Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, I seem to be the only one awake and I'm up watching who knows what on the boob tube behind me (as if I have eyes in the back of my head).

I'm not sure what I will be getting into today, it is Chad's Birthday today, he turns the big 3-0 today. I know Michelle had talked about making him something he likes called apple crisp for his big day. It's some dessert Laiah's Mom used to make that he really likes and she promised to make it for him. Happy Birthday Chad.

No idea of my plans for the day other than to try to stay cool. It's supposed to be a hot one with the temp's going into the 90's for the day. I will most likely be preparing for the start of a new quarter tomorrow with RTI. It's the official start of quarter number three, and a time when my life gets very busy for a a while. My case load is not too heavy this quarter and the proximity of where I am going to work is ideal.

Try to stay cool today and for the next week or so, as it is supposed to be in the 90's for at least a week or so. Make sure you get plenty of water pace yourself working outdoors.

Have a great day and enjoy the weather.

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.

We made it through another week of working and are getting ready to enjoy our weekend. Hopefully the weather will hold up and we can get a few things done that need to be done around the house.

Typical For us, work, Sam's Club and going out to dinner later this evening. Our Friday's are usually pretty routine and this one isn't going to be much different, we are creatures of routine and habit, that is for sure.

The weather is supposed to be in the 90°'s tomorrow, make yourself some plans and have a great weekend.

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.

For six years of my life, from 1991-1997 I lived and worked at a place in Fairmont called the Helmick Corporation. I was the lead over the melting operations, which means I did a lot of metal pouring (see my jacket that I wore to the left) to actually running and loading the furnace (in background).

Over a course of 6 years, I would guess my average work week if you totaled them all up and averaged them would have been somewhere around 60 hours a week. I never worked only 40, and sometimes worked as many as 82 in one week rebuilding ladles (on the right) during down time.

I would walk into this building every day and I would say to myself, this is my domain. I gave my heart and soul to this job and was very proud of what I had done, who I was leading and our ability to do what we did. It's a big part of who I am, even all these years later.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well that is two days down, two more ahead of us, now it's just and over this noon time hump and we will have this week going downhill as we work towards another fun filled weekend.

Well all my pre-third quarter stuff for RTI has been completed. I've sent out my lead letters, done my quarterly training and attended the kickoff call for the quarter yesterday. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the calendar to say Sunday and I'll head out into the field. I'm ready for a good quarter and I'm not traveling that far to this segment. I can actually walk out in the driveway and see the entire segment, so locality of where I live is a prime for this quarter.

Michelle and I are talking about possibly bringing back something similar to our past summer picnics next year. Don't know any dates, or even a location as everything is subject to change, but Jonathan is talking about making a trip up this way and it would be a nice way of getting everyone together all at once. A six George Hall Sr offspring photo may very well be a possibility next year. It would be a magical moment, that's for sure. We'll have to wait and see though.

I did get some news earlier this week, the contract I used to work on was awarded and was given to a branched off version of a company I used to work for when I originally went to NETL. When they lost the next contract in 2009, I went to work for a smaller company that was partnered with the winning team. I left that company last August after nearly 8 great years, the company they were partnered with did not win this round of contracts. Being a Small Veteran owned company gives them some options if they choose to pursue them. Hopefully it all works out for everyone.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho.

Tuesday's Tidbits

*  Monday has been completed, now it's time to turn our attentions to Tuesday and a Tidbits.

* It has been 19,932 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 calendar's.

* It has been 5,147 days since I graduated from West Virginia University with a Degree in Geography.

* 3,762 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, 10,000 BC and Pizza Hut.

* 2,979 days ago I proposed to Michelle, in the back yard at 4:00 in the morning.

* It was 2,516 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became Husband and Wife.

* I have now lived 141 days longer than my Dad did, I appreciate each and every one of them.

* I have 4,907 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 1,544 days away.

* 221 more days until Groundhog Day, this is when Phil will tell us about an Early Spring in 2019.

* 188 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, the blog that is my last blog of the year and recaps the previous year. There will be some big things discussed this year, that is for sure.

* There are 267 days until the next start of my favorite season, Spring 2019.

* There are 182 more shopping days left until Christmas, not quite time to start preparing your lists, but it never hurts.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 158 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* We are 67 days away from the start of the 2018 WVU Football season when the Mountaineers will open up the year against Tennessee in Charlotte NC.

* There are 48 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Seventh Wedding Anniversary together.

* There are 31 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending. Alabama, Brett Michaels and Montgomery Gentry will be the featured acts throughout the weekend.
* There are 10 more days until we go and see Jimmy Buffett again in Burgettstown. Fire up the Limo

* I have written 5,293 blogs in what is now my 13+ years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,707 more to go until I reach that Milestone.

* Bother Search completed.

* No Drone flights this weekend, I should have flown but I didn't.

* This is my last week of one job, my RTI job starts again this Sunday with the start of another quarter.

* I was asking Michelle this weekend if she is ready for all the concerts we are attending in July. She is definitely ready.

* Want to feel old, the album Purple Rain by Prince was released 34 years ago yesterday.

* This weeks Riddle: What is something people spend a lot of money on but never want to use.

* 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.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

* OK, answer to this weeks riddle: Insurance.

Monday

Weekend is over, time to take our collective noses and stick them back on that grindstone for another week of doing what it is we do for a living.

Some of my leftover thoughts from the past weekend that I didn't address. After speaking to Jonathan late last week, and some of the input I have gotten from the In Law part of the family, I'm thinking about bringing back the picnic next summer. Jonathan would like a chance to meet everyone, but most of us are here and he is down in Florida, he was asking about a get together if he would be able to make it up north in the future. Could a six sibling of George Hall Sr descendants picture be a possibility in the future?

Now that Michelle has a new employer with a great future ahead of us, maybe it's time to start to consider our next venture out into the Atlantic Ocean. We are cruisers and this is what we love to do, maybe it is time to start looking and thinking about our next one. My tidbits could use another count down..lol.

Oh man, it's time to clear my weekend mind and start concentrating on my work kind. Thoughts shifting in 3....2....1.....

Have a great day, no Softball tonight

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, I'm up with a little bit of heartburn and something playing on the TV behind me, I have no idea what it is but I think Tom Cruise is narrating. I'm up as I usually am and trying to collect my thoughts for the day and somehow trying to make them appear semi-coherent.

I'm probably going to have to spend some time today getting some of my 3rd quarter materials ready for the next quarter with RTI. I'm only working one segment this quarter due to proximity and the next closest segment is closer to someone else than me. I listed it last summer, but with the hours I'm committed to at NETL I would spend half of my time traveling back and forth so to speak.

I did find out that a Rural King is supposed to go into the old K-Mart location. I'm sure we will see a number of new businesses coming into the area as the the other side of the Interstate is developed tying in the old Morgantown Mall to the University Town Center. The area is quickly developing.

Our plans for the day are to just simply go shopping this morning and relax for the day. A new work week starts tomorrow and the weather doesn't look like it's going to be cooperative today, so it might be a good day for a nap.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again on a quiet Saturday Morning. I'm up and at em early this AM and I've got nothing on the boob tube behind me and just sitting here collecting my thoughts on the day.

Michelle and I had a great time at the game last night, the Black Bears won 4-2  over the State College Spikes. It did rain a little last night, but they were giving away free ponchos and we grabbed one or two or three or four. They were giving away free clear bags when you walked into the gate, so we got a couple of those as well. I was expecting a downpour of rain, but it held off and we just got a few sprinkles here and there.

Today's agenda, Michelle is going and working at the Vet this morning, and I'm going to take a trip north of the border to Harry's Custom Meats to grab some fresh meat to stock up on. We usually do this once or twice a month, we looked for the longest time for a real butcher and we found one pretty close to home.

Other than that Michelle and Chad were nice enough to manicure the Moo Chow a couple of nights ago while I was at work, so I don't really have to worry about that today. I think we finally have it under control and are ahead of it. We catch all the grass clippings as well, so it does look really nice.

Have yourselves a great day, make it memorable.

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 Michelle and I are going to the Black Bears game this evening, it's time to buddy up and get our picture taken with Cooper and cheer on the Black Bears. This will be our first game of the season and there are Fireworks scheduled for after the game, which usually happen every Friday Night after a home game. We're just a short season A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but we do love our teams.

I did speak to Jonathan briefly last night and told him his daughter Sarah had given me a Facebook friend request. I chatted back and forth with her for a little while, she is still in the active Military and has done deployed to Iraq where she met her Husband. Jonathan had previously told me that she had done a couple tours of Iraq and one of Afghanistan. She seems very nice and I look forward to learning about my long lost family member and his descendants.

Have yourselves a great day today, live it to the fullest and and enjoy every moment of it.

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, all of the way back to 2010 and the Chicken Wing Cookoff that we used to have here in Morgantown. It's when all the local restaurants would come together at a venue and compete against each other for who had the best local chicken wings.

This picture is from one of the events held at Mylan Park, Jean and Michelle were at chowing down on some chicken wings. True Story, Jean at well all day and ended up with more tickets than she started with. She was such a cunning shyster that she would get her wings and never give any of the vendors their tickets to get paid out. it was always a game with Jean and she was the master of it.

Memories of yesteryear are priceless.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Happy Friday Eve, Eve!!!! Two days down, two more ahead and now all we have to do is get up and over this noon time hump and it will be all downhill working towards another fun filled weekend.

Well West Virginians, Happy West Virginia Day. It was on this day in 1863, or 155 years if you are using the traditional calendar, that West Virginia said see ya later Virginia, we out of here. See no longer want to be ya and adopted the name West Virginia (I think they should have to be called East Virginia).

This is also the last day of my personal favorite season, Spring Officially ends tonight and tomorrow will be the longest day of the year as we start summer. This is the point where days change direction once again and days start getting shorter instead of longer.

I am going to send a "care package" so to speak to Jonathan. Mainly print outs of pictures and little descriptions of each sibling plus Dad and our Grandparents on the Hall side. This will give him a little bit of a background as he works to develop his knowledge base of us. Could there be a Florida Trip sometime within the next year? Michelle and I are discussing it.

Have yourselves a great day, live it to the max.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

*  Monday is once again behind us as we have a new week started, time for a Tidbits.

* It has been 19,925 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 calendar's.

* It has been 5,140 days since I graduated from West Virginia University, I am still doing what I was trained to do in college and I'm taking it into a whole different direction. I'm a trendsetter.

* 3,755 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, it was our first date together and the starting point for the rest of our lives.

* 2,972 days ago I proposed to Michelle, she new it was coming and she knew the day I was going to propose, but I still made her wait. I'm thankful she did.

* It was 2,509 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became Husband and Wife.

* I have now lived 134 days longer than my Dad did, I appreciate each and every one of them.

* I have 4,913 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 1,551 days away. You can tell it's a deep seeded hatred when you are counting this down for this long.

* 228 more days until Groundhog Day, this is when Phil will tell us about an Early Spring in 2019.

* 195 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, the blog that is my last blog of the year and recaps the previous year. There will be some big things discussed this year, that is for sure.

* There are 189 more shopping days left until Christmas, not quite time to start preparing your lists, but it never hurts.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 165 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* There are 55 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Seventh Wedding Anniversary together.

* There are 38 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending. Alabama, Brett Michaels and Montgomery Gentry will be the featured acts throughout the weekend. Ticket's are now $50 each for the weekend, we bought ours just before Christmas for $40 each for the entire weekend and before all acts were named.

* There are 17 more days until we go and see Jimmy Buffett again in Burgettstown. First time ever on a Saturday Night for me, this should be good. We are taking a Limousine up this year for this years concert. We're going in style this year and I don't have to drive.

* There are 2 more days to go until the start of Summer, this is going by too fast, slow down...lol

* I have written 5,286 blogs in what is now my 13+ years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,714 more to go until I reach that Milestone.

* Bother Search, yes I found him and I have spoken to him. Search is over now we are starting the next chapter of getting to know each other.

* No Drone flights this weekend, I should have flown but I didn't.

* Chris is teaching Vacation Bible School this week, Jonny and Maddie are here all wee staying with Mamaw while she teaches.

* I'm loving this warm weather, this is my season although my favorite season is about to end. I love Springtime, but Summer comes in Second on that list.

* Michelle is loving both of her jobs and we are now a 4 income family...lol

* This weeks Riddle: When the I answer I give is yes, it is no, and when I give the answer no it is yes. What is the Question?

* 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.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

* OK, answer to this weeks riddle: Do You Mind?

Happy Birthday Erica Jean Nicholson

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my great niece Erica Jean Nicholson a very Happy Birthday today.

It's hard to believe that this young lady has grown up in the blink of an eye and became a teenager, but that was last year, if my math is correct she should be turning 14 years old today. Where have all the years gone and why did they go by so quickly.

Erica is turning into a beautiful and intelligent young woman and it is a pleasure to be around. She likes fishing and riding dirt bikes.

If you happen to see Erica Jean today, make sure that you take a little bit of time out and wish her a very Happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Erica, I hope you have a wonderful Birthday.

Monday

Weekend is over and it's time to get back on it and do what we do for a living for another fun filled week of working.

Looking at this week ahead, it should be a busy one. I've got a Softball game this evening at 7:00, it has been a month since we hit the field and if by chance we would get rained out, it is going to be a couple more weeks before we play again. I would like to play this evening, we are long overdue.

Michelle will be traveling at least once this week. For Xtreme Labor Solutions she is going to a Job Fair on Thursday up by the Meadows Racetrack. They are trying to hire 100 drivers for a few contracts that they have. They are looking for Class A and Class B CDL with Tanker endorsements. She will be offering jobs to a  lot of qualified candidates and helping them through the employment process. She may also travel earlier in the week to Summersville and Charleston, two other locations around the state for their company. Working for MEPCO she has already worked with many of the people she will get to meet face to face possibly this week. She's just part of their team now instead of the person writing the checks to them. She is also working as the book keeper for Morgantown Veterinary Care and she absolutely loves both positions. She's went from being bored, too being being challenged and loving it.

Have yourselves a great day, swing over by the ballpark at 7:00 to watch a bunch of old farts play Softball.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Fathers Day

A very Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers out there, this is a day that like Mother's Day has it's origins here in North Central West Virginia as the first observance was in Fairmont (Mothers Day was founded in Grafton).

For me there have been two men who have been influential in my life. First was Grandpa Hall, he was the one who instilled the morals and values in me that I have to this day, I completed my education in honor of him.

The second would be my Dad (Pictured here) whom left us way too early at the age of 54. For the record, I'm the good modest good looking guy in the back of the picture.

Our plans for the day are that we are going over to Jim and Chris's fro a cookout this afternoon.

Have yourselves a great day and a great Father's Day

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household, I'm up early with the TV playing something on it behind me as I am starting to wake up and contemplate what I am doing today.

Well the answer to that question is firing up the lawn mower and mowing grass. Michelle is going in to work at the Vet's this morning, Chad is going to be working on some tanks and I'll be here firing up the Troy Bilt and taking on the growing abundance of  manicured Cow Chow that some people refer to as their lawn.  I'm up to the task, although it is going to be warm today.

I did get a chance to speak to Jonathan last night, Michelle and I called and spoke to him and Barb for a little while. She is taking all kinds of note for him and I shared the "My Little Home in West Virginia" video with them and walked them through who each one of the people in the pictures were. I have a number of videos like that to share with him, some from picnics, some me just playing around and a number of Christmas videos through the years to play. I don't wan't to bombard him, so I'll share one very so often and let him soak it in.

Have yourselves a great day

Let the cow chow battle begin....when the sun comes up.

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 has been an accomplishment filled week. I made contact with my older brother after years of searching, he spoke with his Mother and Michelle started her job at Xtreme Labor Solutions and is still getting her office set up. She's also doing the books for Morgantown Veterinary Care and is juggling doing both jobs. It's not a financial decision, it's more of a challenge decision and if you know my wife she hates being bored.

I would say this has been a great week all around, a memorable one to say the very least.

I think Michelle is going into the Vet tomorrow to try to get that whole situation worked out, she is going to be busy for a while to say the least, so that limits what we may get ourselves into.

Have yourselves a great day and an awesome Friday.

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 is borrowed, but very special to say the least especially with the events that have transpired over the past couple of weeks. This is my big brother, the one I have been looking for, this is Jonathan Wall. I stole this picture off of his Facebook wall so that people outside the immediate families could see who he is. I thought that this weeks picture needed to be about him, and it is.

My phone call with him went great. He was scheduled to speak to Carol, his biological Mother last night, he's going to have a lot to soak in. I'm going to need to build him a flow chart of all of his siblings so he can understand that he has seven additional siblings that he didn't know about previously.

Have yourselves a great day, it feels good to accomplish something.

Hi ho hi ho

Oh Brother Where Art Thou

This is a blog post that has been at least 38 years in the making as far as my perception, but 54 years in the making in reality. I will try to make this brief.

Short Background: When I was 16 (yes I am older than 21) years old and had just passed my drivers test, my dad dropped a bombshell on me. Thinking I was the oldest child, he admitted to me that I had a brother who was older than me.

Pan ahead about 10 years or so and he was going to some funeral that me and my siblings knew had some kind of a tie to that sibling. As we inquired he changed his story and tried to distract us as he did not want us to go looking for one reason or another. I respected his wishes and those wishes of my step mother for not really wanting to know anything about it or discouraging us to seek him out.

My Dad died in 1999, and Jean had passed away in 2014, clearing any obstacles or any misinformation that were in place for me to properly search. I never understood why that was until just a couple of days ago.

The Search Begins: Starting in February of 2015, my search had began after I had gathered the necessary information from my Mom as to the name of the woman who bore this child.

In March I had identified that person, wrote to her and got the more specific answers that I needed to continue on my journey. I had a birth date which would later be a big key in finding out the identity. They were very young kids at the time and really had not much say so as to what was going to happen, so the child against the Mother's wishes was placed up for adoption, creating a very huge obstacle both information wise and legally as it brought a whole new set of rules.

Submission of DNA: In August of 2016 I sent away for a DNA test sample and submitted it to Ancestry, hoping that they would do a similar action, but they had not and we were at a brick wall on both sides and did not know our next step. It was a long shot that hopefully that sibling was still alive and had also submitted a sample. There were no such results, the closest relative return I had was someone I know, my cousin Roberta.

The Revelation: On Sunday June 3, 2018 I logged into Ancestry and I sat there completely stunned. Seems that they had also submitted a DNA test in April of this year (takes 6-8 weeks to get the results) and his results were in, although at that time he had not logged in to see them.

It came across as 2,050 CentiMorgans which is in the range of "A grandparent, aunt, uncle and half sibling all would share the same amount (1,450-2,050) of centimorgans with you." and was shared across 59 DNA segments which is in the top of the range of (45-59) "Very High, about 99%" certainty all according to the Ancestry DNA section.

On June 3 I reached out to this person on Ancestry through the private messaging and provided my Facebook profile in hopes they would reach out to me. It was a broad response and not specific, and received no response.

In the mean time I started to search Social Media to see if I could find them. This is when the birth date came into play in my search. I searched his name and birth date and found my answer. This was my half brother.

On June 8th I still had not heard from him on Ancestry, so I wrote another message being much more specific, indicating exactly how we are biologically related.

On Sunday June 10th, around 6:00 in the evening, I had a Facebook friend request from him. We IM'd back and forth a few times, and at that (and this time) I am under the impression that he did not know that he was adopted. He stated he would like to speak to me in a few days and we set up a first phone call last night to answer some of his questions.

As I am writing this, this phone call has not taken place in real time yet so I am not going to comment on it obviously. I'm going to ask everyone involved in the search to just allow time for this all to develop. A 55 year old man just learned something about himself that he didn't know.

As of the time of this posting, the search is over and contact has been established.

Brother Search (February 11, 2015 - June 12, 2018)


Mission Accomplished.

Tuesday's Tidbits

*  Monday over, time for a tidbits.

* It has been 19,918 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 calendar's.

* It has been 5,133 days since I graduated from WVU, second best decision I ever made next to Michelle of course.

* 3,748 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, it was our first date together and the starting point for the rest of our lives.

* 2,965 days ago I proposed to Michelle, in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning.

* It was 2,502 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became Husbans and Wife.

* I have now lived 127 days longer than my Dad did, I appreciate each and every one of them.

* I have 4,920 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 1,558 days away. It's getting closer.

* 235 more days until Groundhog Day, this is when Phil will tell us about an Early Spring in 2019.

* 202 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, the blog that is my last blog of the year and recaps the previous year.

* There are 196 more shopping days left until Christmas, not quite time to start preparing your lists, but it never hurts.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 172 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* There are 62 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Seventh Wedding Anniversary together.

* There are 45 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending. Alabama, Brett Michaels and Montgomery Gentry will be the featured acts throughout the weekend. Ticket's are now $50 each for the weekend, we bought ours just before Christmas for $40 each for the entire weekend and before all acts were named.

* There are 24 more days until we go and see Jimmy Buffett again in Burgettstown. First time ever on a Saturday Night for me, this should be good.

* There are 9 more days to go until the start of Summer, this is going by too fast, slow down...lol

* I have written 5,278 blogs in what is now my 13+ years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,722 more to go until I reach that Milestone.

* Bother Search, found him.

* No Drone flights this weekend, I should have flown but I didn't.

* Michelle's first day on her new job is tomorrow, I'm very Happy for her as she is no longer stir crazy sitting at home.

* Michelle was planning on taking a trip with her cousin Julie next week to Amish Country, but they have had to reschedule. They are looking for a time period this coming Fall to reschedule it.

* The big discussion locally has been the purchase of the Haymaker Forest Area off of Dorsey Avenue. I've posted my opinion multiple times, and while I am big on Green Space, I think paying 4x the market value is not a responsible economic decision by city officials.

* This weeks Riddle: I am a fruit, if you take away the first letter in my name I become a crime. Take away the first two letters and I become an animal. Take away the first and last letters of my name and I become a type of music. What am I?

* 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.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

* OK, answer to this weeks riddle: A Grape

Monday

All good things must come to an end, and that does in fact include the fun filled things we like to work towards and refer to as weekends. Now it's once again time to stick our collective noses back onto the grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what it is we do for a living.

After having the past couple of Mondays off, we are getting the chance to put our undefeated record on the line this evening as we once again hit the softball field. It's been a long layoff and hopefully we will get a few of our players out this evening who haven't made it yet this year. We play this evening and next Monday and then we get another three week break. That's OK, I just love getting together with a great bunch of guys trying to accomplish the same athletic task as a team.

I'm meeting with the Army Corp of Engineers on Wednesday, and that will be the day Michelle officially starts her new job. We think this branch of the company is called Xtreme Labor Solutions, or Elite Coal Services, I think one is Coal Based and the other is Oil and Gas Based, Michelle's office from my understanding will handle both services.

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

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, this is probably because I'm up long before the Roosters decide to wake up. There is nothing on the TV since the movie I was streaming  has completed and I'm up surfing the net and collecting my thoughts on the day.

Well there is  a slight correction to yesterday's blog, Smitty and Steph's Anniversary Party is today instead of yesterday. I got my dates mixed up and for some reason was convinced that it was yesterday instead of today. I should have known better, the invitation is still sitting beside me, I just needed to take a second and actually read the words on the pretty picture...lol

So today's agenda is to get our grocery shopping done as well as anything else I need to do today and then head to coopers rock for the party today. Hopefully the weather can hold up and be nice like it was yesterday, but Mother Nature has a way of being a Geriatric Wench.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, I'm the only one apparently awake other than Peanut who I wonder sometimes if she ever sleeps. The TV is blank behind me as a movie I was streaming last night has ended, and I'm just here collecting my thoughts for the day.

Michelle and I have two different agendas for the day. She's heading back north to East Liverpool again today to celebrate her cousin Emily's Graduation, who will be attending Kent State this fall. She's leaving early this morning and is going to start the day off with a visit to her Grandmother's.

I will be staying in town and going to Smitty and Stephanie's 15th Anniversary Party at Coopers Rock. Should be a great day.

If weather permitting this weekend, I might even try to get a drone flight in. It has been a few weeks, and I'm itching to get out and fly it, but I would like to go somewhere new and fly it, if I'm going to get any better I'll need to challenge and develop my piloting abilities.

Have yourselves a great day today, make the very most of it and live it to its fullest.

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 do have to say one of the reasons I love working for AECOM is we all go together on Fridays and chip in and buy a bunch of Pizza's for lunch. We always order Pizza Al's which is always a favorite here in Morgantown.

With WVU done for the year and now the local kids are done for the year, traffic around Morgantown has been much less of a pain in the butt the past few days. No school buses to get behind and the population is much smaller, I love this time of the year.

Michelle will be starting her new job earlier than anticipated, she was starting on the 18th, but now she is going to start on the 13th or next Wednesday instead. I know she is excited to get back to work, I think she is more excited to be starting an office with one of her MEPCO co-workers. I can see this being a long term until she retires thing.

Have yourselves a great day today.

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 over ten years, when Michelle and I took today's Birthday Girl to Ohiopyle and we did a little bit of Geocaching out in the middle of the woods. We went and tried to find the Cascade Cache, but neither Michelle or I had much luck in finding it. Hayley on the other hand managed to find it hidden under a rock near the Cascade Falls.

As you can tell it was raining that day, we hiked down some big hill to find this cache and got a little bit soaked.

A very memorable day for me with two very special ladies.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Hayley Dawn Collins.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish this lovely young lady a very Happy Birthday today. She is going to hit that magical age where your car insurance just became a whole lot cheaper...lol

I am proud to call this young lady my Daughter, she is a hard worker who is not afraid to work multiple jobs, tackle any task and just take on the world.

It was just last summer that she wanted to clean her car seats, so she decided she was going to take them completely out of the car and steam clean them. As I was talking to Michael as to the best plan of action to remove them, she was already pulling one out of the car.

Not sure what her plans are for the Day, she does work a lot and has to make for Tyler and Luke, but if you happen to see or talk to her today, make sure you wish her the happiest of Birthdays today.

Happy Birthday Hayley.

Hump Day

Two days down, two more ahead of us, now it's just up and over this noon time hump as we work towards another fun filled weekend.

I can't complain, the week has been going pretty good so far and not one of those weeks that just drags like a muffler behind a car that is way past its prime. It has actually been just flowing along.

I did get a chance to talk to my Brother Gary yesterday, as it was his birthday, I caught him at Tonya's when I called there when I couldn't get through to his cell phone. He seems to be doing very well and sounds good. He's wanting to get up and see everyone in the near future and I can't deny I would love to see him as well.

Have yourselves a superfantastic day today, make the most of it and keep your head pointed forward without getting yourself too distracted.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

*  Monday over, time for a tidbits.

* It has been 19,911 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 calendar's.

* It has been 5,126 days since I graduated from WVU, and with the students gone I realize I like it better when they are not here even though I am an Alum.

* 3,741 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, it was our first date together and the starting point for the rest of our lives.

* 2,958 days ago I proposed to Michelle, in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning.

* It was 2,495 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I started to share the same last name as we became hitched.

* I have now lived 120 days longer than my Dad did, I appreciate each and every one of them.

* I have 4,927 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 1,565 days away. It's getting closer.

* 242 more days until Groundhog Day, this is when Phil will tell us about an Early Spring in 2019.

* 209 more days to go until my Goodbye 2018 Blog is posted, the blog that is my last blog of the year and recaps the previous year.

* There are 203 more shopping days left until Christmas, not quite time to start preparing your lists, but it never hurts.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 179 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* There are 69 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Seventh Wedding Anniversary together.

* There are 52 days to go until MountainFest Starts, we already have our tickets and this will be our second year of attending. Alabama, Brett Michaels and Montgomery Gentry will be the featured acts throughout the weekend. Ticket's are now $50 each for the weekend, we bought ours just before Christmas for $40 each for the entire weekend and before all acts were named.

* There are 31 more days until we go and see Jimmy Buffett again in Burgettstown. First time ever on a Saturday Night for me, this should be good.

* There are 16 more days to go until the start of Summer, Peanut likes the warmer weather. She told me.

* I have written 5,269 blogs in what is now my 13 2/3 years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,731 more to go until I reach that Milestone.

* Bother Search, I plead the Fifth.

* No Drone flights this weekend, weather really wasn't cooperative and I had something else occupying my time.

* We were off this week for Senior League Softball, we are even off again next week and won't return to action until June 11th. We're still 2-0 on the season and I don't think we have put our best team on the field just yet.

* Michelle is working a part time job at Morgantown Veterinary Care, she think's she is going to keep the job when she starts her full time job June 18th with Elite Coal Services so nothing new on that front.

* Michelle is going to head back home this weekend as well, one more Graduation to attend for the year as we are finishing the graduations and are getting into the birthdays.

* This weeks Riddle: What jumps when it walks and sits when it stands.

* 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.

* Have yourselves a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

* OK, answer to this weeks riddle: A Kangaroo

Happy Birthday Gary Hall

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the best brother any man could ever hope for a very Happy Birthday today.

It's Gary Allen Hall's birthday today, I've lost count as to how many years he is old, but I'm 21 so that should make him about....

Gary is currently living in the Moundsville area and getting his business back up and running. He's really got the right mindset this time and he is more than capable of making it all happen and cornering the construction market in the area. He is an amazing Carpenter and all around carpenter.

Not sure what he has planned for today, I wouldn't be afraid to wager that he is probably working today, but that is just my guess.

If you happen to see or talk to Gary today, make sure that you take a minute or two to wish him a very Happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Gary.

Back To Work

Alright that fun and educational thing we call weekends is now complete, now it is time to stick our collective noses back onto the Grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what we do for a living.

It should be a pretty busy week this week, there are a few birthdays coming up this week. Gary's is tomorrow and Hayley's is later this week as well as her Boyfriend Tyler's. It will be a week full of Birthday's so to speak to go along with yet another Graduation.

Things have been pretty busy the last week or so at work, I'm pretty sure I have earned the respect of the right people and that makes it a good place to go to every day. It's nice to be appreciated and respected on that high of a level. I might be getting myself some nice new and pricey toys.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, Michelle got back from Holly's early evening yesterday and now all the planets are aligned again. I'm up extra early, but am planning on laying back down. No idea what is playing on the TV, but something is.

It's amazing what kind of stupid facts you learn in the early morning. Yesterday I watched an old Richard Pryor movie that I used to love called Greased Lightning. It was the true story of the first back professional race car driver, a man named Wendell Scott from Danville Virginia. The big ending of the movie was when Scott was the first African American driver to win a race in the big what we call NASCAR Circuit today. He won the 1964 Jacksonville 200, which was actually ran on the day that I was born despite its name. It'a amazing what kind of insignificant facts you can learn in the early morning.

Oh what to do today, not too much out of the normal. Grocery shopping etc, just our typical Sunday with no frills or excitement. We, or at least I have become so predictable on my weekends. Next weekend Michelle is running back home again for another Graduation Party and I'll be staying in town for Smitty and Steph's 15th Wedding Anniversary Party.

Have yourselves a great day.

Saturday

Here I sit in a quiet household, I'm up collecting my thoughts for the day and listening to some fans running in the background. I think we lost power last night as I had to reset everything. which is why the TV ins't playing in the background. Peanut is up running around trying to dictate to me to let her Moeowtside.

Michelle was going to run back home today for Hannah's graduation, but she went back yesterday as Holly hurt her hip and needed some help. She went to Graduation last night and is helping set up for the party today. The last time Michelle stayed at Holly's, her brother Scott and his wife were there and they were both victims in the Sutherland Springs Church Shooting. Today however will be a celebration of Hannah's academic achievement.

My plans for the day depends on the weather, if it's nice out I'm planning on mowing the lawn and if it's not nice out I'll probably run around town and get some errands done. Hopefully I can get everything done today and weather will be nice, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Have yourselves a superfantastic day today.

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.

No big plans this weekend, Michelle is running back home tomorrow for Hannah's Graduation Party. I'll be hanging around the house, trying to act like a lazy bum. I am trying to master this art as of late, and I'm getting pretty good at it.

I have to say something to get it off my chest. Call it advice. This past week Rosanne Barr posted a tweet to twitter that basically cost her $3 Million as 11 hours later they cancelled her Contract and show for the next season. All because from some device she posted some pretty ignorant stuff.

In case you haven't noticed through the years, my blog is just plain vanilla and not many frills associated with it. The text can be repetitive and downright boring at times, but that is done by design. Something I try to never do on my blog, on Facebook, on Twitter or on any message boards is post ignorant stuff that can and possibly will come back to haunt you some day. I've watched family members fight on a blogger war, I've seen twitter battles that have ruined careers and I've seen enough Facebook drama to basically ruin lives.

I have one question and that is simply why? Why would you alienate family, friends, potential employers and co-workers, clients or someone who may be very meaningful to you someday. Why would you put something out on the Internet that 50% of the Population is going to have a difference of opinion than you. Two subjects to stay away from is Politics and Religion. I debate both of these subjects, but my identity is open and public, so there is a level of accountability that goes along with everything I say. Facebook and Twitter are not the place to be expressing your opinions in such a stern manner. You never know who is or could be reading, you don't know how some little slip of the fingers at a moment in time could hurt someone and how it could damage the world around you.

This is not directed at anyone specifically, it was just something I noticed this week with Rosanne Barr and what has happened to her. Now there are a bunch of co-stars and production crew who worked on her show who are unemployed because of a moment of ignorance. She's wealthy and she's not going to miss any meals, but what about the hundreds who depended on that show for a paycheck. Just think about it.

Have yourselves a great weekend.

Hi ho hi ho