Snow day!

So today was a snow day by all meanings of the word. We heard that it was coming, but also heard that the weather folks like to jump the gun so we thought nothing about it. Then we woke up to this...



It has been very quiet around the neighborhood today. We decided to take the guys to the cemetery this afternoon and there were a surprising amount of dogs there playing. The guys just LOVED it! We took some videos of them playing, but couldn't stay out there long, you know, being 14 degrees (windchill) and all.







At this point I am still going to go to work tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I am going to try and drive or take the bus. It will take me about an hour to go 6 miles if I take the bus so I'll have to get up even earlier so we'll see...

We went out Friday night to the PCC holiday celebration. It was nice to hear a choir and remember the old songs and what I used to do as a kid in my parent's house. But it reminded me of a show you'd see on TBN. I'm just not accustomed to such a big production and while it is neat and easy on the eyes, I do enjoy a more intimate atmosphere, which this was not. Afterwards we went out for drinks at Journeys in Multnomah Village. It is such a great place that is low key, no smoking, great wine, and has this back room that we always seem to get for our party. And the servers there are so nice and we usually befriend them and they hang out with us and play games with us so that is nice.

Shame face...

I write this shame faced that we have not updated it much lately.  Not sure if I posted in the last entry, but I (Gene) got a job with a resort-style retirement community that has locations around the NW and North over to Wisconsin.  The people there are really nice to me and I am getting more access to technologies that I hadn't had at my previous job so it is nice to feel like I'm learning.  

Lisa is currently at the start of her finals.  She is upstairs with one right now.  She has 24 hours to complete it.  Needless to say, she is pretty stressed about it, but hopefully she'll have it done tonight so she can spend tomorrow reviewing it.

For my birthday on the 29th we went bowling.  Lisa was super sweet and planned the whole thing and got some friends to come out and we all really had a good time.  We were there 3 hours and only played 2 full games, but there were so many of us it took a while.  I came in dead last the first game, which was/is sad, but on the second game I placed first ending my butt whooping with a turkey during the 10th frame.  I was walkin' in high cotton as they say down south!

and here is a video of me getting a little loose, but definately in the groove.  Watch my form and take notes.  

Then we went and picked out a Christmas tree for our house.  I will let the video speak for itself...

We brought the tree up thinking it was a Doug Fir, but come to find out we/I chopped down the most expensive tree in the freakin lot....Great!  But the owner was cool about it and cut us a deal when we told of our plight.

We put it up and it has to be the best tree we've had!

Some people...

I went downtown last night to this lounge called Life of Riley.  Parking was, as usual, bad.  I finally found a spot a few blocks down on 10th Ave.  While walking to the bar I came to a 4 way intersection that I had to cross.  The trolley pulls up and drops off 3 peeps who are obviously mid-drunk.  I stand on the other side of the street, wait for the light to change.  These three don't bother, they proceed to the edge of the sidewalk, get honked at, and then decide to stand in the street, just not in the middle of the street.  As cars, trucks, and taxis pass they honk, and the 3 curse them and their driving skills.  They do all of this while just behind them and about 4 feet above them I can see the pedestrian signal (the red hand) saying, "HEY, don't walk dummy."  This turns into a trainwreck in slow motion and they decide it is best to cross the street rather than waiting for the light to change to give them the right of way.  Traffic is not flowing in both lanes, but that doesn't deter our crusaders from bringing traffic to a complete stop....in both lanes...  As they get to my side of the street I hear one of them say, "People here need to ******* learn to drive."

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Gene Miller, Jr. Has Captured the Religious Vote!

Never in history has a candidate appealed to so many people of so many different religions here in the United States! Look at these signs from around town! (And thanks to Jimbo for sending in the photo of the sign from Bainbridge!)











Let's make this happen people!
GENE MILLER, JR. FOR PRESIDENT, '08

*This advertisement paid for by the League of Jewish, Over 30 But Under 32, Red-headed, Kareoke Singing, Law-practicing Woman Voter Who Is Also Married to Gene Miller, Jr. (Who says just one person can't be a league? Probably the definition of "league," if I had to guess.)

Late Announcement......

I know it is a little late in the game, but I would like to announce my running for the highest office in the nation; the President of the United States.



Only you, my friends, can make this happen. When November 4 comes around, make sure you grey in the box beside my name.

I will now take questions from the press...

My jogging options & Pumpkins!

Lisa has been really busy with school so I have had some time to explore the area around me without having to step foot in the car. Fortunately we live about 0.5 miles from Lewis & Clark Law School so I jog there and then there is a path in the woods that connects the law school to Tryon Creek State Park. I did not know this and had to jog on the side of the road with no sidewalks going downhill and with the flow of traffic so I couldn't see the cars behind me. I just hoped that they were used to crazy people jogging down this tight road. Fortunately, they were... As I jogged on the street I looked over and noticed a path that I deduced connected the law school to the park. Fortunately I made it to the park with no problem. A coworker (Sally Wells) had recommended a book "The World Without Us" and I've made it about 1/2 way through, but I'm having a hard time with it, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to finish it...

Halloween is almost upon us. We (Lisa) has decorated the front yard with a graveyard of skeletons and headstones. Visitors beware!!!! The weather here has been quite awesome lately and I verified that it is usually not sunny this late into the year. I guess we brought some FL sunshine with us and no one seems to care :)

We went to the pumpkin patch this weekend with Jeremy and Ellie. I think we got the leftovers, but it was a fun time. (We got caramel apples!!!) We found a pumkins that is probably 40lbs and it was only $9. In Tally that would have been $40 Jeremy and Ellie climbed the pyramid of hay and Jeremy tried to slide down it, but the hay didn't give and he ended up bumping and rolling his way down. We also went on a hayride, which is something we used to do for my birthday in Fowlstown. A good time was had by all.





Jeremy bet us that he could shoot a pumpkin into a hole about 100 yards away and Lisa and I took the bet. Here is video documenting the challenge.

Meeting the Supreme Court Justices

How many people can say that they met Supreme Court Justices!!???!!!

Last week, Lewis & Clark had two very exciting visitors: Supreme Court Justice Kennedy and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Each Justice had a one hour long question and answer session with the law student. I attended both. Ok, so maybe that wasn't exactly "meeting" the Justices, but it sure was close enough for me!

Former Justice O'Connor's responses to questions were mostly anecdotal and not substantive, which was sort of disappointing. I understand that there are many topics about which the justices and former justices cannot speak, due to ethical and professionalism considerations. However, there are many substantive topics about which the Justices can speak. I think part of the problem was that a lot of the questions from the audience weren't designed to elicit substantive responses. And since I didn't ask any questions, at all, I probably shouldn't complain!

Although anecdotal, O'Connor's session was still interesting because her life is interesting. Originally from Arizona, she graduated from Stanford law school in the early 50's. Former Chief Justice Rehnquist was in her law school class (rumor has it she briefly dated him). O'Connor graduated at the top of her class, but could not find employment as an attorney. At that time, there were no legal positions for women, except as a secretary. O'Connor was offered a secretarial position at a firm, but turned it down. Hearing that the county attorney had previously hired a woman, O'Connor went to him for a job, but he did not have enough money in his budget, or room in his office space, to hire anyone new. After meeting with him, O'Connor wrote him a letter, begging for a job, and stating that she would work for free, and share space with his secretary. He accepted, and that was her first position out of law school. Shortly thereafter, she followed her husband to Germany. Upon returning to the states a couple of years later, she again couldn't find a job because of her gender. So, she opened up her own firm (four years or so out of law school) and did that, until her nanny moved away and she decided to stay home with her children.

Fast forward a bit, and she was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981. At that time, there were only 8 Justices, who were evenly divided. If the Court's decision was tied, the appealed decision became the binding outcome, but with no precedential value. Justice O'Connor said that the Court seemed happy to have a ninth, and didn't much care that it was a woman. She also said that she didn't feel particularly well equipped for the task, since she had little experience in the federal law arena.

Justice Kennedy spoke the next day. I've never known much about him, and after Rapanos, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I certainly didn't expect him to be as incredibly articulate, charming, funny, and inspirational as he was. He poked some good fun at Scalia, which was well received at our uber liberal law school. When asked about his characterization as a "swing vote," he responded that he is completely consistent, and that everyone else swings around him. There were several points during the session where he had people doubled over in laughter. He was the kind of person you would want to have over for dinner, if you weren't so indimated by how smart he is. And when asked about animal rights (which is big at L & C), he responded thoughtfully, but also reminded us that human rights are shrinking as we speak. His closing words were "we have a lot to do."

I'll tell you what: it is an interesting time to be going back to school. I'm glad I have this opportunity.