Lucy's Journal

Lucy’s Journal — February 4, 2026

Dear Journal,

Well. Monday was Groundhog Day, and yet somehow we did not end up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania causing an international incident involving Phil the Groundhog. Shocking, I know.

The excuses started flying before breakfast.

Kiwi said the weather app was “lying on purpose” and that flying conditions were spiritually unsafe. Peanut claimed he had a very important nap scheduled that simply could not be moved without union approval. The Quackers said they were absolutely ready to go… until they realized Pennsylvania does not, in fact, have an indoor heated splash zone waiting specifically for them. And the Shih Tzu kept reminding everyone that road trips make him “existentially itchy.”

As for me? I pointed out that kidnapping a famous groundhog on a Monday requires planning, snacks, and bail money. None of which we had.

So instead of chaos on a national scale, we had chaos in the living room.

That’s when Phil showed up.

Yes. That Phil.

Turns out he’s been laying low, tired of being dragged out once a year to predict the weather like some kind of fuzzy meteorologist. He waddled in, adjusted his tiny posture, and announced he was joining the clan. No shadow. No ceremony. Just vibes.

And get this—Phil came prepared.

He rolled out what he called a “Spring Initiative,” which is apparently groundhog for a master plan. He says he’ll help Kiwi finally build that backyard waterfall this spring. Not just help—oversee. He talked about water flow, stone placement, and “a naturalistic aesthetic.” I don’t even know where he learned those words.

Best part? The Quackers get their own shallow pool built into the waterfall so they can swim without being yelled at for splashing everyone else. They immediately accepted Phil as their new leader and started chanting his name.

Peanut pretended not to care, but I caught him nodding along when Phil mentioned heated rocks for sunbathing.

So no kidnapping. No torture. Just a reformed groundhog with a vision, a parrot with a dream waterfall, ducks planning a grand opening, and a cat already claiming the best seat.

Honestly? Way better outcome.

If spring actually comes early this year, I’m blaming Phil.

—Lucy 🐿️🦜🦆🐱

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is over with good reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 22,686 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. mom is at 30,340 which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 7,938 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. 

* 6,532 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,736 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 5,773 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 2,911 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 1,565 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,273 days, I've now outlived him by 1,428 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 143 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he said we would be the first to know. 

* I have 2,206 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.

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

* 331 more days to go until my Goodbye 2026 Blog is posted. 

* There are 324 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 301 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are only 185 more days to go until Michelle and I will celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary......maybe

* There are 44 days until my favorite season begins, a lot of people love different seasons, I am a Spring person who loves the Springtime. 

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

* I have written 8,236 blogs in what is now 21 years of Blogging. 

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

* I need to get some new bullet points. I like to keep a certain number that are regular, I need some more count downs or count ups. 

This is my favorite Tik Tok, a little education of that one element at affects all of out lives. Oil. 

* Have yourselves a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

Groundhog Day: Back to the Office (and Possibly the Stew Pot)

Groundhog Day is here again, that magical little blip on the calendar where we all collectively look to a chubby rodent in Pennsylvania to decide how winter—and honestly our moods—are going to shake out.

Normally, I’d be watching Punxsutawney Phil with one eye open, coffee in hand, rooting for him not to see his shadow like it’s the Super Bowl of seasonal predictions. But this year is different. Today also marks my return to the office, which means no live Phil sightings for me. No top hats. No crowd chanting. Just emails, meetings, and the faint hum of fluorescent lights.

Still, I’m holding out hope.

If Phil doesn’t see his shadow, I’ll take it as a personal win. Early spring! Longer days! Less scraping ice off the windshield before work! A perfect omen for easing back into the daily grind.

But… if Phil does see his shadow?
Well then, winter drags on—and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Which brings me to this very important contingency plan:

“Groundhog” Stew (Shadow Emergency Edition)

(Groundhog in spirit only—feel free to substitute chicken, beef, or whatever you actually find at the grocery store 😄)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs stewing meat (chicken thighs or beef chuck work great)

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 carrots, sliced

• 3 potatoes, cubed

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 cups broth (chicken or beef)

• 1 cup diced tomatoes

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Optional: a splash of red wine for warmth and wisdom

Instructions:

1. Brown the meat in a large pot until it looks like it knows winter means business.

2. Add onions and garlic, cooking until fragrant and cozy.

3. Toss in carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings.

4. Simmer low and slow for 1½–2 hours, until tender and comforting.

5. Serve hot, preferably while muttering about six more weeks of winter.

Whether Phil sees his shadow or not, Groundhog Day always delivers the same reminder: some days repeat, winter can feel endless, and sometimes all you can do is laugh, show up to work, and keep a stew recipe handy—just in case.

Here’s hoping Phil made the right call… and that spring clocks in earlier than I did today. 🐿️❄️🌱

Sunday

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, I don't know about anyone else but I know I am tired of this cold weather and agree with Kiwi and Peanuts picket line yesterday and I wants some warm spring type weather. I know Kiwi has been tweeting Punxatawney Phil, I'm not sure what that is all about, you may have to stay tuned for that. 

Do we have any big plans for the day? I seriously doubt it, Michelle has been fighting a headache, but it's not one that is a migraine, but still not pleasant at all. Maybe the best thing for her to do today is get a little bit of rest and relaxation and recover and prepare for the week ahead. 

I have to go back into the office this week for sure, we had the option of working from home if we wanted this past week due to the inclimate weather, I worked half a day Monday from the Office then finished the day at home. The rest of the week they made it optional for us and I actually went into the office Tuesday thru Thursday and stayed on and worked on Friday. Tomorrow on the other hand, everyone is supposed to report back to the office. I don't mind one way por the other, but it was nice to have the option to work from home. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday

Here I sit once again on a cold and quiet Saturday Morning, Kiwi and Peanut have decided that with all the ICE protests that have been happening, they are going to do their own little version. When they hear Ice, they are not thinking of a Government agency but instead it's Mother Nature being mean and they are tired of the cold weather, the snow and the winter weather. You have to hand it to these two, when they get their minds set on something they stick with it. I'm just glad it's not reassembling the blowing alley in the hallway. 

I think I am going to drop a little hint that Punxatawney Phil is going to make his prediction on Monday Morning. Kiwi did ask me if I wanted him to make the rodent disappear. He said he knows this Groundhog in Pittsburgh, if we need any assistance. 

So what is on our agenda for the day? Michelle is going to do the running around and grocery shopping, like she does every week. My pokey ass slows her down so she goes and does it and gets it done. She is an absolutely amazing woman, I would be lost without her. As would Kiwi and Peanut, who both adore their Mommy. 

Other than that not too much of anything planned, I would have cut the grass through the ice and snow but Peanut and Kiwi are out there and I don't want to ruin their protest site...lol

Have yourselves a great day. 

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!!!

Well I finish up a week of normal shifts and I have to say I like being there 8 hours more than I care to be there 10 hours. I'm busy and I enjoy what I do, but I like those extra couple of hours to be mine. 

So what is on our agenda for the weekend? Grocery shopping just like every other weekend.I have to wait to see if we are going to serve Groundhog this week, that all depends on Phil and what he does or does not see on Monday. 

Have yourselves a great day

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 weeks pic goes back a little over 10 years and would you believe that this was taken at Christmas time. I'm in shorts and we are both down at Terri's and Terri is in fact decorated for Christmas. 

The older I get the more I realize time is just flying by, sneeze and you miss a decade or so. Make thee most out of it. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho