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.

Every year when we go on vacation, last year especially when we stayed right across the street, there is some kind of convention going on across from our hotel. I tell everyone there are literally hundreds if not thousands of people dressed up on costumes. I can't explain it, but I found some picture of some of the people in costume. Imagine being in a group of 40 people crossing the street and being the only ones NOT dressed up. Enjoy some pics from last years event.

Well we are due for another cold spell and snow storm over the weekend and into early next week. My wife quit dancing a couple of months ago so it has to be someone else doing that snow dance. I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned it before, but I Hate Snow. Don't care for it at all.

Weekend, nothing really planned for us, but who knows what we may or may not get into. We should be finishing up Season 2 of House of Cards tonight on Netflix. We're both saddened that we have come to the end of another season and eagerly await season 3 next year.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through all my pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen from the internet through the years and select just one. One (or two this week) lost magical moment in time to post up and reflect upon and write a little blog about. Reliving the day or the time. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not so easy, it is however always a whole lot of fun.

This weeks picture is a reminder to everyone that I Hate Snow. It was a hot summer day, the 4th of July and we slow cooked ribs and roasting ears of corn on the grill's. One thing that reminds me of summer is roasting corn on the fire, but I needed something to go along with this vibrant picture to tell a little more of a story, hence the two pictures this week for the same low low price.

It was a good day, Trish and Joe came over as well as my brother Gary. Hayley also visited with us and we all feasted on ribs and corn. I don remember it was hot as heck and that was the weekend our air conditioner was on the fritz, just making it that much hotter to deal with.

Notice that there is no snow in either of these pictures?

Come on Summer time, come on cookouts.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

That's two days down, now if you get up and look over that noon time hump, just on the other side of a photo flashback, you can see the dawn of another snow filled (did I just say that)  weekend off on the horizon.

I don;t know if I have ever mentioned it on this board before, but  I kind of don't like snow that much. You could almost say that I really really dislike, oh heck I hate the white stuff. I'm more than ready for Spring and getting rid of all this crap on the ground and cold weather. My car has a sun roof, I want to be able to enjoy it. It may be a while, they are talking about another major storm the first week of March.

I do have to say, that I can't recall a winter where there has been so much snowfall and such frigid cold temperatures working together for such an extended period of time in any recent years. I'm not even sure if winters were this bad when I was younger, although we did have significantly more snowfall at times back then. This snow just seems like it came about three months ago and just when we think it's all gone, BOOM we get some more.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that dreaded Monday is once again behind us and we are looking down that barrel of a Tuesday once again. Other than if the blue footed booby kicked Phil's and Mother Natures butt for this weather, I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* 2,173 wonderful days ago, I treated a very special lady to a night of Pizza and a movie. We have been together since that magical night.

* 1.397 days ago in the early morning in our back yard, I proposed marriage to that wonderful woman.

* 934 days ago in front of our closest friends in family, we exchanged our wedding vows and entered into a world of marital bliss.

* I have only 6,488 days (give or take) until I retire. Maybe when I finally do that I'll bore the heck out of everyone by doing two blogs a day. LOL

* 309 days to go until my goodbye 2014 blog. I still have plenty of time to add content.

* Only 303 more shopping days left until Christmas. If you are an early planner, get stated. If you're a procrastinator, you have plenty of time.

* 194 days to go until Michelle and I once again set sail on the high seas. Once again returning to some of our favorite places in the entire world to be (I'm talking to you Half Moon Cay). See you in September.

* 162 days to go until our third wedding anniversary.

* 148 more days to go until we party down with Jimmy Buffett once again in Pittsburgh. If you want to go, tickets are still on sale . If you have never seen Jimmy live, I say just click the link and plan on joining us. You won't regret it.

* Only 23 more days until Spring is Officially here. Not sure if Mother Nature is going to cooperate. I'm ready to break out that new grill.

* This is my 3,559th blog that I have written for George's Journal. I had a few other screw around blogs around the net, none that really amounted to anything.

* My niece Val has been redecorating every room in her house, I think she is finally attacking her last room with Erica's bedroom.

* Amy called me last week asking about a deal on a laptop, never did hear back if she bought it. I think both her and Val were getting ready to purchase one each.

* I'm not sire if I have ever mentioned this before, but I hate snow.

* Congratulations to Dale Earnhardt Jr for winning the Daytona 500 Sunday. I was a big fan of his dad's and pretty much quit following the sport on a weekly basis when he died.

* My favorite message board Blue and Gold News has been down a good deal recently, they are upgrading their servers.

* We're a little over halfway through season 2 of House of Cards on Netflix, Michelle and I both love the show and have been watching a different episode every night since it was released.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday Morning

All good things must come to an end, unfortunately that includes those fun filled things we enjoy so much called weekends. It's time to stick our noses back on the grindstones for another fun filled week of work doing the things that allows us to do what we do that gives us our enjoyment in life.

I've been spoiled by all this nice warm weather that we have been experiencing as of late, but alas Mother Nature is no where near done with us and the winter weather as I see temps dropping into the teens mid-week. It was a nice little break, and for someone like me whose favorite season is Springtime, it was a a needed break from all the arctic cold and snow.

Nothing too exciting planned this week, although I'll have Dr's appointments the next couple. Eye exam coming up next week, not sure if they are going to do a diabetic dilated eye exam or not. I've had two cataract surgeries over the past few years, but I'm not a Doctor so what would I know.

Have a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Up Early On a Sunday

I guess I have to make up for sleeping in yesterday morning, so I'm up earlier than normal today. Actually I woke up about an hour ago with heart burn and have been surfing around on the internet. Watching The Benchwarmers on the boob tube and up collecting my thoughts and drinking a lemon lime soda (I don't do coffee).

Well it was a week late and there was a good bit of discussion, but Michelle and I finally bought our Valentines Day gift to each other. It was a much harder than normal decision this year, when we want something we go and buy it. So we wanted something practical and that we would use.

In years past we purchased a Charbroil Grill from Lowes Grill in 2009, I think we bought our surround sound system in 2010, the Vacuum sealer in 2011, the Bread Maker in 2012, a Coleman Grill  to use for Concerts last year. So what could we buy that would be useful at home.

I ran a few ideas by her, but we decided on, get this, another grill. Yes we were talking about getting a smoker, and I was looking at a nice Weber smoker. Talked to a guy at work who has about a dozen grills and is a grill master and asked him about smokers. He gave me some very good and money saving advice. We chose a Weber 22.5" Kettle Grill. It's our fourth grill, but all four have their own unique purpose. Three as propane, this is our first charcoal grill. We also bought  a couple accessories to go with it including the cover and the Fuel Holders that will allow us to do our indirect heat smoking.

Have a great Sunday.

Saturday Morning Slept In Blog

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm the first one ton recover from a losing bout with the dreaded Sandman last night. I do have to say I went to sleep early and woke up much later than normal (at least for me) this morning, hence the later blog.

The WVU Football team filled in the rest of their coaching staff yesterday with a Monster hire. Tom Bradley will be joining the staff to replace Keith Patterson. So we traded the former Head Coach at Pitt with a former Head Coach at Penn State Bradley. Stranger things have happened, but I don't think growing up that that scenario was possible in my wildest dreams.

The WVU Baseball team pulled their season record to 2-2 by pounding out 14 hits yesterday in defeated San Diego State in Sand Diego. You can't say this since Randy Mazey has taken over this program that they are not very well traveled. We have one heck of a coach and a program to be proud of. New Stadium coming up next year, full allotment of scholarships, and what I would call one of the best coaches in the country at the helm. Things look really bright on the baseball front.

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.

Well I do have to say that this week has been pretty calm weather wise when considering the past couple of months, it's been a little warmer but it has still been winter. I am so ready for spring.

Our plans for this weekend? Once again not to much planned for us. It's that slow time of the year for us when there are more naps on weekends than things planned. I am really ready for Springtime, longer days, shorts and sandals. I'm ready to start planning the garden and listening to birds chirp. Come on Springtime, I miss you even more than I missed Friday being here.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through all of my pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off the internet. Little lost moments in time that I like to reflect upon briefly and relive in my blog for all to see and share. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task finding that one special lost moment in time, and sometimes I struggle to find something wondering if I have done it before or not. One thing for certain though, it is always a whole lot of fun.

This picture was taken by my lovely wife a few years ago as we were walking around our local Walmart store doing a little bit of shopping. I have no idea why I was wearing this hat, probably just to look silly. I think I was able to pull that off quite nicely. My luck this will end up on the People of WaMart site.

What on earth was I thinking that day, sheesh.

Anyways, have a great say. Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

If you stand up on your tippy toes, just high enough to see over that noon time hump and all the snow that is piled up everywhere. Just on the other side of a Photo Flashback, you can see the dawn of another weekend off in the distance.

Well hopefully Michelle's neck is still feeling chipper this morning, she kind of threw it out this weekend and was in a whole lot of pain for a couple of days. Monday she went to the chiropractor, but that only gave her minimal relief. Yesterday she went to see a massage therapist on the Mileground at Kneading You, LLC and they seemed to have not only made what was wrong feel better, they seemed to have fixed the problem. Michelle called me all excited to be pain free and feeling good.

Something that I have been looking for for sometime someone posted a picture of yesterday morning on Facebook. I used to love Dog N Suds when they used to be here in Morgantown. It has been gone a number of years, I think it was where Shoney's currently sites if memory serves me correctly. I used to love their root beer. For years, you used to be able to buy the bottled root beer here in town, but I haven't seen it in years here. Michelle and I were actually looking for it in Cleveland, but to no avail as it is a dying brand. I found out yesterday morning that Big Lots has it. =)

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that holiday Monday is now behind us and we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday. Jean is home from and resting from Baltimore so I definitely can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* 2,166 days ago I had the opportunity to go on a first date with the woman who would forever change my world.

* 1,390 days ago I knew I had to make sure that she would continue to stay in my life, so I bought a piece of jewelry and got down on one knee and proposed marriage.

* 927 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, with my Brother by my side as my Best Man, we exchanged our wedding vows.

* I have about 6,495 days to go until I retire give or take a few.

* 316 more days of blogging to prepare material for my Goodbye 2014 Blog on New Years Eve.

* If you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet, you still have 310 days to do so. I don;t think WalMart has put out their 2014 Christmas decorations yet, but it shouldn't be too much longer. (That is supposed be be sarcasm, but they'll have it out in a few months.)

* 201 more days until we once again set sail on the High Seas heading to the Caribbean once again.

* 169 days to go until my third wedding anniversary with the woman mentioned in blog points 2, 3 and 4.

* 155 days until we party down with Jimmy Buffett. I secured the tickets yesterday to the 2014 concert.

* Do you realize it is only 30 days to go until Springtime? Please Hurry up, I think everyone is tired of the white stuff. Have I ever mentioned that I hate snow?

* This is my 3,552nd Blog Post.

* As I mentioned previously, Jean is home. I called last night but she was home recovering and is still in some pain.

* Michelle visited the chiropractor yesterday, she hurt her neck sneezing over the weekend and has been in a lot of pain the last few days.

* Looking for a little side income, check out my Brother in Law Nick's site.

* I'm thinking that with Summer Time coming up, we all need to get together at least once this summer and have a good old fashioned Hall Cookout at either Marilla or Krepps Park. Someplace where the kids can go swimming and the adults can get into a food fight like days of old. It's never too early to start planning, and I say reserve a shelter and do it right.

* I made a trip up to Streets Store yesterday to stock up on some more bacon and whole hog sausage. They have the best bacon in the deli, especially if you do it on a cast iron skillet like I do for my lovely wife every morning. I'm just that kind of a nice guy.

* Hi ho hi ho

Jimmy Buffett Tickets

WOO HOO, I love this time of the year. This is the day that I battle the 30,000 other Pittsburgh Area Parrot Heads to get tickets to see Jimmy this year.

Today is the day that we buy tickets to go and once again see Jimmy Buffett this summer in Pittsburgh. This will be my 8th, Michelle's 7th, Jean's 3rd, Gary's 2nd (third really but he got lost last year) and Jerry's 2nd. Donnie and Wendy who went with us last year will also be going with us this year for the second year in a row.

The picture you see is of Jeanie who is an absolute blast to go with because she tends to make friends no matter where we go.

Whether it be her playing Beer Pong with the local frat guys in the parking lot, yes she played it the year before at her first concert.

She also manages to prepare a great feast and is a n absolute pleasure to watch at the concerts. I can honestly say that she always tends to have the time of her life when she goes. LOL

Tickets onsale at 10:00 this morning. Consider joining us.

Sunday

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, me and the dogs (Rocki and Lilly are visiting) are up and I just took them outside for a good morning poop. I'm up watching something or another on the boob tube.

We did watch a couple episodes of House of Cards II yesterday. After watching the first one I thought we were going to have to surgically re-attach Michelle's jaw because it dropped that hard (not literally). It was one of those completely unexpected moments that you just were not expecting and did not see coming. I swear Michelle's mouth was open in complete shock for about a minute and that is literally.

Update on someone very special, they were released from the Hospital Yesterday at a very accredited after a very complicated surgery. Recovery is usually anywhere from 8 days to three weeks, and they will be coming home tomorrow. Even some of the worlds most renown Doctors are amazed by the recovery time. This is truly an amazing person.

Normal day for Michelle and I. Shopping and Laundry.

Have a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a semi-quiet household, we're dog sitting so me and the infamous Little Rock of Love are up watching some TV. I did make it to work yesterday, but I have to be perfectly honest I was still and am still a little bit under the weather although it is manageable.

Have I ever mentioned that I hate snow? I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this, I kinda really don't like snow. It must think I like it for some reason, because this winter has been one significant snowfall after another after another and throw in a few arctic cold blasts and that has made this one less that happy and chipper winter.

Valentines Day due to my illness was probably less than eventful for my wonderful wife. We still haven't decided what to get each for our Valentines Days gift to each other. We did go out to dinner last night at the Golden Coral and the place was packed like I have never seen it before. I don't know if it was a special thing due to Valentines Day or it's a menu item now, but they were serving Lobster Tails for $3.99 each. There was a line out the door.

One of the two shows on Netflix Michelle and I purged watched last year was House of Cards with Kevin Spacey. It was the first Netflix exclusive series we watched (Orange is the New Black was the other) and we absolutely fell in love with it. With the snowfall and both of us still battling an illness to some extent still, this might just be our day today.

Have a great day.

Happy Valentines Day

To the love of my life, I would like wish a very Happy Valentine's Day today. She is the love of my life, my very best friend that I have ever known and I have enjoyed every day we have spent together. We have laughed together, cried together, been sick together and started touring the world together.

Happy Valentines Day Michelle, I Love You with all my heart.

No Blog Today

No blog today, I'm battling a very bad cold.

We're Doing it Again

As announced in my tidbits post yesterday, we have booked our 2014 cruise.

We went through numerous options over the past few months including leaving out of New Orleans, but since Carnival has said they are going to revamp the pride later this year and have it back up and running as again as a newly redesigned ship in 2015, we'll take the same cruise once again.

We are comfortable leaving out of Baltimore, there is no added expense of a flight, and we actually enjoy this cruise.

I asked Michelle what it is that she likes to do when we go on vacation, the answers were similar and agreeable. We just love to snorkel and there are not one but two prime places to do this on this cruise in Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay.

Let the countdown start, we're doing it again.

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well that dreaded snow filled Monday is once again behind us (Have I ever mentioned that I hate snow?) and we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday. I still can't think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* 2,159 days ago I had the opportunity for a second chance for a first date with Michelle. I say second chance because she stood me up a few months earlier. =)

* 1,383 days ago I got down on one knee and proposed marriage to this woman who had stood me up just a couple of years prior.

* 920 days ago I made her pay for the rest of her life for standing me up, I married her.

* There are only 6,503 days to go until I reach that golden age of retirement, give or take a few.

* 323 more days of blogging to prepare for my Goodbye 2014 year end blog.

* There are only a mere 317 more shopping days left until Christmas.

* Making it's debut for a 2014 blog entry as we booked it last night, 208 days until we set sail on the high seas again.

* We explored a lot of options, and because the Carnival Pride WILL be back in Baltimore in 2015, we're going to do the exact same cruise for a third year in a row. Booked and paid for, let the count down begin.

* In 176 days we will be celebrating our third wedding anniversary. I told you guys I would make her pay the rest of her life for standing me up.

* Also making it's 2014 debut, there are only 162 days to go until Jimmy Buffett comes to Pittsburgh. My maximum allowable purchasable tickets have all been spoken for when they go on sale next Monday at 10:00 AM.

* There are only 37 more days until SPRINGTIME!!!!!!

* In 6 days, those Jimmy Buffett tickets we buy every year go on sale. Like I said, I am only allowed to buy 8 tickets, but you can still buy them if you're interested in going. Contact me for details.

* This is my 3,545th blog that I have written for George's Journal. Hopefully I'll be on some exotic island out in the Ocean when my tenth anniversary as a blogger occurs later this year.

* As many of you may know, someone close to me had surgery yesterday, at the time of this blog they are still having their surgery done. It's a long complicated procedure, I will update when it is appropriate.

* Michelle is finally starting to feel a little bit better, she has been down a number of days and I think she has finally turned the corner.

* I spoke with my Mom a couple days ago, I guess she has been bitten hard with the flu bug over the past week and is also well on the road to recovery.

* I spoke to my brother Gary yesterday, first time I've actually gotten a chance to talk to him since Halloween. Hopefully we can all get together with a big bag of meat this summer to throw on the BBQ.

* Pam and George are in Baltimore right now. They are partially my eyes and ears the next few days.

* Have I ever mentioned that I hate snow?

* Hi ho hi ho

Have I Ever Mentioned

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this on this blog, but I kind of hate snow. Not just a little bit, I really hate snow. I don't mind a little bit on Christmas Eve, because that is when you are supposed to get snow. After that however, I am done with it. I don't care if I see another snowflake until next Christmas Eve. I don't think I have ever discussed this with anyone, so if anyone asks my opinion of snow.....

Now it's once again time to stop all the relaxing and get ready to stick our noses back on the grindstone for another week of work. Time to get back to doing what it is we do for a living that allows us to do the things we do.

This is going to be a questionable week for me, we have a family member having surgery this morning outside of the area, so to say that this week is up in the air is a bit of an understatement. I'll try to give everyone an update when it is appropriate.

I guess both my Mom and Michelle have been down with this flu bug the past week or so, I have been fortunate enough to avoid it completely this year. I got my flu shot early this past fall and that is what I attribute it to.

Hi ho hi ho

Quiet Sunday Morning

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, Michelle is still resting as she has been under the weather all weekend. She just can't seem to shake this thing what ever it is, I'll try convincing her into going to WVU Urgent Care today.

Well Jimmy Buffett announced his Pittsburgh tour date yesterday for a July 23rd Concert. Of the 8 tickets we bought last year, 6 have reconfirmed for this year and I have to talk to Gary and see if he wants the other two before accepting other offers to buy them.

Back to reality though, it's still cold and there is still snow on the ground. Weather is calling for more snow today and tomorrow. Have I ever mentioned before that I Hate Snow? Nope, I don't really care for the white stuff that falls from the sky on any other day other than a little bit Christmas Eve. Other than that, I hate snow and I'm a shorts and sandals kind of guy.

Normal schedule today of grocery shopping and laundry, but I might be flying solo since Michelle is still under the weather.

Have a Great Day.