Empty Gas Tank

I hopped into my truck yesterday morning, after the weekend, ready to drive off for a 5:30 AM racquetball match and start the week with some activity. I was shocked when I looked at the fuel indicator and it read: "E." "E" as we all know does not stand for "enough!"


Empty, I didn't recall leaving the truck with no gas the last time I drove it. And I was running late as I had spent an extra minute or so with Makayla. Unfortunately, the gas station is out of the way when I am running behind.

Thankfully, I have other vehicles to choose from, so I moved all of my stuff--no small task when considering my overstuffed racquetball bag to one of my other waiting steads.

There was no way I could risk heading out as I had three stops to make and tight timelines to keep. As I drove out of the drive, I realized it would be 14 hours until I returned. Ad no time for a trip to the gas station to get gored by the unreasonably high prices there.

Why, I pondered was the truck empty? I did not see or smell a leak. I don't leave my vehicles on empty because I hate getting gas on my way to anywhere. I much prefer filling up at the end of trips.

And then I remembered.

I had loaned my truck out. And my generosity was rewarded with an empty gas tank and inconvenience. I admit, there was probably only a quarter of a tank in the truck anyway--and it wasn't that the gas wasn't replaced that really bothered me--it was that it was returned empty and no one told me.

Empty is really a slap.

Yesterday was busy enough that the truck is still empty, so I have to leave earlier today to refill the tank and get over it.

But it still bugs me--just a bit.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 9, 2012

1. Have you filed your taxes yet? I prepared them but haven't sent them yet. Oops! No refund for me!

2. Easter allows us to live like, "Don't worry, be Happy!"

3. I just recently realized that autumn is springtime in reverse. In the spring the trees start with bare branches, then don many colors and finally turn green. During the autumn, they start out green and wind up robed in many colors before returning to bare branches until springtime comes round again.

4. Blue skies, sunny days, singing birds, and budding flowers--nice!

5. In the deepest darkest depths of despair, hope lives.

6. The hardest thing that I do is to ask for help. I seem to need more help now than ever before. And the funny thing is, people don't mind helping, they just need to be invited.

7. Five bottles of wine--equals Easter dinner for the family.

8. Nerf wars in the house and yard are great for burning off the excess energy associated with holiday activities.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Happy Easter 2012

I woke up before dawn, or more precisely as dawn was just beginning to break on this Easter morning.

I read an article yesterday about how the young people in America are becoming disenfranchised with Christianity.

Andrew Sullivan made the following observation: "Appearing on "CBS This Morning: Saturday," Sullivan said the crisis facing Christianity was especially bad today for one reason: "When I go and see young people, their image of Christianity these days is one of judgment, intolerance and to some extent bigotry and politics," Sullivan said. "They associate it with one political party in this country, because of the fusion of evangelical and ultra-orthodox Catholics with the Republican Party. They don't see it as the message of Jesus, they don't see it any more as a message of love and forgiveness. They see it as a bunch of people trying to control their lives through political mechanisms."

I see this. I had a conversation with a younger adult the other day that was precisely about this.

The message if Easter has become lost and strangled in political strife and religious wars across the globe.

The whole idea of Christians greeting each other in love and with the excited statement of so long ago: Christ is risen, He is risen indeed, has become muted and lost as Christ followers try to remake the world.

Maybe we have lost our vision. We almost certainly have lost sight of His vision.

Has Christ's message become confused with our own desires? As we are trying to reshape the world have we substituted our vision for that of Jesus'?

Jesus loved sinners and gave them hope. We should know--we are sinners too. We need to love sinners, too.

I am reminded, on this dawning Easter morning as I replay the events of the first Easter in my head, of the empty tomb, the confusion, the despair, the fear that those who were gathered felt as the miracle began to become clearer to them.



And I am reminded of the words of Titus 3:5: he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,

As your Easter dawns today amid the celebration of family and friends or whatever form your remembrance of this greatest day in the history of God's relationship with man takes, pause to think about how we are being perceived by those we are most desperately trying to reach. Are we inviting and forgiving, or are we hard and judging by trying to push a political agenda onto people who don't understand it?

Happy Easter.

Christ has risen.
He has risen, indeed!



-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Reflections of Orioles Opening Day 2012

It was truly a holiday--and the crowds were crushing. I haven't see so many people at Camden Yards in a long time. It was impossible to move at the pre-game party across the street from the stadium. And as it was, that party continued throughout the entire game.


I had been in that crowd only minutes before but decided it wasn't a lot of fun and headed off to the stadium to find my seat for the game.

The day was cool--especially in the shade. The sky was clear. It was Opening Day for the Orioles and expectations for the 2012 campaign were high.




The stadium was ready to begin the 20th Anniversary celebration. And it did not disappoint.

Neither did the Orioles. The game was a gem, with the starting pitcher, Jake Arrieta, going seven innings and giving up two hits and no runs. The relief corps didn't do so well, but the O's still chalked up a win on opening day. With one game down and 161 to go, they are tied for first in the American League East.



As Patrick and I were chatting in our seats, we were trying to determine how many Opening Days I have attended--and I believe it is 10. I had thought they were 10 straight, but I did miss one year when we went to Napa for Spring Break. I guess that was a good trade.

Baseball is back! Next up, the pool!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Opening Day

Today, summer begins, not officially but in spirit. It is opening day for the Orioles. Arguably, ok probably not, the 30th best team in baseball.

But they are my home team.



And they play the Yankees, a lot.

And the Red Sox, a lot

And the Tampa Bay Rays, a lot

And the Blue Jays, too much!

The Orioles are my home team and I will continue to root for them as I remember the glory days of the 60's, the 70's and the 80's when they were the best team in all of baseball.

I expect to be at the game later today--which coincidently is Good Friday. The game is a sell out--I haven't been to one of those since last year's opening day.

At least there is no way that I could ever be considered a fair weather fan. I have supported this team through 14 losing seasons--always looking for the silver lining in the dark storm cloud of reality.

I have not found it yet, except for the realization that there is always tomorrow and that baseball is a sport--a game, and not a life or death proposition. I can enjoy a game even when we are losing because it is baseball.

I love baseball. The park, the fans, the game, the snacks, the beer.

Summer has arrived.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Evening on the Deck

I love the evenings of the springtime.

Sitting outside, enjoying the beauty of the end of the day with a glass of wine and some dinner. I also enjoy looking at the the leaves as they begin to fill the trees.

The bats gracing the evening air and the sight of the nearly full moon make the setting perfect.

The only thing better would have been to be on a floatie in the pool--but that will not happen for almost a month.

I just sat there for a bit and enjoyed the ending of the day and the gathering darkness--even as the air began to get cool and the clock approached 8pm and there was still light in the sky.

It is time to get out of the house and begin to live.

I even took the top down on Cat this afternoon and enjoyed the relatively warm breeze in my hair as I was racing between doctors appointments. The sun and the sky were something to see and remember.

Friday is Orioles Opening Day and it can only get better from here!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Springtime Blooms

The annual event in our yard is underway. The weeping cherry is in full bloom gracing our lawn with blooms like waterfalls.



It is sad how quickly the blooms pass and the tree becomes green, but for a about two short weeks it is absolutely beautiful.

It is a sight to behold and to ponder the beauty of the springtime.

The tree provides beauty as it transitions from the dormant branches of winter into the green leaves of summer.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Primary Election Day for Maryland - 2012

It is an election day. I enjoy exercising my right--my responsibility as a citizen of this great Republic, to vote.


I believe too many of us have adopted the--"it doesn't matter anyway" approach to voting and ignore the opportunity to cast their vote and make their voice heard. And the voice is heard--even in the dissent or the concurrence.

Even though I am limited in my ability to publically demonstrate support for a particular political candiate by the limits of the archaic Hatch Act, I still retain my right and obligation to vote.

And so I will.

I am following a critical (non-partisian) Howard County School Board race this year in which a member of the board--who sadly is a retired Air Force officer, is seeking reelection but has become such an impediment and distraction to the board that he does not deserve reelection because the only constituents he is representing is himself. I am actually excited to support a 17-year old high school student, who will be 18 before he is seated and therefore is eligible to run. Maybe I see something in him that reminds me of the passion and fire I used to have.

I will be voting, today.

I urge everyone to get out and vote.

Call it an exercise of our rights--and then go do it!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 2, 2012

1. Happy April showers designed to bring May flowers.

2. I was definitely spoiled by the warm temperatures from a couple weeks go and my trip to Florida--bring on the heat.

3. I was home alone yesterday afternoon and I discovered what Makayla likes to do on nice quiet days. Sleep.

4. Yard work, in small doses, is therapeutic.

5. Physical therapy, hurts.

6. The O's and the Pens both managed to lose yesterday. Ugh. One is trying to end the season on a high and the other is trying to begin the season and not be the doormat of MLB.

7. There was an announcement of the TV the other day reminding gardeners that the only safe plant to begin planting are pansies. Don't waste you money, I was reminded.

8. An interesting situation occurred the other evening. Presented with two very different wines, a good one and a not so good one, I found that tasting them side-by-side made the good one seem better and the other even less appealing.

9. I have been reading Aesop's Fables, off and on, as time permits. I highly recommend getting in touch with these short proverbs about life.

10. Welcome to Holy Week. I read a book last year that provided convincing evidence and analysis that the Last Supper occurred on Wednesday, April 1, AD 33. The book is The Mysteries of the Last Supper, by Colin J. Humphreys.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Forest's Final Spring

A small 10 acre forest near where I live is coming to life this springtime. The trees are filling out with new leaves and displaying stunning colors of reds and oranges which soon will become green, beautiful leaves. As I look into the woods, I see the dogwoods in bloom--with their flowers bringing joy to my heart while brightening up the the still coming to life forest.

Alas, though, this is the final springtime for this small wooded area. The county has decided to raze the forest and build an elementary school. The work will likely begin before the May flowers bloom.



I drive by this small wilderness, strategically placed in the middle of suburbia, every day. I never realized how much this small patch of trees and wild kept me in touch with my roots until the day I realized it would soon be gone. How sad--trees and brush teaming with wildlife soon to be replaced by brick, mortar, and mowed grass.

So I have been especially noticing the beauty of the trees this springtime as they burst forth in life, before the chain saws and heavy equipment arrive to forever change this small plot into a something tame and sterile.

I mourn the loss and I hope that I will not soon forget the vision of this small forest and the trees and life which it contained.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD