Friday, July 10, 2020

Summer Friday


Welcome to the second Friday of July 2020. That is significant because we are in the second half of the year and it has now been a week since the Independence Day weekend which provided a means to escape the pervasive coronavirus presence. 

Last Friday I spent the day laying floors and preparing for the holiday. This Friday the summer is in full swing, except, I have no where to go. Just as it seemed that Chris and I would escape to Florida for a couple weeks--Florida became a coronavirus hot spot. 

Prudence dictated that our trip be canceled and as of yet it not has not been rescheduled. Were we afraid of contracting the virus? Not really, but flying and taking a Lyft or Uber does increase exposure chances. And then there is the shopping for supplies that has to take place. At least the beaches are open! We will try again in August and potentially drive the truck to ferry some larger things to our condo. 

Today, I will go to work and I am very happy to have a job. I will focus on my tasks while counting the hours until I can join friends to celebrate Happy Hour and the arrival of the weekend. At least there is a developing sense of normalcy in the upside down world. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, July 9, 2020

School Reopening - Crisis of Conscience


Whether to return to school, be they primary, secondary, or college, later this year has become another diversionary tactic by the administration. 

The president's statement yesterday, coupled with a nearly unenforceable threat to reduce funding, may be irrationally causing school systems to rethink their plans for Fall semester classes. 

The Wall Street Journal headline reads, Trump Criticizes CDC Guidelines for Reopening Schools

Schools are, and historically in the United States have been, community funded and managed. The president is using this flash-point to divert attention from a miserably implemented coronavirus policy which finds the U.S. as the most incompetent country in the world in dealing with the virus. Successful countries, for instance Italy, shut everything down. We are reopening too quickly, as seen by the recent spike in hospitalizations and ICU bed usage. Opening schools will likely cause the virus to spread even more quickly through the population. And while studies generally indicate that children are not as frequently affected or with the same dire consequences as adults what about the teachers and staff at the schools? And what about the transmission of the disease to parents and siblings and then through the social networks of the community? 

Reopening schools too quickly could be a recipe for disaster which might well ensure that no part of American society is spared the ravages of the pandemic.

Anyone who has been in a school knows that they were not designed with physical (aka social) distancing in mind. Look at the lockers, classroom loading, and cafeterias to name a few. Many school districts are wrestling with these issues. And an even greater concern, given some of the more recent reporting about the airborne nature of the virus, is the condition and quality of the air handling systems which could effectively make schools and school busses as well, petrie dishes for the virus. 

The irrational rush to reopen schools could well cost many more Americans their lives. 

A more measured approach to reopening schools and colleges is consistent with the needs of our society.  

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Flooring Project Update


Flooring at Jeremy's House
Elkridge, MD
July 8, 2020
The flooring project at Jeremy's house continues. 

We have been installing flooring every day for the past week. The house is transforming. 

The main level is nearly complete, we only have to install the trim. The materials for the trim should arrive today and then I will be having fun with my pneumatic nailer. On the upper level there is a small area in the hallway and most of one of the three bedrooms remaining. My knees are very sore, even wearing knee pads. I confess that I only worked three hours last evening as the light was such that I could not see the seams. We are being very critical about the seams and if they cannot be seen we cannot ensure the adjoining boards are properly joined. 

I have been making some complicated cuts around doors and into hallways. They take time to map out. I had one cut along an angled wall yesterday that was especially difficult because the wall was not at a 45 degree angle and I have go go back to basic geometry to figure out how to determine the angle. Actually, I finally remembered to just measure the length of the hypotenuse and it worked like a champ.  

While the coronavirus continues to rage across the country, this project is keeping us off the streets and busy.

I am hopeful of completing the project by Thursday night!

Next week's coronavirus project will be an adventure in deck staining! Oh joy! Anyone who knows me understands how much I dislike projects involving paint brushes and rollers!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Can I Get Away from it All?


The View from Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter Island, Florida
November 6, 2019
I had planned to be on a Southwest Airlines flight departing Baltimore-Washington International Airport for Palm Beach International Airport this morning to enjoy a couple weeks in Florida and my condo there and escape to the beach. 

I canceled the trip due to the rise in coronavirus cases in Florida and specifically Palm Beach County. 

Coincidentally, there is a moderately comprehensive article in this morning's The Wall Street Journal titled,

Is It Safe to Travel Again? Your Coronavirus Questions Answered


Appropriately, the article features an image of a Southwest Airlines 737 in flight! 

Osprey Flying Free
Jupiter Island, Florida
November 7, 2019
The article appeals to those of us who want to get away from the new normal, whatever that has become, and attempt to find old fashioned escape-ism by collapsing on a beach somewhere and enjoying the sun, sand, and surf. 

Sadly, there are not many places open to travelers and even within the U.S. vacationers need to be mindful of quarantines and travel requirements. 

The opening paragraph of the article:

As countries begin to reopen, is there any place abroad where I can travel right now? 
Not easily. Many countries remain closed to nonessential travelers and non-residents. Some nations are gradually lifting their bans but only permitting in tourists from countries where the number of coronavirus cases is relatively low or steadily declining. The European Union lifted its internal borders last month and as of July 1, began allowing visitors from up to 15 other countries, including South Korea, New Zealand and Rwanda. But tourists from the U.S., where coronavirus cases are surging, are still prohibited from entering most European countries.
In fact, the Canadian border remains closed to non-official U.S. persons!

Also from the article:

Can I take a road trip? Are there coronavirus checkpoints at state borders? 
As more hotels and national and state parks reopen across the country, road trip vacationsare picking up speed. Only Florida currently has checkpoint, on Interstate 95, just south of the Georgia border, to screen travelers. Those visitors arriving from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are required to quarantine for 14-days. New Mexico has a checkpoint on US 64, leading in and out of Taos Pueblo, which is closed indefinitely to nonresidents. For other roadside travel restrictions, see AAA’s Covid-19 map at TripTik.AAA.com. And for more road trip guidance, including tips on how to safely get gas and food along your drive, read “Expert Advice for a Safe Road Trip.”
And so I remain in Maryland, hunkering down even though the state is slowly reopening. I long to be free to "move about the country" but I am smart enough to realize the now is not the right time. Yet.

Well, I have more flooring to install and next week I have a deck to stain. I am definitely keeping busy--maybe too busy with my full-time job and then my full-time projects. 

But, I'd really like to get away from it all, but safely and smartly.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Monday, July 6, 2020

Monday Musings - July 6. 2020



1. The first Monday of July 2020 has arrived. The second half of the year is underway and we have already enjoyed the Independence Day celebrations. July is my favorite month of the year!

2. This week marks the third planned vacation that I have canceled this year due to the pandemic. Chris and I had planned to head to Florida for a two-week  getaway to check on our condo and enjoy some beach time. We canceled the trip due to the coronavirus explosion underway in Florida.

Calla Lily after the Rain
Elkridge, MD
July 4, 2020
3. Sometimes the flowers in our gardens are worth remembering. I enjoyed this calla lily after a brief rainstorm on July 4th. 

4. The work renovating the floors of Jeremy's house continue. The main level is complete and the upper level is about 50 percent complete. The hardest part has been the transitions between rooms. But it looks great, fresh, and clean!

5. Why do some people prefer to tear down rather than build up? 

6.  The hot weather has been great! I have been enjoying time in and around my pool--well, when I have not been busy laying flooring. I have been relearning the meaning of hard work!

7. The trees and grasses are green. It is an image that I indelibly fix in my mind to remind me of summer during the other seasons. 

