Links

Thursday, January 05, 2012

WOW

I didn't want to jinx our Orange Bowl hopes, but never did I imagine us routing Clemson 70-33.

Congratulations to Coach Holgorson and the West Virginia Mountaineers. MAN Y Bowl records set in this game.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Orange Bowl

Tonight is the night, the West Virginia University Mountaineers will play the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl. This will be our third BCS Bowl game since the inception of the BCS, but it is the first ever appearance in the Orange Bowl.

The Mountaineers will be facing a very tough Clemson team lead by a former WVU QB Commit in Tajh Boyd. Both Geno and Tajh are two of the nations best Quaterbacks, so hopefully we show up tonight ready to play. Otherwise, it could be a long night for the Mountaineers.

On a sad note, it is rumored our Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel will leave to take a position on Rich Rodrigeuz's staff at Arizona after the game. I hate to see him go, but he has big aspirations of being a Head Coach someday and word has it he has been passed over because they felt he would not leave West Virginia, we'll have to see how it all plays out. I would love to keep him, but I understand the man has goals in mind and I can respect that and would wish him the best.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well our Monday is behind us now, it was very productive as we got our Christmas Tree down and I bought some large shelves to help us organize a mess of a countertop. With all that considered and I have to return to work today, can't think of a better reason than that to do the first tidbits of 2012.

* 1,390 days since mine and Michelle's first date going on four years ago.

* It's been 613 days since we became engaged..at 4:00 in the morning in our backyard.

* 150 wonderful days of wedded bliss for us.

* 357 shopping days left until Christmas. Yeah I know I just got my tree down from 2011, but can't start counting too early.

* Michelle and I have been talking about our vacation plans for this year already, actually we have started pre-planning for about a month or so and we are going to make a cruise the the Bahamas a reality this year. Baltimore has a port and offer numerous cruises, and the Bahamas is some place we would both like to go.

* We tested Michelle's ability to drive with a cast on her left foot yesterday. It wouldn't matter, except that pearl is a 5 Speed and she is going to need to use the clutch. We rigged up one of her original walking shoes to be non slip and be able to put on over the cast to prevent any slipping of her foot, and it works fine.

* Have I ever mentioned that I hate snow?

* Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday to my Mother in Law Susie

I would like to take this opportunity out and wish my Mother in law Susie a very happy Birthday today.

She lives up in PA and we're down here, so we probably will not have the opportunity to see her today, but I would like to take this opportunity to wish her the very happiest of Birthday's today.

Monday, January 02, 2012

First Regular Blog of 2012

I hope everyone had a very Happy New Years, both Michelle and I slept through it and spent the day yesterday day hangover free.

Michelle spent the day yesterday getting used to the pretty purple cast on her leg, she broke it in October and it's been a very slow healing process so they casted it Friday. She had a tough time getting used to using crutches, so I got her a couple of high stools and a computer chair with wheels to get around the house. We need to try driving today, before we return to work tomorrow.

We'll probably break down the 2011 Christmas Tree as today's project. It was a good tree and we have yet to lose the first needle from it in over a month of putting a little color to our home.

For those of you working today, stay warm. Michelle and I have the day off.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012


SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT,
AND NEVER BROUGHT TO MIND?
SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT,
AND AULD LANG SYNE!

CHORUS.-FOR AULD LANG SYNE, MY DEAR,
FOR AULD LANG SYNE.
WE'LL TAKE A CUP O' KINDNESS YET,
FOR AULD LANG SYNE.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Goodbye 2011

January

* Former West Virginia University Football Coach Rich Rodriguez was fired as the head Football Coach at Michigan.

* My Nephew Moke joined my Niece Brittany as a student at my Alma Mater, West Virginia University.

* In a busy month for Birthdays, my wife Michelle had one during the month of January. As did her Mother Susie, My Mother Sandi, and Arron according to my Blog.

* I came down with influenza and was out for almost a week at work.



February

* Phil did NOT see his shadow!!!!!

* The Pittsburgh Steelers played in the Super Bowl.

* WVAQ Radio Morning personality Eric McGuire left his position due to an upcoming surgery. Good news is he has made a few spot guest appearances this year.

* We secured the Marilla Center for our August wedding later in the year.

* Michelle got her first iPhone.



March

* I introduced a new feature to the BLOG. Thursdays were a little bit dry for me, so I started doing Photo Flashbacks on Thursdays.

* Our friends Chewy and Courtney Stavar had a little minion (daughter) and named her Edith.

* Michelle and I learned to make butter.



April

* Our yearly April Fools Joke this year was us saying that Michelle was Pregnant.

* We did some of our only Geocaches of the year.

* Amy was gracious enough to host an east Egg Hunt at her home.

* Michelle and I attended the Spring WVU Football game.



May

* Osama Bin Laden became fish food!!!!!!

* We set up a raised garden on the back patio to try to grow vegetables this season.

* I once again switched web hosts from Just Host back to GoDaddy.

* Josh Judy made his Major League Baseball debut.



June

* We bought Hayley an iPhone and an Otter Box for her Birthday.

* Bill Stewart was replaced as WVU's Head Football Coach.

* Jimmy Buffett Concert in Pittsburgh.

* We applied for our Marriage License.



July

* Michelle and I once again attended the Rosiak family 4th of July Water battle. This was my 14th year of going.

* Josh Judy was once again called up the the Majors.

* I chose the high road decided not to air out dirty laundry on the internet even though I very well could have let someone have it.

* Michelle had her bridal shower, thanks to Jes for stepping it up and her Sister Chris, it was a huge success.



August

* August saw me take the longest paid vacation of my working life when I took a ten day vacation.

* Michelle and I tied the bonds of matrimony a the Marilla Center in front of our closest friends and family. My days of bachelorhood became a thing of the past.

* For our honeymoon, we traveled to Ocean City, Maryland. Michelle had never been there and I had been there a couple of times in my life, so we made this our Honeymoon destination.

* In a month of firsts, Michelle and I both bought our very first ever new car that either one of us had ever purchased. We named her Pearl.

* I received and gave to Michelle the Flag that was flying over the US Capital on August 6th as we were getting married.

* My Sister Pam had Gall Bladder surgery.

* We made a trip to FallingWaters.



September

* The Mountaineer Football team started the Dana Holgorsen era with a lightning delayed game in Morgantown. Lightning actually struck the stadium during the game.

* We saw the Tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9-11-01.

* Farida and Abdul Rehmani celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

* I did manage to get some Buckwheat Cales this year, but we didn't make it to the actual Buckwheat festival due to the rain.



October

* Milan Puskar, owner of Mylan Pharmaceuticals and large donor to West Virginia University passed away. We lost a great Mountaineer.

* Michelle and I attended Mountaineer Madness.

* Terri made a weekend trip to New York City.

* I dropped and broke my iPhone, followed by a FedEx Nightmare.

* West Virginia University announced that they would join the Big 12 Conference starting in 2012.



November

* Michelle has a tough time period when she lost two family members on the same day. Her Uncle Terry from back home in East Liverpool and my brother in law Jim's brother Uncle Ernie also passed away later that day.

* Chad got a job working for a contractor for Xerox in Cleveland, it was Contract work that paid very well and lasted quite a few weeks.



December

* The greatest BLOGGER in the world celebrated another birthday.

* WVU earned a BCS Orange Bowl Bid for football.

* We spent a weekend Christmas Shopping at Tanger Outlets.

* We had my companies annual Christmas party at Oilverio's Restaurant.

* We traveled to East Liverpool, Ohio for Michelle's family Christmas.

* We spent Christmas Eve with my family at my Sister Terri's house, it was nice to get everyone back together again.

* I posted 405 BLOG Posts in 2011 for a grand total of 2,655 BLOG Posts as a BLOGGER.



See you on the other side.

Last Regular Blog Post of 2011

Today is my 404th BLOG post of the year, and will be my last regular BLOG post of the 2011 calendar year. I will still follow this one up with the still to come and my traditional Goodbye 2011, which traditionally has been my most favorite BLOG of the year to write. It allows me the time to sit back and really reflect on my year as we get ready to enter into 2012.

Michelle has a Dr's appointment yesterday for her foot that she broke last August, they have put her into a regular cast (A Pink one) and she will now be walking around on crutches for the next month. She is going to be semi incapacitated until after Ground Hogs Day.

Terri called me last night and said Mom was having some complications, but called back later to say that everything is fine and they are just kept her last night for observation purposes.

Well 2011 was a a very memorable year for me, so this may have been one of my funnest year end blogs to ever write just because of a few special events that took place in my life.

Friday, December 30, 2011

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 a New Years Day three day weekend.

Yes, three days of holiday fun with a New Years Celebration tomorrow night. I'm planning on staying home to avoid all of the drunks that will be out and about the town, I think I was sleeping last year as the ball was dropping.

I need to finish up my end of the year Blog that I have started writing this week, one that basically recaps the year in review by according to the things that happened in my BLOG. It's been a special year, so be sure to stop by and read the final 2011 BLOG sometime tomorrow.

Short day at work for me, plus I have to go to the Doctors with Michelle this afternoon, so let's get this party started.

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Photo Flashback Thursday


Once a week I like to look back through my thousands of pictures that I have taken through the years and just select one special one to post and tell a story about. This weeks is one that is special to me.

The time was a couple of months after Michelle and I had started dating. We grabbed the GPS and headed East to seek a few geocaches. Hayley and her boyfriend at the time (my favorite one so far) Wyatt rode along with us as we headed to Deep Creek Lake.

This picture was taken at the Lake and is one that I have always liked. It wasn't our first picture together, but is one of my favorites as I thought we took a great picture together that day.

Nearly four years later we are still going strong.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Hump Day...Woo Hoo

That was quick, one day off one day in and we are already at hump day!!!!! I do have to say, I'm not the only one at work, but there are very few there. I have plenty of time to take off if I chose to, but Michelle's working so I'm going in. No sense in sitting at home when it's cold rainy and snowy.

They are redoing the gym where I work, and it is right beside my office in the same building, so we get the smell of glue radiating throughout the building. Makes you a little happier or should I say mellow while you are working...LOL

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is now behind us, even though both Michelle and I were off with an extended three day weekend, still can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,383 days since mine and Michelle's first date going on four years ago.

* It's been 606 days since our engagement.

* And this is our 143rd day of marriage. That's a special number one letter word, four letter word, three letter word. I Love You. =)

* You have 364 more shopping days left until Christmas 2012, provided the Myans were wrong (they were) and the world doesn't end on December 21, 2012. For those conspiracy theorists who believe this, I have Ocean Front property in Nebraska I'll sell you pretty cheap, I'll even throw in the Country of Chile in the deal.

* We took our day off yesterday and saw an awesome movie. We went and saw the movie We Bought a Zoo. It's a great movie, probably one of the best that I have seen in the theaters in a number of years.



* A note for all, the Dartmoor Zoo that the above movie is about, is real. I picked up on a couple strange things during the movie, then found out at the end that it is a true story.

* I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and can ring in a safe and Happy New Year.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday, December 26, 2011

Post Christmas

We survived yet another Christmas, the number of shopping days until Christmas has been reset and starting to count down to another year.

Yesterday we went to Michelle's sisters house, and saw that they received one of the best Christmas Gifts ever from their kids. They are looking at their 25th wedding anniversary this upcoming year so the kids got together and did something very special for them.

They presented it to them in a 23 minute long DVD showing numerous pictures of their children and grandchildren through the years. Then the DVD got a little confusing to them. Images of a girl in a Hula Skirt and pictures downloaded off the internet from Hawaii.

The gift from their kids, they are sending them to Hawaii this spring for a week. Jon cashed in all his air miles and Marriot points and managed to get them a trip to Hawaii and a nice luxury hotel for a week. Needless to say, they were very surprised.

Have a great day, both Michelle and I are off today.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas morning, I'm the the first and only one up so far. I've got some Hot Sausage that we had set aside for my traditional Christmas morning breakfast, a tradition we started as kids and have maintained over the last 35-40 years. It was one thing we always remember my father making on Christmas eve, and he made enough that we always ate that for breakfast the next morning as leftovers.

Had a great time at Terri's last night. There was plenty of food and great times with my family. I installed NORAD's Santa Tracker on my phone and the kids were asking me every three minutes where Santa was at. It was one of those unplanned special memories that you'll never forget.

We have to open gifts here this morning and then we'll be off to Michelle's Sister's house for Christmas dinner with that side of the family. We have a red velvet cheesecake that we will be taking with us today. My Boss bought me one for my birthday and everyone seemed to love it, so we got one from the Cheesecake factory to take with us today.

Merry Christmas to All!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

It's Christmas Eve

The one day of winter that I actually do like, a time when families are together and worries are out the window for at least one day.

For my family, it's Christmas Eve when we all get together. Christmas Day has traditionally been for the individual units. Tonight at my sister Terri's are are going to once again attempt to assemble the whole clan and have a little Christmas cheer with the people who have meant the most to me in my life, my family.

I'm super excited.

For the kiddies, be sure to track Santa with Norad's Santa Tracker.

Friday, December 23, 2011

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.

For Michelle and myself it is the start of a three day Holiday weekend with Monday being the Christmas Holiday for both of us.

Our agenda should be pretty busy tomorrow with our grocery shopping and having Christmas Eve at my sister Terri's house. After being as ill and bedridden as I was last year for both Christmas and Christmas Eve, I am really looking forward to this years Christmas eve. It's been a couple of years since I have been around my family on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day will consist of us taking a trip to Michelle's sisters for their Christmas and their Christmas dinner.

It looks to be a great weekend.

Ho ho ho ho

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Photo Flashback Thursday



Once a week I like to sit back and take a little bit of time out and look through all my digital pictures that I have, find one and reflect a little bit upon that picture. Sometimes I rack my brain, sometimes it comes easy. This week, it came pretty easy.

With Christmas coming up I decided that would be a good theme to find this weeks pic and there it was.

My Father passed away in the summer of 1999. At his funeral we had a picture of him how many people would remember him. You see, my father lived to be a coal miner and we though that may be the best way top represent him. People loved the picture, especially his co-workers who attended. Many of which worked for him and he pretty much fed on a daily basis. I remember seeing him pick up 15 pizzas one day on his way to work, no joke.

Well my sister Terri has that picture, and in 2004 her an Nick opened up the Country Inn in Fairmont. As a family, we decided to have our Christmas party at the bar that year, with my father hanging in his place of honor.

We miss you Dad.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Hump Day

Monday, check. Tuesday, Check. It's up over this hump today and on the other side of Thursday I can see another weekend peeking through. This time it will be an extended Holiday weekend, so that makes it a little better.

Had a Doctor's appointment yesterday, everything went well however I am still waiting to see the results from my A1C. They are usually pretty quick about posting those results, not this time however.

Did speak with Terri briefly yesterday. She is still in a lot of pain, but wants to still do Christmas at her home this year. I told her we have another box of the sausage we had for the wedding that we are going to make for Christmas Eve. Did briefly speak with Nick too, just confirming that we would be there on Christmas Eve this year.

I have been working on removing some very vicious malware from Hayley's computer, I think I am just about to the point where it is clean and I should be able to return it to her. I have the malware cleaned up, I just wanted to clean it all up before something else rears its ugly head.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again in our rear view mirrors, that was the last working one of 2011 for me, so I can't for the life of me think of a better reason than that to do yet another tidbits.

* It's been 1,376 days since mine and Michelle's first date. How many people do you honestly know that are still keeping track of something like that?

* 599 Days ago we became engaged.

* 136 Days ago we were married.

* And now for the real important one, you only have five shopping days left until Christmas, it has slowly snuck up on us and we are almost there.

* We are two days away from the official start of winter and the end of fall, it will also be the shortest day of the year and the winter Solstice. We're at the far end of the turning point, days are about to start getting longer.

* I'm contemplating starting my year end BLOG soon. That will be my Goodbye 2011 BLOG where I go through my blog from the preceding twelve months and write one blog about what has happened.

* It was a slow day at work yesterday, we got back into town late Sunday evening and yesterday was "Go" from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed. It just seemed like a very long day, but it's now past us and we are moving towards an upcoming three day holiday weekend.

* I spoke with Mom and Amy yesterday, I was informed Terri is missing cervical disc C-4 and disc C-5 in her neck, and they are going to try to schedule an MRI for further observation in the near future. She has been hurting for a period of time and she finally made it to the Doctors. Surgery may be an option, but that is a preliminary assumption.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday, December 19, 2011

Monday

Well all good things must come to an end, no matter how much we want them to continue, and that includes fun filled weekends.

We had a great time yesterday visiting Michelle's family. Got a few pictures that I would say are keepable and got a chance to spend some quality time with some very nice people.

Now however, it's back to the grindstone. This will be the last Monday that I will be working for a few weeks, next Monday is when we celebrate the Federal Christmas Holiday and the following Monday is when we will Celebrate the Federal Holiday for New Years. So, this will be my last full week of work until the second week in 2012.

Hi ho hi ho