Kynlea Rae Dalton

News is at 8:48 this morning, this family welcomed a new member as 6 lb 8 ounce Kynlea Rae Dalton blessed us all with her presence

Probably be stopping up after work to see her.

My Fathers Eulogy

I was looking around Facebook yesterday and I saw where my niece Val made a post about the story of the Dragonfly. It's a special story to all of us, because it was the eulogy used for my father's funeral 13 years ago. 

Allow me to share it with you. Thank You Val.

The Story of the Dragonfly

In a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond. Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again. They knew that when this happened their friend was dead, gone forever. One day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top. When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided to take a nap. As he slept, his body changed. When he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful dragonfly. As he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life than what he had ever known existed. He found he could fly and in his flight he discovered his world was brighter than anything he had ever imagined and the beauty was breathtaking.


Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead. He remembered his pact with the others below and started down to the water. He tried and tried to break through the surface to reach his friends, but couldn’t.


He wanted to go back to tell them what he had found, and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they too would know what he now knew. That one day we too will break out of the murky water and join the others we love in the bright light of heaven.


So he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well Monday is now in our rear view mirrors and we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday, I can't for the life of me think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* It's been 1,586 days since Michelle and I went on our first date. We're still going strong.

* 809 Days ago I got down on one knee and proposed marriage.

* 346 days ago in front of our family and friends we exchanged our wedding vows.

* 161 more shopping days left until Christmas.

* 54 more days until we hit the open seas and head down south. I've seen a couple Facebook friends are actually on cruises this week. September 9th can't get here soon enough.

* It looks like we are going to be doing a little traveling this weekend, heading up north to see Michelle's sister and help celebrate her nieces birthday. We have something else planned, but don't want to spoil the surprise just in case they are reading.

* Cardio day

* Hi ho hi ho

I hate Mondays

All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately that includes the thing we work all week for, the weekend. So it's time to get up, get dressed and head into the office and do that thing that you do that lets you pay your bills and enjoy your weekends. Stick the nosed back on the grindstone for a few days, it's time to get back to work.

Michelle was feeling a little under the weather yesterday, so it was a day at home relaxing and watching TV for me and napping for her. I watched the Pirates drop a heartbreaker to a team that has been their Achilles hill the past few seasons. I'm just glad that series is over with.

It's back to the gym again for me today. I took Friday off from lifting, as I'll probably have to start doing more frequently, to rest my shoulder. Labrum Tears are not something you heal from without surgery, I'm just modifying my workout so that I don't irritate it. I'll not stop working out, I made a lifestyle change, little setbacks like this just means you adjust your workout.

Hi ho hi ho

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Well I got a good nights sleep yesterday and watched the Pirates have a come back win and beat the Brewers last night. For the most part it was a nice relaxing day.

Found out yesterday Chad and Laiah will start running the pet store on August 1st. A friend of Chad's is buying it and wants them to run it. They both seem pretty excited about it, since it is his passion and he loves working with reptiles.

It's the pet store in Westover, the current owner has to sell it (wife says so) and a friend of Chad's is buying the business (he's a state trooper in Martinsburg) and paying them to run it. I've always said he needed to do something with pets.

Have a great day.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit in a quiet household once again on an early Saturday Morning collecting my thoughts as everyone else is asleep. I've got some movie playing on Netflix and I'm just sitting here surfing the world wide web.

Don't think we will be getting into too much outdoor activity today, it's calling for some much needed rain and Michelle wants to get our closet organized. I've got a bunch of clothes that I no longer wear or no longer fit and I think we are going to start to sort them out and get rid of them. We do need to clean up that monstrosity of a closet, so that could be a good task on a rainy Saturday.

I think Chad and Laiah might be running a pet/reptile store in Westover. A friend of theirs is buying the business and wants someone to run it and they is something that they are passionate about. I lose track of how many snakes, ferrets, alligator snapping turtles, taranchulas, Geckos's, Monitors and lizards he has in his room. All the tanks are very well maintained and organized, so maybe this is his calling. The IT work has been sporadic although it paid very well, this however is his passion.

Have a great day.

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.

Not only is today just a Friday, it's also the 13th of the month. A day and date that many people are very superstitious about. They say it is a day of bad luck, they've also made one or two or three or more movies about the date. Personally I can't recall ever having bad luck on a Friday the 13th. Hopefully that streak continues today..lol

The full report came out yesterday about the Jerry Sandusky incidents that he was convicted on at Penn State. I have to say, throughout my life I would have said if there was one man in college football who has avoided controversy it would have been Joe Paterno, the long time head Football coach at Penn State. I had the utmost respect for JoePa as he is called. I have to say that I was shocked to find out his role in this whole thing. I would never in a million years have even entertained the thought that he would ever allow this to happen. The fact that Joe knew about it just completely shocked me. I would never have believed it, the man wreaked of integrity, or so I thought.

Looks like we may get a little bit of a break in the weather this weekend. It's not supposed to be as blistering hot as it has been the past few weeks. We have nothing planned this weekend, but the rest of our summer is starting to look busy.

Lifting and cardio day.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Angela McClain

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Angela McClain a very Happy Birthday today.

It was just a little short of two years ago (see previous blog) that we all welcomed Ang as an official member of our family, although she's unofficially been family for a number of years. They just made it official last year.

If you happen to see Ang today, make sure you take a little bit of time out and wish her a Very happy Birthday today. Her husband is in Peru so I'm sure she would love to hear those magical words today.

Happy Birthday Ang.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out and reflect back on all of my digital pictures. I like to select one special pic and reflect about that captured moment in time and reflect upon it. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find one to blog about, and sometimes it's not so easy, but it's always a whole lot of fun.

This weeks picture doesn't go back too far, but it does go back almost two years. It was a number of years in the making, but this was Moke and Ang's wedding day and of course I was there with my trusty camera to capture the moment.

This is a picture of the just married couple walking down the hallway and getting ready to exit the church for the first time as husband and wife at the church. Of course after these pictures were taken they went back in and had the pictures taken at the alter.

After that we all went up the road a couple of miles for the reception and a some memorable times.

It was a good day.

Moke in Peru

The things you learn while you are on facebook. I woke up this morning and saw where Ang said Moke is in Peru for a Humanitarian effort. One thing he can't say is that he hasn't had the chance to see the world over the past few years, he's been to more places than I ever have. Of course I wouldn't have wanted to deal with the heat in Iraq like he did.

Pam told me a few weeks ago that he was going to be going there for as I recall three weeks for his training with the National Guard.

I hope he is out of harms way, I would imagine that he is, and I hope he has a good time while he's down there. I know he's working, but no reason not to get a chance to see a few sights.

Hi ho hi ho

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Well once again Monday is in our rear view mirrors and we are staring straight down the barrel of a Tuesday, I for the life of me can;t think of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* 1,579 days ago my life changed forever as Michelle and I went out on our first date together. It was to see a horrible movie, but I hit the jackpot.

* 802 Days ago I got down on one knee in the back yard and proposed marriage at 4:00 in the morning.

* 339 days ago we all partied down at the Marilla center as Michelle and I exchanged our vows.

* There are only 168 more shopping days left until Christmas.

* It's 61 more days until we set sail on the high seas towards the Bahama's.

* How about them Buccos. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been tearing it up as of late and are in first place at the All-Star break. I'm just happy the drought is appearing to be over with.

* Talking baseball, Josh Judy is 2-2 on the season with 39 strikeouts in AAA Louisville.

* Michelle has learned that she will be having surgery next Month. It's going to be scheduled for August 20th. Women stuff, so I don't want to go too far into details.

* It seems like we have finally gotten a little bit of a break from the HOT HOT HOT weather and it was only HOT yesterday. Temps only reached the upper 80's. (I LOVE IT!!!)

* Cardio day

* Hi ho hi ho

Back at it

All good things must come to an end, and that includes weekends where we have had nice hot weather throughout. It's time to stick our noses back on the grindstone and get back to work so we can have fun on our weekends doing things we like to do.

How about those Pittsburgh Pirates? At the All-Star break they are now 11 games over .500, they have not been that far over .500 since they had a skinny Barry Bonds playing for them a very long time ago. We have been watching a lot of Pirates Baseball this season, they are a very exciting team to watch. They should break their record of the longest consecutive .500 season record in professional sports. They set the record last year, let's hope they can keep it going by breaking that streak and also winning the division.

Tonight is the All-Star games Home Run Derby and Pirate Andrew McCutchen who is leading the National League in hitting this season and putting up MVP type numbers is going to be participating in the Derby tonight. Let's go Cutch!!!!

My wife he Lobster is feeling a little better, we stayed inside for pretty much the who day yesterday and watched a movie and a little baseball.

Torn Lamrum and all, it's time to get back in the gym so

Hi ho hi ho

Sun Burnt Sunday

Sun Burnt Sunday I thought was the most appropriate title, especially after Michelle wakes up this morning. It's probably going to best define both her and my day, hers more so than mine.

Yesterday we knew that the temperatures were going to be close to 100° so we decided to be in and around as much water as possible. We ended up changing our plans and we took a trip to Idlewild Park to enjoy the soak zone, seeing that they had added a wave pool feature recently.

I have to say, that pool itself is much better than the one at Wave Tec in Fairmont, they just converted the old swimming pool into a wave pool and really added a whole new aspect to it all. The waves are probably twice as powerful there as the ones generated at Wave Tec.

We got up and out early yesterday as we did our Sam's Club trip on Friday, to open the whole day of Saturday up for us. So we headed towards north and towards Idlewild.

Today is probably just going to be our normal shopping/laundry/layaround in pain day.
Have a great one.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Usually this is where I say that I am the only person up in a quiet household, truth be told Michelle was about about an hour and a half before me today. Completely caught me by surprise.

It's supposed to be HOT HOT HOT today with the temperatures looking to getting into the 100° F range. With temps like that I told Michelle I didn't want to sit at home, I wanted to get out and enjoy a little bit of water.
I think today's agenda includes us making our first trip to Heston Farm in Fairmont. It was actually one of the few places we considered on having our wedding last year, but it was just too much of a bite into our budget so we chose the Marilla Center which cost us about 1/4 of what it would have cost us for Heston Farm. They have the winery up and working now, so it's a little more appealing to go and visit.

Water? Plans are going to Wave Tek Pool today. Michelle woke up feeling a little under the weather, so we'll see how the day plays out.

Have a great day and stay cool, it's going to be a hot one.

UPDATE: It's an Idlewild Park day!!!!!

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.

Movies on the Mon and Fun Fest returns this evening with the movie Zookeeper. So if you are looking for a little bit of cheap, and in cheap I mean free entertainment tonight

Not too sure what is on our agenda for this weekend, I know the weather is going to be HOT HOT HOT once again and I know I would maybe like to be by or in some water somewhere. Maybe do a little bit of swimming and beat the heat a little bit, or at least just make it more tolerable.

I went to the Doctors yesterday about my shoulder, my rotator cuff that I thought was going out is fine, maybe a little wear and tear on it but that's to be expected. The bad news I got was that I have a Labrum Tear on my right shoulder. The only way to fix it is actually to have surgery on the shoulder where they would have to slice it open (can't do it with a scope) and recovery time would be 9 months to a year. Considering I am not anticipating any MLB team to call me and need me to pitch for them, I'm going to let it go and live with the pain. I'll have to alter my workouts slightly as to not do any more damage.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

It's once again that time of the week when I take a little bit of time out to go back and look through all of my pictures. I like to find one special picture a week to look back on and tell a little story about. Sometimes it's an easy task, sometimes it's pretty difficult, it is always a whole lot of fun either way.

This weeks picture goes back to my 41st birthday, a day that my sister Terri and her Husband Nick opened up the Country Inn on Rt 73. This was their first day of being open for business and that dollar they are holding is the first dollar they made on their first day of business.

Recourse had shut down earlier that year and they were left trying decide what they were going to do. They pulled all of their resources together and managed to open up the Country Inn. This was their first of two bars they opened up, the other being Nick and Terri's a year or so later.

Hi ho hi ho

Happy 4th of July

Today our country celebrates its 236th birthday. It has been 236 years since our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. Telling England to screw off, we're running our own country.

There are a number of events going on today around Morgantown.

At the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park the schiedule is:

11:00 AM Morgantown Municipal band performance.

6:30 Manette Steel Drum Band. In case anyone did not know it, the father of the Steel Drum Dr. Ellie Mannette  is also a professor at WVU, he has also performed with the Coral Reefer Band and Jimmy Buffett on occasion. Might be one worth going to see, a true legend and the inventor of a Musical Instrument.

7:30 are the Community Awards.

8:30 Mon River Big Band

9:45 Fireworks.


Enjoy your 4th of July.

Tuesdays Tidbits

* Well Monday is once again in our rear view mirrors, for me it came after a four day weekend but even with that little bit of knowledge, I still can't of a better reason than that to do a tidbits.

* 1,572 days since mine and Michelle's first date.

* We became engaged 795 days ago.

* 332 days ago we said our marital vows and have been happily married ever since.

* There are only 175 more shopping days left until Christmas.

* 68 more days (they are counting down) until we set sail on the high seas and head towards the Bahamas.

* Our air conditioner has been running hard the past few weeks with all the high heats, last night we actually went outside and cleaned out the vents to get a better air flow. It might need a recharge.

*  They are slowly repairing power to the area from Friday's Storms. I can't believe the extent of the damage that was done by this storm, we were lucky and only got a small bit of it and never lost power.

* I have tomorrow off =)

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end, and that includes our four day weekend that Michelle and I just enjoyed since last Thursday. It's time to take our noses and stick them back on the grindstone for a few days and get back into doing what we do.

Since our vacation this year will come in September, that four day weekend will be our longest extended break until we set sail, so it's got to last us for a couple of months.

It was a good time off. It included a great concert, a great movie,  a couple of cookouts and the annual Rosiak Family 4th of July water battle at Trish's parents house.

To say that I enjoyed myself over this break is an understatement. The only thing bad about it was the storm on Friday night that has knocked out so many people in North Central West Virginia's power, especially during this unseasonably hot trend that we have been having the past week or so.

I know my Sister Pam has been without electric since Friday and they are possibly talking about it taking until this weekend until it's restored. She said Moke's went out Friday as well, but they have electric back on.

Hi ho hi ho

Hello Big XII

The absolute disaster in waiting that is about to happen to the Big East Conference is no longer our concern. After nearly 20 years as a member of the Big East, West Virginia is no longer a member of the conference.

As of today, we are now new members of the Big XII. We've had an invitation since last fall, but it all became official today as we officially switch conferences today.

From 5-7:00 PM tonight around Morgantown the Big XII will be flying a Welcome to the Big XII banner around the city by plane.

We will be joining TCU today as conference affiliates even though a year ago we were going to welcome them to the Big East, but the landscape of College Football changes.

The University of Texas, Oklahoma University, Kansas University, Kansas State University, Texas Tech (where John Denver graduated), Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Baylor will be our new conference foes. We were the glue that held the Big East together after the initial invasion with three BCS wins. With the upcoming change of format and the fact that the Big XII generates more revenue than the Big East and ACC combined, we're sitting pretty.

It's a day all Mountaineer fans have been anticipating.