Miller Family Christmas Blog (MFCB) 2021

By Your Miller Family Christmas Blog (MFCB) Supporter, Jack Strap

So the Harry Wong Christmas Letter (Not quite cool enough for an acronym) has arrived--probably had to mail it 3-4 weeks ago because Sing It: The Old Snail Mail, Ain't What It Used to Be... So your MFCB Supporter Jack Strap is contractually obligated to respond but this is an exhibition not a competition, so please no wagering. For those that don't know Jack Strap--have you been living under a rock or off the grid like Jack Reacher for the last 25 years--he's the retired reporter of Hills Hoop Inc. (HHI), the Tri-County Football League (TCFL), and Special Events like the Poletti Pool Party (3P) and the Penn State Road Trip (PSU-RT) until that new rule came out--What Happens in Happy Valley, Stays in Happy Valley.

So the big event of 2021 (deferred from 2020 due to COVID) was the wedding reception of Britty & James held at the scenic & quaint Pheasant Run Farm B&B https://www.pheasantrunfarmbb.com/ noting that these hyperlinks are provided for you to take side trips outside the MFCB after which unless you are technologically challenged you can safely return to the confines of Your MFCB. Glenn as The Father of the Bride (& payer of the tab) made a speech & since many of you missed it--we'll recount it here. It was advice for all couples based on his Top 10 Bands' songs:

#1 - Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love because you need that for a good marriage/relationship so you get the drift thus I won't have to spell out the meaning of every one of these

#2 - The Who's Love, Reign o'er Me

#3 - Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want and with a little help from Ross & Vasilios Bill the next line "You Get What You Need". I did forget at that point to give The Cheese Master General Bill a plug so I'll do it here--shop at https://www.mandrosimportedfoods.net/

#4 - The Doors' Love Her Madly

#5 - Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion (figured Love in an Elevator was a bit risque for this crowd)

#6 - Jimi Hendrix's Foxy Lady - complement for the ladies

#7 - Heart's Magic Man - compliment for the guys

So as you can see he was on his way to a standing ovation and award-winning speech but this is where it took a turn with #8 - Ted Nugent and No he didn't reference what the Motor City Madman called a love song "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" as too risque for that crowd but you can handle the truth. Instead Glenn's googling found Ted's "My Love Is Like a Tire Iron", but other than Brother-In-Law Doug and perhaps a few others--this crowd wouldn't appreciate Ted's music and/or politics. Oh well #8 is #8 and I'll add that Ted Nugent was mentioned in a (& Karen who loves these can confirm it) Hallmark Christmas Movie.

#9 - Fleetwood Mac's You Make Loving Fun

#10 - Beatles' All You Need Is Love or alternately Love Is All You Need

The almost award-winning with standing ovation speech was ended with John Cougar Mellencamp's I Need a Lover who won't drive me crazy. And it's time for a sing-along break at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adMXjSithMs

Anyway the front end of the speech was Glenn saying to himself in advance of the Reception that "I should jot a few things down" which immediately made him think of Best Man Ross' award-winning speech at Glenn & Karen's Wedding back in the day which he started with "I was in the bathroom and jotted a few things down" then rolling out the toilet paper. So Glenn mentioned that and also recognized & renamed Nancy Jo from Maid of Honor to Best Woman.

Relating to the last paragraph--this next MFCB segment is one thing makes you think of another thing. Does this happen to you? If not then something's wrong with you because it happens to Glenn all the time and I'll note a few with Phoenixville connections continuing the references to music:

* Foreigner's Dirty White Boy = Ross as he once wore that shirt to a PSU Road Trip (sometimes when it comes on Sirius--Glenn will take a pic & text Ross)

* The Whistle in Molly Hatchet's Flirt'in with Disaster = Scholesy who had that whistle down and if you don't know it--listen for it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K_-D5B7DIg and for those of you are impatient--fast forward to the 3:24 mark

* Hearing or seeing a tambourine = Chucky Boy who many years ago played one in a band called Shake'in Not Stirred or something like that and a bit more recently with Dave Skipper's Insomniacs at the PSU Brewery. It's a shame the tambourine never made it as big as the cowbell did on SNL's More Cowbell Classic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVsQLlk-T0s

* Led Zep's When the Levee Breaks = PSU Rathskeller (may it RIP) and that night there with the One Man Band playing & Diane'dretti Poletti terrorizing (that's all your getting because What Happens in Happy Valley, Stays in Happy Valley) along with her Hubby Steve, Reitzy, and the Late Great Lipper

Moving on in 2021--Karen had her biggest year ever at Ruby Heart Crafts with pandemic purchasers and you can add to it at https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubyHeartCrafts. Glenn's 3-year anniversary as CFO for CONCERN is upcoming and you can donate to help our Kiddo's at https://www.concern4kids.org/ - see button in top right corner. Andrew & Glenn saw AEW in Jacksonville FL & Philly-Liacouras Center with great story lines and crazy athleticism exhibited which is a good lead in to the next segment.

The PSU Road Trip was back after a pandemic break last year for the weekend of the Indiana Game and I'm going to bend that rule. This year's fearless Crew included Glenn, Mighty Kerr (you think of him when Pete Townshend Jumps), Scholesy, and Nick "Pogo for Joe" Merolli all the way from FL. Nick arrived before the Reading contingent and when Glenn texted him that they were at the dots (as in on the road to PSU to discourage drivers tailgating) he was standing on Beaver Ave. and saw this idiosyncratic (good word) place https://3dotsdowntown.com/ so thought they were there and went in which they all had to do later. It was their 1st stop on a PSU Tour which included JoePa's grave, Skipper's new house, SuePa's house, and the Cafe 210 where Glenn covered for Ross by intermittently requesting the band to play "Neil Young!!". Anyway I digressed because in the last paragraph I said AEW was a good lead in to the next segment so I'll start a new paragraph for that.

One of the objectives of our PSU Weekend was to find Dr. Britt Baker, DMD who is the AEW World Champion and also a practicing Dentist (for real), as well as a PSU Graduate who tweeted she was going to be there that weekend. After a day of tailgating including PSU Cornhole where we rotated Teams with these final standings: Scholesy/Mighty/Glenn tied for 1st at 2-1 and Nick 0-3, good food at the Bus we went to Pitt game with twice, and Flip Cups with the young PSU graduates 2 cars down--Glenn's Team beat Nick's Squad 2 out of 3 for the Championship. And that leads us back to The AEW World Champion--Dr. Britt Baker, DMD who we found on the field at the night game leading the We Are...Penn State!! chant.

2021 also saw Hills Hoop Inc.'s (HHI's) 29th Anniversary Legends Game back at Wyomissing Hills with a Bo Derek Perfect 10 Hoopsters in action splitting 2 games and then knowing at their age it was a good time to call it a day. Your Athletic Supporter, Jack Strap will be back on Labor Day weekend 2022 for the Big 3-0.

Trip Planner Extraordinaire Karen & Glenn took (3) trips in 2021 (1) a few days driving to St. Michaels MD which Glenn knew from a past business trip (2) Amelia (Bedelia) Island FL, and (3) with Andrew to Palm Coast FL with side trips to St. Augustine & Jacksonville. The whole Miller Family also tailgated for the Nova @ PSU Game. We also appreciate that Britty & Andrew are very helpful in cutting down, bringing home, and decorating our Christmas tree which this year for the 1st time we got here https://www.becktreefarms.com/

Beyond that we're Homebodies in our empty (children) nest in rural Douglassville with our 3 pets who they talk to regularly--smart & high leaping cat Ellie (aka El Bell), our entertaining cocker spaniel/golden mix Bradley (Bean), and our loving Golden Cassie who has now decided to supplement Glenn's exercise (Note K&G are Planet Fitness regulars) by deciding a few months back that she can no longer climb the steps for bed but rather needs to be carried up.

Think that about covers it for the MFCB 2021 except for the pictures regarding which Karen is the primary contributor: