Talking About the Orioles

From MLB.com

I attended another Orioles game last evening and was pleasantly surprised about the sense of urgency the team displayed in dispatching the Kansas City Royals in a 6-0 shutout.

With 55 games remaining in the regular season, the Orioles have come alive. They swept the Royals by winning the game last evening. The Royals had come into Camden Yards as one of the hottest teams in baseball. They are one of the three teams that the Orioles must catch and pass to earn a ticket to the post-season. The Orioles are now just 2.5 games out of a wild card spot!

The Orioles did their jobs! I watched a game with great pitching, good fielding, and most importantly I saw the Orioles score 6 runs and they hit only one homer! The Orioles are learning to move around the bases with clutch hitting and not relying on the long ball to get the job done. 

Did I mention awesome pitching? The Orioles latest acquisition, Jeremy Hellickson, pitched seven shut-out innings and turned the game over to the resurgent bullpen to secure the win!

Since the debacle that was June and July, the Orioles starting pitchers have arrived and begun controlling games, the bullpen has stabilized with the return of Zach Britton and Darren O'Day, and the hitters are not slugging for the fences but are getting timely hits. The result? They are on a 5 game winning streak and have won 7 of their past 10 games. They are 11-5 in their past 16 games! Just saying. 

Winning the division is still a possibility!

Bring on October!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Making the news

The White House

I just have to comment on the wild White House weekend.

It is hard to remember that the current administration has been in office only six months and a few long days.

The only constant seems to be a virtual merry-go-round of faces moving through key administration positions.

During the past week or so, it has been a truly revolving door of people in key positions. 

And then there are the tweets from the President. Daily insights into what matters most to the President. 

From yesterday, the President tweeted:

Only the Fake News Media and Trump enemies want me to stop using Social Media (110 million people). Only way for me to get the truth out!

And on Monday after the changes in The White House:

A great day at the White House!

I have no idea where everything is heading but I am sure of one thing: 

Making the news is controlling the news!

The President is certainly controlling the news!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Time Rockets By

Happy August 1st, it is hard to believe how quickly July passed. 

Carlin Park
Jupiter, Florida
July 10, 2017

I have been on my own for a couple of days now as Chris is out in the west visiting her brother and preparing for a wedding.One thing that has really struck me is how quickly time is lost. There is so much to do, but it seems that there is not nearly enough time to get it all done.

Each project requires time to set-up and clean-up. And then there is the obligatory trip to the home store for supplies. 

The lawn still needs to be mowed and I think it is finally dry enough after the rains. It is definitely tonight's project.

And the pool always needs care.

Did I mention vacuuming? Doing laundry? Cleaning up the piles of towels that do not seem to have home form around the pool? I am mired in the mundane.

Most people know that July is my favorite month of the year because I generally travel and do unique activities that do not happen during other months of the year. As I was reflecting upon the hectic pace of this most recent July, I remembered sitting on a couple of beaches where the  conflicting priorities of life melted away and I was just able to be in that moment.  

And now, July is twelve long months away.

I wonder what joys August will bring?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 31, 2017

Patuxent Greens Hole 1
Laurel, MD
July 30, 2017

1. It is the last day of July, the year is now seven months complete and I can feel August in the air. 

2. The past two mornings have seen temperatures in the 50's to start the day. It seems that the summertime heat has been turned off.

3. I played golf yesterday. The course was wet from all of the rains. I could tell the course had too much standing water in places because there were ducks swimming in the fairway.

4. Changing plans are because of life. 

Screen Shot of George C. Scott as
Patton

5. I heard an interesting thought last week in a meeting. It may be a leadership concept. "Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone gets to vote."

6. I found this small bug on the tail light of my truck. I was intrigued by the green and red contrast.

7. Chris has been away visiting in Colorado. I watched Patton a couple of times while doing house projects. 

Headlines

Russia flaunts military might across the world with Navy Day celebrations - CNN

Putin, Responding to Sanctions, Orders U.S. to Cut Diplomatic Staff by 755 - The New York Times

Hot Spot for Tech Outsourcing: The United States - The New York Times

Quote for the Week

"The price of freedom may be high, but never so costly as the loss of freedom."

Ronald Reagan

Remarks at a Rally Supporting the Proposed Constitutional Amendment for a Balanced Federal Budget, July 19, 1982

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rainy Saturday Report

Getting the Cut In's Done

Despite the rain, it was a productive day around the house.

Chris and I have been procrastinating painting the wine room. One wall of the room was painted a few years ago, but the remainder had not been refreshed since we moved into the house some 17 years ago.

The Completed Wall
The Lighting Makes it Look Mottled

We are slowly changing the color palate and updating the walls. We have had the paint for many months, but just not had the opportunity to take a day and actually paint. Until yesterday. 

I was able to paint the room and get it put back together.

Job done.

I also watched Patton for the second time this weekend. I think I will make it a Patton marathon this weekend.

Along the way, the door handle to the garage door broke and I replaced it. Ugh. It is amazing the number of things that continue to need replacing and updating. 

I wonder what today will bring? The morning temperature is 57 degrees! Hopefully the rains will stop and I will be able to get the lawns mowed.

After I play a round of golf, of course. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rainy July Saturday

Rains Falling in the Backyard
July 28, 2017

The rains from yesterday and overnight have created a soggy mess outside which caused a rescheduling of my early morning Tee time, created lawns so wet that they can't be mowed, and have generally postponed most outside activity. 

The rains last evening were heavy and I had to drain a few inches of water from the pool.

I guess I will be stuck doing indoors activity today.

Of course, I could spend the day watching my favorite movie, Patton. 

But, there is a room to be painted. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

D.C. in Traffic

Driving through D.C.
with Washington Monument and
Jefferson Memorial in  view

I had the opportunity to drive through the heart of DC during high traffic yesterday. 

It was an experience that I had forgotten. 

I quickly remembered why I don't drive through DC too often. I prefer to take the metro.

Traffic is slow, crazy, and dangerous. The dangerous part is an understatement. People drive like they have no respect for the damage a vehicle can do. 

I had dropped Chris, Jodie, and Trev off at Reagan National and was headed back to work. The roads were jammed. Who is out driving at about noon on a weekday? Lots of people, it seems. 

I was at a total standstill on a bridge when I snapped this image.

At least I could sightsee in the traffic!

Remind me again why flying out of National is better than BWI? I forget! Lol.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

John McCain Lays it Out

I had the opportunity to see some of Senator John McCain's speech to the Senate on Tuesday. 

Senator John McCain Addressing the Senate
July 25, 2017

He is an American hero.

There may be no one who better understands the construct of the American government, our Republic, than John McCain.

Senator McCain laid it all out in this part of his speech,

“We’re getting nothing done. All we’ve really done this year is confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Our healthcare insurance system is a mess. We all know it, those who support Obamacare and those who oppose it. Something has to be done. We Republicans have looked for a way to end it and replace it with something else without paying a terrible political price. We haven’t found it yet, and I’m not sure we will. All we’ve managed to do is make more popular a policy that wasn’t very popular when we started trying to get rid of it.
 

He mentioned that the Senate had done nothing all year more than once.

He also has a great grasp on the concept of checks and balances--he was clear and unequivocal in his assessment of the unwelcome influence of the President on the Senate.

“We are an important check on the powers of the Executive. Our consent is necessary for the President to appoint jurists and powerful government officials and in many respects to conduct foreign policy. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the President’s subordinates. We are his equal!

No truer words have been spoken. 

The Senate needs to exert leadership in the Congress for America.

I was impressed with Senator McCain's grasp on the true importance of the Senate and its check on the powers of the unruly presidency. 

“That principled mindset, and the service of our predecessors who possessed it, come to mind when I hear the Senate referred to as the world’s greatest deliberative body. I’m not sure we can claim that distinction with a straight face today.


I urge you to read the test of Senator McCain's speech and relive the greatness of what America was and yet should be.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Golf off the End of the Runway

Golf requires a mixture of playing and practice.

Chris at the Range
July 25, 2017

I could never approach the amount of practice time that the pros dedicate, but heading off to the driving range for an hour or so of practice allows me to work on aspects of my game that I would not attempt during a round of golf when I am trying for my best score.

Last evening, instead of hitting a course for a fast 9 holes, Chris and I went to the range for some serious work. It was a beautiful evening and the range was full--both levels. I guess all of the other weekend golfers wanted to enjoy the relative cool, low humidity evening. 

The range near the airport is a lot of fun because when the correct runway is active the planes seeming fly right over top. 

The range is nice because I am able to hit more balls in an hour than I would during a four hour 18 hole round--and I can work to adjust my stance and swing to begin to learn how to better aim my shots.

It was a great way to begin an evening--for both Chris and I.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Day Ends

Last evening was one of those all to rare experiences which put the period at the end of the day in a truly enjoyable and relaxing fashion.

The Pool as Evening Falls
July 24, 2017

I had not realized the amusement park-like pace that Chris and I had been on until we were lounging on floaties in the pool with a glass of wine for the first time all season. Yes, it is late-July and we only last evening found time to lounge in the pool and enjoy some time to ourselves.

Admittedly, the weather has been questionable, we have been traveling, and we have been busy--but lounging in the pool is something that I look forward to enjoying. 

Chris and I are fortunate, we have been able to carve out a piece of serenity amid the cacophony of the world around us to enjoy the ending or the beginning of the day. Last evening the stars and schedules finally aligned to allow us to decompress without struggling to get everything done. The late evening ending thunderstorm was but the icing on the cake as we both enjoy watching the storms rage around us.

I hope for more such days as the summer winds down because I can already feel summer losing its grip as the temperature this morning was 64 degrees and cool with the humidity finally falling into the comfort range.

Evenings like that are to be enjoyed and then treasured.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD