has forgotten. I Hate Snow.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

Here we go again, weekends are always a little too short and now we back ton starting another fun filled week of work. So it's time to stick our collective noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what it is we do for a living.

Tonight is the last regular game of the season for the White Tail Crossing 50+ Softball team. We're 4-5 on the year and are looking to make it to 5-5 on the season this evening. I'm not sure about playoffs or when they even start, but many have already started this year for other leagues. So if you want to watch a few legends of BOPARC Softball, come on out tonight at 7:00 to Ogden Field and have yourself a peek, this may be the last chance this year.

The rest of my week I can't really say much about. I'm still working Fairmont for RTI, but I also have possible softball playoffs and a few other things possibly going on this week. It should be a busy and diverse one, that is for sure. It'll slow down next week as we'll be heading north for the Buffett Concert. We still have a couple of tickets if anyone feels the sudden need to buy a couple. The concert is next Tuesday.

Have yourselves a great day today and make the most of it. Go White Tail Crossing

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit yet once again on a quiet Sunday Morning, I'm the first to awaken this morning and I don't even see a cat a stirring around. The TV is on in the background, but I have no idea what is on it as I'm waking up for the day.

Well we survived student Move in Day yesterday, but it is not over with as the upper class men who live in the dorms get their day today, so once again there will be more traffic around town, the only positive is most of these students know their way around town already.

Out plans for the day is to get our shopping and doing a little relaxing, We'll be heading out early this morning, I figure WalMart and Sams will be very busy places today due to all the students back and town and having student loan money in their pockets, it might be smart to get in and out before they wake up.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again on a quiet Sunday Morning, I'm the first one to recover from that knockout blow by the Sandman last night and I'm watching Elf of all movies and collecting my thoughts for the day.

I'm going to take LP (My Car) in this morning to get her state inspection, we will also be getting Pearl Inspected next week. Fun fun fun when both cars are due for inspection.

Today is going to be a double headache around town, it's calling for rain today and today is officially move in day for the WVU Students in the dorms. Our population just basically doubled and you will notice there are a number of cars that don't know what they are doing driving around town. This is a confusing town to drive in if you are not from here, so give them a little leeway and allow yourself a little extra travel time when driving anywhere close to campus.

I'll be out in the field later this morning working for RTI. We had an assignment due earlier this year about what does the NSDUH mean to us. I wrote some about what my family and I went through the last couple of years and tied it into the job and what was happening for me. What was supposed to be a little e-mail to keep the brass happy turned out to be something they are going to publish in a newsletter.

Have yourselves a great day today and stay dry.

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 once again no real plans for Michelle or I. She was going to go back home for a birthday party but that has been put off until next week, meaning that she will be here all weekend. For me, I'll be out doing field work this weekend for RTI. We're trying to finish this quarter up and complete it, so I'mm be busy the next week or so before we shut it down till the next quarter in October.

We got Hayley a new iPhone a couple nights ago, her 5c finally died due to the battery swelling up, so we went to the AT&T store and got her a 6s Plus. Michelle ordered a new battery for the old phone and we're going to replace it and see if she can sell it for a few extra bucks. Mine and Michelle's iPhones are about paid off and we're due to upgrade when the iPhone 7 is released here in the next couple of months.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through all of the tens of thousands of pictures that I either have captured with a lens, scanned or just stolen from some place on the internet. Little lost moments in time that I like to post up and briefly relive here. Sometimes this is very easy, and there are times that you struggle, but one thing it has and always will be is a whole lot of fun.

To many this is just a picture of a sunrise out on the Ocean, to me it was a shot that I have had 28 days so far to properly capture and this is the best that I have been able to do so far. This image was taken out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean last year, as we were heading to Half Moon Cay. It's hard to get a clear picture of the sun coming up out of the Atlantic Ocean, mainly because all you see is the curvature of the earth and clouds. I did manage to get this image that is very refreshing and soothing to see. It's my favorite view in the whole world.

In about a month from now I'll have another 7 chanced to get that perfect shot. I'm currently 0 for 28, but I'm hoping for 1 for 35 by the time our cruise is over for this year.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well we are once again there, the point of the work week when we go from the uphill struggles known as Monday and Tuesday, to the point where we crest the top of the work week and start heading downhill towards another weekend.

I did go out last night and work a new section for cleanup for RTI. This quarter is winding down and we are trying to finish the quarter up before the next one begins in October. I'll be heading south after work a few days and this coming weekend trying to finish everything up and get as many interviews as we can.

Peanut is pretty much back to her normal self, minus a little bit of missing hair on her backside where they did the surgery. I was really worried we were going to have another Phin incident, but we did not. Morgantown Veterinary Care since the Phin incident has taken precautions that this will never happen again. A fourth associate is in the OR with the animal and stays with that animal until they are out of surgery and the anesthesia has worn off. They do a great job and I highly recommend them.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is done and we are now looking towards a better Tuesday, I still can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits other than maybe if a Sloth came and knocked on my door singing Yankee Doodle Dandy.

* It has been 19,245 days since I first set foot on this planet, now using my math and my new and improved 905 days calendar, which I should trademark, that makes me just 21 years old.

* 4,468 day ago I fulfilled a lifetime dream and graduated from West Virginia University, my hometown University and Alma Mater. Speaking of my Alma Mater, those damn students will be return is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality, next weekend is when we should start seeing the masses show up. Yuck.

* 3,069 days ago I was fortunate enough to take a very special lady out for a night on the town, we did Pizza and a movie that was horrible and that was the start of the rest of my life. We're five years married and still going strong.

* 2,293 days ago I proposed marriage to Michelle, I had made her wait until a certain number of days, but she knew it was coming and said yes.

* 1,830 days ago in front of our closest friends and family at the Marilla Center, Michelle and I exchanged our marital vows and became husband and wife. It was the most special day of my life and the one that I hold dearest to my heart.

* I have around 5,592 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there depending on how I feel.

* We are 2,230 days away from the Backyard Brawl being renewed when WVU and Pitt will once again take the field and the Mountaineers will once again whip that pathetic ACC rear end into the ground.

* There are 362 days to go until Michelle and my sixth Wedding Anniversary.

* My nephew Calvin and his GF Jeanetta will be getting married in 319 days from now. They have their wedding website up and running and are doing all kinds of planning.

* My favorite season of the year is Spring, which were are just a mere 223 days away from =)

* Phil the Groundhog takes center stage in 177 more days where he will predict our next 6 weeks worth of weather. Phil is my buddy and once again will not disappoint me, I have faith.,

* My Goodbye 2016 blog where I relive everything that was posted in my blog over the last year will appear here in just 144 more days.

* I still haven't seen WalMart put up Christmas stuff just yet, but it's getting closer as there are only 138 more days to go until Christmas. The lawn and Garden center is all student stuff, but I figure the Christmas stuff will be up in a few short weeks. I have seen some Halloween stuff out already.

* The next anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in just another 114 more days.

* We tried to make it to the Springs Festival last year but the weather was not cooperative, we'll try it again in 60 more days. It's a great place to go and see if you have never been there.

* Our fifth Sea Cruise will take place in 33 more days when we set sail out of Baltimore once again. Everything is already booked, paid for including out hotel room and we're just counting the days down until we head east. Here is the AFT Deck cam of what is going on right now

* The WVU Football team will take the field and open their 2016 campaign in 25 more days when they take on Missouri. I'm anticipating a good season this year, my expectations are actually a little higher than in years past.

* We are 14 days away from all of us Parrot Heads uniting once again in Pittsburgh, that is just four weeks and we'll be hearing Jimmy sing. If you are looking for tickets, keep reading as I still have a couple I need to sell.

* This is my 4,558th blog that I have written for George's Journal. I'm going on 12 years as a blogger here in about another month. Amazing me trying something out has turned into 12 years of my life.

* I have moved to the next step with the Brother Search, I have submitted my DNA sample and it has been accepted at the Ancestry site. I will let everyone know when it is completed. It is going to take a while and they are still working on it.

* The Hall Family Tree is still up and running with 370 members in the database and that will continue to grow this fall. I'll add the DNA data once I get it back.

* If anyone is wanting to go see Jimmy Buffett this year, I have two tickets left that are up for sale. We were going as a group of 8 last year with another couple bringing two other couples. Yours truly bought all of the tickets as I have in years past and now they have split up and leaving me with six tickets that need to have the cost recovered from. They are all lawn seats and will sell them at just under my cost of the ticket plus fees of a little over $52 per ticket. I'll sell them for $50 each to anyone who wants them. These are the final two tickets.

* I'll be working in Fairmont this week for RTI. We have officially entered the clean up stage and I will take over anther FI's section as they go back through mine. It has been a pretty productive quarter for me.

* Peanut cane through her surgery yesterday and is doing fine, she is resting and recovering. Hopefully the little tree climbing fireball will be back to her normal self here very shortly.

* With classes starting a week from tomorrow for WVU, they should be announcing who will be playing FallFest 2016 very soon.

* Brittany has put together a August/September family get together. A kickball game at one of the little league fields at Marilla.

* I love these warm temperatures, and just in cast anyone has forgotten. I Hate Snow.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday Morning

All of days that we love so much, better known to the regular 9-5ers as the weekend, have come to an end and it is time to stick our collective noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of work.

Today I have to admit I am a little scared, we are taking Peanut in to get fixed, hopefully this works out better for her than it did for Phin who had complications with her surgery. I just don't want to see a repeat of what happened earlier this year as to tell everyone the truth I am quite attached to this little critter. I'm just hoping all goes well for Peanut today.

No softball games for me tonight, we do have a makeup game the next Monday probably followed by the playoffs. Lat week I hit better than I had all season, but the bottom came off of one of my cleats and I switched back to plating in Tennis Shoes. I'm not speed burner nor am I playing states or competitively anymore so I may just keep playing in Tennis Shoes the rest of this season just to see how it goes.

Have yourselves a great day, make the very most of it and live it to its fullest.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Well here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, I'm recovering from that knockout blow by that dreaded Sandman last night and I'm once again collecting my thoughts on this early morning. I think Peanut is up and around somewhere.

We had a great time yesterday at Jonny's Third Birthday Party. We all  met at Jon and Laura's new place and celebrated with little Jonny. He tends to like Paw Patrol and that seemed to be the theme of the bulk of his gifts this year. The new home has a beautiful pool that was very conveniently used by everyone yesterday, I even took a little dip.

Congratulations to WVU Soph Ginny Thrasher, she won the first Gold Medal of the 2016 Rio Olympics, she is one of WVU's greatest and most accomplished athletes and she just finished up her Freshman year.  She won both individual National Championships in Rifle as well as the team National Championship now she adds an Olympic Gold medal to her collection. Pretty impressive for a career, much less a Freshman year,

Our plans for the day will be to do our grocery shopping this morning and then probably just relax the rest of the day. Michelle managed to get Laundry done Friday evening while she has been catching Pokemans in PokeMan Go. I think this game is taking the nation by storm as everyone seems to be playing it. All you need is a smart phone with a GPS on it.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Happy Birthday Randy Hamrick

 I would like to take this opportunity to wish my wonderful and camera avoiding nephew Randy "Bub" Hamrick very happy Birthday today. It's very hard to get a picture of him sometimes, but I do manage to get a few.

If my math is correct, Randy will be celebrating his 28th Birthday today.

Not sure what Randy will be getting into today, I don't get to see him that often but you know he is always pretty active and in to something or another.

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.

Fifth Wedding Anniversary

Today is the fifth anniversary of what I would call the greatest day of my life. It was five years ago today at the Marilla Center that mine and Michelle's friends and families all gathered to assist us in joining the bounds of matrimony.

I was a single man for a very long time, I'm quite sure that many wondered if I would ever get married, but I was just waiting for that one special woman to come back into my life.

Michelle and I first met in 1999, she was the manager of Valley Mart and I was driving a potato chip truck for Mister Bees. I stopped off to make a delivery at the store and low and behold I saw this beautiful woman who was working there. Now usually as a vendor you want to be in and out of every store as quick as possible so you can make it to the next store and the next one and so on. This day was different for me, I ended up staying around for a couple of hours, throwing my entire schedule off to find something out about this wonderful woman.

Flip ahead a couple of months and I am starting college and need a job. So once again I went back to work for the Valley Mart and guess who was still the manager there. Only one major problem, this woman was married with two kids and I had no intentions of even attempting to be a home wrecker. I respected her and Rich's vows and never once made a move. She eventually moved on and so did I.

Once again flip ahead to 2007. Jean and I are at WalMart shopping for Christmas Eve dinner for our Christmas Eve Dinner at Klaer Lodge. Who do we run into? Michelle and her daughter Hayley. We briefly spoke a minute or two and she had told me that she was a widow, that her husband had passed away. Mister dumbass here didn't get the clue and had to be reminded by Jean, go ask her to come to the Christmas Eve Dinner which I did. Would you believe she stood me up? I was excited for her to be there, and she stood me up.

Well times goes forward and I'm dating someone else at the time and she finds me on MySpace once again and we accept each others friend requests. "I Think I am Single" were the magic words,that I spoke. It was from that point on that we were basically in each others lives. A couple of days later we go out on our first date, that was 3,066 wonderful and life changing days ago.

So after you start dating, engagement was the next step but I did make her wait. 777 days to be exact, my lucky number and I figured that I would make it count for me. I had only ever planned on getting married once in my life and this was going to be it.

So it was on this day, August 6th five years ago today that my life had forever changed, I was finally married and I was marrying that one special woman that I had waited my entire life for.

Five years ago we were married. In front of our friends and family, Michelle and I exchanged our vows and she became Mrs. Hall.

To my wonderful wife Michelle, we have enjoyed so much together, soon to be our fifth cruise, trips to Niagara Falls and other places. You have my life complete and I love you from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to each and every new day that we share together and forever cherish the time that those days create. Happy fifth Wedding Anniversary.

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.

If you are looking for something to do this evening, the Monongalia County Fair is still going on and will continue to run until tomorrow evening.

No real plans for Michelle and I this evening other than our typical Friday routine. Going out to dinner after work and then going to Sam's Club to do a little bit of grocery shopping for our bulk items that we pick up. Believe it or not we do at times live a boring and uneventful life.

Anyone been getting a lot of these robo calls from "Business Loan Center"? I tend to get a lot of them and now I'm taking action. I'm on the Do Not Call registry and now I am going to file a complaint each and every time they call. Hopefully they will get the message or enough fines that calling me is something that could not be in their best interest. I get them daily from this company.

Have 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 back through the 30,000+ pictures that I have either captured with a camera, scanned or just stolen from some place on the internet and select just one picture. One lost moment in time to post up and relive briefly right here for everyone. Sometimes this is a little challenging and sometimes it's a breeze, it's always a lot of fun so no complaints from me.

This image is from a couple of years ago, Michelle and I had went to visit Chad who was living in Fairmont at the time. If you know Chad, he has a pet snake so to speak. It's a pretty large one and remember it has had two years to grow from when this picture was taken. At last time I heard it was a little over 13' and weighed 65 lbs.It has its own bedroom in Chad's apartment believe it or not.

Michelle is obviously not afraid of snakes or any reptiles as Chad has had a number of them through the years. Good times gone by.

Have a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well here we are once again, that point of the week when the uphill ceases and we start our downward decent to the weekend. All we have to do is get up and over this noon time hump.

Hayley and Josh are finally settled, Jim and Chris came over Monday night and delivered a bed for them to use, while they are staying with us. They have their room all efficient and organized now and they are good to go until they find another place for themselves.

Our plans for this weekend, other than Saturday being Michelle and my 5th Wedding Anniversary is we will be traveling up north to Monaca to celebrate little Jonny's Birthday. Jon and Laura bought a new house earlier this year, so this will be my first time at their new place.

The Monongaila County Fair is this week, it started with a Parade on Monday Night and will culminate Saturday Evening for all of those interested in attending. Admission is $10.00 and that is for everyone over the age of 1 and is all inclusive. To the Mon County Fair organizers, are you really charging a 1 year old $10.00 admission? If no one shows up, maybe you should ask yourselves if you need to be replaced. Absolute stupidity.

Have yourselves a great day today

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is done and we are now looking towards a better Tuesday, I still can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits despite this wonderful weather we have been having.

* It has been 19,238 days since I first set foot on this planet, now using my math and my new and improved 905 days calendar, which I should trademark, that makes me just 21 years old.

* 4,461 day ago I fulfilled a lifetime dream and graduated from West Virginia University, my hometown University and Alma Mater. Speaking of my Alma Mater, those damn students will be return is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality.

* 3,062 days ago I was fortunate enough to take a very special lady out for a night on the town, we did Pizza and a movie that was horrible and that was the start of the rest of my life.

* 2,286 days ago I proposed marriage to Michelle, I had made her wait until a certain number of days, but she knew it was coming and said yes.

* 1,823 days ago in front of our closest friends and family at the Marilla Center, Michelle and I exchanged our marital vows and became husband and wife. It was the most special day of my life.

* I have around 5,599 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred here or there depending on how I feel.

* We are 2,237 days away from the Backyard Brawl being renewed when WVU and Pitt will once again take the field and the Mountaineers will once again whip that pathetic ACC rear end into the ground.

* My nephew Calvin and his GF Jeanetta will be getting married in 326 days from now. They have their wedding website up and running.

* My favorite season of the year is Spring, which were are just a mere 230 days away from =)

* Phil the Groundhog takes center stage in 184 more days where he will predict our next 6 weeks worth of weather. I see he was on Facebook this past week getting hammered. I did see him in our yard this past week, he came to get the fifth of scotch I hid there for him. Remember me February 2 Phil.

* My Goodbye 2016 blog where I relive everything that was posted in my blog over the last year will appear here in just 151 more days.

* I still haven't seen WalMart put up Christmas stuff just yet, but it's getting closer as there are only 145 more days to go until Christmas. The lawn and Garden center is all student stuff, but I figure the Christmas stuff will be up in a few short weeks.

* The next anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in just another 121 more days.

* We tried to make it to the Springs Festival last year but the weather was not cooperative, we'll try it again in 67 more days. It's a great place to go and see if you have never been there.

* Our fifth Sea Cruise will take place in 40 more days when we set sail out of Baltimore once again. Everything is already booked, paid for including out hotel room and we're just counting the days down until we head east. Here is the AFT Deck cam of what is going on right now

* The WVU Football team will take the field and open their 2016 campaign in 32 more days when they take on Missouri.

* We are 21 days away from all of us Parrot Heads uniting once again in Pittsburgh, that is just four weeks and we'll be hearing Jimmy sing. If you are looking for tickets, keep reading.

* There are 4 days to go until Michelle and my Fifth Wedding Anniversary. We will be celebrating it in Monaca for little Jonny's birthday party.

* This is my 4,550th blog that I have written for George's Journal. I'm going on 12 years as a blogger here in less than couple of months.

* I have moved to the next step with the Brother Search, I have submitted my DNA sample and it has been accepted at the Ancestry site. I will let everyone know when it is completed. It is going to take a while and they are still working on it.

* The Hall Family Tree is still up and running with 370 members in the database and that will continue to grow this fall. I'll add the DNA data once I get it back.

* If anyone is wanting to go see Jimmy Buffett this year, I have two tickets left that are up for sale. We were going as a group of 8 last year with another couple bringing two other couples. Yours truly bought all of the tickets as I have in years past and now they have split up and leaving me with six tickets that need to have the cost recovered from. They are all lawn seats and will sell them at just under my cost of the ticket plus fees of a little over $52 per ticket. I'll sell them for $50 each to anyone who wants them. These are the final two tickets.

* After last nights softball double header we have one game left on the season and that will be played in two weeks. It is a make up game from last weeks rain out.

* I did get a chance to speak to Trish yesterday. She still needs everyones thoughts and prayers as she moves forward. She had a Dr apppointment yesterday with her Dr to get a referral to see her Mom's Dr who has fixed both her Mom and Aunt who have the same problem. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

* Well Michelle and I will once again no longer be empty nesters, Hayley and Josh have moved in and are still getting settled.

* We still need a family event for August, anyone have any suggestions for a family get together? I'm not opposed to grabbing some picnic table somewhere and doing a small cookout or even just a kickball game someplace.

* I love these warm temperatures, and just in cast anyone has forgotten. I Hate Snow.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

Well all good things must come to an end, and that includes the fun filled but very productive things we refer to as weekends. It's now time to get up and head into the office for another week of doing what it is we do for a living. It's the start of another work week.

Well we do have a softball double header this evening. These were supposed to be the last two games of the season, however with last weeks rain out, we now play August 15th at 7:00 for our last game of the year.  Hopefully we can get both games in this evening.

Hayley, Josh and their dogs Gracie and Maybelline have officially joined our household once again. They will be staying with us for a while as they look for another apartment, their lease ran out and they had a little trouble finding another apartment in the allotted time period that they had.

Have yourselves a great day.

 Hi ho hi ho