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 and the start of the Labor Day Weekend.

Well Softball is officially over, we got a partial team picture a couple of night ago, now it's time to start watching some football. High School Football on your mind? You can keep track of the scores this weekend right HERE. The Mohigans have their hands full tonight as they travel to Ohio Powerhouse Steubenville. University High tries to start a winning streak tonight when they travel to Parkerburg to take on Parkerburg South. Clay Battelle travels to Meadow Bridge to do battle. Good luck to all three local teams tonight.

It's a three day Holiday weekend, however I am working tomorrow and taking the rest of the weekend off. I'm traveling so I'm going to get an early start as to I can be home in time to watch the Mountaineers take on the Tennessee Volunteers at 3:30. I'm not sacrificing my whole weekend, but I'm going to be off on Sunday. I may work locally on Monday, but we'll see.

Have yourselves a great weekend, I have a two hour early release 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.

With Softball Season winding up and another year is in the books, I thought I would take a picture of me from yesteryear, or about 15  years ago when I was still playing competitively, but was on the very backside of my 30's and getting ready to hit my 40's. This picture was taken when we had our Recourse team and we were a pretty bad ass team for a few years.

It goes back to a day when I still wore cleats instead of tennis shoes and wore ankle braces rather than knee braces so I didn't twist an ankle while running as opposed to today when I need knee braces to hide the fact that my knees are much weaker today than they were then.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Monday down, Tuesdays down as well, now we are reaching that ever so important part of the week when after lunch time we have cleared that hump and it is all downhill as we work towards another fun filled weekend.

Softball playoffs are in full swing after we completed the regular season Monday Night. Now we are focusing on eliminating teams and trying our best to be the last team standing at the end of the day. To tell you the truth I love spending time with the boys of summer, but it is also getting to the point where I am ready for the season to be over with and put my gear away for another year. It has been a sport that I have enjoyed playing for on and off (mostly on) 34 summers now. Starting with the WVU Intramural leagues long before I was ever a student and mostly through BOPARC Leagues. I've played on some great teams and played with a great bank of players that I still call friends if we are still playing together or haven't played together in decades. It's something that I have always enjoyed doing.

As we wind down the quarter for RTI, the season for Softball and as we are starting to prepare for our vacation in a few weeks, I think I'm on cruise control right now. Just trying to count down the days before Michelle and I take off for the Caribbean once again. I have to go and see everyones buddy Topher and spend a little time with him and relax a little.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

*  Monday is now in the rear view mirrors and it's time to tackle that good ole Tuesday, time for a tidbits.

* It has been 19,995 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 5,210 days since I graduated from WVU, fulfilling a lifetime dream that I had. I can remember being in my 20's and someone asked me what I would do if I won the lottery, go to college was my first response for some reason.

* 3,825 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, the night my changed for the better forever.

* 3,042 days ago I got down on one knee and proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning right in the back yard.

* It was 2,572 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I got ourselves hitched up and married.

* I have now lived 205 days longer than my Dad did, you really start to appreciate life a little more when you see your own mortality staring back at you.

* I have 4,844 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 1,481 days away.

* There are 343 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together. Yeah Us!!!!!

* There are 218 days until the next start of my favorite season, Spring 2019. Although I am happy that Football season is getting here.

* 165 more days until Groundhog Day, Phil has still been hanging around eating our Apples. I'm even tossing him some of my red delicious for him to eat.

* 125 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 119 more shopping days left until Christmas. It's time to start planning.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 95 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* 19 days away from our next cruise. We are once again on the Pride heading to the Caribbean. There are two cameras, the Foreward  and the Aft where you can see what is going on on the ship. You can watch all of our wacky adventures and see if they catch me streaking around the ship!

* We are 4 days away from the start of the 2018 WVU Football season when the Mountaineers will open up the year against Tennessee in Charlotte NC. It's getting closer...

* I have written 5,361 blogs in what is now my almost 14 years of being a Blogger. Amazing I have stayed with it that long.

* No Drone flights this weekend, I'm slacking on that aspect of my flight time. I'm running out of season to fly.

* I hate to mention this, but I do hate snow. sorry snowy weather is not my kind of weather.

* As I was writing this very blog, I was called by a survey company and was asked a number of political opinions on both a National and State level.

* As vacation is getting closer and closer, I need to start writing my vacation blogs which I still have not done any of the yet. I'm such a slacker.

* The Johnny Koon Light Up Night raised $4,925.00 for Johnny Koon Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund Saturday Night. An Amazing Night, but you can still donate and add to that total up until later today right HERE if you couldn't make it Saturday Night.

* I think we are planning on firing up our smoker this coming Sunday. Holiday weekend and all, we want to smoke some meats before we leave on our cruise.

* 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

Back to It

Well I did enjoy a nice one day weekend, now it's time for me to start another streak of consecutive days although this one will not go into double digits must less reach 35 days like the last one. Back to the office I go and starting another fun filled week of working.

We are scheduled to play our last regular season softball game of the season tonight, this season has been drug out for a little too long and we are just ending the regular season. I'm not sure when playoffs will begin, but I would imagine they will be this week so we can end the season and crown a champion. I like our chances, I think we have proven we can beat anyone and we're a pretty good team. We'll see after this week how good we were.

Looking at my week ahead it doesn't appear to be too occupied, no big meetings or anything but there is some Mountaineer Football at the end of the week, so that's a good thing. The one good thing about this week is when it's over there is a three day holiday weekend on the other side of it.

Have yourselves a great day.

HI ho hi ho

Late Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a still quiet household, I'm still the first one up but I overslept a little bit. The first thing I said when I got up is it's light outside. I'm an early morning person and am usually up way before the roosters, except for this day.

Had a good day yesterday, Jim brought his 0° turn mower over and Michelle and I took on the grass in no time, she ran the riding mower and I ran the push mower and we pretty much knocked it out in nothing flat. A big thank you to my Brother in Law Jim for loaning us that mower, it made the job so much easier and quicker.

Last night we went to the Johnny Koon Lantern Release, they had to semi change venues as the pavilion they used to use has been torn down and they are going to make it a practice field for Baseball with hitting cages and all. It was moved to where the old building was (no longer there), I told Paul that I saw .38 Special, who was playing in Pittsburgh last night, right where we were sitting. I would say it was their biggest and best turnout yet. This event keeps growing and growing each and every year.

Well I am officially ending my streak today, 35 consecutive days of working one job or the other is coming to an end. I'm taking today off and enjoying myself a little bit. I may have a day or two between now and October where I go out and do fieldwork, but the streak stops today.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a semi-quiet household, Chad's in his room just laughing up a storm playing some online game and I'm sitting here collecting my thoughts for the day and watching the Faculty on the boob tube behind me.

The Johnny Koon Light Up the Night Lantern and Butterfly Release is this evening at 6:30 at Wesmon Park in Westover. Michelle and I have gone the past few years to donate money to the Johnny Koon Brain Tumor Research Fund at WVU Children's Hospital and release some butterflies and lanterns into the sky for some majestic photo shots. It's a good cause and a lot of fun, grab the kids and head on over and enjoy the evening.

It was 38 years ago today that I lost someone every special to me. August 25, 1980 was the day that my Grandma Hall had passed away. I was raised by my Grandparents and my Grandfather had passed away a little over three years earlier, and it was me and her for the last three years of her life as I watched her wilt away to nothing due to the cancer she was fighting. A lot of who I am today, especially my getting up in the wee hours of the morning can be attributed to this wonderful woman. She was old school, she would wake up around mid night on laundry days do do laundry, on Sundays her mornings would start just as early as she started to make her home made rolls for the sunday feast she was going to prepare. I'm a better man today because of her stern discipline and leading by example to establish a work ethic. She is missed greatly.

I'll be heading out today to work, I'll be local or at least those are my plans. I may have to travel next weekend to do a little clean up. I thought I was working much closer than I am, I was asked to travel just to the south but it seems like I will have to travel about an hour and a half to the east. It is what it is.

Have yourselves a great day and come out and donate a few bucks this evening.

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.

The High School Football season is now upon us, Morgantown and Parkersburg battled last night, for the scores from last night and tonight make sure you check out the WV MetroNews High School Scoreboard. University High is on the road tonight as they travel to Moundsville to take on John Marshall High School. Clay Battelle is at home in Blacksville taking on the Hundred Hornets. I think Football season is finally and officially upon us.

I'm out working tomorrow, but I'm not too sure where I'll be working. I know they are sending me a section to do some cleanup work in and I'll be traveling for that. I'll imagine that will mostly be on weekends for the next couple of weekends as they take my section and pass it to someone else trying to finish it up.

Our cruise is a little over three weeks away and we will be leaving three weeks from tomorrow to go to Baltimore. We weren't going to go down the night before, until a few cruising friends wanted to get together before we set sail once again on the Pride.

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.

To commensurate the start of West Virginia High School Football Action, and being my Alma Mater is playing on TV this evening, I thought I would just select a pick from yesteryear of a game that I had went to. As you can tell by my vantage point, I'm high above the game action, I'm actually in the band room as we were recording the game.

Chris Ostien was filming the game that night since he used to be the Voice of the Mohigans and he did all of the recruiting and Highlight Tapes for those Morgantown Teams that used to dominate anyone and everyone they played against.

Have yourselves a great day and Go Mohigans!!!!

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Moke McClain

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my nephew Moke a very Happy 30th Birthday today. (OMG am I old)

It seems like it was only yesterday that Pam and George were having their first baby, a small and precious package of a young child that has grown into the Mountain of a man that he is today.

He is a pretty remarkable man, he's an Iraqi War Veteran, a great Husband and one of the best father in the world candidate's for Ryleigh's Daddy.

Not sure what his wonderful wife Ang has planned for Moke today, but whatever it is it is going to be a special day for him that is for sure.

If you happen to see him today, take a little bit of time out and wish him a very Happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Moke.

Hump Day

Well once again that is two days down, two more ahead of us after today, now all we have to do is get up and over this noon time hump and we will be able to see the weekend just off in the horizon.

After taking last night off after a double header Monday night, I'm going to be back out in the field this afternoon after work. I think we're about to enter clean up mode and my field time will start to diminish until the start of the next quarter in October. So unless they want me to go and do some clean up in other locations, I'm thinking I've got all the interviews I'm going to get this quarter, which is OK by me.

At my career job, it looks like I will be getting all the equipment that I requested including an increase in license level and a state of the art hand held GPS device that is sub centimeter accuracy. I'm such a Geospatial geek...lol

I did talk to Jonathan last night and he came through the surgery fine and is at home recovering. He called me and asked me to make sure that everyone is updated as to his condition. He's taking baby steps in the recovery process but the operation was much less invasive than originally fears and that should speed up his recovery time.

Tomorrow Night on RootSports, Morgantown High vs Parkersburg to open up the 2018 High School Football season. Go Mohigans.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesdays Tidbits

*  Monday is now completed and we are looking ahead to a bright and sunny Tuesday. Time for a tidbits.

* It has been 19,988 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 5,203 days since I graduated from WVU, my Alma Mater and I'm still working in my field of study. The Government is also giving me a nice chunk of money for some new toys too.

* 3,818 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, the night my changed for the better forever.

* 3,035 days ago I got down on one knee and proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning right in the back yard.

* It was 2,565 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I got ourselves hitched up and married.

* I have now lived 198 days longer than my Dad did, this is a streak I would really like to grow quite large.

* I have 4,851 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 1,488 days away.

* There are 350 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together.

* There are 225 days until the next start of my favorite season, Spring 2019.

* 172 more days until Groundhog Day, Phil has still been hanging around eating our Apples. Hopefully he gives me a favorable forecast or we'll throw his ass in the crockpot.

* 132 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 126 more shopping days left until Christmas. Walmart has their fall stuff up, and if you look hard enough you can find some Christmas stuff.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 102 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* 26 days away from our next cruise. We are once again on the Pride heading to the Caribbean. There are two cameras, the Foreward  and the Aft where you can see what is going on on the ship. You can watch all of our wacky adventures and see if they catch me streaking around the ship!

* We are 11 days away from the start of the 2018 WVU Football season when the Mountaineers will open up the year against Tennessee in Charlotte NC. It's getting closer...

* I have written 5,353 blogs in what is now my almost 14 years of being a Blogger, September 11th will be the 14th Anniversary of my Blogging for the first time.

* No Drone flights this weekend, I'm slacking on that aspect of my flight time. I'm running out of season to fly.

* I hate to mention this, but I do hate snow. sorry snowy weather is not my kind of weather.

* Been a week of surgeries and Hospitalizations around here. My Big Brother Jonathan had surgery in Florida and Mom and Gerald were in a  car wreck Friday afternoon and she returned to the Emergency room on Saturday.

* Got into an interesting conversation this weekend, someone asked my how much molten steel I have poured during my career. I did the math and came up with a very conservative figure that is probably even a little low. 23.5 Million Pounds. That is a lot of Molten steel to have poured in a career.

* Thursday Night Morgantown High School (my Alma Mater) will be taking on Parkersburg High School in High School Football action. FoxSportsNet Pittsburgh will broadcast the game and this will be the only home game until Late September as the next three games are all on the road.

* Speaking of Westover, the Johnny Koon Light Up The Night' Lantern and Butterfly Release will be on August 25th. Help raise some money for a much needed cause.

* 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

Monday

All good things must come to an end, now it's time to stick our noses back on the grindstone for another fun filled week of doing what it is that we do for a living. For me that is back into the office to start another week of doing what I went to school for.

We do have a softball double header this evening, I can't remember the last time I actually hit the field and it'll feel food to actually play again. A lot of long breaks in the Senior League and rain outs just make those long breaks that much longer. Two games on the agenda for this evening.

I have been put on the Morale Subcommittee at work, this is NETL wide and affects everyone. We'll be the group who does things like organize NETL softball teams, picnics and the morale building get togethers that we have. I kind of volunteered for it, and I guess they took my willingness seriously enough to add me to the subcommittee. We'll see how that goes.

And a Happy Birthday to Jean Hall, she would have been 69 years old today.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, nothing is on on the TV behind me and I don't even hear Peanut rustling around. I'm sitting here collecting my thoughts for the day and trying to wake up.

I'm contemplating taking today off, but one of my interview participants is available this afternoon so that kind of puts a little bit of a damper on me possibly breaking my streak of 28 straight days of working one job or the other or both, my last day off was July 21st. I'm wanting time off, but my window of opportunity is closing for the availability of many of these locations.

Michelle made it home last night, they said they got about half of the stuff done that they planned on doing. It was a large group effort and a lot of man hours were put in, but they did not complete everything that they wanted to get done.

I did get some good news this morning, as of about 2:00 this morning, our dining time for our cruise has changed. We were wait listed for the 6:00 Early Dining and had to choose the anytime dining, which dines upstairs and away from all the fun. We are no longer wait listed and have gotten our desired dining time. I think one of the funnest part of cruising is the dining and meeting new people that you dine with all week. We have met some of the best people due to this and thought we may have to miss out on it this year, but alas we are no longer wait listed. Woo Hoo

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho? 

Saturday Morning Rambling

Here I sit in a quiet household, I don't even hear peanut rustling around (scratch that), and I'm sitting here once again contemplating my thoughts and trying to wake up for the day. Nothing is on on the TV behind me and the only noise I hear is the AC other than Peanut.

Michelle traveled back home last night, her and her family are getting together today to work on her Mom and Tom's place and getting it ready for winter. Big group effort up there, but she said it took her about three hours to get to the hotel because of some heavy rains that they were having. She did make it up there safe and sound however.

Mom and Gerald were in a collision yesterday afternoon, both of them were taken by ambulance to Ruby memorial Hospital. I got a call from my sister Kim indicating that they were both there and I should go over, Terri was on her way. Gerald got pretty banged up and required I think 7 staples to his head area. He had blood everywhere, but seemed to be doing OK and getting around. He was in good spirits as usual. Mom had her neck restrained and immobilized for a few hours as a precaution. Gerald was released by the time I left and they were just waiting for Mom's x-rays to come back before they released her. Kim graciously volunteered to take them home as their car is damaged and was towed. Both seemed to be in good spirits last night and appear to be OK.

Jonathan had his surgery yesterday, Barbara called me indicating they had moved him to ICU, but she had not yet spoken to the Doctor and doesn't know much details of the surgery. She is going to try to find out today.

Me, I'm still here and working once again today. The students are back and so is my window of opportunity to possibly finding someone home and being able to get an interview or two today and make it go quick. Depending on how today goes will indicate whether or not I work tomorrow. If I feel places are empty at this point, it would be a moot point to keep going and knocking on an empty door especially when we are past the halfway point of the quarter.

Have yourselves a good day and make it a good one.

Hi ho hi ho

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.

Anyone itching for some High School Football? I know I'm starting to get that feeling, but they start next week not this week. Football season is almost upon us.

Well my consecutive days working streak is going to be extended. I'm thinking today will be day 30 and tomorrow will be day 31 when I have worked one job or the other. It goes back to the weekend before Mountainfest when I had my last day off. I will definitely hit it hard tomorrow and will probably take Saturday off. I'm no longer traveling to my segment and don't have to travel much further than across the road. The students are back, so I'm probably going to find a few people at home, or I'm going to find vacancies as if they aren't living there by now, it's not going to be occupied.

Michelle is thinking about running back home tomorrow as they are going to get together and try to prepare her Mom and Tom's place for winter. They all pitch in the work as a group and help each other out, they are some pretty amazing people.

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 pic goes back 8 years (are you kidding me), Michelle and I had went to the Rosiak Family 4th of July Picnic and had a great time as usual. I think this was Michelle's third one, which kind of made her an old pro by this time.

In this pic is Trish, my lovely wife Michelle and to the right is Amanda. Amanda's lovely daughter Makayla and Trish's son Arron just became parents about a week or so ago.

It's amazing how time flies. It was 41 years ago today that Elvis died.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Well that is two days in the books, a couple more ahead of us that just means we need to get up and over this dreaded noon time hump and it will be all downhill as we work towards another fun filled weekend.

I'm going to take my car in an get it inspected today, we got Ice inspected last week now it's my turn and we're all good. Both insurances paid up, got my two year license renewal (have to get Michelle's next year) and the taxes are all paid up. This will be the final thing I need to do for both of our cars to be legal for the next year.

I did get some dates for my trip out west in a couple of months. I'mm be in Las Vegas from October 16-18th. I'll fly out the 16th and return home on the 18th. I'm just waiting on my corporate card to officially book it. I will be giving my presentation on the 17th and I'm scheduled for a half an hour to demonstrate 3M Marker Balls and the Electronic Marker System (EMS) and how we used to to locate utilities and crossing utilities at our site. It's a pretty neat little system that uses RFIF to transmit back and forth and the Wand energizes the halls.

I look at it as Caribbean next month, Las Vegas in October and St Louis (for RTI) in January for re-certification for 2019.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

*  Monday down, Fallfest is this evening, can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits unless the blue footed bobby and the sloth would show up and start dancing.

* It has been 19,981 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 5,196 days since I graduated from WVU, speaking of WVU all of those students are back and classes begin tomorrow.

* 3,811 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, I'm horrible in selecting movies.

* 3,028 days ago I got down on one knee and proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning right in the back yard.

* It was 2,558 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I got ourselves hitched up and married.

* I have now lived 191 days longer than my Dad did, this is a streak I would really like to grow quite large.

* I have 4,858 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 1,495 days away.

* There are 357 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together.

* There are 232 days until the next start of my favorite season, Spring 2019.

* 179 more days until Groundhog Day, Phil has been hanging around eating our Apples.

* 139 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 133 more shopping days left until Christmas. I'm surprised WalMart doesn't have their Christmas stuff up just yet.....

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 109 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* 33 days away from our next cruise. We are once again on the Pride heading to the Caribbean. There are two cameras, the Foreward  and the Aft where you can see what is going on on the ship. You can watch all of our wacky adventures and see if they catch me streaking around the ship!

* We are 18 days away from the start of the 2018 WVU Football season when the Mountaineers will open up the year against Tennessee in Charlotte NC. It's getting closer...

* I have written 5,345 blogs in what is now my 13+ years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,655 more to go until I reach that Milestone.

* No Drone flights this weekend, I'm slacking on that aspect of my flight time. I'm running out of season to fly.

* I hate to mention this, but I do hate snow. sorry snowy weather is not my kind of weather.

* My brother Jonathan is going in to have surgery later this week, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

* Michelle's Mom was sick and checked into the hospital this past weekend, hopefully she is feeling better.

* With WVU students classes starting tomorrow, locals Monongalia County Schools can't be that far behind. They start up this coming Tuesday. That's really going to give me a tight window on my commute to work.

* Speaking of Westover, the Johnny Koon Light Up The Night' Lantern and Butterfly Release will be on August 25th. Help raise some money for a much needed cause.

* Michelle made a trip to Harry's this past weekend to stock up on some meat. We stopped buying store bought meat last year and buy everything from Harry's, it's unbelievable the quality you get from a good butcher vs processed commercial stuff you get in grocery stores.

* 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

Monday

All good things must come to an end, and that does include those fun filled things referred to by others as weekends. Me, my consecutive days working streak just keeps growing as it's ready to add another week and even one on Saturday this coming week. I may however, and that is may, take off this coming Sunday and break my streak.

I'm only working one job today, I'll be out re-joining my softball team after missing last weeks double header loss. We play this evening and then a regular season ending double header again next Monday weather permitting. Everyone makes the playoffs in the Senior League, so this is just a formality before we wipe the records clean and start the playoffs.

West Virginia University has announced FallFest and the artists that will be there tomorrow night. I must be old as I've never heard of any of the acts, but Michelle knows of Brothers Osborne, then again I am a member of AARP...lol

Have yourselves a great day today, plan for a little extra travel time around Morgantown.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit yet in a quiet household yet once again, I'm up a little later than usual trying to wake up and collect my thoughts for the day. The TV is playing behind me , but I have no idea what is on it.

I will once again be traveling to Rowlesburg to work today, this may be my last trip up to the area for a while as they are transferring it to another field interviewer tomorrow. That coupled with the students returning to my local segment means my time will be occupied in town. It has been a nice little community to work in and the people are generally very friendly.

Michelle and I will be doing our grocery shopping here this morning, we want to jump on it a little early before Walmart becomes an absolute madhouse. WVU starts this Wednesday and my guess most of the students are back or will be returning in the next couple of days. So much for our peace and quiet around town....lol

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, I'm up early collecting my thoughts for the day and trying to wake up for the day. Some infomercial on KDKA is on the boob tube behind me and I think Peanut is in sleeping with Michelle.

Working the Southern part of Preston County today and tomorrow and then they are going to transfer the section to someone else to try to hit during the week. I think this is my 21st Consecutive day either working one job or the other or a combination of both and that streak will continue into next weekend at a minimum.

Michelle is planning on  working at the Vets Office today and tomorrow and has her own little consecutive days worked streak going as well. She really does enjoy both of her jobs as do I, which makes streaks like this a little more bearable.

I might start writing some of my Vacation Blogs this weekend. We leave in five weeks from today and that time starts to tick off quickly.

Have yourselves a great day today, do something to make a difference in the world we live in.

 Hi ho hi ho

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 Morgantown, it was fun while it lasted. The days of being able to commute from one place to another pretty easily is about to end. The WVU Students are moving back this weekend, and traffic will probably be at a stand still around town as they new incoming Freshmen will be trying to move into their dorms for the start of their college careers.

Traffic is going to be bad, so if you can avoid Campus and if you shop at WalMart, I highly suggest doing it in the early morning hours as they are probably going to be swamped with new residents to town.

My plans for this weekend will be to once again to travel and work the same section that I have worked the past two weekends and I'll probably be working both days. We have plenty of work that needs to get done, and my schedule has been very limited.

Other than that, it's just going to be a normal friday for Michelle and I work, Sam's club and out to dinner.

Have yourselves a great day today, give yourselves a little extra time to get to where you are going.

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 was an absolute no brainer for me, especially after hearing from Mark on Tuesday and him wanting to get together with us in Baltimore on the Saturday before our cruise.

In this picture are Mark, Cheryl and Michelle on our last cruise together. We had dined with Cheryl and her best friend Donata the year before, but this year Cheryl and her Husband Mark were taking the cruise we once again dined with her.

Cheryl was a die hard Ravens fan, but she made Michelle a few gifts she has sewn out of Steelers material just because we were Steelers fan.

One night for dinner this year I'm going to order a Shrimp Cocktail, Caesar Salad and a Flat Iron Steak in honor of Cheryl. She always ordered the same meal, she was a creature of habit in our dining. A very special lady and she is missed.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Two days in the books, two more ahead of us, now all we have to do is get up and over this noon time hump as we work towards another fun filled weekend. Or should I say my streak will once again continue as I'll probably work for RTI both days this weekend.

Speaking of RTI, it's going to be a long day for me as my requested materials got here last night, meaning I have what I need to do field work. I'll probably just be working around here and not traveling tonight, as the segment is very close to me and starting to get populated.

I got a message yesterday morning from one of our cruising buddies Mark, Mark's wife and us hit it off and we dined with them back to back years on cruises. Cheryl was a very good friend who passed away last year from Cancer. They were from Baltimore, so Mark asked if we could meet up the night before the cruise and go out for some crabs. We weren't going to go down on Saturday this year, but that quickly changed our perspective and we are in fact going down and staying at the Inner Harbor again. We have stayed at this hotel for 3 of our 5 cruises and is our first choice of hotels to stay at. Reserved, booked and paid for.

My Las Vegas trip in October is a go, I'll be going out to Vegas and it turns out I will most likely be staying on the Strip. I've always wanted to go to Vegas, now I get to do it on someone elses dime.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Randy Hamrick

 I would like to take this opportunity to wish my wonderful and camera avoiding nephew Randy "Bub" Hamrick very happy Birthday today. It's very hard to get a picture of him sometimes, but I do manage to get a few.

If my math is correct, Randy will be celebrating his 30th Birthday today. Wow where have all the years gone, seems like just yesterday Aunt Kim and I were racing to Ali Baba's in Westover to pick up your mom because she was in labor. We did arrive however and she was waiting tables. You weren't born that night by the way...lol

Not sure what Randy will be getting into today, I don't get to see him that often but you know he is always pretty active and in to something or another.

If you happen to see Randy today, and hopefully most of us will, make sure that you take a little bit of time out and with this fine young man a very happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Randy.

Tuesday's Tidbits

*  Anniversary has come and gone, time to start a new countdown, can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits.

* It has been 19,974 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. Do you know many people who know how many days old they are? How about someone who is over 50?

* It has been 5,189 days since I graduated from WVU, speaking of WVU now that Mountainfest is over with the students are coming back very soon.

* 3,804 days ago Michelle and I went out for dinner and a movie, which eventually lead to us celebrating anniversaries.

* 3,021 days ago I got down on one knee and proposed to Michelle, I don't think I surprised her.

* It was 2,551 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I got ourselves hitched up and married.

* I have now lived 184 days longer than my Dad did, this is a streak I would really like to grow quite large.

* I have 4,865 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 1,502 days away.

* There are 364 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eighth Wedding Anniversary together.

* There are 239 days until the next start of my favorite season, Spring 2019.

* 186 more days until Groundhog Day,  Phil is living in the back yard under the old bridge still.

* 146 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 140 more shopping days left until Christmas. I'm surprised WalMart doesn't have their Christmas stuff up just yet.

* My next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 116 more days. I think this will be the 34th anniversary of that birthday using the antiquated calendar that most people use.

* 40 days away from our next cruise. We are once again on the Pride heading to the Caribbean. There are two cameras, the Foreward  and the Aft where you can see what is going on on the ship. You can watch all of our wacky adventures and see if they catch me streaking around the ship!

* We are 25 days away from the start of the 2018 WVU Football season when the Mountaineers will open up the year against Tennessee in Charlotte NC.

* I have written 5,338 blogs in what is now my 13+ years of being a Blogger and working towards 10,000. Only 4,662 more to go until I reach that Milestone.

* Today is my one year anniversary with AECOM. Future looks pretty bright too.

* No Drone flights this weekend, I'm slacking on that aspect of my flight time. I should take it to Rowlesburg to fly, it would be a lot of fun anfd I think I could get some great shots.

* I hate to mention this, but I do hate snow. I'll take the heat waves any day.

* Hayley's old car is finally gone. Jim came and picked it up and is going to use it to throw scrap metal in and then sell it for scrap.

* Michelle had a great time this past weekend, she said she spent the hole day in the pool just relaxing.

* I reached out to Michelle and asked her if she had any tidbits. Her answer.....no.

* Speaking of Westover, the Johnny Koon Light Up The Night' Lantern and Butterfly Release will be on August 25th. Help raise some money for a much needed cause.

* 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

Happy Anniversary

It was Seven magical years ago today that Michelle and I celebrated the beginning of our Marriage. I day that took some time in planning, and turned out to be the happiest day of my life.

It's been seven wonderful years, we have traveled this globe together, so far making 5 trips to the Caribbean (sixth coming next month), we've went to Canada together, St Louis, Washington DC and a few other places. Places that I doubt either of us would have seen without the other.

She has been my rock, she is my heart and soul and I am so fortunate that she came back into my life and fulfilled it. I am the luckiest man on the face of this earth in my opinion.

What are we doing for our Anniversary, well we both have very busy schedules for work, but we are going to take a little time out this evening and probably going to Fusion this evening for Dinner.

To my wonderful wife Michelle, all I can simply say is thank you for saving me and making my life full. I love you with all my heart. Happy Anniversary. 

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, Michelle is still up in Ellwood City for Jonny's Birthday, I called last night before going to bed and the party was still going on. I'm just sitting here trying to plan out my day and waking up.

I am once again back out in the field, unfortunately I miscalculated some of my supplies and am running low on a few key things. This may end up being a short day, but we will see how it all works out. Maybe I can get an interview or two out of the way and eat up a bunch of time, otherwise it may be a shorter day than originally anticipated.

We are entering our last week without the students, school begins next Wednesday and most of them will be returning this week and this weekend. I have noticed traffic has started to pick up a little bit, and something tells me there is going to be chaos over the next few weeks. I know they took the whole PRT guidance system down and are replacing it, so that may not be up and running by the time the students get back which will just add to the whole situation.

I did learn late last week my trip in October for work (regular job) is a go and has been approved. I'll be heading to Las Vegas in mid October to do a presentation on ArcGIS and what we have been doing with it. That sounds great, but I'll be at the Nuclear Testing Site Northwest of Vegas, so I won't really be in Vegas. So it will be Caribbean next month, Nevada in October and either St Louis (for RTI) or Raleigh NC in  January and they tend to send my group to St Louis.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, Michelle is up and Jon and Laura's for little Jonny's Birthday party today. I'm sitting here with the TV on behind me but nothing on trying to plan out my day.

Well for me it will involved me heading out early this morning and traveling about an hour or so to work for RTI. Same segment I worked last weekend, I just want to give it a good go through before they re-assign it to someone else or give it to a traveler to work. Hopefully I can yield a few interviews today and have a productive day. We're actually doing pretty well this quarter.

One thing or change I have noticed is that Facebook no longer picks up any outside links to publish them, that makes it kind of difficult for me to get my blog out there and seen. I have faced these obstacles previously, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to find any way around it now unless I go in and manually do it every day. It doesn't pay me any money, and it is just my personal recollections so something tells me my readership will significantly deteriorate from this point on. I'll still write it, but you'll have to come here to read it without any help from Facebook.

Have yourselves a great day today.

Hi ho hi ho

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.

It is Friday, but my consecutive days worked streak will continue, I am on day 12 and will be working both days this weekend and through next week, so it will get to at least 20 days, maybe even a little more of consecutive days I have worked without a day off. I'm not complaining, I enjoy what I do on both of my jobs.

Michelle will be heading back home this evening and staying this weekend. Little Jonny's birthday party is tomorrow and Aunt Chelle is going up for that as I hold down the fort and take care of things on the home front. Tomorrow is probably going to be a long day as will Sunday, considering I'll have to travel about an hour each way to get to my segments that I am working. The Federal rate is $0.545 a mile on top of what they pay me. It's an easy way to put some money away.

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 all of the pictures that I have either taken, scanned or stolen off of the internet over the years. Little lost moments of time that are forever captured with a camera for all to see and share years later. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that one special picture and sometimes it's not so easy, it is however always my pleasure and a whole lot of fun. It's good to reflect upon your past.

This weeks picture is from our second cruise that we took. It was a Monday and a sea day (when you are traveling), and I figured that since I was on vacation out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, that I was going to take myself a little nap.

This was the year we traveled with our Steeler Gnome and took pictures with it everywhere we went. On this particular day, Michelle grabbed him and put it beside sleeping beauty and took this amazing picture for me to share with you years later.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Hump Day

Two days down, two more ahead of us, now we just need to get up and over this noon time hump. What is on the other side of that noon time hump, just off in the distance beyond the Photo Flashback you ask? Another fun filled weekend to celebrate.

Well kind of, I'll be out doing field work this evening as well as working both days this weekend for RTI. Tonight I will be working locally and this weekend I will be traveling to where I went last weekend and worked. Michelle will be going back home Friday evening to for a birthday party Saturday for her nephew Jonny.

The rain has been hitting us pretty good this week, I got rained out Monday night from Softball and last night I had to bring my office umbrella to my car to stay dry as I walked to the parking garage. It's definitely a wet week.

Do you know what starts today? High School Football teams can get together and officially begin fall drills for the season. I would like to make it to a game or two this year, I really used to love High School football and used to go all the time.

Have yourselves a superfantabulous day.

Hi ho hi ho