Chris Millard's World

I use the truck to judge how much snow fell in North Ogden overnight. It looks like about 3 or 4 additional inches.

It might just be me, but I am feeling like this is the worst March in a very long time. And, the weather man predicts snow for the next couple of days. Yikes!

You can see that the snow plow came along and created a ridge at the bottom of my driveway. Luckily, the 4-Runner just hops over that little hill.

Here is a photo from today's Salt Lake Tribune. Dang this winter!

I went to church today and when I came out, this is how my car looked.

Can I just say that I am completely sick of this!!!! I have had it with snow! Please look below at the picture of Oakland's harbor and tell me what is wrong with this picture????

I have adopted daughters in China. They are darling girls who call me their American Mother. I met them while traveling to China, and they later came to study at Weber State University. One of these daughters, Lavender, now is married and has a baby boy. It is traditional in China, that the Grandmother gets to choose the baby's name. So, Lavender invited me to choose the American name for this little boy. I chose to the name, Sam. Little Sam is now 16 pounds and growing. Someday I will go back to China and see him. Here is his picture.

Sam

Here is sweet little Sam. He doesn't know it, but there are lots of people in American who wish him well.

Brad Stringer and I went to Oakland, California to visit Metal Improvement Company, who has a technology to harden metal with lasers.

Here's how things looked as I pulled out of my driveway.

Looking out the driveway

On the other end of the weather spectrum, the temperature in Oakland was beautiful: 75 degrees. The sun was shining and it was gorgeous.

Brad and Me

Brad and I are here at the car rental counter. Notice that we totally bleed purple! We scored a car with about 800 miles on it, so that's brand new.

Notice that I am wearing my mother's very beautiful pearls. A couple of years ago, the conversation went like this:

Me: Gosh, Mom, your pearls are so beautiful.
Grandma Green: Yes, they are the real deal. I bought them in Hong Kong many years ago. They are Mikimoto pearls.
Me: Can I have them when you die?
Michele: Can I have them now?

(Dang that Michele. She is smarter than me!)

Grandma Green: They should go to my oldest daughter and I think I'll just give them to her now.
Me thinking: (whew--that was close)
Grandma Green; When she dies they should go to you, Michele (oldest and only daugher), and when you die they should go to your oldest daughter, Emily.

That's the story of the pearls. They go to the oldest daughter. Hope Emily has a daughter.

Back to Oakland: Brad and I headed to Jack London Square for dinner.

We ate at Scott's Seafood along the harbor. I have to say that the Seafood Saute, chosen at random from the menu, was the best seafood I have ever had in my life. I highly recommend it to our family who live near that place (you know who you are). It was awesome!

The next day we visited Metal Improvement Company and learned all about laser peening, a process that we think will interest Hill Air Force folks as they work on landing gear parts.

We think this will benefit HAFB, MIC, and Weber State University. More work to be done here. Brad is the brains behind all of this. I'm just along to try to figure out how to exploit everything to everyone's collective benefit.

Because I am not a real employee, I do not have an office at Weber State University. If I did have an office, it would be by squatter's rights only, and quite informal. If I did have informal squatter's rights, it would look like this:

Any squatter's rights space with a window is especially awesome. Albeit temporary (until someone bigger and stronger kicks me out), it is heaven. Did I forget to mention how much I appreciate sunlight after the past year? This little corner is in Building 4, one of the oldest buildings on campus.

Building 4

I would love to know the history of every person who has lived in this corner since 1960. That would be amazing.

I started back to work at Weber and I'm very happy. I am on contract to do special projects for the Provost and I'm going to do my best so he will be inclined to find a real job for me. :)

I decided that I wasn't much for sitting at home, and I rather like having someplace good to go and something important to do every day. This works for me since I bleed purple!

When I opened the garage door this morning this is how Grandpa's truck looked.

What do we expect: it is March in Utah and it will be like summer one day and like winter the next. I'm guessing there was almost 2 inches, but it didn't stick to the roads. Meanwhile, Grandpa is enjoying 80 degrees in Sydney. Hmmmmmmmmm

Lucky for me I rolled my garbage cans--regular and recyclable--to the street last night. When I came home from work they were both tucked safely behind the gate in the back yard. I am clueless as to who was kind to the Widow Millard. :) Someone in the neighborhood did a kind deed, and I don't know whom to thank!

Rachel

Rachel

Connor

Reed

Cousins

Dennis

Dennis got a new wireless router for me and it works really well. He thinks that I wont' have to reboot with this one and I'm excited to see if this works. I hate that reboot thing. This is my little antique desk in the family room. The router lives in the office downstairs and I used to have to hike down and unplug the thing. Those days are gone. Yippeee.

Abby

Abby has started knitting and this is her first project. She is making a scarf.

Megan

Grandma and Emily

Emily goes to basic training on Tuesday in San Antonio, Texas. This is the beginning of the great family changes that are going to happen in the next few years. We will miss her terribly.

Five Hoferitza Girls

We went to Inkley's to have a photo taken of the 11 grandchildren today. You know with a couple of babies, we were bound to have a screamer, and this time it was Reed. He was not going to cooperate. So, the photographer took a picture of the 11 of them, and Reed was screaming bloody murder! We will point this out on the photo for the rest of his life and grin.

I took snapshots of the kids while we were waiting.

Max

Ellie

Reed (he smiles for me!)

Connor

Jillian and Connor

Jillian

Here's one for the Jill Millard fan club. This is the most amazing face on the planet!

Clara

Emily

Rachel

Kristin took these pictures with her camera and I think they are as good as professional ones.

Jeff Kristin and Kids

Again, for Jill's fan club. She's a killer.

The Widow Millard rolled her own garbage can out to the street for pick up. I just want to say that this is the first time in my entire life I have done this, and I'm not liking it. While I am in the mood for complaining, there are a few other things I don't like, so I intend to ignore them for 6 weeks.

Here is my new friend, Sharlene, who owns Accents Decor in North Ogden (I recommend that you check out this shop because Sharlene has the cutest stuff in the world there).

I found the greatest cabinet for the dining room, but I had to get it home. Grandpa is half way around the world and not here when I need him! Never fear: Grandpa's friends are here!

What was I thinking? What if one of these guys would have had a heart attack? Two of them just had shoulder surgery. Never mind. They toted that thing into the house like it was nothing! Old dudes rock! To be truthful, I should have had patience and waited until my sons could have helped.

Anyhoo--gotta do what I gotta do--the cabinet is in the dining room and I love it and didn't have to wait. You know how short I am on patience!

A 13 year-old kid in Provo accidentally shot his friend and they are charging the kid. This doesn't make sense to me. He is a kid. It was an accident. What about the grandfather who didn't bother to lock up his loaded gun? What about him? I say we put him in jail and throw away the key. Had he responsibly kept his firearms under lock and key, the child never would have gotten his hands on the weapon. Never mind that the 13 year-old kid has had his life ruined here. How do you ever get over accidentally shooting your playmate? Even the mother of the little girl who was shot says she doesn't want the boy punished. But no, we are going to make a miserable situation worse for both families and everyone who watches the news. We should be getting the boy and his mother some therapy because their lives are irrevocably reduced to rubble. I just don't get it.

Thanks to my niece, Jen, for this hilarious video!

Happy St. Patrick's Day (on Tuesday). Aunt Kathy (Kathleen McGinniss Haddow) has the closest ancestral connection to Ireland than any of us, so I always think about her on St. Patrick's Day. Her father and mother both immigrated from Ireland. Today we had the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Salt Lake City. The Irish people from Pittsburgh would fail to appreciate the western version of the event. Let's say we have a lot of pride here. That said, it looked like lots of fun.

Sadly, I must announce the passing of the Chevy Astro Van. A nice man came from Provo and gave us money and drove it away. It was like losing a child. Life goes on. I know, some of you don't care.

Dennis invited me to dinner at the Olive Garden.

Shamane and Connor

The waiter asked what we would like to drink. Dennis and Shamane said they wanted a Diet Coke. I said I wanted a Diet Coke. Connor suddenly, and loudly, spoke up: "I want one wemonade!" We really laughed at this.

Dennis

Dennis always looks so cute when he doesn't shave. NOT!!! :)

Grandma and Max

Max decided to entertain the clientele with very loud babbling. Hey, there's no way to stop him. He's a baby. There is a reason that the Olive Garden people always put us in the back. Since he is the last of the grandchildren, he is adored and petted to death. He will always, for the rest of his life, be known as Baby. He is soooooo cute!

This afternoon I took Grandpa and his friend, Larry, to the airport.

Grandpa and Larry

Off they go to work in Australia. Take a good look at this picture. Notice they are both in blue jeans, blue shirts, black jackets, same height, same hairline, same little belly going on--these are the Bobbsy Twins! It's like they decided on a uniform or something. Oh sure, they are buddies now, but I predict that later tonight when they get somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, and Grandpa starts snoring, Larry is going to pretend he doesn't know him. Some people in this family know exactly what I am talking about. Soon, the entire 747 will know what I am talking about.

Let the partying begin. No, silly, not for them--for me!!!

I just received an email from my old friend, Rich Conroy, who offers this idea for my next career: security on FrontRunner! Well, heaven knows I have experience riding FrontRunner, so I'd be a natural, right? I mean, I was at that Ogden Station at 6:00 am rain or shine since the first day it started running.

How do you think I'd look with one of those reflective vests? Here is the big question: would it make me look fat? If so, the FrontRunner security position is out of the question. Rich, you are awesome!

Keep the suggestions rolling in. I'm open to all ideas. In the meantime, it is supposed to snow in Ogden tomorrow and so I'm troubled. The weather man says it will start at 11:00 am, just as I'm getting up. If this interferes with me going to the mall, I'm gonna be mad.

Straight from the oven! Luckily, he's not hard to please.

Michele and I went shopping at Kohls Department Store. That's what housefraus do. Luckily, Michele is a housefrau too. She, however, has young children and has a perfectly good excuse to be a housefrau. In fact, she absolutely should be a housefrau. We had lunch at a new Italian place in Syracuse, which was delicious--and Michele treated! Megan was with us because she was playing hooky from school. I said a bunch of naughty things to Megan about how going to school was awful anyway, and her mother glared at me. I'm always on the side of the grandchildren. Who cares if she ever learns to read. The world needs hairdressers and tanning salon operators.

Me, Megan, Michele

Notice the lovely waitress.

Emily

Yes, it is our own Emily, earning a little money before she goes to basic training. I gave her a big fat tip. (Grandpa would say, "Here's a tip; get out of the restaurant business!")

Couldn't do this when I worked 12 hours a day!

After stuffing myself with pizza, I waddled home for a nap. It is a rule that housefraus must have naps.

After 25 years of working, I am an unemployed bum! Yes, I am now a housefrau. This was a difficult decision because I don't like to let people down. I hate disappointing others who trust me. Perhaps all of my brains have fallen out, I don't know. Nevertheless, here I am. I just hit the wall. Maybe it's a midlife crisis, I don't know. Fortunately, Rick goes along with whatever bazaar idea I come up with and expresses neither pleasure nor pain, knowing full well that one of those options is bound to be wrong. The man is brilliant. The conversation at home went something like this:

Me: I am going to be an unemployed bum.
Rick: Huh?
Me: You know, a housefrau. Those are women who stay in bed at 4:30 am and that's what I want to do. Housefraus don't go to work.
Rick: Uhhh. Okay.
Me: I will have lots of time to do other important things, like watch Judge Judy and Judge Joe. And, I will have lots of time to be doing lots of shopping, and since I no longer will have a paycheck, and I will need more money, you will have to cut down on the lunches at ATK. (This got his attention--mention food and he is right there. In fact, at his age what he thinks about the most is what he is going to have to eat next.)
Rick: Okay, so when I come home from work, and you have so much time now, will I find on the table a fine home-cooked meal?
Me: What's that?
Rick: Are you ever going to get another job?
Me: I was thinking about being a ski lift operator.
Rick: The ski season is almost over.
Me: I'm considering my options. I have never been a waitress. Most of my friends were waitresses when they were young and I missed that. Maybe I'll do that now that I'm old.
Rick: You'll eat all the food and get fat.
Me: Okay, then maybe I'll be a brain surgeon. I hear it pays really well.
Rick: Huh?
Me: And, I'm going all around the house and making a list of the things that have to be repaired and fixed up. You have to get rocking on my big list.
Rick: Did I forget to mention that I'm moving to Australia?
Me: Frankly my dear, I don't give a dang where you go as long as the paycheck hits the bank every 2 weeks. I will discuss my list with my boyfriend, Miguel.
Rick: So, what did you do today?
Me: I stood in line at the bank, I stood in line at the DMV, I stood in line at the doctor's office, and I stood in line at the dentist's office. I have no idea how I found the time to work before.
Rick: Ummmmm. What are you doing tomorrow?
Me: Dillard's is having a sale and I know you wouldn't want me to miss it.

See why after 43 years I am still madly in love with this guy??!!

Rick is headed for the land down under and will be gone for 6 months to Australia. Well, 6 weeks to start with and if the contract goes well, it will end up the whole 6 months. He's going to hang out with some kangaroos, I guess. Oh, he comes home to visit a couple of times, but for 6 months (if all goes well) he will be working for ATK at a plant they are building near Sydney. He will be traveling around Australia and perhaps going to New Zealand as well. He has all sorts of big plans. Hope he has a good time: I will just be here at home. You all know what this means. Rick, the pack rat, is in trouble. He leaves on Wednesday of next week and on Thursday there will be a dumpster in front of my house. You know all that junk he has hoarded in the garage? Well, it's goodbye to that. The shed out back? It's history. You are aware that he has 2--yes 2--storage units full of junk (building materials, tools, junk!!!) and I'm attacking them as well. We won't even talk about the basement. Who is going to stop me? Obviously not him. When he gets home the whole house will be redecorated. In fact, he will be lucky if we haven't moved! Perhaps he should ring the doorbell when he gets home just to be sure there aren't any strangers living here then. More to follow.

Connor is now 4 years old. He is the first boy and we adore him.

Connor

Ellie

Our Amazing Ellie is now 7 years old. Everything about her is spectacular!

Ellie

Ellie

Shamane

Shamane is 40 years young. She is the best thing that ever happened to Dennis.

Shamane

Emily and Clara

Jeff

Jeff decided to make use of my credit card to order toys for the summer. Apparently we are getting a new water wienie and some child-sized water skis. You gotta plan.

Jillian

Megan

Abby

Ellie

Max having a temper tantrum

Sophie

Long Line

This is Chuck-E-Cheese. Years ago we swore we would never go to this place again. It was when Jeff was about in 4th grade. Today we recalled the reason. Yikes! First, we waited one hour outside in the cold. Apparently every kid in Ogden and Layton thinks that Chuck-E-Cheese is the place to go.

Shamane and Max

Max

Connor

Connor

Connor

Connor

Connor and Chuck

Did I forget to mention that it was about 42 degrees in there with a wind blowing down on me from some big vent?

Shamane's brother Randy and his wife Lori sent their boys (on the left). They were smart enough to stay at home. Now I know why. Connor loved having his cousins there!

Connor and his Birthday Cake

Blowing out his candles

Connor

Max

Max

Brothers

I invited Michele to come. She said she would only come if she could drop off the kids and wait in the car. I said no. She had to come in. She warned me but I totally blew off the experience. Michele had it right. Okay, if the kids had fun I guess it was worth it. At the end I had a headache! The noise level is something like ATK testing a rocket. The pizza was pretty much cardboard. But, for a four-year-old boy, this was heaven. Okay. I am always amazed at what we are willing to do for the grandchildren.