The Last......

NO, not the last Blog (not a bad idea though)
.......Rather..........


ALLISON HAS TURNED IN HER


FINAL ASSIGNMENT AT HARVARD......

WAY TO GO ALLISON!!!!!!

Christmas in the South & Nochevieja en España (New Years in Spain)

So the first semester at Harvard came to a close for Allison (I spent a total of about 5 weeks in Boston from September until we left for Christmas). My time as you know from the last blog was spent on airplanes (I did time in Singapore, Mongolia, Korea, UK, Argentina, Brazil, and I am sure I am forgetting some other country I visited along the way and of which I saw nothing).

Allison on the other hand spent her time taking classes and doing her practicum (aka Full Time Job) teaching at a school in Cambridge. Allison, I think learned the most from the weather….mainly that this New England weather stuff is not the South when it comes to the winter. Up here in these parts it is a whole new ball game.

On the 16 of December we caught a flight out of Boston heading to Atlanta where we would spend the break with Santa and Mrs. Claus (aka Allison's Dad and his wife Susan) and my family in the ATL. Thanks to our familys for putting up with us (mostly putting up with Allison...she is so difficult) and letting us homeless people stay at your homes, it was great to be with all of you.

This time down South allowed us to visit friends, get presents, and also attend the annual "Greer Christmas Throw Down", which is a fun time which includes caroling, dinner, and gift exchange among other things (Brad & Sam, as always Thank You, A Good Time Was Had by All, I think!!!).

Every year in January my company (Interpol for those of you who read this blog) hosts a kick-off event/meeting in some foreign locale, this year it was going to be in Barcelona, Spain. Since I used to spend time in Spain, I thought it would be a great idea to take my wife to meet my friends in Madrid and Granada. So off we went on the 29th of December 2007 one of those fun overnight flights to Madrid.

In Madrid, we spent New Year's Eve with my friend Jose Luis, Javi, Elena, and a group of their friends. We were able to see Madrid and learned new ways to bring in the New Year.

1. Enjoy a wonderful 10 course home cooked gourmet meal. (Jose and Javi made a great meal that could have been in Gourmet Magazine. Is that where you all got the meal from?)




2. Eat 12 Grapes in Record time (Spanish people have had a long tradition of eat 12 Grapes while and watching the clock in Puerta del Sol in Madrid (Spain’s Time Square). When the clock strikes midnight, every has 12 grape ready to put a grape in their mouth each time the clock chimes and they must finishing eating them by the time the clock stops chiming. This is really funny to see people frantically stuffing grapes into there mouth before the chiming ends. The clock is shown on TV and the whole nation watches (interesting side note: Commercials right before and right after midnight cost about the same as the commercials during the Suberbowl).




3. Run outside with Suitcase, which mean that you will travel a lot in the coming year…..I should have stayed out of that one. Jose & Javi live on the 20th Floor (ok, not the 20th Floor but it felt like it)….actually the 4th or 5th floor of an very old cool building in the center of Madrid….with…..and this is the important part……with No elevator. So we ran down (easy part) and then took pictures and then went back up (hard part).




4. Threads & Ribbons (this was several different colors of ribbon stitched together that you are supposed to keep in your wallet for the year to bring you good luck, I think Allison took ours....that is why she is doing so well at school).
   

After a good time in Madrid, Allison and I caught a train to Granada (were we rode passed where “the rains fall mainly on the plains in Spain”, yes, Chris likes bad jokes) to spend some time with Madeline and her children Muriel and Evaristo (Muriel and Evaristo thank you for sharing your time with us and inviting us everywhere....Evaristo-thank you for showing us a bit of the night life in Granada, actually, I take that back). We were also invited to have lunch with Irene and her family, a wonderful person, with a huge heart (ask Allison how she likes murcia...what a trooper to try new things).

If you have never been to Granada, you are missing out. It is truly a beautiful place.

Allison and I were very lucky to have our own personal tour guide in Madeline, who was not only a pleasure to be with but a wonderful host. She showed us all around Granada (The Alhambra, The Palace of Charles V, Granada's Cathedral, and The Albaicín to mention just a few of the places), she provided great stories, showed us great views, and shared with us wonderful Tapas. We also went to the country side to see a very interesting exposition of the history of olives and there impact worldwide and in Spain. Simply, we had a wonderful time in Granada…..Madeline…..Thank you!!

From Madrid we went on to Barcelona for my meetings with Interpol. Where we tried to see everything we could in two days. It was great and I highly recommend the following if ever in Barcelona: Sagrada Familia (crazy cool church that was started in 1882 and will not be finished until 2026), Parque Güell (gets my nod for one of the coolest parks), Ciutat Comtal (tapas Barcelona style…while not Granada, it is a great place, we went there 3 times), Las Ramblas (great place to take a stroll), and a whole bunch of other things that I can not remember (we are happy to bore you with pictures…just ask)

Thank you to everyone who took us in, showed us around, and made it a trip to remember.

Also, kudos to my wife for never saying anything when I talked about her to my friends in Spanish (oh yeah, she does not speak Spanish…..Really, Alli, I only said good things about you!!!)

Also, I forgot to mention that in my planning the trip, I failed to realize that the semester at Harvard did not actually end until after Allison's return from her Christmas break. So Allison had to do several papers while we where in Spain and worked on one the entire flight back while I helped with research (ok, so I slept and watched movies while she worked). Her hard work paid off with 4 As and B+..

…More blogs sooner or later…….Probably later as I have to remember January and what happened that month. Or maybe I am trying to forget since we moved apartments (One apartment down…..2 to go till summer).

Thanksgiving at our Favorite Bed and Breakfast….

Did you know that Maine has not ONE but FOUR State Slogans?
(Another random useless fact brought to you by Chris Miller…sponsored by UselessFacts.com)

Click on Map to see the Miller's Map of Kittery with Places you must try

Maine's State Slogans

"Worth A Visit, Worth A Lifetime"
"The Way Life Should Be"
"Vacationland" (On the license plate)
"It must be Maine"

If you have ever been to Maine, then you know how picturesque it is or how true one of their four state slogans are (do they really need four?). Since coming to Boston, Allison and I have had a chance to visit and really take a liking to a place most people say is really just northern Massachusetts. That might just be, but to us Kittery Point, Maine is a wonderful little town on the coast just north of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which has served as a great escape for us from Boston.

It also just so happens to have a wonderful little place that we have found to stay that is on Barters Creek just off Crockett Neck Road. It is a wonderful Cape Cod style home which doubles as a Bed and Breakfast, with wonderful caretakers (a family actually, with a Weimaraner named Vinny, serving as mascot and protector).

It is truly an amazing place. No reservations needed, no high room rates, the service is out of this world (they may just send you home with a doggie bag from your meals, if your good that is), and if you feel up to it, they will let you play with the snow blower, the kids, and Vinny (not all at once, I think there may be a law against that or they do not want to endanger the snow blower or something).

If you ever find yourself driving along the coast in Maine near Kittery, please drop by our favorite place to stay "The H" (what we like to call it) and say "Hi" to Michael, Barrie, Margaret (aka Maggie, who will be attending either Harvard or Dartmouth soon, she is trying to decide which is better), and Michael, Jr. (aka Cheekers, he smiles a lot.) Also, bring a bone for Vinny the Weimaraner (just like the one in the movie "Best in Show" but the owners are way cooler), some Cherry Wheat Beer for Mike (not sure why he likes it so much), and a nice bottle of red wine for Barrie.

If I have you hooked by my description (and well, you should be), you are now going to be disappointed. It is NOT a B&B, but rather the home of the Hanlon Family. They made the mistake or were kind enough to invite/take-in us Southerners on several occasions, including Thanksgiving, when Barrie made a great dinner (Vinny the dog almost ate the real turkey, not the one below) and she sent us home with a doggie bag with treats for the following day. Also, the picture below was our contribution to the day, besides offering up many thanks for being included in their holiday celebration.

That's right a Turkey Cake, which is going to become a tradition at the Miller's for Thanksgiving

Some how each time we went to the Hanlon's two things happened- apart from having a wonderful time 1.) The Miller's were always late. (The Miller's Late? No, not us!) and 2.) We ended up spending the night.

I am not sure if Barrie or Mike ever extended an invitation to spend the night at their home, but man are we happy they never kicked, especially in the middle of our first Nor’easter, that I kept wishing to see (I got the Nor’easter and a Foot of Fresh Snow and Mike introduced me to his snow blower, Is the snow supposed to hit you in the face?). In fact, they always offered Pie. I guess Pie is a big thing in Maine, Mike kept asking “Hey Miller, want a piece of Pie and a Cherry Wheat Beer?”, now that is a true friend.

From our very first time in Boston on my Birthday in 2007 (aka The Great Lobster Shortage of 2007-No seriously, I think Barrie beat up some old lady at the grocery store to get the last two remaining lobsters in Maine that weekend) the Hanlon's have taken us in and treated us like family.

They always made sure that we had a place to go for the holidays or to get away to for the weekend. They are some of the best hosts I have ever had, so if you get the chance to visit 'The H", DO, it is totally worth it.

Barrie and Mike, if you read this, please keep our room ready- you never know when we might drop by (and as usual invited or not, we are staying the night) and more importantly THANK YOU!

This Blog entry sponsored by Mike Hanlon's wallet and the following establishments:

Popovers on the Square in Portsmouth, NH (the best egg sandwich ever…no kidding….you can not eat just one…just ask Maggie…ok, just ask me)

flatbread company in Portsmouth, NH (great pizza with fresh ingredients, a fireplace, great beer, and a enjoyable tree hugging atmosphere and crowd)

Cafe Mediterraneo in Portsmouth, NH (wonderful Italian food with servings that are huge, not to mention they refuse to serve people who gave up wine for Lent)

Flo's Hot Dogs in Kittery Point, ME (On heck of a Hot Dog and I am not just saying that)

Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery Point, ME (A Lobster anyone?)

What is the number?

The number……well……it is 183…..What is 183, you ask? Well it is the exact number of days since my wife's last blog. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE days since her last blog (Yes, that's right, I did it, I threw my wife under the bus). Can you believe the nerve…..

She has not written anything since we saw that wicked rock in Plymouth, MASS. (By now they have moved the rock inside a museum, so it is no longer on the shoreline, and yes, I was about to use the word wicked to describe Plymouth Rock.)

The Millers Top 10 for "Why we have not written on the Blog in 183 Days"…….
10. We actually only went to Boston for a long weekend.
9. We have been camping out at Fenway for a chance at Tickets for a game in the 2008 Season. (We failed by the
way.)
8. We've been hunting for yet another apartment to rent and move to (No kidding, we have lived in 3 separate
apartments in 9 months.)
7. We left Boston for Thanksgiving and never came back.
6. We left Boston for Christmas and never came.
5. We left Boston for the winter and never came back (I think people have done that before. Not a bad idea if you
have ever been in the Northeast for Winter).
4. Chris moved to Brazil.
3. Allison fell into a book and could not get out.
2. Allison is still rejoicing from 1st Semester grades (Four As and a B). She was last seen in Brazil around Carnival
time looking for Chris doing the Samba.

And the Number 1 Reason "Why we have not written on the Blog in 183 Days" is…….
1. We forgot the Blog passwords and it locked us out.

If you were following our blog like people follow the Red Sox's (that is for you, Knickerbockers), Allison is truly sorry for not keeping up with the blog (I think you have way too much time on your hands or a serious problem).

Actually, keeping up with the blog does not fall squarely on Allison's shoulders. Yours truly has not done his part either; I have not blogged for more than 182 days. At least Allison has been attending one of the best schools in the country. What has Chris been doing you ask…..Well, to be honest, other than living on an airplane, not much.

Let me give you a little perspective on my travel (as I think it might actually be a valid excuse after reviewing)... So, since the beginning of the 2008, I have flown just over 70,000 miles, or 2.81 times around the Earth (and we are not yet at the half way mark for 2008). I think a New Years Resolution for 2009 will be to reduce my travel or maybe go to the moon (not sure which one is more realistic in my current position).

That is right I circled this thing almost 3 times but keep ending up in the same places... in fact, it is on the other side of this picture as this is showing mostly Africa

This entry is going to serve as a starting point for a high speed update of the last six months. I promise to provide at least one update for each month that we've missed and get us back on schedule. This will allow Allison to redeem herself (actually, allow her to finish school so she can graduate and, more importantly, keep the job she was offered) and then provide you an overview of graduation and our farewell to Boston (and quite possibly to blogging.) Or at least until I get in to Harvard Business School (now that is a funny one.)

So, that's all for now. Until another 183 days have passed, or until my next post about Thanksgiving and our awesome Bed and Breakfast in Kittery Point, Maine (I will post the address, they do not take reservations…..you just show up and they always seem to have room and one heck of an egg sandwich…).

Goodbye for now from the Millers in Boston (and Brazil.)

Seriously, that's it?

This Veteran's Day weekend Chris and I decided to take a drive down the coast on MA to check out some of the countries most well known landmarks. And so we ended up in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

I've never claimed to be a history buff, by any stretch of the imagination, but I must say that Plymouth, MA was not all that's it's cracked up to be...

I mean, you've got your typical small town feel, paired with a replica of the Mayflower, but other than that, there is not much to do. And the rock, Plymouth Rock that is, happens to be no more than a small, concrete-mended, boulder that sits on the edge of the water. I like to think that it used to be A LOT BIGGER.

Room with a View

Most days this is about all I see of Boston. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a spectacular view of the apartment across the street, but it occurred to me last weekend that experiencing the fall through the (small) window of our apartment just wasn’t going to cut it. It was almost a “Forest Gump” like moment as I watched what could have been the last leaf fall from the scraggly tree that sits across the street. Charlie Brown himself would have been depressed by this sad representation of my first, and likely only, fall in Boston. And so, with that, Chris and I ventured out and saw a little of this beautiful city on a picturesque Fall day in New England.



The Charles River

Don't Forget Your Hail Mary

First and foremost, I did not visit a priest to say 22 Hail Marys, nor did I convert to the Catholic Faith. I did however attended another New England sporting event, but more on my Hail Mary later. This time it was not baseball but football at Boston College (or as everyone up here says, BC.)

A friend of mine from high school lives in Maine and has season tickets with a group of his friends to the BC football games. I was able to attend as one person decided to skip the game on Saturday...Not sure why he skipped the game....I mean...the high for the day was 45 degrees with wind gusts, at the Stadium, of up to 55 mph and driving rain. Who in there right mind would give up tickets to a game on such a nice day...

I can say without a doubt that football in the South is not better per se, just incomparable. The diiference is night and day. BC is having a great year, even though they choked against FSU, (and for the record I cheered for BC, it's time for Ole Bobby to retire!) but the feel of the game was like being at a top rated High School game in South Georgia. The first quarter sucked due to the rain, the cold, and the wind. About the middle of the 2nd quarter it cleared up. It was still cold and windy but at least the rain stopped. Come to think of it, this was my first Nor'easter but without the snow (I want the next one to have snow so I get the full experience of a Nor'easter.)

The BC Eagles lost to the Semi-holes when they threw an interception at the end of the game, which took away the chance for them to score the wining touchdown. It was not like back in the day....they should have had the Flakes...

Back to my Hail Mary. So as I started my 22nd Hail Mary, I noticed that everywhere I looked at the game I saw the #22. It was on the wall of the stadium, on jerseys, t-shirts, and a bunch of posters. Then it dawned on me that The Fans in Boston remember every detail, even at the collegiate level. The #22 was the number of the quarterback who performed the most famous Hail Mary of all: The one and only Doug Flutie (or the man behind the "Miracle in Miami" back on the 23rd of November in 1984, one of the greatest moments in college football.) I think his jersey has to be the best selling one of all time. Pretty crazy thinking that was back 23 years ago.