Winter Update

It's time for a mid-Winter update. We've been busy with work, life, and hobbies. Brandee started training for the road and mountain bike racing seasons that start in March. Our bike team is no longer "The Valley Athletic Club". We are now the "Olympia Orthopaedic Assoicates" bike team. Our new kits (uniforms) are red instead of green and look really cool! Eric's actually been able to paddle quite a bit with this mild January we've had. He's become quite a waterman.
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Some of Brandee's mountain bike buddies after a fun and muddy ride in the Capital Forest.

Here is a video link to the first road training ride that our team did in the new red kits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdnf0juxgz0

We paddle boarded up on Lake Union in Seattle and met some folks who run the Northwest Paddle Surfers group. Eric was officially welcomed into the group and has the new hoody to prove it. Hopefully he won't offend any kayakers.

Eric, Carmen and I went down to see the 17 ft high tide early in January. The water came very close to flooding over the boardwalk in downtown Olympia. Apparently due to El Nino and some atmospheric stuff, there have been several tides this month that have been higher than predicted. Olympia has some of the most dramatic tidal swings in any part of the Puget Sound.

3rd Annual Christmas Oyster Celebration

On Christmas Day we celebrated our Oyster tradition with a few of our close friends, many of whom don't have family in town. It wasn't snowy like last year, but cold, clear, and sunny. We had many varieties of oysters served several different ways. It was, as in the past few years, a lot of fun!

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Here Eric is prepping dozens of oysters (for frying) on Christmas Eve using Grandma Miller's secret recipe.

Christmas Day! Our first guests arrive: John and Bingo (the dog). Carmen was poised and ready to greet our holiday guests.


Let the shuckin' begin. The front of the house was the raw and grilled oyster hot spot.


Old pros Eric and Jeff shuckin' oysters


Merey tries a raw oyster concoction called a "baby maker"

Lots of yummy food...

Oh no, Eric be-heads the chocolate Santa Clause

Jeff and Merey

Patrick and Anja

We later celebrated Christmas dinner at Mom and Doug's house. Mom made a yummy dinner.

Christmas hugs

Carmen playing with her new Christmas bunny... Happy Holidays!

First Snow Day of the Season

It's beginning to look like last winter...Freezing temperatures and now snow. Carmen and I headed to Watershed Park to have some fun in the snow...

Cold Temps and Cyclocross Natz

The temps have been cold all over the country. In Oly, parts of Budd Inlet are frozen. The last time I remember the Sound freezing was in the early 90's. Well the weather didn't keep the Miller's down. Eric went for an icy paddle today on East Bay and Brandee braved single digit temperatures to race at the Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, Oregon earlier in the week.

Eric is all smiles when he's on the water

Paddling around frozen waters

The frozen shore of East Bay

Do I look cold? This picture was downloaded from the USA cycling website. The caption read: "The B Women’s race started in the frigid morning temperatures causing riders to race with plenty of layers". Yep, it was single digits during my race. I lead the race on the first lap then dropped my chain twice, crashed twice, ending up 14th overall. Sometimes it just isn't your day. Anyways, it was a lot of fun to race at Nationals. Now I'm ready to take some time off the bike after a great cyclocross season.

Seattle Cyclocross Series Champ!

Brandee's done it again this season...this time winning the Seattle CX women's Cat 3 series title! Can anyone stop her?!? She'll be racing the next two weekends in Oregon - first in Portland, followed by the National Championships in Bend. Congratulations Brandee!

Brandee atop the podium, with two young local racers who are destined to become the future of cyclocross

Looking strong on another demanding course

The Coast Battered...Again

We have another fall storm with high wind warnings, this time a Pineapple Express from Hawaii. A weekend ago, we experienced similar conditions, only it was the result of an Artic front. Though it will likely be as intense, here are some photos last weekend at Westport, and know that the big waves and 30+ ft swells were actually breaking far out at sea and these waves were the smaller, reformed waves! Incredible!

Not only breaking over, but breaking up, the sea wall

Westport closed and inundated with sea water

Sadly this beach waste was deposited at high tide and stretched for miles. Definitely makes me rethink single-use containers

Birthdays and Champions

An exciting weekend...Eric's Friday the 13th birthday, followed by a big cyclocross win! After Eric went to his favorite morning yoga class, the three of us visited Seattle for the day, with trips to some of our favorite hangouts as well as the Seattle Aquarium. It was culminated (or has it begun?) with the purchase of a new longboard and the most incredible birthday cake ever! On Saturday, Brandee brought more honor to the family by winning the state cyclocross championships!

Enjoying some sunshine in Seattle

A delicious birthday lunch on the water at Agua Verde

The Seattle Aquarium and its resident octopus

The most amazing birthday cake anyone could ask for...triple chocolate mousse -

thanks Brandee and Merey!

New to the Quiver - a beautiful 9 ft Longboard

Gold Medal - Newly Crowned Cat 3 State Cyclocross Champion!