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Sunday, July 31, 2022

Sunday

Here I sit in a quiet household once again, me and Kiwi are up. He's trying to convince me to get him his own Twitter account, says he would be a natural at it. Personally, I think that is a little bit of bragging on his part. 

After I got off of work yesterday, I did manage to get the grass cut. It was still a little wet from the downpours we have had this past week, but I still managed to get it all cut and got the mower all cleaned up for next time. 

What is on my agenda for today? What else, shopping and then heading out to work once again in Fairmont. I worked yesterday and am working once again today, Michelle is probably going to take it easy after working the auction last night. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Busy Saturday

Here I sit yet once again, the household is quiet, except for Kiwi who is in his cage singing Bee Gees classics. He likes the Bee Gees. I'm up a little early and slowing getting around. 

I'll be leaving for Fairmont this morning, working for RTI once again and both today and tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will be good to me and I won't get rained on or burn up in the heat. 

Michelle is going to be working the Auction this evening at Woodland. Jim and Chris are having what I think is their first auction since COVID. They have been out of it for a couple of years and their inventory dwindled down, but I guess Jim has purchased a couple of estates and will try moving some of the items. If you bring a baked good, you get 5 free raffle tickets for baked goods. Stop in and say hello to Michelle. 

Now this could all change if I hit the lottery last night, I hope I won, I always wanted to be a Billionaire. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Friday, July 29, 2022

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.

The Ruby Summer Concert Series continues this evening, Country Music Star and WV native Kathy Mattea takes the stage this evening at 8:00. Festivities kick off at 6:30 with Grace Campbell and Luke Sadecky. I'm sure it will be a great time to be had by all.

Tomorrow P&P Auctions (my brother and sister in law Jim and Chris) will be having their welcome back auction at Woodland United Methodist Church. It's the first auction that they have done in some time, Michelle will be on hand helping out as she usually does. There are a number of items up for bid, stop by and say hello if you get a chance. 

This evening however it will be our weekly walmart/sams trip followed by Michelle and I going out to dinner someplace. It's her week to pick, so lets see where we end up this evening. 

She did get her mattress topper that I ordered on Sunday. She is loving it, helps her sleep cooler and with no back pain as it adheres and adapts to the body. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, July 28, 2022

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 was an easy one for me, the picture goes way back to the old Recourse Softball team, we were one hell of a team that's for sure. This is Tim Bowser and I took the picture at the Early Bird Tournament that we had entered. 

Just thinking of Tim and I knew it was appropriate to put this picture up. I always said there were two players from my past that I would have loved to have played with again, Tim was one of those two. Now that will not happen. 

RIP Old friend

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Not a day that I am looking forward to as I say my final goodbye to a lifelong friend of mine today. 

* It has been 21,417 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calender. It's better than the 991-day calendar as it gives you a nice round number to work with. 

* It has been 6,657 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. 18 years ago and still doing GIS and enjoying every minute of it. I actually downloaded ArcGIS Pro 3.0 now that it is available after last weeks user conference. 

* 5,242 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the movie was 10,000 BC but she still hasn't held that against me. 

* 4,464 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. 

* It was 4,007 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, we poured sand into a vase said our I do's and we were hitched. Nice round number. 

* I have now lived 1,629 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,266 days, I've now outlived him by 152 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! We did find him, just never had the honor of a face-to-face meeting. 

* I have 3,529 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows though, doing what I do I may never retire. 

* There are 237 days until my favorite season, Spring of 2023

* 204 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I think he and the family have moved back home in the backyard. 

* 160 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 153 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 133 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 27 days away. I'm ready. 

* There are 11 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* I have written 6,861 blogs in the now 17 1/2 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Older Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. My little drone is awesome and I really like it. 

* No Drone flights this weekend, the weather was really nice but the opportunity just wasn't really present for me to fly. 

* Still waiting on our new Mattress topper, I'm kind of excited to see how it helps Michelle. 

* Still working 10-hour day for Duquense Light, busy busy busy. 

* Daniel Bell turns 38 today. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho 

Monday, July 25, 2022

Monday

All good things must come to an end, and that includes those fun-filled things referred to as weekends (even though I worked). 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. 

Michelle has been having trouble sleeping, her back has been hurting and she has not been sleeping very well at all. The bad has a 4" memory foam topper we got from Sam's Club a few years ago, that to be honest it's better referred to as Memory Foam that doesn't remember a damn thing. Anymore it's just an over sized piece of foam that has lost it's bounce back. So I went online and did some research for best mattress toppers and found the TEMPUR-Adapt® + Cooling Topper and saw that is was on sale, so I quickly ordered one and it should be here later this week. Hopefully this will help her sleep better. 

Not much else planned this week other than what is a typical work week. I will be starting a little early tomorrow and taking a long lunch to attend Tim Bowsers funeral. So many people reached out to me, saying they just talked to him a couple of days ago or last week and he looked fit as a fiddle, which he was. Double Pneumonia is what caused the very quick demise. 

Have yourselves a good day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Sunday

Here I sit on a quiet Sunday Morning, Kiwi and are telling jokes back in forth in German. I think I am keeping entertained. I did tell one in Mandarin Chinese, but the joke is on him, I don't speak Mandarin Chinese. 

I have to say that I am still in a little bit of shock about the news yesterday that one of if not my longest and dearest friend had passed away. Tim was my friend and brother, he was always at the funeral home no matter who in my family passed away. We shared many laughs together and I'm just realizing that Tim and I will never share another joke, story or play another game together. 

So whats up for my day, grocery shopping this morning obviously. We made out menu last night and we'll go shop for it today. 

After that, you guessed it I'm back out in the field for RTI working once again. 

Have yourselves a great day, make is special.

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday, July 23, 2022

RIP Tim Bowser

I got the news yesterday morning on Facebook while I was working, my oldest and dearest friend Tim Bowser has left this life. 

Tim and I go back to first grade, when we were competing with each other for who had the most medals in the school Olympics. I won 6 and came in 2nd place, Tim won a medal for all 10 events and beat me out in total medal count. 

We played Little League Baseball together for Citizens, I was OK but Tim, Tim lead all of little league in Home Runs. He was just an amazing athlete. 

We went to school together from 1st through 9th grade when I went to Morgantown and Tim went to University High. 

After that wouldn't you know we both started to work at Sterling Faucet after High School and reconnected through that work environment for 8 years. After Sterling we still hung out together a good bit, He was the Maintenance man for T&S Rentals after Wayne had passed while I was working at Helmick. 

Tim and I played Softball together on numerous teams throughout the years. From the Sterling Teams, to the Recourse teams and even Prime Thyme and MiHaley's. I had talked about bringing him on to our senior division team. 

Tim was a very good man, I was fortunate to have known him and his 13 brothers and sisters and I don't know if I've even met them all. He has a son named TJ that he loved to death. TJ played on some of the Morgantown State Championship teams and I would rib him over that because Tim Graduated from the cross town rival. 

Tim worked probably the last 20 or so years for Guttas and the Apartments on Van Voorhis Road as their maintenance man. I would always either run into him at dairy mart or Keglers and I would always honk when I seen him as I drove by. 

I am honored to have known him and it is my honor to have called him my friend. 

RIP my dear friend, you are already missed. 

Saturday

Here I sit once again in a quiet household, Kiwi is in his cage listening to some Bee Gees soundtrack and lighting up the cage. I'm up contemplating my day and planning it out. 

Yep after last weekend being off, I am back out in the field today working for RTI. I'm in Fairmont working both days, so it's a way to put a few miles in and work somewhere where people are at rather than knocking on doors where the students are gone for the summer. 

Michelle is going to the Laundromat this morning since I'm heading out of town to work. So I can in fact sleep in a little bit before I start knocking on doors. She's helpful like that when I need to travel, I usually get there and do it early if I'm working in town. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Friday, July 22, 2022

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.

For those of you who like good live music, the Hazel Ruby McQuain Amphitheater downtown has another concert this evening. Let's Groove Tonight, an Earth Wind and Fire Tribute Band will be playing this evening at 8:00. The Morgantown Jazz Orchestra will start the evening festivities at 6:30. Should be a nice evening of Music on the Mon and it's all free. 

My plans for this weekend will be pretty much life as usual to me, I'll be heading south both days to work for RTI. I was off last weekend and I have to say it felt good, this weekend however duty calls and I'll be out in the field. 

Tonight however we'll be doing our Friday afternoon thing before we come home and fall asleep. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, July 21, 2022

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.

How about this week we go back to the first of our Three Steelers Trivia Championships. The year was 2008 and Michelle and I were early in our relationship. Poised to Strike was a name that Chris's Dad had come up with when he was on the team, but the year prior to me participating there was a problem with one of the teams where a fight almost broke out on set and he didn't want to be a part of it, so yours truly was asked to fill in and take his place. 

We cruised through all three shows and emerged the winner of the 18-team tournament, a feat we would do two other times a few years later. This picture was taken after the Championship round and some guy on the right jumped into the team picture. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

23 Years

It has been 23 years since my father left us, let's look back on some of the funner times and memories that some of us still carry with us of the man.




How about a second one.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * Monday has been completed, Kiwi is still singing, so no better reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 21,410 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calender. It's better than the 991-day calendar as it gives you a nice round number to work with. 

* It has been 6,650 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. 18 years ago and still doing GIS and enjoying every minute of it. I actually downloaded ArcGIS Pro 3.0 now that it is available after last weeks user conference. 

* 5,235 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the movie was 10,000 BC but she still hasn't held that against me. 

* 4,457 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. 

* It was 4,000 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, we poured sand into a vase said our I do's and we were hitched. Nice round number. 

* I have now lived 1,622 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,266 days, I've now outlived him by 145 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! We did find him, just never had the honor of a face-to-face meeting. 

* I have 3,536 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows though, doing what I do I may never retire. 

* There are 244 days until my favorite season, Spring of 2023

* 211 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I think he and the family have moved back home in the backyard. 

* 167 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 160 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 140 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 34 days away. I'm ready. 

* There are 18 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* I have written 6,853 blogs in the now 17 1/2 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Older Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. My little drone is awesome and I really like it. 

* No Drone flights this weekend, the weather was really nice but the opportunity just wasn't really present for me to fly. 

* I had a pretty good weekend, except Michelle has been sick. We missed the Buffett concert, but there is always next year. 

* Still working 10-hour day for Duquense Light, busy busy busy. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho 

Monday, July 18, 2022

Monday

Here we are again, the weekend is over and it's time to take our collective noses and stick them back on the grindstone of life once again. It's time for the fun to stop and for us to get to do what it is that we do to make this world a much better place to live in.

The weekend didn't quite go as planned, hopefully, Michelle will feel a little better this morning than she has all weekend. They put her on a new medication Friday to help her in sleeping, and that may very well have been the problem that she ran into this weekend of feeling sick and like she had just come off a hangover (no she did not drink, she slept). 

We did buy some corn for dinner yesterday, got some still on the ears from a roadside stand, and we told her how much we loved the previous week's batch. She called that Ohio Corn, this however is Romney Corn. Michelle fixed it with a cup of milk and a stick of butter as she was boiling it, it turned out well. 

Have yourselves a great day and let's get this week started. 

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Kynlea

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Great-Niece Kylea Rae Dalton a very Happy Birthday today.

This little photogenic girl is an absolute bundle of joy to be around, Amy and Ralph had a birthday party this past weekend where she had some friends over to swim on the pool and have a cookout. I had to steal this picture from Amy. 

Let's see, if my math is correct and she was born on this date in 2012, that would make her 3,652 days old (that is 10 to you who use that antiquated 365 day Calendar). I can remember the day this little bundle of joy was born like it was yesterday. I know Ralphie was looking forward to the steak the hospital served him that evening. 

If you happen to see this little bundle of joy today, make sure that you take a little bit of time out and wish her the happiest of Birthdays today.

Happy Birthday, Kynlea.

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Sunday

Here I sit in a quiet household once again, I'm not recovering from last night's concert as we did not make it. Michelle woke up yesterday morning with a headache and we just ended up not making it. 

We were trying to go to the concert yesterday, which caused us to miss a few other events. Kynlea's birthday party and Ang's Birthday luncheon. I also missed out on a few dollars not working for RTI yesterday in anticipation of the concert. I did buy a nice new cooler for the event. 

So what is on my agenda for today, well meal planning and grocery shopping for one thing. It's our weekly thing to do and we always do our weekly grocery shopping on Sunday Morning as well as some Sunday Chores. I'm not scheduled to work for RTI today, but who knows how I'll feel by the time to go out into the field. 

Have yourselves a nice and relaxing day. 

Friday, July 15, 2022

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 am off this weekend, so today really does start a weekend for me. I'm working today, then doing our shopping at Sam's and Walmart this evening followed by dinner with my wonderful wife. 

Tomorrow Michelle and I will be heading north to join in with other Parrotheads in Pittsburgh as Jimmy Buffett appears once again at Star Lake (it'll always be Star Lake the same way it will always be Heinz Field or Mountaineer Field). It's been a few years since we have seen him, last time was a big fiasco as many were still waiting to get in basically an hour + after the show started. We rode up in a Limo with a few friends, and we really just didn't have a good time to be honest, so we're doing it on our own this year once again. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Thursday, July 14, 2022

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.

With the Buffet concert coming up this weekend, I thought I would refer back to one of our previous years in seeing Jimmy. Most importantly Michelle feeds the whole parking lot, a trick she had learned from Jean. 

This is a year we took a couple of friends with us, Donnie and Wendy who are no longer together as a couple, but they were a whole lot of fun to tailgate with. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * Monday has been completed, Kiwi is still singing, so no better reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 21,403 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calender. It's better than the 991-day calendar as it gives you a nice round number to work with. 

* It has been 6,643 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. 18 years ago and still doing GIS and loving it. 

* 5,228 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the movie was 10,000 BC but she still hasn't held that against me. 

* 4,450 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. Tomorrow at 4:00 will be 4,444 days. 

* It was 3,993 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, we poured sand into a vase said our I do's and we were hitched. 

* I have now lived 1,615 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,266 days, I've now outlived him by 138 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! We did find him, just never had the honor of a face-to-face meeting. 

* I have 3,543 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows though, doing what I do I may never retire. 

* There are 251 days until my favorite season, Spring of 2023

* 218 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I think he and the family have moved back home in the backyard. 

* 173 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 167 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 147 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 41 days away. I'm ready. 

* There are 25 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* 5 Days until Michelle and I are in Pittsburgh to see Jimmy Buffett!!!!!

* I have written 6,846 blogs in the now 17 1/2 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Older Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. My little drone is awesome and I really like it. 

* No Drone flights this weekend, the weather was really nice but the opportunity just wasn't really present for me to fly. 

* I had a pretty good weekend, I was busy as hell but it is what it is. 

* I can't believe we will be seeing Jimmy Buffet sing once again this year. O have lost count as to how many times I have seen him. 

* Still working 10-hour day for Duquense Light. 

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho 

Monday, July 11, 2022

Monday

Here we are again, the weekend is over and it's time to take our collective noses and stick them back on the grindstone of life once again. It's time for the fun to stop and for us to get to doing what it is that we do to make this world a much better place to live in. 

Looking at the week ahead, it should not be too bad. It'll be a lot of data editing on my end, and I'll take next weekend off for the Concert. Michelle has to take her Mom to a Doctors appointment tomorrow, but other than that it's going to be a typical week for the two of us. New day same stuff. 

Michelle and I have to start planning for Buffet Saturday, what we need to take, what are we going to cook etc. I don't think we are going to take an EZ up this year, might just tailgate, well out of the tailgate like we did our first year. We used to do a big set up, had two EZ ups, the big coleman grill we would take and big coolers with plenty of food and drinks. It's just Michelle and I and I think we are going to significantly downsize it all this year. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Sunday

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household, Kiwi and I are up talking about the best cartoons ever. He is kind of fond of Woody Woodpecker whereas I prefer Buggs Bunny. He's a talkative little one. 

Well, I am back out in the field today once again, I actually had my best day in 2022 yesterday working for RTI. People were home and cooperative, with no restricted access and it's a nice little community. I'm back there today working once again. 

My morning today will be us doing our grocery shopping and then heading out to work once again. I think I am taking Ice today, Michelle's car has AC and my kind of died out a few years ago. I can work with two windows down, no problem but the AC is so much nicer. 

Well my 40-year High School Reunion has been canceled. We were going to do the Quadrad this year as no one wanted to step up to organize it. Yesterday the Quadrad announced they were canceling the July 30th date and it will be moved to later in the year. I really wasn't fond of the idea, and I think it was cancelled because they didn't quite get the response that they were looking for. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Saturday, July 09, 2022

Saturday

Here I sit on a quiet Saturday Morning, I'm up planning out my day. Kiwi is in his cage and all quiet this morning, I think he is starting to get into Yoga since his cooking and singing careers haven't quite taken off like he would have liked. 

Well, here I go again, back to working for RTI as I head out into the field this weekend to work in Fairmont. New segment and new challenges, I'm just happy to be away from all the student population and restricted access things I have dealt with all this year so far. Back to residential neighborhoods where people live. 

Other than traveling to Fairmont this weekend, I have no real plans in place. I did ask Michelle if she minded running to the laundromat this morning so I can get a good start. It's one thing when I was working in Morgantown, but this is going to add significant travel time to my schedule as compared to everything I have done this year so far. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Friday, July 08, 2022

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 we have started the next quarter for RTI, meaning I will be out working this weekend. I will be traveling to Fairmont this quarter, which means that I didn't work yesterday or today because of proximity. It was one thing when it was right down the road, now I'm traveling to another county every weekend. 

Today however I'll be working from home and doing our shopping this evening at Sams and Walmart. We'll head out to dinner afterwards and that will pretty much be my day, so I can get an early start for tomorrow. 

There are no concerts this evening, but the Kentucky Headhunters, a band that was the featured act in the 90's at the WVU Coliseum will be the featured act next week.

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho 

Thursday, July 07, 2022

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 about eight years, back to the year 2014. As many know I was a part of three Championship Teams from the KDKA Pittsburgh Steelers Trivia Challenge. When you win the big thing, the team gets a big trophy and one of us takes it home. I briefly had two of them (never saw the third trophy yet) and decided to take a day and drive around and get some pictures. 

One of my stops was where I got my love of the Pittsburgh Steelers. When the Steelers had won 4 Superbowls in the 1970's, I was being raised by Grandma and Grandpa Hall. Grandma was more of a football fan than Grandpa, as she always watched the Steelers or Pirates when the games were on TV, otherwise she would listen to the games on the radio...without fail. 

I took two of the trophies and stopped by the gravesite and grabbed this pic. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday, July 05, 2022

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * Bye-bye three-day weekend, it all starts over and this is the first day of it. Good reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 21,396 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calender. It's better than the 991-day calendar as it gives you a nice round number to work with. 

* It has been 6,636 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. 18 years ago and still doing GIS and loving it. 

* 5,221 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the movie was 10,000 BC but she still hasn't held that against me. 

* 4,443 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. Tomorrow at 4:00 will be 4,444 days. 

* It was 3,986 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center, we poured sand into a vase said our I do's and we were hitched. 

* I have now lived 1,608 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,266 days, I've now outlived him by 131 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! We did find him, just never had the honor of a face-to-face meeting. 

* I have 3,550 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows though, doing what I do I may never retire. Do you know I have three brother in laws that are all retired, two are younger than me. 

* There are 258 days until my favorite season, Spring of 2023

* 225 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day, I think he and the family have moved back home in the backyard. 

* 180 more days to go until my Goodbye 2022 Blog is posted, it's been eventful. I have it started. 

* There are 173 more shopping days left until Christmas 2022.

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 154 more days. 

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 48 days away. I'm ready. 

* There are 32 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* 20 Days until Michelle and I are in Pittsburgh to see Jimmy Buffett!!!!!

* I have written 6,839 blogs in the now 17 1/2 years since I started blogging. Seems like it was just yesterday that I started all of this. 

* Older Drone still needs to be sent out for repairs, not a big priority at this time. I may actually but one off of same ebay and piece it together but I'm not sure it is really worth the effort to be honest. My little drone is awesome. 

* No drone flights this weekend, the weather was really nice but the opportunity just wasn't really present for me to fly. 

* Man cave is becoming more and more functional. Cleaned both cars interiors. 

* I'll start up with RTI later this week. 

* Still working 10 hour days. Money Money Money Money

* Have yourselves a great day.  

* Hi ho hi ho 

Monday, July 04, 2022

Day 3

It's day 3 of my three-day weekend, so that means once again that I am not working today and have the day off as does my lovely wife. It's Monday but it's a we're not working day!!!!

Yesterday we finally managed to go to Hovatters Zoo. We usually make at least one trip a year there and every year they keep adding on and adding on. What they do with the upkeep and expansion of that zoo is downright amazing. If you have never been there or if you haven't been there in a while, take a trip and support this local zoo. 

No big plans for today, other than being lazy and sleeping in. Everything I wanted to do for the weekend we have already done and it's just a simply day to relax. We have some brats we are throwing on the grill this afternoon, as we plan on doing what old people do and relax. 

Have yourselves a super-fantastic day. 

4th of July

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.




Georgia

Button Gwinnett

Lyman Hall

George Walton

 

North Carolina

William Hooper

Joseph Hewes

John Penn

 

South Carolina

Edward Rutledge

Thomas Heyward, Jr.

Thomas Lynch, Jr.

Arthur Middleton

 

Massachusetts

John Hancock

Maryland

Samuel Chase

William Paca

Thomas Stone

Charles Carroll of Carrollton

 

Virginia

George Wythe

Richard Henry Lee

Thomas Jefferson

Benjamin Harrison

Thomas Nelson, Jr.

Francis Lightfoot Lee

Carter Braxton

 

Pennsylvania

Robert Morris

Benjamin Rush

Benjamin Franklin

John Morton

George Clymer

James Smith

George Taylor

James Wilson

George Ross

Delaware

Caesar Rodney

George Read

Thomas McKean

 

New York

William Floyd

Philip Livingston

Francis Lewis

Lewis Morris

 

New Jersey

Richard Stockton

John Witherspoon

Francis Hopkinson

John Hart

Abraham Clark

 

New Hampshire

Josiah Bartlett

William Whipple

 

Massachusetts

Samuel Adams

John Adams

Robert Treat Paine

Elbridge Gerry

 

Rhode Island

Stephen Hopkins

William Ellery

 

Connecticut

Roger Sherman

Samuel Huntington

William Williams

Oliver Wolcott

 

New Hampshire

Matthew Thornton

Sunday, July 03, 2022

Sunday

I have the first day of my three-day weekend in the books, now it is time to concentrate on day 2 of that weekend. I'm here talking to Kiwi and discussing his wanting to record an album, says he intends on appearing at the Grammy's next year and he has some work to do. 

Plans the last couple of days have gotten shifted. Michelle was feeling a little under the weather on Friday so we did not make it to see Jo Dee Messina like she wanted. 

Yesterday started out with me finishing up laundry and then Michelle and I went to George and Michelle's Car Cleaning Interiors and had Ice serviced and the interior cleaned and taken care of. It's hard to get an appointment with them, but since they are located in our garage they made a special exception for the two of us. 

So what is up with day two? Your guess is as good as mine. I know Michelle would love to go feed some giraffes at Hovatters but that was also on our agenda for yesterday as well. We shall have to wait and see. 

I did hear from my Brother Gary yesterday. I guess he broke his previous phone, got a new phone but didn't send the old phone back and ended up with a huge bill. Anyways he is with a new carrier and has a new phone number. It is always nice to take a few out and talk with him. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday, July 02, 2022

Saturday

Here I sit in the early morning, Kiwi and I are up and discussing his career choices, now I think he wants to be a singer rather than a chef, he's been singing up a storm all week. Hopefully, some record label will offer him some big contract. 

It is, in fact, a three-day weekend for yours truly. I have three consecutive days when I'm not working either job and have some time to relax and do what I want to do without worrying about any clock. 

That all starts today....after I run to the laundromat and dry clothes. It's not that big of a deal, I do it every Saturday and then grab myself some breakfast before I come home. 

Michelle and I are running the idea of heading over to Hovatters today, we always make it at least once a year and we haven't been there this year as of yet. We've watched this small local zoo grow into what it has become now, it is amazing how much they have grown this place and how much fun it is to visit. 

Have yourselves a great day and a great weekend. 

Friday, July 01, 2022

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 and a three-day holiday weekend. 

Michelle and I will be heading to the downtown amphitheater this evening for the summer concert series. Tonight's artist is one of if not the biggest act of the year for this event, Jo Dee Messina is scheduled to take the stage at 8:00 with the Hobbs Sisters opening up the evening at 6:30. This was the one concert Michelle said she wanted to see, so this will be our first one there this summer. 

It is a three-day weekend and I am off the entire weekend. The quarter is over for RTI and I'm just relaxing and enjoying myself before things gear up once again and get busy. No plans or knowing what we will be getting into, but all I know is I'm ready for a little bit of rest and relaxation and that starts tonight with the concert. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho