Photo Flashback Thursday

It's once again that time of the week when I take a little bit of time out to look back through all of my old pictures and look for that one special picture to write a blog about.

This weeks blog goes back a number of years, back when my sister Pam went from being a Hall to being a McClain. A day when two young kids exchanged wedding vows a number of years ago, when going for Ice Cream was the thing to do and before Moke or Calvin were even a twinkle in their parents eyes.

It was a nice day, a day when two families joined together and there was a wedlock that has lasted until this day.

Easier times, simpler times, less complicated times.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well do I count that as two down or just one down? Who cares, it's Hump day and just over this horizon is another weekend for us to enjoy.

Last night Michelle went over and met with Jes, who has been helping us plan our wedding to go over a few things for the Bridal Shower in a couple of weeks. They are doing a little brainstorming and probably having a few legal beverages going over some games for the Bridal Shower. We're lucky to know someone like Jes and we both owe her a very bug thank you.

I think we are not planning anything this weekend so we can take some time out and get some things ready for the wedding and the bridal shower.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Even though we had yesterday off, we are still looking at starting the week with a Tuesday, can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,208 days since mine and Michelle's first date.

* 431 days since our engagement.

* 32 days until the wedding.

* The official Josh Judy Major League Strikeout count is currently at 2. He had his second one Sunday.

* Pam and George had a 4th of July cookout yesterday, everyone had a great time. I put all of my pictures from yesterday on my picture site. I had a few I stuck on facebook, but the juicy ones are on my site.

* Hi ho hi ho

Happy 4th of July

235 years ago today, a group of men met in Philadelphia and declared that we the Colonies were going to be Independent of England and we were going to form our own country.

Today we are going to the McClain residence for a what promises to be another great cookout. Pam and the grillmaster George will once agin this year host a get together at their place full of food, fun, family and friends and Michelle and I have the honor of being able to attend.

It's going to be a great day.

The Sunday Morning After

Another annual Rosiak Party has once faded into memory. Once again Frank and Pat Rosiak put on one heck of a shindig with lots of old and good friends, plenty of food, and of course a chance for me to break out my water cannon for its annual usage.

They had a waterslide that some of us took advantage of. Layla had a lot of fun riding it and you might have even seen a portly man ride it a few times himself.

Thanks once again to Frank and Pat Rosiak, had a great time once again this year.

Josh Judy is BACK in the Majors

I had a hunch something was up yesterday, I just had a strange feeling that Josh was going to be called back up in the VERY near future. Chris Perez was added to the Teams Bereavement list and Josh was once again called up to the active roster for the Indians.

The Official Josh Judy Major League Strikeout Count continues. Count is currently at 1 and Still counting.

Josh currently has 12 saves so far this season for the AAA Columbus Clippers.

This is his second OFFICIAL (as in Regular Season) stint in the Majors.

Enjoy it Josh.

Rosiak Party

It's once again that time of the year when I break out my water cannon for an annual mega water battle that is the Rosiak 4th of July Party. My cannon and I will be attending our 14th annual water battle this year ans we are looking to soak a few people.

Yes it is the Frank and Pat Rosiak annual 4th of July Pic Nic today. An annual event that I have attended a number of years and Michelle will be making her fourth appearance at today.

There are a few days that I use for a benchmark during the summer time, one is obviously the Jimmy Buffett concert in Pittsburgh. The other is this Pic Nic that has become such a big part of my life and summer. Frank and Pat have opened their home to a slew of guests over the years and have always opened everyone with open arms.

I'll be taking my camera and my faithful water cannon to today's festivities.

Big Ole Hairy Three Day Weekend 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 Three Day Weekend Hairy Friday!!!!

I hope everyone has plans for a great holiday weekend, I have a couple of cookouts we are planning on attending. The annual Rosiak 4th of July Pic Nic is tomorrow and Pam and George are going to have a cookout on Monday. Hopefully the weather holds up for the entire weekend.

Have a great day and a better weekend. Hi ho hi ho let's get this holiday party started.

Photo Flashback Thursday

It's once again that time of the week when I take a little time out and look through all my old pictures to write a blog about.

This week's picture is a picture of my grandfather and his Nephew Red. Red used to perform yearly at the Forest Festival in Elkins. Both were very talented musicians and I remember the day this picture was taken.

My Grandfather had an old recording machine, one that you put a blank record in and it would record the sound straight to the record. It was a one time thing, if you messed up you didn't get a second chance. If it was wrong, it was wrong you might as well throw the record away.

How do I know this? They were recording that day and I was behind them making a silent but audible grunting noise so I could be on the record. This was like in 1972, so to have your voice recorded was a neat thing, unlike today with the electronic devices that everyone has grown so accustomed to.

Well anyways, they made a recording and I put in my unnoticed grunt, and it came through on the record. Neither musician expected to hear my unpleasant ugh, especially when they are trying to create a work of art.

They re-recorded it and I managed to pull it off a second time and a third time. After three attempts and they could not figure out what it was, they stayed with the third track and kept it.

I was a lil stinker.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Monday, Check. Tuesday, Check. It's HUMP DAY!!!!! If you look on the other side of this hump and just past Thursday there is another weekend over the horizon.

I think we are going to start getting real busy at work, headquarters posted a release about the Atlas and linked to the website for sequestration. They even posted the announcement on Facebook, I'm sure we'll start getting a few prank map requests before the month is over with. I welcome the chance to be busy, it's been a little slow this month when it comes to requests.

The good news is, Michelle is now 100% over her migraine that has lasted since last Friday. It had her down all weekened, was still in pain Monday and yesterday morning before it all finally subsiding and getting full relief. I hate seeing her in that much pain, she's one who can take pain and this was just kicking her butt.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays' Tidbits

* Well Monday is now in our memories 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 1,201 days since mine and Michelle's first date.

* It's been 424 days since our engagement.

* It's 39 days until our wedding.

* I had Michelle watch a classic movie last night we got from NetFlix, she had never seen Citizen Kane prior to last night. Rosebud.

* The annual Rosiak Party is this weekend, a party that I have been attending a number of years and Michelle and I will make our appearance once again this year.

* I'm pretty sure my niece Amy took MY 12 MP camera from the Pic Nic Sunday.

* Hi ho hi ho

Weekend Reflection

Well the weekend is now faded into our memories, but with the kids birthday party yesterday and the large number of pictures that I did manage to get and post online at my newly redesigned website. I have to say it was a great day, only Michelle had a migraine from hell and tried to sleep through it. Hopefully she is feeling a little better this morning, but we'll have to see.

It was nice to sit down with everyone for an extended period of time, like a few hours and just reflect on pic nics gone by.

As the days festivities wound down and as we reflected upon the days past as we watched the next generation get into their food fight and create their own memories, A strange thing happened. At my father's funeral, the preacher told the story of a Dragonfly and related it to my Father's life. He was a huge influence on my all of our lives, including my niece Val who has a dragonfly tattoo that she had done this year. I looked on George McClain's back and what did I see, a dragonfly. It was as if my father was there at a place we used to celebrate at to check in on everyone, to see how his family had grown.

It was a very nice day and a memorable one.

Birthday Party Today

Tha annual Erica / Josh Birthday party has now moved to the next level, Val and Bobby's house has been outgrown by the number of people planning on attending. This year Val has decided to do it the Old Fashioned Pap Hall way, we're doing it at Marilla Park. I think someone needs to bring a little CCR and play on the boom box, that and a food fight and it will feel like 1987 all over again.

It'll be nice to spend the afternoon with everyone, it's one day I always look forward to during the summer and I love to get lots of pictures.

As of right now (7:00 AM) Michelle is a 50/50 on making it. We usually do our Sunday shopping and around 8:30-9:00, she has had a very bad migraine all weekend after being up all night. We have already completed the weeks grocery shopping, note to everyone no on is at Wal-Mart at 4:00 AM, and she has given herself a shot in an attempt to get some rest. This the worst Migraine I've ever seen her have. I've suggested going to the hospital, but she is just trying to suffer it out. I guess the change in barometric pressure and the stress of the upcoming wedding.

Hopefully Michelle can either feel better or get some rest and join the fun.

Let the party begin.

Saturday Morning Blog

Well I am writing this blog a little later than I normally would, I did get up earlier but the couch and the TV were calling my name and I has to answer that call.

Not too much going on for us today, we have to take Hayley to work at 1:00 and probably do part of our weekly grocery shopping and then go buy a couple of birthday gifts for a couple special little kids who are having their birthday party tomorrow. Other than that, this will probably be an uneventful day, but you never know what the day holds.

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 like these short two day work weeks, two days off, two days on and now after today another two days off!!! It's almost like I have had a weeks vacation, which to tell you the truth I haven't had a full week off paid from work in about 20 years or so. I never took a whole week at once since Helmick. Until this August that is for the wedding/honeymoon.

Nothing really on our agenda this weekend, other than probably some wedding stuff and some shopping.

Oh well, hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

It's once again photo flashback Thursday, the one blog of the week when I get to take a little bit of time out and look back through all of my pictures from the years gone by. It's nice to take a little time out every week and reflect on parts of your life.

This weeks picture is a picture of my Sister Terri and Cathy. It was taken during a time period when I was staying with them while in college and she was having one of her get togethers at the house. I'm not sure of that is from a Christmas party, or just some random get together from days gone by.

Marriage License Day

After a great day yesterday at the Jimmy Buffett concert, we met some great people and partied with them, the storms held of until after we were out of there and I had the best location to tailgate (Against the road) it has come to an end. This was mine and Michelle's fourth Buffett concert together and it may have been one of the funnest ones that we have been to yet.

On to today, we're both off work once again today. Today's festivities however include us going and applying for and obtaining our Marriage License. We're within the 60 day time period that they are good for with our August 6th date, so we are going to get all the official paperwork to make it legal when that day gets here.

Hope you people working today have a great hump day.

Fins Up

Your normally scheduled Tuesday's Tidbits has been interrupted this week so that we may bring you the following Margaritabville Blog.

Yes today is the day that the Parrot head Nation will assemble in Burgettstown PA, where people will be wearing clothes of all colors and pretending they are on some tropical island for a few hours tonight in PA.

Michelle and I will be once again going to see Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band this evening, this will be our fourth year that we have made the trip to see Jimmy. Michelle has a Parrot in her office (Paper One) named Fin that is packed up and ready to once again make that trip with us this year.

To anyone who has not experienced this pleasure, you don;t know what you are missing.

Fins UP!!!

Big Ole Hairy Monday

Yeah today is Monday, but it's kind of like a Friday to me. I work today and then I am taking the next two days off for the Jimmy Buffett Concert tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. So even though today is Monday, it's like the start of a weekend so it's not so bad.

Today;s BLOG is going to be like my workweek, short and sweet.

Hi ho hi ho.

Oh, PS. Happy 148th Birthday West Virginia

Happy Birthday Erica Jean Nicholson

Today is a very special day to one little girl in this family. While it may be Father's day today, more important than that it is Erica Jean Nicholson's Birthday. If my math is correct she will be 7 on this day.

I can remember that day like it was just yesterday. Everyone was at the hospital waiting for the new addition to the family, Nick was pushing Gary up and down the halls in a wheel chair having fun, Bobby was watching Scooby Doo, Amy was as nervous as any Aunt to Be could ever be and I was fortunate enough to be there that day to grab a few pictures.

Val is planning both Erica's and Josh's Birthday party together next Sunday at Marilla Park. Traditionally this has been one of my favorite days of the year, this year it has grown and I am just as eagerly anticipating seeing Erica and Josh celebrate their birthdays.

If you see or talk to a very special little girl named Erica Jean Nicholson today, make sure you wish her a very Happy Birthday.