Memorial Day

As we all extend our weekends another day, let us all remember the reason why we have this day off. Today is Memorial Day, it is the unofficial start of Summer but that is not the reason for the day. Today we honor the fallen heroes from our military who did not return home. 

I am proud to say that I have two grandfathers who fought and served, a step-grandfather who fought and served and a few other family members who fought for and served our country and are no longer with us. 

For what they did, today I will travel to three grave yards and visit a number of graves and place a few flags on each and every one of those graves. My Dad served but got out years before Vietnam started but I will also put a flag on his grave as well simply because he's my Dad and I always do. 

I hope everyone has had a great weekend, enjoy your extra day before we all start another week tomorrow. I will be working in Morgantown both this week and next, so no traveling for me before we go to Delaware on Thursday. 

Have yourselves a great day and thank you to all who served and fought for us. 

 

Sunday

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday morning, my co-author is still in sleeping with Michelle and I'm out here collecting my thoughts for the day. Something is playing on the TV, just don't ask me as to what it is. 

No grocery shopping for us this morning, we did it yesterday afternoon due to Michelle having an appointment at the Spa this morning at 10:00. We knocked it out of the way yesterday for that and so that we can get the smoker going today as we're going to be doing some smoking. Baby Back ribs will be on today's menu and going into the smoker this morning. Michelle has had them marinating since last night. 

Hayley and Tyler stopped by yesterday, Tyler needed Michelle to Notarize something for them and she did. We'll be seeing them this coming weekend as well as they will become Mr and Mrs Ash this coming Saturday Morning. We talked about their upcoming trip to San Diego and some places to see out there. 

Either today or tomorrow I'll be making my yearly trip to the graveyards for the purpose of putting some flags on some family members' graves who served our country. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in the quiet morning, Peanut is still sleeping with Michelle and I'm out here all alone collecting my thoughts for the day. I managed to do about nothing yesterday due to the rain, hopefully, today can be a little more productive. 

It looks like I may be going back to Romney in a couple of weeks. This week I'll be working in Morgantown for a short week so that we can prepare to leave Thursday for Hayley's Wedding. She is getting married next Saturday morning on Assateague Island where the wild ponies roam. So I'll be sticking around Morgantown until we leave Thursday. I'll have my 360 Camera  (best viewed in Google Chrome) in tow with me. 

Like I said I should be returning to the Romeny area to work in a couple of weeks. I stopped in at the Spring Valley Farm Market and they said they should have Peaches starting late June or early July. I know we still have some back in one of our freezers from a few years ago, I'm not a big Peach person but Michelle loves them. I brought a couple quarts of Strawberries back this weekend and they were freshly picked and not a bad one among them. 

There is some good news, Michelle got a job offer from FD Kitchens and Baths which she had accepted. Her official start date is June 14th, she pushed it back a little due to Hayley's wedding and they are moving into a new and much larger facility. I am very proud of her, I know she'll be a huge asset to them just as she has been every place she has worked. I think more than anything, after over a year she will be happy to be back in an office environment. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Big Ole Hairy Memorial Day Weekend Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday and a Memorial Day Weekend. 

It's hard to believe that we are at the weekend that is the Offical - Unofficial start of Summer. Memorial Day weekend a time when kids are out of school and a time for BBQ's and doing all the things we didn't really get a chance to do last summer because of COVID. 

I think our weekend is going to be filled with BBQing and smoking. I know we're planning on Smoking on Sunday, and I'm not too convinced we won't be firing up the grill at least once over the weekend. What is nice is I won't be traveling for work when the weekend is over with, I'll be home this coming week until we head to Delaware. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

Boy does this photo go back a few years, Hayley sitting on the rock in the back yard a little over 12 years ago. She was sill in High School and just beginning to blossom into the young woman that she is now. Next weekend she will no longer be known as Hayley Collins, she and Tyler will tie the knot and she will become Hayley Ash.

I even see my old buddy Chloe in the background, I loved that Cat and we had a bond. Peanut has done a great job in filling that void. 

Have yourselves a great day, I'll be home this evening. 

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Hello from the Koolwink hotel in Romney, I'm sitting here waiting for McDonald's to open so I can get breakfast, can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 20,997 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,228 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I also have a minor in Communications and a Minor in History. 

* 4,815 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, Pizza Hut and 10,000 BC movie that was horrible. 

* 4,044 days ago I proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning in the back yard. It was no surprise, she knew it was coming. 

* It was 3,566 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, then we feasted like Kings and Queens. 

* I have now lived 1,206 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong.

* I have 3,914 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there.

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 473 days away. 

* There are 267 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 253 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. He and his wife live under the old bridge in the backyard. 

* 220 more days to go until my Goodbye 2021 Blog is posted, I'm hoping for a big year this year. 

* There are 213 more shopping days left until Christmas 2021. You still have plenty of time. 

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 190 more days. 

* There are 72 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Tenth Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 26 days until the start of  Summer 2021. My second favorite season of the year. I'm currently enjoying my favorite season. I'm ready for some nicer weather I do know that. 

* I have written 6,411 blogs in the now 16 1/2+ years since I started blogging. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* Both WVU and the local High Schools have graduated their classes, now it's just getting through the rest of the school year. 

* I loved the weather we had last week, Kiwi was happy that he got to spend a lot of time outside. Kiwi likes the spring and summer seasons like me. 

* I got my clothes that I will be wearing to Hayley's wedding, they wanted me to wear gray Khakis and a white shirt as I will be giving her away for the wedding. Me and her Dad will have the honor. 

* Corona Virus, you can still track it as it is now starting to pick up steam and the numbers are decreasing. 

* We're actually Green for COVID for Monongalia County, although most of the rest of the state is red you can track the state stats HERE. We're still Orange on the Harvard map though. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho

Back at it

The wonderful weekend is once again in our rearview mirrors, now it is time to take our collective noses and stick them back onto the grindstone for another fun-filled week of doing what it is that we do for a living.

For me it is once again off to the land of Peaches in West Virginia, the town of Romney, and surrounding areas. I was there last week and I may be there in a few weeks as I will be working the Morgantown area next week as we prepare to head to Delaware the following weekend for Hayley's wedding. Today however it is off to towns like Romney and nearby Augusta to work this week. It's a couple-hour trip and a pleasurable drive.

I do have a phone interview this afternoon and Michelle has a second interview with a company she met with on Thursday, so keep your fingers crossed for the both of us this week. Mine is a phone interview that I will do from the field and Michelle's is an in-person onsite interview with the people she met last week. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, Peanut and I are out here talking about all of Kiwi's internet fame and how it's going to his head a little. He's been enjoying these warm weather days and he's talking a lot of trash on the cats, especially since his bigger aviary friends have shown up recently. 

I had to retire my computer yesterday (phone last week, computer this week). The one I have had for 10 plus years kind of had numerous BSOD' (Blue Screen Of Death) and after about the 6th or 7th time yesterday morning it was time to move on up and get something a little better. It served its purpose well, but it was just time. It still had Windows 7 installed on it (I have a version of Windows 10 to put on it I just never did) and only had 4 GB of RAM. The new one has 12 and has Windows 10 already installed on it. Plus it has a Solid State Drive which is what I wanted to do with my other computer just never got around to it. I'm quite happy with it. 

Today's plans are us going shopping this morning, then doing our weekly chores. Hayley never made it down yesterday as Tyler was a little sick, so they just stayed home and relaxed for the day. Probably about all we will be doing today, I've been doing a lot of running since returning on Thursday and I leave again tomorrow, so I'll relax and rest up.

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Kiwi

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, Peanut and I are out here conversing about the day and how it is not OK for her to eat Kiwi. Kiwi has been taking Ninja classes where he can take down anyone who wants to mess within the confines of his domicile. 

I will once again be traveling to Romney, West Virginia to work this upcoming week. I have a lot of work down there between the three segments that I have, so it will mean a return trip this week. It's a nice little town and the entire area that I have seen so far is pretty friendly, and that includes traveling West to places like Augusta. I'm sure I'll run into some unsavory characters. but not just yet. 

What's on our agenda for today, Hayley is coming down to finalize some things for the Wedding on June 5th. The time is drawing nearer and she will soon be Mrs Tyler Ash, I know she has been a bundle of nerves, but she'll get through it all and come out on the other side. Needless to say we'll have a car full of stuff to take down and hopefully not have to bring back. We got a lot done yesterday, so today may just be a relax day for yours truly. 

Have yourselves a great day, enjoy the nice weather. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

Well I am back from my week of working in Romney WV. I'll be going down next week if the area is still opened up, then a couple of weeks of working in Morgantown before I return to Romney and race against the clock of getting this all done before we shut down for the quarter and start preparing for Quarter 3. 

No immediate plans for the weekend, other than to enjoy my time off and relax a little. Working and traveling so many hours does tend to take a toll on you and it's nice to have these down periods to relax and rejuvenate. 

Have yourselves a great day today. 

Happy Birthday's George and Pam McClain

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Sister Pam and an early Birthday to my Brother in Law George and wish them both a very Happy Birthday today.

Pam is a sister that any brother would be very proud to have. She is the most genuine of the genuine and it is an honor to call her my Baby Sister. She would do anything for anyone and is one of the most innocent souls anyone would ever want to meet.

George is the Brother in Law who was always there to help when I needed help, especially when it came to the piece of junk cars I used to drive...lol

I'm not sure what Pam and  George have planned for their Birthday's but rest assured it will be celebrated at home due to the Corona Virus.

If you happen to see or talk to Pam today or George on Sunday, take a little bit of time out of your busy day and wish this special lady or this fine young gentleman a very Happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Pam and George a little early.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

This weeks pic goes back a number of years, Michelle and I were at a WVU Baseball game and we got this picture taken with the Mountaineer. Actually, that picture is taken with in my opinion the greatest Mountaineer, Brock Burwell. I knew him prior to him being the Mountaineer and he was the Mountaineer during the Final 4 team, and the Orange Bowl Team. This would I would consider the most successful run by both teams. 

Brock had a storied history of being a Mountaineer, his Uncle was Rock Wilson and Brock was the first Little Mountaineer in school history, then grew up and came to school here and followed that little Mountaineer up by serving two years as the Mountaineer. The year before he was the alternate and we gave him all kinds of crap about that, but his time finally came and he set the bar high. There is a picture of a Mountaineer with thick calves standing on top of Spruce Knob, that was Brock in that iconic pic. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is once again behind us, I'm in the Eastern Panhandle this week so I thought that would be a good excuse to make this a tidbits. 

* It has been 20,990 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,221 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I also have a minor in Communications and a Minor in History. WVU had a commencement yesterday and the students are all gone. Yipee

* 4,808 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, Pizza Hut and 10,000 BC movie that was horrible. 

* 4,037 days ago I proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning in the back yard. It was no surprise, she knew it was coming. 

* It was 3,559 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, then we feasted like Kings and Queens. 

* I have now lived 1,199 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong.

* I have 3,921 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there.

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 480 days away. 

* There are 274 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 260 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. He and his wife live under the old bridge in the backyard. 

* 227 more days to go until my Goodbye 2021 Blog is posted, I'm hoping for a big year this year. 

* There are 220 more shopping days left until Christmas 2021. You still have plenty of time. 

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 197 more days. 

* There are 79 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Tenth Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 33 days until the start of  Summer 2021. My second favorite season of the year. I'm currently enjoying my favorite season. I'm ready for some nicer weather I do know that. 

* I have written 6,404 blogs in the now 16 1/2+ years since I started blogging. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* WVU Commencement is over, no more traffic for a few months. 

* We are only about one week from the High School Graduations here in Mon County. 

* It's going to be a pretty uneventful week for Michelle. We're just a few weeks away from Hayley's Wedding though. 

* I ordered my clothes that I will be wearing to Hayley's wedding, they wanted me to wear gray khakis and a white shirt as I will be giving her away for the wedding. Me and her Dad will have the honor. 

* Keep a watch on Mon County's COVID numbers, let's see if my sister Kim's theory stands true.

* Corona Virus, you can still track it as it is now starting to pick up steam and the numbers are increasing. 

* We're actually Green for COVID for Monongalia County, although most of the rest of the state is red you can track the state stats HERE. We're still Orange on the Harvard map though. 

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish, but she wanted me to do another tapoe this weekend and my VHS has a pin stuck in it from one of the connectors. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho

Another Week Starting

Here I go once again on this bright Monday Morning, I'm once again hitting the road and attempting to put my nose on the grindstone for another fun-filled and challenging week of doing what it is I do for a living. 

Today I head in a different direction, I have been working in the Northern Panhandle since February with the exception of a week I worked in Charleston. Today I head to Romney WV and work the other Panhandle. Now it is time to start addressing the Eastern Panhandle as I travel East this morning. New segments, new people and new challenges await me as I travel to a series of places that I am not all that familiar with. 

I do have to say I can't ever recall ever being in Romney, so this will be my first trip to the area. I'll be staying at a hotel that was recommended by a co-worker, the Koolwink which seems to have some really nice reviews from everywhere. Considering I will be down there for a number of weeks, I'm just hoping it has everything I need for my stay. I've stayed so many weeks in Weirton that I may actually start to miss it a little as I was learning a lot about the place. Oh well, new places, new adventures and new challenges. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning

Here Peanut and I sit in the early AM of a quiet Sunday morning. We're having an in-depth conversation that was started years ago by Archie Bunker, do you put on a sock and a sock and a shoe and a shoe or do you do as thee meathead did and put on a sock and a shoe and a sock and a shoe. I'm the sock and sock kind of person, Peanut insists that it's a sock and a shoe, but what does she know she's a cat and doesn't wear shoes. 

It was 45 years ago today that I lost the first influential person in my life. Ellis John Hall left this world on this day in 1977, someone who still to this day is very influential in my life, someone I had only really known for the first 13 years of my life was gone. 27 years after that fateful night, or 17 years ago today depending on which was you are counting, I graduated from West Virginia University. 

Today here in Morgantown, there is another commencement. today at the Football Stadium instead of the Coliseum. So today we say goodbye to many residents who have made Morgantown their home over the past few years, don't worry they will be replaced by a new bunch this fall. I'm just excited that traffic is finally going to die down until August. 

May 16th is a day I will always remember. Have yourselves a great day and make it a good one. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, Peanut is nowhere to be found as she got herself into a little bit of trouble yesterday catching a blue jay and bringing it into the house. The good news the blue jay flew out the door and survived.

Well after nearly 5 years since I bought my iPhone 7 Plus, it did what Michelle's did a few months ago and started to crap the bed. It had next to no battery life one day when I was working last week and I had to run to Uniontown yesterday morning and by the time I got home the battery was at 1%. It was just time to upgrade my phone. What did I get, I got an iPhone 11 (the 12 is the newest) so it's like a 3 model upgrade for me as to the new phone but not the newest phone. It was time and I am happy with it so far. 

My work in Weirton is done, they may send that huge segment to another field interviewer, but I have all of the lines opened and many of the interviews completed. It has been fun, but now it is off to new areas and new challenges. What's up next for me? I'm going to work Romney WV. Morgantown opened up, but it's all where students live and they are all gone, so maybe I'll working that segment the week leading up to and the week after Hayley's wedding. 

What's on our agenda for the day? Maybe cut the grass, I have some segment materials to set up for next week but other than that we're probably just going to relax. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

Anyone recognize yesterday's birthday boy from the photo? Yep, that's my Dad and I had it in an album where I had yesterday's picture, so I thought I would use it today. 

I'm back once again from being on the road, now it's time to do the stuff I do around the house for the next few days before I head out again to my next destination. 

Hayley's Maid of Honor Bethany is having a virtual baby shower today for her upcoming little one. Michelle made them a batch of Spicy Sausage Rigatoni last Friday and I told her if that caused her to have the baby she had to name it Rigatoni, but no such luck. 

WVU is having their Commencement this weekend, which means there will be even less traffic around town come Monday as there was last Monday when most of the students left after Finals. Woo Hoo they will soon be all gone!

Have yourselves a great day. 

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

This week's flashback is a little bit special, today would have been my Dad's 76th Birthday. My dad also gave me my love of capturing little moments in time to be shared sometime down the road as witnessed by him playing with his VHS camera that captured so many memories of the family through the years. You can see some of that footage below taken from this very camera.

He left us in 1999, but he left a legacy of memories and stories to be told. Good thing we were able to capture some of those memories with that camera he is holding. 

Happy Birthday, Dad. 

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is once again behind us, I'm out the door later this morning to head to the Northern Panhandle one more time. Kiwi informs me that today is my Tuesday Tidbits and I can't disappoint Kiwi.

* It has been 20,983 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,214 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I also have a minor in Communications and a Minor in History. WVU will be graduating the next class of Graduates this weekend. 

* 4,801 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, Pizza Hut and 10,000 BC movie that was horrible. 

* 4,030 days ago I proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning in the back yard. It was no surprise, she knew it was coming. 

* It was 3,552 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, then we feasted like Kings and Queens. 

* I have now lived 1,192 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong.

* I have 3,928 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there.

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 487 days away. 

* There are 281 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 267 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. He and his wife live under the old bridge in the back yard. 

* 234 more days to go until my Goodbye 2021 Blog is posted, I'm hoping for a big year this year. 

* There are 227 more shopping days left until Christmas 2021. You still have plenty of time. 

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 204 more days. 

* There are 86 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Tenth Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 40 days until the start of  Summer 2021. My second favorite season of the year. I'm currently enjoying my favorite season. I'm ready for some nicer weather I do know that. 

* I have written 6,397 blogs in the now 16 1/2+ years since I started blogging. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* WVU Commencement is this weekend, my message is hurry up and get out of town. 

* We are only about 2 weeks from the High School Graduations here in Mon County. 

* Bethany, Hayley's Maid of Honor, is having her virtual bridal shower this weekend. 

* I'm ready for the warmer weather this week, but this April showers stuff is getting a little carried away. Besides that, it's May. 

* Michelle says she plans on spring cleaning this week as I am away. 

* Keep a watch on Mon County's COVID numbers, let's see if my sister Kim's theory stands true.

* Corona Virus, you can still track it as it is now starting to pick up steam and the numbers are increasing. 

* We're actually Yellow for COVID for Monongalia County, although most of the rest of the state is red you can track the state stats HERE. We're still Orange on the Harvard map though. 

* 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

Another Monday, Another Trip

Here I go once again on this bright Monday morning. I will be taking my nose and sticking it on the collective grindstone for the week starting today. So let's all take our collective noses and stick them on that thing so we can collectively make this a better world to live in. 

I'll be working in Weirton one more time this week, I have a very strong feeling this will be my last week there, I've called Gary and let him know I'll be up there this week. Before I go to Weirton I have to go to Robinson Township and try to get in for an N-95 Mask fitting. If I don't get in as a walk-in this morning, I have a 3:30 Wed appointment. Fortunately, the highway right beside my hotel is a straight shot to where I need to go and vice versa. The N-95 masks will allow me to do fieldwork anywhere including counties that are shut down due to covid. 

I think Michelle's Mother Goose nickname is going to stick, the last three days there has been this one goose who keeps walking up to the patio door as if to say, HEY LADY, I'M HERE AND I'M HUNGRY!! My wonderful wife always responds in kind and puts some bread out for them. Our backyard is a zoo, maybe we should start charging admission and call Michelle's occupation as a zoo keeper. 

Anyways have a great day and the start to a great week of changing the world.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here my friend Peanut and I sit on an early Mother's Day Sunday morning, we're here discussing cat physics and if Lavern and Shirley were better than Happy Day's. I say no, the Foz ruled but she kind of likes Lavern and Shirley. We're out here collecting our thoughts for the day and have something playing on the TV. 

Mother's Day is a holiday that has it's origins right here in North Central West Virginia. The Mother's Day tribute is in downtown Grafton, but the Anna Jarvis Museum is actually south of Grafton. I would like to wish my Mother Sandra Irene a very Happy Mother's Day as well as my lovely wife, who is the mother of two. Also a Happy Mother's day to all Mother's out there and even the ones who have stepped up into the role like our soon to be bride Hayley. Happy Mother's Day all. 

The agenda for my repetitive life, we're going grocery shopping this morning and then come home and do the weekly chores that we do every Sunday and then the day belongs to us. I know it's going to be an 80% chance of rain today, so whatever we may or may not get into one can wager that it will in fact be an indoor activity. I do have to get ready to go back to Weirton tomorrow and this will most likely be the last week I'll be working that segment. Possibly heading down to Romney the following week to work.

Have yourselves a great day today. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet Household, Peanut is out here and we are once again telling cat jokes and she is listening to my stories from the road from the past week. She does miss me and likes to listen to me speak. Something is playing on the TV, no idea what it is as it is on for noise more than anything else. 

Looking back on the past week there really wasn't a whole lot of excitement, just a lot of me knocking on doors and talking to people. I did not get a chance to see Gary as he was busy this past week, but we're going to try to hook up sometime this upcoming week as I will be in Weirton one last week. After this upcoming week, it looks like I will be working in an area of the state known for its Peaches. 

No big plans for Michelle and me today, Hayley did stopover last night as Michelle made a triple batch of Spicy Sausage Rigatoni for her and Bethany. They both love it and when we make it they want the leftovers. We checked our inventory for Deer food and we're good for this week, so there probably won't be a trip to Rural King today. 

Today is the last day for finals for WVU, but most of them have already left for the year. The few sticking around could be sticking around for Graduation next weekend. Traffic will be greatly reduced and will drop off even further after next weekend. 

I did give Michelle a new nickname yesterday. We had a couple of Geese that came to the back patio and I swear one of them is going to be knocking on the door before it is over with asking for food.  

They stayed around until Michelle fed them (along with the Deer, the Turkeys, the Ducks, the Groundhogs, Chipmunks, Squirrels and the 1,000 breeds of birds flying around on any given day. I told Michelle I think these Geese have adopted her and she is now Mother Goose. Good times at the Hall's Backyard Zoo, no Giraffes yet but give her time they will be showing up too. 

Have yourselves a great day today, I think Peanut and I are laying back down. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday.

I'm home from the road, got back yesterday afternoon and I'm sitting here relaxing today after a wet week. I'm just trying to stay dry today...lol

Nothing really on my agenda for the weekend other than assisting my lovely wife in any wedding planning she is planning on doing this weekend. A trip to rural king may be on the agenda and with all the rain this past week, possibly cutting some grass again. 

I am happy to see much less traffic that is around town, it's thinning out as students are finishing up finals and moving back home for the Summer. Tomorrow is the last day of finals, but my guess is 95% of the finals have probably already been completed. As I recalled, the only Saturday Final I ever had was for a night class. 

Have yourselves a great day today, make it memorable. 

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from someplace on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up and recall or relive the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task and sometimes it's not that easy, one thing it has always been a whole lot of fun.

This week's pic is from my sister Terri and Nick's wedding some years ago, and I'm thinking they are coming up close to a 30th Anniversary here sometime in the next year or so, that is if my math is correct. 

It's a picture of my Dad walking Terri down the Isle, something I will have the honor of doing for Hayley in about a month. I was standing off to the side here, and a funny story about this day. Kim and Ed were up top filming the day's events and I was sitting with my sister Pam for the ceremony. Sometime after this, I was reviewing the tape with Kim and asked the question of who was the bald guy sitting beside Pam. It was an instant realization that that was the first time I had seen my thinning scalp. I knew it was thinning, people told me about it, but until someone films you from above you never really understand. It was a shock to the system, to say the least. Of course, what's Kim's solution, she told me to get spray on hair as she was laughing profusely.  

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho 

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is once again behind us, I'm out the door later this morning to head to the Northern Panhandle. Sounds like a great time to do my sister Kim's least favorite blog of the week that I write. 

* It has been 20,976 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new and improved 991 day Calender. I prefer my calendar as it is the best calendar and it is variable. 

* It has been 6,197 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I also have a minor in Communications and a Minor in History. 

* 4,794 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, Pizza Hut and 10,000 BC movie that was horrible. 

* 4,023 days ago I proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning but she was expecting it. 

* It was 3,545 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, then we feasted like Kings and Queens. 

* I have now lived 1,185 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong.

* I have 3,935 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there.

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 494 days away. 

* There are 289 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. The Concert was supposed to be this August (actually it was supposed to be in March of last year) and they have moved it until the middle of February next year. So basically I bought tickets for a concert in 2022 in 2019. 

* 274 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, he has ended his winter vacation and can once again be seen in the back yard eating the Corn Michelle puts out. He and his wife live under the old bridge in the back yard. 

* 241 more days to go until my Goodbye 2021 Blog is posted, I'm hoping for a big year this year. 

* There are 234 more shopping days left until Christmas 2021. You still have plenty of time. 

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 211 more days. 

* There are 93 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Tenth Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 47 days until the start of  Summer 2021. My second favorite season of the year. I'm currently enjoying my favorite season. 

* I have written 6,390 blogs in the now 16 1/2+ years since I started blogging. 

* Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. 

* WVU is starting their finals today, most of them should be gone by Saturday with Commencment there the following weekend. 

* We are only about 3 weeks from the High School Graduations here in Mon County. 

* I'm ready for the warmer weather this week, but this April showers stuff is getting a little carried away. Besides that, it's May. 

* Oh, May the 4th be with you (had to put my Star Wars reference in. 

* Keep a watch on Mon County's COVID numbers, Kim pointed out to me that when the students leave, our numbers tend to go up as there is less testing. 

* Corona Virus, you can still track it as it is now starting to pick up steam and the numbers are increasing. 

* We're actually Yellow for COVID for Monongalia County, although most of the rest of the state is red you can track the state stats HERE. We're still Orange on the Harvard map though. 

* 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

On the Road Again

Well, all good things must come to an end, and yes that does include those fun-filled things that we refer to as weekends. Now it is time to take our collective noses and stick them back on that grindstone for another fun-filled week of doing what we do for a living. Me I'll be working out in the field this week and having all kinds of fun meeting new and exciting people. 

I'm back on the road working for RTI this week, I'll be heading out later this morning and heading to Weirton where my hotel is located and it's close to where my segment is located. I'm staying at the same hotel that I have stayed at numerous times before, it was just unavailable last week, hence why I worked closer to Moundsville. I'm working a very large segment so I will probably be up there a few more weeks at the very minimum. Michelle and I are IHG Rewards Members, so it's a nice way to keep totaling up our rewards points. My weather forecast for this week, rain, rain, rain, rain. 

We did have a pretty productive weekend with Hayley's Wedding Shower and us managing to get the grass all cut yesterday. A riding mower makes everything so much easier. We were also able to get our air conditioner in the window and have it all set up and working for the summer. That makes Michelle Happy. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, Peanut is still sleeping and I'm out here collecting my thoughts for the day and planning the day's activities. Not sure what is playing on the TV, it's just basically playing for noise and light as I like to sleep with a TV on. 

Hayley and Tyler's Wedding Shower went pretty well, it was a really nice turnout and we were able to pull it off with success and exceeding Michelle's goals. A big thank you to all the people who helped set up and break down and to everyone who attended the event. You absolutely made this future bride's day. It's amazing what an inspired group can accomplish when they put their minds to it. 

What's on the day's agenda? Grocery shopping to start the day, the household chores, and weather permitting we'll be cutting the grass this afternoon as it is starting to get a little high. I'll also be getting ready to travel to Weirton to work this week, but most of that is ready with the exception of my just simply packing my clothes. You figure traveling 7 of the last 8 weeks I've pretty much got this packing and preparing thing down pat and efficient. I've already got my hotel booked, I learned last week to book it much sooner than Saturday, and I'll once again be across the street from where my brother Gary works. I'll try to hook up with him one day and see what he is up to. 

Have yourselves a great day, thank you once again for all who made yesterday a very special day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit at home on a quiet Saturday morning, I guess you can call it the quiet before the storm that is today. I'm sitting out here with the noise on the TV and just simply collecting my thoughts for the day. 

Well today is the big day before the big day, Hayley's Co-ed bridal shower is today at noon at the Woodland United Methodist Church on the Mileground, we went up last night and decorated and will be helping host it this afternoon. 

Their wedding is still a little over a month away and they are getting married on Assateague Island but we are all staying in Delaware for the wedding at the same beach house. After the wedding they are planning on going to San Diego for their honeymoon for two weeks. 

Today should be a fun day, I'll have my camera with me and will be taking a number of pictures of the days festivities. 

Have yourselves a great day, hopefully I will see you today.