...and it continues

I reported earlier today for placement on the Federal Grand Jury and was lucky enough to avoid being selected. They select a pool of 23 Grand Jurors and start eliminating form there. If one is eliminated then another one of us from the pool is selected. I managed to avoid being selected until they had their 23 people to swear in. Once they had their 23, the rest of us were dismissed.

Seemed like the 23 saddest people in the room were the ones selected to be Grand Jurors and the happiest people were those of us that weren't selected.

I guess you knew how bad it was when thye show you a movie at the start on why you should like to serve. LOL.

I Had avoided it for years

I have been fortunate the past 41 years to ever be called for Jury Duty. I have watched friends and co-workers get called and have to go through the entire process. Well, it finally caught up with me and then some.

I didn't get called for localJry Duty, no, I have to get called to serve on the Federal Grand Jury this week. I've known about it for about 2 months when my name was added to the pool.

I had to call yesterday to see if I had to report today in Clarksburg, and wouldn't you know it my name was listed. Oh well, it gives me a front row seat for a Federal Court case and also gives me a chance to learn a little something about our legal process.

I hope it's a good one, I want a book deal.

Happy 4th of July

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refuted his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. --And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

--John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton





Lyman was my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather.


Lyman Hall
1724-1790
Representing Georgia at the Continental Congress

Born: April 12, 1724
Birthplace: Wallingford, Conn.
Education: Graduated Yale College, (Physician.)
Work: Elected to Continental Congress, 1775; Delegate to the Georgia House of Assembly, Elected Governor of Georgia, 1783; Judge, 1785.
Died: October 19, 1790

Lyman Hall was born in Connecticut in 1724. He studied medicine at Yale College, graduated in 1756 and went to Charleston, South Carolina, shortly after to establish a medical practice. He bought land in Georgia in 1760 and established a plantation there, while continuing to practice medicine. Two years later he returned to South Carolina, still as a physician. In 1774, by this time partisan in revolutionary politics, he again came to Georgia and earned the unflattering attention of the Royal Governor, James Wright. He also secured election to the Continental Congress, where he was involved in provisioning food and medicine for the Revolutionary Armies. He was reelected to congress through 1780 but retired to his adopted state in 1777 when state matters, including the situation of his longtime friend Button Gwinnett, demanded his attention. A short time later, the war reached Savannah. Hall's property was burned and he stood accused of high treason. He fled to Charleston, which was also overtaken by the British. He then fled to Connecticut, some say, where he was harbored by family.

He returned to Georgia in 1782, to reclaim his lands, was elected to the House of Assembly in 1783 and then elevated to the office of the Governor. After a single year as Governor, he served one more year in the Assembly, then a year as judge. He then returned to private life & was involved in the continued development of agriculture in the state. Hall died in 1790 at the age of 66.




Happy 4th of July.

Annual Rosiak Party

Every year on the 4th of July weekend for the past eight years now I have made it a tradition to go and spend the day with some long time friends of mine.

Trish, who was Jackie's room mate for years and I have remained close friends for since the time Jackie and I broke up. Bryan, Trish's boyfriend has also been a very close friend very long time now. We played softball together for years until this season.

Every year, Trish's parents have a 4th of July cookout at their home. Every year there is plenty of good food and a very large contingent of people that migrate to the Rosiak's every year for this party.

It's usually the one time of the year I get to see Jackie, but she didn't manage to make it this year, she was in New Jersey.



Every year there is always a big water battle. I have a big super soaker that I bought for the first year there was a picnic, witht he sole intent purrpose of using it at this picnic. Today is the one day of the year that I actually break it out and fill it up. The water battle was a blast



I always look foreward to this party every year. Needless to say when I move to Frostburg this winter I will always return for this party.

Congratulations Gary

Gary took his Contactors test a couple weeks ago and told me this week that he had passed BOTH tests on the first attempt. . Can I say this was probably too long overdue. He has been working in construction since he started hanging drywall years ago when he first came out of High School with his friend Jay.

He takes a lot of pride in his work and does a great job. I think everyone has been on him for years to take his test, and he finally did it and passed it the first time.

Congrats Bro!!!!!!

I now know how to get pictures off my phone

Pictures from my Phone, of the Jimmy Buffett Concert in Pittsburgh this Sunday evening.

Fins to the left, Fins to the right...

WOW, what a time I had today. I went and saw Jimmy Buffett at PNC Park and had a great time. This was my first time to be among the Parrot Heads, and let me say I was not disappointed.



I went with Mark, his wife Denise and Jeff McClung and we sat out in the 90 degree heat for about 4-5 hours having a blast before we ventured into PNC Park.



They said you were not allowed to take your cameras inside of PNC, but if I was thinking properly I would have snuck it in. I did take a couple pictures with my phone, but I don't know how to extract those pictures to a file.



The crowd was awesome. I have never been to a concert this big and to be honest with you, I was a little awestruck by it. PNC Park probably had the biggest crowd they have ever had for this event.



It was also a very enjoyable crown to be around, everyone with a beach theme and you had no fear of any complete idiots anywhere, it was like one BIG Family party.

If you have never seen this man in concert, do yourself a favor and go and see him at least once in your lifetime, you will not regret it.

***UPDATE****

Thanks for the link Mark.

I was one of those gate crashers who tried to get in at 6:00

Buffett fans sunk by late-arrivals at ballpark gates


Concert Review: Buffett starts the summer with a steamy show

Poker Run for Make-a-Wish

Terri and Nick and the Country Inn were the last stop for the Poker Run for the Make-A-Wish Foundation yesterday. WOW, talk about a crowd, I think she probably had her best day ever as far as sales.



It was a total madhouse yesterday, but I think they handled it very well. Being the last stop, you are required to provide food for the pack. Terri, Tyler, Amy, Choo, Rob and Nick did an outstanding job of doing for providng for all of these visitors.

The bar was so busy that it ws almost impossible to get the food from the kitchen to the newly redesigned gameroom where she was serving all the food.

From what I gathered, it allowed a group of kids to enjoy a fun day at Valley Worlds of Fun . Terri had no idea how big the crowd was until I took her and Choo out the backdoor and walked around the building. I knew it was big when I looked out the front window and saw a row of people sitting on the guardrail across the street as far as I could see from my vantage point.

Hat's off to all the Country Inn people who did an outstanding job yesterrday.

Thursdays Tidbits

* Haven't posted much this week, so I guess I'm going to do a tidbits.

* Mom, is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on vacation with her friends Shirley. She should be coming back this weekend, I guess she has a one week time share down there.

* Kim and Robert are currently in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this week. Robert is down there bowling in the nationals with his dad.

* George bought a new 4-Wheeler this past weekend. I went up to his place for some of his world famous rib BBQ's and saw it. I have a couple pictures of it, but I haven't uploaded them yet.

* Rich just ended a weeks vacation on Monday, he works a lot of hours and was probably long overdue on having a vacation.

* Terri and the Country Inn will be the last stop at a Poker Run this Saturday. I'm, going to go down and give them a hand because you know they are going to be busy.

* I'm going to be the designated driver for Mark and a few other people for the Jimmy Buffet concert this Sunday.

* I'm taking this Monday as a vacation day to recover from a very busy weekend.

* Yesterday was a nice day at work, I helped make VARGIS $320,000 in about 15 minutes. I would like to have that chink of change. Actually it was just repairing something we did a few weeks ago that allowed us to bill for the services.

* The weather in Frostburg has been great this week.

* I talked with Kim briefly yesterday, she said Baton Rouge was awesome, but it was also very hot down there.

* I did stop in and pay her a visit Sunday evening after I left Pam and George's place. I met Roki the new puppy.

* When does Survivor start again? I think I'm suffering from Survival Withdrawal Syndrome.

* Have a nice week.

Happy Fathers Day

It's been nearly six years now since me and my family have lost my dad. To me he was someone I had always looked up to and someone who was always there for me. He left this world a few years ago and left one heck of a legacy. I'm fortunate because of him to have four of the best siblings that anyone could ever hope for.

He's left a legacy of stale old jokes of cutting his finger three times when he was making his world famous potato salad. Of course he always waited until you were eating and would always lead in with how do you like the potato salad before he would drop his infamous one liner.

When I look at my Nephews and nieces I can see my Dad through his eyes, they were all his grandchildren and each and every one of them carries a unique piece of him with them. I look at his great-grand daughter and I see his eyes in her.

He left a very positive influence on each and every one of us. I guess the true measure of a man is the legacy that he leaves behind. What happened to the seed that he sewed when he spent his brief time with us. Did it take root and prosper or did it whither and die. Was he going to be remembered or forgotten.

George Edward Hall Sr influenced and inspired many of us. I consider myself a very lucky man to have had the honor of calling this man Dad. He left a legacy that definitely took root and grew in fertile soil. Five loving Children, seven loving Grand-Children and so far one great-grandchild. I think he would have been very proud in each and every one of them.

We Love and Miss you Dad. Thank You and Happy Father's Day.



"Somebody will Pay, Somebody will pay..."

George Hall

Happy First Birthday, Erica Jean Nicholson

Today, we celebrated Erica Jean's first birthday. We had a little cookout at Val and Bobby's place. Weather was beatiful and was perfect for a cookout.

Very Proud of Randy

Yesterday, Randy finished his grueling 22 weeks of training at the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Acadamy and graduated. I have to say that I am very proud of him, he went in as a confused boy, but exited a man.

After the graduation, Terri and Nick had a nice little graduation Party for him. It was a great time enjoyed by everyone who was there.

I did manage to capture his platoons drills in a media file for everyone to see. Be warned though, this is a 40 MB file, so it may take some time to download.

Randy's Graduation

Graduation Day for Randy Hamrick

Today Randy graduates from the Mountaineer ChalleNGe academy at 1:00 at the Craig Civic Center in Kingwood. I will be leaving work a few hours early so I can see his graduation. He's worked very hard over the past six months and being there is the least that I can do.

I was talking to Jean yesterday and I guess he had taken his GED a few weeks ago, but they would not get the results until yesterday. Randy passed his GED and at 16 years old is now a High School graduate. I'm pretty sure that age wise he will be the youngest to graduate when compared to anyone else in the family. Congratulations Randy, I know I am very proud of you and will be there today with my camera in hand to capture the moment.



I have been told that the graduation will last three hours, but I will be sitting in the audience as one proud Uncle watching every moment of it.

After his commencement, Terri is going to be having a party at the Country Inn in Fairmont. I'm sure there will be one or two photo opportunites for me there today.

Finally got the picnic pics resized and uploaded

Ok, I finally got a few pictures from this past weekends picnic uploaded to my site.
Here is a little sample.

Geneology updated

I received an e-mail from Mark Devault this morning telling me that he had updated his dad's geneology software.


SITE

Take a look around and see if you can fill in any of the blanks.

Weeks wrapup

I guess I can do a weeks wrapup/tidbits post.

* We played an undefeated team in softball last night, man was this team loaded with some really solid players. WE did kick the shit out of them 16-4 to run our record to 9-1 though.

* After the game a large group of us went once again to our sponsor Prime Thyme for dinner and a few beers. Of course I was drinking Diet Coke and water.

* Friday a group of us went out to lunch at work. One of the girls was having a birthday party yesterday after work. A girl I work with and I combined to make her a little Birthday file.

* Wed, a guy who I used to work with at the NRAC had his first of two interviews in Frostburg. He interviewed with us for a job in Sterling. I think they are going to make him an offer. Josh, his wife Jamie, JB Churchill (another former NRAC'er) and myself went out to lunch Thursday in Frostburg.

* Randy graduates this coming Friday from the mountaineer Challenge academy. His graduation will be in Kingwood. I think Terri is going to do something after the graduation. Don't really know the details yet.

* Jean and Mickey are having a cookout tomorrow at Krepps Park. It will be nice to see everyone. I think I'm going to my traditional Sunday Morning chores today rather than tomorrow so I can lend a hand if needed.

* The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this past week. We have been getting an occasional Thunderstorm in Frostburg, but it doesn't appear to have rained a drop by the time I get back to WV.

* Jean did give me an update on Valerie Reed. The girl who grew up across the street and was shot this past Christmas. I Blogged about it previously. I guess she is doesn't really know anyone and is still in pretty bad shape, but now here is the kicker. She was pregnant by the guy who shot her and then killed himself. I guess they are feeding her through a feeding tube and the baby is still on schedule.

* I'll try to grab and add a few new picks over the weekend. Have a good time enjoying this wonderful weather.

Not really a tidbits, but it is a Tuesday

Hey, we are 40% of the way to the weekend. Today was a nice day, the weather was absolutely perfect. I got home from work and went and took a little walk on Rails to Trails. I went for a nice little walk on the Caperton Trail where I usually go. I usually park at the Jeep dealership on Don Knotts Boulevard and walk towards downtown. Usually until I get to the Westover Bridge, then I turn around and go back.

It was a very scenic walk tonight for there were literally a few hunred people that I passed on the trails. Everything from bikers, to rollerbladers to joggers to walkers to strollers (me) to people just sitting there and enjoying a beautiful view.



I called Kim from the trail but no one was home. Then I turned around and called Jean and she told me that the Toths are going to have their yearly cookout this coming Sunday. We usually do it at Krepps Park on the backside of the swiiming pool. Usually plenty of food and a great time to be had by all.

Back to the grind

What a beautiful weekend we had weather-wise. Nice and sunny all weekend and weather was in the mid to upper 80's. I don't think I could have asked for better weather. I need to get out with my camera on days like these so I can get some great snapshots.

I'm still starting at 6:00 AM, so I'm still leaving at 4:30 in the morning to drive to Frostburg. It does tend to make the day go a lot quicker and I can get more done in the early morning hours at work, so that does make it nice.

I did get a chance to talk to Pam and George over the weekend. Pam caused George to crash a four wheeler and she's blaming him for it. She has this bad habit of causing people to wreck and them blaming them for it.

George said he did get three rooms drywalled including Calvin's Room, the Living Room and the new Kitchen. They are moving right along on it.

Talked to Jean a little yesterday, she said Rich is starting his vacation this week and that they may go down to the Country Inn this Friday to hear the band the Chicken Pickers.



I never did get a chance to talk to Gary and wish him a Happy Birthday. Maybe he and Renee got away for the weekend or something.

It was a nice enjoyable, peaceful weekend, but now it's back to the grindstone that we call work.

Happy Birthday Gary

I'm wanting to wish a very happy birthday to my brother Gary. He is 34 years old (I think) today. Just wanting to wish him a very happy birthday.

A Softball Weekend

We have three games scheduled over a period of 15 hours. Last night we got off to a great start defeating a team full of the 2005 Morgantown High Football team and we played very well as a team. The game only went 4 innings as we kinda crushed them 21-1 running our seasons record to 6-1.

We have a double header scheduled this morning at 10:00 and 11:00. It will probably eb a long day because after our double header I'm thinking about going over and watching my old team when they play a double header this afternoon and my cousin mike has a double header later this afternoon that I would like to see.

I have a Team Schedule posted here. We are Prime Thyme andplay mostly on Fridays.

Friday, July 7th at 9:00 we take on team my cousin sponsers and plays for. We play Top Notch which I guess is a company Michael started. I also got a chance to see and talk to one of my oldest friends Tim Bowser last night, he's playing on Michael's team this year.


***Update***

We took 2 this morning to run our record to 8-1.



Have a good weekend.