Last Sunday, my parents and I went to Buckhannon where Marlene and Chuck were at Chuck's mother's house. Tres was also with them, but Seth stayed down in Virginia where he was staying with friends. Chuck and my dad played golf at Riverbend while I, along with Marlene and mother went to the Goodwill store, Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart in the afternoon while Chuck's mother Betty, who actually looks like my late Uncle Jim's wife Aunt Betty every time I saw the face it seemed and her friend watched the NASCAR race at Pocono. Later in the afternoon, Barry Williams, not the same one who played Greg on "The Brady Bunch" who was Chuck's best man at his wedding and for the first 11 years went to Jamboree in the Hills with Chuck stopped by for a couple minutes or so and then we went to Chuck's hunting property outside of Buckhannon which at first impression thought was Happy Hollow meets Harold Grubb's guest house. The ride was reminiscent of the many trips outside Marshall County backroads as a child. The land has a fishing hole where Tres caught a fish on Saturday. Chuck is getting somebody to get rid of a dump piece found on dump trucks and a old energy well that was on the land. After that, we went to Ryan's Restaurant in Clarksburg for dinner with all the types of meals you can imagine all under one roof. They are the same company that owns Old Country Buffet which has a restaurant in Butler, PA. Happy Hollow, by the way was a camp area that you get off along Big Wheeling Creek where I believe there was a actual house at the bottom of this property. We had a camp in the mid 1970's. Many years ago, there also if you didn't exit at Happy Hollow, there used to be a Speedway there where drag racing took place.

As I try to do every year I try to spend one evening seeing if Kim and Rosemary are at their Bryan Street home, but instead of going to Bryan Street, I spotted them outside of Kruger Street which at first I was not sure of who it was, but as I walked Austin avenue there they were with 2 dogs. As I may have mentioned in one of my blogs over the past 2 years, they were the owners of a curly dog named Teddy in the 1980's. I did not ask of where they got it, but the dog Rosemary was walking with was feeling my foot, I would take a guess when they went to see relations in either Triadelphia or Valley Grove one day they went to the Ohio County Animal Shelter to get these dogs. As many dogs do they will decide to go to the bathroom on someone's property, but Kim throughout had a very tiny garbage bag on her hand and if they had to 'let it out' somewhere, she would put it in. There was not much conversation though other than I mentioned about my Class Reunion and the trip to Buckhannon and Rosemary thinking that I had been let go from the bank. While I have mentioned to some of you by e-mails that I would like to ask Kim out on a date, I actually haven't asked Kim how the flowers I sent her on Valentine's Day were still living. I am planning for Kim's birthday present in November a photo of me wearing the suspenders that you've been seeing on my default. Of course, due to the dogs and where we were and what's been mentioned, I could not be able to hug either of the two.

Wednesday I received my class picture that was taken from my 20 year reunion. While most of my Wheeling Park news has focused on the reunion. Word was announced Monday that the current Head Football Coach Mark Nardone will coach his final season at the high school. He coached under previous coaches the late Jim Thomas and Ron White.

The states that I still need to get to view my Tripod web site is starting to dwindle which is a good thing. As I reported Saturday, Oklahoma was heard from and when hits take place by recording at the counter's web provider they let you check on what web provider the person visits and sometimes the state zips are helpful and on Tuesday, MA which stands for Massachusetts was heard from I believe.

   There were 11 hits at the site on Wednesday.

    As my one week vacation hit the halfway mark Wednesday, I practiced doing snorkeling for a third time Wednesday evening at the YMCA. This time I almost had full use of the pool. I went in the evening because of the children's day camp that takes place from morning until 5:00, I believe which played in why it wasn't that busy. I felt this really wasn't my best swim for some reason.

     In my 3 snorkels in the pool, 2 of the snorkels I wore the mask and split flow fins I purchased from a catalog a few years ago and the other one I wore a mask and regular fins. But in all 3 of them, I have had to wear a child's life preserver provided at the indoor pool. I probably will invest in a adult one at The Outdoor Store in town. I put on a life preserver for the snorkels because of the fact that I may have to do it in open water someday which I assume some of you who have done it on a trip, honeymoon, regular basis, etc. have to relate to. There probably will be 2 or 3 more snorkels in the pool before the cold weather settles in I believe with the last in October.

   My 20th NFL Record and Fact Book Purchase is accomplished and it almost didn't take place because I didn't see it in front of a display at first, but I went to the sports book aisle and found it in the first aisle of football books. This done after just 1 pre-season game complete.

   Thursday afternoon, WES the Panda Bear celebrated his one year anniversary with a group photo session with his family and friends. Actually, I think I got as many as 13 panda bears together for pictures taken on my digital camera and my regular camera which needs to get developed. I do have a photo album here of pictures with the bears. Be sure to see it and they are going to be my default picture until Tuesday and then my face will be back up.

    A word about Thursday's blog, After the blog was typed over 20 people viewed it within a hour and it total 31 or so for the day. The blog by the way mentioned me asking if anyone had any ideas on how to clean my snorkel gear. An idea was sent to me by Grace Davis and she told me is after I finish snorkeling use hot soapy water and rinse with clean water and use mild soap safe for the rubber. She also suggested I go to a sporting goods store on cleaning the mouth piece of the snorkel. She also mentioned that anti-fog drip is better than spitting the mask like LeVar Burton showed on "Reading Rainbow". She also suggested I go to search engine sites to find other ways to take care of my gear besides these suggestions.

   The WesBanco company picnic was held on Saturday afternoon at the Wheeling Park Ice Rink. The picnics with WesBanco have been enjoyable than the two I went to with Aspen and Uniscribe. Those of you who worked with me at Uniscribe will remember that when we had the first one, it was raining that day and also someone had the nerve to take the leftover chicken wings back from Wheeling Park to Warwood and the fire department had to be called and then the next year at St. Jude Park, we had a Scavenger Hunt. St. Jude Park is right about by the backyard of now my former boss Becky Crow's house. Becky was not in attendance for the WesBanco company picnic on Saturday which had no scavenger hunt, but for the first time since 2002, Toni Springfield and Penny Agostini came and went home with a fireplace set and a $100 Kroger Card respectively when they gave out the prizes. The WesBanco company picnic offers prizes like tickets to the WVU Home Games and Days off with pay plus dinner from Undo's.

     The Pittsburgh Steelers played it's first pre-season game Friday night and survived a late Philadelphia drive to win 16-10. They are going to be without Charlie Batch, which could be a factor if Ben Rothlisberger is injured.

     I received an e-mail Saturday from Holly Coe-Hallahan, a 1988 WPHS Graduate who asked when the 20 year reunion was going to take place. As you probably know by now, it was last weekend. But I e-mailed back to Holly to say it had been held last weekend and that I also told her what took place and that she can see the Class picture on the Tripod web site.

    You know in 1998, my company picnic was held first and then the Class Reunion was a week later. This year, the Class Reunion was held last weekend and the company picnic was held this weekend.