Saturday

Here I sit in a quiet household once again, my co-author is no where to be found and even Sammy is no where to be found on this morning.

Last evening Michelle and I attended her company Christmas Party at Tin 202 here in Morgantown. The owner of the place is someone I played Softball with for years on the Prime Thyme and MiHaley's teams Chris Evans, sadly since he has opened this place up this was my first trip there and it did not disappoint.

Today we are going to go out and get our weekend shopping done and tomorrow at least Michelle will run back home to visit her Grandmother and Dad for Christmas. We'll have all of our chores done prior to that so no one is rushed tomorrow.



Speaking of the week coming up, I get a three hour early release on Monday, the President authorized Tuesday as a Federal Holiday and Wednesday is Christmas. It's going to be a short week for me.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Sunday

Here I sit, just me and Sammy as my co-author Peanut is all comfortable sitting in the recliner and watching some movie on the TV. I'm up having a deep conversation with Sammy about Giraffes farting and if that specific flatulent odor could be a replacement fuel that would save the world. Sammy really is a pretty deep thinker.

Yesterday was a very productive day. Michelle got Christmas Cookies made and I have all but finished my Christmas shopping, need to pick up a few more things for Michelle, but other than that I'm done shopping. Went to Harry's, the liquor store, the bank and did a good bit of shopping. It was so nice to have a day off yesterday (although we were both busy) that we're going to do it again today. I get a two day weekend and look forward to some more in depth conversations with Sammy.

I have formatted my Goodbye 2019 Blog and started writing it. One thing I realized is a I worked a lot for RTI this past year and I mentioned it quite often. I'm also going to do a Goobye 2010's blog looking back at the entire decade that will have seen me blog every day of it. I have it formatted, but I haven't started writing it yet. I've got some writing to do today.

Have yourselves a great day, make the most of it and do something memorable.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Sammy the Christmas Elf

Here I sit in a quiet household, I have no Co-Author this morning as she is fast asleep on my recliner with Sophie. I'm up watching Fast Times at Ridgemont High and collecting my thoughts for the day. I just have some sneaking suspicion that I'm being watched. Has anyone seen Sammy the Christmas Elf?

Jim and Chris are holding their Christmas Action this evening at the Woodland United Methodist Church on the Mileground here in Morgantown. There are a lot of items up for sale this evening and my lovely wife will be at the Church working the Auction this evening. Stop in and say hello to her and see if you can find yourself a deal or two while you are at it. If you are feeling charitable, they take donations from the auction for toys for the Westover Santa. 

I'll be heading out into the field one last time for 2019 today to do field work for RTI. I just have to head out this morning to the same place I was last weekend and finish doing the clean up work for that segment and I'll be done for the year doing field work. All of my segments have been completed and have either been cleaned up or are set for cleanup by another Field Interviewer this weekend. I'm hoping to get at least one more interview today to close out the season. I will be heading to St Louis in a few weeks to re-certify and exchange my equipment for new the new equipment we have purchased. I'm ready for this quarter to be over with, ready for a little rest and relaxation before all the chaos begins over again in 2020.

Have yourselves a great day today. Stop by the auction and make a donation if you've got nothing to do.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit yet once again on a quiet Sunday Morning, my co-author Peanut is once again snuggled up someplace warm. I've got Me myself and Irene playing in the background and I'm still waking up.

Michelle deserves all of the credit, she has done everything for our 2019 Christmas Tree. She dug out all the decorations last weekend as I was working. She went Friday while I was at the office and picked out a tree and set it up. Yesterday she put an additional three strands of lights on it (now has six strands) while I was working out of town. I have an amazing wife just in case people didn't know that.

Today is the day that I start my 57th year around our Sun. It is the 36th Anniversary of my 21st Birthday. I will take some time to celebrate it by....taking the day off and not going out and doing any field work. I'm going grocery shopping and then staying home for the evening. No big plans for the day, maybe watch the Mountaineer Basketball team or the Steelers Game.

Update, I hear Sammy the Elf is loose and making his rounds around the house. If you see an elf in a red suite named Sammy, let me know.

Have yourselves a great day.

Sunday

Here I sit as usual in a quiet household, I'm always the first to bed and usually the first to rise. I'm up a little early watching some documentary about Woodstock and collecting my thoughts on the day.

Our house is now post-Christmas. We took down the tree and all the falling needles yesterday, arguably the second worst tree that we have had for Christmas. Our first one was a little worse, but this one was a close second. I would say 75% of the needles on the tree came off as we were removing ornaments and lights. Sammy has decided to return to the North Pole since we don't have a tree up, he said he would be back next year to create havoc once again.

Today will be our weekly chores, combined with starting to plan for St Louis. I'm probably going to write a whole weeks worth of blogs in the next couple of days since Michelle and I leave for St Louis Wednesday Morning and will be back Sunday.

Tomorrow morning my Goodbye 2018 Blog will post, I just need to make the final couple entries and a post count and it is all good to be posted. Not many thoughts in this AM other than trying to wake up...lol

Have yourselves a great day today.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet Saturday morning, my first of four days off, I'm just starting to wake up and plan my day out. Something is on the boob tube behind me, but I have no idea what it is on. Sammy is hanging around somewhere but I can't seen to find him. I do feel him peeking over my should somehow though.

Well today is going to be a busy one, it's going to start with a trip to Harry's to pick up some meat. We stopped using grocery stores meats last year and get everything from a butcher, the quality is just so much better and the meat is obviously more fresh and not injected with any chemicals. I have to have some Hot Sausage for Breakfast Christmas Morning, it's been a tradition that has been going on for about 40 years.

After that a quick trip to the Morgantown Mall, have to get a few final things for Christmas and what ever else we may find.

Then it is home to make Haluski. Amanda and Joey's Pig Roast is this evening and they have asked us to make Haluski to bring for tonights festivities. Michelle is going to concentrate on the dough dumplings and I'm going to work on frying up the cabbage and Bacon. I've never used prepackaged noodles to make it and have always used dough dumplings, something Jean taught me years ago. One of my all time favorite foods to eat.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Ho ho ho ho

Saturday Morning Ramblins

Here I sit on a quiet Saturday Morning, I'm up early and going back to bed, but thought I would put my daily thoughts into the world wide interwebs while I'm awake. Not sure what is playing on the TV behind me, but it doesn't seem like something I am going to watch. Peanut is still sleeping in the bedroom with Michelle and I'm just here with Sammy.

Today is a cookie day, Michelle is going over to her Sister Chris's and they are going to start baking Christmas Cookies at her house. A group of them are getting together, so they should be having a lot of fun making cookies. Me, I'm going to get a start on my Christmas Shopping today while Michelle is baking. She has done most of hers online leaving me as the slacker on this.

I have finally started writing my Goodbye 2018 Blog, the year end re-cap where I go through my blog month by month and relive it one final time before we start on a new year and new content. I'm about a 1/4 of the way done with it (not including all the formatting I've done) and have about none months worth of content to still write.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Sunday Morning Rambling

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday morning, Sammy is hiding somewhere and I can't seem to find him, and there is nothing on the TV as the Comcast X1 is a total failure and does not reboot completely about 50% of the time. Talk abut an overpriced piece of junk system.

Michelle and I had a good time yesterday, it was the Elks club that we had our party at, not the VFW as previously reported. Everyone seemed to have a good time and there was more than enough space.

Afterwards we headed over to Calcutta to see her Dad and Karen and spend a little bit of time with them. They treated us to a nice dinner and some conversation before we got back in the car and headed back to West Virginia.

One thing I did notice there yesterday, Gas in Calcutta was as low as $1.98 a Gallon believe it or not. We saw that price after filling up for $2.07 a gallon. Gas in Burgettstown PA (on the way back) was $2.99 a gallon, how can there be such a price difference in locations that really are not that far apart?

Have yourselves a great day.

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Sammy

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, Sammy and I are up having an in depth conversation on Hypothermic DiHydrogen Monoxide and the adverse affects it has the ability to travel, especially in areas of excessive topographical relief. Sammy being an Elf, has an extensive amount of knowledge on the subject. When we debate Hypothermic DiHydrogen Monoxide, he is in favor and I am obviously against it.

Jim and Chris had a really good auction yesterday, Michelle put in her 14 hours of helping set up and execute the auction. I stayed home and spent the day watching college football and seeing how the college football playoff will play out. She said it was pretty successful and they had a good turnout.

 Speaking of College Football I think it will be Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Oklahoma as the final 4 for the playoffs. It also got me to thinking that had we beaten Oklahoma State and Oklahoma and then beaten Texas in the Big XII Championship, that Ohio State would have jumped us into the final 4 despite being theoretically behind us in the poll. Bowl pairings for all bowls should be finalized in the next couple of days.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again on a quiet Saturday morning, I'm up early collecting my thoughts for the day and watching who knows what on the television. Sammy the Elf thinks he is being cute hiding on top of the clock and I think even Peanut is dead to the world.

It is with great sorrow this morning that I learned that former President George H W Bush, a man who I really liked and even liked him better than Ronald Reagan in 1980 and a man I voted for twice, had passed away last night. The man was the Commander in Chief during a near flawless Desert Storm back in the early 1990's and a man who I have always had a great deal of respect for. Our country has lost and mourns a great man today.

On to a happier notion, the P&P Family Great Christmas  Auction is this evening at 6:00 at the Mason Dixon Park. Door prize is going to be an HD TV that they are giving away, you must be present to win. Michelle went up last night to help them start setting up and will be up there most of the day continuing to help set up and run this auction this evening. Mason Dixon Park is the venue as opposed to the Cassville Firehall. Stop by and see if you can win the door prize and whole you're at it see if there is thing else there that you would like to bid on. I know that they are going to have a number of items for the Redhat Society, a group that Michelle's Grandmother is a member of, may be in attendance.

Have yourselves a great day.

Sammy Morning Ramblings

Well he has made his return as he vowed to do after last Christmas when he was put into his place of hiding for the non-Christmas Season, Sammy the Elf on a Shelf has made his triumphant return once again to the Hall Household for another Christmas season.

He is here once again to stir chaos and play his favorite game of find me and where am I now. He claims to be the World (or at least Hall Household) Champion at hide and go seek, but I'm not to sure of that as Peanut can probably give Sammy a good run for his money on that category. The only difference is Sammy can stay still, almost lifeless whereas Peanut is a fireball and I swear sometimes is addicted to catnip.

Michelle and I went out yesterday and got our Christmas Tree, last year her and chad went to a tree farm to get one, this year we had to pick the remains of what was left at Lowes as it was raining when we went and picked it up. Michelle found a nice robust one that she liked and we decorated it with I think 900 lights (6 old strands and 3 new ones). Then we took a number of decorations out of the box and placed each one on the tree. Each and every decoration has cone from someplace and they all have a story associated with them. From the $60 bulb from St Louis to a number of decorations from Queenie in the Bahamas to the Christmas Store in Amish Country, every decoration has a story of its own and we talk about each and every one as we prepare to put it on the tree, including all of our memorial ornaments where we have pictures of people who are no longer with us represented on our tree.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit in a quiet household, up a little early but also going back to bed after I write this. I'm up reading about last nights 59-56 loss to Oklahoma last night and trying to begin to catch my thoughts for the day.

Both Michelle and I are off from both jobs today, although she is getting a nice extended weekend due to the Holiday. We have heard some rumors that Sammy the Elf on a Shelf might make his yearly appearance today. We're going to go out and get our 2018 Christmas Tree and make this house look like Jolly Ole Saint Nick came through and Christmassized the the house. In plain English, this is the day we are going to stick up and decorate our Christmas Tree.

Other than that it's just going to be a nice relaxing evening at home decorating the place. I know last year Michelle wanted to go to a Christmas Tree farm to cut down our tree, but this year I think she is just willing to go somewhere and buy one at some commercial establishment. She has always liked a real tree and that is what we have always had. It's time to take each and every special bulb out and place it on the tree as each one of them is something of meaning, from some place we have visited, had made or a tribute to those who are no longer with us.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit in a quiet household, May is here for a visit as we are dog sitting a few days as Hayley's cat just had surgery. I'm up early watching Gran Torino and collecting my thoughts on the day.

Sammy has been hanging with Yoda Claus as of late, I think these two are in cahoots and are planning some kind of attack on us sometime today. The new Star Wars movie is out, and I am a Star Wars geek and confess that I would like to see it sometime in the very near future.

It has actually been a few days since I have actually written a blog, I basically wrote all of my Goodbye 2017 blog last weekend with the exception of this month and kept going. I've changed when I write my blog to allow myself a little more time for creativity. Usually I am a day ahead of the publishing, but this past week I was two days ahead and haven't written anything since Wednesday.

Our plans for the day include us heading up North to  go to Harry's Butcher Shop on 857. If you are going to buy fresh meat, this is the best that I have found in the area. It's a small family owned business and he does a lot of processing, the retail side is just a very small portion of his business.

Michelle has the honor of a three day weekend, but I am working Monday and will have the following weekend as a three day weekend. Then things get really busy as I head to St. Louis after the first of the year and will probably be very busy the first month of the quarter. I was even asked to travel during one of the holiday weekends back to Paw Paw during either the weekend of MLK day.

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

Ohio Christmas

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm up early and Chad is back in his room playing some online computer game. I have the TV on, I watched the movie Chef, but it is over with now and I may restart it, but all is quiet with the exception of Sammy and Sophie Partying and listening to the soundtrack of Elf.

We are heading out early this morning and heading North to East Liverpool Ohio for Gigi's 2017 Christmas. This is Michelle's 96 year old Grandmother whose home we do the Ohio family Christmas at every year.

The family will get together, have fun, talk football, give out some prizes and play the all important games of Bingo for door prizes and the final cash cover all as the days festivities winds down.

From there we will head over to Calcutta to visit her Dad and Karen and spend a little bit of time with that side of the family before we head on back to West Virginia.

The day will however start with us heading to Tanger Outlets, Michelle outgrew her winter coat with all the weight loss and she would like a new winter coat, so we're heading to the Columbia Store or where ever else we can find what she wants and likes.

Have yourselves a great day today, I hope it is filled with the opportunities to make special memories.

It's Sammy

Sammy is Back

Well Sammy the Christmas Elf on a Shelf has made his return for the 2017 season. Michelle and Chad went out yesterday to cut down a live tree (best tree we have ever had, highly recommended) and after they came home, the house exploded  of Christmas. I was totally amazed, Michelle and Chad had done a wonderful job in decorating the house.  I know it something that she just loves doing, and she wanted to go and cut down a live tree this year, something her and the kids used to do when they were growing up. Our tree is absolutely beautiful this year and Sammy the Christmas Elf has shown up again to wreak Christmas Havoc on the year once again.I shared a video at the end of this post, but I sound eerily like my Dad..lol

The Mountaineers are on the road today, they are in Norman Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. The two teams marquee players are either not playing or not starting. Will Grier broke his hand and finger last week and we have lost him for the next 4-6 weeks (rest of season) and Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma who may have been the Heisman Trophy front runner is not starting because of some antics displayed on the sidelines last week against Kansas, although he will play.

No plans for today, I was going to travel to work this weekend for RTI, but never heard a word from my boss (who is off all weekend) and don't have the paperwork that I need to do my job, so she must have assigned it to someone else. Meaning, I get to stay home and relax this weekend.

Not sure what Michelle and I will get into, if much of anything today. Michelle has an allergic reaction to Coconut and had some pumpkin pie Thursday evening and had Cool Whip on top of it (we usually use Ready Whip).  Come to find out Cool Whip is made with Coconut Oil, so need less to say Michelle has been pretty uncomfortable since Thanksgiving. Her hands have swollen and her face has swollen, if it gets any worse we're going to Urgent Care. She has been taking Benadryl.

Have yourselves a great day, hopefully everyone's Black Friday Shopping (or headache as I refer to it) went well. 

Christmas Eve

There is one day of the year that has always had more of a special meaning than any other throughout the year. One where many videos have been made, stories have been told, we've seen highs and lows on that day and that day is Christmas Eve which is today.

Two years ago we saw a low, one where we lost my stepmother to Cancer and then turned right around probably at the same time and lost her brother. My dad always made Christmas Eve a special day, a day that the next generation of us have adopted and carried on and even adding our own little traditions.

Here in a few hours Sammy is going to move and we are going to get the hot sausage, a family tradition cooking. We always served it Christmas eve and we always seemed to fight for the leftovers Christmas morning.

One of the newer traditions, one that we first did in 2007 at Klaer Lodge was a Chinese Gift Exchange and it has become one of the highlights of Christmas Eve. It's something people love to do and takes away the burden of buying for so many in a large family.

Tonight we will try to get most of the family together as a whole unit. Tomorrow is usually reserved for the individual units, but tonight in preparation of Santa Claus, we get together and celebrate.

My videos from years past will be posted in a little while, stay tuned and Merry Christmas.

Saturday

Here I sit on a quiet Saturday Morning, I'm up watching South Park on Comedy Central as I am collecting my thoughts for the day. Hayley and Josh are awake in the bedroom and Sammy is over playing with the Christmas Wrapping Paper.

We'll be doing some final running around today in preparation for Christmas, I was originally planning on working today but they wanted to close out the quarter before then so I have day off. We do have a number of errands to run today, so I'm not upset in the slightest. It's going to be a long day and we have a number of things to do day. We are even picking up the Hot Sausage for Christmas Eve today.

Big day here in Morgantown as WVU basketball Coach Bob Huggins will go for career win number 800 today. This is a remarkable milestone which will just solidify his Hall of Fame application down the road. Go get them Huggs, show them this is your town.

I am happy to report that my 12+ years of boycotting a local radio station because of their syndicated morning show is over with. Since Lex and Terry came on the airwaves and insulted the people of my city, I vowed my radio dial would never return to their station as long as they were broadcasting them. I stood by my boycott and stayed true to it, Kevin was on the morning show from the rival station and it was an easy boycott. As of November 28th they have brought in a morning man named Big Ric and he is actually pretty good and a more than welcome change. I doubt if my boycott hurt anyones bottom dollar, but it was a matter of integrity to me and I fulfilled it. No one will replace Eric and Kevin, but they have now both moved on from Radio and Kevin is completing Law School so it had to end eventually. Not real Happy with how Kevin was let go and less happy with the replacement. Now I have a new option.

Have yourselves a  great day today, it's going to be cold and rainy so keep yourselves warm and dry.

Monday

Well all good things must come to an end, unfortunately that does include the fun filled things we refer to as weekends. Now it's time to put our weekends in our memories and concentrate on the coming week ahead as we prepare to stick our collective noses back on the grindstone for yet another fun filled week of doing what it is we do for a living.

This is going to be a long week for me, as I'll be at NETL for my regular job for the first five days, then I'll be out one last time this quarter doing a little field work trying to finalize the last few interviews that I have for RTI. It's getting time where we start to gear up and concentrate on the first quarter of 2017. After that it will be time to relax before Michelle and I head to St Louis the first week of January.

As you can see by the picture Sammy has made friends with our oldest Cat Sophie. I caught him in her her rubbing up against her for a little companionship. Sophie on the other hand, doesn't seem interested in little elves.

Have yourselves a Great Day today and make it special.

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday

Here I sit yet once again on a quiet Saturday Morning, Hayley and Josh are up in their room and I'm up collecting my thoughts for the day, finding Sammy and surfing the net. Something or another is playing on the Television in the background, but I'm not really paying attention to whatever it is.

Due to us traveling back to Ohio tomorrow, we will be doing our Sunday chores and a little Christmas shopping today. It'll start off this morning as we already have our menu planned out for the week as we head to the grocery store to do the weeks shopping. Hopefully I can get some kind of Artisan Bread at Phoenix Bakery as the bread I usually get is not scheduled for today.

It is a bit chilly out this early morning, probably why Sammy is hiding in a stocking above the fireplace that is going. 24° is just a bit colder than I like, heck 70° is colder than I like, but then again I'm an "I Hate Snow" kind of guy and that includes the cold weather that comes with it.

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

Monday

Well here we are again at the most dreaded day of the week, the day when we go from relaxing at home to heading back into the office for another fun filled week at work.

Or so that holds true for some of us, Sammy found himself a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka that we brought back from our cruise and he decided to break into it and get verschnockered. He was sing Rudolph the Brown Nosing Reindeer this morning and was saying some pretty nasty things about the other reindeer as well. He called Frosty a fat Olaf wanna-be and spent half the night in the bathroom swearing to the porcelain god of Ralph that he would never drink again.

With a weekend of baking done Michelle and I look towards the next weekend when we will be traveling to Ohio for her family Christmas at her Grandmothers home. It had been held at her Cousins for a couple of years, but it has moved back to her Grandmothers home the last two. We usually have a few weekends in December where we do the tree, bake, travel and shop. This weekend might be the travel and shop weekend as the other two are done.

Have yourselves a great and productive day today, enjoy it and live it to the fullest.

Hi ho hi ho