Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household, Kiwi and Peanut are playing a game of Operation. Peanut is kicking Kiwi's butt on this because she is much more patient, and those surgical claws make things easier for her as opposed to Kiwi's trying to use his yapping beak while trash-talking his sister. 

Yesterday was my official last day with Parsons. I have my equipment packed up, and I'll take it to FedEx this morning to return my PC Tower the two monitors (that are really nice), and my laptop. It was a great job, but they ended the Casual employment thing as a few supervisors were taking advantage of workers, and some filed complaints that they were unethical (they are govt contractors, this is big), so rather than get dinged, they just ended the program altogether. I really haven't worked for them since June and it was a feast or famine type of job. I can still work for them if the situation presented itself; I would just have to go back through a third-party vendor like Lancesoft, like I did before. 

I had a pretty good week at work, I'm about done with the training PowerPoint for the new website for the putage management site. My boss's boss wrote roughly 30,000 lines of code to make this thing work and I even have to say it is state-of-the-art. I can't show it to anyone because the information inside is both proprietary and protected by TSA-ISS. 

Michelle was off yesterday and is enjoying a three-day weekend. They had to take their network down for system upgrades, so they gave her the day off. She's happy.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

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 it is with some sadness that I have to announce that today is my last official day with Parsons. HR has decided to eliminate the Casual Employment situation and that affects me and my situation. I really haven't had any billable hours since June, hence why I am at Hope Gas, but this ends a three-year stint of employer either as a contractor or as a Parsons employee. I really like my boss and he was sad to call and tell me last week, but we ended up doing more BSing than work talk. I have a bunch of equipment to send back, a workstation, dual monitors and a laptop that all need to go back. If any work comes up, Marlan would rehire me through a third party (like when I worked for them through Lancesoft). It's basically just changing my situation again. 

So what is on my agenda for the week? Same as every other week. nothing planned, Michelle will do Sams Club shopping tonight and we are planning on another boring evening at home. 

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 few years, back to when we won our first of three Steelers Trivia Championships. 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.One of the prizes if you get field passes for before the game. 

Michelle and I went down early, the guy you see behind us? Hines Ward who was the first player out on the field by hours that day. He happened to win the Superbowl MVP that season, the team we were playing was the Colts and Payton Manning won the Superbowl MVP the next season, the Santonio Holmes won it a couple of years after Peyton, right after Eli won it. 

I remember it was cold as hell that day. Hot Chocolate hit the bleachers and was frozen before it ran off the edge. 

Have yoursleves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

🎳 Lucy’s Journal – The Great Bowling Cat-astrophe 🎳

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Dear Journal,

Tonight will go down in history as the night we were politely encouraged to leave the bowling alley.

It all started when I casually suggested that the gang try something “classy.” Naturally, that translated to Kiwi yelling “STRIKE!” at full Green Cheek Conure volume before we even got out the door, Peanut sharpening her claws on my shoelaces in preparation for “competition mode,” and the Quackers marching in formation like they were heading into athletic battle.

We chose our teams very scientifically:

• Team Feather & Fur – Kiwi and Peanut

• Team Waddle & Wonder – Lucy and the Quackers

The trouble began at the shoe counter.

Peanut insisted on size 7s “for traction.”
Kiwi attempted to carry off three different neon pairs because they “matched his aura.”
The Quackers refused shoes entirely and tried to bowl barefoot, which apparently violates several policies.

---

🎳 The Alley Action

First frame: Kiwi insisted on being the “coach.” He rode on top of the bowling ball all the way to the foul line before dramatically launching into the air mid-roll. The ball guttered. Kiwi blamed “lane turbulence.”

Peanut, however, is a natural.

She crouched.
She focused.
She swished her tail like a metronome of doom.

And then — STRIKE.

The entire alley applauded. One older gentleman asked if she was “league-certified.”

The Quackers tried synchronized bowling. They pushed the ball together… which might have worked had they not pushed it backward into the ball return. We learned two things:

1. Bowling balls are heavy.

2. The ball return makes a very alarming noise when you use it incorrectly.

Lucy (that’s me) attempted grace. I did a smooth approach, confident swing, and—
…fell directly on the polished lane.

Style points? Yes.
Pins? No.

---

Escalation Phase

Kiwi began announcing everyone’s scores in a dramatic sports-commentator voice:

“PEANUT TAKES THE LEAD WITH ANOTHER STRIKE! LUCY ENTERS A REBUILDING YEAR!”

Peanut knocked over two more strikes and a spare.

The Quackers formed a pep squad and started chanting, which turned into marching, which turned into sliding. One of them somehow ended up in the snack bar holding a pretzel bigger than his head.

At one point, Kiwi attempted a trick shot by dropping the ball from shoulder height.

We were given a friendly reminder about “standard bowling technique.”

---

🏆 Final Score

• Peanut – 162 (clearly a ringer)

• Lucy – 88 (with flair)

• Kiwi – 74 (claims sabotage)

• The Quackers – “Participation Ribbon”

Peanut strutted out like a feline champion, tail high, demanding celebratory tuna.

Kiwi insists there will be a rematch “under regulation tournament conditions.”

The Quackers are banned from synchronized backward pushing.

All in all, a successful evening.

No permanent injuries.
Only minor embarrassment.
And one slightly confused bowling manager.

Until next time,
Lucy

P.S. Kiwi is currently practicing his “victory speech” in the mirror. He did not win.

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

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

* It has been 22,714 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. mom is at 30,368 which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 7,966 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. 

* 6,560 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,764 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 5,801 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 2,939 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 1,593 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,273 days, I've now outlived him by 1,456 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 171 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 2,178 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.

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

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

* There are 296 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 280 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are only 164 more days to go until Michelle and I will celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary......maybe

* There are 16 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 8,268 blogs in what is now 21 years of Blogging. 

* 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

* This is my favorite Tiktok, a little song about concrete. 

* 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.

Michelle and I are off to work, the two house pets are taking it easy band relaxing because they know next weekend they actually lose an hours sleep when Daylight Savings time begins so they are trying to compensate for it.  Must be nice to live the carefree life of an animal with great humans. 

So whats up this week for me. Still chugging along on one big project, also preparing some training materials for a new website we are pushing out to Dispatch, and a couple of other things on my plate. Don't worry, I'm not bored at all with delivering usable products. I think they are really starting to like me more so than ever before. 

Have yourselves a great day, make some memories. 

HI ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit in a quiet, but entertaining household. Kiwi and Peanut wanted to do something special for Michelle and me, so they have decided to put on the play Romeo and Juliet for us here at the house. Kiwi has built a stage in the back bedroom, and they have been rehearsing all weekend in order to surprise us. Such thoughtful pets, I don't know what I would do without them.

I do have to submit my taxes before the end of the weekend. I did them last weekend and wanted Michelle to go over them for me to look for any mistakes that I may have made, and then we can file them. I owe the state again this year, just like every year except last year,  but what I owe the state was greatly reduced by what I paid in Vehicle taxes, and now I owe the state a whopping $4. I think I can live with that...lol

Other than that, nothing really is planned for us. The Olympics have concluded, so I guess that means I'll go back to watching Adama Sandler movies and South Park reruns all weekend. 

Do you believe it is already March? I'm looking ahead at the forecast, and they are calling for it to be 70° on Friday. I like that a hell of a lot better than single-digit temps when it is just too damned cold. 

Have yourselves a great day, make it special and rest of for the week.