A Cool June Evening

Warming up the Fire Table

The promise of a warm June is waning as the temperatures have been significantly below normal for the pas couple of days, with the expectation of remaining cool for the immediate future.

Continuing the trend of running 15-18 degrees below the normal highs, today's expected high temperature of 65 degrees will be 15 degrees below normal.

In english that means, it's gonna be too cold!

I have made up my mind, I am not going back to long pants and have remained true to the promise of June by wearing shorts in the evening when I get home! 

Chris Around the Fire Table

What is there to do on a cool, wet June evening? Fortunately, nothing except slow down (which is something that I have needed to do for a while) and reconnect.

I did get the pool cleaned up and ready for the weekend, however, the cool temperatures are gradually lowering its temperature back into the "kids only" zone.

A nice bottle of wine, some time together around the fire table and watching a movie for the evening. Last evening represented a huge change from the recent activity pattern and a calm prelude to what promises to be a high energy and activity weekend.

Looking to the future, the temperatures begin a rebound during the weekend!

Bring on the sun and heat.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Presidential Circus

What else could it be called, but a circus? An electoral circus. That so many people have declared themselves to be  candidates for President and also because there is no clear heir apparent, it is clear evidence that there is a vacuum of leadership in the United States. 

I chuckle each time another candidate declares that they are running for the nation's highest office. By some counts, there will be 6 Democrats and potentially 15-20 Republicans running for the leadership of the nation.

The problem? No one seems to have the complete package of what we need to lead this nation .

Some are louder than others. Some funnier--but still serious. More than a couple have lost miserably before in the primaries and it makes me wonder what they have to offer now that wasn't obvious before?


And then there are some new voices out there. But there are so many voices crying out for attention that they are drowning each other out. 

A couple of the new voices have experience being governors of states--generally, history shows they make better Presidents than senators.

It all bears close watching. I do admit there are a few that I definitely do not support and two or three than I am listening to very closely and beginning to check their credentials. 

It is going to be a wild 17 months until the 2016 general election.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Adventure of the Ring

I was born from fire and shipped to a jeweler named Schooley's in an upstate New York city called Ithaca, some 40 years ago. 

Gleaming and gold, sitting in the display case I thought I was home. A few couples looked at me, but I was plain in comparison to some of my neighbors. I enjoyed basking in the bright lights of the display case during the day and then being safely locked up in the safe at night. Life was good.

One day, a young couple in their teens, barely out of high school, checked me out. And they found a mate from nearby that looked very similar to me, only smaller. They talked about a wedding, and tried us onto their fingers. But it was clear they had not nearly enough money to buy us both, but the nice man, named David, who ran the store made some size adjustments and inscribed initials and a date on us. Clearly, an important change was coming. The initials were RJD-CLM and the date was 8-9-75. Then he locked both of us away together in the safe. 

It was quiet and dark and I knew that something important had happened, but I was happy. A short while later, the couple returned and we were placed in a plush boxes and departed the store, forever.

A few days later, at a big ceremony, I was reintroduced to the finger that I had met a few months before. The finger belonged to Bob, and although I didn't know it at the time, we were going to be inseparable. My mate was placed on Chris's finger and we began our new lives as wedding rings.

Bob had some adjustment issues the first couple of days we were together. He was constantly taking me off his finger and putting me back on. It was weird. But over time, we settled in together and I am sure Bob didn't give me much thought. 

As a few years went by I was with Bob and Chris as the moved to different cities including Miami, Syracuse, and Denver. Life was busy and exciting. Small children arrived and we eventually found ourselves in Rome, NY. Bob was busy with his career and Chris was tending the children. 

One day, Bob was called out to do an important function and he had to take me off his finger for safety reasons. I was upset and so when the opportunity arose, I found a way out of his pocket and onto the active flight line at Griffiss AFB, NY. Bob didn't even notice me as I rolled away from him. I was free!

When I stopped rolling along the concrete I came to rest under a fire extinguisher near a B-52.  I realized that I was alone, cold, and had no ability to move.

I was afraid. Bob, it turns out noticed that I was missing and commenced a search for me. A big, burly Master Sergeant found me and we were reunited. I was happy to be back on Bob's finger where I remained, happy for another almost 36 years. 

During that time, we saw the world. We were never apart. He went to Japan, Korea, across America, all over Europe, and finally to his current home. He learned to dive, played racquetball, and learned most recently golf. I became covered with grease and muck when he worked on cars or in the garden, but we were always together and life developed a sense of normalcy. He has this weird habit of twisting me when he is thinking or playing games. It reminds him of how close we are and what I mean to him.

About a month ago, I felt the need to sample freedom again. Life, I guess, had been too good. 

I waited for my chance to head out on my own and it came one evening in Denver. Bob had a long day and didn't drink enough water. The combination of the cold and the elevation created a condition where Bob was very dehydrated--I saw my opportunity to  explore the world. While he was fueling the rental car, I slipped off his finger and he never noticed.

I was free! I had now wheels and could explore the world on my own. But I was on the floor and really couldn't see out the windows. 

I don't know when Bob noticed that I was missing, but I was in a car and driving around Denver without him.

Freedom came with a high price. I thought I would be happy, but I was cold. I had forgotten the cold of being alone. Bob's finger is warm. I missed Bob's finger, but was convinced that I would never see it again and so I began the prepare for my new life--whatever that would be. 

Would I be found and melted down into some other piece of jewelry? I hadn't thought of that before. Would I be discarded?  That would be terrible. 

Bob, it turns out, realized that I was missing the very next morning as he was preparing to board his flight at Denver's airport. He immediately called the hotel and the rental car company to report my loss and initiate a search.

Home, on Bob's Finger!

I can't recall exactly what happened while I was free for a couple of weeks in the car,  but after a while I was processed through an official looking place and placed into a dark package. The Fedex people over the course of about a week returned me to Bob, where I was happily reunited onto his finger. 

My traveling days are over. It was terrible being away from Bob. Although I was free, I missed my special place on his finger. When he slipped me back over his knuckle last evening, I knew I was home. I was back in the place where I belong representing 40 years of marriage and family. I'm glad he had not replaced me and never gave up hope that I would be recovered. 

It turns out that I am a bit thinner than when I first was united with Bob, as is my mate who is on Chris's finger, but I am happy to be back. One of Bob's favorite movies is the Wizard of Oz--and I remember at the end of the movie that Dorothy says that the next time I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard; because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.

And now, for the next 40 or more years!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - June 1, 2015

1. May departed and June arrived overnight. 2015 is into its sixth month already.

2. Rain is forecast for most of the day and into tomorrow. It could put a damper on the GORC Pirates final game.

3. I am still amazed at the complexity of golf--it is far more than hitting a small white ball as far as you can. There is a lot of strategy in how each hole is played.

4. The Orioles managed to secure another loss with some uncharacteristically poor pitching yesterday. Even with the loss, they remain only 2 game out of first in the "up for grabs" AL East.

5. I am beginning to move into vacation mode. The final plans for the summer are almost completely in place. It is going be exciting.

6. There is something refreshing and reviving about jumping into the swimming pool at the end of a hot afternoon and then sipping a glass of cool white New York table wine around a table with some health conscious munchies.

7. I have been enjoying the dawn breaking earlier each day. The light is gathering by 5AM with local sunrise at 5:42AM this morning.

American Pharoah at the Kentucky Derby

8. The third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, will be run on Saturday. Will American Pharoah become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978?

9. Get outside and enjoy the day. Each one is new and different.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Baseball, Mulch and Floors

It was a normal Saturday, as weekends go.

Mike Talking to the Pirates after the Game

The baseball game began promptly at 9AM under a hot sun on a field in Odenton. The GORC Pirates gathered to play a game and what a game they played. The team has been struggling offensively, much like the Orioles, but had a breakout day at the plate and in the field. The final score was 28-11, with Jackson getting some critical hits early. The game was truly won during the 6th and final inning when the 5-run scoring cap is removed. Jackson and the Pirates scored 14 times. It was pretty awesome. When the home team came up for the bottom of the inning, I was afraid that it would be a slug-fest for them as well, but the defense stiffened and allowed only one base runner before sealing the victory with the third out.

Chris and Tina Laying New Floor

Then, of course it was onto projects! The lawn needed to be mowed and two yards of mulch needed to be installed in the gardens. Of course, it was getting be the middle of the day and the hot sun shone down mercilessly as we labored. It never ceases to amaze me as to how mulch can restore a garden.

After a short visit to the pool to cool off and then a nap, we received a call from Patrick and Tina wondering if we could help them with a flooring project. And so, at about 5PM we headed off to assist in laying flooring. 

Admiring the New Floor

They had done a great job preparing the room and we hoped them bring the new floor home. After some measurements to determine the squareness of the room, we laid the first row and the fun began. 

The next few hours passed quickly and before we knew it, it was 9PM, the floor was done and we were setting down to eat! What al on day. It began on a baseball field and ended on a new floor. 

Wow! I wonder what today will bring. I believe I will be starting the day on a golf course at Timbers at Troy. But from there? Anything can happen!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Roses in the Garden

Roses in the Garden

As the flowers continue to bloom in my gardens, I am reminded of how much I enjoy the colors, scents, and sights of the late-spring as we slide into summer.

Each day as I open the door in the morning to let Makayla out, I am greeted by new scents lingering in the humid air. The warmth that greets me when I step outside is still a surprise, I remember the frigid blasts that greeted me for almost six months and I revel in the damp coolness of the morning.

It is important to notice the day. It would become too easy to get into a car in the garage, drive in air conditioned comfort to my place of employment, and then traverse the parking lot into work every day without taking notice of the beauty that greets me everywhere along the way.

Maybe that is why I am excited about golfing, because I get outside and traverse nature on the course. The course changes every time it is played because of the weather. And I notice those changes across the seasons.

Standing on the porch in the morning, hearing the birds and taking a moment to enjoy and observe the day reminds me that the world if far larger than my myopic view. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Honeysuckle Smells Sweet

Honeysuckle

It is honeysuckle season in Maryland.

The sweet smell of the small but prolific flower is everywhere. I have been driving around in my convertible with the top down enjoying the constant sweet smell in the air.

It is almost intoxicating. 

And I have been enjoying the deep green foliage which has replaced the barren winter landscape.

Perhaps it is the memory of the dead and barren winter view that has me appreciating the green and fragrant landscape more this year.

But the honeysuckle is truly everywhere. Roll the window down and enjoy it because it will be gone soon.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Fixing the Broken Appliances

LG Washer Motor Stator

As Jeremy and I were leaving Eisenhower Golf Course on Sunday morning, I received a call from Chris announcing me that she was going shopping and that the dishwasher and washing machine had broken while I was golfing.

Ugh. 

It was a long drive home, knowing that I was facing the challenge of either calling repair people to the tune pf about $800 or facing replacing two major appliances to the tune of about $1400. Ugh.

I was able to troubleshoot and fix the dishwasher in about 30 minutes. Fortunately, the Whirlpool Dishwasher is fairly obvious when something fans and I was abler to get the malfunctioning door switch working again.

The washing machine, however, took some intense troubleshooting and internet work. I wound up ordering a part, the motor stator, and then installing it to fix the washer--yesterday. And it worked!

Total cost of the repairs? $130

Estimated savings--$670.

It is a good week!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Agony of Defeat

I watched the Orioles lose again, in person.

Sitting in my seat in the ballpark, the problems of the Orioles are painfully obvious.

Right field!

The Orioles need a right fielder and they need to put hits together and not depend upon the homer to score runs.

It was painful to watch the right fielder last evening. It is truly right field by committee this season with the departure of our long-time and gold glove right fielder. The Orioles lost the game 4-1 last evening and I believe three of the runs can be directly attributed to right field play.

On the bright side, the Orioles threw two runners out at the plate during the game--but those came from left field, on a great relay, and the pitcher.

As I was watching the game last evening, I realized that our club, while only 2 games out of first in the AL East, is not fully energized and not playing solid baseball. The defense, with the exception of right field, is solid and the starting pitching is getting the job done. The relievers need to step up and the offense is abysmal. 

The team needs to step it up or they are going to be a disappointment.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Reflections of the Memorial Day Gathering

Ready for the Day

The Memorial Day holiday is behind us now and the summer season of 2015 is underway.

High school graduations are underway and the end of another school year is in sight. The teachers I know are very excited about the end of another school year. 

Guacamole

Yesterday was a family picnic and pool party day. At one point we had a margarita emergency and I made a fast dash to the store for more supplies--I was rewarded by seeing a bright yellow Ferrari! 

Ferrari in the Parking Lot

Lucas in the Pool

The day was a classic holiday of food, fun and games. I think the water balloon games created by Nicole Doan were a highlight--something new and fun and cool and wet all at the same time--well until I got surprised by a balloon in the face, but that is a story for another time.

The Orioles even managed a hard fought victory to bring happiness to the table. 

The youngest member of the family took a nap in a floatie in a Thor costume. He was pretty comfortable lounging in the warm water foe a few minutes enjoying some solitude after a busy day. 

And then it was back into the fracas to enjoy spending more time with the family as we celebrated being together.

Holidays are for family. I'm glad we can gather together for the day and take a timeout from the frenetic pace of life. Today it is back to work, but we have the memories of another family day to keep us going until the next time we can gather.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD