Monday Musings - February 9, 2015

1. Wine weekends are a lot of fun--especially in Charlottesville, VA where the wine flows freely.

2. I figured out the name for my first wine--Smug Bastard, that is how the winemaker at Keswick referred to me during the blending this past weekend.

3. Sitting in a noisy restaurant where it was hard to hear resulted in some funny situations the other evening. When the waitress asked if we needed bread, I  responded, "and white, too." It was a red, white and bread moment.

Sunrise on the Blue Ridge Mountains
February 7, 2015

4. Later that same evening we were talking about tapas, but some at the table felt that they have been left out by never going to a topless bar.  Funny evenings.

5. Sunrise on the Blue Ridge Mountains can be fabulous! With the mountains facing the rising sun that reflect red in the dawn light.

6. I wish grocery stores in Maryland could sell wine. It is really weird that they can't. 

7. Gas prices bounced up about 20 cents per gallon this weekend. I guess the ultra low, sub $2 per gallon prices are gone.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Let the Blending Begin

Spending a day at a winery is one of the things that I truly enjoy. Spending a day with some raw materials and creating a nice wine just adds to the joy of being at the winery.

That was yesterday. We gathered with friends to try our amateur hands at wine blending. We were provided four 2014 vintage Virginia wines and given the charge to create our best wine. This is the annual Keswick Vineyards Consensus Blending.

The wines were Touriga, Chambourcin, Syrah, and Norton. Each had some very nice qualities but was not a complete drinkable or salable wine. By the end of the day we blended a great wine that had everything the wine drinkers look for in a wine. We have need down this path before. Last year we did not place well in the blending with out entry. This year we were much happier. In fact, I like our wine.

The results? We finished as the runner-up less just over a half point behind the winners of the day. I even rated their wine ahead of ours.

A great day and great fun. We will do even better next year.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Earlysville, VA

Virginia Weekend

It is consensus blending weekend and I am making my annual trek to Keswick Vineyards for the fun and education of hands on wine blending.

Last year's team is reassembled and ready for the competition. Ok. It really isn't a competition it is just fun. And we will have fun because wine blending is just plain fun.

It all begins in a few short hours. I learn more and more about wine and blending every time I participate and this is perhaps my sixth trip to Keswick for the blending.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Earlysville, VA

Travel Horror Story

It's Gonna Be a Good Travel Day
When the Jet Arrives on Time

Traveling can be as much fun as it can be frustrating. When the jet arrives at the gate on time--it is generally a good travel day, but sometimes we may not be at the gate to take our jet.  The real challenge in traveling is successfully clearing airport security and the TSA checks which are done to ensure our safety as we board and travel to our destination. The TSA agents wield a lot of power and I respect them and the job they do to keep me safe. But as with every profession, there are some bad apples out there who can make a good day go bad very quickly.

The story, as told by Ronnie Polaneczky a Daily News Columnist in his article titled, Innocent frequent flier detained after run-in with TSA, is about what happened to frequent flier Roger Vanderklok, a Philadelphia architect and marathoner, who was detained, arrested, and arraigned on false charges after requesting a form to file a complaint regarding his treatment during a prolonged investigation of his carryon baggage during January 2013 in Philadelphia.

I have known for a very long time that TSA agents have a minimal sense of humor, but I always wish them a nice day when I travel for  a couple of reasons. First, I appreciate what they do and frankly, I'm not sure I could do that jobs every single day. Second, I truly hope they have a good day because if they are having a good day, then most likely I will also have a good day of flying. 

Vanderklok was in a difficult situation.

On this day, he was headed to Miami. In his carry-on bag was a packet of PowerBars and a heart-monitoring watch. When the bag went through the X-ray scanner, the items looked suspicious to a TSA agent whom Kieser supervises.

For the next 30 minutes, screeners checked the bag several times. Vanderklok told them that a tube-shaped case in the bag contained his watch. Then he was asked if his bag contained "organic matter." Vanderklok said no, as he thought "organic matter" meant fruits or vegetables.

PowerBars, which contain milk, grain and sugar, are considered "organic matter" and can resemble a common explosive. Terrorists often use a small electronic device, like a watch, to detonate the explosive. Hence the agent's concern.

Sometimes, when I travel simple things do not make sense. I think it is because I am out of my normal routine and struggling to retain a sense of normalcy. I remember being in Chicago returning from an overseas trip having been awake for the better part of 20 hours and the security agent asked me to "step up." There were no stairs and I was operating in a total literal mode at that point and just could not understand what he meant by asking me to "step up." Fortunately, he probably saw I was exhausted and through his patient repeating of the command I finally understood he meant to "move forward."

Vanderklok had a similar problem when the agents asked him about organic matter and he didn't realize the complete definition of organic matter includes, believe it or not, power bars. 

It was at this point that the situation got serious with Vanderklok missing his plane, being arrested, detained, and charged with a crime. There is also the part where one of the TSA agents is allegedly less than truthful in the situation when his story is compared against the videotape of the incident. It might be easy to suggest the story has a happy ending--but in reality the lost time and money spent on attorney's fees can never really be recovered.

My take away from the story is that when traveling, always be nice to the TSA agents and if I want to file a complaint--I will do it afterwards via an online resource.

So far I have been fortunate and all of my TSA interactions have been professional and positive. I hope to keep it that way.

Happy Flying!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Teasing with my Affections

Miami at Dawn from the Disney Wonder
January 28, 2015

The thermometer at my house recorded 51 degrees yesterday. Call it a mid-winter respite as today the temperatures return to too cold to do anything meaningful outside. I remembered that Wednesday morning last week I woke up on a cruise ship tied-up in Miami, Florida.

Normally, a 50 plus degree day during the winter season would have me scheming to get to a golf course to whack at the little white ball, or to a driving range to do the same thing and try to improve my inconsistent golf swing, or at a minimum swinging at balls on my home driving range. I truly need all of the work that I can get.

But alas, I was unable to do any of those things do to a too busy work schedule that saw me working late and recognizing that I am still recovering from a nasty cold that I picked up somewhere and just won't let go. I haven't even played racquetball this week because I just do not want to sap my strength.

At least I was smart enough to drive my remaining Jaguar, named affectionately Cat, to help keep the battery charged. Yes, I did for a passing moment think about putting the top down to drive home from work but the temperature was already falling and I just didn't need to get a chill.

Today the temperatures return to mid-winter reality. Fortunately, there is no snow to speak of either on the ground or in the forecast. Maybe, unlike last year and in defiance of the rodent's, Punxsutawney Phil,  prediction, spring will grace us with an early arrival.

I can dream, right?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Forces of Darkness and Anarchy

The news of the day yesterday was appalling and a clear confirmation that the Islamic State's (ISIL, ISIS) inhumanity and barbarism is beyond anything seen on the planet in decades. Anyone who has a different interpretation has clearly not been reading the news or understanding the magnitude of the murders and slaughter of innocents occurring in the region.

The Washington Post article titled, Islamic State’s killing of pilot, depicted in video, spurs calls for revenge in Jordan covers the story.  A captured Jordanian pilot was forces to walk a gauntlet of heavily armed militarists to the place where he was to be executed in a cage by being burned to death. And then we discover that the execution occurred a month ago and that the Islamic State attempted negotiations for his release after his death.

Almost no day goes by when some new atrocity is not reported coming from that region of the world. The toll mounts even in light of the military response by the United States and other allied nations committed to eradicating the threat to peace loving people everywhere.

The impact of these barbaric acts is on the region is becoming clearer. In Jordan, the populace was beginning to wonder why the country was supporting the United States's coalition--after all it wasn't their conflict. The attitude in Jordan has changed the country retaliated overnight by executing two terrorists as reported this morning in the NY Times. 

I am concerned that the news media is not fully reporting the travesties occurring in the Levant. The sensational events get coverage--but if one diligently digs through the news there is so much more occurring and we need to be informed. We need to understand that hundreds of people are dying, being imprisoned, and tortured at the hands of ISIL and most of these people are peace loving Muslims. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

In Defense of Imagination

Having just completed a cruise aboard a ship run by a company devoted to bringing imagination to life with two grandsons, I wonder about school systems which apparently are committed to destroying imagination.

The question comes from reading an article about a fourth grader in Texas who was suspended for bringing his Tolkien Lord of the Rings ring into school and suggesting that he could make a classmate disappear. This was considered a threat by the school and the boy, Aiden Steward, was suspended. It was his third suspension of the year.


Aidan's dad made the following observation to the principal of the school: “I assure you my son lacks the magical powers necessary to threaten his friend’s existence,” the boy's father later wrote in an email. "If he did, I'm sure he'd bring him right back."

Admittedly, there is something larger at work in this case since found Aiden has been suspended three times for apparently minor transgressions as reported in the referenced article. But, I have to giggle just a bit since the name of the school, Kermit Elementary, located Kermit, Texas, which is near the New Mexico border, evokes images of an imaginary green frog by the same name. 

The stifling of imagination may be one of the greatest threats to our future existence. Without imagination we would quickly become society of automatons. I like what Albert Einstein said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 2, 2015

1. What happened to January already. It's gone!

2. Driving around the neighborhood the other night I noticed that some people are having a difficult time letting go of Christmas. It is time to let it go and take the decorations down. 

3. Is the Super Bowl really super? Or just average.

4. My assessment of the Super Bowl--Seattle snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

5. Orioles pitchers and catchers report in 19 days. Opening day is just 63 days away!

6. With the arrival of February, I am beginning to think about March and getting the mower ready. I should be mowing in 60 days with any good fortune at all.

7. In case you are confused about who is and who is expected to or not to run for President, I have provided a link to the NY Times candidate tracker. Enjoy.

8. Happy Groundhog Day!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Super Thoughts for Super Sunday

The Super Bowl has gotten too big--it isn't about the game anymore.

The NFL has some serious issues that they are ignoring which significantly detract from the game.

Roger Goodell at News Conference

I would like protest against the Super Bowl and not watch it, but I have watched every Super Bowl since number 3 and, I know Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, would not get a report in the morning that I had passed on watching the game.

There is something wrong with a sporting event where people are more excited about the TV commercials than the game itself.


There is too much TV in the NFL. 

Deflate-gate, the accusations that New England used under inflated balls, should have been resolved before the game. It remains clear that the penalty for violating the NFL rules is a trip to the Super Bowl. 

The NFL has created a ticket nightmare for this event which is affecting many normal people who had hoped to get tickets for the game. Just another tactic where the NFL doesn't understand that the success of the league is because of throngs of people who don't qualify for special privileges.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Towel Animals

Hanging Monkey

One of the fun things Chris and I looked forward every day as we returned to our stateroom during our recent cruise aboard the Disney Wonder was the towel animals left behind after it had been cleaned up during the day. 

Apparently, towel animals have become a signature room adornment of cruising. In reading on line, apparently Carnival adds them to the rooms in addition to Disney.

Towel Dog

Towel Dinosaur

These little pieces of fun are enjoyable and complex. 

During the recent cruise, three unique animals adorned our stateroom. 

I admit, the last one took us a bit of creative thought to identify--it is a dinosaur.

I thought the hanging monkey was the most creative. We left it hanging there throughout the entire trip and it brought a smile to my face every time I opened the stateroom door.

It is fun to remember the good times of the recent journey--that way it never really has to end.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD