Flying through Charlotte

Yesterday was a travel day and I had two experiences that I want to share. One was the flight and the other was the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. 

Let me write right up front, I had not flown with American Airlines in many years until this week. I have become somewhat a Southwest snob, meaning I like flying Southwest. They get right what many other airlines can't seem to figure out--like bags in the cabin.

Yesterday was a combination of two less than stellar experiences rolled into one day.

First was the flight from Montgomery to Charlotte. I was aboard a CL-65 commuter jet. 

The seats on the Canadian CL-65 are among the worst in the air. The seat back was not high enough to support my neck and so I couldn't find a way to sleep comfortably. I normally sleep with ease on aircraft. Not on the Canadair CL-65 as outfitted by AmericanEagle. As I was on a 6:15 AM flight and had been up since 4 AM, I really wanted to catch a few Z's on the way to Charlotte.

Added to the discomfort of the seat, I was in the 12th row right in front of the restroom. Since the pilot never turned the seatbelt sign off, there was almost no one moving around the cabin. But it was one on the last seats on the too small aircraft. 

Wall-to-wall People in Terminal B
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
October 6, 2017

And then came Charlotte! Ugh. The airport was wall-to-wall people. I have not seen so many people crammed into one location since the last concert I attended. It was tight, everywhere. 

There were no seats available to sit and wait for my connecting flight. Fortunately, I had a very short layover.

On top of that, here is the spot where American Airlines needs to improve. Baggage. On every flight I took during my trip, the airline was urging people to check their bags at the gate to allow for room in the cabin. This is a direct result, I believe, of their highway robbery baggage fees. 

I know it was $25 for the first bag and then it goes up, possibly $35 or $40 for the second bag. Of course people are not going to check bags to save money. That is what the airline wants. So then at the gate there is the confusion about courtesy checking bags. Courtesy being the key word. So if I want to save money, I take my bag with me and then hope for courtesy checking at the gate. 

What a mess. Total confusion in the terminal and at the gate and it just makes the entire travel experience worse.

Note to self: Avoid flying American Airlines, avoid Charlotte, and stay off the CL-65!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Hotel Window - Montgomery, AL

Left out the Hotel Window

Not inspiring. 

That was the view out my hotel window at the Embassy Suites in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. Not only that, but the windows were dirty and the view was further degraded.

I love to open the curtains in my hotel room to allow the sunlight to enter the usually dark rooms. While I did open the curtains, the view of warehouses and parking garages just did not do it for me. 

Right out the Hotel Window

Don't misunderstand, I enjoyed the hotel and the room was generally in good repair, it was the view that was lacking.

That written, I've had worse. A lot worse. 

Maybe Montgomery was generally interesting and the hotel was strategically located in the downtown area. I did not have to drive to find good restaurants. There seemed to be a lot of I interesting things do and the smells from the barbecues and other restaurants provided some diverse and welcoming olfactory experiences.

It was just the view.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Montgomery, AL

Travel Days

Tail of American Plane at BWI
October 4, 2017

Yesterday was travel day! I headed off to the airport for my second trip to Alabama in two weeks.

I also flew my third different airline of my recent travels--American through Charlotte. The aircraft itself, however, caught my attention. The tail of the American Airlines jet had Allegheny painted on it. Clearly a reference to the now many times consolidated Allegheny Airlines that used to service the Northeast. I remember joking about "Agony" Air.

Walking to the Plane
Charlotte International Airport

Thinking of Allegheny Airlines also reminded me of other, now mostly forgotten, airlines that I have flown or known. Mohawk comes to mind as do  Braniff, National, Eastern, TWA, PanAm, US Air, and America West just to rattle off a few.

Walking to the jet at Charlotte also reminded me of the old days before jetways. I was very glad that the day was pleasant and not raining.

Maybe the thrill of flying is back? Not hardly.

American Airlines billed itself as the largest airline in the world as I was traveling yesterday. I am still unclear if that is a good thing. 

Travel days always help me find interesting things.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Montgomery, Alabama

As the World Turns

Texas after Hurricane Harvey

It seems there is the disaster of the day that points out how fragile our lives are.

The tragedies of the earthquakes, hurricanes, and Las Vegas massacre are reminding me to be thankful for the blessings that I have. 

Mexican Earthquake

I have been privileged to travel the world to see and experience far away places, but I am reminded by the recent events of the world how quickly everything can change.

Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

I am a bit frustrated that those suffering from the disasters, whether in Texas or the Caribbean, or Nevada are so quickly forgotten by the news media who seem more focused upon the news cycle rather than making a meaningful change to the world by exposing the needs across the hemisphere.

The disasters should bring out two important aspects in each of us.

1. Give thanks
2. Give help

Don't just sit there, do something.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Limping Across the Finish Line

I have to write one more post about the Orioles 2017 campaign.

Camden Yards

I probably shouldn't because the wounds are still so fresh, but I need to place a period at the end of the season to allow me to move on.

On top of that, I expect the Orioles to have the season ticket plan renewals in the mail soon and I will have to decide about suffering through another season.


The season began in fantastic fashion. The Orioles were division leaders for 35 days. They last led the division on May 20th and then the slide began which saw them wrest last place from the other teams on the final day of the season.

April was their best month, 15-8, .642 and September/October their worst 7-21, .250.

The Orioles were 20-30 in blow outs (more than 5 runs difference).

Yet, they were 21-20 in one run games and 12-4 in extra-inning games.  

Disappointment was the final impact of the season. April and August were the only months that the team posted a winning record. 

The team needs to do a lot of work in the off-season because at the end of the season the pitching and the batting both were absent.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 2, 2017

1. September slipped away during the weekend and it is now October. 

2. Cold mornings are the norm right now. It is 49 degrees this morning. Today is our second morning in a row in the 40s. 

Timbers at Troy
October 1, 2017

3. Mercifully the Orioles season is over. They successfully landed in last place in the division with a disappointing September/October portion of the campaign that saw them go 7-21 for a .250. That is the definition of limping across the finish line! The Orioles went from first to worst!

4. It was a cold golf morning yesterday. But the day was beautiful. 

5. Don't forget the hurricane devastated areas. As the news cycle progresses, it is easy to lose sight of all of the people across the country and Caribbean who need assistance. 

6. Hockey starts in two days! 

7. Is it Monday already again?

Headlines

At least 20 dead, 100 injured at shooting on Las Vegas Strip, police say - The Washington Post

One Day in the Life of Battered Puerto Rico - The New York Times

Elon Musk is aiming to land spaceships on Mars in 2022 - CNN

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"Well, this country was born of an ancient dream and then was nourished by a new wisdom. The dream envisioned a place on this Earth where people of all classes and kinds could live together in peace and freedom. The wisdom held that the final resting place of power was in the hands not of the government but of the people."

Remarks in Columbus to Members of Ohio Veterans Organizations, October 4, 1982

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday Snapshots

My Sunday morning tee-time is still almost two hours away and it is dark outside.

The temperature is 46 degrees! Cold! Autumn has definitely arrived despite my best efforts to wish it away. 

Before I get started on my day, I felt like reviewing yesterday's cornucopia of activities. 

I mowed the lawn, no surprise there. It needed it. I ran out of gas during the mowing, but a short trip to the gas station rectified the small delay.

Riordin Playing with Plastic

I put together my birthday present, a golf push cart. I discovered while completing this small project that the safety labeling on plastic bags about keeping them away from small children should also apply to small animals, like cats. It appears that Riordin has a death wish. I had to encourage him to stop playing with the plastic bag.

Following this, the entire family gathered for a my family birthday celebration, complete with cake. Yay! It is always fun when the family gets together.


After the party, Chris and I joined Patrick and Tina at the Hysteria Brewing Company for some fun. Tina and I played an epic game of Jenga which, by the time a winner was determined, had nearly the entire establishment watching.

While at the brewing company, I spied a piece of youth. An Electrolux vacuum. I sold Electrolux vacuums for-to-door one summer between years of college. The ones I sold were a bit newer than the one on display in the tap room, but it still brought back some memories.

From there, it was off to a birthday dinner for a friend, whose birthday is the day after mine. I do hang out with a lot of people who have September and October birthdays!

On to Sunday and the sun is almost up and I need to get ready to play some golf.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

It Worked!

I have to provide a follow-up to the washing machine repair project that occupied my time for the better part of two days.

I finished it! It works!

Drum Reinstalled in Machine Frame

It was quite  process, but I worked through it, step-by-step and got everything reconnected. I have to admit the YouTube video by Appliance Parts Pros was excellent and even had some really good tips and tricks to make the job possible. 

Closing in on the Project's End

I never could have completed the job without the video. How did we ever repair things before YouTube? Oh, yes, I remember, books! I remember the Chilton's manuals for performing auto repairs!

Changing the bearings was one of the toughest aspects of the project. Pounding out the old ones without damaging the drum and then getting the new ones installed into place was a slow process that often appeared to be making no discernible progress. I actually had to buy a new and heavier hammer and a punch to get the bearings removed and installed.

I do enjoy getting new tools when I complete a project. 

This project is in the books and I even remembered to clean the metal shavings out of the filter. It felt good to see Chris carry a basket of clothes down to the laundry area and know that the washer was ready to perform its designed function.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Washer Repair

The Inner Tub as Removed
Spider Arms are gone

The Inner Tub with
Spider Arms Replaced

I am in the middle of a fairly extensive repair project. The washing machine has been down for three weeks while the parts have been arriving. 

The machine is currently in pieces in the basement. I started the repair last evening, hoping that I could finish the repair before bedtime. I was mistaken. The machine is fully apart and the broken parts have been identified. Fortunately, I ordered the correct replacement parts. 

I had planned on changing the inner and outer bearings and I also took a chance and felt that the spider arms might have been damaged that support the inner tub. I was correct. It looked as if the spider arms supporting the inner wash tub had exploded once I had the washer apart.

I was able to get the bearings out last evening and so I am in the rebuild mode today. Install the bearings, change the gaskets and put it back together. With some luck, it will work!

I love projects. This one is saving me about $800--the difference between the cost of a new washing machine and the parts I bought.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

When the Excitement is Gone

This is a transition week for my interest in sports.

Standings from mlb.com

The Orioles have the day off before beginning a season-ending three-game series in Tampa to decide which if the three teams: Toronto, Tampa, or Baltimore will secure the spot as the worst team in the AL East. 

The Orioles have already secured a losing record for this season and can only minimize the damage of the already hugely disappointing season.

If only . . .  the Orioles had consistent starting pitching, and hitting, and defense, and that about sums it up. They were so close to being a contender. They were actually making noise about getting into the playoffs right up until the epic collapse of two weeks ago. It continued by being swept in ugly fashion by the Pirates this week. 

The Orioles have lost 16 of the past 20 games, That says it all.

No World Series games will be played in Baltimore again this season. 

Now my attention can turn to hockey and football. The Penguins are looking to defend their Stanley Cup Championship and the Ravens, at 2-1, are hoping to make the playoffs. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD