On the Road Again

I-95 in North Carolina
January 8, 2024

There is something about southern North Carolina which makes driving a royal pain. It might be the construction. The southern portion of I95 is under construction.  There are barriers on both sides of the lanes.  

We departed just after 4 AM and have been on the road for 5 hours. We are stopping for the night near Savannah and we should be there in about 4 hours.  We leave early to avoid morning  traffic around DC. And we did. 

Finn is being good.  He is happy not to have been left behind. 

Chris is spelling me now so that I can nap. 

— Bob Doan, North Carolina, MM 46

The Ravens Game

Me and Jeremy at M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore, MD
January 6, 2024

It was a cold and rainy afternoon when I departed for the Ravens game dressed like I was expecting the worst weather ever faced by Nanook of the North. I did not know what to expect, really, as the cold misting rain confronted the warm reality of my face. I felt like Ralphie from "A Christmas Story", not able to move my arms once I was fully prepared for the cold and rain.

A Play During the 4th Quarter
M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore, MD
January 6, 2024

Jeremy and I made our way into Baltimore for the game. It was a very important game for the Steelers--they needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. For the Ravens it was an opportunity to rest starters and give the back-ups a chance to play. The outcome was, then, predictable--Steelers 17 to Baltimore 10. In the rain and cold.

Walking to the Stadium
Baltimore, MD
January 6, 2024

I think the NFL hates both teams because they managed to schedule this game at the height of the storm that had been predicted for over a week. The league also officiated the game with their recently demoted refereeing team. The league certainly did not consider the fans in setting the time of the game. It was miserable! I think, and you will laugh when you read this, snow would have been better. At least I would not have been so wet. Actually, it was just my hands that got cold and soaked because my heated gloves got saturated. 

The rain continued throughout the game and only began to stop as I arrived back at Nicole's house in Odenton after the game.

Ravens Field Goal
M&T Bank Stadium 
Baltimore, MD
January 6, 2024

The game was predictably a low scoring affair. I cursed each time there was a stoppage of play--and especially the incredibly long TV time-outs. We were all standing, yes, no one in the stadium that I could see sat during the game, watching the rain pummel the fans and teams while waiting for the action to begin again. If you look closely in the picture of the field goal try, just above the lights near the center of the image the football is visible after being kicked.

I have to say a big thank-you to Jeremy for inviting me to the game and for making it a great father-son experience despite the rain. I had, wait for it, fun! And I was reminded that I can still overcome the elements!

I need to say thank you to Mike, George, and Patrick for the cold and wet weather gear you loaned me. I would not have been able to even consider attending the game without your help.

I hope the Steelers make the playoffs and come to South Florida to play the Dolphins next week even if it rains, because the rain in South Florida is not as cold. 

Programming note:

There will be no Monday Musings tomorrow because I expect to be in the truck headed home to Tequesta.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Football Saturday

 

Baltimore Forecast

It is Football Saturday.

I am lucky in that I will be attending the final Ravens game of the season today. 

Did I come prepared to be cold and wet in a stadium full of rabid fans?

Nope!

But, my family and friends have been extremely generous in supplying me with a heated vest and gloves, a heavy coat, a rain coat, rain poncho, and wool socks. And a hat, did I mention a hat!

The weather is going to be the fun part! I looked at the precipitation forecast and rain begins about 9 AM and ends about 9 PM. The game begins at 4:30 PM. It will be wet and cold. 

I continue to wonder why the stadium in Baltimore is not equipped with a dome! 

But I will get to see the Ravens.

Fun fact: Both the Orioles and the Ravens ended their regular seasons with the best record in their league/conference. 

Even though many Ravens's starters have the week off to heal, I remain hopeful of beating the Steelers!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Liars, Crooks, and Thieves

 I remember an amusing joke we used to tell every so often. 

It is simply, How do you know that a politician is lying?

Answer: Their lips are moving. 

Our Republic has reached a new level of political thievery and lying and, sadly, it seems that one of the political parties has perfected the means to make grand theft and Constitutional crimes seem common place and acceptable. 

For instance:

The Democrats on the House Oversight Committee today [December 4, 2024] released a 156-page report showing that when he was in the presidency, Trump received at least $7.8 million from 20 different governments, including those of China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Malaysia, through businesses he owned. (Letters from an American)

The first article of the U.S. Constitution reads: “[N]o Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States], shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument [that is, salary, fee, or profit], Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” (Letters from an American)

Yet, the Republican-controlled House has both stopped investigation into Trump's wrong-doings and launched an impeachment inquiry into President Biden's alleged wrong-doing of the same nature when there is, so far, zero evidence of any Constitutionally prohibited activity.

There is more behind the attack on Biden than simply trying to even the score between him and Trump—who remains angry at his impeachments and has demanded Republicans retaliate—or to smear Biden through an “investigation,” which has been a standard technique of the Republicans since the mid-1990s.

Claiming that Biden is as corrupt as Trump undermines faith in our democracy. After all, if everyone is a crook, why does it matter which one is in office? And what makes American democracy any different from the authoritarian systems of Russia or Hungary or Venezuela, where leaders grab what they can for themselves and their followers?

Democracies are different from authoritarian governments because they have laws to prevent the corruption in which it appears Trump engaged. The fact that Republicans refuse to hold their own party members accountable to those laws while smearing their opponents says far more about them than it does about the nature of democracy. (Letters from an American)

Dealing with another issue, these same republicans are demanding action on immigration, yet thwarting every attempt by the administration and even the Senate to close a deal and get the government moving again.

Now House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says the House conference does not want and will not accept a compromise, such as the one senators are working on; they want a complete change of policy. That is, the Republicans in the House, who have a majority of two, are bowing to their far-right members and insisting that until that faction’s policies are put in place over those of the Senate and the president, they will refuse to fund Ukraine, whose defense from Russian aggression is key to our own national security. (Letters form an American)

The Republicans in the House are disingenuous and are lying to the American people about their true intentions. And what are their true intentions? To ensure that a particular former president is reelected which will seriously test the ability of democracy to survive.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

To the Dogs

Chris and the Dogs
Odenton, MD
January 3, 2024

 No matter how hard we try to train our family dogs, they remain very interested in meal time. 

Yesterday, Chris was having lunch and she had the company of not only Finnegan, but Nicole's two dogs Lily and Arthur. They were very attentive and watched her every move. 

The presence of dogs within here interpersonal space can be annoying. Despite Chris's best efforts to make us believe that she does not provide the dogs with an occasional morsel, I believe that she must be giving in to their long puppy-like looks. 

She is a softie.

She was able to complete her meal and the dogs were respectful of her space, well mostly.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Good-bye Christmas

Chris Taking the Lights Off
Odenton, MD
January 2, 2024

 And it is gone!

Christmas has departed. The decorations are back in the boxes and returned to the storage facility waiting to be unboxed just after Thanksgiving in eleven months. 

It is sad when Christmas with its magic is returned to the storage facility. 

I noted yesterday that in some respects, unless the date is known, it is hard to determine if the decorations are being unboxed for the holiday or re-boxed for storage. I considered the tree as we were nearly complete removing the lights--were they going on or coming off? 

But then, I saw the bare branches from where the needles of the now dry and dead tree had fallen. It was time. We had a carpet of dry needles beneath the tree and out the door after we got the tree out of the house. 

And so it is finished. The decorations are gone, but the memories remain. As the cold rays of the winter sun caress my face, I look forward into the year ahead and wonder, when will be back in Florida to return our decorations to the storage facility? I know out tree still stands and that Santa has left a few presents tucked underneath its branches. Thankfully, we have an artificial tree and so the needles do not fall in great numbers like a formerly living tree. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Day 2

Dawn in Columbia
Columbia, MD
January 2, 2024

 It is Day 2 of the new year. 

Schools are open, businesses are open and there is activity everywhere. 

I had a couple medical tests this morning and was out before the dawn. I know, right? I could have slept in and gone later in the day, but I love the dawn. I had the opportunity to drive past my former place of employment twice--once in the dark at about 6 AM and then on my way back at about 7:30 AM. I recalled my many years of arriving for work usually before dawn during the winter and often going home after dark had returned. 

As I exited the medical testing facility in Columbia, MD, near the hospital, I was treated to a colorful sunrise, which I captured for a memory. 

It is a great way to get the new year started. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Monday Musings - January 1, 2024

 

Happy New Year 2024

Times Square, NYC on TV

1. Don't look now, but the year changed whilst you were sleeping. There are 53 Mondays in 2024 and this is the first. There are 52 Mondays remaining.

2. Family NFL Report. The family teams did well this week posting a 4-1 record. There is a new family team--the Chiefs of Kansas City. Three of the family teams are in the playoffs. One is definitely out, and one team has an outside shot at making the playoffs. 

Cowboys (11-5) tame Lions (11-5), 20-19

Commanders (4-12) court-martialed by 49ers (12-4), 10-27

Steelers (9-7) overcome Seahawks (8-8, 30-23

Ravens (13-3) drown Dolphins (11-5), 56-19  

Chiefs (10-6) outlast Bengals (8-8), 25-17

3. Well, let's hope the world can solve some big issues this year. 

4. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because “It’s all happening!” Have the happiest New Year!

5. Today is the day that the political campaigns start their engines and it gets real!

6. Today in History. On January 1, 1959, facing a popular revolution spearheaded by Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista flees the island nation. Amid celebration and chaos in the Cuban capital of Havana, the U.S. debated how best to deal with the radical Castro and the ominous rumblings of anti-Americanism in Cuba.

The U.S. government had supported Batista, a former soldier and Cuban dictator from 1933 to 1944, who seized power for a second time in a 1952 coup. After Castro and a group of followers, including the South American revolutionary Che Guevara (1928-1967), landed in Cuba to unseat the dictator in December 1956, the U.S. continued to back Batista. Suspicious of what they believed to be Castro’s leftist ideology and worried that his ultimate goals might include attacks on the U.S.’s significant investments and property in Cuba, American officials were nearly unanimous in opposing his revolutionary movement.

Powerful earthquake hits western Japan, triggering tsunami warnings - CNN

Humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza as Israel-Hamas war rages - CNN

Russia says toll from Ukrainian shelling on border city has risen to 24 as it vows to retaliate - CNN

North Korea's Kim says armed conflict becoming reality because of US - KCNA - Reuters

Pope Francis tells Rome to clean up its act before 2025 Holy Year - Reuters

China's Xi says 'reunification' with Taiwan is inevitable - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

The Last Day

 The final day of 2023 has arrived. 

Despite predictions to the contrary, it appears we will actually make it to the arrival of 2024, which should be quite a tumultuous year. 

The new year is a Leap Year and that means it is one-day longer than 2023. 

Unlike the past two years, I will be ringing-in the new year in Maryland and not Florida. It has been just two years since I retired and I am still enjoying life without the necessity of setting an alarm clock.

This week, the flexibility of my retired life was recognized as Chris and I made the decision to extend our time in Maryland by a few days. In the world before retirement that would have been a difficult, if not impossible, ask. I would have been driven, literally, to get back to work.

Chris and the Boat
Sandbar in St Lucie River
August 2, 2023

I reviewed my image archives searching for the image which best characterizes the year, but it is tough with so many memories. I think this one, of Chris next to our boat, Sea Bean, anchored on a sandbar really captures the character of the year. We joined a boat club during the year and I have found great enjoyment learning to handle a boat and exploring the Intracoastal Waterway between Ft. Pierce and Lake Worth. I am looking forward to getting back onto the water when we return to Florida. And that is the beauty Florida life--year round outdoors summertime activity!

So on this final day of 2023, I remember those who have passed this year, and for whom I shed many tears, and the new friends we have made. I also remember the travel and fun that we have enjoyed, as well as the roughly 1967 miles I rode on my bike!

Here's a toast to the past and hope for the future.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Authentic Mexican - El Cabrito, Pasadena

El Cabrito Mexican Grill Dinner
Pasadena, MD
December 29, 2023

 Dinner last evening was at an authentic Mexican restaurant. Definitely not americanized and even the menu was in Spanish!

It has been a long time since I escaped the fusion of American and Mexican food--Tex-Mex or Southwestern--whatever it is called. 

We visited the El Cabrito Mexican Grill in Pasadena, MD, and enjoyed a filling and tasteful dinner. I samples a taco and a burrito. OMG--in the end I had one taco, half of the burrito and was full! But the flavors were perfectly balanced and enjoyable as were the variety of sauces they provided for dipping. 

We had a great time, maybe more-so because they do not serve alcohol!

There are not many places where 3 people can eat their fill of dinner for less than $40. And I brought half a burrito home for lunch today!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD