1997, a year of CHANGES and CHALLENGES for the Millers

Most of our activity this year has revolved around our planned move to California. We rented our condo in Florida for both the season and the year ( 1998 has availability as of April!); rented our home on Lake Geneva Wisc. ( available after March 15!); sold our Chicago townhouse in 2 weeks and after much travail purchased a four story newer home in San Francisco. The physical move was accomplished in early June. It took a couple of months to learn to live together on a full-time basis, but we've managed it and will celebrate our 30th anniversary on December 20. We are at the south end of the Mission District ( Bernal Heights) and have a great view of Sutro Tower and Twin Peaks. We are 'almost' unpacked, have two guest rooms and are really looking forward to having many visitors!!!

Rick started his California job search in late January and found the market to be quite good and his networking skills to be VERY good. By April he had 5 very good offers and took the one that seemed to offer the best opportunity for growth and learning, HOK Architects and Engineers. Between high-rise offices, campus building design for Sun Microsystems and three prison projects, he has been very busy! The piano still gets played, but a new teacher is yet to be found.

Jo Anne started work in a brand new wireless startup in early January, TeleAccess Communications, and hasn't had a dull moment since. Product development, recruiting, negotiating for manufacturing, and fund raising. Lots of Asian travel, centered on Hong Kong but including Beijing, Shanghai, Manila, Taipei and Singapore. Most trips are very rushed, but it has been an exciting opportunity so far!

Our move proved timely in terms of support for Jo Anne's parents as her father had hip replacement surgery in late July that went bad, with him ending up with a staph infection and three and a half months of hospitals, surgery, antibiotics and pain. The whole family got involved in one way or another. He has recovered from the infection, has no left hip currently and is impatiently waiting for a second try in late January. This time we are starting at Stanford Hospital.

Lara successfully completed her first year of med school at Midwestern University near Chicago, moved into an apartment and furnished it with pieces from our Chicago home ( great timing). She worked in a minority tutoring program at school for the summer and now is one term into her second year and seems to be enjoying it ( if that's not an oxymoron for medical school). In September she was very happy to receive a public health scholarship for the remainder of medical school. This is one of those 'Northern Exposure' deals, but it fits her plans well and will help her keep her debt down.

Chris has had a good year as an internet entrepreneur with his website winning a couple of awards and getting some good PR, (from Radio Shack of all places). A three week summer roadtrip in a neo-psychedelic van brought the bianca Virtual Community to the real world! Chris was a great help to us in the move out here, attending home inspections, storing stuff for us and just being a great support person! In September he moved his base of operation to the Boston area, with the plan to move back to SF in mid/late 1998. He is still running his website, doing some freelance web development, and enjoying the Boston area with his friend Veenu, who is completing her Masters of Public Health at Harvard.

We will all be together for Christmas in California followed by a trip to the Rose Bowl to see Michigan WIN and a trip to our Florida condo with my folks. We are looking forward to 1998 as a year of consolidation, continued growth and health and wish each of you a wonderful year!