Hump Day

Two days down yet once again, two more ahead of us and now all we have to do is get up and over this dreaded Noon-time hump and it will be all downhill as we work towards yet another fun filled weekend.

Well here in West Virginia we are still in the middle of a Teacher Strike, they have been out since last Thursday through yesterday, as of press time I am not sure about today's but I'm hearing that this may be a long one. I've read where some saying it could go at least until March 10th. I'm not a teacher nor am I employed by the state. I do however fully support the teachers in this effort. They are a very underappreciated and valuable commodity and they are the biggest influences on the citizens of tomorrow. I fully stand behind them and support them in this effort.

I've seen some parents say that they will keep their kids out of school if it extends the school year. My biggest question is why? They are preparing and gathering the tools that they are going to need in an ever increasing competitive work force. Why would you want to tie their hands on the greatest and cripple them. Education is the one thing that can be the difference to give them a head start in life, why would you take that away from them. You should learn something new each and every day we are on this rock, it's how you become more fully rounded and prepared. Success is when Inspiration, Perspiration and Education Intersect.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Weekend completed. Check. First day back to work completed. Check. Now it's time to concentrate on the next day which is Tuesday, and other than the sloth and blue footed boobies partying in my back yard, I can't think of a better reason to do another tidbits.

* It has been 19,813 days since my reported birth, by my calculation and using my patented 938 day calendar, that should make me 21 years old by my calculations or 54 by these old antiquated calenders.

* It has been 5,035 days since I graduated from West Virginia University with a Degree in Geography, specializing in Geographical Informational Science. Is it really going on 14 years since I graduated? Wow.

* 3,636 days ago Michelle and I went out for our very first date, Pizza Hut and 10,000 BC. Hayley's advice to her that night was to not drink Soda because it would make her burp.

* 2,8360 days ago I  got down on one knee at 4:00 in the morning at what is now my drone launching pad and proposed.

* It was 2,397 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I listened to a few words, poured some sand in a vase, exchanged rings and became Husband and Wife.

* I am now 22 days older than my father was when he passed away.

* I have 5,025 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, or at least start doing something else with my life other than working.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,663 days away.

* 340 more days until Phil tells me that we are going to have an early Spring in 2019, or lies again and we do anyways like we pretty much have had this year.

* 307 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, my favorite blog of the year to write where I get to take a little time out and reflect. It's the one time of the year that I look back on my year through the words that I write daily in my blog.

* There are 301 more shopping days left until Christmas 2018, never too early to start your shopping list, or at least that's what the kids think.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 277 more days. I've had a few of these.

* There are 167 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our magical Seventh Magical Wedding Anniversary. Amazing she has put up with me for that long.

* There are 149 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending.

* There are 130 more days until we go and see Jimmy in Pittsburgh!!!  Still haven't heard anything on any buses, which I would rather do this year.

* We have 21 more days to go until Spring, the Lilly's and Snow Crocuses are really starting to pop up. Peanut keeps tell me MEOW which translates into you said I could play outside when they popped their heads up Meow, or something like that.

* Daylight Savings time starts in 12 more days, we'll lose an hour of sleep but it'll get dark much later.

* I have written 5,164 blogs in what is now my 13 plus full years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,836 more t go until I reach that Milestone.

* Nothing new on the Brother Search, but what else is new. I've done DNA tests and nothing has been returned. If he did one, I would know it pretty quickly. I did get an e-mail yesterday about a first cousin twice removed. Probably the closest DNA test result I have gotten. Correction, I have a 1st Cousin once removed, but they are a Koon

* A couple small drone flights this weekend, nothing too big I've still got it on trainer mode learning orientation. You learn really quick when you get closer to trees.

* Auction this Saturday at the Woodland United Methodist Church. Here are the details and some of the items up for auction.

* I did get a chance to talk to my Brother Gary last weekend, he seems to be doing well.

* With all this nice weather, it might be time to consider firing up the smoker and or the BBQ in the very near future. It's just getting that time of the year.

* I haven't worked for RTI in about a month or so, I got the flu and my boss pretty much shut me down as to not infect any clients. I'm glad she did because my stubborn ass would have went out and made it worse. Got a month until the next quarter starts and I celebrate my second anniversary with RTI.

* What has no hands, but might knock on your door and you better open up if it does?

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator. Jackie has a few more she wants me to convert as well. Slacker I am.

* Have yourselves a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

* OK, answer to riddle....Opportunity.

Monday

OK all you workers, it's time to say goodbye to that wonderful thing called a weekend and stick our collective noses back on the grindstone for another week of doing what it is we do for a living and make this world a better place.

Looking at the week ahead, Jim and Chris are talking about having an Auction this coming Saturday at the Cassville Firehall. There will be a number of items from her Grandmothers home that will be up for auction, if you like collectible glassware this will definitely be the auction for you. My guess is it will be at 6:00 in the Gym at the Woodland United Methodist Church on the Mileground, I'll make more details available as they are finalized and I know about them.

The West Virginia Teachers who were all on strike this past Thursday and Friday have extended their walkout another day in most counties. The Eastern Panhandle will have class today, but the remaining 52 counties will be out. The #55Strong effort has been a strong one and the teachers have been shown much support and have spoken in one loud unison voice on these issues. I fully support education in West Virginia and I'm behind the teachers fully as I have a number of friends who are not only educators but state employees as well.

I did get a brief drone flight yesterday, I filmed the first part of it, but somehow turned the camera off and this is all the video that I managed to get. I need some controller time, that is for sure with this drone.

Have yourselves a great day and a great start to another great week of making a difference in this world.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit once again early on a Sunday Morning, the TV behind me is silent TV as some movie I was streaming has now ended and gone silent. I'm semi-awake early and collecting some thoughts before I lay back down.

I do have to say we did go to a few places yesterday to do a little shopping. Started off with Harry's to get some meat, then to Lowes to pick up a box fan then to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy Michelle a new Espresso Machine. She had a Mr Coffee one that her Dad gave her years ago, but my wife enjoys a good coffee and it's her only vice, so I told her to get what she wants and she found one she liked. I of course got a Sega Genesis, yeah 80's video games...lol

One thing I will advise though, if you spend more than $150 a year in Bed Bath and Beyond, they just came up with something called Bed Bath Beyond +. It;s $30 for a one year membership, and with that everything you purchase at the store, either in store or online get's a 20% discount and free Standard shipping for anything you order online. If you spend $150 a year there, the math is worth it and makes it a feasible option. I guess this is something new that they just came out with, and for us it is well worth it.

No drone flight yesterday, the weather just wasn't cooperative and it doesn't appear like it is going to be today as well. I am charging the drones battery, but may have to discharge it to store it again as it doesn't look like this is going to be any kind of a flight weekend.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit up a little bit earlier than normal today, Chad is still up watching TV in his room and I'm here surfing the net with the TV playing in the background.

I think we are going to take a trip to Harry's this morning, that is the butcher that we have been using and buying all of our meat from. I have no idea why I ever bought meat from a grocery store, this meat is always fresh, better priced and always the best choice. The retail portion is just a part of their business, they mainly do meat cutting and processing. They actually shut down for a couple weeks this past fall ton concentrate just on the cutting, but the trip is more than worth it especially to stock up a little which is what we do.

I think this afternoon we are going to go over to Chris and Jim's and keep sorting through the trailer. Michelle has Ice (her car) full of boxes and bubble wrap for all the glassware. Jim said he should have taken two trailers up, there was just that much stuff but ownership of her home changed last Saturday morning and time was of an essence to get everything out. Hence why Michelle went back home last Friday.

Weather permitting, I may try to fly the drone a little bit this afternoon or this weekend. Just around the house so I can once again familiarize myself with the controls and maneuvering of the drone. Hopefully the weather is cooperative today.

Have yourselves a great day. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword 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 once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

Well it looks like it is going to be another wet weekend, looking at the weather forecast it looks like it calling for rain all the way up until it's time to go back to work on Monday.

Taking that into consideration, something tells me that my drone will be idle once again this weekend as I await some better conditions to fly. I would like to take it out and really see what it is capable of doing, however with sporadic flights since Christmas I may need to practice around the house a little more before I take it and push it to it's 4 Kilometers away limit. It's large enough that I had to apply for an UAS Certificate number that has to be both on the drone and on the controller.

No idea specifically what we will be getting into, my guess is we will be going over to Chris and Jim's to continue to go through the trailer and sort out what anyone wants and what goes to auction down the road.

Have yourselves a great day, let's get this weekend started.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

As we are finalizing this years rosters for the 2018 Softball Season, I go back to the last season I played the regular leagues, back to the year before Michelle and I got married and we were sponsored by MiHaley's. It was the summer of 2010 when this picture was taken. It's one of me batting, which to be honest with you may have been my final at bat before I retired until 2016.

I got married the next year, so we were busy with the Wedding plus this team had all pretty much went their separate ways. We had lost our sponsor and Chris just didn't want the headache of coaching anymore. Brian and I ran the Recourse teams and I remembered all of the headache's associated with doing that, plus I had a full sponsorship with Recourse so money was never an issue. We always had enough to cover entry fees, uniforms and usually enough to play the early bird tournament as well.

I'm playing the Senior league once again this year and told Smitty I would fill in during emergencies for the A team.

We will once again be sponsored by Whitetail Crossing, thank you once again Ron and Sarabeth Blosser for your continued sponsorship.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well that is now two days down, of course one of them was a day I got to stay home for a Federal Holiday, now we have two more ahead of us and all we have to do up get up and over todays noon time hump and it will be all downhill to the weekend.

Wow do you believe that temperatures yesterday were actually in the 80's. Snow storm Saturday afternoon and 80° on Tuesday, go figure. This is the type of weather that gets people sick.

I know the nice weather, or cat Peanut who has been couped up all Winter is looking for a Meowtside kind of day. A day when she can run around and come and go as she pleases. I looked at her and simply said "Soon". The Easter Lilly's probably aren't too far from making an appearance and my favorite season is just a few weeks away. I should have had my drone charged up and ready to fly yesterday afternoon. It's calling for another warm day today, but it's also calling for rain.

Have yourselves a great day today, get out and try to enjoy this nice weather while we have the window.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Relaxing three day weekend completed, now it's tome to stick my nose back on the grindstone for the rest of the week. It's Tuesday, time for a tidbits.

* It has been 19,806 days since my reported birth, by my calculation and using my patented 938 day calendar, that should make me 21 years old by my calculations or 54 by conventional calender's.

* It has been 5,028 days since I graduated from West Virginia University with a Degree in Geography, specializing in Geographical Informational Science. I love my field and the challenges that it brings.

* 3,629 days ago Michelle and I went out for our very first date, she is an amazing woman and I am fortunate that that night happened.

* 2,853 days ago I  got down on one knee at 4:00 in the morning and proposed to the most wonderful woman I have ever met in my life.

* It was 2,390 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I listened to a few words, poured some sand in a vase, exchanged rings and became Husband and Wife.

* I am now 15 days older than my father was when he passed away.

* I have 5,032 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, or at least start doing something else with my life other than working.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,670 days away.

* 347 more days until Phil tells me that we are going to have an early Spring in 2019

* 314 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, my favorite blog of the year to write where I get to take a little time out and reflect.

* There are 308 more shopping days left until Christmas 2018, never too early to start your shopping list.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 284 more days.

* There are 174 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our magical Seventh Magical Wedding Anniversary. We will be married 7, have been dating 10 and have known each other for 19 years.

* There are 156 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending.

* There are 137 more days until we go and see Jimmy in Pittsburgh!!! Now we need to start looking for buses so we can just sit back and enjoy rather than sitting in traffic, setting up the tailgate, breaking down the tailgate and then fighting traffic to get out of there. Maybe we'll just pay someone else to take care of everything this year.

* We have 28 more days to go until Spring, I'm more than ready for some springtime weather.

* Daylight Savings time starts in 19 more days, we'll lose an hour of sleep but it'll get dark much later.

* I have written 5,158 blogs in what is now my 13 plus full years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,842 more t go until I reach that Milestone.

* Nothing new on the Brother Search, but what else is new. I've done DNA tests and nothing has been returned. If he did one, I would know it pretty quickly. I did get an e-mail yesterday about a first cousin twice removed. Probably the closest DNA test result I have gotten. Correction, I have a 1st Cousin once removed, but they are a Koon

* No drone flights this week, weather just wasn't cooperative and I didn't get out to fly. Hell we actually had a snowstorm Saturday afternoon and they are calling for 70° today! Spring is getting closer.

* We started going through a lot of Michelle's Grandmothers things out of her residence.Jim filled a big trailer up, Michelle does have the Pie Safe here and functioning. Looks pretty good too. Funny story as we were going through stuff, She found some old negatives in a box of jewelry, it was all pictures of the pie safe...lol

* I did find out Doss Enterprises in Jane Lew is going to be doing a lot of hiring. You must have a valid drivers license and be able to pass a hair follicle test (for Drugs) for consideration for employment. They haven't announced it on their web site yet, son this is a big heads up for anyone wanting to get into the pipeline business.  

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator. Jackie has a few more she wants me to convert as well. Slacker I am.

* Have I ever mentioned that I Hate Snow? I mean I really hate snow, especially at this time of the year. I'm done with it.

* Have yourselves a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

President's Day

Well here we are yet again, another Monday and the start of another fun filled work week. I am fortunate however that I get all Federal Holidays and today is President's Day. So I get to stretch my typical two day weekend into a three day weekend.

Not too sure what I am going to get myself into today, I do know that the one blog that takes the most time to write during the week is the one published tomorrow morning. Maybe it's time to fine tune it a little bit and give it the attention that it is due.

If the weather is cooperative, I might even try to take my drone out and fly it around a little bit. But who knows with this weather. It's not as predictable this year for some reason.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Sunday

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, maybe it's because I go to bed so early and awake early as well, I'm sitting here collecting my thoughts for the day and watching Castaway on HBO.

Michelle made it home yesterday, they had a trailer load of stuff from her Grandmothers house. Michelle has always wanted her Pie Safe and it is now sitting in our living room. Now it's just a matter of determining where it is going to go and what we have to move to make it fit.

Today's plans are going and doing our shopping this morning, just like every Sunday. Come home and finish laundry, or what is left of it and I'm not sure if we are organizing the living room or Michelle is going over to her sisters to go through the trailer and see if there is anything that she wants before they take everything else and have an auction. Jim's trailer was packed full, so there is a lot of stuff to go through.

We did get a bit of an unexpected snow storm yesterday afternoon, Michelle was already home and I looked outside and saw some pretty big snow flakes falling to the ground. We stayed in (best place to be during a snowstorm) and just stayed off the roads. I saw enough pictures on Facebook that indicated I didn't want to go anywhere.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I'm up watching Man in the Moon and collecting my thoughts for the day.

I did get my Buffett Tickets yesterday morning, so Michelle and I are set for the concert this Summer. I grabbed them yesterday as soon as I could, his tickets used to sell out in a matter of minutes. He didn't visit Pittsburgh last year and this year it is a Saturday Night are two factors that told me that tickets might not last. We got ours though, so we are good.

No Michelle today, she and Chris got called home to Ohio yesterday. They took Jim's trailer up and were cleaning out her Grandmothers home (Father's Mother) as they have sold the home and wanted to get all of the belonging's out of the residence before more things started coming up missing. She is 100+ years old and has lived independently until recently, and can no longer live independently.  She got the call yesterday Morning and they headed up then. So I'm here holding down the fort for the weekend.

No plans for the day, the weather does not seem like it is going to be cooperative to fly my drone, so that is out.

Have yourselves a super fantastic day.

Big Ole Hairy Fins Up

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword 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 once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday and a three day Holiday Weekend.

Today at 10:00, Jimmy Buffett tickets go on sale on Live Nation. I'll be there to make sure that Michelle and I get our tickets as I usually do most years we go. I think Michelle did it the last time we went due to me being in a meeting, but I should be good to go this this year. I have the alert set up on my phone to remind me in case I lose track of time. Fins Up, we're going again this year!!!!!

It's also a three day weekend for me. Looks like I am still off from RTI and will be enjoying the President's Day Weekend as Monday is a Federal Holiday. Not sure what is anything we will get into, I am feeling better which means we might get into something.

Have yourselves a great day, make a difference today and change the world.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back to when Pam, George and I all went and seen the Comedian Gallagher when he appeared at the Met Theatre years ago. I grew up watching and loving the Watermelon smashing funny man with the sledge-o-matic.

This picture is of the three of us (a couple other friends Chewy and Courtney were there as well and I think Chewy took the picture) was from a few rows back. We were all smart enough to know we were in the spray zone where food articles could and would be flying in our direction from the sledge-o-matic, so we wore rain coats to make sure our clothes underneath were protected.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Monday and Tuesday are now complete, we still have Thursday and Friday ahead of us and now all we have to do is get up and over this dreaded Noontime hump and it's going to be al downhill as we work towards another fun filled weekend.

More importantly, today is Valentines Day and I am very lucky to have a very special Lady be my Valentine on this day. My Lovely wife Michelle and I are going on 10 years since our first date, she is the person who inspires me and is my rock. I'm very lucky to have such a wonderful woman that I can call my wife.

I am going to take Michelle out for a Valentine's Day Dinner this evening, just not sure where we are going as of yet, but the place doesn't matter as I will have my special lady with me.

Have yourselves a special day and I hope you spend this Day with someone special.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again complete, now it's a Tuesday that we shall concentrate on.

* It has been 19,798 days since my reported birth, by my calculation and using my patented 938 day calendar, that should make me 21 years old by my calculations or 54 by conventional calender's.

* It has been 5,021 days since I graduated from West Virginia University with a Degree in Geography. I have been fortunate enough to specifically work in my field of study ever since I started working in it years before I ever graduated.

* 3,622 days ago Michelle and I went out for our very first date, we're still going strong.

* 2,846 days ago I  got down on one knee at 4:00 in the morning and proposed to the most wonderful woman I have ever met in my life.

* It was 2,383 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I made it official and became Husband and Wife.

* I am now 8 days older than my father was when he passed away.

* I have 5,039 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, or at least start doing something else with my life other than working.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,677 days away.

* 354 more days until Phil either causes me to celebrate or look for a good Groundhog Stew Recipe on the internet. Damn Rat.

* 321 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, my favorite blog of the year to write where I get to take a little time out and reflect.

* There are 315 more shopping days left until Christmas 2018, never too early to start your shopping list.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 291 more days.

* There are 181 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our magical Seventh Magical Wedding Anniversary. I have been blessed for each and every day I spend with her.

* There are 163 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending.

* There are 144 more days until we go and see Jimmy in Pittsburgh!!! Fins Up!!

* We have 35 more days to go until Spring, I'm more than ready for some springtime weather.

* 3 More days until Jimmy Buffett tickets go on sale for the Pittsburgh Concert. 

* I have written 5,151 blogs in what is now my 13 plus full years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,849 more t go until I reach that Milestone.

* Nothing new on the Brother Search, but what else is new. I've done DNA tests and nothing has been returned. If he did one, I would know it pretty quickly.

* No drone flights this week, but I'm itching to get out and fly my new toy. Now I just need to decide where I want to fly and what imagery I want to capture.

* Michelle still has a broken hand, but she has stopped wearing her brace and appears to feel much better.

* There is a newer technology in my field that is starting to develop, I may start to look into it and see if I feel I can market the service.

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator. Jackie has a few more she wants me to convert as well. Slacker I am.

* Have I ever mentioned that I Hate Snow?

* Have yourselves a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an abrupt end at some point, and that does include those relaxing and fun filled that we refer to as weekends. Now it is time for us to take our collective nasal passages and throw them back onto that grindstone that society refers to as work for another fun filled week of doing what it is we do for a living.

Looking at my week ahead, I should be closing out a couple of work orders and starting a new one. Spatially located the features that we could not find previously, this will help me close out a few things as they are all related and tied together. Time to start re-direct my efforts and start addressing other issues that may take a little higher priority. I do have a couple of meetings this week, including a training session on Log Out Tag Out. Once you complete the training there is an online test you have to take, I did put the horse in front of the cart and scored 100% on the online test, now I just have to sign my name and go to the training that I was supposed to do first...lol

One big thing I have to do this week, or my wife will kill me, is to go and buy our 2018 Jimmy Buffett Tickets online Friday Morning. Something tells me that since Jimmy took a year off from Pittsburgh and it's a Saturday Night, that these tickets will go like hot cakes like they used to. My guess is that they will be sold out in a matter of minutes like he did years ago. No mid-week concert this year, prime time Saturday Night in the Burgh. Fins up.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, me and Detective Peanut are up looking for the bathroom rug thief, I'm sitting here waking up and collecting my thoughts on the day. The end of the movie Wonder Woman is my background noise as it's on the TV, but I'm not watching it.

Well we had a change of plans yesterday, instead of going to Pittsburgh we ended up going to Terra Alta and Ball Outlet to look and see what they had. Michelle ended up buying a couple sets of King Size Bed Sheets for about a third of what we would have bought them for at JCPenny. While we were up there we tried Shorthorns, a place I had heard a lot about and saw it when I was working in Terra Alta. I have to say, this place is more than worth the trip. Amazing food and it's just an amazing place to just walk through. They have the oldest Model T in West Virginia fully restored sitting right in the saloon. First class establishment all the way.

After Terra Alta, I wanted to get some new clothes for work so we headed to the Morgantown Mall. Penny's is remodeling, so the choice was limited but Belk on the other hand is going out of business and everything is 70% off. Talk about being able to find a number of deals. The store is starting to thin out, but there is still a great deal of merchandise to choose from. We did run into Trish, Layla and Arron at the Mall as they were going out for a late lunch or a early dinner.

Our day of adventure did come to an end with a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond, Michelle wanted some new Pillows (she is the pillow queen) for the bed Penny's didn't have much of a selection. That and we exchanged a set of Chad's sheets that have a lifetime warranty on them as they wore a little thin.

It was  a good day, Michelle and I finally got a chance to get out and spend some quality time together instead of being cooped up inside the house.

Today, grocery shopping, laundry and preparing to go back to work tomorrow.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet Saturday Morning, I'm awake at this early hour but I was also the first one to fall asleep last night. I'm up watching some comedian on HBO and collecting my thoughts for the day.

Big announcement this past week, one that had me kind of excited. Jimmy Buffett is coming back to Pittsburgh this year after missing last Summer. After never missing Pittsburgh from the 1970's when he first started playing there, to two years ago when he almost forgot Pittsburgh to leaving it off the tour last year, I thought he was ready to retire and we had seen him for our last time. Well he has announced that he will be playing Pittsburgh this year on Saturday (first time for a Saturday) July 7th, tickets go on sale this coming Friday. Instead of driving up and setting up our own tailgate, we are looking into seeing if there are any buses that are going up. Mario's Fishbowl has traditionally taken a bus and taken care of everything, we are looking into doing that if they do that again.

Agenda for the day, we are thinking about doing something today, maybe a road trip or something. We've run a few ideas across each other last night, even thinking about going to the Carnegie Science Center or maybe something similar. Weather looks like it is going to be semi decent today and I'm starting to feel a little bit better finally.

Have yourselves a great day, get out and make the most of it.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes it is once again that time of the week that we all look foreword 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 once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

I am finally starting to feel a little better, this crud is still in my chest but it's not as bothersome as it has been. I swear this is one one the longest battles of the flu that I have had since I was out for 3 weeks and hospitalized with Double Pneumonia back in 1990. I'm functional, but this thing has lingered like I have never experienced before. Maybe it's because I lie about my age, you see I am a little over 21 years old as I claim.

Not sure of the weekend plans, I'm sure they are going to want to transfer my cases back to me for RTI since I have been out for so long. I'm thankful that they assigned them to someone else or this flu could have gotten much worse with me trying to work out in the field in these weather conditions.

Michelle's arm is still sore from when Ace jerked and broke it a couple of weeks ago, I do have to say that it has been an unhealthy winter for the both of us. I'm ready for Mother Nature to quit being such a gnasty witch and let the warmer weather commence.

Have yourselves a great one today, do something to make a difference.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back a few years, back to a time when I think we were having a going away party for Moke, I'm pretty sure that this was when we all got together before he left for Basic Training, we all got together at Krepps Park and had a little picnic for him. One of a few picnics that we have had at Krepps through the years.

Looking back at my Blog of the time, it was a dual purpose picnic of a birthday party for Calvin and a going away party for Moke. I wish I would have just uploaded pics back then like I do now as opposed to just linking them from my now defunct website's picture site.

It's amazing how this picture just seems like yesterday, yet so much has happened since I captured it.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Two days down, two more ahead of us, now all we have to do is get up and over this dreaded noon time hump and it will be all downhill as we work towards another fun filled weekend. 

The last remaining remnants of this crud in my chest is still there, I'm so ready for this crap to be out of my system and get life back to normal. I'm getting tired of Cough Drops and Day-quill, and am ready to start feeling normal again. This has been one of the most lingering flu session that I think I have ever experienced. I haven't been out working for RTI in two weeks trying to heal. 

I think the worst thing about a midweek blog is coming up with content. Coming up with something meaningful to say or discuss that has my interest, much less anyone who bothers to read what I write on a daily basis. Truth of the matter is I wake up, I go to work, I come home and eat dinner and I go to bed if I'm not out working my second job. It's a pretty boring life, especially during this time of the year when the days are short and cold. 

I think my Seasonal Affective Disorder is really starting to kick in. My body needs sunlight, warmth and some pleasant outside time when I can hear the birds sing, let Peanut out to play and actually enjoy a little bit of time outside when I get home from work. It's that long stretch from November to about March when the holidays are long over and you are just patiently waiting for Spring to give a rebirth to all the foliage and give us a fresh supply of oxygen to liven up our days. 

I'm ready for the concert season, time to fly my drone, smoking meats on the weekends, and just swinging on the swing in the back yard as we wind down from our days. Spring is still 41 days away, which is a little less than six weeks (Thanks Phil), I'm ready for Softball, picnics, day trips, and the smell of the dogwood tree tickling my nose and my sense of smell. I'm ready for Gardening season, and sunlight, for the days of warmth when you just don't want to waste them sitting at home doing the same thing day after day. I'm ready for trips to places like Ohiopyle or some state park and just packing up our little grill and going out and grilling some brats. I'm ready for baseball, hot dogs and going to the ball park on a sunny afternoon. I'm ready to do some exploring and seeing things I have never seen before with my drone and sharing it with everyone. 

I'm ready for Spring and the solution to Cabin Fever. 

Have yourselves a great day, make a difference. 

Hi ho hi ho 

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is now done and over with, now it't time to concentrate on a Tuesday.

* It has been 19,791 days since my reported birth, by my calculation and using my patented 938 day calendar, that should make me 21 years old by my calculations.

* It has been 5,014 days since I graduated from West Virginia University with a Degree in Geography. One of the proudest days of my life. Yes I would do it again.

* 3,615 days ago Michelle and I went out for our very first date, 10,000 BC and a pizza from Pizza Hut.

* 2,839 days ago I  got down on one knee at 4:00 in the morning and proposed to the most wonderful woman I have ever met in my life.

* It was 2,376 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I made it official and were married by a Chiropractor.

* I am now 1 day older than my father was when he passed away. I managed to outlive him so far, now it's a matter of totaling how many more days.

* I have 5,046 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, or at least start doing something else with my life other than working.

* The next Backyard brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 1,684 days away.

* 361 more days until Phil either causes me to celebrate or look for a good Groundhog Stew Recipe on the internet. Damn Rat.

* 328 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, my favorite blog of the year to write where I get to take a little time out and reflect.

* There are 322 more shopping days left until Christmas 2018, never too early to start your shopping list.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 298 more days.

* There are 188 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our magical Seventh Magical Wedding Anniversary. I have been blessed for each and every day I spend with her.

* There are 170 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending.

* We have 42 more days to go until Spring, I'm more than ready for some springtime weather.

* I have written 5,143 blogs in what is now my 13 plus full years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,857 more t go until I reach that Milestone.

* Nothing new on the Brother Search, but what else is new. I've done DNA tests and nothing has been returned. If he did one, I would know it pretty quickly.

* No friends and family picnic for 2018. We thought about it and have decided not to do the same thing we have done the past four years.

* No drone flights this week, but I'm itching to get out and fly my new toy.

* .Michelle still has a broken hand, it's taking time to heal.

* Still fighting off this chest cold, it got pretty bad last two weeks. I just want this thing to finish its course and be done with.

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator. Jackie has a few more she wants me to convert as well. Slacker I am.

* Have I ever mentioned that I Hate Snow? Phil and French Creek Freddie, I blame this all on you.

* Have yourselves a great day

* Hi ho hi ho

I made it.

I have finally made it to a day that has been messing with me for some time, a day that you have to question your own mortality and wonder if you will make it to that date.

It was July 20, 1999 that my father was 19,790 days since his birth, that my Father's time on this earth had come to an end. At age 54 I said then that he was way too young to have passed away, he had missed out on way too much of life by dying at that point of his life.

Today is my 19,790th day since I was born, the exact same age my Father was when he passed away. He had two sisters, Juanita who passed away at 58 years of age and Glenna Mae who made it to 46 years of age, so the thoughts of my own Mortality have come into question as I approached my Father's exact age that he passed.

Now it's time to start counting the other way, how much longer that I am going to live than my Father did.

Monday

Well the Super Bowl is all over and so is all the partying and everything associated with it. Now it's time to get back to doing what it is that we do for a living and start another fun filled week of doing just that. Time to stick our noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of making this world a better place.

I did get contacted by Smitty yesterday and he is doing the pain staking and pain in the butt task of putting together this years softball team. I guess they are going to play in two leagues, but I indicated I'm only interested in the over 50 league. We are picking up a couple of my old team mates from 20 years ago from my understanding, so that will make it a lot of fun for me as these were a couple great guys and it's going to be the highlight of my year to play with them again.

One thing we did decide on for 2018, we tossed it around for a while and decided not to do the Friends and Family Picnic this year. I think it has run its course and served its initial intended purpose of Christmas in July for Jean the year she battled and lost her battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Maybe we'll organize a get together somewhere like the Pittsburgh Zoo or even Hovatters, some type of place that will not be too expensive and not too far away for everyone. I'm just starting to float alternative ideas out there.

Have yourselves a great day today, do something to make this world a better place.

Hi ho hi ho 

Sunday Morning Thoughts

Here I sit yet once again in a  quiet household, I was the first one to get knocked out by the dreaded Sandman last night and I'm the first one to recover this morning. I'm up watching something or another on HBO and collecting my thoughts for the day.

Well today is Super Bowl Sunday, the New England Patriots will be playing the Philadelphia Eagles this evening for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. We have no plans for the game as I don't think any of us are inspired for the game this year plus Michelle was having Migraines yesterday and this crud is still in my chest.

Typical Sunday chores today, maybe mix in an afternoon nap and that is pretty much our agenda on this day. Basically relax and recover and get ready for another week of working.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet Saturday Morning, I'm up early watching some comedians on HBO and collecting my thoughts for the day.

I've still got a touch of this flu left in my chest, I wish I could say it is all gone but remnants of it still remain and I will be the first to tell you that I am ready for this crap to be gone. It's going on two weeks and I have been taking care of myself, but it still remains. I've been sleeping OK as opposed to being up every hour, so I guess it is making progress.

No plans for the day, still trying to recover and get healthy. We did end up going to Harry's last week and getting a lot of meat that we ended up throwing in the freezer for future use. We've quit buying meat at Grocery stores as we can get it cheaper, better quality and much fresher from Harry's.

It's still a little too cold to fly the drone, it may be sitting idle for a couple for a couple of weeks as we wait for the weather to break. I did order and received another set of propellers as a backup set so we are good to go with the drone as far as being ready to fly. I would like to find someplace fly that is not restricted air space and I can take it off training mode and see what it is actually capable of.

Have yourselves a great day today, stay warm and make the most of it.

Damn Rat

* Cut off the head, tail, and feet of the damn rat who saw his shadow this morning. Skin and remove the insides very pianfully. Make sure you remove the scent glands as he is screaming for mercy. You'll find them around the top of the groundhog's front legs and the lower back, in the small of it.

* Rinse the inside of the groundhog thoroughly with water and then the outside, and then cure groundhog three to four days or just nuke his ass alive.

* Cut the groundhog into sections. You decide how many, just keep remembering six more weeks with every chop.

* Fill a pot with enough cold water to cover the varmit, usually two quarts. Add ½ cup vinegar and 1 to 1½ tbs. salt. Add a slice of onion, if you'd like. Place the varmit in the vinegar and salt brine and cover. Leave it in the pot for 8 to 12 hours. Decide what recipe you'll use after the groundhog has soaked in the brine. I've decided for groundhog stew. Pour off brine, thoroughly rinse, and beat dry or until spring comes.

* Boil the groundhog in 2 quarts of water for 20 minutes. If foamy water rises to the top, skim it away. Afterwards slice into 1 to 1½ inch pieces.

* Chop 1 onion, 1 celery stalk, 2 garlic cloves, 6 to 8 carrots, and 4 to 6 potatoes. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until fork tender and don't forget to add lots and lots of garlic.

* Mix ½ cup of cool water with 1 tbs. flour. Mix until the flour blends without lumps. Add to stew to thicken the broth. Once it's done, salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

If anyone is looking for fresh groundhog...

Big Ole Hairy Phil Day

Today is the Day, the day that my old Buddy Phil up North gets all the attention in the world, and Phil gets to be the worlds most admired meteorologist today.

Yes the world is paying attention to Phil up in Punxsutawney and his GroundHog Day Festivities.

I have been bribing my old friend Phil for some time now, sending him some nice fattening Chocolates and some other delicacies. My strategy is two fold, if he does not see his shadow and Spring is Right around the corner, then the investment was more than worth it. It it doesn't pay off, I've fattened him enough that he will make a pretty hearty stew, but let's just hope he's just fat and happy and gets to see tomorrow.

He should make his announcement around 7:15-7:30, I will be paying attention to the prognosticator of  prognosticators for a favorable announcement as to what the next six weeks weather will be like.

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 and look through some of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet through the years and find one special picture that stands out. Little lost moments in time from yesterday caught with a Cameras lens and relived right here in my blog. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it consistently is however is a whole lot of fun.

This weeks picture goes back a number of years, back to when we were either Prime Thyme or MVP Paintball Softball team, depending on which year it was and who our sponsor was. MVP Paintball Park was having their grand opening and our Softball team and WVAQ were invited to play against each other and be treated to a lunch even.

Sean and Danny were just opening the park and we were some of their first customers, it was our introduction to a sport that they were both very good at. Sean was actually WVU's coach and they were one of the nations top 10 team and it was an honor ton play against them.

We had a few days of playing Paintball that summer, something I wouldn't mind doing again someday if they opened up another paintball park locally.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho