Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household, I'm up early talking with Kiwi and Peanut and asking them their plans for the day, trying to see what fun and interesting things they will get into today. I think that they are both content to sit around and watch the grass grow. They cut it last weekend and they insist they are going to sit back and relax today. Even they need a break from their adventuresome lives. 

Not too much is going on this weekend. Michelle will do the grocery shopping and that will pretty much be the highlight of the weekend. No plans on doing anything other than just enjoying a little bit of downtime. Kiwi and Peanut have decided to take full advantage of this opportunity. 

It is West Virginia's 163rd Birthday, so don't forget to sing some Country Roads and show a little gratitude that we live in a great state after kicking that lesser Virginia to the curb. 

Have yourself 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!!!!

Are you looking for a little bit of Cheap Entertainment this evening, and by cheap, I mean free? Well, head on down to the Ruby Ampitheatre this evening. Everclear will be the featured act at the facility. They had several hits in the 90's, including Santa Monica. Head on down if you have nothing to do, the price is right. 

Nothing going on this weekend other than normal stuff. Curt Brown passed away this week and his funeral was yesterday, I couldn't make it but I know Pam, and Terri did. 

Have yourselves a great day, make some memories. 

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Erica Nicholson

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my great niece Erica a very Happy Birthday today. If my math serves me correctly, she should be turning 22 years old today? 

 
Seems like it was just yesterday when we were all at the Hospital awaiting her arrival and here we are 22 years later with her already grown up, working and building her own life.

She is a great Mother to Ellie May and an amazing young woman. 

 
Not sure what if any plans there are for her today, and I don't even know what she has planned, but if you happen to see this young lady, wish her the Happiest of Birthdays.

 
Happy Birthday, Erica.

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 week's pic was from the Memorial Fund raiser for Nick. Michelle either volunteered or was volunteered to work the table and collect money for the fundraiser. Selling tickets and soliciting donations to step up and help out. She did an amazing job, and I really didn't get too many pictures from the day, but I did manage to grab this one of my lovely wife. 

It was a good day for the most part, everyone tried to remain focused on our primary objective, and that was to raise money for Nick Rehmani and his surviving family. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

June 17, 2026 – Operation: The Great BBQ Chicken Chase

Dear Journal,

Well, I can honestly say today was one for the record books.

It all started when Kiwi was sitting on the back of the couch, puffed up like a tiny green general, making plans for Sunday’s big Father’s Day BBQ for our favorite Dad and internet blogger.

“Every great BBQ needs chicken!” Kiwi squawked.

Peanut the gray tiger cat stretched out on the floor and flicked his tail. “I know where we can get one.”

That sentence should have been the first warning.

The Quackers, the two identical duck twins, immediately started quacking excitedly.

“QUACK! QUACK! CHICKEN MISSION!”

I, Lucy the tan and white Shih Tzu and the responsible leader of this household (at least that’s what I tell everyone), had a bad feeling about where this was going.

Thirty minutes later, we found ourselves sneaking across the yard like a team of furry and feathered secret agents.

Kiwi was the lookout.

“Chicken spotted at two o’clock!” he whispered.

Peanut lowered himself into his best hunting pose.

The Quackers waddled left.

The Quackers waddled right.

Actually, they both waddled the same direction because they’re identical and apparently share the same bad ideas.

“MOVE IN!” Kiwi shouted.

And that chicken took off like a rocket.

I have never seen something with feathers move that fast.

The chase began.

Peanut jumped over a flower bed and landed in a bush.

The Quackers tried to corner the chicken but somehow cornered each other instead.

Kiwi flew overhead yelling instructions that nobody followed.

“LEFT! LEFT! NO, THE OTHER LEFT!”

I chased the chicken around the yard three times before realizing I was just chasing my own tail because I got dizzy and forgot which animal I was after.

After an hour of chaos, muddy paws, scattered feathers from the chicken’s dramatic escape, and one very embarrassed cat, the chicken finally stopped and looked at us as if to say:

“You four are terrible at this.”

And honestly?

The chicken was right.

Kiwi looked at the chicken.

The chicken looked at Kiwi.

They both had feathers.

A moment of understanding happened.

“You know,” Kiwi said quietly, “maybe a bird shouldn’t be on the menu at a family celebration.”

The Quackers nodded.

“QUACK. FAMILY.”

Peanut sighed.

“I suppose hot dogs and burgers are easier to catch anyway.”

I barked in agreement.

So we marched back home, covered in dirt, smelling like the backyard, and with absolutely no chicken for Sunday’s BBQ.

But we did make a new friend.

The chicken is coming to the BBQ as an honored guest.

Kiwi promised not to tell any chicken jokes.

Peanut promised not to stare at him.

The Quackers promised not to teach him how to steal potato salad.

I made no promises because I am the only one in this house with any sense.

And if you believe that, you have never met my family.

Until next time, dear Journal…

Stay mischievous.

🐾 Love,
Lucy

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is over, now we are staring straight down at another spring time Tuesday, time for a tidbits

* It has been 22,817 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,466, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 8,072 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. Has it really been 22 years? 

* 6,665 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,869 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 5,906 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 3,044 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 1,698 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,280 days, I've now outlived him by 1,555 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 276 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 2,073 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.

* 231 more days until Phil steps to center stage once again for Groundhog Day. I'm still mad at the damn rat

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

* There are 191 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 176 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are only 60 more days to go until Michelle and I will celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary......maybe

* There are 6 days until my second favorite season begins, Summertime!!!!!!

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

* I have written 8,391 blogs in what is now 21 3/4 years of Blogging.

* Still working 10's this week and probably next week as well. 

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

* Looking for Girl Scout Cookies? Ryleigh's Page

* Looking for Girl Scout Cookies still? Arabellas Page

* 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 are both being stubborn this morning. They realize it's summertime and they are on summer vacation (even though neither one of them is in school) and they have decided that they are going to sleep in today and let the hoomans do their thing. 

I'm still working 10's this week and should be for the foreseeable future. I still have my intern and will until the end of July when their program is completed, and they give them a couple of weeks before school starts back up. They have a lot of programs for them throughout the summer, including attending weekly meetings and luncheons. I think there are 10 or 12 in the program, but my department has one and they are working with me here in Morgantown. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit in a quiet household, and Kiwi and Peanut are quite happy with themselves. They teamed up with Lucy yesterday to figure out the problem with Mom's Chromebook; it was doing some crazy things and couldn't log her in on her profile. Kiwi researched it and said maybe we just need to wash it (set it back to factory and then reload the profile), and wouldn't you know, that was the solution. It's back to normal, Lucy said. The storms may have corrupted the profile, and it could not recognize the keyboard properly. They did an amazing job fixing it. 

I did manage to wake up and get an early start yesterday, and got the grass mowed. I didn't know if it was going to rain or anything, so I made sure to get an early start to make sure I could get it cut. Michelle did the grocery shopping as I was cutting the grass, so we got everything done fairly early. 

So what is on today's agenda? Nothing much, just relaxing and taking it easy to prepare for the upcoming week. It's going to be basically just some downtime. Might even watch a baseball game, the College World Series is going on, and I kind of follow a team that is in it this year. 

Have yourselves a great day.