The Target for a Great Afternoon

My Floatie in the Pool, Waiting

There it was--freshly placed into the pool and reach for immediate occupancy. An anticipated source of relaxation and enjoyment. 

The afternoon was hot--which has been unusual this year. The temperatures were pleasantly in the almost mid-80's and the water was clear.

Time to enjoy the pool!

Diving into the cool water was a freeing experience. Floating, suspended weightless for the length of a breath of air was exhilarating. Even for the few moments suspended below the surface--I was surrounded and supported.  Then, to the surface and into the floatie for a few scarce minutes of relaxation. 

Beginning next week, my 21 year old pool will be undergoing a major maintenance project. It is showing its age and needs to be restored to its former elegance and functionality.  Yes, I am tired of reattaching tiles to the walls and picking up places of plaster from the pool bottom. We have decided to retain the current look of the pool

More to follow--but for this weekend, realization and enjoyment on the surface of the water.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Lacrosse to Cello in Three Days

Being a kid in today's world seems like it is a great experience. Where else can a kid play in a lacrosse game on Sunday and follow-up on Wednesday as a lead cello player in the elementary school year-end strings performance.

Ethan would be that kid! Wow! 

And it was a lot of fun to be present at both events as a proud grandparent of an extremely talented child. Of course, I may be just a touch biased. Maybe more than a touch.

The school did a masterful job separating out the band and strings parent contingents by offsetting the start times. It was a pleasant departure from the previous performance and made the entire 30 minute strings performance very enjoyable!  Yay--and thankfully short.

I am so proud of Ethan and to document his performance I have a video.

Enjoy the Batman Theme as you have never heard it before, or likely ever will again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Weekends Sports Warrior

Some people are weekend warriors because they participate in strenuous sports on the weekends and not during the week. I have friends who play basketball or football, or even baseball risking life and limb during the precious few hours allotted to us to enjoy the weekend.

I guess that is the exactly the opposite for me. I play racquetball during the week and like to relax and participate in sports differently on the weekends. 

On the Baseball Diamond--Saturday Morning

Last weekend was an example of my weekend warrior sports activities.  Saturday started off bright and early on the baseball diamond with Jax. I not only get to watch Jax play baseball, but I am one of the coaches for his team--so I get to participate as well. Trying to keep four and five year olds interested in baseball can be challenging when there are many more interesting things to do with the dirt on the ground. Jax is the player just beyond Number 5 in the foreground. 

It was an idyllic late springtime morning. Where better to be?

Sunday was similar, in that I got my dose of sports by watching Ethan play his final lacrosse game of the season--who knew it was over already?

Ethan is Number 21, and he plays an awesome defense. He got to play some midfielder during this game and he didn't enjoy that as much--he really enjoys the defense and it showed as they almost shut out the opposing team, allowing only one score. Usually he wears bright orange socks so we can find him easier on the field.

After the game? It was off to the pool for relaxation and fun during the sunny afternoon. And did I mention the Orioles? Well, they won and we watched the end of that game as well.

I am truly a weekend sports warrior--even though I am not playing, I am still participating.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Hotel Window - Somewhere in Massachusetts

A Massachusetts shoreline hotel window view. Wow!

I'm not there. But Jeremy is and he sent me this image to prove that the view out his hotel window beats anything that my views have even seen or recorded.

He may be right.

As he said, "Game, set, match!"

It is a pretty awesome view. 

This could be a lot of fun--if lots of people start sending in their views out their hotel windows.  At least I will have succeeded in getting them to open the curtains and see what is outside.

Get out of the room and see what there is to look at. 

They even light the water and the rocks at night--I'm glad he looked outside his hotel window at this sight.

I actually wish he had told me the name of the city and hotel--this looks like a great place to visit, during the summertime!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings, June 2, 2014

1. In case you missed it yesterday--June is here. I feel like I was just getting to know May and it suddenly departed.

2. It's a game, it is not supposed to be fun!

3. Warm temperatures and rain--the forecast for the week ahead.

Wooden Rooster

4. There is something great about jumping into a pool after a long day of activity.

5. I saw this rooster in Pier 1, and wondered, why?

6. Baseball and lacrosse a weekend full of youth sports what better way to spend time in the sun?

7. I have been noticing how much better the world looks clothed in green rather than the grays of winter.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Posing in the Flowers

Makayla in the Garden

There she was yesterday morning, patiently waiting for me to finish emptying a yard of mulch from my truck. 

It was stunning.

She was laying there among the flowers trying to be the prettiest object in the garden  And she was!

The garden was in the shade and I was working a few feet away in the hot, or at least warm, sunshine of a beautiful Saturday. There is something nice about having my dog near me when I am working outside. Usually, she is trying my patience by heading off into the wooded area or scoping out the neighbor's garbage cans. She does like to wander a bit--but yesterday she was the faithful dog that is depicted in so many movies.

A boy (or man) and his dog on a sunny afternoon in the yard. What could be better?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

What Does the Fox Say?

Although there is a popular song that purports to know the answer to the question posed in the title of this blog, from personal experience the other night I know what the fox really says. 

I saw the fox walk through my yard the other day--and it looked a lot like the one in the image. Not pretty and fluffy, but ragged and worn. That concerned my, but not alarmingly so until the other night when it returned to my neighborhood and made a terrible racket--at 3AM. 

It woke Makayla--who had to bark to let everyone in the house know that something was afoot in the yard.

Sadly, it was just an insult added to the injury.

The fox had already awakened me.

I laid there--contemplating my next action. Should I

get up and yell at the fox? 

try to sleep, despite the noise? 

ignore it and eventually it will go away?

So many questions in my mind at 3 AM.

What does the fox say?

"I'm gonna bark in your yard and wake your dog who is gonna bark at me and wake you up just so you know I'm here!"

At least that's what the fox in my yard says at 3 AM.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The World Wars - History Channel

Who am I to cast aspersions on the History Channel for one of their mini-series?

OK, I'm a nobody, but I'm gonna make a judgement here.

I watched all three evenings of  The World Wars mini-series and I question the historical accuracy of the effort.

First, I liked it--it was well produced and had the glitz to connect with today's viewing public.

But, I question many of the historical "facts" presented.

Did Patton and McArthur ever really meet on the battlefield during WW1? History says they actually did meet, but Patton was shortly after during the US campaign during WW1 and the war ended while he was recovering rather than he and McArthur being the heroes that overthrew the tyranny of the Germans and single-handedly won WW1. The images of Patton riding a tank into battle like some calvary trooper almost akin to Custer were just a bit too much to be believed.

I felt the series had a distinctly US slant and was not a balanced representation of the efforts of the allies during the two wars.  I saw no mention of Field Marshal Montgomery, precious little about Eisenhower, and no mention of George Marshall.

The series indicated that the Sicily Campaign during WW2 was almost all Patton--when in fact Eisenhower had overall command and Patton was only one force moving through Sicily with British General Montgomery commanding the other.

And the historical inaccuracies go on and on. It seemed every time a four engine bomber was pictured--regardless of which side the bomber was assigned to, it was a B-17. I love the B-17, but it was not active in the European theater during 1940. 

Overall, I thought the series perpetuated the myths that have persisted for so many years. Myths like that the US forces won WW1. Likewise, it was an allied effort that won WW2--not a sole US effort as the series would suggest. They say the victors write history, but in this case the revisionist history is almost too much to bear.

Another writer also agrees with my view of the mini-series and points out more historical inaccuracies in rant against the mini-series. 

I was, therefore, disappointed by the historical interpretations presented by the mini-series.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Dentistry--Now and Then

Yesterday, I was on the wrong side of my dentist's office and had the opportunity to experience modern dentistry. 

My dentist's office is divided: periodic cleanings and care on one side with the other dedicated to surgery and reconstruction. I realized that I prefer to be on the cleaning side and not the repair side. But, alas, yesterday was devoted to some dental surgery. 

I hate having people probing around in my mouth. Let me just get that out right up front. 

I would not go for routine cleanings and care, if I thought I could get away with it--and in fact I think I went three years without going in for cleanings. I was lucky that I didn't develop any huge problems as a result of that hiatus. But, I have been back on the twice a year schedule for a couple of years now. 

As I was sitting in the chair bantering with the dentist and the assistant yesterday, I was reminded of how far dentistry has come during my lifetime. 

I remembered one vivid, traumatic experience when I was in the dentist chair and the dentist was giving me shots to numb my mouth before filling a cavity. It hurt! A lot! I was in high school and was a football player then. I remember grabbing the dentists arm as he came at my mouth for the fifth very painful numbing shot and asking if this was really necessary. He was shocked, but affirmed that it was necessary. In reflecting, it felt like I was living the scene from the movie "Little Shop of Horrors." The dentist was playing the part of the sadist perfectly, but I was not playing the part of the masochist very well at all.

Roll forward to yesterday. No pain. I was numbed to receive the numbing shots. The surgery went without pain or discomfort. Yes, I was rigidly nervous expecting a tinge of pain--but thankfully, none came. Three hours later, the numbness was gone and so far there has not been any pain.

Yay for painless dentistry.

No, I still do not want to visit the surgery side of the dentist's office ever again. 

But, my fears have been eased a bit. I still hate shots--especially in the mouth!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rain, Pool, Air Conditioning

Yesterday was the first official 90 degree day of the year. As the weatherman said, the temperature hit 90 degrees for a few minutes and then the thunderstorms descended and the temperature dropped rapidly.

We even turned the air conditioning on to cool the upper level of the house a bit. Temperatures approaching 90 are just a bit too hot for the upper floor of the house.

Still, I was able to enjoy the pool for a few precious minutes during the afternoon before the storms arrived.

It was awesome to be in the cool-feeling pool water on a hot, summer-like day.

It was a foretaste of the fun which lies ahead.

And I am sure it is going to be a lot of fun. It will be as much fun as I can make it.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD