Wednesday marked the 11th Anniversary of me joining the World Wide Web. The first year of the second decade was not as busy as in previous years mainly due to spending most of my time going on Facebook. On Thursday night, I made people aware that I am still here with a personal web site and will continue to do so. My thanks to all of you who have visited these 11 years. I hope to return with blogs on a daily basis in the coming year.

   On June 1, 2000, you were able to come to my home for the first time without me ringing at your doorstep when I debut myself on the world wide web at GeoCities which was closed a few months ago.
   In the first year and a half of the web site, I did not provide any pictures of myself, the picture you saw at the beginning was a drawing provided by Geocities. In the first two years or so, I did not have a scanner mostly due to the fact that I had some personal financial situations and also of they were not that popular yet. As a matter of fact, I think I only had one picture of myself in the two web sites at Geocities. It would not be until my Tripod web site that you would somewhat start seeing more pictures. Tripod was where I had almost 7 years at the same web site. I cited some concerns to discontinue Tripod in summer 2009 and since have been at the webs web site.
   I thank those of you through the years who provided me with hundreds of pictures, not to mention photo sessions to some of you over these past years. Yes, I have taken some pictures myself.
   In these 10 years, I have tried to find the best things, whether it be a poll or special features. Some of these features however which were told by e-mail usually fell on deaf ears sometimes as I always looked at my statistics when I was on the Tripod site. Many of you since 2002 would visit beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving or later for the annual Holiday Extravaganza which included many Christmas photos and even some of the best Christmas cards I have received through the years. Many of you also have submitted pics or told of underwater stories for the annual "In the Beautiful Underwater" which began in 2005 with the 2010 edition starting August 1st or so. Plus you also got to know WES the Panda Bear along with Kara and WES jr. WES debuted in Summer 2001 when I was still at GeoCities with Kara and WES Jr. when with Tripod in 2003.
   Other features have included pictures of my family and the Statler Brothers page. The Statler Brothers retired in 2002, but many people viewed my web site in the past decade to view that plus in 2007, I presented a story on My Disability which was a spark that helped get more people onto my site after a disappointing 2006. That story has remained on the site. I have in the past year been asked by many if their friends could read it or view the site because their child has a disability.
   Thanks to all of you for being with me through these 10 years whether you joined me for day one or not and hopefully the second decade will be even better!

   The Daytime Emmy Awards aired finally. Now if you are wondering to yourself "Did they stop having it because of the economy" or some other situation. It aired on the CW.

  The biggest surprise was "The Bold and the Beautiful" winning for best daytime emmy. The only half hour soap on daytime TV has in the past won daytime emmys mostly by Susan Flannery for actress in a drama series, who has played Stephanie Forrester since the series made it's debut on March 23, 1987 replacing "Capitol" in the CBS lineup. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to "Sesame Street" which will begin it's 40th season in the fall. The show began by the way with Oscar the Grouch not letting Elmo and Gordon, played by Roscoe Orman who opened the Morgantown Mall in 1990 while letting Erik Estrada of "CHiPs" fame get in the theatre. Gordon, Elmo and others were there to sing the songs of "Sesame Street" after the award was accepted, Cookie Monster ate the globe part of the emmy.

  "Sesame Street" will be again watched by Dee Dean. The reason. Monday was her last day at WesBanco. Dee will stay home to take care of 2 year old Tyler who will be the reason Dee will resume watching the long running PBS series. The highlights for Dee is being Head Teller, while being a student at West Virginia Northern Community College where in 2006, she was the Valedictorian of the graduating Class. A photo taken in Hawaii while on her honeymoon after her marriage to James Dean made the 2006 WesBanco calendar. Dee, was in the same graduating class as Brad Paisley and Dee has told me she loves snorkeling by the way. I will stay in contact with Dee sometimes through Facebook.

  "Price is Right" will air when "Guiding Light" ends it's run on September 18th and before "Let's Make a Deal" returns October 5th. I am not sure if it is going to be an hour or half hour for LMAD.

   The Ohio Valley Mall Bonanza Restaurant closed over the weekend. The restaurant was eaten there a few times by the Stahnke family in the 1980's over there. It was the place where I completed my old NFL helmet collection in 1980.
   FM radio in Wheeling on a good day can be heard as far as Winchester, VA and AM radio of course further than that.

   One of the reasons our life expectancy keeps going up and you hear about people in their 80's still doing things can somewhat be contributed to medical advertisements you see in recent years for Claritan and such. Here's what we are seeing in recent ads:

  Epiduo ads find a teenager camped outside a medical aisle of a grocery store and what we believe is a pharmacist telling him he needs to see a doctor to get his pimples I believe off his face. Then later, we see him after going to the doctor talking to 2 girls while sitting for the ticket office to open for a concert.

  Ads for Gardasil find mothers and daughters doing such things as trying clothes to going surfing wearing wet suits and wanting to be one less to have cervical cancer.

  These things have to be approved by your doctor, I could not be amazed a few years back seeing an ortho-evra patch where a lady is snorkeling.
  The NFL had to go to it's 53 man roster limit on Saturday. Here is who will suit up on Thursday which is subject to change offensive line wise for the Steelers:

  QUARTERBACK - Ben Rothlisberger, Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon
  RUNNING BACK - Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, Melwelde Moore, Frank Summers
  WIDE RECEIVER - Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Limas Sweed, Mike Wallace, Shawn McDonald
  TIGHT END - Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, David Johnson
  OFFENSIVE LINE - Willie Colon (T), Trai Essex (T), Max Starks (T), Tony Hills (T), Ramon Foster (T), Justin Hartwig (C), Kraig Urbik (G), Chris Kemoeatu (G), Doug Legursky (G)
  DEFENSIVE LINE - Casey Hampton (DT), Ziggy Hood (DE), Nick Eason (DE), Chris Hoke (DT), Travis Kirschke (DE), Brett Kiesel (DE), Aaron Smith (DE)
  LINEBACKER - James Harrison, James Farrior, Lamarr Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, Andre Frazier, Arnold Harrison, Keyaron Fox, Patrick Bailey
  DEFENSIVE BACK - Troy Polamalu (S), Joe Burnett (CB), Deshea Townsend (CB), William Gay (CB), Ryan Mundy (S), Keiwan Ratliff (CB), Keenan Lewis (CB), Ryan Clark (S), Ike Taylor (CB), Tyrone Carter (S)

  Fullback Carey Davis was cut as was the surprise of the pre-season Isaac Redman. But Redman probably will be named to the practice squad.
  New blogs on a weekly basis through billstahnke.webs.com will be up on Mondays. Also, i'm adding Pittsburgh Steeler game results on a day to day basis since 1979. The results will be on a separate blog and will be presented beginning with the previous blog and will be presented to you on a weekly basis, but the first will be on results from August 31-September 7.

  In the winter months, you hear a lot about water line breaks, but Tuesday continued to show it could happen during the summer even. North River Road in Wheeling was the scene of a water break. Reports circulate old pipes in North Wheeling is played a part. Those who have service with Ohio County Public Service District is being asked to conserve. They think it will be fixed in 24 hours or so. Martins Ferry has had several water line breaks this year. 
   This is supposed to be the time of the year that we hear many communities asking to conserve water due to not enough rain. Where Marlene lives in Orange, they have had these conservations in past summers. Bethlehem meanwhile had a water line break on Tuesday also.

  The North River Road section of Wheeling had another water line break on Thursday afternoon. The water line break that affected Wheeling this week has caused businesses to make some changes between 1st and 16th streets in some way with a boil order. The Subway offered customers canned pop, instead of fountain drinks. 

  The water lines that broke this week were built in the late 1800's and were built before my paternal grandfather William H. Stahnke was born. 

  I finally practiced snorkeling for the first time since June on Saturday. It is always kind of tough for me to put everything in a blue bag that I own where I put my snorkel gear in. There also is a lock for the locker, soap and such to use for the shower after practicing, towel, hair dryer and such.

  Saturday was the 45th Anniversary of Ronald and Gloria Johnston. I mention it because their only daughter Karen was my girlfriend earlier this decade.

  Wheeling Park put up 14 points in the fourth quarter Friday to beat Morgantown.

  The Daytime Emmy Awards will finally be presented on Sunday Night. It will be shown on the CW (That is the network that came from a merger of UPN and WB).

   Couple things before I finish:

   I do want to remind everyone I would like to hear from you all from time to time. The only e-mail messages i've been getting lately mainly are from Facebook. I also want to remind everyone that I have a new web site. My e-mail address is billstahnke@comcast.net and my web site address is billstahnke.webs.com (No www)

   Finally, new blog entries through the web site on a weekly basis will change next week from Sunday to Monday. But for those of you who read my daily blog, access my Myspace page.

   On Monday, waiting for the bus stop their was a set of keys to a Dodge with the logo of the Ram. I saw it, looked at it but didn't take it. I could have taken it to Elm Grove Dodge to find out if they lost any keys to cars.

   Then I noticed outside on Monday, cars that were once on the street were smashed and likely being taken to the automotive recycling plant.
   Brett Favre returned for another football season on Tuesday where he will play for the Minnesota Vikings. Reason even though I think he should have stayed retired was the injury to Tavaris Jackson.
  If you are wondering about Spencer Christian, the former weatherman on "Good Morning America" he is working at KGO-TV hosting an afternoon talk show. His co-host was on "Live with Regis and Kelly" as part of the live to local co-host thing they were doing.

  Meanwhile, an Ice Cream Stand that had been in business since April has closed up shop and left across from the Wheeling Skate Park. Called Brynn E. Bears, the business left sometime Monday morning when I saw the building being driven away. This was like a Fotomat type place.

  I purchased for my dad on his birthday a cap in honor of the 150 years of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge that took place 10 years ago. My mom and him went to dinner to celebrate it. When I purchased the hat, it was the third purchased in the same day at the Artisan Center.

  This weekend I have been dealing with a problem with the anti-virus software I am running. I am somewhat concerned.

   In March 1980, the late Sandy Livingood was at an unidentified store and was behind six people in a line and Richard Kimmins was speaking to the cashier and Sandy said "Hey, slick quit holding the line" Richard would comment "I knew that was you as soon as I heard your voice."

  On Tuesday, I went over to Quiznos Downtown for lunch and I was behind less than half the six for Sandy in 1980 at three and I still had to wait 10 to 15 minutes to get my food. Of course I had to make a decision of what to have and such. 
  On Wednesday, I went up to Sesame Cafe after 2:00 P. M. only to find it closed. So then, I went over to Vocelli Pizza instead where I had chicken with linguini with garlic bread. What took place was that I was delayed 30 minutes before I could even eat totalling walking up to find the Sesame Cafe closed and going to Vocelli and waiting for the chicken and linguini to be cooked. I thought Sesame Cafe stayed open until 3:00 or so. Sort of reminiscent of when Cafe La News was in business and I arrived at about 5:00 or so only to find that closed.
  Yours truly didn't have a delay with lunch Thursday. Food was ready at Coleman's Fish Market, less than 5 minutes after I ordered.

  Hard to believe this, Mary Farrow who graduated the year after me has a son in college. He will be going to Washington & Jefferson where he will play for the winningest football program in the Presidents Athletic Conference. Coincidentally, that graduating class had it's 20 year reunion this weekend.

   At Kepner Funeral Home in Elm Grove and I imagine others, there are 2 rooms where they can show 2 people at one time, this took place when my maternal grandfather John McGinnis was shown in 2004 and someone else was also shown and the same in February 2007 when Ruth Davis had passed away. But can you imagine a church having 2 funerals? It seems someone at the Wheling newspapers thought so when they listed that Eleanor Bandi, who died Friday that was my neighbor will have her funeral at 10:00 A. M. Monday at St. Vincent dePaul Church while in Sunday's newspaper another lady passed away and it mentioned her funeral was also going to be held Monday at 10:00 A. M. However, as I gave a second look at the other lady, visitation is Monday and for some reason whoever did the obit listed the funeral Monday, when it was Tuesday.
   My mom had a dryer that was thought to be broke when some clothes were burnt. Then over the weekend discussion began on a new dryer looking at Sears and then on Braunlich's in Downtown Wheeling. Yes, there is a business still Downtown. But on Tuesday, my Dad looked at the area that helps the dryer run and a bird was building a nest there which if it had continued running would have meant more damage and the house would have been on fire and this blog would not be typed.

   This is not the first time birds have used our house to enter to build a nest. Early in this decade, they were under a kitchen light area and even flew and walked around the area. By the way I had a dream of a bird entering the house Monday night-Tuesday morning.
   In 1998, FOX made promotional advertisements that the soon to be ending "King of the Hill" was going to move from Arlen to Hollywood and be called "King of the Hollywood Hills", but for real the show was moving to Tuesday nights. I actually by the way knew it was moving to Tuesdays by reading the newspapers. It made for a fight with a former co-worker over that situation.

  But in time for the 40th year on the air in January, ABC's "All My Children" will actually move to California in what a report is of costs. It will leave the networks "One Life to Live" to get more space in the New York studio.

  In "The Breakfast Club" Paul Gleason served noticed to Anthony Michael Hall that he would have 2 months of detention in the 25th minute or so of the film. The Director of the film, John Hughes died of a Heart Attack Thursday.

 This weekend marks 10 years that I have had internet access. On August 7, 1999 I came online with HGO, who had internet service located at Lumber Avenue in Elm Grove. It was a challenge however, the first day as at first I started looking at half a screen. I might mention that you could talk to one of the technicians 7 days a week, but not 24 hours a day (I am never up at 3:00 in the morning unless I go to the restroom) by phone. There were 3 men named Dave, Pat and Trevor. HGO also had user group meetings one Thursday a month at their offices. HGO however got out of the internet service provider business less than a year later, but still remains a computer business and it moved to Stratuswave where I had that until June of last year based at the Mull Center.

  In 10 years online, I have had internet access through 3 computers All 3 on dial-up with the current one on High Speed. The first computer had many problems. Mainly that I was having so much fun surfing online that I didn't bother to take care of most of my things and there were trips to the computer shop for repair. The first computer for the last 2 years I owned it produced a lot of times bumped off-line and such. The second computer was owned for over 4 years or so. The new computer I own now had dialup for 3 months and than I went to High Speed in June 2008. In the first 2 computers I used, I rarely went in a chat room. In the first computer I owned, it was a girl that I met online and it was all in the Summer of 2000. Only 2 in the second computer and with the new computer since January I would say I have spoken online 100 times to classmates, potential girlfriends and co-workers.

  There has also been a big change since I went to high speed, I have had to spend less time downloading Windows Updates and such which has given me time to watch TV shows and other things. The Windows updates sometimes required me to download until let's say maybe until 12:30 in the morning sometimes, this has not been a problem now meaning I gain a little more sleep plus when downloading or viewing a program that too would have been a long wait of maybe 2 hours before I could see it while on dial-up.

  In these 10 years also, I imagined I have gotten e-mails from maybe over 1,000 people or so telling about certain things or asking about certain things that I may want to purchase and such. Most of the e-mail replies almost at all times are great, sometimes they may not be at all, but I will not go into that. The people have not been all e-mailed via HGO, Stratuswave or Comcast, there is also Classmates.com, MySpace and Facebook. People I have e-mailed even are people that I have not met such as Rob Owen, a TV critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on TV questions to Kim Porter, a resident of the Tampa, FL area who has been a great inspiration to me as I experienced my first snorkeling excursion in June through her underwater experiences herself.

    Hopefully, in the years to come many more changes will come to the information super highway which I hopefully will use a laptop also in my arsenal to take advantage of many other new additions that the cyber world will dish to all of the world that will continue to make the history of the internet what it is. Being located in the dining room is a challenge because I am next to the living room and the TV is on of course.

   To all of you who are my friends and family that have e-mailed or viewed my web sites and such over these 10 years through the many times that I try to hound you to reply on things sometimes even, I thank you for playing a part of my internet time whether you were with me from the beginning to right now.

   The 27th Italian Festival is history in Wheeling. This event has been held every year on the weekend after Jamboree in the Hills. Some senior citizens were discussing on the bus on Monday that they could not attend because of the prices. But there was also someone who said they wished the event could be held the first of the month so they have money to spend from their Social Security Checks. One lady wanted them to move it. Many senior citizens would call TV stations when football games interrupt Soap Operas and such and while we can try to even ask the young kids to share such things as internet and even how to work a digital TV set.

   Fairs and Festivals mainly take place from mid-spring to mid-fall and these events are held at the same time every year and changing dates would be of concern to the people who take their vacation around an event like Jamboree in the Hills as an example. This event is held the third weekend in July because according to the history of Jamboree USA from 1983, it is the unseasonably week of any week in summer months. Of course, this event is mainly is not a Senior Citizen type event despite the fact that at least one JITH act has included someone who was a big star in the 1970's.

   By the way, many fairs across the country are doing well in this recession according to an MSN report last week. Sure, such events as Mingo Community Days in Mingo Junction will not be held this year because of the economic problems we are facing.

   Writing a letter to the people who run the Italian Festival or visiting the office at the McClure to tell them about moving it the first week of July may not do much, but I do applaud those who decided to move the event to the Riverfront a few years back because you don't have visitors being diverted away from Market street and making some businesses close on Saturday even.

   Have you ever heard of the game Farkle? If you have an account on Facebook you should. It is a game similiar to Yahtzee. Well, on Tuesday night I played against 2 people online in 2 games. In one game, I defeated a man and then in the second game, I went up against a lady from California. The Californian though won. 

   This week, Mary Lu Hutchins, West Virginia's 2008 Teacher of the Year was named the Principal of Warwood School. However, she was in Huntsville, AL where Space Camp is.

  A couple weeks ago, I reported that mailboxes were taken away in Wheeling. I received word Thursday that mailboxes were also taken away in Martins Ferry recently. Someone who was living next to a mailbox had someone put something in the mailbox only to find that the mailbox was gone.

  I was in a 'situation' Thursday over Farkle at work from a co-worker on the same floor beating her in the Facebook game.

  On Thursday, I got my first West Virginia coin. Why am I saying this when this has been out since Fall 2005? Well it was the first West Virginia coin from the Denver mint.

  This week, one of my classmates on Facebook alarmed me on what I already knew from Rich Briggs of the Weekly Recorder a few weeks back. Christmas Decorations are being sold. Then also one person is thinking ahead to the Penguins starting training camp with the Steelers starting Training Camp in Latrobe Friday. I believe it is 40 years since Rocky Bleier was serving in Vietnam and in the movie "Fighting Back" in 1980, Rocky was drinking to the Steelers who started training camp that day. It was also that he was wounded. Robert Urich, by the way portrayed Bleier in the 1980 biopic.

  The way we dress since the mid-to-late 1990's have changed. Dressing for work Fridays means no neckties for some people. Certainly another place that has changed is the church of your choice. However, not everybody becomes casual when dressing for church. This weekend, many Jehovas Witnesses who come to your door at anytime interrupting your watching "The Price is Right" or gardening and such and discuss the issues that Jay Rockefeller fights for while others are not doing in Washington and other countries in the world with a magazine for you to read are having it's convention this weekend and the next 2 here in Wheeling. The dress code is dress up with mainly the couples wearing their suit and tie and dress up with the children such as the boys dressing without a tie, but enough to look proper and girls being dressed up. This is the first time since 1987 this event is taking place here in Wheeling. It also means money for the community such as the local restaurants after dinner.
  Even before I was born, Eleanor Bandi and her husband Harold, who died in 2002 lived across the street from our family in mainly a green and white house and raised 4 children which included son Larry, who for many years was President of Valley Natural Gases and it's predecessor Valley Welding.

  Eleanor was one of the people who at first is shy and concerned, but warmed up near the end and that was how I felt with Eleanor and Harold. While rarely we never any events they held, they did until illnesses with both of them showed to pay respects when a family member passed away(She did send a card when my Uncle Jim died). I remember one time when we celebrated David's birthday with dinner at the old Bridgeport, OH Ponderosa and they were over at the Ponderosa also at the end as we were beginning and Eleanor said to my mother "It's a lot better than eating in the kitchen" I believe. Eleanor and Harold were like Kim and Rosemary, they too attended Saturday Mass at St. Vincent dePaul Church whether it started at 6:30, 4:30 or the current 5:00 P. M.

   Eleanor lived in the green and white house until 2006 or so when she went to live with one of her daughters. She was able to see a picture that I took on my digital camera last Christmas of the new owners of the home's decoration of the house thanks in part to her granddaughter Laura Krause, who works the same employer as me. The last time I saw Eleanor was on April 17, 2007 which was the day that I had my cast taken off my ankle.

  Eleanor passed away Friday morning at the age of 88. While it may not be the last of a dying breed on my street, Eleanor will be missed and there will certainly be a void when Laura marries September 5th probably. I felt a void when David married and Grandma Stahnke wasn't there because she passed a year and a half ago. RIP, Eleanor.

  It seems like almost every week, my mom has to ask when she looks at Quizno's coupons, I keep repeating no. I can get $1.00 off if I stop by in 7 days or less after I make a purchase from the sub place.
  Recently while at the Doctor's office, I read in Readers Digest where a reader wrote in and mentioned if you buy things American made, you are helping the economy. I have recently bought computer disks American made and a waste basket American made.

   The parents in comic strips are certainly not happy with certain things. In recent Dennis the Menace strips, Dennis breaks a vase and tries to fix it with his friend Joey, but after his mom sees it, Dennis is placed in the corner with his rockin chair and tells Joey that he should be taking his nap. Monday then finds Dennis playing Tarzan against his mom's approval, Then in Tuesday's strip Dennis asks for Mr. Wilson to use his water after Dennis's dad was probably irate with how high the water bill was. But the one who is having the most beef is the Family Circus mom Thel. On Friday of last week, She was either mad or something when the oldest Billy is not eating brussel sprouts. Then on Sunday, the dad is asking the family to help in the garden. But does the dad help, no he is talking to the neighbor and yes Thel is mad there and then on Tuesday Billy again is in trouble and asks if she should go to his room or a time out. Billy, the oldest is the most troubled kid. It is surprising that PJ the baby is not in trouble sometimes. Of course, some babies play cute for years. 
     There were some mailboxes being removed in the city of Wheeling as e-mail and the economy plays culprit to it. The mailbox located near the former Convenient Food Mart on Kruger Street was one of those that will be removed and at least one mailbox around parts of the City of Wheeling limits will go also. The mailbox by Riesbeck's will stay put as will the one by WesBanco Downtown which I use from time to time to send things.
    The passing of Walter Cronkite Friday was sort of a miss for network news on the East Coast because the evening newscasts are from 6:30 to 7:00 and Cronkite died at 7:42 P. M. That's 42 minutes after it was over, with the exception of KDKA who airs it at 7:00, it was 12 minutes after it was over. He died 3 days before the 40th Anniversary when man landed on the moon, but on the 10 year Anniversary of JFK Jr. missing in a plane crash and presumed dead. I may be wrong on this though, Cronkite's passing may have been breaking news in the Mountain time zone because of the fact that a show on the Eastern time zone airs a show at 8:00 P. M. and behind one hour, the Central Time zone is a 7 PM start and they mention that it airs also at 7 mountain which means the network news starts at 5:30 central and same time in the mountain zone which meant it became breaking news at that time. I also think CBS began it's Prime Time to report the passing of Cronkite and then started shows 10 minutes or so later in it's entirety. There is a picture in a old Funk & Wagnall's Dictionary and Encyclopedia from 1977 that we have in our home that my mom got for 1 cent each I believe at the old Elm Grove A & P store where there was a picture of Cronkite, but was wearing a turtle neck. The favorite moment of Cronkite on air was his closing of his final broadcast March 6, 1981 with of course his "And That's the Way It Is" followed by the date and saying "I'll be away on assignment and Dan Rather will be in the chair here for the next few years". When I first saw this on TV he didn't mention "in the chair". Of course, that was when I was 11 or 12 when Cronkite retired. I remember a year before he retired, he was in an ad with Mark Davis as WTRF went from a NBC to CBS affiliate.

  SF story in West Virginia is interesting. Brooke County is the Northern Panhandle county yet to have a case and East from Pleasants to Morgan County and South to Fayette County there has been none. Webster County, which had a camp actually does not have a resident that has SF and another county that does not have one is McDowell County, which is the Southern County in the state that since I was born in 1969 went from 4 Delegates to 1 Delegate now and the schools have been controlled by the state. Also I hope the vaccine situation is straightened with the countries.