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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday has been completed, my streak is starting the home stretch and today is a Tuesday (I think), time for a tidbits.

* It has been 20,239 since my birth, it was just a mere 21 years ago if you know how to do proper math.

* It has been 5,462 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography, I am ecstatic that I get to go to the biggest event for my discipline this year.

* 4,063 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, 10,000 BC and Pizza Hut, but something tells me I may have mentioned that previously.

* 3,287 days ago I got down on one knee and asked Michelle to be my wife.

* It was 2,818 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I were married and partied and feasted.

* I have now lived 450 days longer than my Dad did, boy was his life way too short.

* I have 4,612 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, like I said I love what I do and who knows when I would retire.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,220 days away. Kick of Panther butt.

* 278 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day. I'm loving our Spring weather that we have been having.

* 262 more days to go until my Goodbye 2019 Blog is posted, where I relive the previous year through what was posted right here in my blog. Would you believe over 1/4 of the year is over with already?

* There are 239 more shopping days left until Christmas 2019, you have plenty of time to prepare but lets enjoy the now and not worry about December.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 215 more days, this should be about my 35th Anniversary of it.

* There are 98 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together, seems like only yesterday.

* 68 Days until I jump on an Airplane and head to the left coast. San Diego here we come.

* There are 53 days until the start of my Second favorite season. SUMMERTIME!!!!!

* I have written 5,622 blogs in the 14 1/2 years since I first tested this thing called blogging out.

* No Drone flights this weekend as of press time, been a little bit too busy with the new segments.

* I still need a new impossible project, maybe my next impossible project will be to find another impossible project.

* Amy, Terri, and the kids raised over $500 for the MS walk for my niece Val. Great job to all who participated in trying to beat this ugly disease.

* Ice is in the shop getting repaired, Pearl is going to have to have her windshield replaced soon. I got a crack that started not too long ago and it's spreading. Already contacted my Insurance Company, only going to cost me $100 and the company will come to where I work to do it.

* We tried Heather's Original Philly Cheesesteaks (HOPC) this Saturday, they were awesome and I'll be giving her some more patronage.

* Michelle's company may have a huge announcement in the very near future. They may have landed a large big time nationwide contract.

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday, April 29, 2019

Monday

The weekend of running around and working is over with, now it's time to take our collective noses and stick them back on the grindstone for another week of doing what we do for a living.

First off our Subrau that Michelle drives (Ice), is going into the shop today to be repaired from a wreck she got into a couple of weeks ago. Michelle was driving home on the interstate and someone lost a wheel and it bounced all over the interstate before lodging itself into our drivers side back door and denting it in. She dropped it off to Center Service Auto Body yesterday and it should take about a week to get it back. She has a rental from Enterprise, courtesy of the guy who lost his wheels insurance company.

I'm probably going to be actually booking my trip to San Diego today. Michelle and I will probably have to fly out and back separately, but we will both be in San Diego from July 7th-12th. Now I just have to go through the headache of booking mine through my Companies booking site and put it on the company credit card. Flight, Hotel and Rental car are all paid for while I am there as well as my food Per Diem. I'll have to book Michelle's flights out myself and pay for them with one of our cards. The trick is trying to get similar flights and times. You would think that would be easy, it is not.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Sunday

Here I sit once again, it's a quiet Sunday Morning and it's going to be a busy one for me. There is nothing on on the tv behind me, it's just me sitting here in silence. It's all quiet as they say and the biggest noise that I hear is the fridge running.

It's going to be a busy day for me, we got grocery shopping this morning, a few weekly chores around the house and I need to be on the road later this morning so I can be in my segment to do some field work as soon as church lets out. It's going to be a busy day for me to say the least.

Michelle is going to take our car and drop it off at Center Service Auto Body to be repaired from the side being dented in a couple of weeks ago. She's going to pick up a rental car so she can get back and forth to work this week, so she is going to have a busy day as well. Chad is going to help her picking up the insurance rental and dropping the car off to be repaired.

Have yourselves a great day, I'm going to try to have another one.

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household, not sure what is playing on the boob tube behind me but it is on and playing something or another. I'll probably stream a movie when I get done writing this masterpiece.

I will be out all weekend working for RTI. I won't be working around town, so it's going to be a long day for me with some travel involved, same thing tomorrow as well. I'll be heading south to tackle a segment of an FI that I think is leaving the company. This segment is untouched and is bigger than both of my segments combined, so I am going to be pretty busy plus they opened up the last partition which means I'm working the whole list of selected dwelling units. My weekends are going to be busy for a while.

I did receive some good news yesterday at work. I am now officially approved to attend what I refer to as Mecca of my profession, that is the ESRI Users Conference in San Diego this July. I've been to a couple Federal Users Conferences including one this past January, they are large events, but San Diego is the home of ESRI and there are no such things as complimentary seats like the Federal Users Conference (there you just have to work for some Federal agency), to use these complimentary seats, it's all based on how much money you spend with ESRI. We have I think 23 licenses throughout all of our site at NETL, which gives us 5 complimentary seats and one is now officially mine.

Yes Michelle is going to be going to San Diego with me. We will fly out on Sunday and come back on Friday. I'll be at the Conference and I know she wants to go to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Our only difficulty will be travel, I have to use a Government travel site and try to match up a flight for her. We may end up going out and back on different flights, as this is going to be a logistics nightmare. Many flights out and back, but we may have to take different connecting flights. I'm excited and so is she. I'm going to be a kid at a Candy Store.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Friday, April 26, 2019

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.

It's Friday and that means one thing at work, Pizza Al's for lunch!!! We always order Pizza Al's on Friday and then carb out at lunch time as we try to stay awake until quitting time. It's a heck of a sacrifice, but we do it...lol

Plans for this weekend include me traveling South to work for RTI Saturday and Sunday, one of our FI's from the Bridgeport Clarksburg area has left her job and Me and another FI will be picking up her field work this quarter. Know anyone interested in a good paying part time job? It would take a seven day commitment going to Raleigh North Carolina (they fly you) and a few day commitment every year after New Years in currently St. Louis for re-certification. Hit me up if you know anyone looking for some part time work doing something that makes a difference.

Have yourselves a great day today

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Photo Flashback Thursday



Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic is very special to me for a few of reasons, one she was healthy at this time, two I took the picture myself, three it was a family get together and four I was a teenager with very little to worry about other than my paper route and cutting grass.

This is Grandma Hall for anyone who does not know, she was very instrumental in my upbringing and possibly the most influential person in my life. There was my Dad, but he wasn't around much during my youth, there was my Grandfather, but he passed away when I was only 13 years old and had been in ill health for a few years prior to that. It was Grandma and me during my most important years, the ones that I think laid the groundwork for who I am and what I have become. She laid the seed although it laid dormant for a little longer than it should have.

We had our arguments and fights, but she had more of an influence on me than anyone.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Wednesday

Here I am once again, at the dreaded day of the week where I have the most trouble coming up with content to write about it. It's not a weekend, it's not a work week bookend and it's not a themed post, it's the one right in the middle of everything where I am usually the least inspired.

I need something to talk about, so let's talk about the NFL Draft. A sport we all love and have a local interest in as well as our favorite teams.

The first round of the NFL Draft is tomorrow evening and it starts at 8:00 PM. I had seen some previous mocks that had two Mountaineers going in the first round, but both players stock has seemed to have dropped and diminished since the end of the season. I don't see any Mountaineers going in the first round this season.

The Second and Third Rounds of the NFL Draft will take place Friday evening starting at 7:00 in the evening. The Mountaineers could see as many as four players drafted during these rounds. QB Will Grier, Lineman Yodny Cajuste, Linebacker David Long  and WR David Sills.

Saturday will be rounds 4-7, if any of the above players are still available they will be waiting along side Gary Jennings and Trevon Wesco.

I think all of these players will either be drafted or picked up as a free agent after the draft. I'm thinking the Patriots are looking at Will Grier and the Steelers are looking at David Sills, but when the draft is going on there are all kinds of curve balls that can be thrown.

It all starts tomorrow night.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday has been completed, my streak is starting the home stretch and today is a Tuesday (I think), time for a tidbits.

* It has been 20,232 since my birth, it was just a mere 21 years ago if you know how to do proper math.

* It has been 5,455 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography, a couple more weeks and WVU will be graduating its next class and traffic eases up for a few months in this town.

* 4,056 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, 10,000 BC and Pizza Hut, but something tells me I may have mentioned that previously.

* 3,280 days ago I got down on one knee and asked Michelle to be my wife.

* It was 2,811 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I were married and partied and feasted.

* I have now lived 443 days longer than my Dad did, makes you realize how short time and life really is.

* I have 4,619 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, like I said I love what I do and who knows when I would retire.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,227 days away. Neal Brown should have the boys ready by then.

* 285 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I'm hating on him a lot less as out warmer weather is getting here.

* 269 more days to go until my Goodbye 2019 Blog is posted, where I relive the previous year through what was posted right here in my blog. Would you believe over 1/4 of the year is over with already?

* There are 246 more shopping days left until Christmas 2019, you have plenty of time to prepare but lets enjoy the now and not worry about December.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 222 more days, this should be about my 35th Anniversary of it.

* There are 105 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together, seems like only yesterday.

* There are 60 days until the start of my Second favorite season. SUMMERTIME!!!!!

* I have written 5,615 blogs in the 14 1/2 years since I first tested this thing called blogging out.

* No Drone flights this weekend as of press time. If weather holds out, that could change.

* I still need a new impossible project, maybe my next impossible project will be to find another impossible project.

* My Niece Amy is  still trying to raise money for the MS walk later this month. If you have a few spare coins, donate them to the good cause.

* The Amazon Echo we bought this weekend is awesome, I'm loving this thing and think it is amazing. Still learning all the features.

* Michelle had a great time last week at the Art Walk, she's getting excited about next months. They are thinking about trying to recruit people to work a habitat for humanity day in Charleston.

* I like pre-writing all my blogs on the weekend for the work week. It prevents me from being rushed and allows me to actually put a little bit of thought into them.

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday, April 22, 2019

A New Streak Begins

Well my one day off after 20 consecutive working is now over, now it is time for me to stick our collective noses back onto the grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what it is we do for a living. It's Monday, we're recharged, time to take on the world!!

Looking at my schedule ahead, it shouldn't be too busy, I have a Morale Subcommittee meeting later this afternoon and other than that it will be me doing a lot of Geospatial editing and data creation to create value added products down the road. I've seen a draft of the new contract and I'm a big player in it, or should I say I made myself a big player with the Emergency Operations Center, so life at NETL is good for me.

I'm out in the field today and probably Wednesday working my section, then I'll hit the road for the area a couple of larger cities down that I will be working the next few weekends. Travel time and travel money, that is the easy money for RTI...lol

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Easter Sunday

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm up early and I think BlacKKKlansman is playing on HBO on the Boob Tube Behind me. I'm not coherent enough to be paying attention.

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter today. It is the most honored time of the year for Christians (yes even moreso than Christmas) and is a celebration of Jesus raising from the tomb.

What it also means is then end to a 20 day streak of consecutive days worked for yours truly. I'm not going out today and Michelle and I rushed and made sure all of our shopping and chores were done yesterday so that we could enjoy the day today pretty much stress free. We're doing a small dinner here for us, but just basically going to take it easy and recharge today. A new streak starts tomorrow, but today I rest and relax.

I bought Michelle an Amazon Echo for Easter, we got it all hooked up last night and I think after seeing Jon and Laura's she wanted one, so I picked one up yesterday. We're still getting acclimated to it.

Have yourselves a great Easter. 

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit in a quiet household, nothing is on the Boob Tube as my Xfinity Box is starting to have trouble doing its daily reset again, but I have all my streaming stuff I could watch. Peanut is up and around as she always is, I sometimes wonder if she ever sleeps.

I'm working once again for RTI today, but this will be the end of my streak as tomorrow is Easter and I'm not knocking on anyone's door on Easter Day, it's a time of family and togetherness, not studies. I'm not going to make it 30+ days this quarter, but a 20 day run was a nice run. I am taking over a new segment where some travel is required, but that will be done on weekends and not during the week. This should give me a few more weeks worth of solid work to do this quarter, my segments are pretty much worked down to a point where it's just a bunch of busy work creating records of call to units that no one is ever home at.

Being tomorrow is Easter, Michelle and I are going to be busy with a number of other things like our weekly shopping. I would assume most grocery stores as well as WalMart are closed tomorrow, so we're planning on getting everything done today so we can just stay home and relax tomorrow. Michelle was a real trooper by mowing the grass Wednesday night before she left for Charleston, so I don't have to worry about that this weekend.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Friday, April 19, 2019

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.

First and foremost of all, today is Good Friday which means Sunday is Easter Sunday. This is the Holiest time of the year for those of the Christian faith. With that being said, I'm taking Sunday off and relaxing rather than bothering anyone showing up at their home.

Michelle is in Charleston right now. She went down yesterday for the Art Walk that she is coordinating and stayed there last night. She's just going to work out of the Charleston office today and will return home this afternoon. She will be coordinating this for her company once a month for the next few months. I know was excited about going down and staying, she is staying right across from the amphitheater on the river, so there will be some sights for her to briefly see.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Photo Flashback Thursday


Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic is a picture of me and my old Boss, Dale owns Sextant Technical Services, whom I worked for for almost 9 years at NETL. Greatest Boss anyone could ever ask for and this picture was taken last year at the Jimmy Buffet Concert in Pittsburgh, we had both attended and he stopped over by our tailgate and we grabbed this picture together.

Speaking of Jimmy, I don't think he is coming to Pittsburgh again this year, he didn't show up 2 years ago, returned last year and this year seems to have scheduled everywhere but Pittsburgh.

Oh well, have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho


Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Deep Thoughts.

OK we have two days down this week, and two more ahead of us. Now it is time for me to put a little bit of thought into a midweek blog and see what I comes up. I usually pre-write my blogs on the weekend with such a busy schedule, but this one I do in non-sequential order and do it last so I can bear it out a little.

I often wonder to myself, what would my Grandparents think if they were alive today. Yeah I know they would have been proud of me, I take it one day at a time and look ahead on my career concentrating on the now and future, rather than reflect on what I have done.

What I am talking about is what would they think if they were given one day to come back to life, what would they think of the town that we live in is what I wonder.

Morgantown has changed an awful lot through the years, when they were both alive the Football Stadium was downtown, or in Grandma's case they were building the current stadium and it was not too far from opening up.

Can you imagine how dumbfounded they would be with the iPhone and what it does? Back in the 70's our phone was a rotary phone that hung on the wall. The music we played was on records or  8 track tapes. When we took pictures, it was with a camera and you had to take the film in to get developed. It may be a week before you ever saw your picture. And if you wanted information, Encyclopedia Britannica at the Library or school was my resource. That and all the Almanacs I used to collect. There was no face time and our phones had cords on them. Mail? It came in paper form in a mailbox and they was our primary way of getting information. We had I think a dozen or so TV Channels and we did get HBO and or Showtime late in their lives. Uncut movies where I could see naked boobies in my own home, unlike broadcast TV...lol

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday has been completed, my streak is starting the home stretch and today is a Tuesday (I think), time for a tidbits.

* It has been 20,225 since my birth, it was just a mere 21 years ago if you know how to do proper math.

* It has been 5,448 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography, I love my field of work and I really do enjoy doing what I do.

* 4,049 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, 10,000 BC and Pizza Hut, but something tells me I may have mentioned that previously.

* 3,273 days ago I got down on one knee and asked Michelle to be my wife.

* It was 2,803 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I were married at the Marilla Center

* I have now lived 436 days longer than my Dad did, makes you realize how short time and life really is.

* I have 4,612 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, like I said I love what I do and who knows when I would retire.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,236 days away. Neal Brown should have the boys ready by then.

* 292 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I'm hating on him a lot less as out warmer weather is getting here.

* 276 more days to go until my Goodbye 2019 Blog is posted, where I relive the previous year through what was posted right here in my blog. Would you believe over 1/4 of the year is over with already?

* There are 253 more shopping days left until Christmas 2019, you have plenty of time to prepare.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 229 more days, this should be about my 35th Anniversary of it.

* There are 112 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together, seems like only yesterday.

* There are 67 days until the start of my Second favorite season. SUMMERTIME!!!!!

* I have written 5,608 blogs in the 14 1/2 years since I first tested this thing called blogging out.

* No Drone flights this weekend, but soon. I really should have flown this past weekend, but my health decided to step in and interfere.

* I still need a new impossible project, maybe my next impossible project will be to find another impossible project.

* My Nephew Calvin he is 8,611 days old, just had to update last weeks number so it is accurate.

* My Niece Amy is  still trying to raise money for the MS walk later this month. If you have a few spare coins, donate them to the good cause.

* This is my 16th straight day of working one job or the other, or both. My streak is going to come to an end Sunday with Easter.

* Misty had a Gastric Bypass Surgery recently, she seems to have been a trooper and was actually able to make it home pretty quick. She's a trooper.

* Kiwi (our bird) loves to sing, she seems like she is enjoying her new home and Michelle loves that little peckerhead.

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday, April 15, 2019

Monday

Well that fun filled thing that we refer to as a weekend is now over with, time to stick our collective noses back onto the grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what it is that we do for a living.

Also if you have not filed your 2018 taxes, or owe a bunch of money like we did (I already paid mine), this is your last day to file or you will need to file an extension. This was a year that caught Michelle and I to a pretty large sum of money that the Government wanted even after we paid all our taxes this past year and both claim the single rate and 0 on our W-4 Forms. We got hit rather hard this tax season and it put a bit of a pinch on us. It's all behind us now as I wrote the checks last week and mailed them out.

Looking at our week ahead, Michelle is traveling for work on Thursday and will be staying in Charleston Thursday night. She's organizing some big charity thing that her company does in Charleston and she will be going down once a month for the next few months.

We do need to take Ice to the adjuster this week, Michelle was coming home from work last week and a car lost its tire and managed to hit three other Vehicles, our car being one of them. We got the police report and will be taking it to the adjuster Wednesday. Driver side passenger door took a bit of a dent, nothing too difficult for some professionals.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Sunday

Here I sit a little later than usual, I did manage to sleep in a little bit but I'm still up nice and early. The household is quiet still, as I am the first to awaken this morning. No idea what is playing on the boob tube, but it is on.

I had a pretty productive day working yesterday and holding down the fort as Michelle was up in Elwood City for a Birthday Party. Got another big day planned ahead of me today with some shopping and entering  a new segment that I could manage to knock out in one day hopefully.

I did manage to pre-write all my blogs for this coming week already, in an attempt to post one every day and having a busy schedule, that task sometimes gets tedious. I don't have the spare time now like I do when a quarter is winding down, so I have to make do and sit down and write the weekday blogs when the opportunity presents itself.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household, Michelle is up in Ellwood City today for Maddy's Birthday and I'm here holding down the fort. Peanut is lurking around somewhere, Sophie is sleeping somewhere and Kiwi is sitting in her cage being good.

My day is obviously going to consist of me going out and doing some field work for RTI. I've got a good start to the quarter, I just need to keep it going and grab a few more interviews. I'll be working both today and tomorrow and am planning on taking next Sunday off, as it will be Easter Sunday and I think visiting people on this day would be detrimental to the effort at hand. 

The WVU Spring game is this afternoon, it's being streamed locally and will be on WBOY, only problem is that Comcast took away WBOY here in Monongalia County a couple of years ago so I won't be able to record it. I am a little curious as to what this season holds and how the team is progressing under new coach Neal Brown.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Friday, April 12, 2019

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.

Michelle is going to go back home this weekend to help Maddy Celebrate her birthday. I think she is as old as 2 now, 19 more years and she'll catch up to me.

Me? I'll be here in town doing more field work this weekend. My days are starting to run together, so one day is really no different than any other one, I just do different things on different days. Easter is coming up next weekend and that will break my streak of consecutive days worked.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Photo Flashback Thursday



Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back to this past October, I had to travel to Las Vegas for work (so I did it on your dime, not mine).

I had walked down the strip to get a few pictures, this one was me standing in front of the Luxor as I walked up and down the strip. Actually there is an overhead tram that runs between the Luxor and Mandalay Bay and I started out at Mandalay Bay on this day. The previous day I went around the northern end of the strip and Ceasars Palace. It was a fun trip, I would love to go back again someday. Something tells me that there is something I'm developing at work that may just have me back out there some day.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Hump Day

This is usually the hardest blog of the week to write about, but the past couple of weeks has been pretty easy to be honest with you.

I have changed it up a little the past couple of weeks. I usually write my blogs ahead of time in sequential order, this way I can concentrate on the things going on during the week rather than trying to put something down in the journal and taking away from more important issues.

The last couple of weeks however I've kind of bent my own rules and changed my own patterns a little. My Wednesday blog is the last blog I pre-write for the week and I've been giving my opinion a little more than just trying to fill space up on the page.

I have relaxed my rules a little bit and be myself a little more, but I still have my own standards. I just pick a topic and write about it, and it's usually my blog post that is the most in depth during the week.

I will say this past weekend I ran into a guy named Delmas Bowser at WalMart. Delmas was someone that I used to work with years ago at Sterling Faucet. Now there is a place that it seems like everyone in Morgantown used to work at, but it is now just a faded memory. Delmas and I worked together for about 7 years (I was there 8) before he left to seek employment at the University.

That got me to thinking, I wonder how many of my former Sterling Co-workers are still around Morgantown and alive and kicking. There is a few of us around, it's nice to run into people who used to be a part of your daily life 30 years ago.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho


Tuesday, April 09, 2019

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is over with, Tuesday is ahead of us and you know what that means. Time for a tidbits.

* It has been 20,218 since my birth, it was just a mere 21 years ago if you know how to do proper math.

* It has been 5,441 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography.

* 4,042 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, dinner and a movie and as bad as my choices were she stuck by me.

* 3,266 days ago I got down on one knee and asked Michelle to be my wife.

* It was 2,803 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I were married at the Marilla Center

* I have now lived 429 days longer than my Dad did, makes you realize how short time and life really is.

* I have 4,619 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, like I said I love what I do and who knows when I would retire.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,243 days away. I'm ready for it.

* 299 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I'm hating on him a lot less as out warmer weather is getting here.

* 283 more days to go until my Goodbye 2019 Blog is posted, where I relive the previous year through what was posted right here in my blog.

* There are 260 more shopping days left until Christmas 2019, you have plenty of time to prepare.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 236 more days, this should be about my 35th Anniversary of it.

* There are 119 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together, seems like only yesterday.

* There are 73 days until the start of my Second favorite season. SUMMERTIME!!!!!

* I have written 5,601 blogs in the 14 1/2 years since I first tested this thing called blogging out.

* No Drone flights this weekend, but soon. I really should have flown this past weekend, but my health decided to step in and interfere.

* I still need a new impossible project, maybe my next impossible project will be to find another impossible project.

* My Nephew Calvin he is 8,604 days old, just had to update last weeks number so it is accurate.

* I found out this weekend that my brother in law Robert just recently bowled his 4th, 300 game of his career. Pretty amazing accomplishment.

* My Niece Amy is trying to raise money for the MS walk later this month. If you have a few spare coins, donate them to the good cause.

* Fill in the blank, not sure if anyone is reading this but if you are, you have been granted one bullet for your own choosing. =)

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday, April 08, 2019

...Continued

When I say continued, I wish I were talking about my long extended weekend and time away from work, but alas I am talking about starting day 8 in a row and continuing my streak. It is however time to stick our noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what it is we do for a living.

Looking at my week ahead, it will once again be busy. Michelle is going to be traveling for both work and pleasure over the next couple of weeks. This weekend she is traveling back home for Maddy's Birthday party and next week she is traveling to Charleston for work on Thursday and Friday.

Me, I'll be here working two jobs and holding down the fort for a few days as Michelle is away. That's OK, we can handle it, we are definitely a trooper and will take care of everything on the home front.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday, April 07, 2019

Sunday Morning Rambling

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday morning, I guess you can call it the quiet before the storm. Peanut and I are up frolicking around, or should I say she is frolicking and I'm just sitting here, and we are both catching our thoughts for the day. 

It's going to be a busy day for me today, grocery shopping, home chores, sorting my meds, do finances and pay my taxes for 2018 (such sadness) and finally after all of that, I have to go out and work for RTI after I get all of that done. It's going to be a busy day to say the very least.

The NCAA Basketball Tournament now knows who the final two teams are, Texas Tech who we knocked out of the Big XII Tournament this year and Virginia who we beat here last season are the final two teams standing. Texas Tech is a Big XII team, so I am cheering for Texas Tech to win it all at this point.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Terri Rehmani

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my sister Terri a very Happy Birthday today.

We all managed to have a get together with her on Friday evening for her Birthday at Whitetail Crossing. Everyone had dinner and then they went in the back and enjoyed some local music as this older crowd went home and went to bed.

Terri is an amazing person, it was her that picked me up at the lowest point in my life and dusted me off and put me on the right path despite me having the fears that I had at that time.

Not sure if Nick has anything planned this today, as we all went out to dinner on Friday, but if you happen to see this amazing young lady today, make sure that you take a little time out and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Terri.

Saturday, April 06, 2019

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household yet once again, the sandman knocked me out first last night and I'm the first to recover from that knockout blow. I'm up watching something on HBO with Bruce Willis in it, playing with Peanut and collecting my thoughts for the day.

Michelle and I went out to Whitetail Crossing last night for dinner and to help my Sister Terri celebrate her birthday. We all got together and had dinner and spent a little time together, then almost everyone went in back to listen to Barefoot Colby play and Michelle and I being headed back home as we are both working today.

As I said, I'm out in the field today working for RTI. New quarter and new challenges, I went out a couple nights this week, but I'm most effective on weekends as I'm not worn out from working all day at my regular job, plus I can actually dress more comfortably on the weekends rather than being in business casual attire. Life is very busy for the next month or so for me, and that is an understatement.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Friday, April 05, 2019

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.

It has been a very busy week for me, but that doesn't mean that this week does not continue. It's just the end of the NETL work week for me, I will be working all weekend with my first available weekend for RTI of the quarter. In other words, it's the weekend, but only at one of my jobs, the other it's go time and there is no better time to find people home than the weekends.

I know they are having a birthday get together tonight at Whitetail Crossing (best Softball Sponsor in the Universe and they have great food) for my sister Terri. We may try to make it this evening, we have our Friday shopping to do and then it will depend on how we feel this evening. I'm usually beat by Friday afternoon/evening, and ready for bed, but we'll see how we feel this evening and may try to make an appearance.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho


Thursday, April 04, 2019

Photo Flashback Thursday



Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back about a decade, back to a time when Michelle and I had taken the day and decided to visit and tour the Friendship Hill, or as many of us know it as the Albert Gallatin House just across the state line in Pennsylvania.

This is a picture of me and a statue of Albert Gallatin, Michelle and I were out Geocaching on this day and I had my surveyors compass that I used to use when were were geocaching and we saw the statue of him using a larger version of the surveyors compass so we had to grab the shot.

We ended up doing the tour that day and will advise anyone who has never visited it to take a trip up and visit, it's not that far from here and the whole landscape of the property is breath taking.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday, April 03, 2019

Hump Day

Here we go once again with what is traditionally my hardest blog of the week to write. One that is not a weekend blog, not a beginning or the end of a work week type blog and one that really doesn't have a theme. It's right smack in the middle of a work week and the one I have the least to talk about.

Today however due to what is going to happen at work is a little bit different for me. We are doing our emergency disaster simulation at the site, I'll be in the Command Center and have a front row seat for all of the days events and will be one of a handful of people that will be getting the big picture as to what is happening at the site today. It should be a memorable day for me.

With that being said, right now is a very good time for all of us to make sure that we are prepared in our own homes if Disaster Strikes. What would we need to do if a major disaster hit us right here in out homes. Here is a list of some things you may need to have ready or should have ready in case of this emergency.


  1. Water. You will need at least one gallon per person per day. It's good to have a three day supply for cooking and sanitation. 
  2. Food. Have at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
  3. Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
  4. Flashlight and batteries. 
  5. First aid kit
  6. Extra batteries, you can never have enough and only having the batteries.
  7. Whistle to signal for help
  8. Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
  9. Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  10. Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
  11. Manual can opener for food
  12. Local maps
  13. Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery 

Go to ready.gov to see what other steps you may need to take to be prepared in case of disaster, you may thank yourself later. 

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, April 02, 2019

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well April Fools Day is now over with and it is time to get back to my normal blogging and not playing any more jokes, can't think of a better way to do that other than a tidbits.

* It has been 20,211 since my birth, it was just a mere 21 years ago if you know how to do proper math.

* It has been 5,434 days since I graduated from WVU. Get this next class over and done with so traffic can lighten up for a few months.

* 4,035 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, dinner and a movie.

* 3,259 days ago I got down on one knee and asked Michelle to be my wife.

* It was 2,796 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I were married at the Marilla Center

* I have now lived 422 days longer than my Dad did, makes you realize how short time and life really is.

* I have 4,626 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, like I said I love what I do and who knows when I would retire.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,250 days away. I think I have knocked a thousand or so days off of this number since I started the countdown.

* 306 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I'm hating on him a lot less as out warmer weather is getting here.

* 290 more days to go until my Goodbye 2019 Blog is posted, where I relive the previous year through what was posted right here in my blog.

* There are 267 more shopping days left until Christmas 2019, but it is waaaaay to early to start talking about anything in the Winter.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 243 more days, this should be about my 35th Anniversary of it.

* There are 126 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together, seems like only yesterday.

* There are 80 days until the start of my Second favorite season. SUMMERTIME!!!!!

* I have written 5,593 blogs in the 14 1/2 years since I first tested this thing called blogging out.

* No Drone flights this weekend, but soon. I really should have flown this past weekend, but my health decided to step in and interfere.

* I still need a new impossible project, maybe my next impossible project will be to find another impossible project.

* My Nephew Calvin he is 8,597 days old, just had to update last weeks number so it is accurate.

* I'm only working one job today and tomorrow, today will be a lot of prep work and discussing tomorrows simulation at NETL.

* The Mountaineers are in week 3 of Spring Drills for Football. I think he is going to be a special coach, but it's not going to happen overnight. He's implementing a whole different mentality and a whole different culture, that's not something you do overnight.

* I hate being sick.

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday, April 01, 2019

What an Honor

I just received some amazing news last night, something that is the cherry on top of my Softball career, I am going to be inducted to the 2020 Class of the Softball Hall of Fame.

I am actually dumbfounded by this honor, and I had absolutely no idea that I was even nominated for such an honor. It is truly humbling and my enshrinement will happen one year from today at the National Softball Hall of Fame in Quahog, Rhode Island.

I will be inducted by legendary Softball announcer Glenn Quagmire and it will be held at the Drunken Clam, home of the waterless urinals.

My career spanned from 1984 until 2008, then took a hiatus until 2015 when I came back to play in the old farts league.

During my career, I have had the honor of playing on TV once and the radio twice. The TV game was from 1986 or 1987, and I can't seem to remember if it was on ESPN or tape delayed channel 3 of the old Westover Cable. If memory serves me right, Andy Kaufman was the announcer for the game, he did so post mortem and hats off to him for doing that.

I hope your date is as fun as mine both this year and next year on this date.