More on the Autumn Theme

When I'm weary of the heat, and think summer will never end, there are 3 things that always bloom to remind me that autumn is just around the corner. The chives, sweet autumn clematis, and mexican sage. It just doesn't get any better than this.

LIFE IS GOOD!

Why I heart Autumn

1. I LOVE all things pumpkin. Even the color (sorry mom).
2. Long sleeved things are my favorites.
3. Hooded sweatshirts and fleeces, even when Clint is defnitely not that cold.
4. Fun fall activities like community group at the lake and the high school retreat.
5. Starbuck's caramel apple cider. No whip. Extra cinnamon shot. Extra hot.
6. There's a large mummy by Big Tex at the fair?!?
7. Einstein's pumpkin shmear
8. It's finally not 100 when I run at 7 am
9. Clint adjusting his delicious Miller Pot Roast for my allergies!
10. The Millers have us for Thanksgiving this year. Which means there will be a gourd-festooned table. Does it get better than that?

He'll zap you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8

The Asian M2

If M2 were Asian, I saw her today at Parkland. Same stooped shoulders, same peppery short hair, same rather sparce bushy eyebrows, same super lean/too much skin build. The only difference, Asian M2 doesnt wear glasses and isn't ashamed to show her legs! I can't remember the last time I saw the real M2's legs. Asian M2 is slightly more functional, the real M2 would never venture into Parkland on her own with a smile on her face. I can only imagine the racist remarks that she would be uttering in a place like Parkland. I'm sure the Asian M2 isn't racist but I do wonder if she share's the real M2's love for words. I'll have to ask her for help on a crossword next time I bump into her in the hall to find out...

We heart wordplay

http://wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html

Liar smell I

Family PE

While Freddy fries the bird, let us run/walk our way to fitness. We can cram more in our bellies this way. www.thetrot.com

In unrelated news, I have multiple funny stories regarding my week at work. But none of them involve the 3-round Puke Distaster of this afternoon.

The Luck of No. 4

So, most of yall know I went to take my big RD exam on Monday. I've been studying 4 a while but really started to have a breakdown around Sat/Sunday. I was so overwhelmed with all the information I was accountable 4. I started thinking that maybe I should postpone my test 4 a few more days to get more studying in. But in the end, I just wanted to get the darn thing over with. I should have had some clue from the very beginning when I called to make the appointment to take the test, and my confirmation number had 3 4's in it.
At the testing facility I locked my purse in locker #4, just 4 safe keeping. Then the testing lady assigned me to computer # (you guessed it) 4. At this point I thought I had it in the bag. Then a mental argument broke out where one part of me was saying that I must be crazy to think the number 4 has anything to do with my ability to pass this test. And the other part of me kept saying it's got to be a great sign that all these 4's were coming together. I guess it was a trifecta of 4's. How can that be denied?
But all joking aside, I really know that it's by the grace of God that I passed this test. I did study and prepared the best I knew how, but I know that He gave me the peace and clarity of mind to make good, educated guesses on questions I had no clue about. So, PTL!!! (praise the Lord, as Mrs. Walker would say, or "crazy lady walk-walk" as Kryssi Theadford so lovingly called her)

the Nutrition Queen,
Dayle Miller, RD

AVO'S NEW JOB!

Check this out. She got a job driving a hearse!

There goes the neighborhood.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/081608dnmetdisdgrading.4627fe2.html

MUST READ

I am interrupting the day at work to blog. True, I have several things to do, but I finished the book last night and it was so delightful. Let's all read it for Miller Family Book Club.

There are 2 parallel stories told- one from a poor sharecropper in Louisianna and one from a wealthy Dallas art dealer. The stories intermingle. I cried many times. It's well-written, a fast read, and a compelling story that speaks a lot of truth about humanity.

I like reading, people... but this was absolutely the best book of 08 for me. Run! Go to the library! Go!

etiquette question

What would you say if a co-worker asked if he could borrow a q-tip? Luckily I didn't have any to loan...

the pathway to becoming an olympian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZU-hChKqwY

Alexis is 2 over from the dragon. A challenge to tell who is who when the whole class is blonde ballerinas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc1UtBvzR6I

But this one, oh this one has true olympic potential. Orange leo, anyone?

Dog Days

Am I the only person that doesn't care for indoor animals?  Betsy and I went to a wedding last night.  The parents of the bride have a cockapoo (yechh) that's part of the family.  When it came time to present the ring to the groom, two little girls showed up pulling a baby crib down the aisle.  You guessed it.  The dog was in the crib wearing a dog tuxedo.  During the reception the talk was about how the dog stole the show.  Ugh....  I love the family of the bride but somehow people that kiss animals on the lips scare me.

half-full/half-empty

1. When Clint makes dinner. I will ever be grateful to the Big Millers for teaching the boy his way around the kitchen!

2. Saturday running with my pals, good breakfast, a nap, then the rest of the day at the pool.

3. Having 6 nights of the week unscheduled, when during the school year we are lucky if we have 2.

4. The guy at the pool who dove repeatedly off the diving board like a penguin. He was at least our age.

5. My sweet kiddos at work. I have a really nice group right now. Hardly any I dread coming in.

6. Thai food. I could eat it every day.

7. Same Kind of Different as Me- an excellent read. especially for the Niner.

8. Avoiding grocery stores and big box marts. We have been burned. Not enough to quit, per se, but enough to worry about the apocalypse and the impending doom at Wal-Mart.

9. The Olympics. I always like them. We have an opening-ceremonies-ethnic-food tradition that I throughly enjoy.

10. Watching Hawaii movies. Tonight's feature is Donovan's Reef and we also have Blue Hawaii and several others waiting on our Netflix. Netflix- another fave. How else can you watch the entire SERIES of Frasier?

1. Clint is making me eat cauliflower with my dinner. yech.

2. Due to the saturday fun, I take 2 showers and go through 3 sets of clothes. Makes the concept of saturday laundry day a bit of a challenge.

3. Our friends are STILL BUSY.

4. The lifeguards at our local pool are sadists. They love them rules.

5. I pulled two 11+ hour days last week due to all the fun new kids.

6. We still can't cook good Thai and have to order out or eat out, which means there is a limit to accessibility. As much as I love Asian Mint.

7. I have a stack of easily 10 books waiting for me to finish this one, so I never can savor them specifically and think over the deep stuff. if I catch the deep stuff. 

8. If you avoid box marts, where do you shop?

9. Watching said Chinese drummers and envisioning them invading Vegas with their light-up drums and scary warfare was not a pleasant thought. Hello, 20% of the population. Does that freak out anyone else?

10. Alas, we only get to watch Hawaiian movies instead of taking up residence on the beach. 

do- oer

Ah, my first blog post. I have joined the masses. This post is truly entitled "Clint & Lisa Were Really Meant to be Hawaiian"

We were in Maui on our own for 3 glorious days, then joined by 9 of my family members on a cruise 'round all the islands.

Here they are, hula-ing. My dad in red, my mom, my oldest sister, her husband,and me & clint just there with the camera. Noticeably sitting and not hula-ing.

The small people in the pictures are our nieces Alexis and Charlotte. One looks like daddy, one looks like mommy. 

Lex is a typical type-A cautious, born-adult, first-child sort of kid. She's orderly and predictable and the spitting image (from fears to food to schedules) of her mother. Charlotte is the offspring of nobody's genes. She's loud and crazy and hyper and the funniest child you will ever meet. She does voices and Dayle-faces too. She has an obsession with orange. Orange is my family's most-hated color. ever. nobody taught her this. Note:

I do admit, however, to buying her the shoes. I like to stir the pot. These shoes warranted a loud "Happy Merry Christmas" standing ovation on our coffee table. I was the crown princess of her Christmas. My sister likes to remind me that I have it coming. 

This is my middle sister Christy and her new husband Robert. Robert is a fledgling actor with a frat boy spot (yes! at over 30! we all still have hope!) in the movie W. He of course got some headshots taken by my sister in Hawaii. 'twill help score him the big parts. 

That's my aunt Jo, who does not usually do pictures. We are in a pond. There's still water. Which equals bacteria, something I blame for my current swimmer's ear. There were also eels in that water. It was a quick swim. Note smarty pants Clinton is not swimming.

Now onto other topics. the waves. The hawaii beaches!!!! Confession: I admit to taking your mountain-climbing, skiing Clinton and turning him into a fish. We officially love the beach. Blame the 50th state. 

I credit all my surfing abilities to my father, the big kahuna of Lamar College. He was the best surfer in Beaumont, and clearly the genes are residing in me. 

One of the more exciting things we did was have a night drive-by of the active lava flowing into the ocean.

Here we are all in Kuai'i. Our friendly local native guide not only gave us guava soda, but was rocking on the rocks (complete with wild pig) barefoot. 

Finding Nemo had them looking pretty realistic!

Well... we have pics of Clint but apparently my sister did not take any photos of him so we'll have to put some of ours up here later. Since I know you are all fairly interested in him, I'll get him to blog soon. He's up for it.

We love you, family! We were super bummed to miss Colorado. We heart Miller vacations. Next year. 

keep it in proportion

The size of the bike should definitely match the size of its rider. Like these guys.

Hilites

of 8/4/2008 - in no particular order

1. celery and pimento cheese, homeade of course
2. honking at two different cars on the way home (i opted for the horn instead of the finger)
3. going in the Cardiac ICU - finally!! an ICU!!!
4. the old man in the Cardiac ICU that begged me to get him out of bed and take him to the bathroom so he could have a BM (they filled him with laxatives, he had one comin and i didnt want to be there when it did!!)
5. the saucy lady who we were consulted to instruct on a low vitamin k diet to avoid interactions with her medication - coumadin. she already knew all about the food interactions with coumalin. she's been on coumalin for the past two years. you cant tell me anything new about coumalin.
6. it was 106 AGAIN today
7. gas is 3.69
8. first session with personal trainer tonite (more to come...i'm thinking he's going to give me lots of material)
9. excessively used my new dayplanner today
10. only 9 more days until i get to have my own floors

it was a great day...

I have joined in!

Ah, my first blog post. I have joined the masses. This post is truly entitled "Clint & Lisa Were Really Meant to be Hawaiian"

We were in Maui on our own for 3 glorious days, then joined by 9 of my family members on a cruise 'round all the islands.

Here they are, hula-ing. My dad in red, my mom, my oldest sister, her husband,and me & clint just there with the camera. Noticeably sitting and not hula-ing.

The small people in the photos are Charlotte, 3, and Alexis, 5. (When did she get to be 5? Why are they buying school clothes and lunchboxes for my baby niece??)

Lex is a typical type-A cautious, born-adult, first-child sort of kid. She's orderly and predictable and the spitting image (from fears to food to schedules) of her mother. Charlotte is the offspring of nobody's genes. She's loud and crazy and hyper and the funniest child you will ever meet. She does voices and Dayle-faces too. She has an obsession with orange. Orange is my family's most-hated color. ever. nobody taught her this. Note:

I do admit, however, to buying her the shoes. I like to stir the pot. These shoes warranted a loud "Happy Merry Christmas" standing ovation on our coffee table. I was the crown princess of her Christmas. My sister likes to remind me that I have it coming. 

This is my middle sister Christy and her new husband Robert. Robert is a fledgling actor with a frat boy spot (yes! at over 30! we all still have hope!) in the movie W. He of course got some headshots taken by my sister in Hawaii. 'twill help score him the big parts. 

That's my aunt Jo, who does not usually do pictures. We are in a pond. There's still water. Which equals bacteria, something I blame for my current swimmer's ear. There were also eels in that water. It was a quick swim. Note smarty pants Clinton is not swimming.

Now onto other topics. the waves. The hawaii beaches!!!! Confession: I admit to taking your mountain-climbing, skiing Clinton and turning him into a fish. We officially love the beach. Blame the 50th state. 

I credit all my surfing abilities to my father, the big kahuna of Lamar College. He was the best surfer in Beaumont, and clearly the genes are residing in me. 

One of the more exciting things we did was have a night drive-by of the active lava flowing into the ocean.

Here we are all in Kuai'i. Our friendly local native guide not only gave us guava soda, but was rocking on the rocks (complete with wild pig) barefoot. 

Finding Nemo had them looking pretty realistic!

Well... we have pics of Clint but apparently my sister did not take any photos of him so we'll have to put some of ours up here later. Since I know you are all fairly interested in him, I'll get him to blog soon. He's up for it.

We love you, family! We were super bummed to miss Colorado. We heart Miller vacations. Next year. 

look what we got!

We've entered the 21st century! Dayle said "I wish we had a toaster". Avery says "I've got one"! History was made!

Our first toaster!

First day back

Hey guys,
Remember me telling you about my obsessive compulsive friend at work?
Last week on my first day back I was very busy catching up on e-mails, voice mails, loose ends, etc. Late in the day my boss popped in to say hi. We were having a nice chat about our vacations when Miss OCD showed up at my door. "Kyle, you forgot to give me that report I needed before you went on vacation!!!!!" She left before I could answer her. ---Insert frustrated emoticon here --- Who cares if the report is a few days late? I've never met a deadline I couldn't miss.

playin' possum...

Stepped out on the back patio Sunday evening at dark-thirty, thinking I may see our resident cottontail. Look what was visiting instead...

Thoroughly Inspired

By mom's blog tonite, I feel led to submit one of my own!

Today I spent the afternoon with a sweet family. Stacy (who discipled me in highschool) and her husband Matt have two beautiful chillens. Arden and Elliot. Arden is full of spunk and attitude and excitement and love. And Elliot is a chubby 8 month old with cellulite. Who could resist such a pair?! We wanted to feed the ducks so we found a park with ducks and two large swans (they mate for life, you know) and lots of hungry catfish and a lone moss-covered turtle. As much fun as it is, feeding the wildlife, I'm convinced after seeing the feeding frenzy today that there is no way that these creatures could fend for themselves if the world ran out of bread. As soon as the critters realized what was going on, they flocked to us! We could have easily started a riot. The highlight of the park was watching Arden chase a squirrel around and around a big tree with a crumb of bread in her hand. At one point she stamped her foot and looked up at me with a pouty face and said something like "I just want to feed him!!!" Too cute!

After lunch, Elliot went down for his nap, Stacy went out to run a couple of errands and Arden and I were snuggled on the couch watching the old Peter Pan. Maybe one of the best things she does is when she wants a popsicle for a snack. Then she's a little sticky and slightly fruity smelling the rest of the day. After Peter Pan, we watched the animated Barbie learns to Dance (or something silly like that) and she put on her best dancing dress and we twirled around the living room until she collapsed in a sweet, sticky, sweaty pile and asked for her back to be tickled. And tickle her back I did...until my arm got tired.

I realize that this post is neither witty nor sarcastic, but it is the sweet moments during the day that make Dallas livable for me. Today definitely had it's sweet, strawberry popsicle sticky moments!

ps- Stacy, if you read this, you have inspired me to dust off the bread baker machine...I'll let you know how it turns out!

The BIG Hike

In my own effort to bond & promote family unity, may I submit a couple of observations from our recent family vacation? There were no major meltdowns or family fights, no big tell-offs or feats of strength, i.e. leg wrestling, or games of "can you top this". The highlight of the whole week was getting to spend time with Kyle & Betsy & Austin (hopefully their girls will be able to join us next time)...along with Clint & Lisa, of course.

Dayle mentions seeing some interesting folks in Durango. I must have been too preoccupied with something else to give them much notice (like, do you think we can find a clean, bathroom here?...or...I need some chocolate!) Anyway, one of the week's best experience for me was the 9-mile hike I enjoyed with Dayle along the Piedras River. We set out mid-morning with lunch & bottled water in our backpacks. Couldn't believe the beauty before us. Every turn of the trail revealed something new & different. To say it was breathtaking is an understatement. Words can't do it justice. We hiked up & down for 2 1/2 hours, crossed footbridge #3, then (thankfully) sat down on a log in the shade to eat our PB&J sammies & bananananas. Then we were off again. After about 1/4 mile, the trail suddenly narrowed and we stopped to evaluate. Looking down, we saw a large muddy footprint - couldn't tell if it was black bear or mountain lion! Time to go! We retraced our steps and made it back to the trailhead in record time. Along the way, though, we had to detour down to the river to cool our tootsies in the rushing water. Now barefoot, we carefully made our way to a couple of big rocks farther out in the river. After several minutes, we adjusted to the cold water, and Dayle couldn't stand it any longer. She was soon sitting in the river (almost) fully clothed! You'll see the sireeeen in the picture below. We got out, dried off as best we could & Dayle put on the dry shorts I had in my backpack. We made our way down the mountain and back to the car just in time to beat the approaching afternoon shower. Fred, Avo & Josh had been fishing for trout all day. Avo's big event was falling in the water (I would like to have seen that) & bug bites; Fred's big event was catching enough fish for our supper. All in all, a great day, especially after stopping in Pagosa Springs for iced coffee on the way home! yum.

More later.