Monday

All good things must come to an end, and once again that includes the frigid weekend that we just had. There is hope however on the horizon as Phil is a couple of days away from declaring that Spring is right around the corner. 

It is supposed to be a little bit warmer this week, but temps are supposed to drop down into the single digits again on Saturday. I can't speak for anyone else, but I am ready to get outside and to start doing some fieldwork. I'm tired of being stuck inside and basically still quarantining. 

Workwise it should be a similar schedule for both Michelle and me this week. I'm still doing contracting for Duquense Light in GIS, which I have to say that I love. Michelle is also up for a typical work week, so it is going to be a rather rinse repeat kind of week for the both of us. 

I tried calling my brother Gary as I have not heard anything from him in a few weeks. I did talk to Val to see if she had heard from him either. I'm hoping everything is OK and he's just busy as I have just been missing him while he has been busy. Val said she was going to reach out to him again last night. 

Have yourselves a start to a great week, let's go make this a better rock to live on. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit yet once again, enjoying these weekends off and conversing with Peanut. We're talking about Phil and his upcoming plans for Wednesday. I'm bribing away but I'm not sure if he is going to come through this year for me. I'm hoping that since he saw his shadow last year, he'll do me a favor this year. 

Had a pretty productive day yesterday, and did it all before noon. Ran to WalMart, Sams and Lowes and got our menu planned out for the week already for when we do our grocery shopping this morning. Something that we did learn yesterday while at WalMart, those people who are going around doing the shopping for other people, are NOT Walmart employees. It's some private company that employs them all, they just have a contract to do all the services. I'm not sure if there is a fee associated with it as we never use the service, but I thought that was kind of interesting that it's a third party actually grabbing items and putting them into bags for pickup. What a concept for whoever came up with it, personally I prefer shopping myself. 

What are my plans for this afternoon? Probably watch some football to see who advances to the Superbowl in a couple of weeks. There is not too much to cheer about with the WVU Men's Basketball team. I had a feeling early in the season that this team would struggle this year, there is just no chemistry or any offensive players who can take over a game. 

I have to admit, that sometimes it's a little challenging coming up with new content every day that will keep the readers entertained. My creative juices really aren't flowing like they used to and sometimes I struggle for content. Today is really no different. You go through the motions, but after 17 years you sometimes run out of things to say. Being sequestered the last couple of years really hasn't provided much inspiration, but we keep chugging along. 

Have a great day. 

Saturday

Here I sit in a quiet household yet once again, the animals and I are having a deep conversation about snow and wintertime. Kiwi doesn't like it, Peanut does and the tie-breaking Sophie doesn't care and just wants to sleep. We're all deadlocked as to whether they like winter or not. Michelle and I are the same way, I hate snow and winter and she loves it. 

Agenda for the day since WV and Virginia are still shut down and I'm not doing any fieldwork again. Probably heading out to dry laundry then off to do the Walmart and Sam's run for the week. The weather hasn't been too warm so cutting grass is not on my agenda for today. 

Does anyone have any Netflix or any other streaming services to reference to binge-watch something exciting? I'm looking for something new to get into, I watched the Queen's Gambit a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. If there are no good series, are there any good movies to recommend? 

There is some football to watch this weekend as 4 NFL teams all try to advance to the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. I thought Tampa Bay would repeat, but they got knocked out last week. In the AFC it's Kansas City vs Cinncinatti and this should be a good game. The Bengals beat KC a few weeks ago, but I like Kansas City. The Rams and 49ers will be competing in the NFC. I think I have to go with the Rams in this one. 

Have yourselves a great day, make it a special and memorable one. Remember you only appreciate moments after they have become memories. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward 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 looks as if my extended break with RTI will be extended a little bit longer. No counties are open or available to do any fieldwork this coming week either. They run the numbers on Thursdays and our numbers are still a little bit too high to send anyone out in the field. No biggie for me, it's just an extended break for me and I did find out my job with Consult USA will be extended again (although not officially yet) until the end of June (and maybe longer). Sophie, Peanut and Kiwi all like this as I am at the beckoned call. 

No plans for the weekend as of yet. I know it's going to continue to be cold out, so that means I can be warm and home taking a few naps and binge-watching something this weekend. Those are some pretty big plans for me Michelle and me. 

My friend Phil steps to center stage next week. I keep sending him bribes for a Spring prediction, but Michelle keeps counteracting that by doing her snow dance. Something has got to give soon, come on Phil, deliver for me buddy. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back a few years, I think I had just bought my DSLR Camera and was in the backyard playing with it. Peanut was laying on the big boulder in the back yard and I was playing with the color choosing settings on the camera. Obviously, I selected the color purple, so only things that were purple would show up in the picture and everything else would be black and white.

My co-author Peanut was and is still wearing a purple name tag in case she would have ever gotten lost, people would know how to contact us. It worked perfectly with the small hints of Michelle's old bike which also has a matching purple to it. 

I thought the picture turned out well. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * Monday is complete, now it's time for a Tuesday's Tidbits

* It has been 21,242 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,476 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. This current group is finishing up finals this week and some will be graduating on Saturday. 

* 5,060 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the move was horrble, but we're still together.

* 4,282 days ago I proposed to Michelle, she was expecting it as we had already bought the engagement ring and it was sitting in the safe. 

* It was 3,825 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, seems like it was just yesterday. 

* I have now lived 1,447 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. It really brings into the perception of just how young he was. 

* I have 3,697 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. 

* 341 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 335 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 310 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 209 days away. Good thing we didn't play them this year, Pitt was actually pretty good. 

* There are 193 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 55 days until the start of Spring 2022. My favorite season of the year rolls around again. 

* There are 15 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 16 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. 

* I have written 6,671 blogs in the now 17 1/4 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* Still haven't received our COVID kits we ordered last week but should be here this week. 

* Still coughing a bit, but am starting to feel better. Tonight will be the electric blanket being cranked on high as cold as it is supposed to get. 

* I'm Not sure if I have ever mentioned to anyone ever before, or if I have even said anything on this blog about it, but I Hate Snow. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho

The I Hate Snow Monday

All good things must come to an end, and that includes those quarantined things called weekends. Now it is time to take our collective noses and stick them back onto that grindstone of life and get back to doing what it is we do. We were supposed to get a big snow storm yesterday, but it did not come like they were thinking it was going to come.

What does my workweek look like? I was starting to train three new employees last week for ConsultUSA, that training will continue this week for our contract with Duquense Light. All are experienced ESRI users, none are up to date on the current software or ArcFM that we use. I can say I was pretty much in the same boat when I started with them. Great group of new hires, I guess there is going to be another group coming in pretty much right behind them that I'll most likely be training. 

Kiwi is loving it out here in the living room where we have had him the past few weeks. We've had a big fire going in the fireplace and he is content watching it and the NFL Playoffs. His favorite teams are the Ravens, Falcons, Seahawks and Cardinals, I think it is the whole aviary thing for him. I'm still a Steelers fan and we are getting ready for a complete rebuild. 

I did talk to my sister Pam this weekend and she told me her and all the girls at the hospital don't use Clorox Cleaner, they all use a product called Microban which kills the COVID on surfaces for 24 hours. We bought a bottle of it yesterday and of course, Michelle sprayed down my workstation where I spend most of my time. We'll see how it all works out. 

I did get a chance to talk to Val yesterday to see if she has heard anything from Gary recently. I tried calling him and it went to voicemail. Just want to check on him and see how he is doing.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit once again on a quiet Sunday Morning, Kiwi is still sleeping and Peanut is just being Peanut. I'm sitting here waking up and collecting my thoughts for the day. 

I managed to get out and about yesterday morning, it was basically the first time I have left the house since testing Positive for COVID last week. It hasn't hit me too hard, just some lingering things like me coughing more than normal clearing phlegm from my lungs and chest. Went to Millers yesterday morning and then WalMart and Sams later in the morning. Yes, I am definitely masked, but that is just being safe to protect anyone who may be around me. We socially distanced so that's really not a problem. 

We'll be doing our weekly grocery shopping this morning and our normal weekly chores. Last week Michelle was a real trooper and took care of all of this for me, this week I am back to being able to help. 

We do have a Winter Storm Warning in effect this morning from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM and they are expecting 2"- 4" of that dreaded white stuff that I don't care for falling from the sky. 

Have a great day and Stay warm and stay safe.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here Kiwi, Peanut, Sophie and I sit in the early AM, we're all talking about the life and works of the artist Meatloaf who just passed away yesterday. Kiwi is partying to Anything for Love, Peanut to Paradise by the Dashboard light and Sophie is content as long as those kids keep it down and let her sleep.

I'm going to try to head out to the Laundry Mat this morning. It's been about two weeks since I left the house, so I'm going to take some small steps as I'm recovering from COVID. Michelle and I are going to try to do our Sams and Walmart shopping after I get back from that. I want her with me on that in case I get too winded or go into a coughing fit. 

Other than that, the only thing on our agenda for the day is simply staying warm during this cold inclimate weather. I'm not a big fan of the snow and cold, whereas Michelle loves this time of the year. I'm a spring and Summer guy, so I'm going to send a case of some fine Walnuts up to my buddy Phil so we can make this a short winter. 

Could be a binge-worthy day after we get home. A good day to find something and watch it and relax. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward 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.

Got the news yesterday that the entire state of West Virginia is ineligible for me to work this upcoming week, our numbers are still a little (or a lot) too high and they have shut down field interviewing once again for this week. I really haven't been out of the house since I tested positive last week for COVID, so we'll see how I feel this afternoon. 

No big plans for the weekend other than probably continuing to try to recover. I feel a lot better but still have a bit of a cough still, but nothing that is keeping me up at night or anything. It's the lingering portion of this is where I am now. We do have a few tests here and have a few more arriving in the next week, maybe I'll check it again in the next week or so. 

I hope everyone has a great day and the start of 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 at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back to 2014, Michelle and I as well as a few friends all went to see Jimmy Buffett in Pittsburgh. We had set out tailgate up and cooked. Michelle being the ever so loving Momma Hall that she is, decided to overcook (learned that from Jean) and basically invite the entire parking lot to stop by and grab a bite to eat. 

Seen here on this hot day were a couple of police officers who were working that day in the tailgates, so Michelle made sure that their bellies were full and they didn't go hungry. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * A Snowed in Monday is in a rearview, Michelle stayed home as FD Kitchens just told their employees to stay home. Good reason to do tidbits. 

* It has been 21,235 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,469 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. This current group is finishing up finals this week and some will be graduating on Saturday. 

* 5,053 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the move was horrble, but we're still together.

* 4,275 days ago I proposed to Michelle, she was expecting it as we had already bought the engagement ring and it was sitting in the safe. 

* It was 3,818 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, seems like it was just yesterday. 

* I have now lived 1,440 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. It really brings into the perception of just how young he was. 

* I have 3,690 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. 

* 348 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 342 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 317 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 216 days away. Good thing we didn't play them this year, Pitt was actually pretty good. 

* There are 200 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 62 days until the start of Spring 2022. My favorite season of the year rolls around again. 

* There are 22 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 23 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. 

* I have written 6,663 blogs in the now 17 1/4 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* Order your fee COVID test kits starting tomorrow. 

* I finalized my RTI Certification last week, this years badge is undated. 

* I'm Not sure if I have ever mentioned to anyone ever before, or if I have even said anything on this blog about it, but I Hate Snow. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end, and that includes those quarantined things called weekends. It's a Holiday for Duquense Light but they are allowing us contractors to work today which I am. Michelle is scheduled to work today, but that can all change with a text message if the roads get too bad or so her boss said yesterday. 

I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this on my blog, but I hate snow. Not a little bit, a whole lot of hatred for this white stuff falling on the gorund. The good news is I can't go anywhere nor do I need to go anywhere and we are stocked up. 

Not working this week for RTI, basically the entire state is shut down, They'll re-run the numbers on Thursday afternoon so we'll see what happens after that. I'm still feeling under the weather a little, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. I have two segments and both of them are in Monongalia County. 

I watched a real good series on Netflix yesterday, The Queen's Gambit was a 7 part original Mini-series that I began watching and couldn't stop watching. I had watched a number of clips of it on Youtube and decided to sit down and watch it. I used to love to play chess when I was a kid and even have it installed as an app on my phone as I recently started playing again, so for me, this was a perfect series to watch. It was the perfect kind of day to binge-watch and just stay home. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household, Kiwi and I are discussing the intricacies of WVU Basketball being a Defensive or an Offensive team, I am big on Defense and Kiwi says you can't win if you can't score. Who knew my aviary friend was a Basketball Analyst. He claims he has more air time than Michael Jordan. 

I'm still quarantining, which means yesterday put a big burden on my wonderful wife. She is an amazing person and got all the chores done. I couldn't really do anything for her birthday so I treated her to an at-home dinner from Applebees. 

A word to the wise, on Wednesday you can order 4 free COVID tests on THIS WEBSITE. It's a program that will allow you to order up to 4 at-home tests for COVID, my suggestion is to order the maximum amount you can to have them. That way if someone needs a test, someone associated in your circle will probably have one to use. I'm thankful to my sister in law Chris for having a spare one last week when I needed to know the answer. 

Get out and get to the stores early today if you have not already done so, we are due to get absolutely hammered this afternoon and into tomorrow morning with a lot of snowfall. Be prepared and sit back and enjoy some time at home with a good movie or series. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Happy Birthday Michelle Dawn Hall

Today I would like to take a little bit of time out and wish a very special person in my life a Very Happy Birthday today. Michelle is my wife, my partner, my soul mate and someone who has brought an immense level of joy and happiness into once empty life. 

She is my rock and my inspiration to everything that is my life, and I would like to take a little bit of time out to extend a very heartfelt Happy Birthday from Peanut, Sophie, Kiwi and myself, we all love you and you bring us all happiness and joy. 

The bad news is I have COVID, so I can't really go shopping for her, but maybe I can treat her to a nice dinner from one of the local restaurants that we eat at home. 

Michelle I love you from the bottom of my heart and I wish COVID could have infected me at a different time, but know that you are the most important thing in my life and I wake up each and every day knowing that I am the lucky one.

Happy Birthday Michelle. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward 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.

I will not be working this weekend for RTI for a couple of reasons. First Monongalia County's COVID numbers are still too high and it's not an eligible county to be worked. There is only one county that can be worked in West Virginia, and it's in the middle of the state. The second reason, I was feeling sick since last weekend and it kept getting progressively worse over time. I tried to find an at-home COVID test kit and couldn't find any in any stores. but Michelle's sister Chris had one and I took the test yesterday morning and I tested positive for COVID. Michelle is feeling alright, but I've had a number of issues. Nothing that would stop me from doing what I do from home work-wise, but I have had some symptoms and thought it best to test and find out for sure. I have had both shots and the booster. 

So I guess this means I'm home this weekend. No running around for me and unfortunately, it's going to put the big burden on Michelle to do some of the things that either I would take of or we would do together every weekend. The worst part about it is, tomorrow is her birthday and this all hits now. 

Funny little story, usually during the day we bring Kiwi out into the living room. He likes being out there and I put him back into the bedroom at night. Yesterday morning I uncovered him and somehow, someway a mouse got into his cage. As I was carrying him out to the bar I told Michelle you are not going to believe this. When she heard me say that she thought Kiwi may have laid a happy egg and Kiwi was actually a shewi, she was shocked to see a mouse in the cage. That's when the excitement started. I reach in the cage to grab the mouse, Kiwi decides to fly out of the cage as if to yell I'm Free and fly around the room. Peanut and Sophie thought to themselves Hmmm, bird chow and attempted to catch him as I'm trying to grab the damn mouse. Michelle put the cats into the bedroom and closed the door, I grabbed the cage and took it outside to get the mouse out of it as Kiwi was just having a good ole time flying around. As I brought the mouseless cage back inside, Kiwi decides to headbutt the sliding glass doors in his attempt to head to Hawaii. Long story short, Kiwi went back into his cage, the cats were let outside the bedroom and the Mouse got evicted. What a way to start a day at 6:00 AM. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

This week's pic has to be one of my favorite pictures that I took in all of 2021. Michelle and I had went to Hovatters Zoo just to get out a little bit from all the COVID. She loves her Giraffes, she sits and watches them each and every night on a web stream from Animal Adventure Park. 

When we got over by the Giraffes, of course Michelle had to show off a little bit and have them eat a carrot out of her mouth. It was a moment in time that just had to be captured and was. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Happy Birthday Sandra Irene Bell

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Mother Sandra Irene Bell a very Happy Birthday today.

 This is a picture that I have myself many times over to a woman who grew up in Hawaii. Why didn't you just stay there? I could be out on the sandy beaches of Hawaii sipping on some pineapple concoction right now if she just would have stayed. 

 Not sure what her and Gerald's plans are for today, I'm hearing they are planning on running the Pittsburgh Marathon and racing against the Sloth, but if you happen to see her out and about make sure that you wish her a Very Happy Birthday today.

Tuesday's Tidbits

* It's my Mom's Birthday, and Tuesday's Tidbits are I think her least favorite posts, but here to one anyways. 

* It has been 21,228 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,462 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. This current group is finishing up finals this week and some will be graduating on Saturday. 

* 5,046 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the move was horrble, but we're still together.

* 4,268 days ago I proposed to Michelle, she was expecting it as we had already bought the engagement ring and it was sitting in the safe. 

* It was 3,811 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, seems like it was just yesterday. 

* I have now lived 1,433 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. It really brings into the perception of just how young he was. 

* I have 3,697 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. 

* 355 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 349 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 324 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 243 days away. Good thing we didn't play them this year, Pitt was actually pretty good. 

* There are 207 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 69 days until the start of Spring 2022. My favorite season of the year rolls around again. 

* There are 29 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 20 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. 

* I have written 6,656 blogs in the now 17 1/4 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* Today is my Mom's Birthday, keep watching.

* I have my certification to work 2022 today for RTI. 

* I'm Not sure if I have ever mentioned to anyone ever before, or if I have even said anything on this blog about it, but I Hate Snow. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end and that does include those fun-filled things we call weekends. Now it is once again time to tackle the problems of the world and make this a better place to live in. Now we take our collective noses once again and stick them to the grindstone and get back to doing what it is that we do for a living. 

What's up for my week ahead, well I do my certification tomorrow to work for RTI for 2022. We have to do this every year, the last couple of years it's all been done remotely from home. Years prior this is when I went to St Louis every year and did this. They have pretty much condensed it down to next to nothing. I will probably be out working this weekend for RTI, providing I get all my segment materials and my new badge by then. The Covid surge has made things a little trickier this year as opposed to the last year. 

Has anyone's internet been spotty this weekend? Mine has been all weekend, not sure if it is due to the snowstorm or just the influx of students returning to town for the Spring Semester. Oh yeah, they are back so if you are traveling through town this morning, traffic is going to go back to being heavier like it was before the Christmas Recess. 

Other than that not a whole lot going on, a typical week for Michelle and I of working, coming home, going to bed and lather rinse, and repeat. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, Peanut and are discussing Cat Physics and talking about Kiwi who is in sleeping with Mom. She contents that she can leap off the couch and land on my Chair, I contend that she doesn't have that kind of flight time because she doesn't have wings. That and her lazy butt is at rest. 

We're going to do a little bit of grocery shopping today. I'm still a little under the weather so we'll be staying home with the exception of this. Ryleigh's 6th Birthday Party is this afternoon, but I don't want to spread what I may either have or had to anyone else. Just being a little extra cautious due to COVID spiking. Today is her 6th Birthday, hard to believe as it seems like just yesterday. 

I have some things to do around the house today that I managed to not do yesterday. I need to update all my RTI supplies with 2022 materials and practice once or twice for my certification Tuesday afternoon. It's been a month since I've done any of this and you can tend to get rusty, plus the scripts that I have pretty much memorized verbatim have changed so I'm going to have to make sure I don't say what I'm used to saying and saying it how they want it, especially during the certification process. 

It does look like we are going to have a little bit of warmer weather, not sure what the official snowfall count was but I think we had a good 6" here from what I can tell. I know Friday Morning Michelle said the roads were horrible and and actually turned the X-Mode on going to work. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, Sophie, Peanut and Kiwi are all out here with me. and we're having a good ole time watching the TV and relaxing. Kiwi is having a good ole time dancing and reminding me what his name is exactly. 

I'm not planning on too much today, after I got my running around done yesterday I picked up dinner for Michelle and me from Pizza Al's. I could not put a single bite down as I wasn't, am still not, feeling too good. I've had both my Covid shots and the booster, plus the flu shot, so I'm hoping this is nothing and it will pass. I laid down last night before 6:00 if you believe that. 

No big plans for the weekend, which will probably be my last one off for a while. So I might just lay around and enjoy it. Yesterday's snowfall made travel a little difficult and as of last night our road was passable but still needed a lot of work. 

Have yourselves a great day and stay warm.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward 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.

I still have not done my certification for RTI and the quarter doesn't begin until next week, so I get yet another weekend off where I don't have to work. My certification is Tuesday plus with COVID it's hard to tell what areas may be open to work. No complaints from me. 

I may have mentioned this before but that stuff that started falling yesterday around the area, you know the stuff they refer to snow, yeah I don't care for it. It makes travel difficult and tricky plus I'm not really a cold weather kind of person. Michelle's office even closed early yesterday due to the anticipation of the roads getting tricky and slick from snowfall. You can always check the local traffic and weathercams if you are in or around Morgantown. 

Have yourselves a great day and stay warm and safe. 

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

All I have to say is where did the time go? The summer was 1999 and it was the time period between my Dad's hospital stays. He managed to recover and have a big picnic before having a relapse and ultimately meeting his way too early end. 

This picture was taken at the picnic that summer. The kids were all so young then, it just seems like it was just a blink of an eye and yesterday. Days of innocence are gone by. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday Favorite Song by Favorite Band

Tuesday's Tidbits

* 2021 is done and over with and we are starting 2022. The Sloth and Turtle both dropped out of the race at the 96 yard mark so it was a tie. Good reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 21,221 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,455 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. This current group is finishing up finals this week and some will be graduating on Saturday. 

* 5,039 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the move was horrble, but we're still together.

* 4,261 days ago I proposed to Michelle, she was expecting it as we had already bought the engagement ring and it was sitting in the safe. 

* It was 3,804 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, seems like it was just yesterday. 

* I have now lived 1,426 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. It really brings into the perception of just how young he was. 

* I have 3,704 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. 

* 362 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 356 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 331 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 250 days away. Good thing we didn't play them this year, Pitt was actually pretty good. 

* There are 214 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 76 days until the start of Spring 2022. My favorite season of the year rolls around again. 

* There are 36 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 27 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. 

* I have written 6,648 blogs in the now 17 1/4 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* WVU football is a train wreck, a number of players have indicated they are entering the transfer portal.  

* WVU Basketball plays Kansas State at home on Saturday as our next game. Yesterday's game with TCU was previously canceled. 

* I'm Not sure if I have ever mentioned to anyone ever before, or if I have even said anything on this blog about it, but I Hate Snow. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho

Let's Get This 2022 Work Year Started

My back-to-back three-day weekends are now completed, Christmas and New Years are over with and it's time to back to work and start the 2022 work year. It's time we take our collective noses and stick them back onto the grindstone and get a real good start at making this rock a better place to live on for all of us. 

I start my training and certification to do fieldwork for RTI this week, Wednesday afternoon specifically which is OK with me. It just means that Wednesday will be a long day for me as I go through all the new material and changes for 2022. Instead of having to travel for Certifications (usually to St Louis) we are once again making it a short day and doing it home-based through some screen sharing software. It's how we did it last year, however this year I'll have a new Supervisor as COVID protocols changed who can and can not work. I'm fully vaccinated and boosted, so I'm good to go. I'm not sure what the number was, but I'm hearing we lost 25% of the field interviewers across the nation due to COVID protocols and vaccine requirements. 

So what did everyone get into in your extended weekend and time off? I had a number of football games playing in the background but only watched a little as it was mainly for background noise. I did make it through binge-watching season 4 of Kobra Kai. A few naos were in store and basically recharging myself for what's coming up, it was a cold and rainy weekend, so the weather was in fact perfect for taking a nap or two. 

Have yourselves a great day. a great start of a new work year and a great workweek, let's go make this a better world. 

Hi ho hi ho

How about a Post 2021 Wrap Up

Here I sit in a quiet household, today is my third of three days off and my streak appears to once again to be starting. First however since this is my first blog of 2022 I'll wrap up some loose ends that was 2021.

For New Years, Michelle knocked it out of the park with her Pork and Sauerkraut. Now hopefully we will have a year of good luck to look ahead to. It's something that we have done every year that we have been together and it has brought us a good life so far, so the tradition continues. 

On December 31st, after my blog was posted, there was news that Betty White had passed. They were planning a big celebration for her 100th birthday on January 17th, she was a very well-loved celebrity that had a career that extended for 8 decades. 

West Virginia not only lost out bowl game against Minnesota, we had a number of players enter the transfer portal just days after the game including three-year starting Quarterback Jarret Doege. Doege's announcement came just a few hours after leading receiver Winston Wright announced that he was leaving. Wright indicated that it was a business decision, meaning he probably has a Name and Image Likeness deal at another school and he's chasing the money. 

My Brother in law Jim I think bought up an Utz Warehouse and it has a whole bay filled in the new garage he just built. Bags are $2.00 Each and plastic containers are $3.00 each. Contact him on Facebook if you are interested. He has a wide assortment of everything, I swear he bought an Utz warehouse out. 

Have yourselves a great start to a great year. 

Happy New Years!!!!

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!

and surely I’ll buy mine!

And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,

and picked the daisies fine;

But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine†;

But seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!

And give me a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll take a right good-will draught,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS