Showing posts with label Furlough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Furlough. Show all posts

Monday, October 7, 2013

Monday Musings - October 7, 2013

1. The surest sign of ineptitude is the inability to resolve disputes amicably in order to serve the greater good of society.

2. Sadly, we elected our congressional representatives and they are doing just what we asked them to do--be singly focused upon a limited set of issues with little regard for governing the country.

3. Maryland's new cell phone and seatbelt laws are another example of legislative powers gone wildly awry.

4. They're back. The stink bug blight is underway.

5. Furlough Day 7 has turned into back to work day!

6. I watched a great football game yesterday. Denver and Dallas played a classic games where each team played awesome offensive football. 99 points were scored--the fourth most points scores in an NFL game scoring game of all time and one quarterback passed for over 500 yards and the other for over 400 yards. Yet, sadly, the game ends because of clock management. Earl Weaver had it right when he said something to the effect that in baseball there is no running out the clock--you still have to throw the ball over the plate.

7. The first weekend in October 2013 provided some fantastic weather for us to enjoy. It was reminiscent of summer. It is summer's last gasp. The last, parting kiss until next year. 

8. The government shutdown continues at the expense of the American public. And Congress does not seem to care.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Furlough Day 6: Completed Tasks and Uncertainty

Delivering the Ornamental Grasses to the Recycling Center
The grasses have been trimmed. The task was finally completed after realizing that operator error played a huge part in the problems I was having with my battery powered trimmer. The image I published yesterday of the battery contains the clue to the problem with the trimmer--which failed to work properly both on Friday and again on Saturday morning.  I was charging a 24V battery with an 18V charger.

Dumb!  Who knew they would fit? And the indicator confirmed that charging was occurring. Black and Decker should have known better. And, duh, so should I.

It worked a lot better after it received a 24V charge. Yay.

The job is done. The grasses are at the landfill for recycling into compost.

It was a unusually warm October day. A great day to enjoy a soccer game and work outside. A great way to get ready for the darkness and the cold which will be coming all too soon.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge ,MD


Saturday, October 5, 2013

Furlough Day 5: Inoperative Tools

Today, I get to finish a project started yesterday but was left unfinished due to equipment malfunction.

The task? Trimming the ornamental grasses around the pool. The problem? The battery on the hedge trimmer died yesterday and was not sufficiently charged to complete the task. It is frustrating when tools fail to perform as required to accomplish the jobs that they must be used for. I use my hedge trimmer once per year--to trim the ornamental grasses and I expect the battery to be charged and ready to go for the task.
Trimmer without battery on the Trash Can
 where it needs to permanently reside

But, it means that I get to complete the job today, as part of my furlough day 5 tasks. Yes, although it is Saturday, it is still a furlough day because I cannot go to work, even if I wanted to.

I was encouraged by one small glimmer of hope. As reported by CBS News: 

On Friday, House Democrats unveiled a strategy that could end the impasse by October 14. They are circulating a "discharge petition" that, if signed by a majority of House members, regardless of party affiliation, could force a vote on a spending bill to reopen the government, sans any alterations to the health care law. 
That strategy aims to exploit the fissures among Republicans that have surfaced in press reports. A growing handful of GOP congressman are coming around to the idea of ending the government shutdown and living to fight over budget policy another day.

Perhaps, in a piecemeal fashion, this impasse will end.
Trimmer Battery on the Charger

Meanwhile, the list of things getting accomplished around the house continues to grow. I believe that I need to start planning a week of vacation every autumn just to take care of this stuff instead of trying to cram the activities into the already too full weekends. It is nice to get this stuff done 

I wonder if Monday will be a furlough day? Next week?

I have to be honest--if this is what retirement is like, I'm reconsidering it as a future option.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Friday, October 4, 2013

Furlough Day 4 - Pillar of Fire

I saw it yesterday morning as I was leaving the gym after playing racquetball. The pillar of fire was visible on the eastern horizon as the dawn was just beginning to shake off the nighttime darkness. I tried to get an image of it hanging there in the predawn sky. 

I recognized it immediately as the pillar of fire from Exodus 13:21-22:  Now the Lord was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel day or night. He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people. - NET Bible

I know, of course, that I was not seeing THE pillar of fire, but in these uncertain times what I saw struck a chord deep within me--WE need a Moses to lead us from conflict and partisanship and into the promised land. We need leaders who can, in the face of uncountable odds, lead this nation and not quibble about the small stuff.

We need leaders who are willing to compromise and listen to reason and act accordingly. I'm not so sure we have any currently in positions of authority in this country. We have become a people of the sound byte with no intellectual depth upon which to evaluate situations and make decisions. "We the people" have become "we the sheep" and the wolves are leading us astray.

Today is Furlough Day 4, and I definitely felt the drag of indifference yesterday. In an effort to shake off the lethargy, and as Phineas says to Ferb, "I know what we're going to do today!" It is going to start on the racquetball court at 0530 and head somewhere after that!

I'll let you know.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD




Thursday, October 3, 2013

Furlough Day 3 - Defending the Homestead

As furlough Day 3 gets into full swing, I am attempting to maintain a fairly normal schedule. I played racquetball at 0530 this morning and now, in addition to watching the news hoping for sanity to return in DC,  I have a list of tasks to accomplish during the remainder of the day.

The task list is significantly different than that accomplished on normal (non-furlough) day as it includes:

1. Shopping for dinner items--a trip to Wegman's is imminent
2. Vacuuming (ugh!)
3. Picking up prescriptions (normally a stop on the way home)
4. Preparing the marinade for the meat for dinner (I do this, infrequently)
5. Cutting the grasses around the pool (normally a weekend task in the springtime)
6. Defending the homestead from the attacking hoards

Stink Bug on the Prowl

The last one is particularly problematic. My house is under siege from the ever present and ubiquitous stink bugs. Every time I look around there is another one crawling in the house that needs to be dispatched into the nethermost regions. 

They are everywhere it seems, hence ubiquitous. And they fly! My choice method of disposal is the toilet and a watery grave. I try to get three or more to flush at a time since they can't be squashed, like so many other bugs, because they stink. And implementing a catch and release policy seems self-defeating. 

I think there may be a market for the Stink Bug Eradicator! It is an invention that, I am designing during my free furlough time, sucks up the bugs and seals them into a small plastic bag for safe, stink-free disposal into the trash. No fuss, no muss, no stink, no environmentally dangerous chemicals, and better yet--no hand-to-bug contact required! I can see the ad already on the TV.

I just looked up and there a three more begging to go for a swim.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD





Furlough Day 2 - Closing the Pool

Pool with Water Lowered Ready for the Cover
What does a federal employee do when furloughed? Stuff around the house. Yesterday was the saddest day of the year--pool closing day.

It was a beautiful day reminiscent of the summertime with temperatures into the 80's and sunshine. But, that also made it a great day to close the pool.

Since I had precious little else to do, it gave me something to do which is both critical to get done before the bulk of the leaves fall from the trees and it took my mind off the whole furlough thing.
Pool with Cover in Place for Winter

Alone, closing the pool takes about five to six hours to get everything done and all of the chemicals balanced for the winter. It is a sad day because with every action completed in the closing process I am increasing the distance from the summer fun that was experienced around the pool. 

And so now it, the pool, waits as do I for the return of longer days filled with sunshine. There are six months until pool opening day--provided the furlough ends. 

I wonder what I am going to do today? I even offered to go shopping for Chris. Can you believe it? I do know that I will stay in contact with many of my fellow furloughed friends via the magic of Facebook. We need to look out for each other--although it amy not seem like it, these are trying times.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Furloughs and Shutdowns

Having lived through the first day of my adult life in a furlough status and on the threshold of day 2, I can state that it is a very weird feeling to have a profession but not be able to go do the things that I am trained to do. 

I like, I think the number is 800,000, of my fellow federal employees are idle. We know that what we do is important and that we contribute in a positive way to life in the US. I was a bit hurt that there were bills introduced to get the National Park Service back on the job before the rest of the federal workforce. I guess seeing the museums shuttered on the Washington Mall brought the reality of what was happening just a bit too close to Congress. 

I went to a meeting of the Howard County Public School Academic Calendar Planning Committee last evening and found that three other of the committee members, like myself, are furloughed. We exchanged some pleasantries about the day, but were very quickly consumed with the business of the committee--but, it helped to know of others outside my own small work unit who are similarly affected by the nonsense occurring within the government.

I was somewhere yesterday and we were naming the states from which people commute to get to work. The states were Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Confusion. 

I have a huge list of things to do today, so I guess I will practice being retired and do all kinds of things to keep myself busy while keeping an eye on the news to see if I can return to work tomorrow and if the insanity to the south will abate.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Constitutional Amendment Proposal

"We the People" need to propose a Constitutional Amendment in the wake of the politically charged ineffectiveness of our Congress to enact a budget before the beginning of the new fiscal year. Their ineptitude has resulted in a partial government shutdown which will likely have long term negative United States. 

I am amazed that our elected leaders can let a significant date pass without action. October 1st comes on the same day every year, and except when Congress changes the beginning of the fiscal year as they have done in the past, so does the fiscal new year. Many do not remember, but prior to 1976, the government fiscal year began on 1 July. I know that in the discharge of my duties, I have to meet deadlines.

Article 1 of the Constitution specifies the duties of the Congress, yet, there are no consequences for not faithfully discharging said duties as a body.

I propose that a Constitutional Amendment that provides for and holds Congress accountable, as a body, to well and faithfully discharge their duties especially in terms of establishing appropriations to continue running the government and providing for essential services. In the event that a budget is not passed--and I do not mean a continuing resolution, before the start of the fiscal year the Congress will be dissolved. We will immediately enter an election to elect every member of Congress and previously elected members will be eligible to run and get their jobs back. The elections will happen on the 1st Tuesday of November. 

As for the appropriations to fund the government? The President's budget will become the law of the land and once the the newly elected Congress is in session they will appropriate monies to fund the budget without debate. The amendment will further provide for an automatic continuing resolution to fund the government during the election and subsequent seating of the Congress.

Is my idea perfect? No. But maybe more constitutionally literate minds than mine can devise a scheme to help hold the Congress accountable. And, "We the People" can decide who in the congress needs to stay and who needs to leave in order to continue the business of governing our great republic!

Maybe cooler heads will prevail?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


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