Winter Arrives in Maryland, Finally

Overnight winter arrived.

Elkridge, MD Gas Prices
January 5, 2015

The temperatures nosedived into the low 20's overnight and wintery precipitation is expected to start falling from the sky very soon. Three consecutive days of below freezing temperatures seem to be in the forecast. It is going to be cold. I'm not sure I'm ready for the freezing temperatures and snow.

On a brighter note, I filled up with gas last evening and was happy to pay $2.219 for gas. Wow! I never would have believed that a year ago. At least the arrival of cold weather has brought lower gas prices.

I know that much of the rest of the country has been suffering the freezing temperatures, but I had hoped the Baltimore region would be spared. 

It is not to be, the first real winter weather event of the year is here.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - January 5, 2015

Where one of my gold shots ended
On the ice

1. 2015 has been crazy. I played golf on Friday and yesterday the temperature rose to almost 60 degrees. The cold is coming, however.

2. Surprisingly, the Ravens won their playoff game. On to New England for the next round on Saturday. Congrats to the Cowboys, too who managed to succeed in the face of overwhelming adversity.

3. Chris and I visited two Maryland wineries on Saturday. Another great way to start the year--sampling wine and writing reviews.

4. Going back to work today after being on vacation for the past almost two weeks is going to be hard.

January Burgers on the BarBee

5. The weather was so warm yesterday that dinner was cooked on the grill. It was only burgers, but grilling in January and not having to wear a parka was the best part. 

6. I thought there were 12 days of Christmas beginning on Christmas Day! Seems not, because we have removed all of the Christmas decorations from our house. Perhaps the rainy but warm weather contributed to the decision to remove the holiday decorations.

7. I was shocked that during the television coverage of the New York City New Year's Eve celebration that I never really saw the ball drop. Was it just me, or did they forget to show it?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Unbroken - Movie Review

I had the opportunity to see the movie Unbroken. I found the movie to be an almost religious experience, however, in the spirit of full disclosure, my wife was bored and likened the movie to The Life of Pi which she felt was too long because the movie spent too much time in a boat.

Unbroken is an excellent movie, but perhaps a lot was lost on the audience which had not read the book. Unbroken is not for the younger audience as it deals with harsh and difficult themes with are as difficult then as they are now with some of the recent revelations of torture by our own government.

Angelina Jolie directed the movie, which is based upon the bestselling book of the same name by Laura Hillenbrand and recounts a portion of the life of Louis Zamperini, at least though the period immediately after World War II. Louis Zamperini died during July 2014, before the movie was released, but he was able to view and approve a rough cut if the movie it is reported.

If it were not a true story, no one would believe the details which are depicted in the movie. 

Jack O'Connell plays Louis who was an Olympic Runner for the United States in the 1936 Games in Berlin. He began running during his teen-age years to find an outlet for his enthusiastic approach to life which nearly caused him to be sent to reform school--he was a troublemaker and exasperated his parents and everyone who loved him. As a note--he was a great runner and widely expected to be one of the first to break the 4 minute mile. He joined the Army Air Corps and became a bombardier on B-24's in the Pacific Theater. On a reconnaissance mission to find the crew of a lost B-24, his aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean and he found himself, along with his pilot, adrift for 47 days only to be "rescued" by the Japanese and subjected to incredible mental and physical torture during the remainder of the war. But the story does not end there! Louis not only survived to the end of the war, but after dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome (although undiagnosed) found it in his heart to forgive his prison camp tormentors and traveled to personally convey his forgiveness to everyone of them--except one, nicknamed The Bird.

Takamasa Ishihara gives a superior performance portraying the sadistic prison camp guard, Mutsushiro Watanabe (a/k/a The Bird). The movie toned down the extreme sadism he showed to the prisoners under his control. The attempt at reconciliation between The Bird and Louis is a footnote at the end of the movie, but the magnitude of the gesture is far greater. Zamperini attempted to meet with Watanabe to convey his forgiveness, but was rebuffed. 

The movie has long periods where there is little action. How else can 47 days adrift in a raft be filmed? How much excitement really occurs except for an occasional shark attack and getting strafed by a Japanese fighter. The movie is gritty, dirty, real, and often difficult to watch.

RECOMMENDATION: See this movie! The book and the movie help me to understand why so many people of the Greatest Generation could not do what Louis Zamperini did and forgive the Japanese people for the travesties committed during World War II. The movie short changes the story a bit by not completing Louis Zamperini's tale about how he came a motivational speaker--but that is for additional research. This movie is NOT suitable for the pre-teen crowd.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Image of the Year

5th Place (Tie) Going to the Game with E-Dawg

At the end of every year, I like to review the images (pictures) that were taken to both remember the events and to select the image of the year. 

5th Place (Tie)
Taking Pictures of Poppies in Oregon

There were over 1300 images in the running this year and I narrowed them to 17. I was surprised that 11 of the images were collected during the July trip to Oregon. Well, Oregon is a stunning place and the forests, wineries, and waterfalls are truly sights that must be visited and enjoyed.

5th Place (Tie)
Sasquatch Hunting in Oregon

Every image has a story behind it--and that is truly the interesting part. It is not the artistic value of the images, but rather the memories they recall that make them truly special to me. 

I wanted to show the top 5, but it turns out that there was a three-way tie for 5th place and so there are 7 images. 

Even culling them down, 5 images from Oregon made the top 5 (or is that 7) for the year. 

4th Place
Chris on Her Morning Walk through the Willamette Valley Vineyards vineyard

Chris and I thoroughly enjoyed wandering through the vineyard every morning during our stay at the Willamette Valley Vineyards. There is something just relaxing and idyllic about starting the morning walking through the grapes on the vines. Every morning was different and enjoyable.

3rd Place
Sunset Across the Willamette Valley

Watching the stunning sunsets across the valley in the evenings was  the perfect way to end the day. Of course, sipping on a glass of wine on the veranda of the guest house is a great addition to the view.

Runner-up
Standing Above the Pacific Ocean on the Trail

After hiking a short mile or so to get to the overlook, the reward was a fabulous view of the Pacific Ocean from a spot, which potentially, Lewis and Clark stood to get a view of the ocean. Stunning, awesome, and expansive are the words that come to mind.

Image of 2014
Looking Over Cayuga Lake

This image was captured during June on a beautiful summer afternoon. This is one of those images that just calls to me through the water and the empty adirondack chairs that just say--come and sit for a while. The scent of the summer was hanging in the air and the lake called to the primal instinct to come down and play in the water.

There they are--my top five (OK--7) images of 2014 and the memories they recall.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Kitty Leaves the Nest

Kitty Departs

It finally happened. On the last day of 2014, Kitty, my Jaguar, left the nest and was donated to the National Kidney Foundation. 

There is a huge space in my driveway where it was parked, and a hole in my heart. Kitty was, after all, my first Jaguar. I had tried selling the car for the past almost eight months--but there were no serious buyers. In the end, it just made better sense to donate Kitty to a foundation that works to make lives better for people.

As I was going through the paperwork, I realized that I had owned the car for just over seven years and in that entire time put only about 6,000 miles on it. 

So, good bye to Kitty--I begin the new year with one less vehicle.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

2015 Begins

A page turned and completed another chapter in the book of the years last night when 2014 became 2015.

The final period on the year occurred as we shouted 3..2..1 just before we said

First Dawn of 2015

Happy New Year!

I find it interesting that the years arrive and depart under the cover of darkness. In some places, the darkness is short as opposed to the Northern Hemisphere where the hours of light seem brief. For instance, Sydney, Australia had about 14 hours and 22 minutes of daylight to celebrate the first day of the new year. Here in Elkridge, we are expecting a mere 9 hours and 28 minutes of sunlight.

The new year dawned clear and cold in Elkridge. I awoke to 17 degrees, a clear sky, and a subdued sunrise due to the lack of moisture in the air.

But, it is the new year and it is full of hope and promise.

Happy New Year to all! May the blessings and happiness of the new year not be overlooked amidst the dirt and disappointment of life. Let's plan to meet back here in 365 days to celebrate again the changing of the year and the promise of the new one.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

And so it Passes

Pikes Peak during January 2014

2014 ends tonight. What a year it has been. I am at the same time happy and sad to see it pass.

It is the turning of the year that helps me take a moment and review the year.

One of the high points was the trip to Oregon during July. Wow, what a beautiful place. I highly recommend it as a place to visit. It may be too rainy and cold to live there.

Consensus Blending: The Mad Scientist Lives

I had forgotten how much I traveled during the year: to Colorado a bunch of times and to Alaska during February. Then there was also the Consensus Wine Blending at Keswick--which is always a great weekend in Charlottesville, VA. Spring Training to Sarasota got me out of the cold for a few days and into a baseball state of mind.

Alaska in February: Who Travels There Then?

And there were also trips to Ithaca and wineries. I lost count of how many wineries were visited this year--but I know they were in five states: Maryland, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. 

There were wine dinners and wine evenings throughout the year the kept me busy and helped me to enjoy life to the fullest. 

Sarasota with the Orioles Bird

Spring finally arrived, and with it Opening Day and the fantastic Orioles baseball season which saw my team come just short in the League Championship Game. OK, so they were swept. But the Orioles proved themselves as one of the best teams in baseball. 

There were celebrations during the year: I officiated at two weddings during the year and celebrated my parents 60th anniversary and a host of birthdays. But, there was also the mind-numbing loss of our nephew, Troy,  that will never be fully overcome or understood.

Mom and Dad do 60

Out of the loss though, I began learning a new sport: golf! I played in a tournament and discovered that golf is enjoyable, frustrating, more frustrating, and a life sport to compliment racquetball as something that I do and not something that I only watch others do.

Tracks in the Hail Stones after the Storm

During the year, I survived a horrific tornado-infested hail storm in Denver. I have never seen hail fall from the sky in the volume or size that I witnessed during one afternoon in the Mile High City. 

Beach time was very limited and I was able to make it to Ocean City for Labor Day--my only beach trip of the year. For the first year I can remember in a long time, I did not snorkel or dive into the waters of an ocean. I barely got my feet wet in Ocean City as the surf was rough and cold.

Chris Enjoying a Late-October Evening fire

An October evening fire and wine began capping the year's events. As the mosquitos finally went away we were able to reclaim the backyard. From there there was the succession of holidays: Halloween, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas--all great and all special.

As I reflect upon the year, there are so many events that occurred that is it hard to recap them all and I know I have missed a few great ones. But that is the point--even with the numbing loss we experienced, 2014 was a great year. New vistas achieved, new places visited, and friends and family were at the center of all of it. 

On the Beach
My Preferred View of the World

Who knows what 2015 will bring. I already know that will have a new experience before January plays out--and I am looking forward to the Caribbean warmth that goes along with it.

Another Consensus Blending trip is on tap in an effort to repeat as the champions--and if not, at least have a lot of fun.


--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - On Tuesday December 30, 2014

1. I've been having so much fun being off from work that I forgot yesterday was Monday!

2. 360 shopping days until Christmas!

3. 2014 is winding down rapidly. I have to admit, I will be happy to see this year end, there have been some great times, but some really down times, too.

4. Got health care? 2015 is the year we need to declare or pay penalties.

5. Winter has returned after a great respite. 

6. Pitchers and catchers report in about 52 days signaling the end of winter--at least in my mind.

7. NFL playoffs are in swing and the Ravens miraculously made the cut. For at least a week anyway, I'm afraid they are headed into a steel curtain ambush.

8. New Year's is upon us. Drive safe, be smart, and party responsively.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bullseye!

It is a beautiful sight in my backyard. The bullseye!

It is a Christmas gift purchased with the gift cards that I received form a local golf store.

I admit, the bullseye may be a bit excessive, but having my own driving range in the backyard is really neat. I even acquired a bag of about 100 used golf balls to launch at the target. 

And it makes a really nice, and loud, sound when it gets hit right in the center--which is not that often. 

Hopefully the mat will save my yard a bit of wear and tear.

I wandered out a few times yesterday to launch balls and frustrations at the target. It is a lot more satisfying hitting real golf balls than the spongy ones that I have been hitting.

The other nice thing is that i don't have to worry about hitting any houses if I mishit a ball--which I do pretty often.

I wonder if I will actually get any better?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Good and Evil through the Eyes of a 14-year old

Usaid Barho  Reenacting His Surrender

There is an international story circulating about a 14-year old Syrian boy who was seduced into service with ISIL (or ISIS, IS) and figured out that by volunteering to become a suicide bomber he could escape from the radically, fanatic militant group.

Usaid Barho, 14, is the latest in a string of children who are victims and heroes in the barbaric conflict being waged across the Levant. The article in the New York Times titled, How a Syrian Boy, Sheathed in Explosives, Escaped the Islamic State's Hold, details how Usaid left his home in Syria and eventually wound up in Iraq with a vest bomb strapped around his body in from of a mosque that the ISIL fighters wanted him to bomb.

There are so many things wrong with this situation:

1. A 14-year old being used as a suicide bomber

2. Religious persecution

3. The target was a house of worship

4. The threat of abuse of his Mother and Sister if he did not fight for ISIL

But, there are a few things right with this tory:

1. A boy who knows right from wrong

2. A daring plan that saved not only himself but many other innocents

3. A security officer not afraid to separate the bomb vest from the boy.

I urge you to read the New York Times story to get a sense of what is happening in the region. 

Here is an excerpt:

Usaid said he still planned to become a doctor, and hoped to study in Turkey. He said that he missed his mother, and that the Iraqis had promised to return him to his parents one day.

Before the war, he said: "We were a normal family. It was just a normal life."

Whether he has a chance at a normal life again depends, in part, on how the Iraqis treat him: as a terrorist or as an exploited child.

We need to be aware that the pain, persecution, and suffering being experienced by the people of the region is real and we need to be reminded that life there is very different than life here.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD