Your Read About Her Here First - Morgan Miller

Morgan Miller - daughter of Tamaqua favorite son Gary Miller - will be the world's next famous clothes designer. She is opening up a very special shop on South Beach Miami next month. She has a very interesting idea - you go into her designer shop - select several different sandal design features - colors - textures - straps - fabrics - and they make the sandals for you on the spot.

There are dreams of a national franchise.

Gary graduated from THS with me in 1966. Gary retired from the fashion industry at age 50 in 1999. Gary E. Miller Productions have been featured in the New York Times - Playboy - Gentlemen's Quarterly - Vogue - and McCalls. Gary lives in a Mansion in Plantation - a few miles from Fort Lauderdale - and Morgan Miller in South Beach.

Fort Lauderdale Beach From Our Room at 7 AM

Nancy is already up and dressed and ready for her presentation to the Broward County teachers. She is recruiting 30 lucky teachers into her program to make them federal board certified media specialists.

It seems almost a waste of a good beach front hotel - when Nancy - the real beach - lover has to work.

This Car Looks Like It Needs A Shave - It Has LOVE Bugs

September and March bring out the Love Bugs in Florida - and they aren't called that because people love to see them coming. It is because the bugs fly around in pairs - batting their wings like two boat rowers - one bug is always flying backwards. Of course this makes the bugs slow going and they are the easy target of car bumpers. Probably because the female wants to go shopping and the male wants to stay home and watch TV.

The bugs are very sticky - and if left on your car too long - they mar the paint. One of the first purchases I made in Orlando was a bottle of Windex.

The Ant and The Grasshopper: How Nancy and Harry Did Orlando

They left home at 6AM and were in Orlando by 9:30. After a nice lunch - Nancy went to meetings about her grant at 2PM and she is still going strong at 9PM - the ant.

Harry went to Disneyworld's Magic Kingdom - the grasshopper.

Since our one year Disney passes are running out soon - I decided to go to The Magic Kingdom. Although it is only about 5 miles away - it took about an hour from when I left the hotel to the time I entered the park. I used the Disney bus system. Disneyworld was empty on this beautiful September Wednesday. I went into several rides w ith no waiting. I walked right onto the boat at the "Pirates of the Carribbean."

As I walked thru the park - I had a little bit of a sad feeling. I remember all the good times I have had there in the past - with Nancy - the boys - my students - friends and family. I have lost count of the number of times we have gone there - starting with the "summer of 72" trip when we went to Miami for the Democratic and the Republican National Conventions and stopping on the way home. I remember my Dad being my bus co-pilot. I remember my Mom liking to sit on a bench and watch all the different people in the park. I remember my students gathering in front of Cinderella's Castle for a nose count. I remember Drew with his coonskin Davy Crockett hat and Keith punching out Pinnochio on water skis. One can't forget all the camper trips to Fort Wilderness and driving all the busloads of kids down for 6-day Thanksgiving breaks. Then there were the plane and train trips where Nancy would bring 10 kids down by plane - and I would bring 10 kids down by train - and we would swap tickets so the kids could sample both forms of transportation. Also seeing the kids' eyes when they saw their first rocket launch at Cape Canaveral.

A Disney trip alone - reminds one that those times are gone forever and just a warm memory.

Our Orlando Hotel

Nancy and I will be spending a few nights in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. While in Orlando - we will stay here. While we travel - George will house sit.

Click on title for more hotel pictures.

Bid on Vespa just like Mine - that Jay Leno Signed

Click on the title to see the auction. Jay Leno signed this Vespa for a charity. The auction is in Jessup Maryland.

Catch Tallahassee Ballet matinee today

The Tallahassee Ballet presents an evening of original choreography with live musical accompaniment when the annual "An Evening of Music and Dance" twirls onstage for an abbreviated performance at 2:30 p.m. today in Opperman Music Hall. Ticket prices range from $5 to $15. Call 644-6500.

Hob nob with theater folk in the Big Apple at the Neil Simon comedy "45 Seconds From Broadway" at a final held-over performance at 2 p.m. today at Tallahassee Little Theatre, 1861 Thomasville Road. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for senior citizens and students. Call 224-8474.

From the Democrat.

Florida State 55 Rice 7 - We Biked to the Game

It was a pretty day in Talllahassee - sunny and 90 with a breeze. Since the game was at 3:30 we decided to forgo our regular tailgate party. Instead Wayne and Shirley went with us to the game - by bicycle. Yes - we drove our bikes the 2 miles to the stadium via the backway - avoiding Capital Hill.

When we go to the stadium there were plenty of cheap tickets for sale. Since Doak Campbell Stadium has a sunny side and shady side - we decided we would take anything between sections 30 and 35 - with 4 tickets together. A nice young lady was holding up 4 tickets - I looked at the numbers - section 31 - row 66 - perfect. I offered her $5 each for the $30 face value tickets - and she was happy to get rid of them. So the 4 of us sat together for a total of $20.

We got to our seats in time to see the band - we were delighted to be in the shade of the press box on the 25 yard line.

At times FSU showed greatness - Xavier Lee - the backup quarterback got plenty of playing time. At other times - fumbles - dropped passes - penalties ruled the day.

The place holds 85,000 - I would say there were 60,000 people there - the sunny student side was markedly more bare than the shady side.

After the game - it was still daylight and we got home by 7 PM.

The Seminoles are 3-1 now. Folks are back on the band wagon. Do not let this score fool you - the Seminoles of old were nowhere near this field.

Florida State Beats Maryland in Volleyball

Nancy and I drove the scooter to the volleyball game. Florida State won three straight games to shut out UMD. Next game is this Sunday versus Boston College here at 1 PM.

Tamaqua High School Girl Dies in Iraq

A New Ringgold woman was among three soldiers killed in a Sept. 14 suicide car explosion in Baghdad, Iraq.

Jennifer M. Hartman, 21, had been assigned to the 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Tex.

Hartman ran on the Tamaqua Blue Raiders girls' track team in 2002. Teammate Danielle Butala recalls her as a "really great athlete. She had a great spirit. She was always a good person."

Teacher Phillip Houm said Hartman, who attended his honors American History classes, was "an outstanding student. She had a very very positive work ethic."

From the Morning Call

Our Neighbors Wayne and Shirley Have Written a Book

Today at 2 PM - I attended a research colloquium presented by Shirley and Wayne Wiegand. You may recall that they recently built a house down the street that looks like a 1920's doll house.

Shirley is a law professor and Wayne is one of the world's most famous experts on the history of libraries and library issues. They recently got together to research a book called "Books on Trial" - a story about a 1940 Oklahoma City book store that was shut down because they sold books about communism. Four people that worked there were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The entire book inventory was put into a jail cell.

About 40 faculty and students attended today's event.

Nancy Receives "Loving Cup" from FSU-CI

Dr. Nancy Everhart received an inscribed loving cup from the Florida State University College of Information as a token of appreciation for her work of attracting research money to the school. Here is Nancy in her office after the ceremony that was attended by about 40 faculty.

Keith Calls It "The Perch"

It reminds one a little bit of the treehouse they always wanted as a kid. Up high with a balcony away from Dad and Mom's prying eyes. Put out a rope ladder and a "no girls allowed" sign and you can start a card game with Spanky and Alfalfa.

Wayne calls is "La Casita" - whatever that means. Nancy calls it the "guest suite" - I call it the "barn."

Today is a beautiful day in Tallahassee - temp around 80 - sunny - breezy - low humidity. Open both doors in "the loft" and a breeze blows right thru it.

Note the new "area rug."

"Oriental Rug" - Gotta Love Craigs List

A family is moving Friday - so they listed lots of things on Craigs List. We saw this rug and made a call - we went out to see it and it was beautiful - dark blue - perfect for the guest house.

After a little negotiating - we settled on a price and brought it home on the truck. When we got home - we looked it up on the net - Dalyn Rug Company - made in Egypt - 8 x 11 - $799.

Here it is on our living room floor - right after I shampooed it. When it dries - it goes into the guest house.

I know - Egypt is not in the Orient.

Nancy's Gas Fireplace

After 2 years of pesting plumbers and gas appliance guys to install gas log in our fireplace - today it finally happened.

Tallahassee has city natural gas and we have a line to our home to power the pool heater and hot tub heater. But you would think we were trying to dump fly ash in the lake for how hard it was to finally get someone to install gas to the fireplace. At least 5 contractors came and told us what they were going to do - gave us a price - and then we never saw them again. Luckily we never gave them any money.

Finally Mark Sumner of Journeyman Plumbing did the job. Good thing we didn't pay him by the hour because it took his crew of 3 men a total of 4 days to run the steel pipe thru the house and hook up the logs. We shopped locally but Nancy went on the internet and found the exact same log set for half the price.

With the turn of a dial you can have an instant bonfire - it even has burning embers on the floor of the hearth. The chimney damper must be open while the logs are burning - but is does not require a glass front or screen because there is no wood burning.

During the installation - the city made an inspection on 3 separate days to make sure everything was to safety code.

The pictures are not the greatest - but you get the idea.

Latest Report From Chuck in Iraq

Hi Everyone.............just wanted to say hello while I was here at the MWR tent..........I also wanted to tell you about what Gabe did on mission today while searching houses and market stores..........First and foremost I had to wake up in the middle of the night and I was tired as heck......I don't do 3 am wakeups very well.......we got to the second house we were searching for explosives when an Iraqi soldier told me he wanted me to seach this small shed outside the main house so I released gabe off his leash to go search and he ran into this shed and all of a sudden I heard and saw birds going everywhere.....one bird came flying out with Gabe in tow......there was no listening to me at this point as he already had a mouthful of feathers and the chase was on.........needless to saw the bird lived minus a mouthful of feathers. I had 14 Infantry guys rolling and me mad as heck because Gabe once again wanted to eat everything in site. ...... Overall though Gabe had a very awesome mission and hung in for the entire 9 hours we were out........he searched a total of 7 houses, 4 cars and 10 small stores.

On a more serious note, today the Military Police corps suffered another great loss as 1 soldier was killed and 2 were wounded. I ask tonight that you keep their family in your prayers along with their unit over here in Iraq. Life can be tough as a soldier, but once again I will stress that we do this not because we have to, but because we want to. Their isn't a soldier over here that wouldn't think twice about risking his or her life in defense of this great nation. Fly your American flags high and proud because many soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice so we can continue to be the great nation we are! God bless you, God bless America and May God bless us, his American soldiers and Military Working Dogs!

Chuck and Gabe

Maiden Voyage of Paddle Boat and Boathouse

Wayne and Shirley moved down from Milwaukee. They brought along their paddle boat that needed a home. We keep it on our lake. Today - Drew and I made the maiden voyage on the lake in it. We were quite surprised how manuverable it is.

Here is a picture of our home from the lake. You can see that I still have a lot of work on the property - trimming the trees and landscaping. You can see the pool's screened room and the guest house balcony if you enlarge the picture.

The second is a picture of our first guest - Keith - with Nancy.