I Hate Snow Sunday

Here I sit on a cold and wintry Sunday Morning, Kiwi and Peanut are all excited because of all of that white stuff on the ground, but I do not care for it one little bit. Michelle likes snow, but I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned it here before, but I am not a big fan of snow. I actually Hate Snow, truth be told. It makes travel hazardous and dangerous, and I prefer to not see it or feel it. That's just me, though. 

I did manage to get a good bit of my Goodbye 2025 blog written so far this weekend. It's a lot of fun reflecting on your past year when you write something each and every day. It's also good documentation and timelines of events that have been happening in my life, especially when you consider there have been well over 8,000 blog entries during my 21+ years of writing it. 

I did manage to get my windshield wipers changed yesterday morning and I mailed out our Christmas Cards for the season. One of my wipers was almost torn off the blade Friday morning, so I decided that I should get it changed before the snow and the long week coming up for me. 

Have yourself a good day, hopefully no one has to travel anywhere. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household. I'm up collecting my thoughts for the day and trying to figure out what Kiwi and Peanut are dancing to. They are dancing to some kind of celtic music and having themselves a good old time. Of course this is my one morning to sleep in, aye carumba. 

So what is up in my world? I have worked 8 hour shifts the last two weeks and will go back to 10 hour shifts once again for the next 3 weeks. That will be 6 out of 8 weeks of working 10 hour shifts to make up for 6 Holidays (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years) that I wouldn;t get paid for because I'm a contractor. Hopefully something breaks this year and I get on full time or get another contract where I can work from home. 

I'll probably spend a good bit of time this weekend writing my Goodby 2025 Blog that posts as the last one of the year. I actually have it formatted and half of the year written already, so the heavy lifting is done now it is just a matter of doing the last half of the year and closing it all out. 

I have been learning how to write dashboards in ESRI, which is a skillset that I really don't have, the industry has been going this way for a while, but I like the local in depth editing as opposed to making something for someone else to see. 

Have yourselves a great day, make it memorable. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward 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 again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!!!

Kiwi has told me that he and Peanut are planning on setting up a bowling alley this weekend in the hallway and to watch where I step. He doesn't want me to mess up the lanes oil patterns and he thinks he can beat Peanut in bowling. 

I have no idea of any plans that we have this weekend as of presstime. I know I have to do some more writing for my Goodbye 2025 blog that will be the last blog of the year and recalls my year according to my blog. I will admit I have had a lot of brain farts this year as I have put out a lot of empty content so to speak. I'll do better. 

Let's get this weekend started.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week, I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from somewhere on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up, recalling or reliving the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, and sometimes it's not that easy, but one thing it has always been a lot of fun.

This picture I think is about 10 years old, it's me drinking out of my Marty Moose Mug I got in Amish Country. The mug is from the movie Christmas Vacation where Clark and Cousin Eddie were standing there talking and drinking eggnog. I do have a confession, my eggnog is actually Chocolate Milk and it was pretty damned good. 

We had bought the mug at Tis the Season in Millersburg. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

Lucy’s Journal — December 10, 2025

Ohhh mercy, what a morning this turned out to be! We woke up to a beautiful blanket of fresh snow — the kind that sparkles like powdered sugar and just screams, “Come play in me!”

Peanut, of course, immediately claimed the windowsill and looked out like a hunter sizing up his prey. The Quackers (both of them) waddled up beside him, quacking in big dramatic gasps like they had just discovered the secret of the universe. And Kiwi? Kiwi was already plotting. You could hear those little gears turning in his green-feathered head.

“Lucy,” he said, puffing up proudly, “today… we make history.”

I should’ve been suspicious right then, but the thought of warm cocoa pulled my brain away for a minute. By the time I got boots on, the troops had already rolled a snowball halfway across the yard. I don’t know HOW they got organized so fast.

The Quackers had clearly been lifting weights, because they were patting and stomping snow like a couple of crossfit champions. Peanut supervised — naturally — and Kiwi hopped atop the growing snowball shouting instructions like a general in the middle of battle.

“This is gonna be the biggest snowball EVER!” Kiwi chirped.

And honestly… they weren’t far off.

Soon they had a snowball nearly as tall as Peanut. They decided the next logical step was to declare an all-out snowball war. They formed two teams:

Team Lucy & Peanut
vs.
Team Kiwi & Quackers

The second I picked up a little snowball, Kiwi screeched, “FIRE!” and three tiny but vicious snowballs pelleted me right in the coat. Peanut hiss-laughed beside me and started scooping snow into his paws like a furry little catapult.

The Quackers waddled straight at us, heads down, wings out, like they were storming a fortress. And Kiwi — bless his mischievous little soul — dive-bombed from the lilac bush, smacking me with a snowball the size of a softball.

Peanut retaliated by launching a snowball so perfectly formed I swear he studied aerodynamics. It hit Kiwi square in the chest and sent him tumbling backward into the giant snowball they had built earlier.

And that was the moment things escalated.

Because that big snowball started rolling.

And rolling.

And rolling!!!

It scooped up both Quackers, Kiwi, and poor Peanut who clawed at it trying to escape, but nope — rolling snow monster now. Down the little slope in the yard it went, collecting more snow like some giant winter burrito, until it finally smacked into the maple tree with a WHUMP!

Out popped everyone, covered head-to-tail in white fluffy snow like four confused marshmallows.

Nobody was hurt, thank goodness. But Peanut looked like a snowman with whiskers, Kiwi resembled a snow-covered kiwi fruit, and the Quackers just shook themselves off like wet dogs and waddled away peacefully as if that didn’t just happen.

We ended it with cocoa (for me), warm towels, sunflower seeds for Kiwi, cat treats for Peanut, and bread bits for the Quackers. Everyone agreed that this was the best snow day ever.

Though… we also agreed that we should maybe avoid giant rolling snowballs in the future.

Maybe.

Probably.

Okay, fine — DEFINITELY.

But knowing this bunch?

There’s no promises.

— Lucy

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is yet once again in our rear view mirrors, we are chugging along with another week of work and aiming towards the weekend. 

* It has been 22,630 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. 

* It has been 7,882 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I love what I do and am thankful to still be working in my field. 

* 6,476 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,680  days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. I've been the luckiest guy since that fateful day. 

* It was 5,717 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, it was a great day with friends and family. 

* I have now lived 2,855 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 1,509 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,273 days, I've now outlived him by 1,372 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 87 days ago, I'm happy for those two. 

* I have 2,255 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows, though, doing what I do I may never retire.

* There are 357 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are only 241 more days to go until Michelle and I will celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary......maybe

* There are 100 days until my favorite season begins, a lot of people love different seasons, I am a Spring person who loves the Springtime. 

* 62 more days until Phil steps to center stage once again for Groundhog Day.    

* 24 more days to go until my Goodbye 2025 Blog is posted. Hopefully, I can put some better content together this year.

* There are 15 more shopping days left until Christmas 2025. We're down to double digits, quick everyone panic. 

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) days that I have hated both Pitt and Penn State.

* I have written 8,172 blogs in what is now 21 years of Blogging. 

* Older Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. My little drone is awesome and I really like it....when I take time out to fly it.  

* Are you looking to buy some Girl Scout Goodies? Well Releigh has started her campaign to sell chocolates, candles, stationary and other things. This is her store. 

* Are you looking to buy some Girl Scout Goodies? Well Bella has started her campaign to sell chocolates, candles, stationary and other things. This is her store. 

* They both have their own stores, their own campaigns and their own goals to meet. 

* Let's keep it in the same household, go give Crown of Scars a listen. It's my Nephew Moke and he tells his life story through song, so listen to the lyrics, it's pretty deep. 

* Still playing Monopoly Go, but not as often, as a matter of a fact I haven't touched it in a while. 

* This is my favorite TikTok, pretty bad to think you are answer to the Jeopardy question and get it wrong. 

* Progress on my Selfie in Space, right here. We are ready for liftoff and holding. 

* I think my AI skills are really expanding, I'm using a number of them doing all kinds of different tasks (other than drawing pictures). 

* Have yourselves a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end—but if you’ve got to wrap up the weekend, today’s a pretty exciting way to do it. Now it’s time to take our collective noses and press them firmly back onto the grindstone of life. Back to work, back to the hustle, back to doing our part to make this spinning rock a better place.

Kiwi and Peanut have decided that they are going to give Daddy a hand today at the office. They said they wanted to come in and help me work, I think Kiwi just wants to fly around and do reconnaissance about my office mates. Peanut thinks she gets extra treats if she comes in, truth be told she will nap all day, don't let her fool you.

Nothing on my agenda for the week that I know of yet, we usually have a catch up meeting every Monday to go over what everyone has been working on. Those have been kind of hit or miss during the holiday season. Other than that I have a few new projects, one is to build a dashboard, but that is going to take some Project Mangement skills. Great way to pick up a new skillset. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho