Goodbye 2023

 January

* We started the new year safe at home sleeping. 

* We all met up with Mom at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate her 80th Birthday. 

* I took a day off and took both of the cars to the Ranch to have their oil changed. Michelle was working and that is how I spent my day off. 

* I bought my girl scout cookies from Releigh. She is in the Girl Scouts and she is who we are buying our cookies from. 

* We all surprised Ralph for his 40th Birthday. Amy kept it a secret from him. 

February

* Phil, my Groundhog Friend betrayed me and saw his damned shadow. 

* Michelle and I got into some bread making, we tried a number of new breads that we loved. 

* Former WVU Basketball Player Joe Mazulla was officially named the Basketball coach for the Boston Celtics. He has an interim position, but they made it permanent. 

* We bought Michelle a new laptop. Hers was outdated and she needed something better so we got her one that she loves. It's touchscreen too. 

* Jerry McClean I learned had passed away. 

March

* Brittany officially moved out and in with her at the time boyfriend, then Fiance and soon to be Husband Matt. They have a nice little house down in Fairmont. 

* We started to use a dutch oven to make bread, I love the way that it tuns out. 

* Took a training seminar Introduction to Agile. 

April 

* I learned my childhood friend, mentor and big brother Dave Van Halenger has passed away. Dave had taken me under his wing when he played here in the mid-70's and re remained friends up until he left to take over the Strength and Conditioning Program at Florida State. Dave also lived in East Gate. 

* Michelle and I attended the bakesale at Woodland United Methodist church. A place I seem to overpay for Pineapple Upside Down Cakes. 

* My Contract with Duquesne Light had come to an end. It was very lucrative and a 3 month contract turned out to be about a year and a half of work on a big contract. 

* Calvin and Jeanetta did a Gender reveal, they Jax's gender was revealed to everyone for the first time. 

* Michelle got a kernel lodged into her teeth, so I ended up buying a waterpic for the household. 

* I took a trip to Pittsburgh, I was going to have an interview for a full time position with Duquense Light, but their system was down before I got onto the subway and I found a Tea Shoppe at the Mall. This was the beginning of our love of Teas. 

May

* I had an interview with ESRI, they make the software that I use when I do GIS. 

* I was hired by Lancesoft to do a short-term contract with Parsons. Another lucrative contract but once again it was through the DoD and was very short-term. 

* Michelle and I took Mom and Gerald over to Chris's for a Mother's Day Cookout at their home. 

* Erica Jean finished her High School Career with her Graduation. 

* I bought Michelle a Hammock for the back yard, why? Because Michelle wanted a Hammock. 

June

* Brittany and Matt went on their cruise, and Matt proposed. They will be married this coming October. 

* Michelle and her sisters made a trip to East Liverpool to help celebrate Meghan's Graduation. 

* I entered into the world of battery-powered lawn equipment. I found a nice leaf blower, weed eater combo at Lowes. It more than meets our needs. I have bigger gas powered versions, but we never use them. 

* Bob Huggins had an incident in Pittsburgh that lead to him no longer being WVU's Basketball Coach. 

July

* My month started out with a Doctors appointment over at the POC. 

* I started my personal music top 12 countdown in July. Where for 12 weeks every Wednesday I would name a song and post the video. 

* Jim and Chris had an auction at the Woodland United Methodist Church. 

* We had a Baby Shower for Calvin and Jeanetta. 

* I gave up Soda and bought a Mister Coffee Iced Tea Maker. Would you believer that I have not had a single soda since I made the change. 

August

* Michelle and I for no reason, drove to Tygart Lake and we spent some time at the Dam. 

* The students returned to Morgantown after a nice three month hiatus. I like this town a lot more when they aren't here.

* I got the chance to meet up with my old roommate and introduce him to Michelle. Greg played football when we roomed together all those years ago. 

* The Johnny Koon Lantern and Butterly Release was once again held at Westwood Middle School. There was a really nice turnout this year as there have been every year. 

September

* Jimmy Buffett, a man I have seen in concert multiple times had passed away. It was a bit of a shocker, he was a big part of many of mine and Michelle's Summers.

* My sister Terri was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. It's a battle she was just beginning to fight and she is continuing to fight with Chemo. 

* The Pitt Panther Football team finally returned to the city where they are most hated to play a football game against the Mountaineers. It was a big event, a prime-time game and one that we watched from my niece Amy's House as she had an inflatable outdoor TV screen. 

* I got hired by my current employer Matrix who became Motion from the time I was offered until the time I started. 

* Pam and I went to Preston County to get Buckwheat Cakes. The Buckwheat Festival had started, but we ate at the church in Masontown. Easier in and out. 

October

* Michelle and Kim ordered their wigs, they planned (and did) to shave their heads in support of my Sister Terri's fight with Breast Cancer. 

* Terri, Kim, Michelle, Amy, Val, Brittany and a few others went to do the Breast Cancer Survivors walk. Terri indicated she wanted to do next years walk as a survivor. 

* I had to go to Pittsburgh to get my TSA Precheck done to work on the current job that I am working, due to it being as infrastructure. I started working for Matrix who is contracted to Atmos Energy. 

* We spent the month organizing the Spaghetti Dinner benefit raffle for Terri. 

November

* We had Terri's Spaghetti Dinner and benefit raffle and I have to say it was much more successful than even I thought it was going to be. It was a whole team effort and everyone did an amazing job, it just warms your heart that so many people stepped in to help pull this off. 

* The day had finally come, Terri had started to lose her hair from the Chemo, so her Kim and Michelle all met up at Terri's and all three of them shaved their heads in support of Terri. 

* I ordered tickets for the Kenny Chesney Concert this coming Summer in Pittsburgh. Michelle indicated that she really wanted to see him and her favorite artist Zack Brown so I got tickets. 

* The annual Thanksgiving dinner took place at the Cassville Firehall. Mom, Kim and Brittany took in the turkey day festivities. 

* Michelle and I simultaneously served on Jury Duty together for two weeks, neither one of us got called in in that time period and mine was done. 

December

* Let's just say that we had a couple weekends filled with Baking for Christmas. Michelle did the first one baking nut breads and making fudge all weekend. 

* I did celebrate another anniversary of my 21st birthday (it was actually my 60th) and Michelle surprised me with a 3 lb box of Redstone Chocolates. 

* Michelle had her company Christmas Party at Muriels in Fairmont and we both attended. The evening was a lot of fun. 

* Our friend Trish had been battling hereditary heart problems that past few years. She had an LVAD put on her heart to assist it a few years back, but that is only a temporary solution. She got the call that there was a donor heart and she had a Heart Transplant. 

* The second weekend (three day) of baking occurred where Michelle, Kim and Brittany pumped out a lot of cookies and did a lot of baking over three days. 

* Christmas Eve at Terri's happened, but I was sick (and I'm still sick) and didn't want to get her sick. Michelle went and had a great time, I did nothing Christmas and Christmas Eve other than try to sleep through this illness. 

* There were 386 Blog Posts this year and this is the last one. 

* I'll see you on the other side in 2024. 

New Years Eve

Here I sit in an animal-filled household, Gracie and May are here and believe it or not I have seen Peanut pop her head out occasionally. Kiwi is happy that we have visitors and can't stop talking about his canine cousins from up north. 

This will be my last regular blog of 2023, at 9:00 AM my Goodbye 2023 blog will post and that'll be it for this year. It is fully written and ready to go, I hope you enjoy reliving my year with me. 

Agenda for the day, we will be doing our grocery shopping this morning as we usually do. We have to get our pork and sauerkraut for tomorrow to bring us luck in 2024. A few chores around the house and that will be about it as far as our day. Naps are on our agenda for the day after we finish up the chores. 

So what is our New Years Eve plans, the same as they always are. I'll be sleeping and if I see that ball drop it's because I woke up and had to go to the restroom. No celebrations her. If you are out celebrating, be careful of all the other drivers out on the road who may have celebrated as well. If you celebrated too much, call for a ride. 

Have a great day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit with Kiwi, Gracie, Maybelline, Sophie and Peanut is off hiding somewhere. We are dog sitting for a couple of days while Hayley and Tyler go visit some friends. Kiwi is telling stories of about how he saved Neal Brown's Job as he is an assistant coach and wants more seeds in his next contract. 

Well it all depends who is least sick as to who will be going and drying clothes this morning. Both Michelle and I are both sick and have been under the weather all week. I still have whatever I had last weekend and it's not pleasant at all. It's not COVID but it is definitely something other than the flu. Neither one of us are sleeping and we're both still running fevers. Let me tell you that I am a big fan of Pedialyte Freezer Pops and Gatorade this past week. 

Neither one of us have any plans this weekend other than trying to rest and recover. We do have a three day weekend to try to get back to normal. 

My end of the year blog posts tomorrow, I still have some things to write as it is about 3/4 of the way done. Hopefully I should have it done sometime today and ready to post tomorrow morning. 

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 again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday and another Holiday Weekend. 

Monday is New Year's, so this will be a three-day weekend for me. Hopefully, I feel better than I did last weekend when I was sick all weekend. The only difference is we celebrate Christmas Eve, News Years Eve we'll both be zonked out sleeping. 

No plans for us this coming weekend other than Hayley is going to drop Maybelline and Gracie off for a couple of days while her and Tyler go visit a friend of hers for the weekend and New Years. Peanut of course will hide all weekend, although they all used to live here. She is strange around any strangers, hell you should see her with the big stuffed Giraffe Michelle has, she is scared to death fo that stuffed animal. Kiwi will keep everyone in line, he has a way of doing that. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho for the last time in 2023

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  lot of fun.

I told Michelle last weekend that it's the perfect time of the year to get back into our bread-making. It really is a cold-weather activity that fills the household up with, well the smells of freshly baked bread. The picture above is a Pepperoni and Mozzarella Bread we made last year in the Dutch Oven. The Dutch Oven. I personally think break made in one is some of the best bread, always hearty. It gives it a hardened rust and a warm and fresh heart. Last year we bought a book from amazon called Breadmaking for beginners and it was really helpful in helping us understand the entire process. 

There is just something about a home smelling of warm fresh baked bread. 

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * The Christmas Holiday Weekend is over for most, mine gets extended one additional day today. Good reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 21,908 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calendar. 

* It has been 7,168 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I do love what I do and I can see me doing this into my retirement years. 

* 5,756 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together. Seems like it was just yesterday and it was the third best decision I ever made in my life. 

* 4,966 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. Second best decision I ever made. 

* It was 5,003 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 and said our I do's and we were hitched. 

* I have now lived 2,140 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 799 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,273 days, I've now outlived him by 658 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! Sunday would have been his 61st Birthday. 

* I have 2,932 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 365 more shopping days left until Christmas 2024. You still have plenty of time to prepare and get ready.

* There are 342 days until I hit the age of 61. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are 291 days until Brittany and Matt enter into the bounds of matrimony. 

* There are 263 more days until we go to Pittsburgh and beat the Panther's butts in their stadium. 

* There are 244 more days to go until the Mountaineers will try to get some revenge here in Morgantown for last weekend when Penn State comes to Morgantown. 

* There are 223 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Thirteenth Wedding Anniversary together. 

* Making its debut on this week's countdown, in 158 Days Michelle and I will be traveling to Pittsburgh to see Kenney Chesney and Zack Brown at Acrisure Stadium. 

* There are only 85 days to go until the next start of my favorite Season. Spring 2024. DOUBLE DIGITS!!!!

* 53 more days until Phil steps to center stage once again for Groundhogs Day, that's when he tells us we will have an early spring. I haven't seen Phil too often this fall and winter. 

* 4 more days to go until my Goodbye 2023 Blog is posted, I've started my formatting and writing. I have it about halfway written. 

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) a number of days that I have hated both Pitt and Penn State. 

* I have written 7,411 blogs in the now 18 1/2 years plus a couple of days of being a blogger. 

* 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....when I take time out to fly it.  

* I think I know where I want to do my next drone flight, out by the old county graveyard whenever I get to it. 

* It's been about 6 months since I last had a soda or anything carbonated. I really have grown to like brewed iced tea. I do have a taste for soda though. 

* Still playing Monopoly Go. I think among my friends and family I'm up to 9th place after passing Hayley and someone I used to play softball with. 

* I've been under the weather all weekend, Michelle has whatever I have now. It's a sick household. 

* The Mountaineers bowl game will have them playing North Carolina  tomorrow. 

* How about I start doing my favorite Tic Tok of the week? This is this week's Tic Tok, a simple idea to generate infinite power. 

* No Hi Ho Hi Ho for me today =)

Christmas Eve 2023 Video

Merry Christmas

 

Christmas Eve Past Videos

Every year I try, or should I say I attempt to try to put together a Christmas Video from our Christmas Eve. I've done a number of these through the years, enjoy some of my past work and Merry Christmas Eve.

2022

2021

2020

2019

 

2018



2016



2015




2014




2013

2012

2008




2007



It doesn't appear that I did one for 2006, but here is one of the first videos that I ever did to fill in a little.





2005 which is probably my all time favorite one that I have done.




2004



1999 Which was my Dad's last Christmas

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here Kiwi and I sit in a quiet household, we're up discussing this concept of Christmas Eve. I told him to wait a couple of hours and check my blog at about 6:00 and he can see all of my Christmas Eve past videos.

Tonight is the one night of the year Santa Claus actually goes out and works outside the workshop. Our friends at NORAD have once again put up the Santa Tracker so that we can all track where he is on his journey around the world to deliver toys to little boys and girls. 

My traditional Hot Sausage is here and ready to start cooking for this evening's festivities. It's something my Dad started doing and we have just kept up the tradition for about 45 years now. The recipes and how to cook them have changed but it's still Hot Sausage and tomorrow's breakfast. 

So tonight we will be visiting my Sister Terri as we traditionally do, she wants to have it so we are going to have Christmas Eve. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household, Kiwi and I are up talking about anything and everything. He's very talkative when no other humans are around, other than that he is kind of shy as was demonstrated last weekend.

We have some errands to run this morning, Michelle's outdoor friends need some food so it may be a trip to Rural King after I get back from the laundromat. After that though, I think it is going to be a day of resting and relaxing. Michelle Kim and Brittany worked their butts off last weekend baking cookies that she might just need a little bit of shut down time. 

Tomorrow's Blog will be where I post all of my Christmas Eve videos from years past. I really do enjoy taking time and watching all of them, each one tells a different story. Kids have grown, we've all gotten older and some are no longer with us. It's a time of reflection. 

Something I may do this weekend is really get into the writing of my Goodbye 2023 end of the year blog. I got it all formatted, now I just have to take time and reflect month by month and grab my bullet points that will be included. 

Have 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 again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday and for me a four-day Christmas Holiday Weekend. 

I'll be posting my Christmas Eve videos from years past this weekend. It has been asked if I have picked this years Christmas Eve Music, the answer is no. I've had a suggestion or two, but I'm always open to additional suggestions. 

I did run to Harry's last weekend to get Hot Sausage for Christmas Eve. I do a trip every once in a while and last weekend I went and cleared space up in the freezer to buy hamburger, steaks and Hot Sausage. I really like Harry's. My sister Kim said they love and use D&H Custom Meats LLC and they really like them. 

No big plans for the weekend that aren't quite obvious. Let's get this Friday started so we can start the Holiday weekend.

Hi ho hi ho

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 less than a week, it is of Michelle and I'm and their Kitchen Aid mixers starting our batches of cookies last weekend. It was really nice and helpful that we had two mixers going and multiple hands helping do what needed to be done. It was an amazing effort and one that can hopefully be replicated in the future as I know everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. 

Maybe in future years we can expand this and make it a bigger production with cookies to be enjoyed by everyone. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * The day after cookie weekend is over with, can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 21,901 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calendar. 

* It has been 7,161 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I do love what I do and I can see me doing this into my retirement years. 

* 5,749 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together. Seems like it was just yesterday and it was the third best decision I ever made in my life. 

* 4,959 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. Second best decision I ever made. 

* It was 4,497 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 and said our I do's and we were hitched. 

* I have now lived 2,133 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 792 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,273 days, I've now outlived him by 651 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! Sunday would have been his 61st Birthday. 

* I have 2,939 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 349 days until I hit the age of 61. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are 298 days until Brittany and Matt enter into the bounds of matrimony. 

* There are 270 more days until we go to Pittsburgh and beat the Panther's butts in their stadium. 

* There are 251 more days to go until the Mountaineers will try to get some revenge here in Morgantown for last weekend when Penn State comes to Morgantown. 

* There are 230 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Thirteenth Wedding Anniversary together. 

* Making its debut on this week's countdown, in 165 Days Michelle and I will be traveling to Pittsburgh to see Kenney Chesney and Zack Brown at Acrisure Stadium. 

* There are only 92 days to go until the next start of my favorite Season. Spring 2024. DOUBLE DIGITS!!!!

* 60 more days until Phil steps to center stage once again for Groundhogs Day, that's when he tells us we will have an early spring. I haven't seen Phil too often this fall and winter. 

* 11 more days to go until my Goodbye 2023 Blog is posted, I've started my formatting and writing. 

* There are 6 more shopping days left until Christmas 2023. You still have plenty of time to prepare and get ready.

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) a number of days that I have hated both Pitt and Penn State. 

* I have written 7,403 blogs in the now 18 1/2 years plus a couple of days of being a blogger. 

* 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....when I take time out to fly it.  

* I think I know where I want to do my next drone flight, out by the old county graveyard whenever I get to it. 

* It's been about 4 months since I last had a soda or anything carbonated. I really have grown to like brewed iced tea. I do have a taste for soda though. 

* Still playing Monopoly Go. I think among my friends and family I'm up to 9th place after passing Hayley and someone I used to play softball with. 

* Speaking of Hayley, she has went back to the company she used to work for. She had been working at Aldi's, but her old company called her and offered her more money so she jumped at it. 

* The Mountaineers bowl game will have them playing North Carolina on December 27th. 

* How about I start doing my favorite Tic Tok of the week? This is this week's Tic Tok, a simple message that maybe we should all listen to during these holiday days. 

* Have a great day 

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All the baking fun is over with, three days worth of baking cookies plus two days last weekend baking Banana Bread and making fudge. Now all the Christmas Baking fun is done for the year and it is time to get back to doing what it is that we do for a living. Let's stick those noses back onto the Grindstone for another fun-filled week of doing what it is that we do for a living. 

Three long days of cookie baking has been completed, my album should be up on Facebook by the time this posts. I took pictures all weekend of all the fun and festivities and the cookie baking. It was a great time had by all and we are thankful for everyone who came over and visited or assisted this weekend. It was a huge help. 

Looking at my week ahead, I start training today doing something else at work. I finally have access to a website with all of their as-builts so I can see for myself all of the documentation. 

Michelle is still on Jury Duty this week, and will be until next Friday when she will be done and finished with it. She does not have to go in today, hopefully she can be all done with it and not have to get called in. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Cookie Day

Here I sit once again with my old buddy Kiwi, he's up asking what kind of cookies are going to be made today, I told him he would have to discuss this with Mommy. He said he likes all the people stopping by. 

Speaking of my little socialite bird, Kim and Brittany were here all day yesterday making cookies. Talk about a well oiled assembly line, that is what they had. Micelle was mixing and putting the ingredients together, Brittany was putting the mixture on the baking pans and taking them off and Kim was the bake master working the oven. Pam, George and Jax stopped over for a visit, so we had a houseful having fun making cookies. I'll be putting the pictures up that I have been talking once I am done taking pictures. 

Today Michelle will do our grocery shopping first thing this morning and the things we do around the house,  then it is day 3 of cookie day. She made the Chocolate Chip, Butterscotch, no bakes and orange cookies yesterday. I know when is still wanting to do her peanut butter hershey kiss cookies as well as her favorites the spritz cookies today and that should finish up the Christmas Baking. Kim and Brittany will be joining us to finish up all the baking. Come on over, this will be it for Christmas Baking. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday Cookie Day

Here Kiwi and I sit once again in a semi-quiet household, he  is talking to me about the strange human that we here yesterday and I told him that is Aunt Kim. 

Now it is on to day two of cookie baking, Michelle and Kim knocked it out of the park yesterday and today I think Brittany is going to be joining us for the days festivities. It was a lot of fun yesterday, I was working and the girls were baking all day. I'll post the pictures when it is all done, unlike years prior Michelle is doing a number of different cookies. 

What's on my agenda for the day? I'll be heading over to the Laundromat to dry clothes, Michelle will be baking cookies and I may make a trip up to Harry's to stock up the freezer and get some sausage for Christmas. We're about out out of the good hamburger, so I'll get some of that and some of his Hot Sausage. 

WVU's December Commencement is today. Most of the students are out of town until the first of the year, so after today traffic will not be as heavy as it is at other parts of the year, The next few weeks are the only real time that the University actually shuts down. During the Summer there are two summer sessions as well as events going on all Summer, this is when everyone goes home. I know when I was working at the NRAC this was the only time of the year the Master's and PHD students from other countries would actually go home for any length of time. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Big Ole Christmas Cookie Day!!!!!!

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 again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!

Today is the first of three cookie days for Michelle, she did Banana and Banana Nut Bread Last weekend as well as home made fudge, this weekend Michelle and Kim will be assembling the 50 lbs of sugar, 50 lbs of flour and a whole bunch of butter into out favorite cookies. Kim has volunteered to help and we are excited for her to come over and bake cookies. Yes there will be my all time favorite cookie, the Butterscotch Cookies that Michelle makes. She will be making : Butterscotch, Chocolate Chip, Spritz, Strawberry, Orange, Peanut Butter with Hershey;s Kisses, Shortbread, Wedding Balls, and no Bakes. She kind of created her own recipe years ago and everyone loves the Buttersccotch. Yes we will be sharing them, I know my Mom loves the Butterscotch ones, as does everyone else. 

I am working today, but Kim and Michelle will be in charge of the kitchen, provided Michelle doesn't get called for Jury Duty. They are both scheduled to be off today and with one agenda in mind. Baking Cookies!!!!!

I know we are all looking forward to today and sharing the fruits of their labors. 

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, 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.

I thought for this week I would go back to Christmas Eve 2019 when we all got together at Terri's and were smart enough to grad a (what a novel concept) group picture together. I'm actually in this one (something as a photographer you rarely have the opportunity to do, just ask Amy). 

It was a special moment where we were able to get one big group picture. This is the year that I think the theme was pajamas, as you can see. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday, I loved this one.

Tuesday's Tidbits

 * We are three days from Day one of Cookie Day. For the life of me I can't think of a better reason to do a tidbits. 

* It has been 21,894 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calendar. 

* It has been 7,154 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I do love what I do and I can see me doing this into my retirement years. 

* 5,742 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together. Seems like it was just yesterday and it was the third best decision I ever made in my life. 

* 4,945 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. Second best decision I ever made. 

* It was 4,490 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 and said our I do's and we were hitched. 

* I have now lived 2,126 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 785 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,266 days, I've now outlived him by 651 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! Sunday would have been his 61st Birthday. 

* I have 2,946 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 356 days until I hit the age of 61. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are 277 more days until we go to Pittsburgh and beat the Panther's butts in their stadium. 

* There are 258 more days to go until the Mountaineers will try to get some revenge here in Morgantown for last weekend when Penn State comes to Morgantown. 

* There are 237 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Thirteenth Wedding Anniversary together. 

* Making its debut on this week's countdown, in 172 Days Michelle and I will be traveling to Pittsburgh to see Kenney Chesney and Zack Brown at Acrisure Stadium. 

* There are only 99 days to go until the next start of my favorite Season. Spring 2024. DOUBLE DIGITS!!!!

* 67 more days until Phil steps to center stage once again for Groundhogs Day, that's when he tells us we will have an early spring. I haven't seen Phil too often this fall and winter. 

* 18 more days to go until my Goodbye 2023 Blog is posted, I'm just now getting started on content for that one. 

* There are 13 more shopping days left until Christmas 2023. You still have plenty of time to prepare and get ready.

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) a number of days that I have hated both Pitt and Penn State. 

* I have written 7,396 blogs in the now 18 1/2 years plus a couple of days of being a blogger. 

* 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....when I take time out to fly it.  

* I think I know where I want to do my next drone flight, out by the old county graveyard whenever I get to it. 

* It's been about 4 months since I last had a soda or anything carbonated. I really have grown to like brewed iced tea. I do have a taste for soda though. 

* Still playing Monopoly Go. I think among my friends and family I'm still in 11th place. Kim and Terri and #1 and #2 respectively. I'm catching up tp Hayley. 

* Speaking of Hayley, she has went back to the company she used to work for. She had been working at Aldi's, but her old company called her and offered her more money so she jumped at it. 

* The Mountaineers bowl game will have them playing North Carolina on December 27th. 

* How about I start doing my favorite Tic Tok of the week? This is this week's Tic Tok,, I used to love (still do) listening to Roy D Mercer make prank phone calls. 

* Have a great day 

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end, and yes that does in fact include those fun-filled things we refer to as weekends. Now it is that time of the week when we take our collective noses and stick them back onto the grindstone of life and get back to doing what it is we do for a living. 

First and foremost, I set up a Fundraiser for Trish over the weekend to help her offset some costs. She got the call she was waiting for Tuesday and went in for 10 hours of a transplant surgery that night and into the morning so that the surgical team could remove her pacemaker, her LVAT and her old heart and put a new donor heart into her chest. She is coming through this like a champ, so if you could please help donate, if you can't please share the fundraiser. The more shares it gets the better opportunity we have raising money on her behalf. Her body is still adjusting to her new heart, which she has named Shirley. Her LVAT was called Lavern, but her heart is named Shirley. 

Michelle is still subject to be called for Jury duty this coming week and for a couple more weeks. My guess is if she gets through this week and next she will be home free as her final week is the week of Christmas and I don't see many opportunities to be called in that week.

She is taking this Friday off to do some baking this weekend. Kim is scheduled to come over and bring her Kitchenaid as well so she can have two of them going as they whip up cookie batter to be baked. It should be a fun time, for those two as I will be working on Friday. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here Kiwi and I once again sit (you notice we always talk in the mornings) discussing a few things. Namely why the kitchen smells like banana nut bread and why his cage was moved yesterday while Michelle was baking that food that fills the kitchen and household with the smell of a burning scented Banana Nut Bread Yankee Candle. 

Yes Michelle got an early start on her Christmas baking, yesterday. Because Banana nutbread takes so long to bake, she got it out of the way yesterday before taking on the cookie adventures of this upcoming weekend. She will have a different kitchen assistant for the start of her three-day baking extravaganza. My sister Kim has volunteered to come over and assist Michelle with the baking. She'll be off Friday and plans on baking cookies all weekend. Kim is going to bring her Kitchen-Aid over on next weekend and we'll have two of them going and mixing up batches. Michelle even ordered them a couple of aprons for this coming weekend's festivities. 

Last night we traveled to Fairmont for Michelle's company Christmas Dinner at Muriels. They have always been one of my favorite restaurants and I have always been a big fan of Muriels. Michelle is fortunate to work for a small, and caring company, FD Kitchens and Baths, that is like an extended family to her. Michelle even managed to pass out a few of her business cards this past week and may have just gotten them between one and three customers who want to remodel their homes by coincidence. 

The WVU Men's Soccer team made it to the final 4, but lost to Clemson Friday evening to end their miraculous and magical season. They finished the season 17-3-4 and were the #5 team going into the NCAA Tournament. This is the best season ever for WVU Men's Soccer. The Women's team played for the National Championship a few years ago. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here Kiwi and I sit once again in a quiet household, we are up discussing some important medical issues that happened this week. He just doesn't understand changing organs around from one human to another. I'm trying to explain it to him.

To get a little serious here on this blog. Our friend Trish who is another sister to me has had some hereditary heart issues the past few years. It's something her Mom suffers from but her Mom's heart repaired itself and Trish's did not. For the last few years she has had to wear a vest, she was opened up and this device that helped her heart to pump was inserted into her chest and she was always hooked up to some kind of wires. She was waiting for a donor heart for a heart transplant. 

Tuesday this week she received her call, a donor had passed away and they found a heart that matches Trishes and she was on top of the list. That call came Tuesday morning, by 5:00 Tuesday evening she was scheduled for Surgery at Ruby. It was 7:00 before she went back for the transplant. The surgery lasted 10 hours and they wheeled her out and back into ICU at about 6:00 AM on Wednesday. The operation was a success, her heart was removed and a donors heart is now pumping blood throughout her body. 

I was talking to her Dad on Wednesday and they are talking about her being in the hospital for three weeks to recover from this transplant. She was sitting up by Wednesday evening and was walking by Thursday. She is still in ICU at this time, but she is alert and I have spoken with her a few times. She has a new heart and is on the road to recovery. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward. I'll be setting up a GoFundMe site for her to help cover medical costs this weekend. 

Have a great day, and appreciate everyone and everything around you. 

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 again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!

No real big plans for us this weekend, other than going to Michelle's company Christmas Party tomorrow in Fairmont. The last couple of years they have done them in house at the shop, but this year they are taking everyone to Murials in Fairmont. The woman who owns the company is actually related to Rocco Muriel, but he has retired and sold the restaurant. I'm sure it's still really good under the new ownership, I think Michelle and I ate there once since it changed hands and it was still just as high of quality. 

Other than that nothing bog planned for us. Jim is having an auction tomorrow, but Michelle nor I will be there as it interferes with her company Christmas Party and we won't make it. The auction will be at the First Christian apostolic church in Tunnelton. I have no other information on the auction other than it is at 2:00 if anyone is interested in attending. I'm not sure if they listed it on Auctionzip, but it will be their second Christmas Auction. 

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, 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 I have to back a few years to pull out a Christmas Movie Prop that we have here somewhere, but it's not making an appearance this season. 

It is my Marty Moose Mug from the Vacation movies, specifically, this mug was used in the Christmas Vacation movie where Clark and Eddie were in the living room talking. It's one of my favorite Christmas Movies 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* My sister Kim's birthday is now over with, it's hard to believe that she is 38 years older than me now. Good time for a tidbits.  

* It has been 21,887 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, and improved 1,000-day Calendar. That calendar might need revised sometime in the next few months.   

* It has been 7,147 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I do love what I do and I can see me doing this into my retirement years. 

* 5,735 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the pizza hut is gone, the movie was 10,000 BC. What a horrible pick I made for a movie. 

* 4,938 days ago I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. Second best decision I ever made. 

* It was 4,483 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 and said our I do's and we were hitched. 

* I have now lived 2,119 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 778 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,266 days, I've now outlived him by 644 days making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! Sunday would have been his 61st Birthday. 

* I have 2,953 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 363 days until I hit the age of 61. Yeah I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* There are 284 more days until we go to Pittsburgh and beat the Panther's butts in their stadium. 

* There are 265 more days to go until the Mountaineers will try to get some revenge here in Morgantown for last weekend when Penn State comes to Morgantown. 

* There are 244 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Thirteenth Wedding Anniversary together. 

* Making its debut on this week's countdown, in 179 Days Michelle and I will be traveling to Pittsburgh to see Kenney Chesney and Zack Brown at Acrisure Stadium. 

* There are only 106 days to go until the next start of my favorite Season. Spring 2024. 

* 74 more days until Phil steps to center stage once again for Groundhogs Day, that's when he tells us we will have an early spring. 

* 25 more days to go until my Goodbye 2023 Blog is posted, I'm just now getting started on content for that one. 

* There are 20 more shopping days left until Christmas 2023. You still have plenty of time to prepare and get ready.

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) a number of days that I have hated both Pitt and Penn State. 

* I have written 7,389 blogs in the now 18 1/2 years plus a couple of days of being a blogger. 

* 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....when I take time out to fly it.  

* I think I know where I want to do my next drone flight, out by the old county graveyard whenever I get to it. 

* It's been about 4 months since the last time I had a soda or really anything carbonated. I really have grown to like brewed ice tea. 

* Tomorrow's Blog is another Mark Roper special. I was going to use it last week, but last weeks was so cure that I switched the weeks up on it. 

* Still playing Monopoly Go. I think among my friends and family I'm still in 11th place. Kim and Terri and #1 and #2 respectively. 

* The Mountaineers bowl game will have them playing North Carolina on December 27th. 

* How about I start doing my favorite Tic Tok of the week? This is this week's Tic Tok,, I am a bird guy and love Birds. Especially those with big personalities. 

* Have a great day 

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end, and that does include those fun-filled things we call weekends. Now it is time to put our collective noses back onto the grindstone of life and get back to doing what it is that makes this a better world to live in. 

Looking at my week ahead in my household, half of us humans are subject to Jury duty this week, and I'm not the half that is. Yes Michelle is still serving until the end of the month but my time is completed. She doesn't have to report today, but has to call in every evening to see if she has to serve. 

I do have an interview tomorrow morning for a remote role with Duke Energy, but I don't think I am a strong candidate. I check all the boxes so to speak, but I've only been using Smallworld a couple of months although I am strong on the ESRI qualifications for the job. We'll have to wait and see. I always have opportunities presenting themselves to me. 

I need to start my formatting for my end of the year blog. We are in the last month of the year, so I should be able to set up the formatting for everything in anticipation of me taking time to review the year and write it. This has to be done first, then it is a matter of filling out the months. 

West Virginia will be playing North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on December 27th. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Kim Sanjulian

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Sister Kim SanJulian a very Happy Birthday today. We started out in life where I was one year older than her, but since I am only 21 years old, she has passed me up by a couple of years by now. 

Kim is an amazing sister, one that I have had numerous arguments through the years, but there has always been a great deal of respect for her and her viewpoint even though I would never let her know that. She has made selfless sacrifices for others and that is a characteristic that is to be commended. 

Not sure what Kim and Robert have planned for the day, but I'm sure it will either be a nice dinner or something along those lines that will be memorable. I know she really likes Minards in Fairmont. 

She did tell me on a text message for my birthday she just wanted to use the animated ballons, right back at you sis. 

 If you see Kim today, take a little bit of time out and wish her a very Happy Birthday today.

Happy Birthday Kim, make it a great one. 

Sunday

Here I sit once again in a semi-quiet household, Kiwi is up yapping of course about anything and everything. Not one particular topping of discussion but multiple ones like what toppings go on a hot dog. Chilli, Onions and Cole slaw for me, he prefers sunflower seeds, peanuts and hold the meat. Such a hard bird to please. 

So what is on our agenda today? Grocery shopping, coming home and doing a few chores and then I think Kim and Michelle are going shopping together somewhere today. I'm probably going to stay home and watch some more football. 

Yesterday was pretty productive, Michelle is bound and determined to de-clutter the house and started in the living room yesterday clearing out a bunch of space. We took a trip to Rural KIng to buy some feed for her outdoor four-legged friends who are now coming up onto the patio. I'm waiting on one of them to take their antlers and knock on the sliding glass doors and ask where their food is. 

We took a trip to Sam's yesterday morning, let's just say Michelle is going to take a long weekend and bake cookies and is pretty mich set up with everything she needs to bake the entire weekend. Flour, Sugar, extras, you name it and she got herself an electric wolfgang puck cookie spritzer, that way she doesn't have to squeeze the trigger manually over and over. It is almost cookie season and I'm getting excited. 

Have yourself a great day. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household once again, Kiwi and I are up discussing the itinerary for the day and what we need to get done. He said he's going to do a few aviary things and humans wouldn't understand. 

First of all I feel very loved with all the birthday wishes I received yesterday. Michelle started my day off with a 3lb box of Redstone Candy. I haven't seen much of it in the past few years or at least since COVID. I was actually at the Redstone Factory a couple of years ago and it was like a ghost town. I think I was the only one there at the whole facility. 

That was yesterday and now on to today. I'm heading to the laundromat this morning and then Michelle and I will be making our weekly trip to Sam's Club to shop. It was something I used to do on Fridays, but I work later in the day now and we just both do it rather than rushing around and making days longer on Friday. 

There is a birthday party this afternoon for Michelle's great-niece, she will be turning 2 and she is already full of life. 

My assignment for Jury Duty is now officially completed, I never got called in once in the two weeks I was committed to serving. I was supposed to serve a month, but that was from October till when I started my Jury Duty in November. I didn't try to get out of it, and still managed to be available to do my civic duty. Michelle is still on Jury duty until December 29th, so she still has to call in and be available. 

Have yourselves a great day, it's going to rain all day but make the most of it. 

 

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 again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!

Today is a day to celebrate, one that we need to throw a party for. It is my official last day of Jury Duty (If I have to go). Michelle has to serve a few more weeks, but I have gotten lucky and because I had to move last months assignment up a month for training on my job, I only had to serve two weeks this term and this is the end of my second week. 

No plans for the weekend that I know of. Michelle is starting to gear up and prepare to bake Christmas Cookies. She's thinking about taking an extended weekend to do her baking. My favorites are the Butterscotch Cookies that she makes. She had an idea of getting together with other people who bake cookies and do a cookie exchange. Her and her sisters did it one year and it worked out well, they all worked together baking and trying each others recipes. 

Now that we are in the month of December, I guess I should start setting up for my end of the year Blog. At least set up my formatting and get everything ready so I can take time and go through the year and pick out my points that I would like to highlight. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho?