Out the Hotel Window - Anchorage in the Daylight

I had to take another image out of the hotel window, just to prove that there actually is daylight here in Anchorage. I wish my hotel had a better view, but, alas, it doesn't. It actually looks like almost any other winter, frozen, too far north city.

I have found some scenery here. Yesterday, for instance, I saw snow flakes falling from the sky. Lots of them. About three inches of accumulation which would have been enough to shut down everything in Maryland.

But no, what I saw was actually pretty amazing. Snow plows on the roads keeping the lanes clear. What a concept. And I saw drivers that were able to drive on the snow. From that perspective, it was encouraging to be reminded that snow does not have to create a regional shut down.

Was it pretty?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My eye was looking for palm trees and sandy beaches where I could hold a cold drink in my hand without getting frostbite. But, I did enjoy the way it clung to the pine trees making them appear like the trees I use in my annual Snow Village display.

-- Bob Doan, Writing from Anchorage, AK

Richard III - Rediscovered

I have been fascinated with the discovery of the bones of the English King Richard III from the 1400's.

Bones of Richard III

Bones of the King who died in 1485, before Columbus discovered America, have been resting safely beneath a parking lot north of  London. Which is why the probably still survive.

The Washington Post article discusses the possible impacts of this discovery of the remains of the final monarch of the House of Planetagenet whose death ushered in the Tudors as monarchs of England.

That I am so fascinated with this relic of history is not amazing. But that I am so intrigued by a king of England who was a tyrant and a warrior and depicted by Shakespeare as an evil, deformed, child murdering monster is a bit disturbing. I am looking forward to a future History Channel program about the search and subsequent discovery of the bones.

The curved spine makes me cringe in pain every time I think about it--yet he was a King.

I think back to life during the 1400's when the world was clearly flat and survival was a daily battle for most people. What a time. And why was he buried 90 miles north of London? I can scarcely imagine life during those times of upheaval.

And like all despots and evil leaders--he died. Now his bones have been found and the stories can be confirmed or refuted. It reminds me of being in 11th grade history class and having to memorize all of the Kings and Queens of England--for no apparently good reason.

How cool is it that science can confirm that these are the bones of that man.  Wow!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Anchorage, AK

Out the Hotel Window - Anchorage

Well, it is not much to see, yet, given the early hour. I admit though, it was warmer in Anchorage than it was yesterday in Baltimore and about 15 degrees warmer than Minneapolis.

Anchorage, 5 Feb 2013

It is still below freezing though, making it about 45 degrees to cold for my preference.

As it has been dark the entire time I've been here, I really do not have a good sense of the landscape. Sunrise is not until 9:08 this morning. So it will be much later in the day before I can really take in the landscape. I'm not changing the clock on my computer, so this post will show Eastern Time--subtract 4 hours to find the real time of my post (about 6AM).

The trip was long, but thankfully uneventful. I was lucky to have one of the two or three empty center seats next to me, so at least I did not get that sardine in a can feeling for the nearly six hour flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage.

What excitement awaits me in Anchorage? Time will tell. It has been cold though, the streets are snow covered.

In other news, the on/off switch on my bluetooth ear piece broke yesterday--so I have some shopping to do later today. Oh boy, new electronics!

I have enjoyed watching the continuing coverage of the Ravens Super Bowl victory. There are some strange stories coming out of New Orleans, but I wish that I were in Baltimore for the victory parade today. When the Orioles win the World Series later this year, I will not miss the victory parade!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Anchorage, AK

Monday Musings - February 4, 2013

1. A football team from a working person's city, much to the chagrin of the NFL and all of the pundits, won one of the most exciting , nail-biting Super Bowl's that I have ever watched. The Ravens completed a dream season and played an exciting, sometimes ugly game in wining the Lombardi Trophy. Go Ravens!!

2. CBS's contract with the NFL should be immediately terminated until they get announcers who actually understand the game.

3. My vote for the best Super Bowl commercial goes to the Jeep ad. Second place goes to the Budweiser Clydesdale ad.

4. Wine tasting is the best way to spend an afternoon. Getting really into each wine and understanding the region and the grape to appreciate the color, the taste, the aromas, and the finish makes enjoying wine so much more than just drinking.

5. Super Bowls make for late nights. I didn't get to bed until almost midnight. And then I was up before 5 to play racquetball.

6. The power outage during the game is one of the most unique things that has ever happened during a Super Bowl. It changed the game significantly.

7. What else is there to talk about the day after your home city wins the Super Bowl? Well, the Orioles winning the World Series of course!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Game Day - Super Bowl

One game--winner takes all and the loser is all but forgotten. I hardly remember the loser of last year's game--oh wait, it was the Patriots!

The culmination of a season of hard work comes down to one game played on a huge stage where every defect and strength is on display.

It is a game larger than life and larger than the sport, it seems. Even the halftime show is beyond belief. It is the only game all season where the television fans at home get to see the halftime show because it truly is a spectacle.

The price for tickets is out of sight for the normal fan. This morning, I checked one site and the lowest ticket was $1194. Really? For a football game? And one that isn't usually up to the hype?

Yet I know people who are there. My neighbors, for instance.

I will watch the game--and as one might suspect I am all in for the Ravens, as I have been all season. I believe that although they may not be the better team on paper or in the computers, they have the intangibles! It is Ray Lewis' last ride. I suspect there will be a lot of purple in church this morning.

But this is the day we have been waiting for since before the season began, so I need to enjoy it. 32 teams began the season with their sights set upon being in today's game--only two are left. At the end of the day, there will be a champion and an also ran.

As the Ravens fight song goes:

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Ravens dark wings take to flight

Dive in and show them your might

For Baltimore and Maryland

You will fly on to victory

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Imaginary Controversy

I watched a news report a few minutes ago about how a famous youthful star had signed a major contract with a diet drink maker. Read about it in the Huffington Post article. Seemed cool to me.

Then the twist.

The protectors of society, my name not theirs, have arrived on the scene to create controversy where there should be none denouncing the endorsement deal as irresponsible because of all of the bad health consequences associated with soft drinks--especially sweetened ones.

Listening to the news report on the small minority of people who are on the front lines of this issue, I fear we are headed for a new prohibition era against soft drinks--which is really strange, where did I leave my glass of wine?

But really? It is a diet drink! People drink soda, just like people still smoke, drink alcohol, and heaven-forbid use gasoline to power automobiles.

I am more and more concerned that our society is becoming dominated by special interests which seek to impose their radical minority opinion upon the larger part of society often at the expense of reason and rational thought.

Outlawing soft drinks--or large soft drinks as some cities have done or attempted, seems to be an abuse of power. Where do these abuses stop? We already have more laws and ordnances than I can even begin to comprehend.

Condemning a star for inking a multi-million dollar deal to support a product which is legal and enjoyed by millions around the world seems extreme.

We need to let parents parent, and we need to let adults suffer natural consequences of their actions.

Let's stop creating controversy where there should be none and learn to live and respect others.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Corner of my Toast

I was sitting here, reading the morning news coming across the computer screen and mindlessly eating when I realized that two very deep, brown eyes were watching my moves closely as I came to the last corner of my breakfast toast.

Makayla at Breakfast

The last corner--of course, I do not own the last corner of my toast. No, it is Makayla's, and she knows it.

It has become a morning ritual that I rarely notice, except when I am traveling or she is having an overnight in preparation for a trip upon which I have an early departure.

She is patient. She sits there until the last corner is clearly available. And then, she inches closer. Sometimes she puts her nose on my leg to remind me that her piece of toast is nearly ready.

I have to be careful with the jam though--too much and she gets is in her fur--and that causes other issues.

When I am ready to share, she is so gentle about taking the corner of the toast from my hand. I have had other dogs who gulp the piece down without even really enjoying it, but Makayla seems to know that this special shared breakfast is a morsel to be savored and enjoyed.

I think I enjoy giving it to her more than she enjoys eating it, but it does cement that special bond between us.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge. MD

Awake Before the Day

It happened again.

I was awake, but the clock indicated that I still had time to sleep.

I wanted to sleep--but I could not. My mind was on. Preparing for the day ahead.

Guilt. I will be tired tonight before my usual time. I will probably fall asleep in the chair watching some mindless offering on TV, or worse, during the commercial of the mindless offering.

TV is a sleeping pill for me, it seems. When I travel, I turn the TV on to put me to sleep in the bed that is not my own, on the pillow I just met moments before, in a room that I just walked into, in a city away from home. The only familiar thing are the mindless programs on the television.

But this morning I paused. Listening to the sounds of the sleeping house. Feeling the cat under the covers with his back against mine sharing my warmth. The even breathing of Chris next to me was reassuring. Yet, I grew more frustrated and awake because the clock continued to tell my that I had 20 minutes more of sleep.

Failing sleep, I got up and started the day.

I wonder how it will go.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Mid-Winter Respite

The temperature achieved 60-something yesterday breaking a two week long cold snap.

It was actually nice to walk outside and believe that springtime is as close as the daffodils that are poking through the ground.

The warmer temperatures reminded me that we do not have to continue suffering through the incredible cold, but there are places where it is warmer.

I want to more there.

I thought about putting the top down on Cat and driving around, but, alas, as I am recovering from a nasty cough that probably wouldn't have been the best idea of the day. And, it was only 63 or so degrees. Cat has a heater, though, I probably would have been warm. It is hard to believe that I have had Cat for three years.

Warmer days after a cold snap make me begin to think of the coming warmth. Springtime and pool opening.

With today's forecast of 66 degrees and rain, can springtime be far off?

Tomorrow though, it is back into the 40's.

I will enjoy today--even the rain because it is warm and not snowing.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Blending a Winning Wine

One of the events that Chris and I look forward to participating in every year is the Consensus Blending sponsored by Keswick Vineyards in Virginia. This past weekend marked the fourth time that we have made the trek to the vineyard to participate.

Keswick Barrel Room
Ready for Consensus Blending

The task is to create the best tasting wine from the young wines that the winemaker provides as raw material. The event was held over three weekends this year allowing for about 360 members of the wine club to participate. Divided into teams of six people each, which allows for about ten teams on each day of the weekend, the teams come up with their best wine and enter it into the judging to become the Consensus Wine which will be produced, bottled, and sold by the winery.

Chris, Sue, George, Peggy, and Mark
The Team 

We went to the winery with a complete team, ready for the blending. Chris and I, and Mark and Peggy are veterans, while George and Sue were the rookies. But, we have gone in previous years on our own and just joined a table when we arrived. It is a pretty laid back start to the day.

This year, Stephen, the winemaker at Keswick, provided two different cabernet sauvignons, a norton, and a syrah as the raw material for blending. Seated in the always too cold barrel room and after a few opening remarks, the blending begins. Stephen says that we are doing in two hours wine blending that takes him six months.

But it is not just blindly blending wine. Or drinking wine for that matter. Each of the prospective wines in the blend must be evaluated for their strengths and weaknesses. Then the team decides upon a strategy to put the wines together to create a complete blends that had a nice aroma, good color, and a full flavor in the mouth. The hazards are many. Out table, for instance, appreciated wine that is dryer, while the most salable wines in America are fruitier and not as dry. The winners will create a wine that others will like and buy not necessarily one that we will like or buy.

Through seven different blends of the wines, we collectively decided upon the blend that we thought was the best of the wines provided. It, coincidently, was the third blend we created, but we had been unable to improve it through subsequent iterations.

Once all of the tables blend and submit their entrants, there is a break for lunch after which the judging begins. Each wine is judged by every table. A couple of ringers are added for control purposes and although there were only 8 tables on Sunday, we judged eleven wines--three of them were the same. It provided insight into how tough it really is to judge wine.

Did we win the day? No. We were a very close third--only four one hundredths of a point out of second place. The wine that won the day then entered the next stage of the competition against the other five day winning wines to become the 2012 Keswick Consensus Blend based upon average score.

In the end the real winner was everyone who participated. The wine craft learning and insight that I get every year is more that worth the trip. But more than that, it is just fun to be in the barrel room with the winemaker talking wine and blending and getting insight into how award winning wines are produced.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD