A Bob's Life: Monday Musings

Monday, May 8, 2023

Monday Musings - May 8, 2023

Remember V-E Day!

1. The second Monday of May is upon us! The month is moving along. There are 33 Mondays remaining in the year.

2. The Orioles had a rough weekend dropping 2 of 3 to the Braves. The two games lost were by one run each, but losing yesterday's game after leading in the 10th inning was very tough.

Pelican Taking Off
Pirates Cove Marina, Port Salerno, FL
May 5, 2023

3. Chris and I were out the other day watching the pelicans at a dock. I enjoy watching water birds and besides the ospreys, pelicans have become a favorite. I was able to capture an image of this bird as it was taking off to grab a fish being thrown into the water in front of him. The water is a bit murky because we were at a marina.

4. Job numbers came in higher than expected, with the U.S. adding 253,000 nonfarm jobs in April. Unemployment fell yet again, to 3.4%, matching a rate not seen since 1969. Black unemployment is at an all-time low of 4.7%. For Hispanics it’s 4.4%, and for Asian Americans, 2.8%. The rate for adult women is 3.1%. Average hourly wages rose 0.5%. This good economic news didn’t come from nowhere. The Biden administration has focused on building infrastructure, bringing supply chains home, and bolstering new manufacturing. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act have invested in workers. (Letters from an American)

5. Biking this weekend was a fight against the weather. On Saturday I was drenched during a quickly forming storm and yesterday I fought 20-25 mph winds for my ride. Despite the difficult conditions, I managed to log over 34 miles in the saddle. As Chris and I become busier with other outside interests, such a golf, I believe my monthly miles ridden will fall and likely never top 300 again. I only managed 135 last month, but I was in Maryland without my bike for 12 days.

6. Today in History. On May 8, 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II.

The eighth of May spelled the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark—the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany.