Madeline Miller's Song

Recently Madeline wrote a song for and about her Uncle Todd. Madeline and I played it for everyone at Easter at Aunt Marsha's house. Well...after a lot of legal battles, we finally obtained the rights to publish the lyrics here on our website.

Don’t Die Away
by Madeline Miller

I sit there, by his deathbed;
His eyes closed in sleep.
But then, he opens them,
And begins to speak.

He said, “Now Baby Girl, you know,
It’s time for me to go.
My life is almost gone,
And it’s time to move on!”

And I said noooo,
Don’t let go,
Noooo,
Don’t leave me alone,
Noooo,
Stay with me one last day,
Noooo,
Please, don’t die away.

His voice was hoarse and husky,
His body, oh-so weak
I grabbed his hand, squeezed it hard,
And then began to weep.

I knew his time was ticking,
That his life was almost gone,
but I didn’t want to forget,
And I don’t want to move on!

Chorus

At that moment, the nurse came in,
She pulled me out of the room.
I screamed and tugged, but my uncle
Said, “Don’t worry, I’ll see you soon.”

As the car sailed along the road,
Fast as an eagle’s flapping wings,
I bit my lip, And to raise my hopes,
I began to sing.

Chorus

The next morning, I sat,
Awaiting on my bed,
All my thoughts of him,
Swirling in my head

All of us waited patiently,
Listening for the phone,
Wishing, oh a-wishing,
For our uncle to come home.

The phone rang,
And we all jumped,
It rang and rang again,
But we were to afraid,
What would they say?

Finally, oh finally,
My father said “It’s time.”
And as my father’s face changed,
My mama began to cry.

Oh my sister and my brother,
They didn’t understand a thing,
And to make my hopes rise,
I began to sing.

Chorus

My father walked to me,
And held me in an embrace,
I let all the tears come,
I know he felt my pain.

Although we had our moments,
Right then, we felt the same,
We knew that my uncle,
Had died and gone away.

To this day,
I still think,
Will we ever be together?
Will we hold hands tight,
And be with each other forever?
Or is this the end?
Will I ever see you again?

Will I ever see you again?


Madeline, what a great song. Can't wait to play it with you again at the Relay!

Todd B. Miller NCAA Basketball Pool Update!

THE FINAL FOUR IS SET!!!

Here are the senerios....

If North Carolina wins...Aunt Marsha wins and James Dietz is second.
If Kansas wins...Meredith Coppolino wins and Nick Lebresco is second.
If UCLA wins...Nick Lebresco wins and Mark Lebresco is second.
If Memphis beats Kansas...Meredith Coppolino wins and Nick Lebresco is second.
If Memphis beats North Carolina...Nick Lebresco wins and Mark Lebresco is second.

Good Luck to all of the finalist!!!

We finally have Poopy in the Potty!!!

There is one little problem.........


















It was B, not Jagger. Way to go B!


She really is growing up fast...first she is pooping on the potty and now she is starting her own blog. However, I have a feeling it will be a blog discussing a few shapes and numbers...and not much else.



Publish Post







We are leaving for FLORIDA tomorrow, stay tuned next week...we hope to give updates from the road if we can.

Spring Is Here!!!

What a day for a Picnic!


Yesterday, with the weather being in the low 60's, the kids got a chance to eat outside in their new playhouse!


















Mmmm....PB&J and French Fries for Jagger and Hot Dog's, Green Beans and French Fries for B! Delicious!


















Flip that recycle bin over and cover it with old baby blanket and you've got yourself a table. "Mangia!" (maan - jaa) It's italian...I'm Italian!


IN MUSIC NEWS


Last night I got an opportunity to visit a long lost friend from my Trans Union days, Leanie O'Donnell. Turns out her husband, Glen, is a kick-ass musician and has recording equipment. (Real deal recording equipment) On top of that he is a really nice guy. They are both super nice!

So basically, I had a chance last night to be a Rock Star for the evening. Glen recorded, mixed and mastered five songs for me. I am very happy with the way they turned out and hope to be sharing them with you all very soon. Additionally, I hope to start using the CD to get some gigs at local bars in the area. I am a little nervous, with how good the CD turned out, that I might actually get one!

Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen
Won't Back Down - Tom Petty
Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon
Me and Julio - Paul Simon
Timeless Melody - The La's

One thing I came to realize last night is that is am a really good.........................whistler! I nailed the whistling solo in "Me and Julio." Seriously!

Stay tuned to hear it!!!

What a Happy Baby!

"B" has such a great SMILE!







































WHAT EVER IT TAKES!!!

With Lindsay and I training for our Sprint Tri-athalon in May, both of us are working hard to exercise whenever we get the chance. Lindsay is displaying here that even with a broken set of earphones, she is commited to working out! Nothing can stop her. Way to go Lindsay!!! Keep up the hard work.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME!!!

As "Jagger" said this morning, I am "Three-tee Four."

It has been a great Birthday so far...I got up and went to the gym, came back and Mommy had to yell at Jagger to say "Happy Birthday" to me. I got some cool presents....two cool new hats, phillies tickets, a nice shirt and a awesome new t-shirt (see photo)....ohh and disposable sunglasses. They last between 4 - 6 weeks....then I lose them. Thanks Dear!


What a cool shirt.

"Life is good"

I agree!!!














Susan sent a Birthday Card with this comic strip inside.
I totally agree with it. Thank you for the card Susan (and Ray)









"Laugh and the world laughs with you, Cry and your brother gets punished!"

Also, I video taped myself playing Bruce Springsteen's Atlantic City. I have been telling my friend James that I would do it. Here you go James! I think it sounds pretty good. Hope you like it. Look closely and you can see and hear "B" in the backgound. B brings the song to a screeching halt, literally. I didn't feel like redoing it (again.) It was the second take, the first take B pulled the high-chair down behind me, I think you can see it on the ground. It is more entertaining this way anyway.




Also, I just ordered Pearl Jam tickets for this summer!
What a great day!

EASTER WEEKEND!!!

SATURDAY WITH THE NEIGHBORS

































SUNDAY WITH THE FAMILY
































































































































To end the Weekend on a High Note, Madeline and Chris performed a song that Madeline wrote herself. It is a beautiful song written about her Uncle Todd. Sadly, there is no video or photos to document this historic performance. Luckily, this superstar duo is willing to perform this song again at the "Relay for Life." (That is, if Chris and Madeline can come to an agreement with the Relay's promoters on a fair price for the performance!!!)

The Todd B. Miller NCAA Basketball Tourney has Started

NOW LET'S MEET THE PLAYERS!!!

Craig Miller - Todd's brother, PSU Alumni,
lives in Towson, MD.

Chris Lebresco - Todd's cousin, Towson State Alumni,
organizer of this wonderful
pool.

James Dietz - Our friend from Towson State,
lives in Commack, NY (Long Island),
and is a big Yankee fan.
We will see how well he knows college hoops.

james vallillo - My College Friend/Roommate,
One of Towson U's finest Baseball Players,
lives in Holmdel, NJ (
recently just had a baby boy, his second)
Congratulations, James!

John Carson - Friend from my Othro-McNeil days,
he is single and ready to mingle,
lives in Phoenixville, PA.
John actually won this pool the last time I
ran it.

Mark Lebresco - my brother, lives in the same
neighborhood as Lindsay and me,has a 3 yr old daughter
and two 8mo. old twin daughters.
He works long hours,takes care of his kids,
and watches sports on TV.

Marsha Miller - Todd's mother, recently nominated
for a major award at Work!, lives in Fairfax, VA.
She will be hosting a lot of us this Easter Sunday.

Meredith Coppolino - friend and new bride of my
long-time friend Jeff Coppolino,just started working
at Graco with Lindsay.

Michael Stark - Co-worker of Lindsay's at Graco,
I don't know much more about Michael but lets not
let that stop us from razzing him on the message board.

Nick Lebresco - My father, recently had quadruple
by-pass surgery, hopefully no longer smokes and is
a very good pigeon racer.  Yes, he raises and races
homing pigeons. It is pretty cool...look it up.

Pattie Lebresco - My mother, she is great,
when she is not working, she is most likely
helping out with one or all of her five grandchildren.
If not, she is either shopping or talking on the phone
with her friend Sue.

Philip Lebresco - My youngest brother, to be married
in June and CLEMSON Alumni! Go Tigers!

Ray Buchanan - My father-in-law (aka Lindsay's Dad)
Retired (which means they get to visit a lot)
is right now vacationing in Florida.  He is most
likely windexing his entire car as we speak.

Ryan McCabe - Phil's good friend from High School.
He is the finance manager at a local Oil Company
and charges me an arm and a leg for my home heating oil!
Come on, Ryan!!!  (Just kidding)

Susan Buchanan - My Mother-in-law (aka Lindsay's Mother)
Like Ray, she is retired and loves helping with the grand-kids.
Right now she is most likely relaxing by the pool,
reading a book and keeping an eye out for gators,
snakes and wild turkeys.  (We got your postcard.)
We pretty much get a card a day here!!!

Tom Hindman - friend and neighbor, Loyola Alumni,
he knows about the Bar scene in Towson from our college days
...big fan of Gators Pub - 50 cent draft night.
Also gave me my first big break by letting me
play/sing at is annual summer birthday bash.
(Although I played at 4:30 and the party started at 6:00)

Current Points (through Round 1 / Day 1)

PLAYER / Number of Wins
1 James Dietz 15

2 Nick Lebresco 14

2 I Don't Know 1 Player 14

2 Ray Buchanan 14

5 Mark Lebresco 13

5 Meredith Coppolino 13

5 Ryan McCabe 13

5 Craig Miller 13

5 Susan Buchanan 13

5 Marsha Miller 13

11 james vallillo 12

11 Philip Lebresco 12

13 Michael Stark 11

13 Tom Hindman 11

15 John Carson 10

15 Pattie Lebresco 10


GETTING EXCITED FOR EASTER!!!








The cousins














Scared of the Easter Bunny






















"B" is about this age now and looks just like Jagger did!









See you on Sunday!

"DEE DEE" on Drums!

DEE DEE and The Stoneleigh Band participated in a
STEEL DRUM EXTRAVANGANZA



DEE DEE working the sticks!








The Stoneleigh Band














Go! DEE DEE Go!










We don't have actual footage, but this is what he sounds like...take a listen.

Continuing Chris' Cholesterol Coverage

Update!

I am now taking 20mg of Simvastatin, once daily (at night).
It is the generic of Zocor. The next step is to get blood-work done in six weeks to see if it is working. Remember...my baseline LDL score was 111. Let's see how low this medicine can get it.

FAMILY PHOTOS

"B" helping with the dishes.

Just another morning watching cartoons.








The results are in!!!

The People have spoken.....LIZ IS MILEY RAY CYRUS






NEW "EDDIE VEDDER" VIDEO

Eddie wrote a song, NO MORE WAR, for a documentary called "Body of War." It's great, give it a chance! I did and I really like it, I am going to have to check out some of his other stuff.

Lizzie Is Not Happy With Miley Cyrus...Boo Hoo!

So Let's Take A Vote!!!


a. Perez Hilton (why not?)








b. Miley Cyrus (spitting image)

<---This is Liz For those who don't know.




c. Brittany (she has always wanted to be her)









d. Ugly Betty









We thought Miley was perfect. What do you think?
Does anyone else have an issue with their character?


Brooke Growling Like a Tiger
(It's a bit long, but my girl B is a real tiger, listen...)

TODD B. MILLER FUND RAISER!

Well, for our family, it is that time of year again – "Relay for Life" Time.

This will be the 5th year our family has participated in the American Cancer
Society’s Relay for Life in honor of my cousin Todd who lost his battle with
cancer in 2003.














To raise money for this cause, I am running an NCAA Basketball Pool.

I am hoping you will participate. It is run online and very easy to do. Also, if you wish, you can enter more than one pool. If a basketball pool isn't your thing, don't worry we will be doing our normal "fundraising" in April and May.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND A FRIEND TO THIS SITE.

Entry Fee - $20.00 / Pool

Winnings: 50% of the pot goes to Relay for Life / Todd B. Miller Fund
50% of the pot (minus my website charge) is split 75% to 1st place and 25% to 2nd
place.

Example: 20 Contestants = $400
$200 to Todd
$150 to 1st PLACE
$50 to 2nd PLACE

THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!

********************************************************************************
Instructions for joining the pool entitled 'Todd B. Miller Memorial Pool'
********************************************************************************
1. Go to http://www.runyourpool.com/join.cfm

2. Enter the following information:
a. In the Pool ID box, enter the number 5544
b. In the Pool Password box, enter 'toddmiller' (without the single quotes)

3. Fill out the form information, including a personal username and password.
(Rest assured, this information will NOT be sold or utilized for spam email
under ANY circumstances.)

4. Make your bracket picks, with the ability to change them right up until your
pool's deadline.

5. Then, send me 20 Bucks!!!

It's that easy. If you have any questions, let me know or e-mail runyourpool.com
directly at support@runyourpool.com.



GRAPE DRINK!

(This is hilarious, but explicit..don't play it if you are at work.)

And Starring As.....

Due to the fact that not everyone likes "playing themselves" on this blog, we have recruited some very high profile celebrities to play the parts of our "characters." Here is what we have come up with so far...


Mrs. Roeper as "Granny - Gran"








Carly Simon as "Pattie"
aka Grandma



Henry Winkler as "Pop-Pop"








George W. Bush as "Grand Dad"





Jane Fonda as "Nana"
(mom- I'm loving this haircut)







Richard Gere as "Uncle Han"





JJ Walker as "Chris" (aka Dad)



Reese Witherspoon as "Lindsay" aka Mommy











"Bowzer" as "Uncle Phil"





Leelee Sobieski as "Aunt Krista"





Greatest American Hero as "Uncle Mark"




Katie Holmes as "Aunt Kristen"
(That is, if she ever cuts her hair!)





Diane Sawyer as "Aunt Marsha"
(Pam Anderson wanted too much money!!!)




Jackie Gleason as
"Uncle Tommy"





Courtney Cox as "Aunt Carol"



Cliff Claven as "Glenn"





Michael Douglass as "Craig"




Helen Hunt as "Annie"




Suzanne Somers as "Aunt Lois"
(this was just too appropriate- Aunt Marsha- you and Aunt Lois need to get together!)




Farrah Faucet as "Aunt Lora"




Rocky and Bullwinkle as
"Aunt Nina and Uncle Jonathan"








Ray Ramano as "Uncle Brad"



Jennifer Grey as "Aunt Amy"







Maureen McCormick as "Jenna"



Miley Cyrus as "Liz"
(seriously- when Liz had dark hair,
they could pass for twins!"






Motocross Champion Ricky Carmichael as "Brandon"


Nirvana Drummer and Foo Fighters Lead Man -
Dave Grohl as "Glenn Jr."




South Park's Chef as "Thomas"




We are continually adding to this cast of characters, so check back to see if your character has been added or changed!!! (and remember- this is all in good fun- we don't anyone mad at us!)

Stay Tuned!