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Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Lucy's Journal

 


Lucy’s Journal – May 27, 2026

Well folks… today the crew invaded the Morgantown Mall, and honestly, I think the mall may still be recovering.

The whole adventure started because I said the dangerous words:
“Let’s just stop in for a minute.”

Everybody knows there is no such thing as “a minute” at the mall.

The Quackers marched in first like they owned the place. They waddled straight toward the arcade, already arguing about which game they were gonna dominate. Five minutes later they came stomping back out grumbling louder than an old lawn mower.

“This arcade ain’t what it used to be!”
“Where’s the good racing games?”
“Half these machines just want you to scan a card!”

One of them spent three dollars trying to win a stuffed pickle and somehow lost every single time. The other one got mad at a claw machine and accused it of “psychological warfare.”

Meanwhile, I wandered off toward the shoe stores. Now listen… I did NOT need another pair of shoes.

But did that stop me from looking?
Absolutely not.

There I was holding up sandals, sneakers, boots, and shoes with little sparkly things on them while trying to convince myself they were “practical.” Peanut followed me the whole time dragging dramatically across the floor like a tiny striped hostage.

Every few minutes Peanut would sit up on his back legs and beg random shoppers for cat treats like he hadn’t eaten in six years.

One lady actually opened her purse and said,
“Oh my goodness, you poor thing!”

Poor thing?!
That cat had snacks TWICE before we left the house.

Peanut then had the nerve to look back at me like,
“See? These people understand me.”

And Kiwi?
Nobody knew where Kiwi disappeared to for nearly twenty minutes.

We finally spotted him up in one of those decorative food court trees. He was perched way up high like some tiny feathery detective watching everybody below.

I swear he was judging every person carrying pretzels.

Every once in awhile he’d yell:
“WHATCHA EATIN’?!”
right as somebody sat down with fries.

At one point a teenager dropped nearly his whole milkshake because Kiwi leaned out of the tree and screamed,
“HEY BUDDY.”

The food court went completely silent for about three seconds before the Quackers started laughing so hard one of them snorted lemonade out his beak.

By the end of the trip:

  • The Quackers declared the arcade “washed up.”
  • Peanut collected enough treats to open a small business.
  • Kiwi established full surveillance over the food court.
  • And I somehow left with two pairs of shoes I definitely didn’t plan on buying.

So all in all…
pretty successful mall trip.

Wednesday

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Tuesday's Tidbits

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

* It has been 22,796 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,445, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 8,050 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. 

* 6,644 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,848 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 5,885 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 3,023 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 1,677 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,280 days, I've now outlived him by 1,533 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancĂ©e 255 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 2,094 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.

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

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

* There are 212 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 197 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are only 80 more days to go until Michelle and I will celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary......maybe

* There are 27 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 8,366 blogs in what is now 21 1/2 years of Blogging. 

* The students are Gone!!! I'm loving it!!!

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

* There is going to be a benefit for Nick not this Saturday but the following Saturday. 

* 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, May 25, 2026

Monday

This is about when I would give the spiel about headding to start a new week of working and changing the world, screw it, it's the unofficial start of summer and Memorial Day. It's a day off for this guy and Michelle. 

No major plans for the day other than doing some brats on the Blackstone. Kiwi and Peanut of course said they will monitor the grill and do all the cooking for their favorite hoomans. 

We'll probably just relax for the day and prepare to hit it hard again starting tomorrow. It's been a relaxing weekend, that's another word for rainy, so just going to prepare for tomorrow and spend some time with the animals. 

Happy Memorial Day, remember the fallen. 

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Sunday

Here I sit in a somber household, Kiwi and Peanut have decided that they want to go with us today to place flags on a couple of grandfathers' and my Dad's gravesites. They all served in the military, but none of them were killed in combat, but we will honor their time and service anyway because they have all earned it. 

Michelle went to Lowes on Friday and picked up a number of the smaller flags that they use on gravesites for us to place. If I only make it once a year to the graves, this is the weekend where I make sure that I take time out and honor those family members who are no longer with us. It is the very least I can do to pay tribute and remember these great men. She picked up a few extra to place in her flower pots around the house, I already changed the big one on the flag pole for the year. 

It's been a wet weekend to say the very least, it rained friday and yesterday and is raining today already. Wet is a way I would describe this whole weekend. 

They had High School Graduations on Friday, both Morgantown and University High had their commencement ceremonies on their football fields in the middle of all of this rain. It was a lack of planning on some highly paid indivuduals and a state land grant institute who tried to get greedy with the state tax payers that I honestly think some educators and executives need to lose their employment. Absolutely disgusting way to treat people celebrating a lifetime achievement. 

Have yoursleves a great day.

Saturday, May 23, 2026

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a semi-quiet household, Kiwi and Peanut are of course up already, they are complaining that it's too warm in the house and I reminded them they are more than welcome to grab the AC from the garage and stick it in the bedroom window so we can regulate the temperatures down here a little better. They are innovative and inspired, and they just want to hook the wagon up to the tractor and drive it down here. 

So I'm on a three-day holiday weekend, my lovely wife is on a 4 day as she was off yesterday as well as Monday. So what is on today's agenda? Other than grocery shopping, probably not too much. I mowed last week, so the grass looks pretty good and can go another week. 

This is the weekend I make my yearly trip to three cemeteries. I'll Start out at Arnettesville, then on to East Oak Grove and we will finish up at Mount Union. I take small little flags and put them on family members who have served and clean up the graves. Might even take the weed eater with me again this year just in case. Have yourselves a great day, a great weekend an an awesome day. 


Friday, May 22, 2026

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 and the start of a three day weekend!!!!!!

I don't know what I am going to do with myself, three whole days off and I've been working 10 hour days (for overtime) since Nick had his wreck. Hopefully it will be filled with Happy times and memories, the students are gone so that is one factor of the Happy Times. 

I'm hoping to maybe fire the grill up this weekend, no plans but it is a three day weekend so it's a good time for the first cookout of the year. 

Michelle is off today and may be running to Rogers Ohio with Jim and Chris, she has a mammogram this morning and then they are talking about running up there after that. I'll be working. 

Have yourselves a great day and the start of a great weekend. 

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Happy Birthday(s) Pam and George McClain

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Sister Pam and an early Birthday to my brother-in-law George and wish them both a very Happy Birthday today (although George's is Saturday). 

Pam is a sister that any brother would be very proud to have. She is the most genuine of the genuine, and it is an honor to call her my Baby Sister and one hell of a Grandmother. She would do anything for anyone and is one of the most innocent souls anyone would ever want to meet who has purple hair. 

George is the brother-in-law who would be my first round draft pick in the Brother-in-Law Draft. He is a brother from another mother to say the least. 

If you happen to see or talk to Pam today or George on Saturday, take a little bit of time out of your busy day and wish this special lady or this fine young gentleman a very Happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Pam and George a little early.

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 happened last Thursday, Layla was graduating from the MedEd program and she was the Senior speaker for her class at University High. There is a whole album on Facebook that I posted up. 

I think she deserves not one but two pictures posted up (out of 145), I can't express how proud of her both Michelle and I are of her. She actually won the first award of the night called Mountain Movers and when they were talking about it and didn't announce who the winner was, I just knew it was Layla. She is that dedicated and that focused. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho