No I am not turning into my friend ClairE who used to say pants after everything to make it sound funny.
I think I am going to take the GRE this spring. Why, I am not sure. I think grad school could be in my future, but I have no idea when, where or what for. Now you might be rolling your eyes and thinking that this is just the next phase I am in and you are probably right. After all you have seen me go through my white water kayak, law school, St. Meirads and several other phases with no action. I did however buy a scooter and continue to go hunting for no apparent reason so I do stick with some phases.
So if you have any study prep books or anything like that let me know. Should I have thought of this when my sister was working for a test prep agency? Yes, but I didn't so back off.
In other news, my mom got me a new pair of pants a few weeks ago and I really like them!! The might be the most comfortable pair of pants I have ever had. They are better then jeans.
Keep up the fight
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Big Doins in Nashville
Last weekend mom and dad came to town and there were some big purchases made in the life of Andy Miller. I am not going to say I was parent pressured into them, but mom and dad were a moving force in a few of them.The first of the purchases was a new recycling center for my closet. I like this one because the bins come out and they have nice and big handles. This way I can presort and then take it in to the big recycling center when ever a tub gets full. Here in Nashville you have to sort the paper according to the weight. Office paper, newsprint and cardboard all have to be in their own container or they will not take any of it. Oddly enough though you can mix all the plastic, glass and tin you want and they do not care at all about that. With this new bin system there will be no more big sorting days in my apartment where paper is all over the place. I can't tell you how much I am enjoyed using it so far, but then again most of you know how excited I get about things like this so I don't need to tell you.
After sleeping on an old mattress that I had to put down two blankets on to keep the springs from poking me, it was time to get a new one. In fact this was my Christmas present from mom and dad to me. It is a great mattress. It is nice and firm and also has the pillow top so it is also nice and soft and cuddly. It has taken me a few nights to get used to it, but when I am gone this weekend I know I will miss it a lot. Speaking of beds and sheets check out the new poll on the right. I know it has been a long time since I had one of those up.
Now last, and by no means least, A NEW CAR, said in the way they do it on the Price is Right. That's right I got a new Toyota Corolla. As you can see, unless blind or colour blind, it is silver. I got a good deal on financing (1.9) and a ton of money on my old Saturn ($800). It is nothing to fancy, but I do have automatic windows and lights. I refuse to buy a car without auto windows and now that I have one with auto lights it will be hard if I ever have to go back.
Keep up the fight.
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Dark and Spooky Night
X
That "x" is where the picture of the pumpkins we carved last weekend will go if I ever get it sent to me. I am not going to mention it here who has yet to mail it to me.
So last weekend Ryan came down for a visit (I said I would not mention it up there I said nothing about down here). We had a wonderful time. I can't to much other then we visit some shops, took the Nashville Express and had some wonderful conversations. I would say more but some people count how many lines of text they get written about them in my blog so I want to keep it even.
In addition to having Ryan visit I also went to a concert in Louisville on Friday night. It was Ingrid Michaelson. My buddy Carl and I went. It was really fun. She is a great singer and puts on a great show. Yes, I like short choppy sentences.
Mom and dad are on their way here right now and I need to go get some laundry done before they show up.
Keep up the fight
Friday, October 30, 2009
History's Mysteries
So I meant to post this yesterday and forgot. Yesterday, October 29, was the anniversary of Black Friday. Black Friday being of course the famous day that the stock market crashed. What was also interesting was that yesterday the GDP number was released and it was 3.5%. So on the anniversary of one of the worst days in finical history we get some of the best news about our current economic crisis.
Now I am going to share an opinion about the economy that will make a lot of people mad. Unemployment is at about 10%. A lot of Americans have lost there jobs and I do not wish any ill will or hardships on those individuals at all. I pray for them and hope they can find a job soon to provide for their families.
But I stop and ask myself is this a bad thing? Is it bad that Hummers can no longer be produced? Is it a bad thing that instead of having 3 coffee shops on a block we only have 2? Is it terrible that we can no longer support a restaurant that serves $80 steaks? I am not sure that having a few less law firms (as long as Pat and Joe have a job) is a bad thing. Now I know it is sad when the small local shop owner who sells a local product goes out of business, but I don't feel all that bad when mega cooperation don't make millions for a quarter.
Is an economy where credit is so cheap that as a nation we charge more then we make and carry a greater debt then we can pay off in most of our life times really an economy that we want to grow? Yes, we need credit, but what is wrong with having to save a year first before we can use that credit? Maybe I am a bit old fashion.
The bottom line is when I hear that unemployment is at 10% what comes to my mind is that maybe this means 10% less waste in our landfills. 10% increase in health because McDonald's is no longer an option. 10% decrease in gas consumption because driving across the state no longer makes since. 10% increase in humanity because people start to leaning on one another again.
Keep up the fight
Now I am going to share an opinion about the economy that will make a lot of people mad. Unemployment is at about 10%. A lot of Americans have lost there jobs and I do not wish any ill will or hardships on those individuals at all. I pray for them and hope they can find a job soon to provide for their families.
But I stop and ask myself is this a bad thing? Is it bad that Hummers can no longer be produced? Is it a bad thing that instead of having 3 coffee shops on a block we only have 2? Is it terrible that we can no longer support a restaurant that serves $80 steaks? I am not sure that having a few less law firms (as long as Pat and Joe have a job) is a bad thing. Now I know it is sad when the small local shop owner who sells a local product goes out of business, but I don't feel all that bad when mega cooperation don't make millions for a quarter.
Is an economy where credit is so cheap that as a nation we charge more then we make and carry a greater debt then we can pay off in most of our life times really an economy that we want to grow? Yes, we need credit, but what is wrong with having to save a year first before we can use that credit? Maybe I am a bit old fashion.
The bottom line is when I hear that unemployment is at 10% what comes to my mind is that maybe this means 10% less waste in our landfills. 10% increase in health because McDonald's is no longer an option. 10% decrease in gas consumption because driving across the state no longer makes since. 10% increase in humanity because people start to leaning on one another again.
Keep up the fight
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Suspense is Killing Me!!!
Get it, I have on suspenders, the suspense is kill me. LOL, that's a good one Andy.
My friend Seth said that suspenders are for fat old men. Well they make fun of me for being old and according to my latest health screening I am 1 pound into the obese category.
They are so much faster for #1's but you have to take off your sweatshirt for #2.
Keep up the fight
Friday, October 16, 2009
Going Home
I have been back from vacation now for almost two weeks and I have yet to write about any of it. So here it all is.
Wait, before I do that I need to give a rare point away. Mr. Nick Porter, you are right, I have no business commenting on other beards that may or may not be gross.
I have called a lot of places home over that past few years. I also lived in a place for 9 months that I never called home, but that is beside the point. The interesting thing to me as that to me they all remain my home. True I might not live in Cedar Falls anymore, but when I was there I felt like I was at home. I got the same feeling when I was in La Cross, even though I spent much of my time in a house and apartment I had never seen before.
This feeling of being at home in places that are no longer my home intrigues me. Am I gust getting older and thinking of the past? Is this what nostalgia is? Is there a yearning in some part of my heart to return to these former times of my life?
Those are all god questions, but I think the real truth is that to me home really is where I hang my hat. Well, if I wore a hat is. I mean when I am on the river I have a really cool hat that I wear and another old hat I found in a lake that I wear when I am on the lake, but those are about the only times I wear a hat. I don't look good in hats, never really have. My 8th grade girlfriend once gave me a hat and I wore it to make her happy, but I never really liked it.
I think you all know how I feel about Chicago, so I can make this part of the trip brief. I was so great to see Ryan and his sister Jackpot. We had a great dinner and wonderful conversations.
Then I made my way to La Cross (hand clap and point). My buddy Pat was turning 30 and we had a great surprise party for him. The thing that made it great was the people and the food and beer and bottle of jack, but mostly the people. I got to see friends I had not seen in years. I had some of the most meaningful conversations I have had in a long time with people my own age going through the same crap I am. My buddy Ford said it best though when he said the only reason we where all there was for Pat. It was Pat who brought us together, and I know that if I ever met anyone of those people who were there any place else, we would talk about Pat. So I raise my dirty office water glass to you my friend one more. Happy birthday Pat.
After a few days in La Cross my travels took me three hours south to my old stomping grounds of Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Iowa. I had a great but to short of a visit with my family. Liz hosted me in her nice new apartment. While there I realized that no matter what I do, I will never be able to decorate a place like mom and Liz can, so I am just going to give up.
I took a lazy drive from Iowa to Camp Gray in Wisconsin. I say lazy because I stop every hour to see a friend. Tony and Stef, Emmy and Kaylene all graced me with some of their time. It was good to see them and enjoy at least a few minutes with each of them.
Some days it feels like I just left Gray and other days it feels like it was as far off as high school. The one thing that will always remain true about Gray is that they have a wonderful staff. Jeff and Rebecca are so warm and welcoming. They put me up like I was a long lost brother. I got to meet my namesake(their first born boy, Jeff had to because of a poker game a few years ago, shhh, don't Rebecca).
A stop in the old Tri-Mark shop was a treat for sure. I got to grind the lobes on the up down sticks, re-line the specks on the rotary drums, fill the engines with brake light fluid and all that other cool stuff I used to do for Mark. Most of what I did is classified and all to high tec to explain here, but it was fun. Seeing TRI-CI-A and the old dog Uno rounded out a lovely visit with the Sanborns.
The last stop on the vacation was a Norte Dame football game, but I am tired of typing so that story will have to wait till later.
Keep up the fight
Wait, before I do that I need to give a rare point away. Mr. Nick Porter, you are right, I have no business commenting on other beards that may or may not be gross.
I have called a lot of places home over that past few years. I also lived in a place for 9 months that I never called home, but that is beside the point. The interesting thing to me as that to me they all remain my home. True I might not live in Cedar Falls anymore, but when I was there I felt like I was at home. I got the same feeling when I was in La Cross, even though I spent much of my time in a house and apartment I had never seen before.
This feeling of being at home in places that are no longer my home intrigues me. Am I gust getting older and thinking of the past? Is this what nostalgia is? Is there a yearning in some part of my heart to return to these former times of my life?
Those are all god questions, but I think the real truth is that to me home really is where I hang my hat. Well, if I wore a hat is. I mean when I am on the river I have a really cool hat that I wear and another old hat I found in a lake that I wear when I am on the lake, but those are about the only times I wear a hat. I don't look good in hats, never really have. My 8th grade girlfriend once gave me a hat and I wore it to make her happy, but I never really liked it.
I think you all know how I feel about Chicago, so I can make this part of the trip brief. I was so great to see Ryan and his sister Jackpot. We had a great dinner and wonderful conversations.
Then I made my way to La Cross (hand clap and point). My buddy Pat was turning 30 and we had a great surprise party for him. The thing that made it great was the people and the food and beer and bottle of jack, but mostly the people. I got to see friends I had not seen in years. I had some of the most meaningful conversations I have had in a long time with people my own age going through the same crap I am. My buddy Ford said it best though when he said the only reason we where all there was for Pat. It was Pat who brought us together, and I know that if I ever met anyone of those people who were there any place else, we would talk about Pat. So I raise my dirty office water glass to you my friend one more. Happy birthday Pat.
After a few days in La Cross my travels took me three hours south to my old stomping grounds of Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Iowa. I had a great but to short of a visit with my family. Liz hosted me in her nice new apartment. While there I realized that no matter what I do, I will never be able to decorate a place like mom and Liz can, so I am just going to give up.
I took a lazy drive from Iowa to Camp Gray in Wisconsin. I say lazy because I stop every hour to see a friend. Tony and Stef, Emmy and Kaylene all graced me with some of their time. It was good to see them and enjoy at least a few minutes with each of them.
Some days it feels like I just left Gray and other days it feels like it was as far off as high school. The one thing that will always remain true about Gray is that they have a wonderful staff. Jeff and Rebecca are so warm and welcoming. They put me up like I was a long lost brother. I got to meet my namesake(their first born boy, Jeff had to because of a poker game a few years ago, shhh, don't Rebecca).
A stop in the old Tri-Mark shop was a treat for sure. I got to grind the lobes on the up down sticks, re-line the specks on the rotary drums, fill the engines with brake light fluid and all that other cool stuff I used to do for Mark. Most of what I did is classified and all to high tec to explain here, but it was fun. Seeing TRI-CI-A and the old dog Uno rounded out a lovely visit with the Sanborns.
The last stop on the vacation was a Norte Dame football game, but I am tired of typing so that story will have to wait till later.
Keep up the fight
Thursday, October 8, 2009
This day in 1871 (October 8th)
On this day in 1871 God made a miracle.... he burnt Chicago, and it was good. Now don't get me wrong, I think the loss of life was tragic and it is hard to see so many green house gasses go into the air but if you have driving through Chicago recently then I am sure you are also questioning why it was ever rebuilt.
Now my dear friend Ryan lives in Chicago. I feel it is necessary to say that there are many good qualities about the town and the people who live in the town. They have great food, many interesting culture attractions, a rich history and have provided us with many corrupt politicians to laugh at. After all, where else but Chicago do you get to vote at least twice for anything you want. I do not wish ill on my friend Ryan or the people of this city, only on the city itself and specifically its highway system which was apparently designed by a drunk kindergartner using their toy train sets.
Now I am sure you really all want a vacation story or two and they will be coming but right now I am still a little worked up over this driving thing.
Keep up the fight
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