Back to Topside

View from Topside
Jupiter, FL
April 17, 2024

 Chris and I returned to Topside at the Beacon, a local establishment, last evening for Happy Hour with friends. We had last been there a few months ago and determined that it was not a place that we enjoyed, even though the view is awesome.

We were advised that the menu had been restructured and the management improved and so we headed back to try the place. 

Our friends were correct--the food was much better, the service improved, and both significantly complimented the stunning view. And the view was stunning last evening. I never tire of looking at the Jupiter Lighthouse and I must have hundreds of images of it from every direction.

We enjoyed a great evening with friends and watched as the day turned into night over the lighthouse.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sitting in Silence

View from the Surgical Terrace
Jupiter Medical Center, Jupiter, FL
April 16, 2024

I sat a lot yesterday. In fact, I sat most of the afternoon and then the evening until bedtime. 

Chris and I sat with a friend at a hospital and then later we sat with him at our house. 

We did not talk a lot, mostly just superficial stuff to get our minds off why we were sitting together. And then we enjoyed some wine.

I was reminded of Job's three friends, from the Bible.  

Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great. (Job 2:13, NET Bible)

I have come to realize that there are times when just being there is what is needed and that the right thing to say is nothing at all. There is no need to fill the empty space with words.

Sometimes sitting in silence is exactly what is needed. We need to practice it more often and get past the need to fill the emptiness with noise. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday was a Day

I donated a pint of blood yesterday. It was my fourth pint. 

It was my big event of the day, well maybe shopping with Chris at the mall was the big event. That got us out of the house and we enjoyed a nice lunch at Cooper's Hawk, where I had four bottles of wine to retrieve. 

I have not been a regular blood donor. Until a couple years ago I could not donate because of my time in Europe with the Air Force, however, the rules changed and I have been donating blood infrequently. I plan on becoming a more regular donor. But, I am now up to a half-gallon of donated blood. 

During the evening I enjoyed our homeowners association meeting--I am on the board. We have a newly energized board and I am excited about the prospects for the future. Looking back, I can see that last year we were really just marking time and keeping the aging infrastructure solid. 

And that was Monday.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - April 15, 2024

1. Happy Tax Day! I hope your taxes are complete and you have either received a refund or made your payment. Whew, that's over for another year.

AL East Standings as of Games Through April 14, 2024

2. It is the 3rd Monday of April, if you can believe it! There are 37 Mondays remaining in the year. Get busy with your summer plans!

3.  The Orioles are alive. I have to admit that they are not playing the best baseball yes and 7 of their 9 wins have been come-from-behind victories. It is time to get the pitchers under control and the batters swinging the wood. The Orioles were outscores 26-12 in their last series, but managed a hard fought 6-4 win yesterday as Jackson Holiday recorded his first hit in a MLB game. He has an .067 batting average right now--but I expect him to have some solid numbers soon.

4. Which is worse? Someone accidentally speeding up to 52 mph in a 30 mph zone on a street with no traffic or someone at 90 mph in a 65 mph zone on a crowded 8-lane interstate weaving through traffic? 

5. From the I can't believe it category. 

Today, [Sunday April 14, 2024] on ABC’s This Week, host George Stephanopoulos asked New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu about his recent switch from supporting former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley for the Republican presidential nomination to supporting former president Trump. 

“Just to sum up,” Stephanopoulos said, “You support [Trump] for president even if he's convicted in [the] classified documents [case]. You support him for president even though you believe he contributed to an insurrection. You support him for president even though you believe he's lying about the last election. You support him for president even if he's convicted in the Manhattan case. I just want to say, the answer to that is yes, correct?”

Sununu answered: “Yeah. Me and 51% of America.”  (Letters from an American)

Today in History. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, becomes the first African American player in Major League Baseball's modern era when he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson broke the color barrier in a sport that had been segregated for more than 50 years. Exactly 50 years later, on April 15, 1997, Robinson’s groundbreaking career was honored and his uniform number, 42, was retired from Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bud Selig in a ceremony attended by over 50,000 fans at New York City’s Shea Stadium. Robinson’s was the first-ever number retired by all teams in the league.

Trump shatters another norm with historic criminal trial - CNN

Israel vows to ‘exact a price’ from Iran after an unprecedented large-scale attack - CNN

Today is Tax Day. The IRS expects ‘tens of millions’ of returns to be filed at the last minute - CNN

Oil slips as risk premium eases after Iran attack - Reuters

Floods grip Kazakhstan and Russia as tributaries of Ob rise - Reuters

China indicates man executed for spying had sold secrets to US - Reuters

How the U.S. Forged a Fragile Alliance to Fend Off Iran’s Attack on Israel - The Wall Street Journal

Hybrids Extend Lead Over EVs in Green Vehicle Race - The Wall Street Journal

2 Police Officers Are Killed in Shootout Near Syracuse - The New York Times

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

#mondaymusings #orioles #taxday 

A.Ham

 

Kravis Center Set for Hamiltom
West Palm Beach, FL
April 13, 2024

Hamilton.

To say the show was fabulous is an understatement. 

Chris and I sojourned into West Palm Beach yesterday to attend a matinee performance of Hamilton at the Kravis Center. 

Kravis Center View Behind our Seats
West Palm Beach, FL
April 13, 2024

We had wanted to see the musical about Alexander Hamilton since it was first performed on Broadway and our desire was heightened by the Disney production a few years ago.

Wow! Being there in person was an emotional and, yes, a religious experience. I read the book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, upon which most of the production is based. The story of Hamilton is a true rags to riches story where a Caribbean orphan becomes an influential founding father and whose vision for the fledgling nation remains the basis of our banking system today. Not to mention his explanation of the Constitution as documented in the Federalist Papers. It was an interesting coincidence that we attended the performance of Hamilton on Thomas Jefferson's birthday. Jefferson, as you might expect, is part of the story.

The Kravis is a superior venue. I was awed by its size and comfortable seats. Very unlike the Hippodrome in Baltimore where, frankly, I never enjoyed attending shows. I look forward to attending another performance at the Kravis soon. AND, they have free EV car chargers and parking! I was also very impressed with the parking garage egress plan. We did not hurry to our car after the show and yet were out of the garage and on the highway in about 11 minutes.

P. S. I now know what A.Ham means!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#hamilton #a.ham #kravis

With Fireworks and Chocolate

Mary and Fran
Fulton, MD
April 12, 2014

 We celebrated the 10th Anniversary of two of our best friends, Fran and Mary, last evening. They treated us to a celebratory dinner at a very upscale Asian restaurant. 

Dessert and Firework
Blackbird Restaurant, Tequesta, FL
April 12, 2024

Thinking back on the day, 10 years ago, on the day we were gathered with friends and family to celebrate their long anticipated union. I was honored to be the officiant and it was a great evening with extra nice April Maryland weather allowing the celebration to spill outside of the venue and under the blooming cherry trees. 

Last evening, it was with flair and fireworks that we celebrated their anniversary. Yes, at the end of the dinner the restaurant brought a beautiful dessert along with a small pyrotechnic to mark the occasion.

I was afraid the fireworks might set off the smoke alarms, but no such travesty happened. 

It was fun and the food was excellent.

Congratulations Mary and Francis on 10 years together! It was a great celebration--then and now!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Standing on the Edge of the . . .

 . . . Twilight Zone!

Where has reason and sanity disappeared to?

We are seeing the erosion of independent thought and democratic ideals which are being replaced by a "what's in it for me" mentality where calculated gains for a privileged few outweigh the long-term loss of freedoms and choice for "We the People." 

Many in our country support programs and plans that limit choices and are, frankly, selfish and designed to disenfranchise large groups of our society. Many others do not recognize that we cannot isolate and that we must stand up for democratic and free peoples around the world. 

The Japanese Prime Minister during his visit to the U.S. this week made the following statement: “The world needs the United States to continue playing this pivotal role in the affairs of nations.” He went on to say “the leadership of the United States is indispensable. Without U.S. support, how long before the hopes of Ukraine would collapse under the onslaught from Moscow?” he asked. “Without the presence of the United States, how long before the Indo-Pacific would face even harsher realities?” (Letters from an American)

Ukraine has fallen from the news, but freedom seeking patriots continue dying there because many in the Republican Party support the despot Putin's goals. That has become clear. Our allies are crying for support, but are being shrugged off for the personal gain of a select few. 

And furthermore, the Republicans are also lowering our domestic defenses and opening the U.S. up to potential terror attacks by not renewing FISA. As the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) wrote about the act during November 2023:

If Congress fails to act, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire. Section 702 of FISA is one of the most effective tools used by the Intelligence Community to protect our nation. If it sunsets, so too will our ability to identify, prevent, and mitigate threats to our democracy. We will go “blind” to many critical national security risks that threaten our homeland and our military interests abroad. Our allies around the world, many of whom depend upon information acquired under Section 702 to circumvent threats of their own, will also be compromised. 

The same people who profess a grave threat from the Southern Border, but would not act to approve a bipartisan bill to help solve the problem are now actively dropping Americas defenses even further. It is treason. Make no mistake-- we are under attack from outside and from within. Democracy for us and the entire world is hanging in the balance.

And the man with one foot in the Twilight Zone is a puppet of Putin.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Hitting the Links

Chris Walking to the 3rd Green
Jupiter Dunes, Jupiter, FL
April 10, 2024

 Taking advantage of the extremely nice weather we have been enjoying, Chris and I went out for a round of golf yesterday. 

We used to play golf regularly, but somehow golfing has fallen off the weekly plan and it has been since we played in the Troy Whittemore Memorial Golf Tournament during August last year that we stepped onto a golf course. 

Our games were ragged, as you might expect. We had a good time walking the course and whacking at the little white ball. We both had a few really nice hits and also more than our share of not so nice swings. 

Taking advantage of the great weather is always nice. The summer pricing does not go into effect until May 1st and so we will likely hit the course more after that when the greens fees are reduced. Yes, the fees go down in the summer here. I guess golfers don't want to play in 85 plus degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sometimes

Flower
Everglades Safari Park, Homestead, FL
March 27, 2024

When Chris and I are out enjoying the wilds of Florida, I see things which cause me to stop and snap an image. 

That happened a couple weeks ago when we were in the Everglades at the Safari Park. We were strolling the paths looking at the wildlife and this flower caught my eye. 

I had to take the image through a fence because it was hanging above an alligator pen. But the color and the way it was hanging spoke to me that, there is a picture here. And so I took a picture. I worked the camera to reduce the depth of field a much as I could to blur the background and I got pretty much what I saw with my eyes. 

I have to admit, I have many images of flowers from our numerous outings. I especially enjoy admiring the orchids clinging to the trees and providing the burst of color under the canopy. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Eclipse

 

Eclipse 2024
Tequesta, FL
April 8, 2024 2:57 PM

It is being called a "shared experience." And it was! 

The eclipse was something that we were all talking about as it happened, unfortunately, Chris and I did not properly prepare for the even and so we did not haver the proper eye protection to stare at the event other than when the conjoined sun and moon were passing through a cloud. And even then, it was a quick glance. 

Eclipse 2024
Tequesta, FL
April 8, 2024, 3:01 PM

Fortunately, some other residents or our community shared their eye protection with us and we were able to view the eclipse against a clear sky.

Here in Palm Beach County, we only achieved about a 49 percent totality. We were far off the beaten path, yet at the eclipse's peak in our area, we could tell that the brightness of the sun was significantly reduced. The 49 percent of totality occurred at about 3:03 PM when the sun broke out into a clear sky, here. 

It was an event and I am glad that I was able to record it for posterity, or whatever. 

Except for the darkness just after 3 PM, it was a beautiful day.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL