Chris Millard's World

I moved into the Hurst Building, which is the newest building on campus and it is beautiful.

Hurst Building

I haven't had time to put up any pictures or fix things up, but I will eventually. I have to make it like my home away from home. I do have the photo of my 11 babies on the file cabinet and I look at that every day.

One wall is a huge window with a beautiful view looking toward the Alumni Center.

Take a closer look -----

Really! Doesn't it look like the Garden of Eden? Wouldn't you love coming to work here? This is totally amazing and I love it! Somehow, thanks to the Provost, I ended up in the most perfect spot at Weber State University. I have to start being nicer to him!

He just found a laundromat with dryers. Typically, in Australia, homes do not have clothes dryers, but instead the people hang things outside to dry. Grandpa has been suffering all these weeks with this issue. He says it reminded him of 43 years ago when we were first married and didn't have a clothes dryer. We hung everything on clothes lines. Dryers are much better!

This is only one adjustment. Driving on the wrong side of the road has been another interesting challenge.

Grandma and Emily

Today Emily got home from Air Force Tech Training for Public Relations, held in Maryland for the past 3 months. Tomorrow her parents will help her get moved into her apartment in Logan so she can start school (albeit a week late). She told me that she contacted all her professors and they will help her catch up. I am always very accommodating when it comes to my students who are in the military, so I know she will be fine. While Michele, Mark, and Grandma Green were in the airport waiting for Emily to get off the plane, they ran into cousin Katy on her way back to BYU! Small world.

Can I just say right off the bat how glad I am to be back at the University? This morning I couldn't wait to get to work, and as I was driving in I just kept thinking that I am the luckiest person on the planet.

My Friends from the English Department

Jan and Brad

Jan is the VP for Student Affairs, and of course Brad is the VP of Univ. Advancement. Note that he has tucked in his tacky tie so that it doesn't get syrup on it. He's very careful with his tacky ties!

Humming right along with my preparing for a great event, I decided that tonight I should do some canning. Yes, I'm getting ready for the earthquake/quarantine/job loss/economic crash that is surely coming. As you know, I wanna be ready.

I go through the grocery store and say to myself: "Self, what will you miss when you can't come here with your debit card?" That's how I figure out what to put in my jars! Hey, it works for me!

You can see that I am wearing Grandma Green's real pearls. She bought them in Hong Kong many years ago when she traveled there with Aunt Esther. I wonder if anyone really can tell the difference or do they think they are plastic?

Grandma Green and Abby

Norma, Sandy Terri, Tina, Me, Trish

Grandma Green

Monkey see monkey do

Monkey Reed

Jill is very tall!

Reed and Max

Ricky, Kris, and their girls

Cousin Ricky, Kris, and their daughters came to visit.

Yesterday I went with Grandma Green and Michele to Willard to buy fruit to preserve. Michele is going to dehydrate apricots and vacuum seal them for the big earthquake. She wants to be prepared.

Grandma Green and Michele

I want to be prepared too. This is more of what I like to vacuum seal.

Sugarbabies

Yes, you are seeing this right: Sugarbabies. I just want to point out they are carmel apple Sugarbabies. I think apple makes them healthy. This is health food. Anyone can see that.

Butterscotch Chips

This is more like it!

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Grandpa is off to Australia. He left last night when there was a big wind storm that delayed his flight. He sent a text saying that he was worried that he might miss his connection in LA, but I didn't hear from him so I guess he made the plane to Sydney.

Let the partying begin.

Today it was little Tootsie Rolls. I won't even tell you what Grandpa said.

This morning the Breakfast Club met at our usual place to mock our enemies and plot our next moves. Since Spencer came back from Italy yesterday, it was only appropriate that he come dressed as a gondolier.

Spencer has set a new standard and apparently, the Breakfast Club will now be in costume. I have to start thinking about this. I shall not be outdone!

Me, Spencer the Gondolier, Brad

There are only 3 members of the Breakfast Club, and normally we do not host guests. Today we did have a very small visitor who was so generous as to take our picture. Notice that I am wearing very fine glass beads and earrings that Spencer brought to me from Italy. The women in his family obviously played a role here! I love the beads. Brad brought a gift that is a refrigerator magnet from Alcatraz (he went there a few weeks ago) with this pithy statement:

Regulation #5 - You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anything else you get is a privilege.

This should be posted at every house where there are teenagers.

As I have noted on this blog previously, the earthquake is coming and I am getting prepared. Seriously. This is my new hobby. My vacuum sealer has an attachment that I ordered online to vacuum seal canning jars. So, here are some of the things I am putting in jars.

Pecans

Chocolate Chips

Hot Tamales, Peanuts, White Chocolate Chips

Candy Bars

Peanut Butter Cups

Under the Beds

The boxes of jars slide under the beds. I hope the earthquake doesn't hit right at my house and make the beds fall down on the jars.

The conversation at our house goes something like this:

Rick: What are you doing now?
Me: Vacuum sealing food storage. The Prophet said to be prepared.
Rick: Why does it look more like junk food?
Me: The Prophet said to store what you like to eat.
Rick: Have you lost your mind?
Me: Hear that little sound? It is "pop." It is so sweet. It is the sound of the lid when it pops shut and then you know you have a good vacuum seal! Listen to the pop!
Rick: Exactly how many jars of candy do you have under the beds?
Me: I can't wait until you go back to Australia because I am going to spend every night listening to the little pops!
Rick: Does anyone really need to store candy for the earthquake?
Me: pop, pop, pop, pop, pop

Never mind the earthquake. You have to admit that it is more likely that we will be quarantined due to Swine Flu. Then, when everyone has been eating their food storage for a month, can you imagine how many cans of Tuna fish they will trade for one jar of candy bars? Not so dumb after all!!!!

Now if I could just figure out a way to store Diet Coke.

Connor

Dennis, Shamane, and Connor came to spend the night on Friday. Of course, we got up early to take Connor to his favorite place.

Reed

Reed

Connor and Jill

Ellie, Jill, Sophie

Reed and Grandpa

Jeff and Dennis

Kristin and the little girls

Sophie on skis

You have to look really hard to see this: between the trees you can see the boat and the little, tiny skier behind the boat is our Perfect Sophie! At 10 years old she has mastered water skiing!

Grandma and Chocolate Face Boy