One of the most recent favorite comic strips I read is "Shoe" which was originally created by Jeff MacNelly who died a few years back and now written by Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins. The strip focuses on birds and the work at a newspaper in Treetop with J. Martin Shoemaker the editor of the newspaper called the Gazette. But on this day, the strip focused on Cosmo Fishhawk at home finding in his attic an old record player. I am actually sitting next to a record player with a CD and his nephew Skyler called it the T-Rex of sound. Later Cosmo told Skyler and a younger bird when they were his ages when something needed look up he had to go to the library, then Skyler said the same thing, but with internet language. When he needed to look something up, he had to use dial-up. Until this week I was the T-Rex as far as internet went for the last few years.

   High Speed has also brought the opportunity to view more things and also an increase in watching more videos. In the past week, I watched the Brad Paisley video "Letter to Me" which was filmed in Glen Dale 3 times or so. Also, I watched episodes of old TV shows including the "Family Ties" episode where Arthur Press, a family friend made a pass at Mallory. I wrote a blog somewhat on that episode earlier this week about Arthur saying negative about Mr. Rogers when I talked about a co-worker taking off shoes like he did and whether or not the shoes were powdered often or not.

    With my High School Reunion a few weeks away and invitations still not to my mailbox yet, you may view a slide show at the Class of '88 page on my web site and clicking that located on the menu page.

    Also, I still am accepting underwater pictures, scuba and snorkeling stories for the 2008 edition of "In the Beautiful Underwater" in which the Virtual Dive might be a slide show, be sure to read details about submission if interested!

One Easter Sunday a few years ago in "The Family Circus" comic strip, The entire family, along with Grandma went to a Easter Sunday brunch and in the strip, the youngest P. J. was all messy. But one of the kids asked the parents since brunch is a combination of Breakfast and Lunch, I believe one of the kids asked if there was such thing as a lunner, a combination of lunch and dinner. (Which on some weeks for me now with full time 3:00 P. M. could be considered that) Actually, on "Jeopardy!" a clue came up in which they asked what a lupper meant? It is a combination of lunch and dinner.

   When I was a student at Bridge Street Junior High in the 1980's, I had two weird dreams of teachers that worked there at the time that are now at Wheeling Park High School. In the eighth grade for no reason, Mr. Monteleone, who would be wrestling coach at BSJH and later at Wheeling Park, scuba dived. When I told that story and Mr. Monteleone found out he told me, "I don't smell like fish". Then, over a year later Ms. Deborah Davis, who was Mrs. Nuzum at the time was in a dream where for some reason wore a costume which actually was a pair of leotards and actually I believe looked like the Jolly Green Giant in that outfit and I said in this dream "I like your leotards". I don't know how in the world that took place. I do remember that leotards were very popular for the women when exercising at that time.

    While I have changed my personal e-mail address, My Tripod web site has seen inactivity and hopefully I hope you'll check it very soon!

I am just a few days away from changing web providers to get high speed internet thanks in part to the company that I have gotten it from since going on-line at my house in 1999 not offering high speed where I live and of course i've waited long enough. There may have been a real swan song that took place on Saturday.

   On Saturday night, opening my filtered e-mail, I was greeted with over 450 or so junk e-mails and then on Outlook Express, about 200 more or so pieces of junk was sent. The e-mails ranged from they could not send e-mails for 4 hours, or saying the person is out of office or on vacation and if you needed any immediate assistance call the person's co-workers and also I got e-mails asking me to install language writers to view the e-mails were some that I encountered.

    A few years ago, at my previous e-mail address I was getting the same e-mails that I received as far back as 3 months earlier 3 times in a 4 month period or so. That result had me changing to the e-mail address that I have been using about the last 4 years.

    As I am probably less than 72 hours away from changing e-mail addresses and a new provider of service, I will be cleaning out my address book of names that I have picked up since March when I got my new computer.

    I went to my doctor Friday, and since less than a month ago I went from 179 to 175 pounds weight wise. The walking and my swimming pool snorkeling were key. Meanwhile, my first bowling experience in 2 years went rusty on Saturday. When I last bowled I had a 148, On Saturday, the scores were 97 and 90. As a matter of fact, the people I bowled with didn't hit triple digits either.

    Due to the change of my work schedule of starting after 11:30 on most days, doing such things as getting haircuts are being relegated more to vacations and on weekends. I went to get a haircut Saturday morning. On my way back, I saw Kim riding back home. There may have been a possibility she may have worn the red dress suit she wore the night Kara the Panda Bear was named after her. In over the last 2 years, I have seen Rosemary driving by herself more than Kim.

   The weekend found me making changes as I possibly will go to a new web provider to the get the high speed internet before dial-up becomes a dinosaur in a few years as I changed e-mail addresses for accounts I have with certain sites which include MySpace.

    Another place I went to to change accounts is Webshots. Which for many years was where most of the friends used to get mostly their holiday e-cards from. I sort of took a small bull by the horn and uploaded some pictures which are made available for a slide show and as a result, I pasted a link at my Tripod site for you to see the show. It is a slide show being presented in chronological order and additional pictures will be added often. Be sure to check it out!

    On Saturday night, I went to Target and purchased ink for the computer, bought two "King of the Hill" DVD's, maps, CD's, Surge protector for the possible change, USB adapter and I also bought a second pair of snorkel gear with the fins being smaller.

  Over the last 3 years I have presented on my web site "In the Beautiful Underwater" in August or September despite the fact that I have never gone diving or snorkeling. On Saturday, I finally snorkeled, actually in the indoor swimming pool at the Chambers YMCA in Elm Grove.

   This almost didn't happen however, I went at about 10:00 and the person who was at the counter desk at the YMCA told me that the pool wouldn't open until 12 noon, so I returned back to my house to decide whether to go down again because temps were around the 90's, but I decided to leave about 11:45 or so and walked down first to McDonald's to empty a Ronald McDonald House box full of pop tabs and then over to Rite Aid to get sunblock lotion, then it was over to the YMCA where I paid $7.00 to use the swimming pool. This was my first time in the Chambers YMCA since August 4, 1988 when I was working there in a Summer Youth Program, but that is another story.

    So going into the locker room, I didn't have a lock for a locker, the last time I used a lock for a locker was a junior in High School, so I hope nothing would be untouched, I had to go get a shower first because it is a state law that you must shower before going into the swimming pool.

     Then onto the swimming pool, at first I put on my mask and snorkel, my swim fins and booties that I got from UPS Thursday. At first, I put on snorkel, mask and the fins which I put on in the last step of the swimming pool. After a couple minutes though, I noticed some life preservers, I had to look real well because there were more kids life preservers than adults. I tried on about 3 before the right one was put on. Many of you, I believe who have gone snorkeling in some exotic places and have gone in the middle of the water have had to put a life preserver on while snorkeling even.

     Please note that last year I had 4 Physical Therapy sessions in a swimming pool at Wheeling Hospital after I injured my ankle, but the last time I went in a swimming pool to swim was 1991 at the old YMCA in Center Wheeling. The so-called snorkeling was done despite others being in the pool that day. There were many times I had to clear the mask from fog and open the mouthpiece of my snorkel. I did feel a little scared thinking I was going to drown. The swim fins were very long though. But from the wall of where the shallow end of the pool was a couple of times I looked like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.

    While the snorkel had me seeing blue lines instead of fishes, coral and such, I think I enjoyed doing it the first time. I hope again to do it outside in a lake or somewhere or even doing it again in the swimming pool.

 Many times in the past for me along Downtown Wheeling, strangers would beg for 25 cents to get a cup of coffee or something. During lunch Wednesday it looked like that was going to be one of those times when I was approached by a man at the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Headquarters. But he asked for a change where the 7-11 store was and he thought it was located on the Market Plaza, but I told him it was down the street where the Powerball Jackpot sign was. He thanked me and even offered to buy me a slurpee, but I declined because of time constraints and you never know what he may have done next.

   "Kung Fu Panda" will debut in theatres on Friday. I actually knew about this film as far back as 2 years ago when Aimee Valle, a local telemarketer now, who was a former caseworker said her husband played a part somehow in behind the scenes work of this film.

    Back in 1990, CBS brought back "The Brady Bunch" cast for "The Bradys" in the third or fourth episode, Mike and Carol learn their house may be torn down, but Mickey, Marcia's son does a thing Mike thought would be a better idea, move the house, so the house gets moved and Alice gets a shock when goes a few weeks later when she tries to show pictures of a vacation that she and Sam went to and notices the house gone. This Friday on my Tripod site, you will get to view a video from 1969 when this happened on the street next to where I live on Halstead Avenue. This was long before Colleen Megna, Laurie Nuzum and Larry Bandi would live on the street.

Those who have a MySpace account have already been aware that some of the pictures of me in motorcycle race clothes  have been up for a month and on Tuesday, when Memories on a Motorcycle starts at my Tripod site, there will be a page with pictures of me in motorcycle clothes including the pictures taken last year in a black leather jacket.

  Then, on Friday, I will have the first video on the site. The feature which will be entitled westahnke.tripod.com Drive-in will have videos I will take in the future plus some of my family home movies.

  However, because of the videos and to accomodate the need for space on the web site, some changes are being planned for the 2008 edition of "In the Beautiful Underwater" to be held in August as acceptance for stories and submission continues. I am looking at adding it to WES the Panda Bear's site and starting it on his Anniversary as mascot. Pictures and stories that have been submitted since it started in 2005 will be taken to WES's site near the start date of the feature. It is possible that I will have a web site for ITBU and would be up 24/7/365. That would include me with the snorkel gear taken in 2006. Stay tuned. Check back often on what's taking place with what i've mentioned.

Whether you are on your way or have just gotten back from Memorial Day events certainly this year some controversy is being thought about of whether the holiday until 1970 or so was held on May 30th every year as afterwards it has been observed the last Monday in May and it makes for a 3 day weekend for some.

   Let me mention that this all actually began with my parents deciding when they will go down to see Marlene because Memorial Day was going to be observed on Friday when they should have been aware of the fact that it should have sinked into the fact that Memorial Day is now observed that last Monday in recent years. I have many times have had to deal with whether or not I had to work Good Friday and Easter Monday when the Easter holiday is NOT held at the same time every year and that's what I was always questioned with every year when I was working at Uniscribe because it was the next holiday off after the New Year's holiday and one year the holiday was a welcome relief because there was a personal situation and a case worker suggested I needed a day off, but I didn't because I needed to use the days off for a Reunion, Vacation and a Doctor Appointment outside Wheeling.

    I do remember though in Elementary School a couple times, that students got the day off on the Traditional Holiday off May 30th and that was back in 1978 and 1979. Marlene and Chuck actually had to go to school on the last Monday in 1994 because they had to make up snow days.

     I am not sure what would happen if a Senator from Hawaii who since 1990 has sponsored legislation to put the holiday back to May 30th would affect like the Ogden Race here in Wheeling as far as participation would be like and such.

     I do point out that the holiday is to honor those who've served our Country such as my great Uncle Paul McGinnis, who was on the USS Indianapolis during World War II and others such as like Don Chamberlain, who served in Vietnam and many that served in the 1991 Gulf War and the current situation.

Last month, the Wheeling Symphony had a second program on the old radio show "It's Wheeling Steel" with Peter Marshall, who hosted "Hollywood Squares" participating in the show. Wheeling Steel memories remain evident at a restaurant that I visited during my lunch break on Thursday at a place called Later Alligator Restaurant.

   Later Alligator has memories of Wheeling Steel with a collection of steel cans made by them, most of which were those that you water your garden with. There also was advertising on the wall at the place. My dish that I purchased consisted of black beans, eggs, cooked tomatoes, some onion inside something that reminds you of an omelet.

   Congratulations to those who are graduating from High School. On Thursday, Wheeling Park seniors practiced for Sunday's ceremony at WesBanco Arena with John Marshall, a few hours later getting diplomas as Becky and Steve Crow watched their youngest daughter Emily graduate.

   Sunday, Mary Kay and Mike see their last High School Graduation when Sheridan, who was home schooled last year graduates from Wheeling Park. I have a story I wanted to share that came into my mind this day, Amy Purpura will graduate from Park also Sunday. I mention it because when she was born in 1989, her dad Steve was my Electronics Teacher at West Virginia Northern Community College and wrote the fact that he was a father for the first time on December 13th of that year. The graduations are somewhat overshadowed along that area with the Ogden Race which began Friday and the race being held on Saturday. The Ogden race was formerly known as the Elby's and then the Big Boy. Many friends have ran the course which is back to it's original setup after road work took place at various parts of the course in recent years.

    Other notes real quickly, We ended up getting mail that belonged to Colleen Megna's husband Paul on Thursday. I got comments of past High School Reunion pics on Friday. I am thinking game plans of how to share pictures of the August 2nd event which still hasn't had a location yet with you. Be seeing future blogs and details at my Tripod web site about this.

Over the last few days I have received many comments, e-mail messages, phone calls, e-cards and such as my 39th Birthday took place Thursday. It was a week where most of the week my stratuswave inbox didn't have any messages as Tuesday night was spent downloading Windows service pack and resuming it Wednesday morning and reviewing election returns most of the week.

    On Wednesday night, I called my friend from Florida. I had left a message with his brother to find out if he was going to visit here because they were looking at it. We didn't call each other last year because he was supposed to see me, but had a family situation.

    Early Thursday, things were quiet. As many of you know Leap Year took place this year, I explained to one person by e-mail about this because she didn't know when my birthday was. The greetings began to take shape actually starting with snail mail before I left for work. I wore the suspenders that you see right now if you're viewing the default on MySpace, pics on 360.yahoo or came to view my blog through my web site (Those of you who just surfed in through Bravejournal, please be sure to go see it on there.)

    Those who sent greetings electronically, i'll e-mail each of you personally very soon. I am thinking of responding to all of you in the near future within a 48 hour period or on the following Monday to thank you or reply on a question.

    The period has now begun for those who want to submit underwater photos for the 2008 edition of "In the Beautiful Underwater" to be up on the web site this August. I usually do my part to help get a few people to submit. I'm looking at possibly presenting the pictures for a slide show for this year. I have never had slide shows on my Tripod web site and would like to accomplish something like this which might help maybe bring more viewers. A wish for me is reach hit 5,000 by May 15th of next year.

     The suspenders will be worn again, when is probably June 7th.