A Rainy Holiday

Cleaned and Organized Garage
October 9, 2017

Rainy holidays put a damper on outdoor plans. Whether yard work or sports (like a round of golf) are planned, heavy rains force changes.

Yesterday was no exception. 

Organized Work Bench

I had planned to cut the ornamental grasses surrounding the pool, but the rain made that a non-starter as a project. It would have been miserable.

Hence, the project turned into a garage cleaning and organization day. 

The garage needed some organization. We park two vehicles in our garage and so there is limited storage space. It had become very disorganized where many things did not have a defined place.

Most items still do not have a defined location, but at least they are neatly occupying the available space. I have a plan to buy some organizing cabinets to provide even more storage which can be better organized. 

A good project and I had some excellent help as well.

Now it is off to a shortened workweek which will seem longer than a non-holiday workweek.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 9, 2017

1. Happy Columbus Day (observed). Remember there will be no mail service today and the banks will be closed.

2. Another hurricane, Hurricane Nate is visiting my area today. We actually have been in a drought and the remnants of Nate are providing needed rain.

Hank Williams Statue
Montgomery, Alabama

3. With all of the current problems associated with statues, I found and interesting one in Montgomery, It was a statue to Hank Williams.

4. Weekend Sports Report: Ravens win, Cowboys and Steelers lose, Redskins did not play. Orioles are licking their wounds during the post-season.

5. Fall youth baseball continues for Jackson. He played yesterday, but his team lost. It was an overcast day but the temperatures were warm.

6. Since it is raining, today will not be a good golf day. Bummer.

7. Holidays, like today, provide me with the opportunity to complete projects around the house. Today, I am supposed to cut and remove the grasses around the pool. It is a regular autumn project, but it may be too wet. 

8. Hard to believe, but it is already the second Monday in October.

9. Both the Yankees and the Red Sox managed a win in their play-off series to stay alive to play another game.

Headlines

ISIS Fighters, Having Pledged to Fight or Die, Surrender en Masse - The New York Times

Trump Tells Pence to Leave N.F.L. Game as Players Kneel During Anthem - The New York Times

Houston teen says she was expelled for not standing for Pledge of Allegiance - The Washington Post

Ronald Reagan Quote of the Week

"For the truth is that Americans must choose between two drastically different points of view. One puts its faith in the pipedreamers and margin-scribblers in Washington; the other believes in the collective wisdom of the people and their commitment to the American dream. One says tax and tax, spend and spend, and the other says have faith in the common sense of the people."

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

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday in Style

A Hole on The Blue Mash
October 7, 2017

Saturdays are definitely a day to enjoy. I look forward to a multitude of activities on Saturdays and yesterday was no exception.

Heron Hunting on The Blue Mash

The day began, as should every Saturday, on a golf course. We played The Blue Mash in Montgomery County, it was a course I had never played before and it was tough. But, it was a lot of fun even though I was unhappy with my score. The greens were really tough.

I did enjoy watching the wildlife along the course.

The afternoon saw Chris and I along with Finn, the Yorkie, head off to a harvest festival in the area. We had a great time and Finn was the hit of the festival. Everyone who saw him wanted to touch him. 

Finn with a Much Larger Friend

Finn was even a hit with the other dogs. One dog, in particular, took an interest in him and they played together for a few minutes in the grass. Finn was no worse for the wear, however, he was a slobbery mess when we finally had to say good-bye.

It was, overall, a beautiful day. The weather was idyllic and I enjoyed the early autumn day that reminded me of the summer days so recently past.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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

Patriotism Defined

What is patriotism?  

During the past few days there have been no end to the discussions of patriotism and what it means to be a patriotic American. 

I am not going to offer my own definition, but rather I have been looking to others to define what patriotism is and what it means.

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.” 
― Theodore Roosevelt

“The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.” 
― Thomas Jefferson, Letters of Thomas Jefferson

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” 
― Edward Abbey

“There are two kinds of patriotism -- monarchical patriotism and republican patriotism. In the one case the government and the king may rightfully furnish you their notions of patriotism; in the other, neither the government nor the entire nation is privileged to dictate to any individual what the form of his patriotism shall be. The gospel of the monarchical patriotism is: "The King can do no wrong." We have adopted it with all its servility, with an unimportant change in the wording: "Our country, right or wrong!" We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had:-- the individual's right to oppose both flag and country when he (just he, by himself) believed them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; and with it all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism.” 
― Mark Twain

“In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People."

(Canton, OH, Anti-War Speech, June 16, 1918)” 
― Eugene V. Debs, Voices of a People's History of the United States

• Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
  -- Ronald Reagan

• And so, my fellow Americans... ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
  -- John F. Kennedy

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: What Does it Mean?

We are a distracted nation. Our passions are consuming us regarding disrespecting the national anthem and our flag, yet the world is scarcely taking notice. The enemies of peace loving peoples are continuing their assault upon the very fabric of our society.

Added to this, there have been devastating hurricanes and earthquakes across the face of the world. Our news media has lost focus on the relief efforts and have stopped encouraging us, as a nation, to step forward and support the rebuilding efforts for millions of Americans and all nationalities across the Caribbean.

The Presidential Oath of Office, as prescribed by the Constitution, reads as follows: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Note: There is no evidence to confirm that Thomas Jefferson
actually penned this statement

The key part, in my mind, is the very end: ". . . and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

This statement, by itself, defines the ultimate job of the President.

This, then, becomes the point where it is important to separate the person from the position. It is OK for the person that occupies the office of President to have an opinion and to feel strongly about issues, but  as the President and the defender of the Constitution, protecting the right to disagree and dissent means supporting those who take a contrary position in a professional and understanding manner. 

My Take: We live in a country where the right to disagree is protected by the Constitution. This is materially different from a monarchy or a despot-controlled country where personal rights are not protected.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - September 25, 2017

1. Autumn has arrived although it has felt like summer's last gasp with temperatures over 90 degrees for the past few days. 

Chris and Ethan at Jax's Game

2. Who says that a Cowboys fan and a Redskins fan cannot share the same space?

3. A new Star Trek series, Star Trek Discovery,  debuted last evening. The original series made its appearance 51 years ago during September 1966.

4. Monday Morning Family Sports Report. Winners: Orioles, Redskins. Losers: Steelers, Ravens, Penguins. Remaining to play: Cowboys.

5. Jax hit a grand slam during his baseball game yesterday. It was exciting and was a true homer unaided by opposing team errors. 


6. Supporting and defending the Constitution, the following quote is from the Washington Post opinion piece cited below: As Justice Jackson wrote three-quarters of a century ago, “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”

7. Isn't great that we can disagree with each other and still be friends?

Headlines

This is what the flag stands for, Mr. President - The Washington Post

Hot, isolated, and running out of supplies, parts of Puerto Rico near desperation - The Washington Post

Pentagon Tests Lasers and Nets to Combat a Vexing Foe: ISIS Drones - The New York Times

Trump's culture wars take over American sports - CNN

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"Two centuries ago, in a hall much smaller than this one, in Philadelphia, Americans met to draft a Constitution. In the course of their debates, one of them said that the new government, if it was to rise high, must be built on the broadest base: the will and consent of the people. And so it was, and so it has been. My message today is that the dreams of ordinary people reach to astonishing heights. If we diplomatic pilgrims are to achieve equal altitudes, we must build all we do on the full breadth of humanity's will and consent and the full expanse of the human heart."

Address to the 42nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, New York, September 21, 1987

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

End of Day Celebration

Fire pit in the Evening

Celebrations come in many forms. They can range from exuberant and loud to quiet and pensive.

Last evening, Chris and I celebrated the end of a busy and productive day around the fire pit in the yard. 

One of the tasks during the day was to saw some of the larger limbs which had fallen from the trees into usable size firewood. We were able to enjoy the fruits of that labor as a hot fire coming from the fire pit. 

Chris and Finn

Finn, our new Yorkie puppy, was there with us for part of the evening. We enjoyed the fire so much that instead of cooking dinner, we ordered pizza to eat by the fire. 

After Darkness has Fallen

At one point during the evening, a fox ran by us. I think he was confused to see people in the yard after dark. Chris had heard the screams while I was away retrieving the pizza and the fox appeared from the brush just as I was returning. It was a interesting sight to see the fox run from me, but within about 15 feet of Chris as she was sitting in her chair by the fire.

It was a perfect ending to a day which has seen me make two trips to the landfill and perform an assorted number of tasks around the house.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Top Golf Night

Nicole with a Club

Mike Showing His Form

Golf at night! What a great idea.

Last evening we headed off to Top Golf in Alexandria, Virginia, for a birthday celebration.

What a great idea--dinner, golf, and celebration.

The drive was a bit long as we navigated Friday night rush hour traffic. But it was worth the drive. 

We experienced an enjoyable evening full of golf and food and fun even if the computer scoring system was not functioning for much of the time. What could be better than hitting golf balls into targets buoyed by unlimited food and drink?

Thanks to Nicole and Mike for the unique celebration. It was a blast!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Arriving, Autumn

Summer exits officially this afternoon at 4:02 PM EDT. 

Summer has been checking out for quite while now given the cool temperatures and rainy skies. The trees are even beginning show some color here. 

I believe that I am as ready as I can be--the pool is closed and I have made preparations for cutting the grasses around the pool on Columbus Day. All of the Autumn related activities are gearing up. There is even a big pile of leaves in my yard that need to be removed today. 


CNN published some 5 facts about autumn. Autumn facts. I found Fact 4 to be especially interesting as I had never read about how the season that we are entering came to be called autumn, or harvest, or fall.

Whatever  the season is called, the real situation is that now the Sun, my favorite bright orb in the sky, will be focusing its light on the Southern Hemisphere and leaving those of us north of the equator in more darkness than light. 

The year 2017 is rocketing by. There are just over three months remaining in the year. The final full season of the year is beginning and the trees will soon be bare once again. 

The slide into winter has begun, but at least summer's last gasp will be keeping our temperatures in the 80's.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD