Stunning Day

 

Standing on Liberty Island on a fantastic late-September day. The view is spectacular and the weather idyllic. 

It is hard to believe we finally made it. We originally planned to visit during late-August, but there was this hurricane. And then we tried for a Saturday in early-September--but it was the 20th Anniversary of 9/11--so we wisely took a pass. But today, we are here! Enjoying light crowds and the most beautiful Autumn Saturday that could be imagined. 

A day full of fun and showing the city to Lucas lies ahead. 

— Bob Doan, Liberty Island, NY Harbor

Another September Budget Crisis

 Well, it is late-September and our Congress is demonstrating clearly that it matters not which party is in the seat, they cannot or will not do their constitutionally appointed task of funding the government with a budget.

It has become an annual rite: the budget crisis and of course it is almost always tied to raising the debt ceiling. 

What is sad is that the Republicans seem to have amnesia that when they held the reigns, the deficit increased over $7 trillion! Yup, it's true. And now they are quibbling and threatening to shut the government down. And of course the Democrats are no better--they can't even find consensus among themselves.

The problem for "we the people" is that our retirement accounts are based upon the good faith and credit of the United States and when Congress plays politics they threaten our livelihood and future. It has become an important game for small-minded people to try an grind their individual axes.

Just pass a budget and get on with it.

We cannot move forward if we keep looking back.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday Eve Arrives Again

 The first full day of Autumn has arrived and it coincides with my weekly Friday Eve celebration. 

Looking at the autumnal leaves which have been blown from the trees by the storms which have been passing through the region, I am very happy that I had closed the pool so that I do not have to clear the mess. The arrival of Autumn makes me wish that I could have a lanai over my pool, like as in Florida. That would allow me to keep the pool open longer--but, the leaves are a great deterrent to a longer pool season.

Even in Texas, as I was there this past weekend, the municipal pools close during the early portion of September. And now, September is drawing to a close and October is just a week away. The months are accelerating their pace it seems. 

I realized how quickly the summer passed yesterday when my allergist asked me how my golf game was going. We always speak about golf as it is more interesting than my allergies. I responded to him that I had not been playing much because I have been so busy with baseball and travel. And it is true. My recent handicap revision based upon a couple of "not my best rounds" due to lack of consistent play increased two points. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Autumn

 Today is the day that Autumn officially begins. Much like Summer, the beginning of Autumn is generally more associated with a holiday than the actual calendar. Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning to the Summer season and Labor Day, it seems, marks the end of Summer and therefore the beginning of Autumn. 

No matter. It is here now. 

Let the fun and the falling leaves begin.

Let the darkness grow as the days grow ever shorter.

The cooler days and cold nights are not far off. 

Autumn begins at 3:21 PM EDT. Summer has been lingering, but it is not time to send it off and say good-bye to the fun we had.  

Football has arrived and it is time for baseball to begin to end. 

For the Orioles, the season cannot end enough. The Orioles have 48 wins with 11 games remaining--can they make 50? Inquiring minds want to know. And then, the season will mercifully be over.

Autumn is certainly arriving. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Troubling Tuesday

 Well, another Tuesday has dawned. Actually, it is almost dawn.

The days are getting shorter and the work loads are getting bigger it seems.

I never seem to know how to deal with Tuesday. There is always so much to do and so little time to get it all accomplished. 

Today I have a medical appointment, a follow-up, so nothing major is expected to occur. 

And then there is baseball practice this evening with the undefeated Severn Seminoles 14U who swept another doubleheader this weekend. 

It should be a long and tiring day which means that when it is all over, I should sleep well and welcome in Hump Day tomorrow. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - September 20, 2021

 

1. It is the third Monday of September. The month is flying away. There are 14 Mondays remaining in 2021.

2. Chris and I returned home safely after visiting my parents in Houston. Thanks to Pennie and Scott for hosting us and thanks to Mom and Dad--just for being you.

3. Family NFL Results:

    Ravens (1-1) defeat Chiefs (1-1), 36-35

    Cowboys (1-1) defeat Chargers (1-1), 20-17

    Football Team (1-1) defeat Giants (0-2), 

    Steelers (1-1) lost to Raiders (2-0), 26-17

Fire Pit Evening
Fulshear, TX
September 18, 2021

4. One good thing about flying later in the day. Last evening I watched the entire NFL football game between the Ravens and the Chiefs. I almost never get to see a complete football game on Sunday evenings. 

5. What is better than sitting around a fire pit on a nice evening with family? Nothing.

6. During our flight last evening, the crew came on the address system multiple times reminding people about the federal mandate to wear masks correctly. Apparently, there were some passengers who did not care to follow the rules. I was very encouraged as I walked off the plane and into the jetway to see more than a few police and federal officers waiting and talking to the crew. Someone was going to have a bad evening. 

7. I noticed the sky while I was in Texas. I always see the sky, but where we were in Texas with the flat land and low trees I noticed it was a 360 degree sky. A big sky. All around. And it was magnificent.

8. Today in History. On September 20, 1973, in a highly publicized “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, top women’s player Billie Jean King, 29, beats Bobby Riggs, 55, a former No. 1 ranked men’s player. Riggs (1918-1995), a self-proclaimed male chauvinist, had boasted that women were inferior, that they couldn’t handle the pressure of the game and that even at his age he could beat any female player. The match was a huge media event, witnessed in person by over 30,000 spectators at the Houston Astrodome and by another 50 million TV viewers worldwide. King made a Cleopatra-style entrance on a gold litter carried by men dressed as ancient slaves, while Riggs arrived in a rickshaw pulled by female models. Legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell called the match, in which King beat Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. King’s achievement not only helped legitimize women’s professional tennis and female athletes, but it was seen as a victory for women’s rights in general.

Russian Election Shows Declining Support for Putin’s Party - The New York Times

A Hard-Line Conservative Hopes to Be Japan’s First Female Leader - The New York Times

Global Stocks, U.S. Futures Fall on China Property Fears - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Spat With France Shows Challenge of Keeping Allies Unified - The Wall Street Journal

World leaders face furious push to act quickly on climate change - The Washington Post

‘The pay is absolute crap’: Child-care workers are quitting rapidly, a red flag for the economy - The Washington Post

N.Korea derides South's submarine-launched missile as clumsy, rudimentary - Reuters

Saudi retains top spot in oil supplies to China with volumes up 53% y/y - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Party Hardy

The scene of the Party
Fulshear, TX
September 19, 2021

The scene is empty and quiet now. Yesterday it hosted a large family party. Mom and Dad were on hand to supervise, but the stars of the show were the kids. Evenly split: three boys and three girls. The pool was the centerpiece of the festivities early and the hot tub took over late as the adults enjoyed themselves and unwound after a hectic day.

Family gatherings are fun as everyone knows each other and relationships pick up where they left off. Yesterday was special in that regard as Chris and I were part of the fun reconnecting with the Houston clan and some newly arrived residents from the frozen wastelands of Central New York. 

The noise was at times deafening, but it was joyous noise. There was the obligatory broken glass to make the gathering perfect. Someone always seems to drop and break a glass at family gatherings. Pennie put together a spectacular feast and the beverages were flowing freely. But, no one over imbibed. 

Great parties are great fun. They also take a lot of work. Thanks to Pennie and Scott it was a rousing success.

— Bob Doan, Fulshear, TX

The Visit

Mom and Dad in the Room
Katy, TX
September 17, 2021

The visit with Mom and Dad began yesterday. It was good to see them and reconnect. The place where they are living is nice and they are comfortable. Mom’s condition is such that she can no longer go out shopping or to eat a meal and so everything revolves around meal times. I spent a lot of time troubleshooting Dad’s computer issues.

We had a good visit and will be springing them from the facility for a bit today to enjoy time with extended family. A big picnic and maybe some pool time to help enjoy the afternoon. 

Last evening we enjoyed time around the fire pit after dinner and returning from the visit. The moon was bright and was accompanied by Jupiter and Saturn in the early evening sky. It was a great ending to a busy day.

— Bob Doan, Fulshear, TX

Back to Texas

Storm Clouds at BWI
September 16, 2021

Travel has resumed. Last evening after a challenging day at work, Chris and I flew to the Houston  area to visit Mom and Dad.  

The word of the afternoon was thunderstorms. Our flight was delayed boarding due to the storms. But, we got off and winged our way to Texas aboard a Southwest Airlines flight. The flight was relatively smooth and we arrived a bit late, but we arrived. Some flights had been canceled, but ours fortunately was not. 

Chris and I are here to visit with my parents and also attempt to decompress a bit after a really pressure-packed week. The flight experience was fairly normal except of course the requirement to be fully masked. I found that by the end of the flight the straps on my mask were hurting my ears.  But, I fully support masking requirements and, here it comes, mandatory vaccination. But those are thoughts for another blog. I am not sure I would feel comfortable trapped in an airplane with 120 of my new best friends without a facial covering mandate. 

For now, I’ll going to have some breakfast and prepare to visit with mom and dad. Travel is behind me and the morning is beautiful here. 

— Bob Doan, writing from Fulshear, Texas

On to Infinity . . .

 Four Americans are circling the globe this morning as the first totally civilian crew to pilot a space mission. Inspiration4 launched form Cape Canaveral last evening in spectacular form placing the four onto orbit where they will remain, if all goes as planned, they will be in space for the next three days before deorbiting back to Earth ending with a water-landing off the Florida coast. 

It is all pretty exciting and a very extreme fund-raising campaign for St Jude Children's Research Hospital. The hope is to raise $200 million--which is as lofty a goal.

That a commercial company, SpaceX, has people in space, on-orbit where they will be for the next three days is almost mind boggling, but I believe that the commercialization of space and space travel is critical to achieving the dream of becoming a space-faring civilization. 

For now, here is hoping that everything goes as planned and that the mission is a success both in terms of the actual flight and subsequent recovery as well as in its fund-raising goals. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD