George's Journal

Sunday Morning Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household. Kiwi and Peanut are both excited from the game yesterday and are now switching gears and putting on their Steelers merchandise because the NFL Starts today.

Not too much planned for the day. Michelle got all the shopping done yesterday morning; I just have to do my things around the house this morning, and the rest of the day is ours.

My doctor's appointment last week was rescheduled. My Doctor, Dr Amy, as I call her, was out of the office, and we had to reschedule to December. It was just a 3-month follow-up from my initial consultation with her since I switched from the Physicians Office Center.

One thing I did notice, as did Michelle. When I was leaving work Friday, Michelle said they had invaded the town center with the spotted lanternfly. They are an invasive species that kills crops; if you see any of them, kill them.

Have yourselves a super fantastic day.

Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Here I sit once again in a quiet household. Kiwi and Peanut jumped on the PRT this morning, and they are both downtown on campus, looking to play a little bit of pickup basketball with a couple of naive students. Kiwi things he can take off from beyond the 3-point line and dunk it all day for 3 pointers from above.

Michelle is going to run out and do the grocery shopping and I'm not planning on doing too much today other than watching the Mountaineers this afternoon. We play UT Martin this afternoon at 1:00 on ESPN+. Hopefully we can get out of the day with a win today, we should as this is a warm up game.

Other than that we won't be getting into too much. I just cut the grass on Monday afternoon, so it doesn't need to be cut.

Have yourselves a great day.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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!!!!

Are you ready for a little bit of High School Football? Morgantown High is on the road at Hedgesville this evening. University High is on the road against Washington, and Clay Battelle is on the road against Valley Wetzel. I don't know why or how all three Monongalia County teams are all on the road this weekend, but that is what the schedule says somehow. Both Morgantown and University High only have 4 home games each this season (out of 10); that makes sense.

Not planning on getting into too much this evening. WVU does play at home tomorrow against UT Martin, but that is just another home warm-up game before the tougher teams appear on the schedule. Michelle is going to be doing the Sam's Club shopping after work, like she does every week.

Have yourselves a great day and the start of a great weekend.

Oh and today marks 22 years since my first blog post.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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 somewhere on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up, recalling or reliving the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, and sometimes it's not that easy, but one thing it has always been a lot of fun.

This pic was from a very special day in my life; it was the day that I graduated from WVU, and everyone took me out to dinner at Prime Thyme when it used to be on Grafton Road. It was a long day, and one with three ceremonies I went through (Department, College, and finally University-wide); then it was out to dinner with some very special people.

This was 22 years ago, I had not even written my first blog yet. I was about three months from even figuring out what blogging even was, and it started with a line from a co-worker that he was a grogger not a blogger. I know a groger was a beer drinker, but had no idea what a blogger was. I guess I didn't learn everything in college.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

September 9, 2026

Dear Journal,

Today began with Peanut reading something on the computer that immediately caused absolute chaos.

And when I say chaos, I mean Kiwi was wearing a backpack within five minutes.

Peanut had apparently discovered an article talking about the old days when people could find empty pop bottles and return them to stores for money.

She slowly looked up from the screen.

"Wait a minute," she said.

Lucy—that's me—looked over from the couch. "What?"

Peanut pointed at the computer.

"It says people used to find empty soda bottles and take them back for money."

Kiwi nearly fell off his perch.

"YOU MEAN... PEOPLE THREW AWAY MONEY?!"

The Quackers stopped quacking.

Gracie, who was visiting, tilted her head.

Maybelline's ghost floated halfway through the wall.

"For money?" she asked.

Peanut nodded.

"For money."

There was a long silence.

Then Kiwi screamed:

"WE'RE GOING BOTTLE HUNTING!"

And that's how our day began.

Operation: Pop Bottle Fortune

Within half an hour, our entire crew was assembled.

There was me, Lucy, the responsible one.

Peanut, the self-appointed Treasurer.

Kiwi, Director of Aerial Bottle Surveillance.

The Quackers, who had somehow acquired tiny backpacks.

Gracie, who was supposedly there to keep everyone out of trouble.

And the Ghost of Maybelline, who floated along because she said she could "look under things without bending over."

Peanut had even made a sign.

THE MORGANTOWN BOTTLE RECOVERY TEAM

Underneath, Kiwi had added:

"WE ACCEPT GRAPE SODA."

Our first stop was around town.

We searched sidewalks.

Nothing.

We searched near benches.

Nothing.

We looked around parking lots.

Still nothing.

Kiwi flew overhead.

"NO BOTTLES IN SECTOR ONE!"

"Stop calling it Sector One," Peanut yelled.

"THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL OPERATION!"

The Quackers were particularly enthusiastic.

They waddled around looking under every bush.

"Found one!"

Everyone ran over.

It was a pine cone.

"Not a bottle," Peanut sighed.

Five minutes later:

"FOUND ANOTHER!"

It was a stick.

Then:

"FOUND ONE!"

An old shoe.

By the fourth false alarm, Kiwi threatened to take away their backpacks.

The Quackers were deeply offended.

We eventually made our way toward downtown Morgantown.

Surely, we thought, there would be empty bottles somewhere.

Peanut inspected every trash can from a safe distance.

Gracie looked behind benches.

I checked around sidewalks.

Maybelline simply floated through a few objects.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Nope," she said, floating back out of a recycling bin. "Although I did find three pennies and something I'm not going to describe."

"Probably for the best," I replied.

Kiwi, meanwhile, had developed his own search technique.

He flew from one light pole to another yelling:

"BOTTLE!"

Everyone would look.

"Never mind!"

Then:

"BOTTLE!"

We'd all run.

"That's a water bottle!"

Finally, Peanut shouted:

"KIWI! A WATER BOTTLE IS STILL A BOTTLE!"

Kiwi paused.

"Oh."

There was another long silence.

Then he flew down and picked it up.

"WE HAVE OUR FIRST INVESTMENT!"

Unfortunately, finding bottles was much harder than everyone had expected.

People apparently weren't walking around Morgantown tossing pop bottles everywhere like they did in the stories Peanut had read.

We found plenty of coffee cups.

A suspicious number of fast-food wrappers.

Three tennis balls.

One tiny plastic dinosaur.

And something that Peanut insisted was "definitely not touching."

But very few returnable bottles.

Then the trouble really started.

The Quackers spotted a pile of recycling containers behind a building.

"JACKPOT!" they yelled.

Before anyone could stop them, they waddled straight toward it.

Unfortunately, Kiwi flew down to investigate at the exact same time.

Peanut ran after them.

Gracie ran after Peanut.

I ran after Gracie.

And Maybelline simply floated over everyone.

For approximately thirty seconds, Morgantown witnessed what probably looked like a very unusual parade consisting of two ducks, a cat, two Shih Tzus, a green bird, and a ghost chasing each other toward a recycling bin.

We found exactly...

Zero pop bottles.

Kiwi stood on the edge of the bin.

"I have been betrayed by recycling."

By lunchtime, we were exhausted.

We sat together and counted our findings.

Peanut cleared her throat.

"Okay. Let's see what we have."

One plastic water bottle.

Two aluminum cans.

One bottle cap.

Three pennies.

A tennis ball.

And Kiwi's sunflower seed shell, which somehow ended up in the collection bag.

Peanut looked at the pile.

"This is not going to make us rich."

The Quackers looked disappointed.

"So...no retirement?"

"No."

"No Quackers Mansion?"

"No."

Kiwi looked at his tiny backpack.

"So you're saying I wore this for nothing?"

"Pretty much," Peanut said.

Just when we were about to give up, Maybelline floated quietly beside us.

"You know," she said, "maybe the fun wasn't really about finding money."

Everyone looked at her.

"It wasn't?" Kiwi asked.

"No. It was about going on an adventure together."

I smiled.

Gracie wagged her tail.

Peanut nodded.

Even the Quackers seemed to understand.

Then Kiwi suddenly looked at the collection bag.

"Wait."

"What?" Peanut asked suspiciously.

"We found three pennies."

"Yes."

"And a water bottle."

"Yes."

"And TWO cans!"

"Kiwi..."

"We're practically investors!"

He jumped into the air and flapped his wings.

"THE MORGANTOWN BOTTLE EMPIRE HAS BEGUN!"

Peanut sighed.

"I knew this wasn't over."

And honestly, dear Journal, neither did I.

Because tomorrow, Kiwi wants to search every parking lot, sidewalk, trail, and recycling bin in Monongalia County.

The Quackers are designing matching uniforms.

Peanut is working on a business plan.

And Maybelline has offered to haunt the competition.

So apparently, our bottle-hunting adventure is just getting started.

Until next time, dear Journal...

Keep your paws on the ground, your feathers in the air, and if you see Kiwi carrying a backpack—run.

With wagging tails, confused quacks, ambitious feathers, and absolutely no fortune whatsoever,

Lucy 🐾

Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Tuesday's Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

* Extended Holiday weekend is over with, time to get back to making this rock a better one to live on.

* It has been 22,887 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new, new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,536, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar.

* It has been 8,142 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I love what I do and am thankful to still be working in my field. Has it really been 22 years?

* 6,735 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then.

* 5,939 days ago, I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. I've been the luckiest guy since that fateful day.

* It was 5,976 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. It was a great day with friends and family.

* I have now lived 3,114 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 1,768 days ago today.

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,287 days, I've now outlived him by 1,618 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again!

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 346 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he said we would be the first to know.

* I have 2,018 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 only 339 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

* 175 more days until Phil steps to the center stage once again for Groundhog Day. I'm still mad at the damn rat

* 128 more days to go until my Goodbye 2026 Blog is posted.

* There are 121 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026.

* There are 106 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah, I know, I'm really older than 21.

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) days since I have hated both Pitt and Penn State.

* I have written 8,473 blogs in what is now 21 11/12 Almost 22 years) years of Blogging.

* Still working 10's this week and probably next week as well.

* They are taking out the turn at the top of Van Voorhis Road, it is now open and you top the hill differently.

* Progress on my Selfie in Space, right here. We are ready for liftoff and holding.

* Not much else going on, I can always see on the ring camera when Michelle gets another Amazon order for the baby and watch them deliver it.

* Have a great day.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday Labor Day

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Happy Labor Day, for those of you who can extend your weekend another day and make some memories. While Michelle, Kiwi and Peanut arer enjoying their day off, I am working again today, albeit from home but I am working none the less. So I get to do what it is that I do (GIS) to make this a much better rock to live on.

It is the unofficial end of Summer and Michelle is planning on grilling out this afternoon, of course she is going to have herself a couple of Supervisors to overlook what it is that she is doing.

I have a Doctors appointment tomorrow, hence why I worked yesterday to make up the time and today to make up for the Holiday, but I'm doing it from home so it won't be too bad. It's the life of a contractor I guess.

I hope everyone has a great day, make it memorable and spend it with the ones you love.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Here I sit in a semi-quiet household. Kiwi and Peanut are up, writing a long email to Rich Rodriguez about the second half of yesterday's game. Neither of them is happy about how we came out after halftime. They were all happy in the first half, but that all changed with a dismal second half.

We ended up not making it to Amy's yesterday for the Tailgate. The weather in the morning was less than cooperative, so we just watched the game from here. We did win 31-24, so I guess that is all that matters, but I do have a number of concerns as the season goes on.

So what is on my agenda, being tomorrow is a holiday, and I have to leave early Tuesday for a doctor's appointment, I need to make up a few hours. So I will be working both today and tomorrow, but neither will be a full day. I figure that between the two days, I can more than make up for what I would be missing, and I'm working from home both days.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho

Saturday Morning Ramblings and GAME DAY!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Here I sit in an absolutely not-so-quiet household. It is Gameday, and the Mountaineers play today!!! Kiwi Peanut and their crew are all going to assemble later this morning to watch the Mountaineers at my niece Amy's house at the outdoor pavilion. The quackers have invited their normal crew of misfits to join them.

It is going to be a busy day and a busy weekend to say the least. Michelle will be up and out the door early to beat the crowds to get the grocery shopping done before we head to Amy and Ralph's for the day. Amy wanted to do this tailgate to honor the memory of Nick who will be cheering on and helping the Mountaineers with us today as well.

Oh back to the busy weekend gripe: everyone has a nice three-day holiday weekend; for me, that just means I still have to work if I want paid. The good news is I can work from home this weekend and can spread it out and do it at my convenience as we are trying to get a large project completed and are a tight deadline to complete it. So I'll be working tomorrow a few hours as well as Monday to make up for Monday plus a few hours for my Doctors appointment on Tuesday.

Have yourselves a great day and weekend, spend some time with loved ones and enjoy some Mountaineer Football.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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!!!!

Are you looking for a little bit of High School Football? Morgantown High will be at home this evening against Jefferson, a team they defeated in the Semi-Finals last season on their way to a State Championship. University High will be making a trip to Parkersburg to play Parkersburg South. I think that Clay Battelle is off this week; it seems kind of early to take a Bye week, but what would I know.

Tomorrow, Morgantown will be quite busy as the Mountaineers play host to Coastal Carolina. This is actually a replacement game; we were scheduled to play Alabama, but the SEC is making their Conference teams play 9 Conference games this year, and they decided to drop us rather than some other non-conference game. This game was supposed to be in Morgantown too.

Have yourselves a great day, make it memorable.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

This is the last "album" I have ever bought. It is very meaningful to me as it was still in it's original format (78 rpm). It's a song by the Green Mountain Boys (Ellis and Bill) called My Little Home in West Virginia. It was recorded on the RCA Victor label in I think 1952 off the top of my head. Ellis is better known to me as Grandpa Hall who raised me and I lived with until he passed away. A very good man who was very influential in my life.

Funny story, Grandpa was signed to the RCA Label by a man named Steve Sholes, whom I have a picture of with Grandpa Hall and Bill Addis hanging in my home.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

September 2, 2026

Dear Journal,

Today began with a very serious announcement.

Well...at least I thought it was serious.

Peanut was stretched out in the middle of the living room floor, Kiwi was hanging upside down from his favorite perch, and the Quackers were conducting what appeared to be a very heated discussion about a cracker.

Then Gracie came through the front door.

A moment later, the room got noticeably cooler.

"The Ghost of Maybelline has arrived!" Kiwi announced.

Maybelline floated through the wall.

"I heard we're having a meeting."

"We are," I said. "And it's an important one."

Everyone gathered around.

I explained that we needed to start thinking about the back bedroom.

The idea was to clean it up, remodel it, and turn it back into a proper bedroom and nursery so that Hayley will have a nice place to stay overnight when the baby arrives, if she needs to.

Everyone nodded.

Peanut immediately looked concerned.

"Does this mean we're actually going to have to clean?"

"Yes," I said.

She sighed.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

We started by making a list of everything that needed to be done.

Clean out the room.

Sort the boxes.

Move the furniture.

Clean the walls.

Paint.

Fix anything that needs fixing.

Set up a bed.

Make room for baby things.

And, most importantly, make it comfortable for Hayley.

I thought we had a very good plan.

Then Kiwi grabbed a pencil.

"I have an idea!"

That's when I knew things were about to go downhill.

He drew a picture of the remodeled bedroom.

Unfortunately, it looked like a birdhouse attached to a nursery.

"Where's the bed?" I asked.

"Up here."

"Why is the bed on the ceiling?"

"Because we're maximizing vertical space!"

Peanut stared at the drawing.

"Where is the baby supposed to sleep?"

"In the hammock."

"Absolutely not."

The Quackers decided they should be in charge of interior decorating.

They waddled into the back bedroom and immediately began inspecting everything.

One duck found an old blanket.

The other found a pillow.

Within thirty seconds, they had built themselves a nest in the middle of the floor.

"This is our office," they announced.

"It's not an office," I said.

"Quack."

"Temporary office."

Gracie had a much more practical idea.

"We should start by cleaning everything out."

Everyone agreed.

So we began moving things.

Peanut took charge of the small items.

She carried one sock into the hallway.

Then another sock.

Then she found a piece of cardboard and decided it was hers.

"Peanut," I said, "that's trash."

She looked at me.

"It's a very interesting piece of trash."

Then she walked away with it.

Gracie and I tackled some boxes.

Kiwi volunteered to help.

His job was supposed to be simple:

Take small things from the bedroom and bring them to the sorting pile.

Instead, he brought everything to the same place.

"I've created a universal sorting system!"

"What does that mean?" Gracie asked.

"Everything is in one pile!"

Peanut stared at the mountain of boxes.

"That's not sorting."

Kiwi looked confused.

"It is if you don't know where anything goes."

Then Maybelline decided to help.

She floated into the closet.

A few seconds later, several boxes came floating out through the wall.

Everyone stared.

"That's cheating," Peanut said.

"It's called having advantages," Maybelline replied.

She floated a dresser across the room.

Then a chair.

Then a box of old blankets.

"Maybelline," I said, "you're going to be doing all the heavy lifting from now on."

She laughed.

"I knew becoming a ghost would eventually pay off."

Once the room was mostly cleared, we stood in the doorway and looked around.

It actually looked pretty good.

There was plenty of space for a bed.

We could put a crib or bassinet in another corner.

There was room for a dresser and some baby supplies.

And we could make it warm and comfortable for Hayley.

Everyone became excited.

"Maybe we can paint it!" Gracie said.

"Maybe some nice curtains!" I added.

"Maybe a comfortable chair!" Peanut suggested.

The Quackers wanted a duck-shaped rug.

Kiwi wanted a chandelier.

"A chandelier shaped like a sunflower!"

"Absolutely not," everyone said at once.

Then came the most important question.

Who was going to help paint?

Everyone slowly looked at Kiwi.

Kiwi looked around.

"Why is everyone looking at me?"

"Because you made a huge mess the last time you tried painting," Peanut said.

"I was expressing myself!"

"You painted the wall, the floor, the chair, the curtains, and yourself."

"I call that immersive art."

Maybelline floated beside the wall.

"I could probably paint the ceiling."

Gracie smiled.

"I'll help with the walls."

"I'll organize the nursery," I announced.

Peanut nodded.

"I'll supervise."

"You're not supervising," I said.

"Fine. I'll supervise from the bed."

The Quackers quacked excitedly.

"We'll test the crib!"

"No," I said.

"Quack."

"No."

"QUACK!"

"Still no."

By the end of the afternoon, we had a plan.

Tomorrow we'd start cleaning and sorting.

Then we'd figure out what needed repaired.

After that would come painting, decorating, furniture, and finally getting everything ready for Hayley and the baby.

We all stood there imagining what the finished room would look like.

A cozy bedroom.

A beautiful nursery.

A comfortable place for Hayley to stay.

A peaceful little space waiting for a brand-new member of the family.

It was a wonderful thought.

Then Kiwi broke the silence.

"Do babies like bird whistles?"

"No."

"How about duck sounds?"

"No."

"Cat sounds?"

"No."

"Dogs?"

"No."

"Ghostly howling?"

Maybelline laughed.

"Definitely not."

Kiwi sighed.

"Well, I'm going to have to rethink my welcome ceremony."

I looked at Peanut.

She looked at Gracie.

Gracie looked at Maybelline.

The Quackers looked at each other.

We all knew one thing for certain:

Remodeling this room was going to be one heck of an adventure.

And somehow, I had a feeling the paint wasn't going to stay on the walls.

Until next time, dear Journal.

With paws, feathers, quacks, ghostly floating, and one very ambitious remodeling crew,

Lucy 🐾

Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Tuesday's Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

* Monday is over, as we start marching to another weekend we have to do a tidbits.

* It has been 22,880 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new, new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,529, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar.

* It has been 8,135 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I love what I do and am thankful to still be working in my field. Has it really been 22 years?

* 6,728 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then.

* 5,932 days ago, I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. I've been the luckiest guy since that fateful day.

* It was 5,969 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. It was a great day with friends and family.

* I have now lived 3,107 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 1,761 days ago today.

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,287 days, I've now outlived him by 1,611 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again!

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 339 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he said we would be the first to know.

* I have 2,025 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 only 346 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

* 182 more days until Phil steps to the center stage once again for Groundhog Day. I'm still mad at the damn rat

* 135 more days to go until my Goodbye 2026 Blog is posted.

* There are 128 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026.

* There are 113 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah, I know, I'm really older than 21.

* WVU Football opens the season in 4 more days as they play Host to Coastal Carolina.

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) days since I have hated both Pitt and Penn State.

* I have written 8,465 blogs in what is now 21 11/12 years of Blogging.

* Still working 10's this week and probably next week as well.

* They are taking out the turn at the top of Van Voorhis Road, it is now open and you top the hill differently.

* Progress on my Selfie in Space, right here. We are ready for liftoff and holding.

* Why does it take Charleston so long to wait until the WVU Students get back before they start the heavy road construction around Morgantown? I think they plan on it during rugh hour as the highest traffic intersections as well.

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

All good things must come to an end—but if you’ve got to wrap up the weekend, today’s a pretty exciting way to do it. Now it’s time to take our collective noses and press them firmly back onto the grindstone of life. Back to work, back to the hustle, back to doing our part to make this spinning rock a better place.

Kiwi and Peanut let their little painting job on Saturday inspire them to create their own business and write a business plan. They said they already have a crew of able-bodied workers that they can recruit. Kiwi insists startup won't be too high, as they won't need any ladders because he's a bird and can fly. Brilliant mind.

For Michelle and me, it is off to our respective offices for another week of making this a better rock to live on. I'm still working 10s and have the option to work as much as I want from home on the weekends. I'm not sure about that, though, as I like my weekend naps and do enjoy some time off with Michelle.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Dad forgot again

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:36:51 +0000

Written by Kiwi the Green Cheek Conure & Peanut the Gray Tiger Cat

Dear Journal,

We regret to inform everyone that Dad George has apparently reached a new level of forgetfulness.

And once again, the responsibility of keeping this household functioning has fallen upon the two most intelligent residents of the house:

Kiwi, the Green Cheek Conure
and
Peanut, the Gray Tiger Cat.

Honestly, we're starting to wonder if Dad would remember his own name if it wasn't written on approximately seventeen different pieces of paperwork.

It all started when Dad wandered into a room and immediately stopped.

He stood there.

And stood there.

Finally, Peanut looked at him and said, "What are you looking for?"

Dad replied, "I don't remember."

That was the moment Peanut and I exchanged the look.

You know the look.

The "Oh no, here we go again" look.

So naturally, we had to step up.

Peanut immediately appointed herself Director of Household Memory. She began following Dad around the house, meowing loudly anytime he appeared to forget what he was doing.

I, of course, took on the important responsibility of Reminder Management.

Every few minutes, I yelled:

"DAD!"

He would look at me.

Then I would yell:

"WHAT?!"

Unfortunately, neither of us knew what he was supposed to remember, but we felt the system was working beautifully.

At one point, Dad was looking for something that was literally sitting directly in front of him.

Peanut was sitting beside it.

I was sitting above it.

Dad looked everywhere except where the item actually was.

Under the couch.

On the table.

In the kitchen.

Back to the living room.

Then Peanut finally got so disgusted she walked over and placed one paw directly on the missing item.

Dad looked down.

"Oh! There it is!"

Peanut just stared at him.

No thank you.

No bonus treats.

Nothing.

The disrespect.

Later, I overheard Peanut mumbling something about creating a George Tracking System.

She wants a whiteboard with categories including:

What Dad Was Doing
What Dad Forgot
Where Dad Put It
Where Dad Thinks He Put It
Where It Actually Is
Whether Kiwi Screamed About It
Whether Peanut Had To Save The Day

I think this is an excellent idea.

In fact, I suggested we expand the operation and start charging consulting fees.

Peanut could be the Chief Executive Officer.

I would obviously be Vice President of Loud Announcements.

Dad would be our client.

His first consultation would be free.

After that, payment would be accepted in sunflower seeds, cat treats, and possibly pizza crust.

Despite all of our complaining, we suppose we'll continue taking care of Dad. Someone has to make sure he remembers where he left his phone, what room he was going into, and why he opened the refrigerator.

Being a responsible green cheek conure and gray tiger cat is exhausting work.

But that's what family does.

Even if certain family members require a two-animal executive management team to keep their lives organized.

So Dad, if you're reading this, please remember:

We love you.

We're just disappointed.

Also, Peanut would like her Director of Household Memory paycheck immediately.

And I would like snacks.

Lots and lots of snacks.

Until next time,

Kiwi 🦜
Vice President of Loud Reminders

and

Peanut 🐈
Director of Finding Things Dad Is Standing Right Next To

P.S. Dad, if you forgot where you put your glasses, check your head first.

Saturday Morning Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household; Kiwi and Peanut are up planning how they are going to go with Mommy today and help her paint a baby girl's bedroom for when she arrives later this year. They have both bypassed any and all fun planned for the day to go with Mommy and help paint.

No big plans for today. I cut grass last weekend, and my grass-cutting partners will be up in PA with Michelle helping her out; my big fat butt would just be in the way, so I'll stay in Morgantown and see if I can make myself useful around here. I should pay attention to the weather and see what I can get into.

I guess I should enjoy the calm before the real storm as Mountaineer Football starts next weekend. That's when the traffic around these parts goes from pain in the butt to OMG go home...LOL

Have yourselves a great day.

Big Ole Hairy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Are you looking for a little bit of Cheap Entertainment this evening, and by cheap, I mean free? Well, head on down to the Ruby Ampitheatre this evening for the last show of the season and it's going to be a good one. 38 Special returns to Morgantown for the first time in 38 years to play the Ampitheatre. I saw them at the old Greer Pavilion over in Westover Park when they used to bring in acts ands it was a great show. I have always been a 38 special fan and I listen to them quite often on my iPhone or on Spotify at work.

I missed it last week, but High School Football is in full swing. Defending AAAA State Champion Morgantown travels to Parkersburg this evening. University High it at home against Mussleman and Clay Battelle is at home against Cameron. Good luck to all of the local teams this evening.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

This was in 2020 I was flying home from St Louis after Michelle and I had spent the evening before up in the Gateway Arch, we were flying back into Pittsburgh on this morning and this was the last flight that I have been on. Hard to believe it has been six years since I last flown.

This is on the plane and we were taxiing on the tarmac, and Michelle grabbed this shot of me right before we took off.

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

August 19, 2026

The Great Mylan Park Kite Adventure!

Well, today started out like any other day around here, which should have been our first warning that something was about to go completely sideways.

It was me, Lucy, the tan-and-white Shih Tzu, along with my usual troublemaking crew: Peanut, the gray tiger cat; Kiwi, the green cheek conure; and the Quackers, those two identical twin ducks who somehow manage to get into trouble even when they're standing still.

But today we also had some very special visitors!

Gracie, the black-and-white Shih Tzu, came to visit, and then—well, things got REALLY interesting.

Because that's when the Ghost of Maybelline showed up.

Maybelline was her usual brownish pit bull self, except now she's a ghost. She floated in through the yard like she owned the place and announced that she had heard about our newest project.

The KITE.

Apparently, Kiwi and Peanut had been working on this thing in the garage. And when I say "working," I mean Peanut did most of the construction while Kiwi sat on the kite's special perch giving instructions.

The kite was HUGE.

It had colorful panels, a complicated framework, enough string to wrap around Morgantown twice, and—most importantly—a special little perch for Kiwi to ride on while the kite was flying.

Kiwi was extremely proud of this feature.

"I call it the Kiwi Express!" he announced.

Peanut rolled her eyes.

I knew right then we were in trouble.

We needed somewhere BIG to fly this monster, so we decided that Mylan Park was the perfect place. It had one of the biggest open fields around, and there weren't nearly as many trees for the kite to get stuck in.

That sounded like a good plan.

Notice I said sounded.

We all piled into the adventure and headed over to Mylan Park. Once we got there, Peanut carefully carried the kite, Kiwi supervised from his perch, Gracie trotted alongside me, and the Quackers waddled behind us like two tiny security guards.

The Ghost of Maybelline floated along overhead.

Nobody questioned that.

We've gotten used to her.

Once we reached the big field, Peanut started assembling the kite.

The Quackers immediately grabbed the string.

"HEY!" Peanut yelled.

The twins waddled away as fast as two ducks can waddle while dragging several hundred feet of kite string behind them.

Kiwi took off after them.

I chased Kiwi.

Gracie chased me.

Maybelline floated after all of us laughing.

Within about five minutes, we had created what could only be described as a Mylan Park Kite String Disaster.

Eventually, we got everything untangled.

Peanut held the kite.

I held the main line.

Gracie stood ready to help.

The Quackers were ordered to stay away from the string.

Kiwi climbed onto his special perch.

And Maybelline floated behind us like a ghostly kite-flying coach.

"LET HER RIP!" Kiwi shouted.

Peanut released the kite.

WHOOSH!

Up it went!

Higher...

and higher...

and higher!

The giant kite climbed beautifully into the sky.

Kiwi was absolutely thrilled.

He was riding on his little perch, wings spread out, looking like the captain of an airborne pirate ship.

"LOOK AT ME!" he yelled.

"I'M FLYING!"

Then the wind picked up.

The kite pulled harder.

Peanut grabbed the line.

I grabbed Peanut.

Gracie grabbed me.

The Quackers grabbed Gracie.

And suddenly we were all being pulled across the field.

I have never seen two ducks move that fast in my entire life.

We went about twenty feet before Peanut managed to dig her claws into the ground.

The kite finally stabilized.

Everybody stopped.

We looked at each other.

Then Maybelline started laughing.

"Again!" Kiwi yelled.

NO.

Absolutely not.

But apparently nobody listens to me.

So we tried again.

This time, the kite flew perfectly.

It danced across the blue sky above Mylan Park while Kiwi rode proudly on his perch.

People walking through the park stopped to watch.

Some took pictures.

A couple of kids pointed at Kiwi.

And one little boy shouted:

"THERE'S A BIRD RIDING THAT KITE!"

Kiwi puffed out his chest.

"I AM NOT JUST A BIRD," he announced.

"I AM A PILOT!"

Peanut shook her head.

By late afternoon, we finally decided it was time to bring the kite down.

Of course, that's when the Quackers decided to grab the tail and run.

The kite started pulling again.

Peanut yelled.

Gracie barked.

I barked.

Kiwi yelled instructions.

Maybelline laughed so hard that she temporarily disappeared into a nearby tree.

Eventually, we got the kite down without breaking anything.

Well...

Almost anything.

Peanut's pride was slightly damaged.

The Quackers were covered in grass.

Gracie had a mouthful of kite ribbon.

Kiwi refused to get off his perch because he said he was "still flying."

And I had grass stuck in my fur.

But nobody cared.

Because it had been one heck of an adventure.

As the sun started getting lower over Morgantown, we packed everything up and headed home.

Kiwi kept talking about how he was going to build an even bigger kite next time.

Peanut said absolutely not.

The Quackers quacked.

Gracie laughed.

Maybelline floated alongside us.

And I just smiled.

Because sometimes the best days are the ones where absolutely nothing goes according to plan.

And today?

Today was definitely one of those days.

Until next time,

Lucy 🐾

P.S. Peanut says the next kite will have brakes. Kiwi says kites don't need brakes. I think we should probably listen to Peanut.

Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Tuesday's Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

* Monday is over, now we are staring straight down at another Summertime Tuesday, and the students are back in full force and I hate this traffic.

* It has been 22,873 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new, new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,522, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar.

* It has been 8,128 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I love what I do and am thankful to still be working in my field. Has it really been 22 years?

* 6,721 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then.

* 5,925 days ago, I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. I've been the luckiest guy since that fateful day.

* It was 5,962 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. It was a great day with friends and family.

* I have now lived 3,100 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 1,754 days ago today.

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,287 days, I've now outlived him by 1,604 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again!

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 332 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he said we would be the first to know.

* I have 2,032 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 only 353 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

* 189 more days until Phil steps to the center stage once again for Groundhog Day. I'm still mad at the damn rat

* 142 more days to go until my Goodbye 2026 Blog is posted.

* There are 135 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026.

* There are 120 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah, I know, I'm really older than 21.

* WVU Football opens the season in 11 more days as they play Host to Coastal Carolina.

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) days since I have hated both Pitt and Penn State.

* I have written 8,456 blogs in what is now 21 11/12 years of Blogging.

* Still working 10's this week and probably next week as well.

* They are taking out the turn at the top of Van Voorhis Road, they have it landscaped and a layer of asphalt down but it's not open yet.

* Progress on my Selfie in Space, right here. We are ready for liftoff and holding.

* Why does it take Charleston so long to wait until the WVU Students get back before they start the heavy road construction around Morgantown?

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Kiwi and Peanut have decided that they aren't going to work today, too much stress for them and they need a vacation day. I Guess building that Kite on Saturday was just too much for them and they decided to take a day trip to Coopers Rock. I think they Uber'd up there and plan on riding a skateboard back home since it is all downhill.

Me, I'm still working 10-hour shifts; what else is new? Michelle has been working longer shifts as well to get their system properly up and running. Other than that it's just another week of the same routine for us, with a lot more residents in Morgantown.

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (George Hall) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Here I sit in a quiet household; Kiwi and Peanut are up in the garage once again, making some modifications to their Kite that they managed to build yesterday morning. I think they have plans to use it on their Wednesday adventure this week with the gang.

So as they were working on their kite yesterday, I decided that it would be a good time for me to cut the grass. It was calling for rain yesterday afternoon and I didn't want to do it today, so I got a 7:00 AM start and got it all cut. I was talking to Ralphie yesterday; he started at 6:00 and got his done. Something about kids riding 4-wheelers from one neighbor to the other the night before, all night long.

Erica had Ellie Mae's first birthday party yesterday that I went to. They have a really nice home right down the road from her Dad's and it is a home. Erica has done a great job with it for a home for her and Tim.

One of the things that came up in conversation yesterday was Flock Cameras. If anyone is curious as to how many flock cameras are in the Morgantown area, it's 48 and counting. There is also a flock tracker to see if your plate has been captured. Also any queries the Mon County Sheriff's office has done.

Have yourselves a great day.