Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is over with and I have to go back to work with these 10 hour shifts for the rest of the week, good reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 22,672 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. zmom is at 30,326 which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 7,924 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. 

* 6,518 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,722 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 5,759 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 2,897 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 1,551 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,273 days, I've now outlived him by 1,414 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 129 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he saids we would be the first to know. 

* I have 2,213 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.

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

* There are 338 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 315 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are only 199 more days to go until Michelle and I will celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary......maybe

* There are 58 days until my favorite season begins, a lot of people love different seasons, I am a Spring person who loves the Springtime. 

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

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

* I have written 8,220 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. 

* This is my favorite Tiktok for this week, got to love the birds. 

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

* Have yourselves a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday Morning Gratitude

Mondays usually come with alarms, coffee refills, and that familiar mental checklist of everything waiting to be done. But this Monday feels a little different. Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and with it comes a rare and welcome gift—a day off.

Dr. King’s birthday isn’t just a name on the calendar or an excuse to sleep in (though I’ll gladly accept that part). It’s a reminder to slow down and reflect. His words still echo decades later, calling for kindness, equality, and the courage to stand up for what’s right—even when it’s uncomfortable.

Having the day off gives space to think about those ideas without the usual rush. It’s a chance to appreciate progress made, acknowledge how far there still is to go, and consider the small ways we can live out those values in our own lives. Not through grand gestures, but through everyday actions—listening more, judging less, and treating people with respect.

So today, I’m enjoying a quieter Monday. Maybe a second cup of coffee. Maybe no alarm at all. A little rest, a little reflection, and a lot of gratitude for a holiday that honors someone who challenged the world to be better.

Tomorrow, the grind will be back. But today, I’m thankful for the pause—and for the reminder that even on an ordinary Monday, we can choose to move forward with purpose.

Happy Monday, and happy MLK Day.

Sunday

Here I sit in a quiet household, Kiwi and Peanut are actually still sleeping (do you believe that), and it is actually quiet around here. There is no mischief or anything going on, except Kiwi now wanting to play 52 pickup with the little toys just outside of his cage walls. That's a little game he and Mommy love to play. 

Do you need an example of sometimes life moves too fast? My little flower girl from our wedding is turning 18 years old today. She is a High School Senior at University High and in a program that is pretty much going to help her get a start in the Medical Field, and she has been in the program for a couple of years now. I know Michelle, and I are both honored watching this little baby grow into a beautiful woman. Happy Birthday, Layla. 

No plans for the day, but what else is really new. I am excited the watch the season 2 finale of Landman sometime today. I just started watching it this past fall and by the time I was done streaming season 1, season 2 was starting and now it is getting ready for its conclusion. 

Have yourselves a great day, make it special. 

Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit in what I like to call a quiet household, I'm not quite sure of the two animals who live here understand that Saturday is my day to sleep in, because Peanut is banging on the drums and Kiwi is playing the electric guitar. They have been playing a lot of Van Halen, Peanut thinks she is Alex and Kiwi thinks he's Eddie. They have contacted David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar to come and sing with them, but no answer from either of them. I think they just reached out to Neil Diamond to fill in, but we'll have to wait and see if Neil us up for that. 

So what is on today's agenda? Michelle is going to run and do our grocery shopping and that is about our highlight for the weekend. She has been under the weather the whole week with a massive headache (I know we are married), but it is not a migraine. She's meeting with her Doctor on Tuesday, so she will bring that up. 

I have a three day weekend, due to MLK day on Monday, which means I will be working 10's once again this coming week. That should pretty much be the end of it for a few months as I don't think their next Holiday is until Good Friday. I like the 8 hour shifts but don't mind the longer shifts especially when there is time off associated with it. 

I hate to say this, but my football season is over with. I'll still watch the Super Bowl and maybe a game or two, but the STeelers are out and with Mike Tomlin stepping down earlier this week we have a new era that is getting ready to begin in Pittsburgh. 

Have yourseleves 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!!!

I swear this is the time of the year when writing the Friday Blogs are the most difficult. Starting in about May there is a Concert series every friday night at the Ruby Ampitheatre where they bring in a number of acts throughout the summer, many have been headliners in years past and there is usually a lot of really good music. After that series is over with I can start talking about High School Football and what WVU has going on that weekend. They are space fillers for me and help me write my blogs. I am going to have to rely on my own intellect and creativity to fill this space for a few months. 

So what is new, Michelle will be doing the shopping as she usually does every Saturday. I slow her down so she likes to do it on her own after we plan out some kind of a menu for the week. Other than that not too much is going on, especially during this time of the year. 

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

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.

How about this one from 2021, it features not one but two Birthday Girls today. Yes Chris and Michelle were both born on the dame day, but a couple of years apart, but they do both share the same birthday. 

Two remarkable and special ladies in my life to say the very least. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Michelle Dawn Hall

I would like to take this opportunity to wish what I truly believe as the best wife in the Universe a Very Happy Birthday today. This is my soulmate and the absolute love of my life. I do not know what I would do without her, she is an absolutely amazing woman.

 
Mother, Wife, Daughter, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, Cat Mom, and Bird Mom are things she does and does very well. I have to say that I am very lucky to be able to witness all that she does on a daily basis.

 
She is lucky to share this Birthday with her Sister Chris who is also celebrating a birthday today. So if you see either of these lovely ladies, make sure you take a little bit of time out and wish each of them a very Happy Birthday today. We are planning a group outing this evening to celebrate both Michelle's and Chris's Birthdays. Japanese Steak House here we come. 

 
Michelle, I Love You with all my heart and I truly appreciate everything that you do. 

Lucy's Journal

Lucy’s Journal — January 14

Dear Journal,

Today turned into one of those “we should’ve known better” kind of days, because somehow the regular crew decided that Monopoly was a perfectly reasonable way to spend an afternoon. It started innocent enough — snacks on the table, music playing, and everyone agreeing that this time we would “just have fun.” That promise lasted approximately seven minutes.

Kiwi immediately claimed the little green house pieces and began stacking them into what he called “luxury bird condos,” insisting that birds should always own property near the railroads for easy travel. Peanut, sitting with his tail wrapped neatly around his chair, chose the top hat token and said it “gave him an air of authority,” which was a polite way of saying he planned to be ruthless.

By the third lap around the board, all civility was gone. Peanut somehow owned half of Boardwalk and Park Place, and every time someone landed there, he’d flick his tail smugly and announce, “Rent is due.” Kiwi tried to negotiate by offering snacks instead of cash, which was creative but did not hold up under Monopoly law.

Things really got spicy when Lucy (that’s me 😇) landed on one of Peanut’s hotels and nearly went bankrupt. I accused him of running a feline real estate scam. He accused me of poor financial planning. Kiwi tried to mediate but ended up buying another railroad instead.

By the end of the game, Peanut was swimming in fake money, Kiwi was buried in properties he forgot he owned, and I was left clinging to Baltic Avenue like it was a life raft. No one officially flipped the board, but it was definitely considered.

Still, I have to admit, even with all the dramatic accusations, wild deals, and suspicious dice rolls, it was a pretty perfect January evening. There’s something special about watching your friends argue over imaginary money while eating snacks and pretending it actually matters.

Tomorrow we might go back to being normal.
But tonight, Monopoly ruled the house. 🐾🎲

Wednesday