8. Today in History. On July 6, 1957, Althea Gibson claims the women’s singles tennis title at Wimbledon and becomes the first African American to win a championship at London’s All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Gibson was born on August 25, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina, and raised in the Harlem section of New York City. She began playing tennis as a teenager and went on to win the national Black women’s championship twice. At a time when tennis was largely segregated, four-time U.S. Nationals winner Alice Marble advocated on Gibson’s behalf and the 5’11” player was invited to make her U.S. Open debut in 1950. In 1956, Gibson’s tennis career took off and she won the singles title at the French Open—the first African American to do so—as well as the doubles’ title there. In July 1957, Gibson won Wimbledon, defeating Darlene Hard, 6-3, 6-2. (In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first African American man to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon, when he defeated Jimmy Connors.) In September 1957, she won the U.S. Open, and the Associated Press named her Female Athlete of the Year in 1957 and 1958. During the 1950s, Gibson won 56 singles and doubles titles, including 11 major titles.




U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Nears 130,000 as Infection Rate Surges - The Wall Street Journal

Global Stocks Jump, Led By Surge in Chinese Markets - The Wall Street Journal











Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people.
We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should. 
   -- Ronald Reagan Essay on Independence Day written during 1981 as published in Real Clear Politics
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, July 5, 2020

There is no "I" in "We"




Yesterday we celebrated our nation's independence. It is my favorite holiday. But of course, celebrating independence or the creation of a country is not something done only by Americans. Most other countries in the world also celebrate their creation or independence. 

Canada Day, for instance, was on July 1st. 

Bastille Day, July 14th,  celebrates the beginning of the French Revolution leading to the creation of the French Republic. For those of you who know me, you know that Bastille Day is my second favorite foreign holiday. The French really know how to celebrate!


Independence Day Pool Celebration
Elkridge, MD
July 4, 2020
Our family celebration was subdued by comparison, but there was a lot of fun in the pool. It was a hot, humid day and the pool was refreshing and a fun place to celebrate. We also enjoyed fireworks launched being launched around the neighborhood as darkness fell.

We partied and remained within our family circle observing proper respect and distancing for coronavirus. Maybe we overlapped two family circles. 

Our celebration focused upon our country our country--not a person or a political party. The politicization of Independence Day is contrary to its meaning. Sowing seeds of divisiveness, especially for personal or political gain is anathema to the day. Shame on those who did so yesterday. Independence Day is a day for unification and affirmation of the founding principles of our nation. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
  -- Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
  -- Constitution of the United States, 1789

There is no "I" in "We."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Independence Day - 2020


It is July 4th! 

Where are the bands, the parades, the fireworks with which Americans celebrate the founding of this nation?

They are muted and canceled. 

Unlike most other July 4th's excluding the Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War--America's homeland and its citizens are under direct attack on multiple fronts. The mood of the nation is gloomy.

Despite attempts to call it fake and a democratic hoax, coronavirus is attacking Americans everywhere. Despite the bravado displayed by our leaders attempting to reassure us that the virus is under control the rising numbers of cases, hospital admissions, and dangerously low supply of ICU beds tell a different tale. They tell of failed policies that were too late, too little, and too disorganized to be effective. 

Let's face it--when American interests are under attack we usually swiftly, forcefully, and effectively respond. Coronavirus, however, is thwarting the meager, disjointed, and predatory responses of the government. States and counties are being left to fend for themselves because of the vacuum that is the response of the federal government. The statement attributed to Benjamin Franklin upon the signing the Declaration of Independence: "We must all hang together, or we shall surely hang separately," is clearly true in dealing with the coronavirus.

"Make America Great Again," has made America the laughing stock of the world. European countries will not allow U.S. travelers to visit, for instance Italy denied five Americans admittance.  Despite this, the bravado and deception continue as evidenced at Mount Rushmore last evening where thousands gathered without proper spacing or face masks to hear, as one agency reported, Trump Uses Mount Rushmore Speech to Deliver Divisive Culture War Message.

On this July 4th, America is under attack on multiple fronts: disease, divisiveness, and deceit. Citizens recognize this and our Independence Day celebrations will smaller. 

But there is patriotism deep inside my heart that brings optimism believing that tomorrow will be a better day. As long as the sun rises I can make tomorrow better than today. 

Thomas Jefferson
Third President of the U.S.
Primary Author of the Declaration of Independence
For some words of encouragement, I went back to one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, who like myself was a big fan of Independence Day. 

"The fourth of July, the epoch of American independence, is a day when the heart of every American must glow with pride and gratitude. No village, however sequestered, no citizen, however obscure, forgets the celebration of the anniversary of his country's liberty! Through all the land, from the shores of the Atlantic to our mountain-tops, the sounds of gratulation are heard; the roar of cannon, and the peal of bells, announce the auspicious morn, and people of every rank hasten with their festive offerings round the altar of liberty."
  -- July 4, 1809

Do not not despair, accept the ability to effect change and critically evaluate what is happening in our country. The power is in your vote and your emails to elected representatives. Through it all, we must also celebrate that we have power--the power to make our voices heard and to effect change.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, July 3, 2020

Changing Skyline


Final Image of the Dead Ash Tree
Elkridge, MD
July 2, 2020
While I was laying flooring yesterday, the final and largest dead ash tree bordering my property was removed. This particular tree was the one which most threatened our home and although it once provided welcome shade during the summer, it had since become a threat. The home owners association bordering my property which owned the tree had removed other large dead ash trees a couple weeks ago, but the size and location of this particular tree exceeded the limits of the crane. 

After the Dead Ash Tree was Removed
Elkridge, MD
July 3, 2020
The tree was not felled in the traditional sense. I use the word removed because the tops were cut from the trunks and moved my the crane to a location where they were rendered into chips. The trunks of the formerly majestic and still massive trees remain standing up to about 30 feet in height.

The sightline from the house, the "skyline," is now free of dead trees and presents a lower and greener view. There is one remaining much smaller dead ash tree that we can see from the porch and I will fell that tree in a few weeks--when I get the nerve. It seems to be leaning in the direction that I want it to fall into the wild and unimproved area behind my house. 

For today, my Independence Day celebration will be laying more flooring. My objective is to complete the kitchen!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Flooring Installation


Welcome to July!! I have determined that projects are a valid way to make it through coronavirus. 

The Flooring Project Begins
Elkridge, MD
July 1, 2020
My life seems to have no shortage of projects. I was supposed to be straining the deck this week; however, Jeremy, my oldest son, determined it was a good week to update the flooring in his house. This is not a small task! 

Brothers at Work - Jeremy and Patrick
Elkridge, MD
July 2, 2020
We determined that there are about 1100 square feet of floor that need to be done on two levels. That is a lot of flooring! 59 cases!  I know, I helped move everyone of them. 

Patrick came over last evening to lend a hand and I have to admit I really appreciated his help. We made like a tag team and I tagged-out to go home, decompress, and relax after a hard 11 hour day. 

There is still so much to do it is a bit overwhelming, but we will take it one day at a time and get as much done as possible. Somehow today I need to get the mower deck back onto the mower after the welder fixed it the other evening and of course mow the lawn. And then there is the routine pool maintenance. Pools always need something.

And so the day begins. Project day #3.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Return to the Soviet


Vladimir Putin
President for life? It appears that the Russian people are voting to essentially give Vladimir Putin the chance to be just that. 

A Wall Street Journal Article titled, 

Russians Set to Approve Radical Overhaul That Could Keep Putin in Power Until 2036 details the vote and the probability that the change will be approved. 


The election move hearkens back to the days of the Soviet Union. The Russian people are voting to allow additional terms for their president which would give Putin the opportunity to hold the office until 2036. 


Putin Shirtless on Horse
The Soviet Union was effectively ruled by the General Secretary of the Communist Party. They continued in office until they were deposed, resigned, or died. We know some of the greats and infamous, for example Stalin, Brezhnev, Khrushchev, Gorbachev. 

Putin was elected to the first of his four terms during 2000. With the exception of four years between 2008 and 2012 when he served as Prime Minister, he has been Russia's president since 1999 when we was appointed as acting president. He was reelected in 2008 for his third term. His time as president may rival Stalin's 30 years and 7 months of leadership. If Putin is reelected for the additional terms he might possibly be President for 33 years. 

I am not sure that the world needs that much Vladimir Putin. 

I am very thankful that our Constitution has clear term limits for the president.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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