Flying Home -- Children on the Airplane

Before boarding my flight to Minneapolis form Anchorage, I was concerned about the family with two small children in the waiting area. The children were screamers. Not just your average run of the mill unhappy children, but first class, top of their lungs screamers.

Their ability to create tension once on the plane was unsurpassed. The small children screamed so loud above the volume of the music in my earphones that often I could not hear the song. Who knew kids could scream with such intensity for so many hours.  I was numb and trapped in the airplane at 39,000 feet.

I don't know whether I felt worse for the parents or the other 200 plus passengers on the flight. And one kid was a toddler. It was a five hour flight. I actually was trying to determine how much hearing loss would occur if I turned up the Billy Joel music I was listening to in order to effectively mask the noise.

The only one relaxing on the flight was Sweetie, the golden lab working dog seated behind me. She didn't seem to mind the noise. I couldn't even read my book or think of anything other than getting off the plane and hoping that they were not heading to Baltimore. Which, thankfully, they were not.

I tried playing solitaire on my iPad, what a disaster, I couldn't even think about the cards.

Maybe if the airline had offered free alcohol I could have overcome the noise. Or shared it with the parents. Suffice it to say, it was the longest five hour flight I have ever taken and those kids set a record for the number of hours they agitated over 200 other people who were trapped in the aircraft with them.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sweetie flies

On my flight from Anchorage to Minneapolis was a working dog named Sweetie.

And she was.

-- Bob Doan, writing from somewhere over America

Sightseeing in Alaska

It has been a short five day trip, with two of the days being travel days.

It is amazing how quickly the time has passed.

Only one day, the first, was sunny and bright; at least for part of the day. And fortunately, I snapped a couple of images from the car just in case. Unfortunately, just in case came to pass and the remainder of my off time from work was snowy, too cold, and ofter dark.

Those conditions just do not make the best combination for sightseeing.

In fact, the most interesting thing that I believe I have seen are the heavy snow laden pine trees which approximate those in my Snow Village.

Today is another long travel day. Ugh.

Who knew that Alaska was so far away?

-- Bob Doan, writing from Anchorage, AK

Out the Hotel Window - Anchorage in the Daylight

I had to take another image out of the hotel window, just to prove that there actually is daylight here in Anchorage. I wish my hotel had a better view, but, alas, it doesn't. It actually looks like almost any other winter, frozen, too far north city.

I have found some scenery here. Yesterday, for instance, I saw snow flakes falling from the sky. Lots of them. About three inches of accumulation which would have been enough to shut down everything in Maryland.

But no, what I saw was actually pretty amazing. Snow plows on the roads keeping the lanes clear. What a concept. And I saw drivers that were able to drive on the snow. From that perspective, it was encouraging to be reminded that snow does not have to create a regional shut down.

Was it pretty?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My eye was looking for palm trees and sandy beaches where I could hold a cold drink in my hand without getting frostbite. But, I did enjoy the way it clung to the pine trees making them appear like the trees I use in my annual Snow Village display.

-- Bob Doan, Writing from Anchorage, AK

Richard III - Rediscovered

I have been fascinated with the discovery of the bones of the English King Richard III from the 1400's.

Bones of Richard III

Bones of the King who died in 1485, before Columbus discovered America, have been resting safely beneath a parking lot north of  London. Which is why the probably still survive.

The Washington Post article discusses the possible impacts of this discovery of the remains of the final monarch of the House of Planetagenet whose death ushered in the Tudors as monarchs of England.

That I am so fascinated with this relic of history is not amazing. But that I am so intrigued by a king of England who was a tyrant and a warrior and depicted by Shakespeare as an evil, deformed, child murdering monster is a bit disturbing. I am looking forward to a future History Channel program about the search and subsequent discovery of the bones.

The curved spine makes me cringe in pain every time I think about it--yet he was a King.

I think back to life during the 1400's when the world was clearly flat and survival was a daily battle for most people. What a time. And why was he buried 90 miles north of London? I can scarcely imagine life during those times of upheaval.

And like all despots and evil leaders--he died. Now his bones have been found and the stories can be confirmed or refuted. It reminds me of being in 11th grade history class and having to memorize all of the Kings and Queens of England--for no apparently good reason.

How cool is it that science can confirm that these are the bones of that man.  Wow!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Anchorage, AK

Out the Hotel Window - Anchorage

Well, it is not much to see, yet, given the early hour. I admit though, it was warmer in Anchorage than it was yesterday in Baltimore and about 15 degrees warmer than Minneapolis.

Anchorage, 5 Feb 2013

It is still below freezing though, making it about 45 degrees to cold for my preference.

As it has been dark the entire time I've been here, I really do not have a good sense of the landscape. Sunrise is not until 9:08 this morning. So it will be much later in the day before I can really take in the landscape. I'm not changing the clock on my computer, so this post will show Eastern Time--subtract 4 hours to find the real time of my post (about 6AM).

The trip was long, but thankfully uneventful. I was lucky to have one of the two or three empty center seats next to me, so at least I did not get that sardine in a can feeling for the nearly six hour flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage.

What excitement awaits me in Anchorage? Time will tell. It has been cold though, the streets are snow covered.

In other news, the on/off switch on my bluetooth ear piece broke yesterday--so I have some shopping to do later today. Oh boy, new electronics!

I have enjoyed watching the continuing coverage of the Ravens Super Bowl victory. There are some strange stories coming out of New Orleans, but I wish that I were in Baltimore for the victory parade today. When the Orioles win the World Series later this year, I will not miss the victory parade!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Anchorage, AK

Monday Musings - February 4, 2013

1. A football team from a working person's city, much to the chagrin of the NFL and all of the pundits, won one of the most exciting , nail-biting Super Bowl's that I have ever watched. The Ravens completed a dream season and played an exciting, sometimes ugly game in wining the Lombardi Trophy. Go Ravens!!

2. CBS's contract with the NFL should be immediately terminated until they get announcers who actually understand the game.

3. My vote for the best Super Bowl commercial goes to the Jeep ad. Second place goes to the Budweiser Clydesdale ad.

4. Wine tasting is the best way to spend an afternoon. Getting really into each wine and understanding the region and the grape to appreciate the color, the taste, the aromas, and the finish makes enjoying wine so much more than just drinking.

5. Super Bowls make for late nights. I didn't get to bed until almost midnight. And then I was up before 5 to play racquetball.

6. The power outage during the game is one of the most unique things that has ever happened during a Super Bowl. It changed the game significantly.

7. What else is there to talk about the day after your home city wins the Super Bowl? Well, the Orioles winning the World Series of course!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Game Day - Super Bowl

One game--winner takes all and the loser is all but forgotten. I hardly remember the loser of last year's game--oh wait, it was the Patriots!

The culmination of a season of hard work comes down to one game played on a huge stage where every defect and strength is on display.

It is a game larger than life and larger than the sport, it seems. Even the halftime show is beyond belief. It is the only game all season where the television fans at home get to see the halftime show because it truly is a spectacle.

The price for tickets is out of sight for the normal fan. This morning, I checked one site and the lowest ticket was $1194. Really? For a football game? And one that isn't usually up to the hype?

Yet I know people who are there. My neighbors, for instance.

I will watch the game--and as one might suspect I am all in for the Ravens, as I have been all season. I believe that although they may not be the better team on paper or in the computers, they have the intangibles! It is Ray Lewis' last ride. I suspect there will be a lot of purple in church this morning.

But this is the day we have been waiting for since before the season began, so I need to enjoy it. 32 teams began the season with their sights set upon being in today's game--only two are left. At the end of the day, there will be a champion and an also ran.

As the Ravens fight song goes:

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Ravens dark wings take to flight

Dive in and show them your might

For Baltimore and Maryland

You will fly on to victory

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Imaginary Controversy

I watched a news report a few minutes ago about how a famous youthful star had signed a major contract with a diet drink maker. Read about it in the Huffington Post article. Seemed cool to me.

Then the twist.

The protectors of society, my name not theirs, have arrived on the scene to create controversy where there should be none denouncing the endorsement deal as irresponsible because of all of the bad health consequences associated with soft drinks--especially sweetened ones.

Listening to the news report on the small minority of people who are on the front lines of this issue, I fear we are headed for a new prohibition era against soft drinks--which is really strange, where did I leave my glass of wine?

But really? It is a diet drink! People drink soda, just like people still smoke, drink alcohol, and heaven-forbid use gasoline to power automobiles.

I am more and more concerned that our society is becoming dominated by special interests which seek to impose their radical minority opinion upon the larger part of society often at the expense of reason and rational thought.

Outlawing soft drinks--or large soft drinks as some cities have done or attempted, seems to be an abuse of power. Where do these abuses stop? We already have more laws and ordnances than I can even begin to comprehend.

Condemning a star for inking a multi-million dollar deal to support a product which is legal and enjoyed by millions around the world seems extreme.

We need to let parents parent, and we need to let adults suffer natural consequences of their actions.

Let's stop creating controversy where there should be none and learn to live and respect others.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Corner of my Toast

I was sitting here, reading the morning news coming across the computer screen and mindlessly eating when I realized that two very deep, brown eyes were watching my moves closely as I came to the last corner of my breakfast toast.

Makayla at Breakfast

The last corner--of course, I do not own the last corner of my toast. No, it is Makayla's, and she knows it.

It has become a morning ritual that I rarely notice, except when I am traveling or she is having an overnight in preparation for a trip upon which I have an early departure.

She is patient. She sits there until the last corner is clearly available. And then, she inches closer. Sometimes she puts her nose on my leg to remind me that her piece of toast is nearly ready.

I have to be careful with the jam though--too much and she gets is in her fur--and that causes other issues.

When I am ready to share, she is so gentle about taking the corner of the toast from my hand. I have had other dogs who gulp the piece down without even really enjoying it, but Makayla seems to know that this special shared breakfast is a morsel to be savored and enjoyed.

I think I enjoy giving it to her more than she enjoys eating it, but it does cement that special bond between us.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge. MD