Hump Day

Look overt there, does anyone see what I see as I cross this horizon? I see another weekend off in the Distance. All we had to do was get up over this hump in the middle of the week and we can start to see the weekend.

Michelle and Jess met last night to go over some more of our wedding plans. I stayed home and watched the television as they met. You have to love Netflix, watch a movie about anytime you want and you don't have to make a trip to the store to get it nor do you have to take it back. It just makes life a little simpler.

Just in case you missed it, Osama Bin Laden is still dead.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday Completed. Looking ahead to Tuesday, can;t think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* For dinner last night, Michelle made some really nice salads with the fresh lettuce we purchased at the Morgantown Farmer's Market this weekend. I can't wait until our lettuce comes up in the garden and we can get really fresh out of the garden stuff.

* Day 1,152 since mine and Michelle's first date and our first kiss after watching that gawd awful movie.

* It's been 375 days since our engagement.

* Wedding count down is down to 88 days.

* Michelle is meeting with Jess (she is assisting us plan the wedding) this evening to go over a few more details. We did hit a slight road bump over the weekend with the cake, but we have that pretty much taken care of now.

* Is it finally spring? Weather has been nice a number of days now, maybe we are at the May Flowers part. Which would be alright with me.

* Sadie got a little beautification yesterday. Her hair was getting a little long, so Michelle added dog groomer to her resume of do all's and we gave Sadie a nice grooming. She looks very pretty now and much more comfortable.

* Christopher has been coming down stairs wanting to help Shell water the garden. He likes to come and visit us, everyone just loves him to death.

* Hi ho hi ho

Back To Work

Well all good things must come to an end, and that includes weekends and the fun and enjoyment that they bring with them. It is time to put our noses back on the grindstone and go back to doing what we do all week that makes us enjoy the weekends so much.

We did manage to get a few things accomplished this weekend including getting our raised garden planted on the back patio. We did most of that Saturday so we could just enjoy Mother's day with nothing that really needed done other than an afternoon nap.

The garden was something that started as a small herb garden and turned out to be a 7' x 42" x 8" divided project that included our vegetables that we wanted to plant.

Todsy however is a day that will have a lot less traffic around town, as the students had to vacate the dorms by Saturday evening, meaning the majority of them have went home and traffic will be much more bearable on our morning and afternoon commutes.

Speaking of commuting, hi ho hi ho

Happy Mothers Day

Mothers Day is a holiday that has roots righy here in North Central West Virginia when Anna Jarvis established Mother's Day in a small little area in Grafton, West Virginia.

I would like to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there.

Next I would like to wish my own Mother a very Happy Mother's Day today. Thanks for all you have done and the inspiration that you have given me.

I also want to thank my Step Mother Jean.

To my Grandmothers who have passed and all they did for me and what they have bestowed upon me in the way or morals.

To my three Sisters, and two of my nieces that are all mothers.

I want to wish a Happy Mother's day to my future Mother in Law Susie.

And to the Mother who keeps this household held together, my Fiancée Michelle. I hope everyone has a great Mother's Day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet house, I think everyone else is asleep and I am in the living room putting my thoughts into my BLOG.

Hopefully the weather holds up today, I finally got the raised garden all set up yesterday on the back patio. It's now loaded with 14 Cubic Yards of top soil and good mushroom compost and is ready to be planted. I think we are going to go out today and get our plants and or seeds that we want to plant. I know we discussed numerous fresh herbs, loose lettuce, various peppers, tomatoes, green beens, onions and maybe some cucumbers on the side. It'll be the first garden that I have since I was a kid and worked in my grandparents garden.

Michelle and I will be hitting the farmers market here in Morgantown this morning, it's the opening of the 2011 outdoor season and we can use a few fresh eggs.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and we're going to have some running around to do, so it should be a good weekend. I know we had mentioned trying the get a WVU baseball game into the mix sometime today also.

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.

Did we actually have a day yesterday when it did not rain? Hope you enjoyed it, it's calling for rain for the next three days. OK, I've seen enough rain, how about we have a little bit of warm weather and sunshine. The May flowers are blooming and in good shape, now we need the weather to clear up so we can get out.

The Morgantown Farmers Market kicks off its official outdoor season tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. Michelle and I are planning on going and picking up a few things.

Anyone notice traffic has cut way down? Yep, this is coming to the end of finals week. In other words, three months of relaxation, way fewer students and less traffic around town!!!!!!

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

It's once again Thursday (Bin Laden is still dead) and I get a chance to look back through my pictures of yesteryear and and reflect upon one of them. This weeks picture is from my niece Amy's 18th Birthday Party a few years back.

This is a picture of Tyler, Amy and Chrissy posing that evening. It was a time when Amy wasn't dating Ralphie, Kaiden was just a hope for the future and Amy was getting ready to finish up her Senior Year of High School. If memory serves me correctly, this was just last week, give or take a decade one way or the other.

Looking at the pictures of the evening, I noticed a lot of people at Terri's to help her celebrate. It was a very good evening and I remember it well.

Anyone else want to share any memories of the night?

Dead Bin Laden Hump Day

Ok I know, I am ecstatic over the fact that public enemy #1 is probably fish poop right about now. I did find an interesting statement from one of my childhood friends yesterday. Donn lost his wife Shelley Marshall during that fateful day. I thought I would share it with you.

We should be a nation united by victory, but political bickering has already started. Finding Bin Laden has been a top priority since 9/11; any president given this opportunity would have taken it; putting troops in harms way takes courage; and it is the intelligence community and the armed forces who did the hardest work with great skill and valor. Partisan shots at this time are, to put it bluntly, shameful. -- Donn Marshall

Yes I am still grinning ear to ear. I am celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden, and I don;t care who does't like it. The SOB caused this nation enough grief, I hope he was begging for mercy when they put the bullet in his head. he showed no mercy on the victims of 9-11, why should I feel sympathy for him.

Hi ho hi ho

Screw You Dead Bin Laden Tidbits

* It's Tuesday, and early yesterday morning I heard the news that I think all Americans have been waiting ten years to hear. Osama Bin Laden has been Killed. What a day to celebrate our country, our President and our troops. Thank you to all involved to mill that sumbeatch.

* Osama Bin Laden is Dead. I know I covered that in the previous tidbit, but I just like saying it.

* It's day 1,145 since mine and Michelle's first date.

* Osama Bin Laden is Dead.

* It has been 368 days since our engagement.

* Osama Bin Laden is Dead.

* 95 days to go until the wedding.

* Osama Bin Laden is Dead.

* Michelle is trying to cut me back to one bowl of Kashi Cereal a morning, lot's of sadness. It is the one I like the most, and it causes an excessive amount of flatulence. There is another one that I also like that doesn't cause me that problem.

* Osama Bin Laden is Dead.

* Hi ho

* Osama Bin Laden is Dead.

* Hi ho

* Osama Bin Laden is Dead. =)

Back To Work

I hate Mondays, they really know how to mess up a good weekend. I guess all good things must come to an end and that includes weekends. Time to reflect on the weekend and look towards the week ahead.

Michelle and I had a very busy weekend. After a road trip to Maryland Saturday, yesterday we headed to our States Capital so that Michelle could see it and pick up some of one of our favorite wines which is not sold in northern West Virginia.

I would say we logged around 600 miles traveling this weekend, yesterday seemed like one long car ride and it basically was. I'll have some pictures to put up soon.

Hi ho hi ho

Had a Great Day

It was nice to get out and away from Morgantown yesterday. Paul and Lynn were great hosts and everyone really seemed to enjoy their visit in Maryland.

Michelle and I did manage to pick up a few geocaches yesterday on our trip down, it was an interstate series of grab and goes. We intended to do more later ion the day, but we just had fun and took scenic route 40 back to Uniontown where we had dinner at some Mom and Pop shop where 119 exits to 21 by the mall that was pretty good.

I did see something out in the wold yesterday for only the second time. A Black Bear. I saw my first one a few years ago on the interstate, this one was a couple hundred yards up the road from the house on Van Voorhis. We were coming down the hill and a couple of trucks were stopped waiting for what initially looked like a black dog. Michelle was quick to note, that was not a dog and was a baby black bear.

Today is a grocery shopping kind of day. Have a good one.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again I sit here in a quite household in the early AM collecting my thoughts. Michelle and I went to the WVU Spring Game last night, we had a great parking spot, don;t think I have ever parked so close to the stadium as we did last night.

It started out with an old timers game and culminated with a scrimmage that left most people coming out feeling pretty good about the upcoming season. The offense seemed to have a flow to it that it has lacked for a number of years. I'm hopeful with what the upcoming season presents us, I'm thinking BCS Bowl.

On to today, Michelle and I are traveling to Maryland to do a little bit of possible Geocaching and to help a friend celebrate their birthday with a party this afternoon.

Weather permitting, and it looks like it will be, it's going to be a great day.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Mountaineer Football Friday.

Yes Football fans, we will get our first chance to see the 2011 Mountaineer Football team tonight with Head Coach in Waiting's Dana Holgorson's new offense that he has installed this season. Michelle and I are planning in being there, but if the weather gets bad I might just be sitting at home and watching it on the internet.

I can't remember the last time I missed a spring game, all I know is it has been a long time since I didn't go to one and I would like to continue the streak this year. I am anxious to see how effective the new Offense is going to be, or even if it is even better than last years. One would assume that it will be, but you also never know.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

It is once again Photo Flashback Thursday, the one Blog during the week when I take a little bit of time out to reflect on my tens of thousands of pictures and talk about one.

This one I will call my last walk. In 2001 I started working at the Natural Resources Analysis Center (NRAC) at WVU. I worked an internship there through college and continued to work there for a period of time after graduation while I was seeking that permanent employment somewhere else.

I would typically park at the Coliseum and walk up past the engineering PRT station to the other side of the Evansdale Library and to the NRAC. I did it my final four years of college and for a year after college. Every day IO would make this walk. The picture you see if from my "Last Walk". This was the last time I made this walk before I started working in Frostburg, Maryland the following Monday.

As I took this walk, I reflected on all my time at WVU and at the NRAC. The friends I had made, the classes I had taken, and the all the times both good and bad that I had at my Alma Mater. It was the end of a transitional period in my life. One that saw me go from steel mills, to the classroom to being a GIS professional. It took me a little longer to get to work that day, there was a good bit of reflection that needed done.

I don't think I will ever forget that walk, because it was my final walk and completion of my transition. It was a very good day.

Hump Day

We actually made it through the first couple days of the work week and if you look over the horizon you can actually see what looks like a possible weekend.

For you football fans, this weekend will have the 2011 NFL Drafton Saturday. I'm hoping the Steelers can get an Offensive Guard, Mike Pouncey would be my first choice, but his stock has risen and he may not be available when the Steelers Draft. His twin brother is our Center and I think Guard is the position we really need to address in this years draft.

Speaking of football, the spring game for WVU is Friday evening, so this coming weekend is going to be one heck of a weekend for this football fan. We're also planning on traveling and visiting some friends on Saturday.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays' Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again behind us and in our memories, and we are looking right down the barrel of a Tuesday, Can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* 1,138 magical days since Mine and Michelle's first date a little over three years ago.

* 361 days since our engagement last year.

* 102 days left until our wedding this August. Plans are going good so far, Michelle met with her sister and Kim yesterday at lunch about a Bridal Shower for her in early July and our invitations should be here some time soon.

* Bill Filcheck has officially made us all feel old when he said he watched Billy Idol in PBS yesterday on Facebook. I started to think about that, didn't Billy Idol use to be on MTV and didn't MTV use to actually show videos? You know the acronym for Music Television (MTV) would suggest they did.

* I was feeling a little under the weather yesterday when I got home, cranky and was running a fever. I'm feeling a little better this morning.

* hi ho hi ho

Back to Work Kind of a Day

Rainy days that we will remember as this weekend are now behind us and it's time to get back to the grindstone and return to yet another week of work today.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my future co-father in law and Michelle's step father Tom Andrews a very Happy Birthday today. By latest count I think he is about 29 years old and holding.

Michelle and I did have a nice Easter Dinner yesterday, she made a beer can chicken on the grill despite the rain and it was quite awesome. She outdid herself with home made bread, deviled eggs, grilled chicken, asparagus, potatoes and Sautéed mushrooms. It was a feast fit for any man and being it was just the two of us, we had plenty of leftovers.

Hope everyone had a great Easter, but now it is hi ho hi ho

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone. The Holiest day of the year for those of the Christian Faith.

Michelle and myself will be at home today making a beer can chicken and just enjoying the day. Yesterday we managed to make it up to Amy's for an Easter Egg Hunt that I managed to get one or two photographs from and have posted them online at both my site and Facebook.

The rain did manage to hold off enough yesterday afternoon to allow the kids to have a few rounds of finding Easter Eggs. I think that Erica, Josh and Kaiden had an absolute blast going to look for the eggs. You could see the excitement on their faces when they were told to go and find the eggs. I don't think they cared about the prizes inside, I think they got their joy from just looking for them. Hence why they were hidden more than once.

With our Sunday shopping completed yesterday, today should be a day of relaxation for Michelle and Me.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet house with almost everyone sleeping. Hayley is in Pittsburgh visiting family, so the house is nice and quiet on an early Saturday morning.

Maybe it's just me, but I think the water table is in good enough condition that it could stop raining for a while. If April Showers bring May flowers, we should be getting ready for a jungle of flowers coming up real soon. I should just be thankful that at least it is not snow.

Since tomorrow is Easter, we're going to try to get our shopping done this morning so we can try to make it to Amy's this afternoon for an Easter Egg Hunt, weather permitting. If it is raining we probably are going to stay home rather than just crowd inside of her place getting mud everywhere. I hope it stops raining today.

Have a good Saturday

Big Ole Hairy Good 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 Good Friday.

Yes it is the start of a holy weekend for Christians, the holiest time of the year and a time when Peter Cottontain will be hopping down the bunny trail and leaving goodies for little boys and girls for Easter.

Weather permitting my niece Amy will be holding the 2011 Easter Egg Hunt at her home this year. Hopefully the weather will be cooperative.

Haley is going to Pittsburgh for the weekend to stay with her cousins and I think Chad is going to Maryland with Laiah. It'll just be a relaxing easter morning with me and my baby.

Hi ho...er hippity hoppity hippity hoppity

Photo Flashback Thursday

It's Photo Flashback Thursday, the one day of the week when I take a little bit of time and look back through all my photos and relive a small portion of my past life on the internet.

This particular picture was taken just up on top of the hill from where I live now, it was a time when my Mother was in visiting from Georgia and her and Terri stopped in to see me. It was also a time when I had hair and actually tried to grow a mullet (yes this was in the 1980's and they were in style). Might be one of the last few pictures taken of me with a full head of hair, it was later that summer that I started getting crew cuts and having next to no hair.

It was a time when I was working at Sterling, partying my butt off and having as much fun as I possibly could muster. We had some great neighbors downstairs and it was a fun filled couple of years when I met some great people. Most of if not all of them are out of my life now, but it was a time that I think everyone needs to enjoy.

These were my wild and crazy years.

Hump Day

What is up with this weather? If I were a duck I might love this, but I'm not a duck and I think the water table is more than full. It's time to start bringing the sunshine instead of all of this rain. With Easter weekend fast approaching, it would be nice to have a little bit of a break from all this rain and see a little bit of sunshine. Kids do have to find those eggs.

Michelle was sick once again yesterday and stayed home from work. She's usually a trooper and a hard one to keep down, so I know those headaches had to have been horrible. Hopefully she will be feeling better today and will be able to get back to work. I know she is starting to feel a little bit of cabin fever and wants to get out of the house.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is now a distant memory and we are on to the next day of the week, can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* 1,131 days since mine and Michelle's first date a little over three years ago.

* It's been 354 days since our engagement.

* and were are at 109 days and counting until our wedding this August.

* My niece Amy is going to be hosting the Easter Egg Hunt for 2011 this Saturday. I've donated my eggs from last year to the cause and I'll even try to fill most of them up before the hunt.

* Michelle was a little bit under the weather yesterday morning when she woke up. She wasn't feeling that well when she went to bed Sunday Night, and she definitely wasn't feeling very well yesterday. Hopefully she'll feel better this morning when she wakes up.

* Funny story, Michelle woke me up yesterday morning at 6:30. No big deal except when you consider I'm up between 4-5:00 EVERY day including Saturday and Sunday. So, it felt like I slept in.

* The weather looks like it may want to start cooperating with us now, at least a little bit. I'm not holding my breath though just in case.

* Speaking of easter Dinner, Michelle is going to prepare one for us here. I have to come up with some ideas for food.

* Hi ho hi ho

Mondays

All good things have to end, and that includes weekends. It's back to the grindstone for the next few days for us, before we can enter into Easter weekend next weekend.

Our bas day Saturday with a great day yesterday, we did start to get our garden set up and a portion of the dirt into it. We wanted to at least get it set up and give the soil a little time to settle before we officially start planting our tomatoes, different varieties of peppers, probably a little bit of loose leaf lettuce and some green beens as well as some assorted herbs like Basil, Parsley, Chives, Mint, dill and maybe or two others. I'm going to plane some cucumber plants, but not in that planter.

Onto this week and another fun filled week of putting our noses on the grindstone. Don;t you just hate Mondays?

Hi ho hi ho

One of those days

Today has to be a makeup day, yesterday was one of those days that you just wish you could forget about. It seemed that anything that could go wrong, did go wrong and it started early in the morning with our easy up being blown across thew yard and ended up with the us having the alternator go out in the car and having to change it.

Once again a big thank you to George McClain and Pam for coming over and giving me a hand changing the alternator out in our car. I was having one heck of a time getting the serpentine belt back on, he came and worked his magic in a small space and was able to slip the belt on.

We didn't want an already bad day to end, so we decided to do our weekly grocery shopping last night, the day was already bad, I just thought we might as well get everything done yesterday so we can relax and have fun today.

I'm just hoping today is going to be a relaxing kind of day, we deserve it.

Early Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I am, once again in a quiet house with everyone sleeping except this early bird who is up in time to make sure the roosters are awake.

I don't think Mother Nature is going to be as nice to us this weekend as she was weather wise last weekend. It's calling for rain in the forecast and at 5:00 AM it appears to have rained last night. I'm sure we'll make the most of it though, somehow or another. I know Michelle and I have plans for this evening for dinner, but the rest of our weekend is pretty much open.

We did get our first shipment from Oriental Trading for a lot of items we ordered for the wedding yesterday. There is still one shipment that needs to be made, but that is for items that were personalized and took a little more time to ship. In case anyone didn't know, it's going to be non formal, Hawaiian/Beach/Margaritaville styled wedding. Everyone will bet leid, some of us more ways than others. =)

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

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.

I'm kind of hoping that the weather holds out this weekend, we bought an herb garden from Sams last weekend that I would kind of like th get set up this weekend. I want to line it in plastic and be able to to use it as a Herb/Vegetable garden on the back deck this year. I figured I retired from softball, I can find something else to do with my time and I have always missed having a garden.

Oh well, let's get this party started. Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Well here we are once again, another Thursday and yet another time to look back through my tens of thousands of pictures I have either taken or scanned through the years and take a littlebit of time to reflect back on times gone by.

This picture I can date back to I think January 7, 1973. It was my grandfather's 80th birthday and everyone was helping him celebrate it. It also marked the time when he actually retired from working a job and only worked around the house.

To say that he was a hard worker was an absolute understatement. It was up every morning between 3:00 and 4:00 AM and he was at work at the church by 4:00 AM every day.

On this day, it was a very special memory for me as my grandfather and grandmother posed for a picture together, probably one of the last times they had a picture taken together when they were both 100% healthy and definitely a very fond memory for me.

Hump Day

Well we are now at the day before Friday eve and looking at the downhill part of the workweek and staring at yet another weekend.

Michelle's Mom and grandmother are coming into town this afternoon for Gigi's eye appointment at the WVU Eye Institute here in Morgantown. We are talking about getting together and having dinner with them this evening after work. Gigi likes eating at the Golden Coral, so that is where we will be dining for dinner this evening. I hope it's a seafood kind of evening myself, I would have a little mbit of fish this evening.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again in our rear view mirrors and we are looking down at a Tuesday, I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,124 magical days since mine and Michelle's first date a little over three years ago.

* It's been 347 days since our engagement, and we are looking at a year on that pretty soon.

* 116 days to go until we are blissfully merged together in wedlock.

* I guess all good things have to come to an end and that included the great weather we were experiencing yesterday. A couple days in a row of 80° weather kind of spoiled me, but I like that kind of spoiling. I love the spring time.

* Jean has mentioned that she would like to maybe do an Easter Egg hunt this year somewhere. I told her we have probably 100+ plastic eggs from last year and would do anything she would like to assist her. It's for the kids and she mentioned possibly doing it at Marilla and let the kids seek eggs.

* We were thinking about going to the trails yesterday evening, but the weather was a little less than cooperative and we ended up just staying home.

* Hi ho hi ho

Back To Work

Well we had a great weekend, we got a few things accomplished that we wanted to accomplish for the wedding, got our law chairs and canopy hooked up outside and even took a little bit of time yesterday to grill up some awesome steaks, little potatoes and some fresh asparagus on the grill. We also purchased a little garden that we are going to build on the patio and line it with plastic. It was pre-fabricated with recycled material and we can tale it down in the fall and reuse it next year. 3 1/2' X 7' x 8" will give us a chance to plant a few fresh veggies and some fresh herbs.

So much for the fun though, this is Monday, we have a Federal Budget and it's back to the grindstone for both Michelle and me today.

It was a great and very productive weekend and I just loved the weather!!!

Hi ho hi ho

Geocaching 2011

We finally got our start on the 2011 geocaching season yesterday. We had been out once earlier looking for a single cache that we did not retrieve, so we tried it once again yesterday and once again failed. However we did manage to do a couple of other caches yesterday afternoon, officially giving us a start to or season.

One of the caches we did asked you to upload a picture of yourself, as the young couple that set the cache had met at this location.

I am hoping to do a little more geocaching this year than I did last year, mainly because I have now officially hung it up and retired from playing the game of softball. I'll miss the game, but I can keep myself busy geocaching.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again I sit in a quiet house with everyone sleeping collecting my thoughts. I've always been an early morning person, and yes I am up at 5:00 AM even on my days off. I think this sleep schedule was bestowed upon me by my grandparents as a child growing up and I have never really shaken it. I've had other sleep schedules, but this one has always seemed the most comfortable for me. I guess I'm a get up and get it over with so I can enjoy the rest of the day kind of a guy.

Well I guess I still have a place to go to work on Monday. Yesterday Secretary Chu announced that the DOE would continue operations with money that had no year associated with it and all employees, Feds and Contractors were to report to work Monday if Congress could not agree on a budget. So regardless I have to report Monday.

However last night at the 11th hour (Midnight actually) the Senate Approved a budget presented by the House earlier in the evening calling for 48 Billion in cuts (about to Billion less than Obama had called for) preventing a Government Wide Shut Down.

I think both sides were playing poker, but knowing a shut down was the last thing anyone wanted they passed a budget late last night.

I was prepared either way and may even start my own company on the side. When opening up a GIS business the one thing you need is first a market (it's there) and a work flow that will keep you busy and that might have just fallen into place Thursday by sheer accident. I was presented a chance to tie into a large company as an independent contractor, and I think I really want to pursue this market and make my own name on the side. More to come on that, it's something I have always talked about doing.

Enjoy your Saturday.

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.

I should watch what I am wishing for though as the Federal Government is fighting over a budget still and have a deadline of midnight tonight or the Government is going to shut down. What does this mean to a Federal Contractor such as myself? It means my office is locked up and we are not permitted on site or to be able to work until the budgeting issues have been resolved.

To say that it is on my mind is an understatement. I hope they get this resolved as soon as possible so that any Federal Employee or contractor can get back to doing what we do and earn our money.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Terri Beth Hall Rehmani

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my beautiful sister Terri, aka "Teddy Bear" a very happy birthday today.

I could combine this post and talk about this picture as my photo flashback. This picture was at a party that she had at her house a number of years ago. She and Nick always had an open door and were always hosting get togethers if for no other reason than getting together. I think this is one of my personal favorite pics of her, I even remember using this photo in my wonderful world movie that I did a number of years ago. It was through her eyes that I got the inspiration to do the video.

If you see Terri today, make sure you wish Terri a very Happy Birthday today.

Hump Day

Well 14 hours after I left the house in wearing a tie I finally made it home. Talk about a very long day, at least I had dinner at the Hotel Morgan and someone else picked up the tab.

Now we're at Wednesday and day two of the conference. It'll all be over with tonight after we give them a tour of NETL this afternoon and show everyone a few things.

I hope everyone has a great hump day. I'm brain dead this evening (I usually write the blog the evening before) and really aren't the most articulate this evening. Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Well, Monday is not behind us and we are looking straight down the barrel of a Tuesday. I can;t think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1117 magical days since Michelle and I had our first date a little over three years ago.

* It's been 340 days since we became engaged.

* We are 123 days before our wedding date later this summer.

* I'll have a busy week this week starting today. It's the first day of the three Country NACAP Conference that WVU and NETL are hosting. Needless to say that this will be a very long day for me. Tomorrow shouldn't be as long as today.

* Trish, Arron and Layla stopped over yesterday evening for a nice little visit. It had been a while since we had seen them, so it was nice to see them as it always is.

* Yesterday was also Michael and Ashley's third year wedding anniversary.

* Hi ho hi ho, it's going to be a long, tie wearing day.

End of the Weekend

All good things must come to an end, and that includes weekends. The weather was a little less than cooperative for us, but we did manage to get out yesterday evening and help out Smitty and Stephanie find a graveyard that they couldn't find by using the GPS. Her grandparents are buried in a small graveyard off of Snake Hill Road and they were having trouble locating it. She had used Find A Grave to located the coordinates, we converted them to something our GPS could use and plugged them in. It took us right to it. When we got home I managed to find by Grandparents Gravesite on that site.

Michelle made a large batch of home made chicken noodle soup yesterday. I bought a canning jar attachment for our FoodSaver and we put it into 8 quart jars and a 2 quart vacuum sealed container. Michelle loves soup and will be taking them for lunch at work. She is one heck of a cook.

This week for me is going to be chaos starting tomorrow. We have the NACAP Conference here in Morgantown this week. It's not going to be the typical week for me and that's for sure.

Have a great day, hi ho hi ho

What is Up With This Damn Weather

Paging Punxatawey Phil and Mother Nature. What the heck is up with this weather? And Snow? In April? Give me a break, it's going on NINE, count them NINE weeks since Phil said we were going to have an early spring. By my count that is three weeks past your jurisdiction, and we are ready for Spring Time. So make with the spring time NOW.

I've had enough of this cold winter weather, it's time for shorts, sandals and Spring time weather. The past few days have been the most absolute craziest weather wise. One minute it's bearable, next thing you know it's pouring snow down. It was snowing yesterday and calling for 72° tomorrow. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Well April Fools is now behind us and I do have to say I saw and heard a couple good ones that were not even mine.

On WVAQ Kevin and Timmy kept apologizing for something that was said on air and offered a chance for viewers to chime in. Michelle, my co-conspirator on yesterdays pranks said they kept talking about it and wondered what was said. I just looked at her and say Ken in pretty good at this, just like a few years ago when he and Eric started an hour early and reported the time an hour ahead fooling many into thinking they were late for work. Good prank Kevin and Timmy.

Josh Hertlein a guy I work with actually had me second guessing on one that he did when he announced his wife had their baby. He had a lot of details and I almost bit, but once again I knew it was April Fools Day so I held of on congratulating them until today. Good thing, because that too was a good one.

I also tried one on Facebook telling people they could see who has viewed their status by using the windows command to close a window "CTRL + W".

Yesterday was a pretty productive day however, I finally made it to the DMV to have my address changed. It's only been two years and I've actually started using checks with my current address and now have the drivers license to support that.

We also stopped in at the Marilla Center and had a chance to go in and take some notes. I managed to grab a few pictures for those of you who have not been there recently or not at all.

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 and an April Fools Day.

Hope everyone liked my first post today, it was a lot of fun trying to come up with something. We had to keep in par with what we did last year when we told everyone we ran away in the middle of the night to get married.

Well consider this, by the time this posts I'll already be off work for the day running some errands with Michelle.

Have a great weekend.

We're Going to Have a Baby

Michelle and I have been blessed, she did a pregnancy test this morning and it came back positive, we are going to have a baby.

We are both stunned and excited and can't believe we have been blessed with this little bundle of joy. It does come as a surprise as she is a few months pregnant already and we are thinking of moving the wedding up from August to later this month.

We are both very excited, we already have a name picked out for our little bundle of joy. Sloof Lirpa Hall. We derived the name from a special event.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Photo Flashback Thursday is starting to be one of my favorite BLOGs to write during the week. It gives me a chance to look back through Thousands of pictures and reminisce on days gone by.

This picture was long before I was even thought of, this was when my Mother and my Aunt Bonita were living in Hawaii and getting lei'd every day. Speaking of getting Lei'd, we're gonna make sure everyone gets lei'd at mine and Michelle's wedding.

Mom and Bonita shaking their rear ends in the grass skirts on the beaches of Hawaii. Why did they ever come back to the mainland? Actually I have it on good authority Mom's addiction to midget porn and lack of internet services in Hawaii lead her back to Morgantown.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Once again we are at the point of the week where the wait until the weekend is growing shorter and shorter. It is hump day and I couldn't be more excited.

However I am having that dreaded brain fart that hits me every once in a blue moon where the creative juices just aren't there. Some blogs are easy to write, some aren't that bad and then there are those where you could sit and ponder for an hour what the first word was going to be over a subject you still hadn't picked up on.

Either way, I am still committed to writing daily as I have for a few years now.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is now behind us and we are now staring down the barrel of a Tuesday, can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits than that.

* If you are still counting, I know I am it has been 1110 days since that first magical evening when Michelle took four hours to get ready for a date with me.

* That mean's it has been 333 days since I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.

* Speaking of, we're 130 days from that magical date this August when we will tie the knot and get married.

* What's up with this cold front? I'm ready for some 70°- 80° days here before long, this 20° stuff is really starting to get old. Warm up and bring us warmth and sunny days.

* If anyone is interested, there is a group of guys going to MVP Park this weekend to play paintball. A guy I work with and a guy I used to play softball with are organizing it. They will start at 11:00 Saturday Morning.

* Hi ho hi ho

Back to Work

Well it's time for most of us to put our noses back to the grindstone and get ready to start another week of work in our offices or places of employment.

The picture you see is of Josh Judy who should break with the Indians and be a part of the 40 man roster this season, but he will probably start the year om Columbus again. I saw the picture on MLB.com and thought I would put it up.

For me however it's back to the office today. This week should be finalizing a few things for the conference that we will partially host next week with West Virginia University for the North American Carbon Atlas Partnership (NACAP). A report due today, finalizing a few things and that is my agenda for this week.

Hi ho hi ho

We Made Butter

Well with yesterdays weather a little less than acceptable we decided to make it a day at home and try something new. I found a recipe for making butter, so to speak.

Neither one of had ever made it before and really had no concept of what to do. So with the weather being less than suitable we decided to give it a try. There has been a butter that we have found that we really like from Homestead Creamery , and if you have never had their milk it is the best I have ever had. WE go weekly to buy their dairy products at Krogers on 705.

However we wanted to try to make our own butter as something different. The ingredients are heavy whipping cream and a little bit of salt for your own preference in taste. The process is simply beating the heavy whipping cream (we have a kitchenaid, but any food processor will do) for about 10 minutes.

The butter comes out and separates from the milk leaving you two products. One is obviously the butter and the second is buttermilk. You just have to make sure you get all the milk separated from the butter. The butter is cheaper, healthier and can be seasoned to your own taste.


To see for yourself, here is a video we found on how to make two different kinds.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again I am siting here in a nice and quiet house, one where I don't think that a soul is moving in other than me collecting my thoughts.

What happened to spring time? It's 28 degrees out this morning and I wanted to get out and do a little bit of geocaching this morning, instead it's cold weather. So much for wearing shorts this morning and going out and having a little bit of fun in flip flops. Instead it looks like blue jeans and tennis shoes.

It may just turn out to be a lazy day if the weather doesn't clear up a little bit.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

Well I'm not to sure if I am fond of this weather, it's springtime and a time for sunshine and warmer days than we have been experiencing this week. The students are on spring break, but today is the last day off and it will be back to the classroom Monday and traffic headaches around town. That's OK, they are getting to start the home stretch on the school year.

I would like to get out tomorrow and do a little bit of geocaching. It would be our first real time out this year.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

I introduce to everyone, the worlds best looking baby that has ever existed. Look at that cute kid (I hope this is me and not Kim), isn't he absolutely adorable?

Obviously this is a picture of my Mom and Dad and of myself. It is one of the very few if only one that I know of that is comprised of just the three of us without anyone else in the picture.

I notice the picture was taken while my Dad was still in the Army and my Mom had the Jackie O hairdo of the day, even though she was a Kennedy at that time.

Michelle made the comment that looking at my dad, she really sees my Nephew Moke in this picture. Saying those are Pam's eyes. I have to agree with her.

Speaking of pictures, yesterday was Maxine Snider's Birthday and I took my camera for a few pictures.

Happy Birthday Maxine Snider

I would like to take this opportunity to wish someone very special a very Happy Birthday. Maxine "We all know her as Nana" Snider has finally reached the age where I think she can legally buy beer (which means at least 21).

I snapped this picture last summer and Michelle knew exactly which one I should use for this blog, so I can't argue with the boss.

If you see Nana today, make sure you wish her the very happiest of birthdays today. If you don't see her, make and effort to either call her and wish this very special lady the happiest of birthdays today.

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Well Monday is now behind us and we are staring down the barrel of a Tuesday, can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* Day 1,103 since mine and Michelle's first date a little over three magical years ago.

* It's been 326 days since I got down on one knee in the back yard and asked her to Marry me.

* There are only 137 days to go until the wedding.

* Wow did we get some rain yesterday. Michelle sent me a picture of the road that was flooded as she was on her way to pick me up. I'm sharing it in this BLOG so you can see what she saw. The picture was turning onto Van Voorhis from Chestnut Ridge Road.

* BTW, I think she is really starting to fall in love with her iPhone.

* Hi ho hi ho

Back To Work

Well it's time to stop all the weekend fun and enjoyment and time to take our relaxed persons and stick our noses back on to the grindstone.

As of 7:21 PM yesterday evening, we are now OFFICIALLY in spring time!!! Winter is over, it's time for shorts and sandals and getting out and having fun. It's time for geocaching and driving with the windows down and the radio playing your favorite summertime songs. It's a time of birds a singing rather than snow plows a pushing. I love this time of the year!!!

Around Morgantown you may see traffic a little bit more bearable this week as the student sare off on Spring Break.

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday Morning Ramblings

I sit once again in a quiet house, Hayley is up and on the couch with her laptop, but neither one of us is watching TV. I've been up playing Texas Hold Em on Facebook. I'm trying to win this morning, but the cards are not falling my way on this day as of yet. I am in the final 10 of the 1,000 player three round tournament for the second time. I'm really wanting to win one of these 1,000 player tournaments so I can have that on my record.

Yesterday we went to the monthly P&P Family Auction. We ended up not buying anything, but there was a very good turnout and they appeared to be moving a good bit of merchandise. I guess the nicer weather had everyone out and wanting to see what deals they could find.

Not sure what is on our agenda for today beyond our weekly shopping. There is a WVU Baseball game at 1:00 this afternoon, Michelle's Mom has also came into town so it is hard to say what we will definitely be doing.

Lot;s of sadness after the WVU men's basketball team lost to Kentucky in yesterdays game, knocking us out of the tournament and officially putting and end to the 2010-11 Mountaineer Men's Basketball season. I have to say that this team went above my expectations this season. Great job Coach, and thank you to the outgoing Seniors.

Jimmy Buffet Tickets

Calling all Pittsburgh area Parrot heads, Jimmy's tickets for his 2011 tour that will be running through Burgettstown are on sale today at 10:00. Be online, be ready and have all your information ready if you plan on getting the seats where all the action is going to be located (The lawn of course).

Happy Birthday Amy Dalton

I would like to take this esteemed opportunity to wish my beautiful niece Amy the very happiest of birthdays today.

Her in laws kind of caught her off guard last weekend and gave her a surprise birthday party. I know she wasn't expecting that one, so Kudo's the the Dalton gang for catching her off guard.

I don't know what her plans are for today, but I'm sure it involves two very special men in her life.

If you see Amy, make sure you wish her a Happy Birthday.

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.

I hope everyone didn't drink too much Green Beer and watch too much NCAA basketball yesterday.

Well, tomorrow at 10:00 AM is when the 2011 Jimmy Buffett Tickets go on sale for his concert this summer in Pittsburgh. I'll be at the computer trying to round myself up a couple of lawn tickets for his show this summer. We always have a great time when we go, I just wish a few others would decide to join us.

The Mountaineers advanced in the NCAA tournament yesterday with a 84-76 win over Clemson in the first round of the tournament. The Mountaineers will return to action tomorrow in a rematch game of the Eastern Finals last year when we once again play the Kentucky Wildcats for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.

Happy St Patricks Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day. A day of leprechauns, Green Beer and lots and lots of green beer consumed in celebration of Saint Patrick.

Make sure you wear a little bit of green today, you don't want to people around you to pinch you. Especially if you are of Irish Decent.

Have a great day and if you see a leprechaun, tell me me he is at and I'll go steal him gold.

Flashback Thursday

I started a thing a couple of weeks ago when I find and old picture and talk about it as a Flashback.

No one ever said I wouldn't post pictures of my days as a fashion model. Actually I was auditioning for the movie Dazed and Confused years before it was even made.

Actually this is a picture from about 1976 or 1977, and was actually the day I met my sister Kim for the first time. I had met Terri a few times before, but Kim was one that I had yet to meet. So we arranged to met at Suburban Lanes to go bowling and allow me and Kim a chance to meet each other.

You got to love those fashionable Chuck Taylor Canvas Converse, the cut off shorts, the knee high tube socks being held up by rubber bands and how could you not love that 1970's hair style? I was definitely stylin and profilin, that is for sure.

It was a day that I have never forgotten.

Tuesdays Tidbit's on a Wednesday

* Due to yesterday being mine and Michelle's three year anniversary, I moved the tidbits back until today.

* 1,097 days since mine and Michelle's first date, three years and one day ago.

* It has been 319 days since our engagement.

* 143 days until the wedding day.

* I've got a day half full of meetings today, it's going to be my busiest one in a few weeks. We're preparing for a conference that is going to be held here in Morgantown in a few weeks.

* Had a Doctors appointment yesterday, just a routine visit with my Doctor and discuss how I am doing. He did comment on my lungs and no signs of me ever being a smoker. It'll be going on either none or ten years since the last time I lit one up.

* For our third Anniversary, Michelle and I had dinner at Applebees yesterday. I love their steals.

Hi ho hi ho

Three Magical Years

Three years ago my life changed forever. After a lifetime of trying to find the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I finally met her.

I had first met her nine years prior and we got along great, but she was married at the time with two young kids and I was just starting college.

Pan ahead eight years later, I'm done with college, she had been widowed and I asked her to come to our Christmas Party. I was very excited about seeing her, only to be stood up on that night.

Pan ahead three months later and we finally did manage to go out, and my life has been for the better ever since. We have been together for three magical years as of today, that is 1,096 magical days.

The best is yet to come though, in about another 144 days when she will become my bride.

Michelle, thank you for coming into my life and ridding my emptiness, I love you and look forward to the life we have ahead of us.

Happy Three Year Anniversary.

Brackets are In

Let the 2010 version of March Madness begin. The brackets were announced yesterday evening and the Mountaineers are a playing in Tampa and will take on the Clemson/UAB winner in our first round game.

The winner of that game will most likely get to play the Kentucky Wildcats, a team WVU beat last year to earn our way to the Final 4. Last years Kentucky's team was comprised of five first round NBA Draft Picks including the 31 overall pick John Wall.

Wouldn't it be nice if Hugg's can end their season two years in a row?

Time to get your office brackets ready and Hi ho hi ho

Spring Forward

It is the start of my favorite time of the year, when we move our clocks ahead one hour (If you haven't done it yet, you may be an hour behind) for Daylight Savings Time.

It will now start to get dark an hour later and we have to get up an hour earlier. If you feel like the entire day is a day of playing catch up because you are behind, your body has not adjusted yet. Mine has been adjusted for this for a few weeks now.

We had a great day yesterday, Michelle and I were at Hawley Field to watch a little bit of Mountaineer Baseball.

It is a Minion Morning

From Chewie:

Hi! My name is Edith Ann Marie Stavar. I was born today at 3:43 am. I am 6 lbs. and 12.2 oz. I am 19 inches long. Mommy and I are doing fine. More pictures to come.

Congrats to Courtney and Chewie.

Is it a Minion Morning?

You have to love Facebook to find news and information. I was up bright and early as I am every day and our friends Chewie and Courtney may be having their little Minion as we speak.

Chewie started with a Here we Go followed by a pushing time, so something tells me that they will be proud parents any moment now (I am actually writing this at 4:00 AM as opposed to having it post at 4:00 AM like I usually do).

I'm watching Facebook for some kind of a word from Chewie, but something tells me he is busy right now.

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 of all I have to ask, what the heck happened to the 70°+ days that I had been hoping for? Come on, I'm losing an hours sleep this weekend, Mother Nature should at the very least be cooperative and allow us some nice warm spring type weather instead of this cold rail/snow crap we're getting.

The WVU Baseball Home season has finally got a start for the year. They are supposed to have a four game home stand this weekend starting this afternoon against Rider College. Speaking of 70°+ days..you know they would be nice and fitting for right now. Soak up a little sun, wear some shorts and enjoy a little baseball. I'm just saying Mother Nature.

If you want to get this party started, we have to get Friday over with. Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Thursdays are a hard Blog to get any inspiration for, so last week I thought I would look back through my 12,000+ pictures and do as flashback. Tell a little story about a picture from sometime in the past.

This weeks was no doubt a transitional period in my life. This is me in the evening after my first day in college in the fall of 1999. A time when my life was at a crossroads and I had to choose a path. My path I chose was to go to college, and I had no idea what would lie in front of me.

This is my going over my Psych 1 notes with my pierced ear, my Dale Earnhardt shirt and one of those cancer sticks that I wasted way too much money on in my life (It has been since May of 2002 since I have had one) when I used to smoke. We had just came back from Ocean City the day before and I was starting college on that day.

I had no idea what I was getting into, but I have never looked back. I had no idea if I could or could not do it, so I gave it everything I had for the next five years and worked in my field (for next to nothing) for my last three years of college.

It was a day my life changed forever.

Ash Wednesday Edition of Hump Day

Well you better have your Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday celebration out your system, for today is ash Wednesday and the first day of lent. I hope everyone has a Charlie Sheen type of good time and were in some type of exchange of some beads.

Well it's back to work after an evening of fun filled frolicking last night, now the fun is over and it is time to get back to work. Looking at the bright side, there will be a lot of great fish sandwich deals for a few weeks, and I love fish.

Hayley had an interview yesterday at Krogers, she thinks it went pretty well. They did a few employment types of things that they really wouldn't do if they were not interested in hiring her. Hopefully she'll be hearing some good news in the immediate future.

Speaking of employment, hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that dreaded Monday is now past us, and we have our sites set straight upon Tuesday, can;t think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* 1,089 days since mine and Michelle's first date a few years ago. We're actually a week away from three years since our first date.

* 312 days since I proposed marriage and she accepted.

* 151 days until the wedding.

* Talked to Amy briefly yesterday on Facebook, she said that she fixed her computer problem by reformatting her machine and reinstalling the operating system.

* Talked to Pam a couple of nights ago, she is interested in going to the rails to trails with us. We spoke about possibly renting bikes and going riding on the trails sometime this summer. It would be nice if we could get a group of people to do this. (hint hint)

* Still waiting to see when Jimmy Buffett is planning on going to Pittsburgh this year. He's usually announced by now, so something is telling me this may be up this year for something different from him. Just don't do it August 6th.

* Today is Fat Tuesday. Tonight is the time to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Obviously Wed is Ash Wed.

* We also spring the clocks forward ahead one hour this weekend, so you lose an hour of sleep, but you gain an hour of daylight in the evening. I think my body has already adjusted for the change.

* Hi ho hi ho

Tried a Real Good Recipe yesterday

I was at work on day last week when a co-worker told me about this Spicy Sausage Rigatoni that he couldn't get enough of. Michelle and I tried it yesterday and give it a two thumbs up and highly recommend it. Allow us to share.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spicy-sausage-rigatoni-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 12 ounces rigatoni, cooked and drained
• 12 ounces hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
• 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid from rigatoni
• 2 tablespoons olive oil and chopped
• 2 cups whole canned tomatoes, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet, Cook garlic, red pepper flakes and cayenne over medium high heat quickly. Add in crumbled sausage meat and cook until completely browned. Add in tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook about 5 minutes until sauce begins to thicken and add cream. Return to a rapid simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked Rigatoni and reserved liquid. Return to simmer and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Michelle and I absolutely loved this and for you cooks out there looking for a pasta recipe with a little bit of a a bite to it, try this. It was awesome.

On that note, hi ho hi ho

Finally Made It

Last weekend I really wanted to go and see the movie Hall pass, but we ended up not making it to see it last weekend for one reason or another. This weekend however we took a little time out to go to the movies and see the movie.

I gotta say, the guys who made this are the same guys who made Something About Mary and it more than lived up to its expectations. Most of the theater were literally laughing out loud at this movie, and both Michelle and I enjoyed it. If anyone is looking for a good movie to see that is out right now, we gave it two thumbs up for adults. Might not be suitable for the young ones though.

That makes two movies that we have went to see this year so far. It had been a while since we had gone to the movies, it's nice going back and seeing all the previews. Kung Fu Panda II is definitely on my agenda to see this may.

Earl Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again, the house is all quiet and peaceful and I am up in the wee hours of a Saturday Morning trying to come up with a few original thoughts to put into a blog. I'm bit a freaking Rock Star from Mars and my life lacks the excitement level that is the life of Charlie Sheen. (I had to make at least one Sheen reference this week)

I spoke with Chris O and he is talking about gathering a group of his co-workers to go and play paintball on April 3rd at MVPPark. I saw Sean and Danny a couple of weeks ago and mentioned that a few people I work with may be interested in playing and he said Chris was going to bring a crew on that date. I called Chris yesterday and confirmed that date and he said the more the merrier. So if anyone is looking to play a little paintball, get in touch with me and I'll give you the details.

Michelle did have a hair appointment today, but moved it to next weekend so we really have no plans this weekend. It's calling for rain anyways, so our outdoor activities could be limited.

Have a great day.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

Once again no plans for the weekend, although those days will soon be drawing to a close with longer days and warmer weather where we can get out and have fun geocaching. There are a number of new ones around Morgantown since we last went, and I'm ready to go out and start finding them.

Michelle was off work yesterday with a beginnings of a migraine. I should consider myself fortunate as I have no idea what one feels like. I've had headaches, but nothing like what she gets and what other describe to me as a migraine.

Gotta get this party started, hi ho hi ho

The Day I Learned I Was Going Bald

Sometimes its just a lot of fun to go back through your old pictures and remember certain events in your life.

I was looking at this picture and realized it was the day my Sister Terri married Nick, and I was there in attendance. My sister Kim was on the upper deck Video taping the event, and I was sitting beside my sister Pam. Although looking at this picture, I should have been sitting on the Bride's side of the isle, I guess you live and learn.

My Father walked Terri down the isle, who made a very beautiful bride by the way, and it was a great day. We all enjoyed the ceremony and the reception at Terri and Nick's place. My brother Gsry was the featured entertainment, he and his band were having their world debut en route to the world domination tour that they were planning but never got around to.

The next day I was over at Kim's, and watching the tape that they made from high above the church and I noticed a bald guy sitting beside my sister Pam. I recognized everyone in the church expect this strange looking fellow and then it hot me like a ton of bricks. I was that bald guy sitting beside my sister. I knew I was balding, but never really saw it.

It was a day I will remember forever for a multitude of reasons.

Thursdays are my hardest blog to write during the week, maybe I just need to reflect a little upon my life.

Hope you enjoyed the story, but now it is Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Monday, Check. Tuesday, Check. First part of the week is in, now it's time to get over that hump and work towards another fun filled weekend.

I think March should officially adopt February 28 this year. Why? because it thunder-stormed and the weather was much more lion like than lamb like that was yesterday's weather. You know what they say about March, in like a Lion, out like a Lamb and in like a Lamb and out like a Lion. Although I can't complain too much, because for once my buddy Phil was right with his prediction of an early spring. Thanks again Phil.

Since this was a boring Blog, let me leave you with a little entertainment to brighten up your hump day.



Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Well Monday is now behind us an has entered into our memories meaning it is now Tuesday, I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* 1,082 days since mine and Michelle's first date.

* It's been 305 days since our engagement last year meaning...

* ...we have 158 days until we are married.

* Today is the first day of March, a month that offers us the official start of my favorite time of the year, Spring time!!!!!!

* We're doing our weekly crock pot dinner tonight, it's been a while and the temps are dropping so it is going to be home made chilli and corn bread for our after work feast.

* Hayley found a beautiful chocolate lab a couple of nights ago that followed her home. Michele called the pound yesterday and the dog was returned to its rightful owners. Seems like they had just moved to the area and it was storming and he got scared. Chad and Hayley fed him a can of alpo and some soft food and gave him a nice place to get some rest before returning him to his rightful owners yesterday.

* We watched the Movie "The God's Must be Crazy" last night from Netflix. Michelle has never seen it.

* Hi ho hi ho