Home is Where my Dog Is

Makayla

I know the old saying is that home is where your heart is, but in my case my heart is where my dog is and so in my case my heart and my dog are one.

That sounds so zen. 

Or even weird. But I love traveling with my dog. The past week we have been living at my daughter's house while they explore Spain and having my dog around has kept me sane.

It is not that she does all that much, but her comings and goings and need to head outside every couple of hours adds a sense of normalcy to a life in upheaval. And I really like having her park herself next to me to be scratched behind her ears and I also enjoy having her lay at my feet.

Today, the expectation is that I will return home to my more normal life and I know that Makayla will appreciate the transition home as well. She is not a huge fan of vacations--I think she has a problem with change, but of course the good news is that she just accepts where we are at and enjoys the fact that she was not left behind.

Home is where my dog is--what could be better?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 10, 2014

1. The dusting of snow yesterday reminded me that winter's grip is still strong.

2. Here is a difficult story, especially for animal lovers. Danish zoo kills healthy giraffe, feeds body to lions. I'm feeling there had to be another way. I read the story and was appalled at how this whole thing was handled. Especially the part about doing it in front of an assembled crowd. Maybe I have a touch of anthropomorphism, but this is just not right.

3. Flappy Bird the incredibly successful new app is no longer available. Too much success, it seems. I had heard about the game, but hadn't downloaded it yet.

4. The Olympics are everywhere, but the U.S. doesn't seem to be doing that well right now. At the end of Day 2, the U.S. is in third place by virtue of garnering two gold medals. 

5. There is something really exciting about dropping family off at the cruise terminal and know they are heading off on a week long journey to warmer climates. My, those cruise ships are huge. I wish that I could be sailing with them.

6. OK, this could be a bit controversial. Why do members of Congress believe that they can or should get involved in a name dispute with the NFL? Seriously, the name of an NFL team is clearly not within the powers given to Congress by the Constitution. Who decides when a name or a word transitions from showing honor to a slur? I think the Congress and all of the other legislators should do their constitutionally appointed jobs, which as we have seen they don't accomplish very well, and stay out of these kinds of disputes. One other thing, why does the NFL have tax exempt status--that his wrong!

7. I learned something else in the article referenced above--Oklahoma means Red People in Choctaw. So we have a U.S. state that perpetuates a slang term for First People? Are they going to change Oklahoma's name?

8. The thought of living in a high rise in a big city scares me and here's why. Read Trapped by a Fire on the 20th Floor. There is something reassuring about knowing that I can crawl out onto my room and jump to the ground without injury in the event of a fire or emergency.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Ice: In the Grip of Winter

Although there has been a bit more sunshine lately, the temperatures are still too cold to think and the ice on the collection pond, as seen through my daughter's window, confirms my suspicion that is is just too cold outside. 

Fortunately there is a fence around the collection pond or I am sure someone would have drowned trying to ice skate on the seeming inviting ring of ice. 

There is no snow in the area and so looking out the window, except for this circle of ice, might lead one to believe that spring is close. But it is not.

With daily high temperatures in the low 30's--often not breaking above freezing, the region continues firmly in the arctic grip of Winter longing for warmth and moderate temperatures. It is supposed to reach 36 degrees today! It may feel like a heatwave when it does, except for the snow that is supposed to accompany the more moderate temperatures.

I guess I'm a bit jealous that some of my family are lucky enough to be traveling to warmer climates. Some are leaving today on a cruise for the Bahamas and diving, while others are enjoying the relative warmth of Barcelona (yup Spain) on the Mediterranean coast where the temperatures are cool in the 50's-and 60's, but compared to 20's and 30's it must seem like a summer heat wave.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training this week--so summer and warmer temperatures cannot be too far off. I can even buy tickets to the Orioles Opening Day this week! And my own journey to warmer temperatures happens in about five short seeks as I sojourn to Sarasota for some dune and baseball. We are doing four games in four days this year!

But the ice remains--unmoved. Growing stronger which each passing hour of temperatures below freezing.

It will be gone soon!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Olympics Opening Ceremony Reflections

And so they begin. For the next two weeks the world will be watching athletes compete in the still unifying spirit of the Olympics streaming from Sochi, Russia. 

I was impressed with the opening ceremonies--the pageantry seems to get bigger and more exotic with every succeeding Olympics. Being a Winter Olympics, however, I do not long to be there. It looks cold.

Sage Kotsenburg with the First Gold of Sochi

The U.S. surprisingly won the first Gold Medal of the Olympics which Sage Kotsenburg winning Gold in the Men's Snowboard Slopesytyle. I didn't even know what that was until the other night when I watched it on TV and it is a pretty awesome looking sport, racing down a hill on a snowboard doing flips and twists.

Watching the opening ceremonies with the parade of nations reminded me that it is possible for all of the countries to come together for sports and not be so mindful of the differences of ideology or religion. That made me feel good. I wish it could happen more.

I smiled as the Tonga team entered the stadium. Really? A polynesian island has a team in the winter Olympics? Their lone Olympian will compete in the Luge.

I did think the 230 members of the U.S. team were a bit unruly as they entered the stadium in comparison with other countries, but that, for what it is worth, is who we are I guess.

Well, it is underway and it will be fun to watch. 

It has to be better than anything else on TV.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, My Longest Day

Thursday's. Blah! They are my personal toughest day of the week.

I am usually up early, like yesterday at 4:40 AM and then on the racquetball court at 5:30 AM. I follow that by being at work by 7:00 AM and then I am strapped to meetings at 8, 9, 11, and 12 on a good Thursday. On many Thursday's, like yesterday, I had additional meetings at 9 (yup, two ( AM meetings) and a pick-up meeting at 10.

Jax, Chris, and Ethan

And, as an added bonus, I got to leave work early to make a run to the airport and then watch two Ethan and Jax for the evening which will continue into next week! So, as an added bonus, last evening I got to experience the joys of homework, the success of being installed on the Principal's Honor Roll and a celebratory trip to a slushy store, getting fitted for a lacrosse uniform, and dinner at Chik Fil A.

I'm not sure there is enough wine in the world to compensate for the Thursday that I had. And I get to do a lot of it all over again today! Yay!

It is an adventure.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Trips, Travel, and Dreaming

Florida Palms after a Summer Storm

I was chatting with a friend the other day, amidst the snow and cold, and we both agreed that the though of being in Florida, or some other warm place, keeps us going despite the cold and icy weather.

They are so many warm places to dream of visiting, yet, there is something satisfying about going someplace familiar. And warm.

There is a car in my garage that embodies the essence of warm summer days--and it hasn't been driven in a couple of months. I have an almost overpowering urge to get it out, put the top down and drive 80 miles an hour on the interstate with my hair on fire in 20 degree temperatures, just because I can.

And then pneumonia would probably set in.

But I would enjoy the moment with no regrets.

Perhaps it I am feeling it because two of my children are headed off on trips to potentially warmer climates.

Fortunately there are only a few more storms between me and Spring Training in Sarasota! Next year we are going to go earlier to escape the cold.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Making Man Happy

I heard the funniest thing last evening about keeping husbands happy in the face of a miserable attitude. The three steps to change a bad attitude into a good one were called the "Toddler Approach."

The steps:

1. Feed them. Are they hungry? When did they eat last?

2. Give them a nap. They are tired.

3. Wash them. They may be dirty somewhere, but this only happens in about 3 percent of the cases.

Patrick and I discussed "Toddler Approach" to being handled, as we are both husbands. He felt that the whole world always looks better on a full stomach. I have to concur, I remember being in Disney World last summer and the experience was beginning to degrade in the face of rain and exhaustion. A great lunch saved the day. I also know from personal experience that life is a lot better after an afternoon nap. 

As for item three-we had never really experienced the idea of being dirty and needing cleansing.

And then it hit me, these three steps to taming an ornery man weren't funny or cute--they were true.

Deep psychology.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Six PM Last Evening

What were you doing last evening at 6PM?

I was arriving home after another less than successful racquetball outing, but . . . 

I noticed something. 

I noticed that it was not yet fully dark at 6 PM. The daylight grows long day by day. We are back up to 10 hours and 18 minutes of sunlight. Sunset was at 5:28 PM last evening. 

Maybe it was a bit of wishful thinking, but I believe that I can see the daylight growing longer. I can almost hear the ocean waves lapping the shore while enjoying an end of day drink in the 8:30 pm timeframe. It is coming, soon.

Springtime flowers in February

Before long, as I leave the club in the morning just before 7 AM,  I should be able to see see the first glimpses of the sun just before the horizon and believe that warmer weather, green leaves, and flowers are close behind the obvious seasonal change. 

The dark days are ending!

And to add insult to injury, Sunday as I was cruising around the yard I noticed, in places where the snow has melted, that springtime flowers are beginning to poke up into the still too weak sunlight. What hardy plants they must be ready to face the continuing onslaught of winter weather that is in store for us.

Like the flowers in my garden, keep the faith--Spring is out there, somewhere!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 3, 2014

1. February? Really? Already? I thought we just celebrated New Years!

2. Was it Super? Or was it just a commercial blow-out? You make the call. Has the "Big" game become so hyped that any semblance to football is merely the shape of the ball and number of players on the field?

3. Did you know that despite the hype and the 60 minute clock, there is only about 14 minutes of actual game play packed into 3 and a half hours of Super Bowl game time. The halftime show lasts longer.

4. Given the significant accumulations of snow in today's forecast for the Baltimore area, I guess Punxsutawney Phil's forecast was solid. Unfortunately.

5. Ten days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training and we can get on with the prelude to Spring as baseball ramps up for its eight month run.

6. Makayla, my dog, is funny. In the morning she is ready to charge out into the yard to take care of business, right up until she notices it is raining and then she puts on the brakes and slinks under the eaves to keep from getting rained on. I suppose I need to get her a doggie umbrella.

7. What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial? I liked Budweiser's Puppy Love, was intrigued by the first Maserati commercial that I have ever seen, and enjoyed the Jaguar commercial--just because.

8. One last Super Bowl related comment. It was funny last evening as the game went to commercial and the grandsons started talking only to be advised that unlike any other football game, it was time to be quiet during the commercials rather than ask questions and make noise.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Six More Weeks of Winter confirmed--Phil Sees Shadow

2013 File Photo of Phil

This just in:

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow as reported in the Syracuse Post-Standard, although I could not find it live on the national news. 

Here is the story from the Post-Standard:

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- Punxsutawney Phil, most famous groundhog in history, emerged from his burrow early Sunday morning and with the help of his handlers declared that he saw his shadow.

The Groundhog Day prediction means six more weeks of winter.

I kinda felt it would happen this way.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD