Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through all of my old pictures that I have stored on my computer and come up with just one picture to post up and tell a little story about. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that picture and sometimes I do struggle to find that one lost moment in time to reflect upon. One thing I can always say is that it is always a lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back almost five years. Back to a time "Poised to Strike" was dominating the KDKA Steelers Trivia show and never falling behind the entire tournament and winning the while thing. I lucked into a great team to say the least.

We considered defending our title the next season, but chose to retire as Champions and "Go out like Bettis" as Chris so put it. We retired never trailing and undefeated. It was a great few days and we had the best cheering section of any team, Jenny (Chris's Wife) and Michelle were right there cheering us on. It was definitely a fun time

One has to wonder how good we were, say compared to all the past Champions of the Steelers Trivia Show. I guess we'll never know.........or will we.

Stay Tuned

Hump Day

If you look over that noon time hump we will be facing today, over on the other side of a photo flashback, you'll see the dawn of yet another weekend off in the distance.

I did get a call yesterday about a job in Houston Texas for as GIS Analyst. $110,000 a year, but it was more for a developer / programmer. I'm more of a Pseudo Code kind of guy rather than a developer. I did take a Python course last week, but a few days in a classroom does not make a very good programmer, especially when it comes to geospatial stuff. It was nice to know that someone contacted me about a job that paid that much, but I don't know if I would pull up stakes to take that much of a risk in an area I've never been to. Like I said, it's nice to daydream and to have been considered.

I have to be honest, I am having a little bit of a brainfart today, and I am really struggling for contact other than what I have already written. When this happens, time for a funny youtube video to close it out.

Happy Birthday Michelle Hall

I have to say that I am the luckiest man in the world, I am fortunate enough to be married to a very special lady who just happens to be celebrating her birthday today.

I want to extend a very Happy Birthday to my best friend, soul mate and beautiful Wife Michelle. She is the one person who has managed to make my life complete and the person I most like to spend my time with. Whether it be just riding in a car or sitting down to eat, my time I spend with her is the highlight of my day and for that I consider myself a very lucky man.

Michelle, I Love You are everything to me. Thank you for making me a complete person and allow me to use my BLOG to wish you a very Happy Birthday.

Tuesday's Tidbits

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

* 1,768 days ago I was fortunate enough to go on my first date with a very special lady. The movie was horrible, the rest was history.

* 991 days ago I got down on one knee and asked that special lady to be my wife.

* 528 magical days ago that special lady became my wife.

* There are 344 more shopping days left until Christmas 2013. Time to get started?

* In 158 days I'm taking my special lady to go see Kenny Chesney in Pittsburgh.

* There are only 65 more days until spring, I know this weekend was a little bit of a teaser, but I'm ready for spring already.

* I have a Doctors appointment scheduled for this morning, it's my routine six month checkup with my regular doctor.

* Speaking of, I probably need to schedule my annual diabetic eye exam sometime pretty soon. I had a cataract removed from my right eye a couple of years ago, and I think my left eye is starting to get a little worse. Not as bad as a couple years ago however, so I want to stay on top of it.

* Anyone notice all the traffic around town? The students are back, only 16 more weeks until they are gone for the summer. * Hi ho hi ho

Weekend Reflection

I have to say that yesterday Mornings birthday breakfast for my Mom went well overall, Kaiden was sick so Amy was only able to show up briefly, but she came bearing gifts and Michelle and I absolutely love ours and have it hanging in our living room already.

I think Mom enjoyed herself at breakfast, we really do need to do this more often as it was a good time to sit down with the family at a meal and just talk to each other. It's something Michelle and I started doing again at home recently and doing things like this helps you meet and spend quality time with the people you love without any distractions. Michelle's family here in town does it all the time, it was nice to enjoy a moment like that with mine. I am both lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity to share this time with some very special people in my life. Amy and her crew were missed, but not forgotten.

I did have a little bit of a surprise for me yesterday as I was walking into the Golden Coral. My old softball team mate turned superstar Josh Judy, who has been the subject of many of my blogs, was in town and walking out with from breakfast with Steve and Bernie. I've talked to him a few times, since the draft, but this was actually the first face to face meeting since the night before the draft when we BS's a few hours at a softball game. I kidded my niece Val about him as she and Amy used to come and watch us play some years ago.

After breakfast the rest of the adventurist day was ours, so we took a trip up to the mall and did a little bit of shopping. Bath and Body Works was having a sale on their soaps and Michelle loves their soaps. We usually stock up on them around Christmas time but for some reason didn't do that this year, which turned out to work to our advantage as their after Christmas sale is bigger than their before Christmas sale. I think we are set on bathroom and kitchen sink hand soaps for 2013.

Overall I have to say I had a great weekend. The weather was awesome for early January, I was even able to wear shorts both Saturday and Sunday. We had some great food, spent some time with some very special people, made a few sales and were even treated to a beautiful home made gift from my niece. I was able to meet up with a few old Softball team mates (Josh, his Dad Steve and I later ran into Mike Haines) and had a great weekend with my wonderful wife.

The weekend did in fact have a sad note for some old friends and an old softball team mate. Andy Wilson and Michelle Tennant lost their wonderful son Micah Wilson.

I hope you have a great day and it's a cardio day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Once again here I sit in a quiet household, I'm the only one who has recovered from a losing battle with the sandman from last night. I've actually slept in a little today, which is a little unusual for me.

It's going to be a Golden Coral 70th birthday kind of morning for me as we are all meeting at the Golden Coral to celebrate my Mom's 70th birthday. She likes breakfast food and she likes the Golden Coral, so Terri organized for everyone to go to breakfast this morning. So Mom, if you don't know about this and you are reading this, SURPRISE...LOL

We had a great day yesterday, Michelle wanted to go to Fashion Bug since they are going out of business and they are having a huge liquidation sale. We managed to hit the one in Fairmont as well as the one in Clarksburg.

I did manage to finally take Michelle to Muriale's for lunch yesterday. We have been trying to make it down there for a few weeks, Michelle had never eaten there, and yesterday was a perfect opportunity early in the afternoon. She loved it and I think we will make some return visits when we visit Fairmont.

Have a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Once again here I sit in a quiet household, being the only one so far who has recovered from a losing battle with the sandman and am awake. I know the weather is supposed to be much nicer today, so I would like to do something just not sure yet what something is.

I talked to my sister Terri yesterday, she decided that since yesterday was Mom's 70th birthday that we should all get together and do a little something. We're all going to breakfast tomorrow morning at 9:30 at the Golden Coral. That's where Mom likes to eat, so that is why the Golden Coral was chosen.

Speaking of Terri we stopped by Big Kahunas where she works last night for dinner. I've yet to see anything served from there that I didn't like, like last night Michelle and I split a small Stromboli, it alone was enough to satisfy the both of us and was just full of flavor. It was pretty awesome.

Not sure what we are going to get into today, but we're going to get into something.

Have a Great day

Happy Birthday Mom

If you happen to see this lovely young lady on the far right today, make sure and tell her Happy Birthday. If it were not for her, you would not be reading this blog because I wouldn't be here to write it.

I'm not sure what Sandra Irene's plans are for the day, you know her 29th birthday today, but I'll try to touch base with her and wish her a very Happy Birthday.

The image you see might not be what her or for that many any of them look like, I think they have all gotten a little younger and a little more wiser since this magical image was snapped some 25+ years ago.

Happy Birthday Mom.

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.

Well we are calling for some warmer weather both today and tomorrow, the only problem with that is that it's raining and is supposed to be raining all weekend. I can't complain too much, it the temps were much lower all that rain would equate into snow and hazardous driving conditions in the area. Let the kids go to school and let the weather be warmer, I'm ready for spring.

No immediate plans for this weekend, but I'm sure I'll do my best to drag Michelle out of the house and deny her a weekend nap to do something or another. I would love to put the easy up outside and have a cookout, but it's raining and it's not really that much of a be outside kind of weather.

Have a great day, I'm off till Monday.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out to look back through all of the pictures that I have stored on my computer and try to find just one lost moment in time that was captured to write a blog about and relive a little. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, sometimes it's not so easy, but it is always a whole lot of fun.

For this weeks pic, lets turn the clock back about 36 years and take a good look at this handsome young man. A man who actually had a full head of hair on top of his head and decided to wear a stylish shirt on picture day.

Yes that is me in the picture, from a time when Elvis was still alive, Threes Company was just appearing on television and Morgantown was a lot smaller back then.

This is my seventh grade school pic, it was a time when I had my whole life in front of me. Both of my grandparents who raised me were both still alive, and Drummond Chapel Church was the place to play pickup basketball.

Life was definitely a whole lot simpler for me and everyone else back then. I think the one thing I liked to do more than anything was go to Suburban lanes and play Pinball.

Have a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well thats two days down, if you just look over the noon time hump, just on the other side of a Photo Flashback, you can see the dawn of yet another weekend.

It's day two of the Geo-processing with Python class for me at WVU. Yesterday was pretty interesting, it's pretty fast paced and I'm managing to keep up. Python is not exactly the most forgiving of programming languages, I don't know how many times I set a variable and then called the variable using one letter in a different case. I guess it reads everything in ASCII so an "i" and an "I" are two different values. I'm learning a good bit and it's a nice change to get out of the office.

I am liking this warmer weather, I told Michelle I want to get out and do something this weekend, since it is supposed to be in the 60's. Maybe that something will include a walk on the trails or something, I just know I don't want to be cooped up inside with the beautiful weather out. I may not get too many more of these chances before spring.

I have to say never underestimate the satisfaction of playing with silly putty as you are trying to come up with something to blog about. Michelle bought me one a couple of weeks ago and I have been playing with, stretching, rolling, squeezing, ripping and about anything you can do with silly putty since. Yes I also have a real slinky on my desk as well. =)

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again in our rear view mirror and we are staring straight down the barrel of another Tuesday, I for the life of me still can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* It has been 1,761 wonderful days sine I took my wife out on our first date. It's also the date of our first kiss.

* 984 days ago I got down on one knee and proposed marriage in our back yard.

* We have enjoyed 521 days of marital bliss since we all partied down and had a wonderful feast at the Marilla center.

* There are 351 Shopping days left until Christmas. It's never too early to get a good start.

* We are 165 days away from the Kenny Chesney concert in Pittsburgh this summer. First time I have ever purchased tickets eight months before the Concert.

* There are only 72 days left of winter. Yes I am counting down and we are being teased later this week as the temps are supposed to be in the 60's. I think I can handle that.

* I'm down at WVU for the next three days for some Python Scripting Training.

* I talked to my Brother In law Nick last night, he's still wanting to get his blog going and is looking for a little advice. I told him it is much simpler than it was when we first started writing web pages 20 + years ago. We talked about him being the first in the family to actually publish a website.

* It's going to be a series of crock pot meals the rest of the week, I'll be getting home late and we've arranged to do crock pot meals the rest of the week. That way everything is done by the time we get home.

* I finally got my e1098 form, it was all I needed to get an accurate assessment of how much we were going to get back on our taxes this year. Now I just need the latest government update and our W-2's and we'll be ready to file.

* Off to WVU

Weekend Wrapup

Well the fun filled times that we call the weekend are now over and it's time to stick our noses back on the grindstone and do what we do that allows us to have the fun we do. However, I'll hang onto the weekend just a little while longer with this blog.

We got into pretty much nothing yesterday other than grocery shopping and relaxing a little bit on the day of rest. I know I for one am done with winter and am ready for the warmer weather with shorts and sandals. I'm ready for the smell of fresh foliage everywhere you look and not the smell of cinders on the roads.

I did buy a copy of of our tax software for the 2012 season. I used to use H&R Blocks TaxCut but they have switched that the past few years to H&R Block at Home which I have used since the switch. I've always had good luck using H&R Blocks software, so I have tended to stick with it through the years. We usually buy the Deluxe edition which includes 5 Free Federal Filings as well as the State's software. I have all my taxes from 2003 backed up using that software, I store the files on a jump drive and the paper copies in one of the fire protected safes that we have.

We have made a little bit of change around here. We have tended to eat our meals on our computers and have gotten away from the dinner table. We've decided that we want to go back to using a dinner table to eat our meals. It brings the family element back into play, when you do grab and goes you tend to get lost into the internet and don't spend a whole lot of quality time together, so we have set up the dinner table to be used for all dinners. I think this is something too many Americans have gotten away from, we live in too much of a fast paced world and sometimes you just need to take a little bit of time out.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Something tells me we are going to be out of the house early today, Michelle is already up and wide awake. She started her coffee and seems like she is ready to start the day. I guess she kicked the sandman's butt early today.

Well our Christmas Tree is officially no more. We worked around the house all day yesterday and get it and all of the Christmas decorations broken down, organized and put away till it's time to bring  a new tree in next fall.

Not sure what is on our agenda for the day other than some grocery shopping, but I know I'll be at NETL one day next week. I'll be at work Monday and at WVU for some Python Geoprocessing  training that my company has paid for. WVU will not be in session next week, so traffic shouldn't be too bad.

Have a great Sunday.

Auction Today

I just saw that my brother-in-law Jim is having an auction today at the Cassville Firehall. He'll have a number of items up for auction today at 6:00. Come on out, they are going to have a 50/50 drawing and probably a number of consignors with merchandise up for sale as well.

Michelle is not up yet, so I'll talk to her then as to whether or not we're going to go. I know she likes to go occasionally to visit family of nothing else.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm the only one who has recovered from a losing battle with the sandman as everyone else of sound asleep. I have to say that even I slept in an extra 3-4 hours from what I usually do. I'm usually already up and at em for a few hours by this time, no loss though, we'll be hanging around the house most of if not all day today. I'm just up playing a couple of games on Facebook.

Our intentions today is to break down the Christmas Tree. It was a good tree this year, like I previously stated I think we really have the hang of these live trees now and they are beautiful. Michelle has me hooked on them.

We did our Sam's Club shopping last night, we actually debated if we would renew our advantage membership or drop down to a regular membership like we used to have last year we purchased the advantage plus membership, which give us a number of perks like being able to get in three hours before anyone else, special discounts through the year, extended warranties and if I would lose my insurance my prescriptions would be greatly discounted due to that extended coverage. The cost of the Advantage plus is $100.00 per year compared to the regular membership of $40.00 a year. We actually pulled up all of our purchases over the past year t o see if we actually saved the extra $60.00 or not and we did.

Have a great day.

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 this weekends excitement, we're probably taking down the 2012 Christmas Tree. It was a great tree and I think we have the hand of this live tree thing now, I could probably replant this tree if it had roots. Unlike our first years tree that lost the majority of it's needles and was losing even more as we were carrying it outside.

The NFL Playoffs start this weekend, but without the Pittsburgh Steelers competing in them this year my interest will probably be minimal. The only good news that I have heard this week is Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis is calling it quits after this season. If you're not a football fan, this is the players locker that Michelle would most like to pee in. She hates him, but with all due respect he;ll be in Canton in a few years.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out to look through all of my pictures that I have on my computer. I like to look through and find one lost moment in time to put up and reflect upon. Sometimes it's pretty easy, and some times it's not that easy of a task, it is however always a lot of fun.

Let's have some fun and turn the clock back over 30 years. To a time when I think I was a sophomore in High School and one of the few times that I actually spent the night at my Mom's and visiting my Sister Terri. It was a time when I was not so folically impaired and actually had a good deal of hair on top of my head.

It was also a time where my waistline was much smaller and I was much thinner than I am in my current state.

If memory serves me correct, this was 1980. I know this because I also know this was a Monday night. The Oakland Raiders played this night, and it was when Jim Plunkett was their Quarterback. It was a year that they won the Super Bowl and that killed me, because this was the first time that the super Steelers of the 70's were insignificant after a nice six year run that brought to Pittsburgh Four Super Bowl Trophies.

A time long ago.

Hi ho hi ho

Vacation is Over

Well I enjoyed it once again, an eleven day break from work, also known as a vacation and now unfortunately I have to stick my nose back on the grindstone and get back to work.

I can't say I did not enjoy myself, we had our traditional Pork Sauerkraut yesterday for dinner. I was never bug on Sauerkraut, but Michelle does it in away that I absolutely love. We've had it on New Years every year we have been together.

We really did not get into anything yesterday other than vegging out all day. I didn't even watch any football other than catching a score on the ESPN Website to see what the results were after the games were played.

We were talking yesterday about the things we would like to do this year, places we want to go, things we want to do and things we want to see. I think we have come up with a few new things we would like to do and see.

I can't believe I have to go out in this cold, but too many Christmas Cookies need to be worked off so

Hi ho hi ho

Happy New Year!!!!!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!