Magic Returns

As the Game Begins Angels vs O's
OPACY
July 9, 2022

 It has been over a month since I attended an Orioles game. The team has matured significantly and has become a force. They are currently on a seven-game winning streak and they are fun to watch. 

Yesterday afternoon's game was played under gray skies with intermittent rain, but Orioles Park at Camden Yards (OPACY) was as full of screaming Orioles fans, all dressed in Orange, as I have seen it in many years. In fact, the paid attendance was over 32,000. That was , I believe, the highest attendance since Opening Day when over 44,000 paid to see the Orioles begin the season. 

After the Victory
Sea of Orange
OPACY
June 9, 2022

The Orioles are actually in the playoff hunt! They are just 3.0 games out of the a Wild Card playoff spot! They are also 42-44 on the season, sitting at just 2 games below .500. Not only that, but the O's are on a seven-game winning streak for the first time since August 2017!

It was a close game, with the Orioles defeating the Angels 1-0. I guess it was a pitching duel, although it did not seem that way. I did see some great defensive baseball and was treated to a rare 5-3-5 double play. That would be a ball hit to the third baseman and thrown to first for the first out and then back to third to tag the runner for the second out. Inning ending double play!

Unlike my last outing to OPACY, the magic is definitely back. And the crowd stayed until the end of the game.

I noticed a few things about the park, however. They were not prepared for the crowd that came to see the O's. Concession stands ran out of food and drink. Also, there was a lack of police and traffic control on the streets which resulted in some of the worst traffic tie-ups I have seen. I did get my Orioles Aloha shirt, which was the giveaway for the day.

I had fun and the team is fun to watch. 

Being part of a surging throng yelling, "Let's Go O's" was something I did not expect, but yesterday it happened and I loved being part of the noise and fun of Major League Baseball. I was reminded of playoff baseball and victories past at OPACY. Maybe, just maybe, the team is ready to compete again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tales from Downsizing

 

Remaining CD Collection
Elkridge, MD
July 9, 2022

Good news--the welder arrived and did a great job on the mower deck! That was a hanging item from yesterday. I had a great time chatting with him as he worked and when he examined the factory welds on the other main bracket (the one which had not yet failed), he felt that it needed to be reinforced--at no extra charge!

The mower deck is now reinstalled on my mower and safely in the shed. I was gong to mow today, however, soaking rains are expected which means that mowing will not happen until tomorrow.

Yesterday, Chris and I spent the afternoon going through our CD collection. Remember CDs? Compact Discs? Wow, we have a lot. We culled the herd to one box with two layers.

I do own two cars that only have CD players (well, one has a cassette player as well) for music in addition to the radio. Yes, they are both mid-2000 cars (2005 and 2006). But other than those two infrequently driven autos, most of my music is delivered via internet or SirusXM. So Chris and I are wrestling with the question, do we keep or donate the CDs? Of course, I want to keep them in case we need them in the future. Chris wants to dispose of them due to lack of storage. 

The discussion continues. 

Downsizing is hard!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Welders

Bracket and mower deck
Elkridge, MD
 July 2, 2022

 I am having a terrible time getting a welder to repair my mower deck.

I have had two cancellations, one that called and said I was too far to make it worthwhile, and another that was supposed to be here at 2:30 yesterday. He sent an email that he was going to be 40 minutes late and then, sent an email at 9PM saying he had an emergency and he could come then or in the morning.

Wow! How tough can it be?

I still need my mower deck welded so that I can cut the grass and then sell my tractor just before moving to Florida. 

Hopefully, the welder will show up at 9 AM this morning.

It has rained enough that I really need to mow the lawn again!

It is har to believe that one week ago I woke up in Sint Maarten and just afternoon began the journey home. Wow! And now I'm waiting for a welder so I can mow the lawn.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Evidence of Climate Change

Mussel on my Plate
Ellicott City, MD
July 6, 2022

 There it was, right in front of me last evening. There was no denying the fact--obvious and simple. 

Something was wrong. 

There on my plate, was a mussel with two meats inside of it. I was astonished! How could this be? Was the restaurant serving some strange species of mussels? 

It could only be evidence of climate change!

Definite climate change and one for the text books. 

And then I examined the mussel further. One of the meats apparently had fallen into this shell from another mussel making it appear to have two. So it was not a climate induced mutant!

Wow, I am so relieved.

They were, however, tasty.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Vacation House Cat

Martin 
Sampson Bay, Sint Maarten
June 25, 2022

 

Martin under the Sofa
Sampson Bay, Sint Maarten
June 25, 2022

Reflecting upon our recent week in Sint Maarten, one thing that was very interesting was the house cat that visited the veranda every morning and evening. The cat was not feral, but rather friendly. Chris adopted the cat while she was there and named him, Martin! 

Of course Chris found a stray to adopt. She has a warm spot in her heart for animals. I do not believe it was a stray, as it acted too tame. I believe it was an outdoor cat charged with keeping the vermin away from the three story house, we were lucky to have the second floor as our residence for the week.

But then there was Martin. He was always around, especially when Chris was visible. He sat at the door mornings waiting for her, but never attempted to come inside. We were smart enough never to attempt to pick the cat up, but to interact with him on his terms.

Martin on the Sofa
Sampson Bay, Sint Maarten
June 26, 2022

Chris teased about bringing the cat back with us, fortunately she was just teasing although at times I was not too sure. Martin became a substitute for the absence of Finnegan, her Yorkie, almost but not quite.

Now, I presume that Martin is still visiting the apartment every morning and the current residents are enjoying having him around. Well, maybe enjoying is a stretch, but he is likely there doing his "I own this place" routine.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

After the 4th

Fireworks Over the House
Elkridge, MD
July 4, 2022

 It was, I expect, the final family holiday celebration at the house and it was fitting that it went out with a bang.

We had a spectacular 4th of July gathering. The weather was perfect, we dined on a multitude of foods, and the fireworks went off without a problem. The pool was the centerpiece of the early festivities and once darkness fell, the sounds of rockets and explosions took over.

A neighbor took the image of the fireworks exploding over the house and I have to admit--I like it a lot. 

And now, it is Tuesday. The day after the big party. There remains some debris in the yard, but otherwise, the house is in great shape. 

A great memory was made. And a great image as well.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - Independence Day 2022

 

1. Happy Independence Day. Today is the first Monday of July and there are 25 Mondays remaining in the year. Yes, Monday Musings is back after taking a week off during my vacation.

Fireworks at Home
Elkridge, MD
July 4, 2021

2. Break out the celebrations it is time to celebrate the birthday of America. 

3. Did you know the iPhone turned 15 years old this past week?

4. The current push to "protect the 2nd Amendment" seems misplaced. The discussion centers on having no limits, yet no one seems to remember that there are limits on the 1st Amendment guarantees, specifically those of free speech and free assembly. Setting reasonable limits is necessary to promote order in society.

5. Enjoy the parties today and the celebration. Hopefully we can reset this country and push aside partisan differences to move forward. 

6. Today in History. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congressadopts the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain and its king.

The declaration came 442 days after the first volleys of the American Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts and marked an ideological expansion of the conflict that would eventually encourage France’s intervention on behalf of the Patriots.

Commodity Price Slide Raises Hopes Inflation May Ease - The Wall Street Journal

Lessons of Russia’s War in Ukraine: You Can’t Hide and Weapons Stockpiles Are Essential - The Wall Street Journal

The iPhone at 15: An Inside Look at How Apple Transformed a Generation - The Wall Street Journal

Americans are divided over what the country stands for - CNN

Sydney is flooded, again, as climate crisis becomes new normal for Australian state - CNN

How Missouri's abortion ban is prompting urgent patient travel & talks about enforcement - CNN

EXCLUSIVE Pope Francis denies he is planning to resign soon, article with video - Reuters

Ukraine war to shift to Donetsk after fall of Luhansk; Russia claims major victory - Reuters

Morning Bid: Independence Day but no fireworks for markets - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

And We Are Back

We arrived home at about 1:30 AM yesterday morning after 12 hours of travel. We grabbed a few hours sleep and began the process of getting out of vacation mode and back into reality. 

It was kinda sad. 

Mower Deck with Missing Bracket
Elkridge, MD
July 2, 2022

After retrieving the four-footed members of the family from their vacation locations, my big projects for the day were ensuring the pool was fully clean and shocked followed by with mowing the lawn. And that is where things kind of fell apart, literally. The welds holding one of the main brackets on my mower deck failed. I was able to mow the lawn using bungee cords to keep the deck in place, but now I am looking for a welder to fix the deck. 

I need to fix the mower deck because I am looking to sell the tractor and mower because I do not need this equipment in Florida!

It was hot yesterday. The humidity made it feel much worse than it was, but by the time I finished unhooking the mower deck from the tractor, I needed another shower. I considered falling into the pool, but having just shocked it the chlorine level was a bit too high.

It is good to be back. Really?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
 

\

And so it ends

 

Travel Morning Image on the Veranda
Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
July 1, 2022

Chris and I arrived safely back in Elkridge about 1:30 AM this morning completing our travel from Sint Maarten. 

We got to experience Atlanta's airport at the busiest I have ever seen it--a Friday night at the front end of a holiday weekend. And we survived, thanks to being able to hide-out in the Delta Sky Club! We also were lucky not to experience any flight cancellations or delays. Thank you people of Delta for making my travel pleasant.

Last Sunset Over Simpson Bay from Veranda
Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
June 30, 2022

As I looked out my window this morning, I considered the vast difference between viewing my pool and our private lot and the Caribbean colors of Simpson Bay. It is rare when I get to the end of a vacation and am not, in some way, ready to come home. Yesterday all I could think about was that I wanted to stay--longer, maybe weeks longer in Sint Maarten. Yes, this was my first no kidding vacation since I retired and I did not feel the call to get back to work and catch-up on a week of missed email and projects. 

Etched in my mind are the colors of Caribbean water when the sky is clear; the smells of the fresh sea water walking along a sandy beach; and the sounds of dogs, kids, and roosters that greeted us every morning. Yes, there were sounds of life all around us, but it was great. Every morning I'd sit out on the veranda looking at Simpson Bay, writing my blog and reviewing the crush of email that receive. What could be better? 

Perfect vacation.

And now it is time to get back to my regularly scheduled life.

Did I mention that we have a contract on the house? Yes, that happened. 

-- Bob Doan, ELkridge, MD

Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit

Yoda and Grogu
Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
June 30, 2022

 Right here in beautiful Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, lives a real live movie hero. Nick Maley who made significant contributions to the creation of Yoda and many other Star Wars creatures runs the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit that is, of course, open to the public. Furthermore, Nick and his wife Gloria run the shop and museum and are there providing stories and background on the exhibits. 

Chris with Ewok
Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
June 30, 2022

And it was not just Star Wars, but many other science fiction classics, and some forgettable movies as well, that he worked on. The museum is definitely worth the effort to find and the $15 admission. Spending time walking back through Star Wars, Terminator, Highlander, and Superman to name a few.

Wandering through the museum and seeing the pages from movie scripts, story boards, and work-ups along with life-size models of movie props took me back to many of the movies. There was also information from some forgettable movies, but it showed the extensive planning and work that goes into creating worlds that tweak the imagination. 

Me with Life-sized Tusken Raider
Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
June 30, 2022

The exhibit is located on a side street in Philipsburg and unless you are looking for it, you would likely miss it. It is unassuming, but well worth the effort to find it. 

The exhibit was a great way to spend part of our last full day in Sint Maarten. I am sure it was open only because there was a cruise ship in port and while that made the place a bit crowded, it also increased the fun because both Nick and Gloria are engaging people and more than happy to discuss their lives and the work that Nick has done and is doing to further his trade. BTW, the hours posted at the exhibit differ from those on the website.  At the shop the sign it is not generally open on weekends and that is Friday through Sunday unless there is a cruise ship in port. Other days it opens about 11 AM, if they are going to open. A true Island Life approach and I love it!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten