Yesterday and today

yesterday started out with me taking Michelle to Breakfast for her birthday. I was going to cook for her, but my mastery of the frying pan, Microwave and Toaster have seemed to have diminished over the past year, I thought it might be better to take her someplace edible.

We attended Rich's first viewing yesterday afternoon, it was a nice first night where a few of his childhood friends stopped by to express their condolences to Jean and Nanna.

Afterward it was off to Colosante's for Michelle's birthday dinner. We went there a year ago for her birthday, and this is just where we seemed to end up. No pre-planning but I think both of us knew we were going there (we're kindered) before it was ever brought up.

Two viewings today, one from 2-4:00 PM and one from 6-8:00 PM.

While we were at dinner last night, Chris O called me. He expressed his condolences and asked if we were going to be at the game tomorrow. He was planning on putting "Happy Birthday Michelle" up on the big screen and playing Poker Face for her. I thought that was one heck of a nice gesture, however wee had to explain to him we will be at the funeral home tomorrow. Thank You Chris.

I have to say, I am one lucky guy. On her birthday Michelle was a trooper, maybe it's because she is a widow herself and knows first hand what it is like. The feeling of emptiness that many of us have never experienced and she was right by Jean and Nanna on her day. I am one lucky man, to say the very least.

Happy Birthday to the Love of my life

Birthdays are special days. When they are your own they are treasured, but I think when someone you love so dearly is the one having the birthday, to me it just means just a little bit more to me.

I don't think I can put into words how much she means to me and just what she has done for me. Maybe there are days when I don't show her how much I appreciate everything she does for me each and every day. I promise you, I am the luckiest guy on this planet and I know this.

Michelle, you are the absolute love of my life. I love you with all of my heart, and I want to wish you the happiest of birthdays today.

So today when and if you happen to see the love of my life, regardless of where it may be, wish her a very happy birthday. She is someone who deserves a great birthday.

I love you and Happy Birthday...on a Big Ole Hairy Friday =)

Remembering Rich

Gone, but never forgotten.

I'll update everyone on funeral arrangements when I get them.

RIP Rich Snider

Life is very short, sometimes we are reminded just how short the precious little thing that we take for granted can be.

At Noon today the fateful decision came to fruition when the family decided to put fate into God's hands rather than through machines. Rich Snider was someone who I met nearly 30 years ago and had really gotten to know him since my Dad died. He has taken great care of Jean the last ten years and brought her back to full life.

Rich was a die hard Steelers fan, it was his Terrible Towel that I borrowed when we won Steelers Trivia.

He was "Poppy" to the great grandchildren, he would spoil them and stay up all night with Erica watching television.

My heart goes out to Jean, Gary, and Nanna at the household. To Rick and Mark, Rich's kids and their families and children. To Erica who will surely miss her Poppy. To the pets Bunky and Gussy the African Grey who basically copied everything Rich said and repeats it.

We created some great memories with the man, ones that I am sure will last everyone forever as he touched many of our lives. He may be gone, but will not be forgotten, Gussy will make sure of that.

Like I said yesterday, sometimes you just have to take a little time out and enjoy the simple things, the ones that go unnoticed until they are not there any more.

RIP Rich, you will be missed.

Hump Day

I originally had the idea of posting a picture of Moke and Ang for Hump Day, considering he is a US serviceman that just returned home from Iraq for his two week leave, but Michelle didn't like the idea so I didn't do it. I doubt they are going to take time out to read this blog post.

That is the bright spot for today, that Moke is home and he has been with the girl of his dreams the last couple of days.

There will be some news today one way or the other about Rich. I'll touch on this in another blog and discuss it later.

I hope everyone will have a good day today, look at the little things in life that make us happy. The little things you may not notice, but make life what it is. Whether it be a snuggle, or a stolen blanket or a bird singing at the same time every day. Just take the day and appreciate all that is dear to you, for you never know about tomorrow. Create memories and affect someone elses life in a positive way. I think if we could do this every day it would make the short period of time that we are on this rock more meaningful.

Peace out.

Tuesday's Tidbits

* It's Tuesday, can you think of a better time to do a tidbits?

* Talked to Mom last night, I managed to get er away from her favorite past time of watching midget porn on the internet and had a nice conversation with her on her birthday.

* Michelle repeatedly reminded me that her birthday is this coming Friday.

* A very happy birthday wish to my Cousin Deb Koon, her birthday is today.

* Moke was dues to arrive in Morgantown as of 10:50 last night, so by the time you are reading this he is probably here. We should be able to see him sometime soon.

* Day 669 of the Ed and Michelle count, my mom asked for this update.

* Rich isn't doing that well, they did a brain scan yesterday and there was no brain activity. However they tickled his foot and there was a slight response, so they will test once again for activity.

* An office mate finally closed on his house yesterday. They have been running him around in circles to get all the paperwork completed, but as of 4:00 yesterday afternoon it was all completed. Congrats Scott and Amy.

* Everyone in the household was a little bit under the weather yesterday with the exception of yours truly. Michelle was starting to feel a little better last night.

* Hi Ho Hi Ho....

Happy Birthday Sandra Bell

Sandra Bell, aka my Mother, is celebrating her birthday today. I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Mother a very Happy Birthday.

Thank you for all that you have done for me, especially the giving birth part, that was a pretty important part of my life.

I hope you have a very Happy Birthday Mom.

Sunday Morning Thoughts

I'm sitting here early on a Sunday morning, everyone is asleep except me and I have a nice fire going in the fireplace. In the background the movie Sweeney Todd is playing and Johnny Depp is singing as I hear the crackling of the locust trees burning in the fireplace.

There is a possibility there may be some very bad news in the family in the near future. I'll wait for a few days if need be to see what the current verdict is before I say anything.

Michelle and I anticipated non travel friendly roads this morning so we went out yesterday afternoon and did the weeks grocery shopping. That coupled with the Steelers season being done and the Mountaineers playing last night will make this a relaxing day with little to do.

I do need to read my paperwork for my upcoming surgery however today so that I cna get the ball rolling on that.

Dear Phil

Hey my little groundhog buddy from Punxatawny, I'm going to start on you early this year because I have already seen more snow than I car to this season and it is still early January.

What will it take for you when you come out February 2nd to not see your shadow? I have tried liquor and other threats in the past as well as threats of making you into a nice stew.

Tell me oh wise one, what will it take this year for you to not see your shadow and give us an early spring?

Big Ole Hairy Friday

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

It is the first working Friday of 2010 and the first regular weekend of the year. Wow what a week this has been weather wise, we are still currently in a weather advisory until tomorrow morning so traveling could be a little bit tricky. If you are doing any traveling make sure that you are very careful.

I ordered Michelle a new laptop and it has finally came in, I think she is having a lot of fun playing with her purple laptop. Much more powerful than her old one which I am going to wipe out and use when I travel, a 64 bit and running a much more stable Windows 7. No complaints with it so far.

Remember that Michelle's brother in law and sister will be having theri auction tomorrow, weather permitting I'm sure we will make a trip up there to see what all is on the auction block.

Auction

P&P Auctions (Michelle's Brother in law Jim) will be holding an auction this Saturday at a new location:

Blue Horizon Flea Market
Rt. 19 N behind Vances Service Station
Morgantown, WV

This will be a location that he will auction from once every month, see some of the auction stuff here:

LINK

Happy Birthday Arron Hill Rosiak

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Arron Hill Rosiak a very Happy Birthday.

If you are at University High School today and you see some 6'4" Freshman walking the halls named Arron, make sure that you take a little time out and wish him a very Happy Birthday.


Oh, and Arron....




SCRATCHED.

Hump Day

Well we have made it through the first couple of days in the week and we are now going over the hump and heading on the downside of the week.

The week has been eventful for me with me finding out Monday what I already knew about having a cataract. I am about 99% sure that I will elect to have the surgery and have it corrected this spring.

The WVU Men's Basketball team will try to get back on the winning track tonight as they host Rutgers at 7:00 at the WVU Coliseum. Just like every other game from this point on out, this game will be televised and you will be able to watch it on ESPN. A friend of mine will be directing the game for ESPN.

Things have been a little slow this week at work after the new year, it should pick up significantly here in the very near future when I will once again be one busy puppy.

Val and Amy's lives just got significantly busier, they are both working for H&R Block now and it's after the first of the year, so W-2's will be issued to everyone by the end of the month. Something tells me they are going to get very busy here in the next few weeks and it will last for a few months as tax season is once again upon us.

Oh well, Hi ho hi ho....

Cataract Surgery

Well I went to my eye exam yesterday afternoon and had confirmed what I had initially thought. I have a thick cataract in my right eye, enough so that I could barely make out shapes and had wourse than 20/400 vision in that eye.

The Doctor said there was good news and bad news, what did I want first? Well my suspicions were confirmed and I do have a cataract in my right eye. Both eyes are starting to show normal aging, same as it would with anyone else, but by right eye has a "Jaundice Cornflake" but it could be corrected with surgery.

They gave me a series of paperrwork to look at and sign, and I will probably have surgery this March on my eye.

Back to Back extended weekends are over

I can't say that I don't love extended three day weekends from work, I have just come off of my second one in a row, and I love them to death. However, they are now over with and as we get into the 2010 work schedule and move forward.

After work today I will be going to the WVU Eye Institute for my diabetic dilated eye exam. This one will not be as smooth as the one two years ago, my right eye (and my dominant one) is getting weak and there is a possibility that I may need glasses and possibly surgery. It's got very blurry a few months ago and has not cleared up as of yet. I'll know more today. Michelle will be going with me, as to drive me. Two years ago when I had my last one I lived across town and drove myself.

Oh well, weekend was fun, but it is time to get back to work. Hi Ho Hi Ho....

WVU Women's Gymnastics

Over the past couple of years, Michelle has said that she likes gymnastics and indicated to me that she has never been to an event.

Me, the crafty old veteran of about four matches noticed that they were having the Blue/Gold scrimmage last night and I wanted to offer Michelle a chance to see first hand what she had never seen before.

I have to admit that I have not been to a match since college, but have enjoyed going through the years when I did go, had to take Michelle.

It was just a scrimmage, but I think Michelle really liked it.

Happy Birthday Susie Andrews

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Michelle's mother Susie a very Happy Birthday.

She of course lives in Pa near Pittsburgh, so the odds of us seeing her today are going to be a little bit limited, but I would like to take this opportunity and wish her a very happy birthday today.

OK, that stunk

Yesterday was supposed to be a great day in WVU sports, but unfortunately Bobby Bowden went out on top and Purdue took us to the woodshed and it wasn't a great day to be a Mountaineer, it is always a good one, just not always a great one.

Our Christmas Tree is now officially a memory of the past. Chad is moving back in and we needed the space, plus that tree was dead, so we officially ended the 2009 holiday season and broke down the Christmas Tree yesterday morning. It was a great tree, but it was time to go and there were numerous needles that needed to be cleaned up.

Michelle made our traditional (two year in a row now) Pork and Sauerkraut yesterday. I think it brought us a very prosperous 2009, maybe it can do it again in 2010.

Big Ole Hairy Friday New Years Day

Happy New Years!!!! I hope everyone had a very safe and Happy New Years Eve.

It's a Big Ole Hairy Friday, the first one of the year but I am off today and not working because of the Holiday.

At 1:00 today the 16th Rated WVU Men's Football team will play in the Gator Bowl against Florida State. This will be the final game in the career of former WVU Head Coach Bobby Bowden. Has it really been 35 years since I was a young child running along the sidelines of Mountaineer Field watching the game and pretending to be selling Hot Dogs? Wow where have the years gone. Bobby, we loved you but I hope we can take you out today on your last game. Clarlsburg Native Jimbo Fischer, who was talked about as a candidate when Rich Rodriguez left will be the new Head Coach for the Seminoles after today.

At 2:30, the 6th Ranked and undefeated WVU Men's Basketball Team will take on the 4th ranked and undefeated Purdue Boilermakers in a battke between two top undefeated and top six programs in the country.

Let's hope this is a memorable day for the Mountaineers all the way around.

Happy New Years 2010

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne