- Matt's Mind -

Nest Update 1/7/2012

2012-01-07T15:38:00.003-05:00

You read my First Impression post about the Nest, here's the day three update. Overall It's been pretty hands off so far.

Wednesday night, I set the thermostat for around 71 when we went to bed I set it for 67. Thursday morning, when I woke up, I set the thermostat for 70, and then a little later I set it for something like 72. On Thursday it was sunny so in the afternoon it got warm in my office, I turned the thermostat down around 12:30 pm.

To my surprise on Wed. night (I stayed up late) and it set itself down to 67 at the time I'd done so the night before. When I woke on Friday, the temp was already where I wanted it and it was good to go.

Nest is still in a "learning" status, but it's pretty much nailed my normal pattern so far. As you can see from the "https://home.nest.com/home" screenshot that it has built a basic schedule for us.

At this point I am still happy with Nest. I realized that you can actually create a schedule from the iOS App which is pretty cool. I also like that you can see the current and set temp from the App.

It will be interesting once it's collected enough data to calculate time to temp and energy savings information. Will also be interesting to see how the schedule changes over time.

Nest Learning Thermostat on a 1-5 scale?
Ease of Use: 5
Accuracy: 4
Support: N/A
iOS App: 4.8

First Impressions Really Are Everything!

2012-01-04T23:41:00.004-05:00

I know it sounds cliche, but it's true a first impression can make or break a relationship whether it's a person, a car or a thermostat. As you may know, tonight was my opportunity at a first impression with the Nest Learning Thermostat.

The packaging:

did I just open "Hal 9000"? It's a tad creepy, or maybe not. clearly the packaging is meant to support a pleasent first impression. They could have just thrown it in the box and wrapped it up, but they took the time plan your opening of the box, and how you'd see it. Is it looking at me?

Below the nest you'll find the baseplate and the tools to install. Yes, folks that's a nest screwdriver kit included in the package. The cool part about this is that litterally I didn't have to walk to my garage for any tools to install this, everything needed was included inside the convinient packaged product. This is genius if you ask me, who wants to fumble around for tools. Oh did I mention they also included 2 different back plates, in the event your old thermostat left a giant hole or was in a box? Yes, again they are thinking ahead, though I chose the Hal style mount directly to the wall.

Here's the base plate installed and wired up, oh yeah, notice the little bubble level? Another genius addon. No need to level it yourself just use the device. Brilliant!

It's really pretty simple to install, I mean it's like 4 or 5 wires depending on your HVAC setup.

So, you've seen the packaging the attention to detail and the physcial product. That's fine and dandy, but what if you need help or have a problem? How is the support from the company you may wonder...

You're in luck, I just happen to know! It turns out that I may have jumped in a little too fast and forgot to power down the HVAC system prior to disconnecting the old thermostat. I was sad when I plugged in the Nest and it didn't power up. I fumbled around for a bit and thought about testing a few things, then I decided to call Nest. I'm extremly happy that I did, not only because I got above exceptional customer support, but that I also get to share this with you.

I got connected to a guy named Craig at Nest Support, first off he was friendly and easy to communicate with. We ran through a couple tests with the connections, then he suggested that I power on the device via the mini-usb connection on the back. Essentially I just plugged it into my laptop to get it powering on, after that we connected the Nest back to the base and it told us what the problem was, well sorta. The device wasn't getting power from my HVAC. After a couple more tests; he even waited while I reconnected and tested the old thermostat, Craig stated that he was going to check with his next tier support team and run the situation by them.When he came back he had already approved a service call from a technician from my area. WHAT!? I was thinking oh man, what's this going to cost me... No, he said Nest would be paying for this.... After I regained myself from surprise of a company offering real technical support... I was like wow! Ok?

In the mean time, Craig mentioned that usually there is a fuse that gets blown on the board, which I immediately began looking for. Viola! there it was, a small 3 amp fuse, and yes it was blown. I said to Craig let me replace this before we send someone out, it'd be a shame to send out people and waste time for a silly fuse (which btw, was the result of my not turning off the power first)... I couldn't immediately find a fuse so I suggested to Craig that I hang up and work on this so as not to take his time. I'm convinced he would have waited but that would have been silly. I scavenged my tool box and finally found one. I installed it, and powered things on and BINGO, I was in business. The moral of the story is disconnect the power to the HVAC before you disconnect the old thermostat! For my friends in Support, I called him back to let him know I was up and running without any further problems.

So this time, we power up and get things going, excellent. I follow the onscreen display and setup the WiFi connection to the internet, when the Nest immediately checks for an update and installs it. I walk through the simple setup and away we go.

I'd previously downloaded the "Nest" iPhone app so I kicked that up to see what it looked like. As soon as I fired it up on the iPhone the app recognized that there was a Nest on my network and since I was already logged in on the app, it simply asked me on the base if I wanted to assign it to my account. How simple was that!

Next I set the temp and let the learning begin, I didn't leave it at 73 :)

iPhone App Screenshot:

So you're wondering how would I rate the Nest Learning Thermostat on a 1-5 scale?
Appearance and Presentation: 5
Installation: 4 (because the "flip power wasn't big RED letters" even though this was an error on my part)
Support: 5+ Amazing and knowledgeable Support Personnel. Saved me time and money.
Setup/Configuration: 5
iOS App: 4.5 (I'm probably being a bit hard here, it is after all just a thermostat) though the setup was very simple.

OVERALL: 4.7 out of 5

So there you have it, my first impression of the Nest Learning Thermostat . I'd have to say it's been pretty good so far... Let's see what the next week or so brings, I'll share some of the and other info presented from the device. I'm really curious to see how it plays out when it determines a schedule. Hopefully this review helps you a bit.

Gluten Free: Day 2

2011-12-14T19:58:00.001-05:00

Today was day 2 of my Gluten free lifestyle, so far it's not been to difficult though considering we just got grocery's there's plenty to eat and try. I'm not a very picky eater so that helps too.

Today's challenge was going out for breakfast. Every second Wednesday of the month I take the three school aged kids out for breakfast. It's our way of connecting and we all quite enjoy it. This morning's location was IHOP, where I'd read something about gluten free pancakes. I wasn't too surprised when I got there and they didn't have them. Normally I'd have something like biscuits and gravy or eggs and toast. This morning I went with 2 eggs, some sausage and bacon, hash browns and fruit. To my surprise, it wasn't nearly as difficult to find something that I wanted within the plan.

Today's lunch consisted of last night's chicken veggie soup. It's a really tasty recipie that wifey came up with from . Along with it was the gluten free bread from Pamelas's Products mix that she'd made yesterday too.

Supper, was tacos with turkey meat. Originally we were going to use a taco seasoning but it had wheat and flour in it. So wifey flavored the meat on her own and it turned out fantastic! I passed on the corn shells and went with a salad style, placing the meat on spinach leaves and adding cooked corn kernels and some taco sauce.

All in all so far this isn't a huge issue for me. Clearly the beer issue will be the biggest hurdle for me to overcome, though even this I think will prove not too daunting an effort.

I'm probably not going to blog every day, but I'll sure try to keep a consistent pattern to the updates. The next few weeks will be interesting to track my health and general well being. I'm going to try to the following rating scale to track my change. It's worth noting that I also started taking my one-a-day vitamin a few days ago, so there's likely to be an added benefit there too.

Vitamin: Yes
Guaifenesin: Yes 1AM - 1PM
Pseudoephedrine: No
Sinus Pressure (1-10): 4+
Weight: 193
Attitude and Mood (1-10): 7+

[ + = improving ]
[ - = declining ]

New link: Celiac.com

Gluten Free - the beginning

2011-12-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

Over the past several years, I've struggled with a lot of sinus infections. I've been poked, prodded, cut in efforts to find and resolve the ongoing issues I've had.

It seems that the majority of my problems revolve around the fact that I produce a larger than normal amount of mucus that tends to get clogged and infected in my face. In September of this year 2011, I had sinus surgery to help re-open and hopefully lessen the impact of my on going problems.

My allergy testing proved negative. My sinus surgery went fine, but does nothing to reduce the amount of mucus. I'm growing tired of feeling worn down and painful faced all the time.

Today we're starting a gluten-free diet. My hope is this will move me towards a more raw or natural diet. The end goal is a more healthy feeling body and mind.

I intend to document the process here, not just for you but for my own personal tracking of the progress, changes and outcomes.

-me-

Happy 13th Anniversary to my wife

2011-08-08T13:43:00.001-04:00

410,140,800 seconds ago the sun was hot, the humidity high and I was about to marry the girl of my dreams. I learned later that my dreams would never be as good as the reality that followed. Happy 13th Anniversary to my wonderful wifey Rachelle Eash.

It all started December 9th 1992 when a cute girl from the color guard finally said yes to being my girlfriend. I was a freshman and she a sophomore. It was a few weeks later ~December 28th, when I finally got that to kiss that shy gal while riding “The Haunted Mansion” at Disney's Magic Kingdom during the band trip to the Gator Bowl. This trip, our first together would not be our last.

The high school years that followed were filled with long nights on the telephone; waiting to see who'd hang up first, and chatting about when we'd see each other again. I fell asleep more than once while sitting cross-ways in that comfy chair talking late into the night. We knew pretty early on that we'd get married one day, we talked about what we wanted in life and how we'd grow old together. Then the inevitable happened Rachelle graduated and went to college at Ball State leaving me alone at home.

The distance didn't stifle our relationship, we wouldn't let it. We continued to talk on the phone, and send email. I would visit her often on the weekends, one time we even concocted a plan where she would call into the school for me, so I could leave early that Friday and head to see her... It mostly worked :)

A year later, I graduated and went to Manchester College. While closer, it was still about 1.5 hours between schools. Thinking back, I’m wondering how many miles we put on vehicles between 1996 and 1998... Must have been a lot! We traveled between Muncie and North Manchester so many times, we had the trip memorized. One little town “Bippus” was in between, and we always joked about how one day that would be a great name for our first dog.

In 1997 we decided it was time to revisit Orlando and the Magic Kingdom. Little did Rachelle know, she was being set up. Maybe she’d overlooked the timing, but she’d soon be reminded. She did decide to drive the last few hours, which put a wrinkle in my plan.. You see I’d changed the hotel we were going to stay on Disney property instead. Luckily for me, she was (still is) directionally challenged and followed my directions. It wasn’t till she pulled up to the gate of the resort that she realized we’d had a change of plans.

I’d been keeping a secret for months, and being this close made it so hard to continue. Little did she know, that I’d tucked a diamond ring in the bottom of my camera bag. I carried that thing around all day, at one point she was carrying it.

Finally it was the time I’d been waiting for as we approached The Haunted Mansion, it was show time. We rode the ride just like before, and I snuck in my kiss. :) Then afterward it was time to take a photo. I had her stay put as I shared my plan with an unsuspecting line attendant. I remember telling her, “just keep taking photos!“ I dropped to one knee and asked the love of my life to be my wife. I was only afterward, by the roar of applause and whistles, that we realized how many people were witness to this event, one that I’ll never forget.

The wedding planning started quickly, we had a lot to do and we did it mostly on our own. The date, August 8 1998. (8/8/98) one that I could easily remember. The time High Noon! With the help of family, friends, and strangers we made it all happen. The days leading up to the wedding was full of excitement. Rachelle and her girlfriends stayed up late decorating the reception hall, I was up early with my guys to set up the wedding site, and rain was in the forecast. I made the decision to go forward and we did.

410,140,800 seconds ago the sun was hot, the humidity high and I was about to marry the girl of my dreams. Nothing would stop us now, especially the heat of the day! It was an amazing feeling to know that the future we’d spent so many long nights talking about was about to begin. The love of my life was walking down the isle to be my bride. She was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

The wedding was a success, so many family and friends in attendance. On to the party! I could go on and on with details, as the day was certainly to remember. That night, exhausted from the planning and excitement … we slept!

The 13 years that have followed have been amazing, challenging, exciting, trying, rewarding, and loving. To say the least, marriage is not simple or for the faint of heart. We have been through many ups and downs. The good times and the bad, but in the end we’ve always come back to what is important. Our Love for one another.

We got or first cat "Bippus" in 1998, we bought our first home in Pendleton in 1999. On September 10th 2001 we found out that Rachelle was pregnant with twins. On April 19th 2002 Nolan and Jillian made their presence into the world. In July of 2003 we moved to our second home, August I started a new job and on September 5th 2003 Sullivan was born, and dealing with 3 hungry little mouths was not an easy task. Rachelle has always an amazing mother to our children, I’ve yet to figure out how she does it!

January 29th, 2007 brought our next little bundle of joy Brendan who came into the world smiling and hasn’t stopped yet. In 2008 we moved yet again. This move was followed by a new baby boy Adrian; born October 1st 2009.

Together, we’ve managed to continue to grow our family and our relationship. It’s funny when you look back and think about the dreams we shared so many years ago. We’ve achieved so many of them. I can say, that I know without a doubt, that these dreams would have not been possible had we not been such a team.

I don’t recall who to credit for it, but someone once called us “Team Eash”. It’s amazing how appropriate that name really is. One of the strongest features of our marriage is our teamwork. When we’re a team we are so strong. While our team is no longer growing in size, we’ll continue to grow in strength, trust and togetherness.

While we’ve enjoyed with all our hearts the family we’ve built today. There’s no better time than when the two of us get to enjoy each other alone. Some of the most precious times we’ve ever spent together have been while traveling and visiting those we love. We’ve seen tropical islands, desert resorts, Hollywood hills, and warm sandy beaches. The location changes, but the company is what makes it great. I can’t wait to see what life brings next. There’s few things I enjoy more than traveling with my wifey.

13 years later I love my wife more today than ever before. Without her I’d not be the man I am today. I know these things sound cliche, but when I look back I think about how different I’d be with without Rachelle in my life. She is my constant, my love and my life. I can’t wait to see what the next 13 have to bring!

Happy 13th Anniversary.

-matt-

Today's Quote:

2010-10-26T15:09:00.000-04:00

"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power."
- Shirley MacLaine

M.Eash Photography is now on Facebook!

2010-09-02T22:29:00.002-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/M.EashPhotography

About the Artist

Matthew Eash grew up in Goshen, Indiana and attended Goshen High School where he met his wife Rachelle. They moved to Pendleton, Indiana in 1999 while attending college at Ball State University. Together they now have 5 children ages 8, 8, 6, 3 and 11mths. Matthew’s interest in photography started in college when he completed several creative and digital photography courses. Over the past 12 years he has worked with various genres of photography, including landscape, portrait and wedding photography.

Matthew created M.Eash Photography with the goal of sharing his art with others. Since its inception he has continued to grow his portfolio and along the way has captured some amazing photographs. While historically Matthew’s forte has been landscape photography his growing portfolio of portraiture has been well accepted.

Matthew is currently working with families, individuals and groups in the Pendleton and surrounding areas to save their moments in time. If you’re looking for someone to help you to capture your moment consider giving Matt a call.

Matt can be reached by internet, email or phone.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/M.EashPhotography

::SCAM ALERT::

2010-08-16T14:47:00.003-04:00

If you receive an email like this from one of your contacts please ignore it as it's a scam to attempt to get your money... I've received this a few times now so I figured I'd go ahead and share it publicly to help prevent people from harm. Note that the letter is slightly different in some instances but follows this storyline:

I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,We came down here to England for a short vacation and i was mugged at gun point last night,at the park of the hotel where we lodged all cash,creditcards and cell were stolen off me, thank God we have our life and passport.

I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all,they asked us to wait for 3weeks but we can't wait till then. Our flight leaves in less than 3hrs from now and we are having problems settling the hotel bills.

The hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the hotel bills.
we are freaked out at the moment

you can wire the money to me through westernunion all you need is Name
on my passport and location below.

Name: {Friend's Name}
Location:60 Hyde Park Gate - Kensington London sw7 5bb Kingdom
Amount: $2,250

I'll def refund your cash as soon as i get home.

A Curly Proboscis

2010-06-16T12:27:00.001-04:00

Caught this little guy enjoying our flowers...

Esau Wood saws wood

2010-06-08T22:26:00.004-04:00

All of the wood Esau saw, Esau sought to saw. And oh, the wood-saw with which Wood would saw wood. But one day Wood's wood-saw would saw no wood. Thus the wood, Wood would saw was not the wood Wood would saw if Wood's wood-saw would saw wood. So Esau sought a wood-saw that would saw wood. One day Esau saw a wood-saw saw wood as no other wood-saw would saw wood. And I never saw a wood-saw saw wood like the wood-saw Wood saw saw wood until I saw Esau Wood saw wood with the wood-saw that would saw wood. Now Wood, saws wood with a wood-saw that would saw wood.

My Grandma gave me a piece of paper with this little gem on it, I think my grandfather used to have this memorized...

-matt-

San Francisco

2010-06-06T10:34:00.005-04:00

Some of you know that I was in San Francisco last week for work. We spent a lot of time in a conference room making great progress. At the end of the day 1 day we got to go downtown San Francisco and eat on the pier. After that we got a chance to hang out a little bit in the downtown area. I really enjoyed the little time I had there to shoot photos and we had a great tour guide Suzanne :) .

Being in the Downtown gave me the chance to take some photos. I thought I'd share them with you.

Bay Bridge:

From San Francisco

The Boat Yard and the Golden:

From San Francisco

Alcatraz from the pier:

From San Francisco

Trolley Turnaround:

From San Francisco

Lombard Street:

From San Francisco

See More Photos Here

A red rose

2010-05-26T15:04:00.002-04:00

Playing around with some photos of my red rose

Add Google Calendars to your iPhone even if you use an MS exchange sync.

2010-03-21T15:24:00.005-04:00

Do you use MS Exchange to sync your email, contacts, and calendar to your iPhone? I do too, however I'm also a huge fan of Google's calendaring system as it's flexible and easy to share with my wife and others as needed.

Did you know that you can add your Google Calendar to your iPhone and have it show up on your iPhone calendar app. Simply start by

CalDAV: CalDAV Calendar Sync
Sync your Google Calendar with your iPhone or iPod Touch and always have your schedule at your fingertips.

Note: If you don't already use exchange you can also choose to use Google Sync to sync your Calendar and Contacts. Click for instructions. This is the better option (in my opinion) for iPhone owners not using MS Exchange.

Syncing via CalDAV is only available for devices with version 3.0 firmware or above. You can check your current version by going to Settings > General > About > Version on your iPhone or iPod Touch device.

To sync with your device, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings application on your device's home screen.
2. Open Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
3. Select Add Account...
4. Select Other.
5. Select Add CalDAV Account.
6. Enter your account information:
* In the Server field, enter [ google.com ]
* In the Username field, enter your full Google Account email address.
* In the Password field, enter your Google Account password.
* In the Description field, enter the name you'd like to appear on the account.
7. Select Next at the top of your screen.

After you've completed setup, open the Calendar application and syncing will automatically begin.

By default only your primary calendar will be synced to your device. You can sync additional calendars by visiting one of the following pages from any browser (via desktop or mobile device):
Note: I found it easier to do from my iPhone, you will see a list of your calendars that are available for syncing. I added my wife's calendar as well as my primary calendar.

* For non-Google Apps users: https://www.google.com/calendar/iphoneselect
* For Google Apps users: https://www.google.com/calendar/hosted/YOUR DOMAIN NAME/iphoneselect

TIP: When you have multiple calendars on your iPhone each entry is color coded in the calendar view. To change the Color of the Google Calendar Items, just change the color of your calendar on the Google Calendar web site. Mine was red as was my MS Exchange account. I found that changing the color online updated the color on the phone. This made it very simple to determine which calendar the item was on.

Hopefully this page will help you, I know it would have helped me :)

A little Self Motivation...

2010-03-21T11:22:00.001-04:00

Date:	3/2/2008 6:00 AM
Type:	Race
Course:	SRQ Marathon
Distance:	26.2 miles
Duration:	4:59:34
Pace:	11:27 / mile
Shoe:	ASICS Gel - Nimbus 9 (TN743) (Gel 9)
Weight:	176 lb
Misc:	Quality: 4/10, Effort: 10/10
Field Placement:	420 / 532 (78.9%)
Age group:	30 – 34
Group Placement:	23 / 25 (92%)
Gender Placement:	263 / 320 (82.2%)
Weather:	55° F, Sunny, Humid
Event URL:	sarasotamarathon.com
Notes:	First Marathon.
Statistics:	Calories: 3487 VO2 Max: 28.7

Omnicity is teh unwinar

2010-01-27T10:05:00.001-05:00

C:\Users\eashm>tracert facebook.com

Tracing route to facebook.com [69.63.184.142]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 3 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.3.1
2 2 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.3.1
3 4 ms 10 ms 5 ms 192.168.77.1
4 4 ms 5 ms 4 ms 192.168.80.25
5 6 ms 10 ms 6 ms 192.168.80.41
6 12 ms 5 ms 5 ms 192.168.128.1
7 * 12 ms 11 ms 74-126-254-1.rg0011.fcrdns.net [74.126.254.1]
8 13 ms 10 ms 14 ms gi-0-2-106-omnicity-core2.ind1.zbi-net.net [72.20.205.17]
9 20 ms 15 ms 12 ms 209.183.191.253
10 20 ms 36 ms 17 ms 216.156.72.57.ptr.us.xo.net [216.156.72.57]
11 42 ms 44 ms 44 ms 206.111.2.138.ptr.us.xo.net [206.111.2.138]
12 61 ms 126 ms 39 ms FACEBOOK-INC.TenGigabitEthernet2-4.ar5.DCA3.gb.net [64.213.54.10]
13 41 ms 40 ms 41 ms ae1.bb01.iad1.tfbnw.net [204.15.20.118]
14 39 ms 42 ms 43 ms xe-7-0-0.br02.ash1.tfbnw.net [204.15.20.59]
15 43 ms 56 ms 49 ms te-7-8.csw03b.ash1.tfbnw.net [204.15.21.63]
16 52 ms 44 ms 41 ms www-10-03-ash1.facebook.com [69.63.184.142]

Fat Tire

2009-12-21T19:16:00.001-05:00

Fat Tire Amber Ale: One of my favorite beers to enjoy. Now enjoyed in the Official New Belgium Brewing Company Globe. One tasty beverage, Thanks Brian for the gift of beer.

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-20T10:08:00.001-05:00

This is a simple photo of our Christmas Tree. I was playing with some HDR imaging techniques. I don't think this is anything too spectacular, just playing around.

Grandma Miller's New Dog

2009-11-14T07:53:00.001-05:00

My grandma got a dog. She looks pretty happy!

2010 Mini-Marathon

2009-11-07T22:11:00.001-05:00

As of about 5 minutes ago, I've officially signed up for the 2010 Mini-Marathon. Next year's event is May 8th!

Its time to get my fat ass back in shape, this time, I'm going to set a new PR!

-matt-

its time...

2009-11-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

to get my ass back in shape... I think tomorrow, I'll start the routine!

Meet Baby Adrian Phillip Eash

2009-10-10T18:34:00.001-04:00

On 10/01/2009 @ 14:16 our new baby boy was born!

Adrian Phillip Eash
8lbs 13oz
22 inches

We love having our little boy.

My Thoughts...

2009-09-08T06:04:00.003-04:00

I will be the first to tell you that I don't post things like this too often; however today I feel compelled.

I find it interesting that people are so quick to make judgment with little to no facts. Its amusing to me that so many are powerless to use their own education and think on their own. I'm very disappointed that my children will not hear the President of the United States of America encourage them to understand that failure makes you stronger, and to make your failures teach you. To hear that only through being responsible for your own education and using the tools provided will you learn to be more successful.

It happens time and time again, that people don't stop for a minute and think about what they are thinking. I know to some of you that won't make sense and that's ok. When you take a minute to think about what your thinking then you may actually figure out that you weren't thinking at all.

Personally, when I've made bad decisions in haste, I've often times forgotten to think. Thoughts about who I'm impacting, what the repercussions are, and why I'm choosing to make that impact. If people thought more, would there maybe be less crime?

Together we are all people, not matter our background, our education, or our intelligence. The decisions we make everyday not only impact our own lives but they act as a chain reaction to the lives around us. Common sense, thoughts, and caring about others can make a big difference. So I provoke you to think before you act and truly consider your impact on yourself, your family and your world... It may actually make you a smarter person.

For those who called your school to prevent your child from being brain washed. I hope that one day your child too will be educated in a manner that helps them be successful. Maybe one day they will be more open to thought. Thoughts not based on fear, but thoughts grown and designed from the information which they are presented. I know that I'd be ashamed if I'd had called the school then read the speech that was to be given.

One definition of "Prejudice": An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.

I recall learning in school that you should never judge a book by its cover; maybe you were out that day.

love me, hate me; but please think about it before you choose...

W. Ray Miller

2009-08-28T13:10:00.003-04:00

W. Ray Miller
August 27, 2009

SARASOTA, Fla. -- W. Ray Miller, 91, passed away Monday, Aug. 24, 2009, in Sarasota, Fla. He came to Sarasota 10 years ago and was formerly of Holmes County. He was born Aug. 29, 1917, to the late William Levi and Jemimah (Troyer) Miller.

There will be a visitation, Friday at Wiegand Brothers Funeral Home in Sarasota, Fla., from 6-8 p.m. Memorial services will be Saturday at Bayshore Mennonite Church at 11 a.m. Burial will be at Bethel Mennonite Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to TideWell Hospice Humanitarian Fund, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, Fla. 34238.Ray is survived by his wife of 65 years, Dorothea (Messick) Miller; a son, Gail and wife, Judy Miller of Sarasota, Fla.; daughters, Barbara Miller and partner, Brenda Zook of Sarasota, Fla., and Cheryl Eash of Pendleton, Ind.; grandchildren, Brent Miller, Kimberly Miller Carren, Matthew Eash and Michelle Eash; seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Jay Miller of Orrville; and sisters, Ruth Miller of Orrville, and Orvilla Yoder of Berlin.

He was a member of the Lions Club, previous part owner of Curry Lumber in Wooster, original member of East Holmes District School Board, where he served for 21 years.

He loved camping with the Wooster Hobos.

Ray Miller: his story... unfinished

2009-08-24T09:34:00.007-04:00

Some of you know my grandfather William Ray Miller, others may not. This is his story as told by him. Its not finished, and it may never be... but its an interesting story, that I wanted to share.

These are his words, unedited that I'm transcribing from his writing on a legal pad he started some years ago:

Father: William L. Miller
Mother: Jemima Troyer

I was born in Portage Co. Ohio in 1917 Aug 29. Lived there with my parents for about 3yrs. Then moved to Holmes Co. Ohio, went to school at a county school "Buena Vista" (one room) for 8 yrs. My Mother died when I was 4 yrs old. Father married the second time to Barbara J. Kandel (Weaver).

Went to Berlin high school 2yrs walked to school about 5 miles. (not legible) Worked for a neighbor's farmfor $.05 per hour. After I quit school, worked for a farmer that could not drive so I did all of the driving for him. When I worked there, I also helped out for a farmer that had a cane press. That is where I had my finger cut off, 16yrs old. When I was eighteen I worked in a shop in Orrville Ohio. I also worked for an Amish farmer who had a dairy farm. Bottled milk and delivered it to Millersburg and Berlin. Bought a new Ford Van in 1940 to deliver the milk.

When I was in my teens I sold (not legible) jacks. Was drafted and went to a C.P.S camp 2-5-42. While there I met Dorothea and married Oct. 27 1943. Lived there till I was discharged on Jan 26-46, then we moved to Ohio. First we lived in an apartment in Millersburg. Then we bought an old house in Benton. Built a 2 story garage in 1948 and lived in the station on the site. We lived up stairs in 4 small rooms...

This is where the story stops on the paper... I know many of you can fill in most of the rest of the story. I can tell you that I'm happy to have been a part of this story. My grandfather has filled a grand role in my life. That is something that I am truly thankful for.

thanks for reading my post today,
-matt-

My Coaching Philosophy

2009-08-13T17:03:00.001-04:00

I became a coach to help kids learn and enjoy the game of football. We have youth programs to help expose kids to the game so that they may begin to learn the fundamentals of the game. Its also a great way to build confidence, courage and teamwork. It also helps them develop a general tendency for a more healthy and active lifestyle. Winning isn't about the score at the end of the game; but what is accomplished on the field.

As role models to our kids it is our responsibility to show them fair play, respect for others and hone their competitive nature. To this day some of my best role models are still the coaches I had when I was involved as a player in youth football. I hope that my involvement in the game helps our kids love the game of football both on the field and off. The most enjoyable moments of coaching for me are seeing the excitement on a players face after they have just made a great play! I think this should be another FUN season for the kids! I and my staff will be working hard to make sure that our players get exposure to both offense and defense!

I hope that you will help us by being a positive influence on your child's time with football. Things as simple as throwing a ball around for 10 minutes at home will be a huge impact on them as they progress through the season. This is about the KIDS, we will be focused on the KIDS and their enjoyment. I will emphasis that this league is for FUN and my goal is to ensure that they have fun!

Sincerely,
Matt Eash

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