RIP Mike Puskar

I saw some very bad news over the night, Mike Puskar a man whose name is all over this town including the Football Stadium and the facilities building for the Football team, passed away last night.

If you know anything about Morgantown, West Virginia, or West Virginia University, you will know the name Milan "Mike" Puskar.He started a pharmaceutical company in 1961 that is now one of Morgantown's largest and best employers. His tailgates were the biggest at Mylan Puskar Stadium where the Mountaineers play this afternoon and I honestly have never heard anyone ever say a bad word about the man.

Thank you Mike for all you have done, you have changed this town, this community and this University for the better.

Big Ole Hairy Friday and three day Weekend

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 three day weekend for me and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!!!!

Looking for a little bit of Football Action? The Morgantown Mohigans host the always troublesome Wheeling Park at Pony Lewis Field. The University High Hawks play host to #2 ranked Bridgeport at their stadium. Out in Blacksville, Clay Battelle will host Van which may be the counties best High School Football game this weekend.

At home tomorrow also will be the Mountaineers hosting the Connecticut Huskies and we will out to seek revenge for last years debacle where they managed to beat us up in Storrs. We'll see if the Offense can let the rest of the Big east know who's going to represent the conference in a BCS game this season.

We'll probably not get into too much this weekend, Michelle has a stress fracture on her foot, I told her to quit kicking my butt so much, and we will probably take it easy this weekend.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I look to look back through all of my old pictures and select one to tell a little story about.

This weeks picture is one that I actually can't tell you much of a story about, other than who is in the picture.

To the left is Mick Toth Sr, my sister Pam and she is holding my nephew Moke, Jean and her Mother Helen.

It's amazing how quick time goes by some times, this was a summer of me still working at Sterling Faucet, both of the jean's parents were still alive and Moke was a youngun. This just seems like yesterday and makes me realize that time and life goes by us very fast. I would even believe the premise that the older that you get, the quicker the time goes to make up for how slow time went when you were waiting to turn 16 to get your drivers license.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

two down so far, now it's up overt his hump and down hill to not only the weekend, but a three day weekend for me.

As a heads up, my brother in law Jim is going to have an auction this Saturday at the Cassville firehall starting at 6:00. He's going to be auctioning off some Halloween items if you are looking for those types of things.

The kids bought a bunch of pumpkins last night and have started to carve their pumpkins for this year. I have a couple books with a lot of designs and a pumpkin carving saw plus the dremmel tool. I'm sure we will see some very creative pumpkins.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again behind us and we are looking straight down the barrel of a Tuesday, if you know me that means that I am one person who can not think of a better reason that that to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,299 days since mine and Michelle's first date, I must be one heck of a unique individual to even be still tracking this, and I am.

* 522 days ago I proposed marriage.

* 59 Days ago we all gathered at the Marilla Center for a party and to make it official.

* There are still only 82 more shopping days left until Christmas.

* We had a little accident here Sunday evening, water got into Michelle's laptop and pretty much ruined it. I've ordered her another one and am trying to make hers do until that one arrives.

* I had a nice little pleasant surprise today, I figured out that I am going to have a three day weekend coming up. Next Monday is Columbus Day, a Federal Holiday!!!!

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

Here we go again, noses back on the grindstones ready to face yet another week of work ahead of making that stuff that allows us to enjoy our weekends. It's once again time to see those bright smiley faces at the office that we have come to know so well.

I'll be pretty busy the first part of this week as we are trying to finalize the first draft of a three country atlas for sequestration. It's going pretty smooth so far, just finalizing a few things and making sure they are kosher with previously reported publications and come up with a reason why if they are not.

Did anyone see that there was snow this weekend in Snowshoe West Virginia? Let me start the season off right by stating that I hate snow and I am already tired of seeing the white stuff and I haven;t seen the first snowflake yet. I'm ready for Springtime!!!!

First Afternoon Steelers Game of the Year for us

Finally after two weeks of Birthday parties and a Sunday Night game last week, we finally get a chance to sit and watch an afternoon game with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing. They take on the Houston Texans this afternoon at 1:00 in Houston.

We have already done our Sunday Morning Grocery shopping, we actually did it at 1:00 this morning as we both fell asleep and took naps after the Mountaineer Game and were both wide awake, so we beat the rush and made the most of it in the early AM.

Have a great day and Go Stillers.

Saturday Morning Rumblings

You know when you work a full time job, and are leaving for work an hour earlier so you can get a good workout in before you start work and sometimes are there a little later because of some approaching deadlines for a three country Atlas that will see the highest executive office, time tends to run a little bit short of free time. Couple that with trying to get Michelle out on the trails as well and your days just got longer.

Couple that with things we do around the house like grocery shopping and making sure all of the bills are not only paid, but paid early so there is nothing to worry about. You have a full week and there really is not much downtime.

Last night I wanted to spend some quality time with my wife so we headed out to the Buckwheat Festival, but stopped at the Methodist Church in Masontown to get my fill of Buckwheat Cakes. I was going to be good and only eat one plate, but Michelle doesn't care for them and offered me hers. AS we were eating I witnessed raining running down on the edge of the church, so I knew that the Buckwheat Festival would be a mud pit and we opted to just take a drive and enjoy the evening.

This morning with weather permitting we are going to make breakfast and try to head out to the trails with Sadie, then it will most likely be our weekly Sams Club shopping trip to gather a few items that we get from there ie bulk lunch meats, soda, almonds, meats or spices etc.

This afternoon at 3:30, I would like to take a little time out and watch the Mountaineers play Bowling Green. That and probably a movie or some pawn stars this evening and that will pretty much be our day until tomorrow morning when we do our regular grocery shopping followed by our first Steelers game of the year (its week 4) that we can actually be able to sit down in the early afternoon and watch.

Our days are long and our free enjoyment time is short, you have to be able to budget your time efficiently to be able to do everything you want to do and not miss anything.

Big Ole Hairy Buckwheat Festival 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!!!!

If you have never heard of a buckwheat cake, take a look at my picture and that is going to be my dinner for this evening. I'm still negotiating on how many plates I am going to be allowed to eat, Michelle is still holding steady at one is all I am allowed to eat, I'm still bargaining for three. Something tells me she is going to win however. Damn diabetes.

Looking for a little bit of football this weekend? The Morgantown High Mohigans are hosting the Preston Knights. This game is usually at the Buckwheat festival, but my indications are that it is at Morgantown. University travels to Fairmont to play Fairmont Sr High School. The Fighting CB's are hosting Valley Whetzel in Blacksville.

Looking for College Football? The Mountaineers are at home this weekend and will be hosting Bowling Green at 3:30 on Saturday afternoon. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 3.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little time out and look through all of the pictures I have either taken or scanned through the years and take a little bit of time out to reflect on that photo. This weeks photo is no different even though it just looks like a picture taken at Coopers Rock.

This was taken a few months after I graduated from college. My salary had just went from poor struggling college student to "OK you can actually survive meagerly". I had managed to save a few dollars from ever paycheck for a few months and purchased a new Digital Camera that at the time was pretty high end. I managed to save $300.00 and did my research and purchased my first "real" camera. I had a few others that I had had in college, but this was a very good Kodak that I still have today (until my sweetie bought me a newer and better camera). I BLOGGED about it, when I purchased it. Funny thing is, that blog was my third blog post ever after the first two of testing and playing around with Blogger. You could say this was my forst "serious" blog that I had ever wrote.

Anyways, I was still working at the NRAC and the leaves were changing so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get some good photos. If you have never been to North Central West Virginia, it is the heart of Appalachia and is filled with hardwood forests that their leaves change colors before they fall off. It is as if someone painted the forest and I was not going miss this opportunity.

On this picture I was standing on top of the overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest when I noticed this bird was flying high above the Cheat River. I had a great vantage point and looking down on the bird, so I could not let this opportunity pass. Hence this photo.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Two down, two ahead and today. We're starting to get to where we can enjoy the fruits of our labors for a few.

I went to my final diabetes education class yesterday, it's been a refresher from the one I went to a few years ago where I got my initial education about being diabetic. It had been a few years, and Michelle needed to be educated a little but about it as well although she could not get off work yesterday. She made the important one about diet.

Speaking of diet, I'm not on one. I have done a lifestyle change however. I'm walking in the mornings before work and have even started to life weights before I start work. We have a state of the art gym and it is right across the hall from my office, so I really needed to start taking advantage of what was available to me. We have a 1.5 Mile fitness trail with a lot of elevation changes that works you pretty well. My blood sugars have been solid good.

Speaking of, hi ho hi ho off to the gym I go.

Tuesday's Tidbit's

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

* It's been 1,292 days since mine and Michelle's first date. How many people would still be counting this? I am.

* 515 Days since our engagement.

* 52 days since we were married.

* 89 shopping days left until Christmas.

* The official Josh Judy Major League strikeout count still stands at 10, he had 2 last night. The season is winding down and they are playing their last couple of games of the year in Detroit.

* Sugar Free chocolate jello pudding is awesome inspiration while writing a blog.

* I have a diabetes education class this afternoon, so I'll only be working half of the day.

* Hi ho hi ho

I Hate Mondays

Weekends are awesome, they meant to relax, have fun and enjoy the fruits of our labors and spoil and enjoy ourselves a little bit. This was a big football weekend in Morgantown and the town is still standing, so I guess that means it didn't go as well as we all wanted it to, but it was still a great weekend.

Now it's back to the grindstone of that thing we call our jobs. Hopefully we are all rested and relaxed and ready for another week at the office.

Hi ho hi ho

Wow what a game

Well, we gave it all we had and came up on the short end of a 21-47 loss to LSU last night here in Morgantown. Geno Smith lit it up for a school record 463 passing yards against what may arguably be the best Defense in college football as I mentioned yesterday.

LSU kept winning the battle of field position all night, their punter continually pinned us inside the 10 yard line and it seemed like LSU started every drive at mid field.

There was a point when we pulled to within 21-27 and the crowd was fired up, then LSU responded with a 99 yard kickoff return for a touchdown where the runner should have been tackled and just never quit.

I actually seen a lot of positives for the Mountaineers last night. The Offensive line, one that I have refereed to as a continuation of the worst line in WVU history played like one of the best lines in WVU history last night. I can see this team winning the rest of the games with the next challenge coming on December 1 against South Florida that will probably be for the leagues BCS spot.

We were blown out, but I saw a lot of positives last night. Watch LSU win it all this year.

Happy Birthday Kaiden Dalton

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Kaiden Dalton a very happy third birthday today. Amy and Ralph hosted his birthday party a couple of weeks ago to avoid all the excitement around Morgantown today and any conflicts with Calvin's birthday last week.

The family assembled and had fun with a cookout, games for the kids, cake and even a little old fashioned chicken chasing.

If you see Kaiden today, make sure that you tell him lets go mountain...er Happy Birthday.

Calm before the potential storm

Here I sit, early on a quiet Saturday Morning in a quiet household on a day when Morgantown will be the center of the College Football world. If all goes well this evening tomorrow morning's story will be how Morgantown is still standing after the defeat of the #2 team in the Country here in Morgantown last night (tonight).

It promises to be a very good game. The Mountaineers went to Baton Rouge last year and lost by six points, 20-14 in a game where star running back Noel Devine was injured and never was himself again after that game. LSU has arguably one of the toughest defenses in College Football, they pretty much dismantled a high flying Oregon team that played for the National Championship last year earlier this season. This will be Offensive Guru and WVU's first year Head Coach Dana Holgorsen's trial by fire. We will not see another team of this caliber the rest of the season and it will be a true test to our newly revamped Offense.

Should be a good one, stay tuned to ESPN all day as Gameday is set up at the Mountainlair. Maybe we can watch a lot of excitement in this town tonight.

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!!!!

Are you looking for a little football? Well this weekend should be very exciting especially here in Morgantown. The University High Hawks will be playing at home tonight and hosting Parkersburg South High School. The 2-2 Hawks will be trying to improve their record with a good showing tonight.

Talk about football, College GameDay will be broadcasting from the Mountainlair all day tomorrow as the college football world will be centered here in Morgantown tomorrow culminating with the 16th Ranked Mountaineers will take on the 2nd ranked LSU Tigers on prime time network Television Saturday night. 8:00 on ABC and hopefully a few hours later this city will see a few some chaos as a victory celebration.

Let's get this party started, hi ho hi ho

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary

I would like to take this opportunity to wish both Abdul and Farida Rehmani a very Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary from both me and my wife Michelle.

This is my brother in law Nick's parents and it's not really that often than you see someone celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.

Farida and Abdul were family long before Nick and Terri ever took their wedding vows, they have always seemed to have been a special part of our family ever since they first arrived to the US from Zaire a number of years ago.

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary, may you see another 50 more Happy years.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through my pictures. I sort through them all and see if I can find one that may interest me that just hasn't really been posted and tell a little story about it.

With September winding down and looking at early October that means one thing, the Preston County Buckwheat Festival is right around the bend. I LOVE Buckwheat cakes and want enjoy them this year, me and Michelle are debating if I can have one plate of three or my bid of three plates of nine. This may take some begging and pleading and negotiating, but I'm working towards it.

I've been hit or miss on the Buckwheat festival through the years, I missed it last year and am planning on making it up this year for the celebration and my three plates of Buckwheat cakes....LOL

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well we got the first two days down and now once we get passed today we can concentrate on the down ward part of the week as we work towards another weekend.

Does anyone else feel that once they get to the workweek that their days all seem to run together. Maybe I am in need of another extended weekend when I can sit and relax a little bit and break the monotony. I sure could use a couple of days at a nice tropical beach on a warm summer day with the sounds of the waves just crashing against the seashore. Feel a nice crisp wind blowing as the seagulls are flying over head looking for scraps of food. Days long gone by and it will be a while before I can enjoy that comfort again.

It's getting cooler in the evenings and I am starting to notice the days are starting to shorten a little bit, could be that we are in the last couple days of summer and the Autumn Equinox (Fall) starts this Friday. I'll miss you summer, it was a great time.

Hi ho hi ho