Happy Birthday Brittany Dae Cummings

Wow, has it been that many years since I first saw you wheeled out of the delivery room. Now you have grown up into a beautiful young lady and you are a college Freshman. Sitting in some of the same seats that I sat in just a few years ago.

Anyways, if you see this wonderful young lady today, make sure that you wish her a very Happy Birthday!!!!!

On a Personal note I would also like to wish her a very Happy Birthday!!!

Big Ole Hairy Friday

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

First and foremost, Gates open at 6:30 tonight for an autograph session and tonight is the start of Mountaineer Madness at the WVU Coliseum. There will be an autograph session from 6:30 till 8:00 and then the madness starts at 8:30. Me and Michelle will be there and will be eagerly anticipating the 2009-10 edition of the West Virginia Mountaineer Basketball team. Most pre-season polls have Huggins and the boys ranked in the top 10 already. This could be an interesting year in Morgantown. Come on out, it will be a lot of fun.

High school football is your concern? #12 Morgantown will travel to #1 Brooke this evening and try to extract some Mon County revenge on the Bruins for them beating University High last week. Watch the Mohigans pull the upset, I'm calling it here first. University High will be entertaining John Marshall at home, Clay Battelle will travel to Cameron and Trinity travels to Williamson.

This was a short week for me, and I am glad it is over. Made a lot of progress career wise (even got a call about another job that pushes me much higher in Cranberry if I would choose to go that route), I have signed my offer sheet and returned it to Sexton already, I'm happy with where I am at right now.

As I mentioned in a Tuesday's Tidits

As I mentioned Tuesday I have a career announcement to make. As I said SAIC my current employer has lost the contract at NETL where I work.

SAIC the prime on the existing five year contract, but when the contract came up for rebid it was broken down into a series of contracts. SAIC had bid on three of the contracts that cover GIS services and failed to win any of the three. I had already received my layoff notice effective November 14th as well as every other SAIC employee who were contracted to NETL.

Two of the three contracts were awarded ta couple of months ago and the third was just announced this past weekend. I had resume's in with the two primes who won the two announced contracts and have exchanged quite a bit of paperwork with one of them including my salary history. An office mate of mine got his paperwork in early and had his interview with them and has an offer letter in hand.

I have an offer in hand with a substantial pay raise from a company that is subbed to all three winning contract bidders. They are jumping with joy and so am I, I said three months ago what the best scenario for me was and it played out exactly that way.

I have an offer in hand and will sign and submit it tomorrow to Sextant Technical. A small company of four people (and adding two more so far) and a wealth of GIS resources. We will be developing and hosting the GIS Touch Table both here in Morgantown and in Pittsburgh. They are wanting to form a one stop GIS services company at NETL that can cross over any and all contracts. Sextant has a vision, a gameplan, are proven winners and get the job done.

I am very fortunate for this opportunity to be working with the people I am working with, Sextant is the innovators of pushing the envelope in GIS data, Analysis and presentations. Forget that it is the biggest and best offer of my professional career, this is my ideal job.

Fourth company in 18 months, layed off twice, voluntarily left for another job once and never missed a beat. As I look back at my decision to go to school, it just reconfirms it was the best decision I ever made.

WOO HOO!!!!!!

Hump Day

Hey, Happy Hump Day!!!!! We've made it, it's over the hump day and we are on the downside of the work week.

Last night Michelle and I went over and visited Trish and Layla. Arron was sleeping so we didn't get a chance to see him, but we did manage to help Trish place a bid on a Halloween Costume for Layla. She is going as a....I'm not going to tell you, Its be a surprise.

The kittens are doing fine, they are stating to get their legs and are walking around. The little boy kitty is and has been pretty adventurous around the house. The Momma has them in Hayley's room, but the world is just a little too big for the adventurous one.

Over the hump and down the hill we go!!!!!!!

Tuesdays Tidbits

* I love starting the week on Tuesday, Monday's really are not my favorite days of the week and I had yesterday off for Columbus Day.

* I'll have a career announcement coming up within the next month or so. SAIC is a contractor for NETL and they lost the new contract this time around. No fears, I'll let everyone know how everything played out once everything is done. I'll just be changing companies, not jobs or even where I sit on a day to day basis.

* I am thinking about stream lining my website, it's been 4-5 years since I last redid it and there are a lot of changes that need to be made. There have been a lot of headaches and problems as of late, I think I have the problem fixed though right now.

* You'll notice my picture site is gone, I had to wipe it out and re-install it on my host. I'm going to have Michelle help me repopulate it again with things we want. I have all the images on my local computer if anyone wants a specific file.

* Shitzngiggles.com is another site I am going to redevelop. The first time I bought a cheap gaming site and put it up and that's what it was, a cheap gaming site. Might be looking in another direction now that I have the php issues worked out and it displaying again.

* Oh well, it was a nice three day weekend, but it's back to work I go...Hi Ho Hi Ho...

Columbus Day

Ahhh yes, I have a three day Holiday weekend and as everyone else heads out today to stick their noses back on the grindstone, I an fortunate enough to have my weekend extended one more day.

I really don't have anything planned short of watching a few movies and relaxing for the day.

I had a great weekend, and am fortunate to have one more day!!!!

Our Day Yesterday

Yesterday was an awesome day, it started put with Michelle and myself going to MiHaley's with Jean to watch the Mountaineer Game. WVU pretty much handed Syracuse pretty easily in route to a 34-13 win.

After the game Michelle and I went to Coopers Rock in search of Geocaches as Haley and a few friends had come over to start getting ready for her home coming dance. We did finally get our Milestone 100th cache yesterday.

After we got that 100th cache we headed home to get a few pictures of Hayley before she left for the dance.

Less than cooperative weather.

The weather was a little less than cooperative yesterday. It started raining yesterday and the whole day was just one big blah. The balloon race was scheduled for yesterday afternoon was canceled and the weather has been less than cooperative.

Hopefully today will be a little more cooperative weather wise. We're currently at 98 Geocache finds and may possibly be planning on a trip to Cooper Rock today to see the changing of the leaves, weather permitting. Maybe we'll get another one or two today to push us to the ceremonial 100 find mark.

Rain, rain go away, come back again on a day I have to work.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

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

Last night was pretty fun, it started out with me and Michelle going to light up night. We ended up seeing Amy and Kaiden there, but light up night was a little less than spectacular.

After that we met Jane and her kids at Pizza Hut for a late dinner and some BSing. She is in transit to DC, her and Chris will be having dinner with President Obama Saturday night.

OK< on to tonight. High School Football on tap for this evening. University High hosts the number 2 ranked team in the state when Brooke comes to town. Hopefully the Hawks can end the Bruins undefeated season tonight. It's homecoming tonight for the Mohigans as they host the North Marion Huskies at Pony Lewis. Undefeated Clay Battelle puts their undefeated record on the line against Valley Wetzel and Trinity travels to Pendleton County.

I think we may try to head to Coopers Rocks this weekend to see if the view is prime for the trees changing colors.

Have a great Friday and a better weekend.

Light Up Night

Come one, come all to the 2009 edition (2008 was missed) of the Mountaineer Balloon Festival. The carnival portion of it all kicks off this afternoon at 3:00 with the fair gates opening and the carnival kicking it off. The night of festivities will start up with a photographic opportunity of Light up Night at 7:30.

After the sun goes down for the day and it starts to get a little bit dark, many of the balloonists will inflate their balloons and at every timed whistle blow will start inflating their balloons bringing a wonderful illumination to the night sky.

It's been a number of years since I have attended this event, I think the last time I went it was behind the State Police barracks about 20 years ago. Tonight however with my sweet heart in tow I will be returning to the event and grabbing a few pictures. Bring your camera and get ready for a chance at some beautiful photography.

Last night Michelle and I went and watched Arron and the UHS Hawks pummel BU 36-0 at the school. It was a dominating performance by the Hawks.

Hump Day

Let's see, Monday....Check. Tuesday....check. It's Wednesday and hump day. I have to say this this week is going by pretty quickly and starting tomorrow with Light Up night, my long weekend could get an early start.

Nothing planned for my boring life today, but like I said tomorrow is light up night and then it is Friday.

I do have to say as someone who started out with Myspace, and later switched to Facebook that I really like Facebook so much better. I think I have been able to conect with more people out of my past than I could have ever imagined. I think it is where I spend the majority of my internet time anymore.

I'm going to be making changes to my website in the near future. It's had some trouble recently and I'm not getting much support from GoDaddy that I am seriously considering moving my site to another host. I think GoDaddy just got so big, that they quit caring. I honestly haven't been too happy with them since they changed the back end a couple of years ago.

Oh well, I can't get to the weekend without completing today. Hi Ho Hi Ho.....

Big YELLOW Dance Cam - "Brick House"

People might remember this guy as the guy from our Steelers Triva Championship team as the guy who answered everything.

Go Page!!!

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Every once in a while you get writers block or you just have a few smaller things to say rather than building a larger story.

* Today is brought to you by the number 571. It has been 571 days since mine and Michell's first date and I have managed to trick her into keeping me this long, I must be doing something right.

* Hey a early warning, this Thursday Night will be Light Up Night at the 2009 Mountaineer Balloon Festival at Mylan (don't they name everything after him?) Park. Be cheering for Mountain Momma II at all of the balloon races. The Pilot is an old friend of mine and also works with me at SAIC, but this will be changing next month (More on that later). Bring your camera and get a good spot to watch this night time wonder.

* Would you believe that I have finally won a week in my Fantasy Football League. I started out 0-3, but finally got in the win column this week.

* Well for not having much to say, and Michelle running up and down the hallways with a Superwoman cape on (literally) to give me inspiration for this BLOG, it has come to a finish. I think Superwoman is out of breath....LOL

Is it Monday Again?

Would you believe that it has been a while since Michelle and I actually got the day to spend Geocaching yesterday. Well, the weather was nice today and we took the GPS, although we never used it, and spent the day grabbing a few Geocaches around Morgantown.

I kind of wanted to get out 100th one this year and with the four that we got yesterday that puts our total at 98 caches found and one hidden to date. I want to get at least two more finds to reach that magical milestone of 100 just so I can say I've done a hundred of them.

We got one at the Old Alumni Center, one at the Law School, failed to find one at the Core Arboretum, and found a couple in Woodburn to round out the day before we picked Hayley up and gave her a nice chance to drive around and practice a little bit yesterday.

It was a great day that I got to spend with a couple special ladies. Maybe today will even be better.

Weekends Go by To Fast

Wait, it was just Friday, are you telling me that it is Monday again already? If it were next Monday that may not be as bad because it will be Columbus Day and I'll be off, but this is not Columbus day and I have to get back to the grindstone. Arrrrggghhhhh

I have to say that I did have a good weekend though. A day of geocaching Saturday and yesterday Michelle made two of my favorites for dinner, haluski and pierogi casserole. I was in seventh heaven to say the least.

I did help Brittany with a little bit of Geology homework yesterday. I walked her around campus and showed her a few places that were relative to her homework. You know being a Professional Geographer and Geocacher one would think I know how to read maps. I can make them, and I can make some rather good ones, but the maps on her homework assignment had me a little confused and I headed the wrong direction initially. I think we got her taken care of though as we found what she was supposed to see.

Do I really have to go to work today? Is it really Monday again?

Weekend

As the thing we call a weekend is winding down, I took a picture that pretty much sums up my relaxing weekend so far.

This is one of our yet to be un-named kittens and I think this picture explains the weekend the best. Ahhhhhhhhhh, relaxed.

A day of Geocaching

Would you believe that it has been a while since Michelle and I actually got the day to spend Geocaching yesterday. Well, the weather was nice today and we took the GPS, although we never used it, and spent the day grabbing a few Geocaches around Morgantown.

I kind of wanted to get out 100th one this year and with the four that we got yesterday that puts our total at 98 caches found and one hidden to date. I want to get at least two more finds to reach that magical milestone of 100 just so I can say I've done a hundred of them.

We got one at the Old Alumni Center, one at the Law School, failed to find one at the Core Arboretum, and found a couple in Woodburn to round out the day before we picked Hayley up and gave her a nice chance to drive around and practice a little bit yesterday.

It was a great day that I got to spend with a couple special ladies. Maybe today will even be better.

Saturday Morning

Unlike mist of my blogs, I am actually writing this one real time instead of writing it the night before. I have to say that Blogger has been less than cooperative this morning as it is running pretty slowly. Actually Google in General, not the rest of the web, is a little less than its normal self this morning.

It is October in West Virginia, a time of the year when all of the most beautiful colors that your optical nerves could observe in nature will be presenting themselves here in the next few weeks as the trees start preparing to shed their leaves and prepare for winter.

It's a time for festivals like last weeks Buckwheat Festival and the upcoming Balloon Festival that we will have here in the next week after a one year hiatus last year.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

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

How about that Mountaineer Game last night. We weren't the sharpest team out there, but on 220 yards rushing from Noel Devine the Mountaineers pull out a 35-24 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes.

Into High School Football? Well the big game tonight is when the Undefeated University High Hawks at 5-0 travel to the Undefeated and 4-0 Fairmont Senior Polar Bears. This should be a good game, go Hawks. Preston High Knights travels to my Alma Mater Morgantown High tonight to take on the Mohigans. The Undefeated Clay Battelle CB's are idle this week and Trinity travels to Hancock Maryland to play.

A Happy Birthday/Condolences goes out to Chris Ostien. Chris celebrates his birthday today but with a heavy heart as he heard a couple of days ago that his grandfather has passed. Chris worked last night's game , runs the big scoreboard, and is off today for the funeral.

Have a great Friday and start of another weekend.

It's Gameday

It's gameday here in Morgantown. The Colorado make come to Morgantown this year as we traveled to Boulder last season. The 2-1 Mountaineers will be looking to rebound from last weeks loss to Auburn and get extract a little revenge for the overtime loss we suffered out there last season.

Jarret Brown should be ready to go tonight, he was injured in his last play last game. Hopefully he will be 100% and be able to play like he has shown us he can tonight. When he is on his game he is one of the best around, that's a strong statement but also a true statement.

Maybe Noel Devine can reel off a couple of hundred yards rushing tonight to help alleviate any stress from the passing game. Devine a very explosive playmaker is just one of a handful of 5'8" speedsters the Mountaineers carry on the roster.