Autumn Color

Autumn Arriving in
Ellicott City, MD

I noticed it for the first time last evening. A storm was brewing behind the trees and I noticed that they were beginning to show golden color rather than the cool green of summer.

The growing storm behind the trees was especially dark and helped to highlight the autumn colors.

Today is going to a classic autumn day with temperatures in the low 60's and sunshine to help highlight the changing leaves across the countryside. 

I would be happy to have them stay green, but I see the color beginning to arrive in the trees surrounding my yard. I know that the dark season is rapidly approaching and with it the cold, rain, snow, and generally foul weather.

But first, at least, I will enjoy the changing leaves as I bid good-bye to the last vestiges of the summer past.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Unplanned Day Off

I had an unplanned day off yesterday!

Wow! What a gift! I was able to catch up on a multitude of small projects around the house, including having the driveway people return to examine the situation.

It is really incredible how many small things need to be accomplished.

Decorated Fireplace

It was a beautiful day and I was thankfully able to enjoy that as well instead of being stuck in the closet which is my office--truly a small room without windows.

One of the different things I accomplished was to measure the fireplace so that it can be converted to propane. That was more difficult that i thought and I wound up with quite a drawing and a series of measurements. I only hope I got the right ones!

I was even able to play a round of golf! And I was part of the last group off the course as night fell. I could almost see my ball to make the putt on the 18th hole--but I got it in. That was the exclamation point on a nearly perfect day.

Back to life today, but the memory of yesterday lingers.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Driveway Woes

Good Looking Driveway

The process of rehabilitating my driveway has taken a detour.

You may remember that we had the potholes fixed a few weeks ago, and that process came out great. It is really nice not to have our drive look like a beat-up back road in some rural county.

Rough Area
Still Wet

But then we went one step further--we decided to have the driveway sealed to help stem the deterioration and restore it.

Cue the rains!

Another Rough Area

The sealing was supposed to happen last week, but a week of rains intervened and delayed the process. The rains, it seemed, soaked into the ground and have delayed the sealant from properly drying in some places. This means--no driving on the driveway, going on to four days now.

For the three homes that share the drive, this means that 7 vehicles are displaced! Aside from having to walk the length of the drive, the cul de sac is jam packed with vehicles.

Hopefully the drive will be functioning soon--before the rains tomorrow night. 

I hope we didn't break something that didn't need to be fixed.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Reviewing the 2015 Orioles Season

Autumn has definitely arrived. The leaves are beginning to change and fall from the trees. Various animals have been seen in the yard stocking up on the acorns falling from the oak trees. 

It is also the time of year when the 20 MLB teams that did not make the post-season do a self-assessment and try to make sense of their finish.

Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette

I reviewed the commends of Dan Duquette, the General Manager, from yesterday's news conference on the 2015 season and the future. He was fairly uninspiring and continues to tote the organizational line regarding players, salaries, and finances. I was not encouraged by his comments. 

Here is my view:

Last off season, coming off a 2014 campaign that saw the Orioles win the American League East division and narrowly miss playing in the World Series, the job was to keep the team together for a successful 2015 run. In the end, three key players were in play: Andrew Miller, a lefty relief pitcher; Nelson Cruz the long-ball hitter, and Nick Markakis the long-time right fielder for the Orioles. Duquette lost all three!

Nick Markakis

I believe that the Orioles overcame the loss of Miller and Cruz, but the loss of Markakis and failing to acquire a right fielder with an arm and a bat is directly responsible for the team not making the playoffs. In Markakis the team lost a lead-off hitter who made good contact and got on base as well as one of the most feared right fielder arms in all of baseball--especially in playing the difficult corners on Orioles Park at Camden Yards (OPACY). OPACY is tough on right fielders and I watched many of the replacements misplay balls and then fail to have enough arm strength to keep runners from advancing home when rounding third base.

The task for this off season is even greater and more important to the Orioles. The Orioles have more free-agents and less depth. Here is my three-step recipe for 2016 Orioles success:

1. Retain Chris Davis, Wei-Yin Chen, and Darren O'Day. Catcher Matt Wieters is also a free agent and it would be nice but not critical to retain him, too. 

2016 Goal!

2. Here is the harder part, in addition to keeping the big three (Davis, Chen, and O'Day) the Orioles need an ace pitcher--it would be great to have someone on the staff who can win 16 or more games a season.

3.  AND the Orioles still need a real right fielder and lead-off batter.

I'm not going to postulate who the Orioles should be going after, I looked at the free agents lists and there is no clear pitcher out there. The right fielder could be someone like Colby Rasmus, but he's only batting .238.

It is a tall order for the Orioles--but their 2016 success depends upon it.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Awash in Pumpkin Pie Spice

What is it about this time of year? Pumpkin Pie spice flavor is everywhere. Retailers and shops promote the "return of pumpkin pie spice!" Really? It sounds like some kind of horror movie!

Why are people so infatuated with the flavor, which by the way I do not fully appreciate?

What is pumpkin pie spice? It is a combination of common spices: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger! Some of the most common cooking spices to be found in the most basic kitchen. 

Here is the really funny part: there is no pumpkin in pumpkin pie spice! It is the collection of spices which go into pumpkin pie to give it that down home, Thanksgiving-memory-smell that just screams: "eat me!" And don't forget the ice cream and whipped cream!

Well, for some people. 

I think America has gone overboard with the seasonal spice. I think there are even beers which advertise a pumpkin pie spice variety. 



I searched on pumpkin pie spice and  found some amazing products that are laced with the seasonal concoction. Among them marshmallows, cough medicine, and cookies. There are also liqueurs, ice creams, and yogurts! I saw an advertisement for pumpkin pie wine--seriously, made in Texas, of all places (get a grip!).

I believe that the love for this spice is out of control. The marketing machines have created a monster!

Yes, it is likely a comfort concoction to help sooth the transition from the warmth and excitement of summer to the day and dreary days of winter, but I thought that's what falling leaves were created to help us with.

All things in moderation, I seem to remember the old colloquialism. Back off on the pumpkin pie spice and enjoy the season.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 5, 2015

 

1. I watched the last Orioles baseball game of the 2015 campaign yesterday. I was saddened that season had ended and the Orioles were not going to be participating in post-season baseball. At least they managed to salvage a non losing record of 81-81 and swept the Yankees to close out a season of unmet high expectations.

Eisenhower Golf Course
October 4, 2015

2. Even though the weather was cool (low 50's) and overcast yesterday, I managed a round of golf at Eisenhower Golf course in Crownsville, MD. Even thought at one point it was raining, because so many other golfers had canceled it was a pleasant round and a great start to the week.

3. Watching some of the NFL games yesterday, I was amazed at how inconsistent the officiating can be especially when penalties are called during critical situations. Even the video review does not get the call right many times.

4. I am already beginning to plan my Sarasota, Florida, Spring Training get away. Sunshine, warmth, baseball and golf what could be better?

Deer in the Driveway
October 4, 2015

5. The deer are getting ready for winter. Yesterday there was one in my driveway nibbling on the acorns which had fallen from the oak trees. 

6. Interesting read: participation in children's organized sports is falling. 

7. Does anyone else think that the infatuation with pumpkin pie spice has gone a bit too far? Interesting piece, Enough with the Pumpkin Pie Spice Americas. It's Getting Embarrassing. I agree.

Arc de'Triomphe
Paris with no cars

8. On Sunday, September 27th, Paris, France, banned all automobile traffic within the city. The resulting almost 40 percent drop in pollution and noise was so astounding that more auto-less days are considered.

9. Does anyone else feel that big business is really out to get us? And it isn't just American companies as we saw with the Volkswagen diesel car scandal! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Martian - Movie Review

I have been waiting for the movie The Martian, starring Matt Damon, to hit the big screen ever since I read the book last year. The movie opened this weekend and I was sure to see it yesterday.

I was not disappointed! The movie tells the story of the first man stranded on Mars. He is the Robinson Crusoe of Mars, stranded with little hope of rescue and out of touch with NASA and earth who believe that he is dead. What happens is a resourceful story of pure survival. I especially liked the book and generally the movie because the underlying science is solid. I did not have to check my intellect at the theater door to watch the movie.

The movie has a simple plot, how to survive when the odds are almost 100 percent against you. I was generally pleased with the film adaptation of the book. Obviously, the book is far more complex and in places more suspenseful. I'm not sure the movie crowd could handle the suspense of some portions of the book.

Is the book better? You bet! Is the movie great! Definitely! 

The acting is exceptional and believable. The scenes are filmed and completely made me believe that I was on Mars. I believe that there is an academy award or two hiding in this movie.

RECOMMENDATION: See this movie. Today! Yes, it is that good.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Seasonal Dysfunction

Despite the rains yesterday, we had a coffee crisis that had to be alleviated before this morning and that meant heading out to Costco for supplies.

The trip was wet, but uneventful. As an aside, I am continually amazed by the ignorance of some drivers who do not understand how to efficiently traverse a "Four Way Stop" and who also cannot park their cars. We waited in the row at Costco for a few minutes while four drivers attempted their rendition of a water ballet with vehicles while trying to exit and then drive into parking spaces. Ugh! Chris and I just parked and walked in the rain.

Christmas at Costco
in October

Costco is a warehouse store and what greeted me as I cleared the check-in line was truly a sight that I had not expected during early-October. Christmas!

Yup, Christmas is alive and well at Costco. I did not hear any Christmas music. I had expected Halloween decorations, but found Christmas--already and completely deployed! Interestingly, I did not find any Halloween decorations or costumes in the store, although they may have been strategically displayed somewhere.

I was truly amazed, and saddened. The commercialism and the loss of the Christmas's identity is complete and the season has been reduced to a retailing frenzy. 

I must confess that we even purchased two Christmas gifts because of the "if you don't get them now, they won't be there later" mentality. I'm sure that they will be lost and forgotten before the season finally arrives.

Here we are, still at the doorstep of Autumn and the leaves have not even fallen from the trees and Christmas is already displayed in the stores. What is wrong with this picture? Even worse? I have added to the problem by purchasing gifts!

I am so conflicted!

I have entered the seasonal dysfunction zone where I no longer look to the weather or the calendar to tell me what season it is, but rather to the retailers who are working to separate me from my earnings.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hidden in Plain Sight

Eastern Box Turtle

I was in the yard the other evening, hitting golf balls into the net with my 3 wood, when I missed the net and I went into the wooded area near my house to retrieve the ball.

I was a bit startled when I went to pick-up the ball and I noticed something that I was not expecting. There among the leaves and the gathering autumn was a turtle. I believe that it is an Eastern Box turtle. 

I don't see many turtles wandering through our yard. I see frogs and toads, occasionally snakes and worms; but this is the first turtle.

When I was younger, I would have picked the turtle up and carried him to the house to chow off to Chris, but now, with the salmonella scare and trying to be respectful of other creatures, I called Chris down to see the turtle as it was trying to blend into the background.

It just pays to keep my eyes open and notice the wildlife lurking about because somethines, they are hidden in plain sight.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

October Arrives with the New FY

Happy New Year!

It is October 1st and the US government is still running as we start a new fiscal year!

Cue the noisemakers for the arrival of FY (Fiscal Year) 16!

Yay! Congress salvaged the beginning of the year by not letting the government shut down! We are good until December 11th when we get to watch our own version of brinkmanship funding happen all over again!

There was a lot of concern about another furlough--the last one coming two short years ago when Congress failed to accomplish their Constitutional duty and fund the government.

Except for the prospect of rain, I was a bit excited about the prospect of making some early morning tee times. 

But, I get to go to work and try to take care of the myriad of things accumulating on my desk as a result of an extremely heavy meeting week.

And so, yay! Happy New Year and let's keep the government functioning.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD