The Closet Upgrade

Left Side View of the Closet
Tequesta, FL
August 8, 2024

 We did something different for our anniversary this year. We had our closet upgraded. 

Yes, Happy 49th Anniversary to my beautiful wife Chris and I hope you enjoy our newly remodeled closet. 

Right Side View of the Closet
Tequesta, FL
August 8, 2024

Closets seem to be the place in our house where stuff is stuffed, literally. Our closet was overflowing because we still had not completely downsized from moving out of our house and into the condo. We had the classic wire system and it just was not getting the job done anymore. So, kinda on the spur of the moment as we were walking out of Costco one afternoon I stopped and talked to the Closet Factory rep. We had a designer visit and we put together a closet plan. Three weeks later--it was installed--that was yesterday.

I remembered to take some pictures of the new installation just after we began the process of repatriating the displaced belongings. 

Why not Ikea? I prefer solid wood and this is a custom installation which uses all of the space. 

OK, was the closet upgrade better than a cruise? I don't know, but they cost the same. I guess the closet will last longer.

As a follow-up to the Yeedi vacuum battery issue, I located a new battery. It arrived a month earlier than promised and I installed it into the vacuum and with a little modification, it works great. And so for a $40 battery and a little troubleshooting, the robot vacuum is fully alive!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunset in the Evening

Luke, Chris and Finnegan
ICW Tequesta, FL
August 7, 2024

Being in the water as the sun set last evening was an experience that I wish could happen every day, but it doesn't. 

Chris, Luke, and I made the effort last evening to be in the water on the ICW at sunset and we were not disappointed. Although I thought the sunset was going to be a dud because of the clouds, I was very wrong. The end of the day provided a spectacular light show complete with colors and highlighted clouds.

Luke, Finnegan, and Me
ICW Tequesta, FL
August 7, 2024

As we approached the beach it became obvious that we were going to see a very special sunset. After the two weeks of rain and storms, the sunset was a welcome sight. The earlier storms had cleared out and the skies were finally clearing. 

It was a fitting end to the day. It was a somewhat sober day as I remembered that it would have been my parents' 70th wedding anniversary, but with Mom's passing almost three years ago, their time together had been put on pause. Maybe Mom had a hand in the beautiful sunset last evening. 

Sunset Over Tequesta
Tequesta, FL
August 7, 2-24

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Teams are Set

 Well, apparently the teams are finally set for the November election. With the selection of Governor Walz to join the Harris ticket. 

I have to admit, I was not a huge favorite of Governor Walz, but that was because I was not familiar with his leadership in Minnesota. A quick summary of his career highlights:

Walz, 60, a former high school teacher and National Guard veteran, served as a representative for Minnesota from 2007 to 2019 and as the state’s governor since 2019. He is known for policies such as removing abortion restrictions, legalizing recreational marijuana, and providing universal free school meals. Walz has also faced criticism for the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for the handling of the George Floyd protests in 2020. See an overview here. (1440 News)

And now we have the candidate for President and Vice-President. Yay. The real campaigning can begin. 

I am amazed by the campaign strategies. One campaign focuses upon labels, slander and name calling, while the other focuses on working to secure freedoms and opportunity for Americans while also securing America's place in the world.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Looking out the Window

Out the New Home Window
Port St Lucie, FL
August 5, 2024

 Chris and I had the opportunity to help neighbors begin moving from their rented condo into their first home. The home is situated about 30 minutes north in Port St Lucie. They settled on the home yesterday and began the move-in process. My truck is assisting them and Chris and I took some stuff in the Mach-e with us as we went to visit their new and exciting home. 

Wow! It is beautiful. 12-foot ceilings really make a difference. The doors are 9-feet tall. Together the doors and ceiling height gives the impression of an expansive open space. It all seems larger than life.

I looked out the window from the owner's suite and took this image. The scene is something to look at and enjoy. It is also the view from the covered patio. I have to admit, there is something exciting about a newly constructed home and being the first ones to own and decorate. It is a beautiful blank slate. I do not want to give too much about the house away because it is their joy to share.

We are so very happy for them, but will miss having them right next door and enjoying impromptu happy hours and dinners.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - August 5, 2024

 

1. And the year continues to move along. Today is the first Monday of August. There are but 21 Mondays remaining in the year. 

Looking out loanDepot Park
Miami, FL
July 25, 2024

2. While we attended the Orioles and Marlins baseball game two weeks ago, I took an image of the skyline of Miami from the windows at one end of loanDepot Park. It is quite a sight. Overall, we had a great time. Looking closely at the image the lights from the inside of the stadium can be seen in the reflection. 

3. It has been a relatively quiet week. The storm and preparations have kept us busy, but we are glad to have been missed. 

4. I was reminded yesterday of where not to shop on a Sunday, Costco. What a mess. Wait, and I wound up making two trips there. I won't complain about crowding during mid-week shopping again. 

5. Chris and I are looking forward to the visit of our grandson Luke this week. He always gives us the opportunity to have some fun that we might otherwise overlook. I'm feeling a waterpark coming on!

6. Today in History. On August 5, 1962, movie actress Marilyn Monroe is found dead in her home in Los Angeles. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand. Empty bottles of pills, prescribed to treat her depression, were littered around the room. After a brief investigation, Los Angeles police concluded that her death was “caused by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide.”

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926. Her mother was emotionally unstable and frequently confined to an asylum, so Norma Jeane was reared by a succession of foster parents and in an orphanage. At the age of 16, she married a fellow worker in an aircraft factory, but they divorced a few years later. She took up modeling in 1944 and in 1946 signed a short-term contract with 20th Century Fox, taking as her screen name Marilyn Monroe. She had a few bit parts and then returned to modeling, famously posing nude for a calendar in 1949.

Oil tumbles as global economic fears take hold - CNN

Taiwan is making a TV show about a Chinese invasion. And it’s hitting close to home - CNN

Musk-backed PAC under investigation for potential violations of Michigan laws - Reuters

Ukraine finally deploying US-made F-16 fighter jets, Zelenskiy says - Reuters

Mount Etna erupts - Reuters

Stock Futures Fall as Global Selloff Intensifies - The Wall Street Journal

Burgers, Botox and Birkins: Consumer Pullback in China, U.S. Hits Broadly - The Wall Street Journal

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns, army chief says - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday Evening Chillin'

Under the Tiki52 Canopy
Tequesta, FL
August 3, 2024

 It was a spur of the moment decision. 

Chris and I, along with Finn, went to Tiki52 for an early evening happy hour. We had been out shopping and it appeared that the rain would take a two-hour break, so instead of heading home we went off to one of our favorite watering holes.

The place was empty--especially for a Saturday night, but with more rain expected in a couple hours, that was to be expected. 

The sun even peaked out for a short time while we were there. We enjoyed some live music and just relaxed before heading home to shelter-in-place for the evening. Thunderstorms were expected. They were not as severe as some areas around us experienced, but the thunder did boom a bit. 

And that was Saturday night. At least TS Debby decided to head up the Gulf Coast of Florida and avoid our area. We are getting some much needed rain, but nothing severe. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

As the Storm Churns

 I wrote earlier in the week about the storm churning in the Atlantic. Fortunately, for those living in our area we are going to miss the worst part of it. The storm did what I kind of expected it to do and is making a pass at Florida's west coast and through northern Florida to saunter up the East Coast. 

The good news is that the storm is projected to remain a. tropical storm and not develop into a full-blown (haha play on words?) hurricane. But even so, the rains and flooding will be a huge problem for some areas. 

But, southern Florida will mostly be spared. We are expecting much needed rain, but no severe or extensive flooding. Yay. 

It is important to follow the storms as they develop. And to also be relieved when they pass by. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Unconscious Bias?

 I had an interesting thing pointed out to me the other evening. 

We, collectively but not absolutely, seem to differentiate between men and women presidential candidates in a very important and potentially misogynistic manner. 

More often than not, we call the male candidates by their last name: Biden, Trump, Obama. 

On the other hand there appears to be a tendency to address women by their first names: Kamala or Hillary come to mind. 

Why don't we call men by their first name? How does Joe or Don sound? 

There are exceptions. I understand that the pool of women who are/were presidential nominees is small, two. And yes, the vice president candidate, Sara Paulin, was not called Sara. But even so, JD Vance is addressed by his last name.

I wonder if there is an unconscious bias at work? Or is it something more sinister and misogynistic?

Food for thought.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

updated to clarify a confusing sentences, 3 Aug

And July is gone

Finnegan
Tequesta, FL
July 3, 2024

 The month of July 2024 passed into history during the night. Welcome to August. I wish I was happy about the passing of July, but I am not. 

July was a different month for Chris and me. We were at home in Tequesta for the entire month. We did not travel anywhere and were able to just enjoy the month and living. Of course, we bought a new refrigerator and a closet system. The closet system is being installed next week. 

Palm Beach Zoo
West Palm Beach, FL
July 13, 2024

My image of the month is one I took of Finnegan sitting by the patio door. He posed so nicely for me, but, unfortunately, I could not get the light properly balanced to see his eyes.  

My second favorite image is one I took at the Palm Beach Zoo. The lush green on mid-summer just screamed at me. The murky South Florida water also figures into the scene. There were no animals prominent in the scene, which is not what I'd expect at the zoo. The amount and diversity of the foliage is what draws me to this image. 

And so July is a wrap!

August will be significantly different as we are planning a trip north for the annual memorial golf tournament in memory of our nephew Troy. We will likely be there over Labor Day. And of course there is that "not quite yet a tropical depression" heading our way to dump lots of rain on us this weekend. 

Fun times. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Storm Watching

 South Florida has been, thankfully, the storms and heat that have been raging much of the country. 

But, there is a storm on the horizon that we are keenly watching. The entire region watches as new tropical depressions form and potentially transition into a tropical storm and then a hurricane. This one is no different with the exception that it is not formed and the daily projections continue to have it sliding further north and away from a direct strike on our region. 

Late last week the cone of probability was centered on South Florida and now, over the past days, it has moved northward towards Georgia and the Carolinas. The even better news is that the disturbance, as it is called, has not yet developed in to a tropical depression and may only provide some much needed rain to the region where it makes landfall. 

We continue to watch the advance and I am hitting the National Hurricane Center's graphics multiple times per day. I think they publish a new graphic every six hours. 

We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL