Saturday, 2 things that I remember about in that night's dream was that I was riding on a train and then another thing I remember I was trying to go somewhere to be alone to take a nap and I would find people in the room. Then on Sunday, a peacock lands on top of a Jeep Cherokee with the words from someone in the dream "Watch so the bird doesn't get inside the car!" I wake up, so whether or not the peacock got inside the car will never be known. Many of you will remember that a peacock was inside an old aviary that Wheeling Park had for many years and a peacock is included in a new TV commercial for a vitamin supplement. Both of the peacocks didn't show their fans.

   In  last Sunday's Wheeling newspaper, the Ohio County Schools 2008-2009 special insert was inside. The feature focuses on the schools in the district and it also includes the bus schedules. For many years, the listings would be in a 3 day period with Wheeling Park High School bus schedules in Wednesday's edition, the Junior High's a day later and then the Elementary Schools the next day. The students who attend the Catholic schools take the Ohio County buses unless you live on Mar-Win which is in Marshall County. Mar-Win is in the City of Wheeling limits and Catholic students attend Wheeling Central, but those who attend public school go to Sherrard or John Marshall. There used to be an Elementary school on Big Wheeling Creek until the Marshall County Board of Education closed it because of declining population. It is now a Community Center.

    But anyhow, the insert included not only the morning bus schedule, but it also included the afternoon schedule which for almost all routes is backwards from the morning meaning the last students taken in the morning, are the first ones home in the afternoon and so on. This is a good idea. I hope school districts will follow suit.

   It would not hurt to look back at when the 1984 games were held in Los Angeles. This was where West Virginia had a part thanks to Mary Lou Retton of Fairmont who had a perfect 10 in Gymnastics and Ed Etzel, who was the Rifle Coach at West Virginia University at the time won Gold Medals. Etzel won for rifleshooting.

  Of course Retton got her gold the first Friday night of the Olympics. Then she participated in another event the following Sunday and I remember it well Marlene had to turn off the re-broadcast of "Wait Until Your Mother Gets Home" to see Retton try to get another medal. Retton became a national name and later would be on Wheaties cereal boxes and do many other advertisements such as Revco (Now CVS). 

  Interesting facts after the Olympic games of 1984, That was ABC's last Summer Olympic Games coverage and it was let's just say the new ABC when it returned and Marlene would attend Fairmont State College, a week after the Olympic games ended.

  Those of you who are Dallas Cowboys fans know that Texas Stadium almost looks like a dome but there has been 2 open parts on the roof and many years ago the late Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, a Steubenville, OH native who predicted NFL games on "The NFL Today" told Brent Musberger why they have the open part in the stadium. It was because god could watch the Dallas Cowboys play.

  While at lunch on Wednesday, yours truly noticed a couple on a motorcycle without a helmet in Downtown Wheeling. In West Virginia, you are to wear a helmet. By the way, Greg Butcher is returning to the West Virginia Legislature for the 79th session, he has introduced legislation on no helmets in the past.

  An 8 Track tape was not a novelty, you played it and there were 2 straight songs and the third, you'd hear half of it and then in program 2, you'd hear the second half of it.

   Peters Run Road begins at Savage Construction, riding along you then see Ye Olde Country Church and the ride continues until you see Wheeling Station and Da Vinci Pizza where Mull's Grocery Mart used to be.

   Marlene called to wish my dad a Happy Birthday on Thursday and she said that Tres, a Sophomore at Orange County High School in Orange, VA didn't make the golf team at the High School. Marlene reported that he, if he had made it would have found himself with a more busier schedule.

   My parents went to dinner for my dad's birthday by themselves again. For many years, especially when my paternal grandparents were alive, we would honor the birthday dinners as a family whether it be on the birthday or not. I know my work schedule does not let me enjoy family time as it did when I was working in Warwood or as a child.

   Fay is just not knowing what it wants to do at the moment down in Florida. Grace Davis put pictures of flooding from Brevard County on her page on this day. She reports senior citizens are somewhat a concern around that area with the flooding. Wheeling is expected to get remnants of this, but I don't think it'll be a Ohio River flood concern like 2004 from Ivan because many yards around Wheeling are brown or as Len Rome, a newscaster in Youngstown, OH said a few years ago, shredded wheat.

   Friday morning I purchased 3 boxes of cereal at Riesbeck's and in recent visits which has been after 6:30 in the morning, minutes after it opens, the customer service area where mostly you checkout, if you're shopping there before 7:00 A. M. the person in the customer service has not recognized the fact that groceries were purchased as they were taking their sweet time handling what they were doing for about a minute.

   The city of Wheeling announced that residents who visit the city and need medical attention and have to be transported by ambulance will be going to a Wheeling Hospital, not the hospital where they live unless it is a serious injury.

    Reminiscent: During the High School Football Season, WTRF and WTOV air a 10 minute newscast on Friday nights followed by High School Football highlights. Many, many years ago the newscasts were 10 minutes every night.

   If there was thing that I remember vividly 25 years ago was that change was all around with the extended family and friends. As Marlene was starting her senior year of High School and David started his final year as a 6th Grader at Elm Grove Elementary School and I began my second year at Bridge Street, I felt the coming months were challenges.

    Change on the good side came from my paternal grandparents who moved from Cherry Hill Road to Glen Hollin. The sad part though, we would not enjoy the rides from our home to Cherry Hill, but it saved gasoline.

     There were many family members and friends who ended marriages. I am not sure the reason why.

     Our family bought a new station wagon at then Staff-Pav, now Staffilino Chevrolet, which by the way was located where Quality Motor Cars now is in Martins Ferry.

     I felt attitude around the house was ominous. Nobody from time to time would listen to me at home in my opinion and the classmates were somewhat a cold shoulder over something that actually wasn't true near the end of the last school year.