Let Freedom Ring

Happy Independence Day! It is the 4th of July and time to celebrate. 

I know that my family is planning to celebrate the 4th and observe the 242nd anniversary of the founding of our country.

The weather looks to be hot, but a bit cooler than yesterday. 


Quotes for the 4th:

“We will stand by the right, we will stand by the true, we will live, we will die for the red, white, and blue.” - unknown

“We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something—for liberty and freedom and fairness. And these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.” - Ronald Reagan

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." - Benjamin Franklin

"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." - Harry S. Truman

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” - Statue of Liberty

About fireworks on the 4th:
From Time Magazine:

After all, John Adams did say he hoped the anniversary of independence would be marked for years to come by “guns” and “bonfires” and “illuminations.” Because the first July 4 fireworks display happened in the middle of the Revolutionary War, some historians believe they were supposed to be a “morale booster.” The celebrations at the time would have also included the firing of cannons and guns, adding to the explosive nature of the festivities. With the war’s end and increasing concern for public safety, those firearms were eventually phased out of the celebrations and replaced almost entirely by the fireworks, which were often given the official stamp of approval in the hope of drawing citizens to public celebrations instead of more dangerous private firework shows.

Have a Happy 4th.

Be safe. Don't drink and drive!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Let the Celebrations Begin

Independence Day is upon us. Tomorrow we will celebrate the 242nd anniversary of the founding of the country. I hope I did the math correctly.

My how the country has changed.

Maytronics Dolphin Sigma
Pool Cleaner at Work

I look forward to the celebrations tomorrow. Last year I experienced Independence Day on a cruise ship sailing the Caribbean. It was different and exciting. The festivities were engaging and the day at sea was truly memorable.

This year, however, both Chris and I are looking forward to being home for the 4th to celebrate with family and friends. 

I hope the day is full of excitement. I will be blessed to celebrate the day, once again, with Mom and Dad. I expect that most all of the family will gather for a picnic around the pool. 

I recently acquired a new automatic cleaner which is doing a fantastic job helping me to maintain the pool. It is easy to use and the new cleaning system will help ensure that this year's celebration takes place in crystal clear water.

The weather is supposed to be fantastic as well.

Bring on the 4th!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 2, 2018

1. Happy July! June is over and we have slid into the second half of the year. 

Late Afternoon Looking up the Drive
Radio Flyer
July 1, 2018

2. I spent over four hours watching a baseball tournament yesterday in the almost intolerable heat. I was amazed that to boys played a well as they did. Sadly, in tournaments only one team can advance and our guys came up one-run short in their semifinal game.


3. I was able to get Radio Flyer up for a few brief flights over the weekend. Nothing spectacular but it was good to be i the air again.

4. With July's arrival, the retirement party season is completed! Now it is onto retirement for Chris.

5. There is nothing better than falling into the pool on a hot July day to cool off.

6. The mid-week break for Independence Day should be interesting and fun. It is rare to have a holiday on a Wednesday.

7. Ice. Who forgot to bring the ice? I was amazed at how much ice gets used at a party.


Headlines

As Bolton Says North Korea Could Disarm in a Year, Reality Lags Promises - The New York Times

A bad week for Democrats gives rise to a big problem: Outrage could become an obstacle in midterms - The Washington Post

Chicken of the trees: Eating Florida's iguanas - The Orlando Sentinel


Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"You know, the story, as I say, will continue. Every time we place our hand over our heart and pledge allegiance to the flag, we'll be reminded that our most precious inheritance is freedom and that history has bestowed on our nation the unique responsibility for its protection." Remarks at a Flag Day Ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland, June 14, 1985

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Retirement Arrives

Tina, Patrick, Chris, Jeremy
Retirement Party
June 30, 2018

As the last rays of the June sun departed in the west, so did Chris's last day of employment. With the arrival of July, she is now retired. 



To celebrate her transition from the active workforce, retirement party #4 was held at the house around the pool yesterday. It was well attended, despite the heat, and we had a lot of fun. 

The pool was definitely essential on a day when the temperature topped out at 95 degrees and the stress index made it feel like 100. Spirits were high as the celebration which started during the early afternoon spanned into the evening.

Frances, George, Mary

Mary, Jennifer, Chris, Sue

It was a retirement send-off spectacular. The food was sumptuous and the liquid refreshments were almost endless. 

All of our friends came to celebrate and I was amazed how quickly the afternoon turned into evening. 

It turned too quickly. 

Now the excitement of the rest of her life begins. Although, she really won't experience it until summer ends in September. This summer is going to be much like many others and it is not until school is back in session that her retirement is likely to become real. For now, it is time to party and celebrate.

Chris, Dad, Mom

The Last Rays of June 2018 Over the House

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Hose and the Corkscrew

There are some frustrations in life that we just have to accept.

I don't fully subscribe to that mantra, just saying! 

I spend money to reduce frustration. Sometimes my desire to reduce frustration is thwarted, but I still try. 

I offer two examples. 

My "No-Kink" Hose

The first is the venerable and absolutely necessary garden hose. I have multiple garden hoses to perform multiple tasks such as water the plants during the heat of summer, wash the car (like I ever do that), supply water to the power washer, and fill the pool.

My biggest source of frustration with the garden hose, aside from being often length challenged, is the kink! Hoses kink when being moved and it is frustrating. I get prepared to preform a task and no water comes from the hose.  A few years ago I purchased a hose supposedly guaranteed not to kink. It was going to reduce my frustration. 

It has not reduced my frustration level. It kinks every bit as much as the old green hoses it replaced. Maybe more now that it has aged some. Ugh!

Maybe "no-kink" hoses do not really exist. (Is that a double negative?)

The second example of trying to reduce frustration is related to being a member of one of the most oppressed minorities in the world. 

Left-Handed Cork Screw

Yes, I am left-handed. Almost everything in the world is designed for right-handed people. I run into the righty bias in everything to include how gasoline pumps are constructed and how the air is ingested into my gasoline powered blower. I often find myself interfering with the airflow by holding the unit in my left hand to use it. Why can't the air be ingested from the top or bottom instead of the side?

I was in a recent discussion about corkscrews. Even corkscrews are built for right-handed use. I noticed the bias when a young left-handed waiter, who clearly did not have a lot of experience, struggled to remove the cork of a wine purchased for dinner. Believe it or not, corkscrews are designed for right-handed people!

I decided to do some research and found a left-handed corkscrew which I purchased. It arrived yesterday and I was ecstatic, until I tried to use it. It is backwards. Rather, I have become so trained to perform the task of removing the cork from a wine bottle using right-handed tools that it felt very weird to use a tool designed specifically for me to do the job. 

And it was fun. I even tried to remove the cork from the corkscrew improperly. Everything is reversed. 

I can't wait to have my friends try the corkscrew and experience life in reverse!

I remember when I was a kid laughing about a left-handed monkey wrench--maybe one does exist after all? 

Maybe there yet is hope for reducing some life's frustrations one item at a time! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

End of the Day Treats

The weather made it feel like summer yesterday.  And it will likewise feel like summer again today.

I love the summer.

During early summer evenings the canopy of the trees are alive with fireflies that light up the evening and chase away the darkness. It is fun to sit and enjoy the light show while also remembering my childhood when I would chase and capture the fireflies in a mayonnaise jar filled with a few strands of grass. I wanted to enjoy the their light for myself. I would release them after a while, usually just before I went to bed.

The fireflies never seemed to be as much fun in a jar as they did flying about illuminating the sky with their cool light.

Last evening, with Mom and Dad, Chris and I went to a local place in Elkridge to enjoy some ice cream at the end of a long day. 

Fireflies are a treat for the eyes, Cindy's Soft Serve provides a treat for the palate. 

Cindy's is one of those emblematic soft serve ice cream stores that I see in so many small towns and cities across the country. It is a place where people gather at the end of a hard day to find some cool sweetness and be around the other residents. It is one of the last places, I think, where communities gather.

What I know is that there is something great about having a sundae in my hand and sitting in the yard watching the fireflies. They are truly end of the day treats.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cool Summer Days

The Team

Last evening I spent another two-and-a-half hours watching Jackson and his tournament team prepare for the weekend's games. 

Jax During the After Practice Team Meeting

It was another long practice in preparation for a tiring weekend of games when the weather is expected to be hot. At least the evening weather was cool and provided the perfect conditions for another lengthy practice.

Jax is enjoying moving up to the next level of baseball where the game takes on deep strategy and complexity. There are signs to get the players ready for all aspects of the game from batting, to pitching, to base running, and even calling plays in the field.

Something the coach told the boys really resonated with me, he said, "You are not playing baseball, you are baseball players!" I think it is an important distinction. They are no longer just playing a game. 

The boys of summer are here!

In other news, the Orioles lost another game last evening 8-7.  They were winning in the 9th and managed to lose in the 11th. They are now a dismal 23-56 and they are 26 games out of first place.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Mid-week Baseball

Jax at Practice
June 26, 2018

I returned to the baseball field last evening watching Jackson practice with his tournament team. Sitting off the field watching is not nearly as enjoyable as actually coaching. I did learn some things about teaching the game and running a practice that I could use next year, if I was going to coach again.

Jax Avoiding the Pitch

The likelihood is that my coaching days are through because Jax is likely moving on into more competitive leagues. 

It was a two-and-a-half-hour plus practice and I admit that I was beginning to get cold in the cool evening air as practice ended at 8:45 PM. 

It was long, but with the threat of rain and the two tournament games on Saturday, the team needed to work on a number of things.

In other news, the Orioles managed another loss and are now 23-55 and looking at a solid 114 loss season. It is both frustrating and embarrassing to be a fan right now. Nothing seems to go right--they lost a tight 3-2 game to the Mariners last evening.

When does next season begin?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Dog Sitting

Florence

We have great family when it comes to dogs. We all help each other out when we travel by watching each other's dogs. 

Arthur

This morning, for instance, we have two additional dogs in the house, Florence, an Italian Grayhound, and Arthur, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

They add a lot of excitement to our two permanent residents, Makayla and Finnegan.

You could say that we are going to the dogs--lol.

We are lucky the they all get along so well, although the bed does get full at night.

We also have two extra boys--Ethan and Jackson, but they are a lot more self-sufficient. 

It makes for exciting days and is keeping Chris busy as she enjoys retirement.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - June 25, 2018

1. This is the last Monday of June! Next Monday it will be July and the year will be more than one-half over.

Steve on Eisenhower Hole Golf Course #2
June 24, 2018

2. I had a good golf outing yesterday. It was nice to play two weeks in a row and return to a course that I am very familiar with, not that it helped my scoring much.

Gathering Storm Clouds from my Yard
June 24, 2018

3. The rains continued last evening. It was funny in a way, Chris and I watered all of the outside plants thinking there was no rain in the forecast and then the clouds opened up.

4. I have noticed that many of the drivers that I share the road with are oblivious to what is happening around them and to make it worse, they apparently believe that I am a mind reader and know in advance when they are going to turn or change lanes.

5. I have been very encourages about the bipartisan response to the current immigration border process. I am more concerned, however, that the good work being done to keep families together is somehow going to be undone.

6. I am excited about the week ahead. Mondays are full of promise and expectation.

7. On this day in 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeat the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River.

8. The Orioles lost yesterday and are now 23-53. If they continue to play as they have been playing, they could lose as many as 113 games this season. They have, however, won 3 of their past 6 games.


Headlines

Trump’s Trade War Could Shut Cheesemakers Out of Foreign Markets - The New York Times

Suicides Have Increased. Is This an Existential Crisis? - The New York Times

Trump advocates depriving undocumented immigrants of due-process rights - The Washington Post

Supreme Court poised to rule on Trump travel ban, other cases - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD