Monday Musings - April 15, 2019

1. It is Monday April 15, 2019, and that means it is Tax Day! Are your taxes done? After that, adjust your withholding so that you don't have to pay as much.

Hillsborough Winery
April 14, 2019

2. Easter and the beginning of Passover occur during the same period this year. May your thoughts turn to things that are normally outside of our daily experience and give you hope for the future.

3. While visiting wineries yesterday, we discovered a a bucolic scene in northern Loudoun County.

4. It was a rough start for our Under 12 baseball team on Saturday. We dropped our home opener 12-6. But, the game was much closer than the score. A very few small things could have cause the score to be reversed! Next game is Tuesday night!

Lt Col (ret) Dick Cole

5. Retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole, the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders who rallied the nation’s spirit during the darkest days of World War II, has passed away. Cole, who was then-Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle’s co-pilot in the No. 1 bomber during the daring 1942 raid to strike Japan, was 103. His passing reminds us of the lopsided struggle against the forces of Imperial Japan during the early days of World War 2 and how this band of 80 men who participated in this spring raid raised the spirits of America and got the country back on the road to eventually triumph against the forces of oppression. Read more in The Air Force Times. 

6. I am happy to be back home in Maryland after a week of travel. Maybe I will be caught up by Wednesday.

7. While I am not a fan of rain on the weekends, at least the rain yesterday meant that I did not feel guilty for visiting some wineries instead of working in the yard! I have 15 bags of mulch ready to be places and a lawn that actually needs to be mowed. I believe i will be very busy this evening.

8. Let me wish all of you a Happy Easter and/or a blessed Passover.

9. Today in History. On this day in 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, becomes the first African-American player in Major League Baseball 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.

Headlines

Tiger Woods, in a Stirring Return to the Top, Captures the Masters at 43 - The New York Times

Is America Becoming an Oligarchy? - The New York Times

A man kept one of the ‘world’s most dangerous’ birds on his farm. Then it killed him. - The Washington Post

Exclusive: U.S. waters down demand China ax subsidies in push for trade deal - sources - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

A grade school class in Somerville, Massachusetts, recently wrote me to say, ``We studied about countries and found out that each country in our world is beautiful and that we need each other. People may look a little different, but we're still people who need the same things.'' They said, ``We want peace. We want to take care of one another. We want to be able to get along with one another. We want to be able to share. We want freedom and justice. We want to be friends. We want no wars. We want to be able to talk to one another. We want to be able to travel around the world without fear.''

And then they asked, ``Do you think that we can have these things one day?'' Well, I do. I really do. Nearly 2,000 years after the coming of the Prince of Peace, such simple wishes may still seem far from fulfillment. But we can achieve them. We must never stop trying.

The generation of Americans now growing up in schools across our country can make sure the United States will remain a force for good, the champion of peace and freedom, as their parents and grandparents before them have done. And if we live our lives and dedicate our country to truth, to love, and to God, we will be a part of something much stronger and much more enduring than any negative power here on Earth. That's why this weekend is a celebration and why there is hope for us all.

Thanks for listening, and God bless you.

Radio Address to the Nation on the Observance of Easter and Passover, April 2, 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Tail End

Ethan
April 13, 2019

The end of the family birthday season has arrived. It is a long season, beginning during late-September and concluding in April during which there are ten specific celebrations.

Ethan Conquering the Candles
April 13, 2019

Yesterday marked Ethan's birthday. The family gathered together to mark the event. It is the last birthday celebration until September. I hate to call it the "tail end" birthday, because he was the first grandson--but it is what it is. Everyone else managed to fit their birthday's somewhere in between. Not that any of us really had a choice.

I find Ethan's birthday to be special in a unique way. He shares a birthday with Thomas Jefferson! Most people are not aware of Jefferson's birthday, but by sharing it with Ethan at least our family is cognizant of the date.

Happy Birthday Ethan! May you celebrate many more!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

From Blizzard to Sun

Denver International Airport
April 11, 2019

The week of travel is over and I have thankfully returned home.

Somewhere over the Western U.S.
April 11, 2019

It was an interesting week given all of the places that I visited and sights that I witnessed. 

Thursday was an interesting day. I awoke in Denver in the aftermath of the bomb-vortex blizzard and headed to the airport to depart for sunny southern California. It was cold and the aircraft were covered with snow, as were the ramps and taxiways. 

But my flight departed on time, to the amazement of many,  and along the way I was treated to a spectacular scene somewhere over the western U.S. I wound up with a rare window seat in the aircraft, I almost always get aisle seat, but once we were underway, I enjoyed the scenery for a while. I loved this image because try as I might, I could not find any evidence of human affect on the land. There was not even a roadway in sight.

Morning Arrival
Los Angeles International Airport
April 12, 2019

I was happy to deplane in Los Angeles and enjoy the sun and palm trees. 

Although my stay in LA was only an overnight, I did enjoy the relative warmth after the blizzard and, of course, I always feel better when I see the palm trees. 

All-in-all the trip was a success and I am now happy to be home with the travel behind me. Amazingly, I was three-for-three in on-time flights crossing two different airlines. 

Time to get back into my normal day-to-day life.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Hotel Window - Los Angeles, CA, April 2019

Out my LA Hotel Window
April 11. 2019

For the last evening of my trip, I wound up at a hotel with many stories between me and the ground overlooking LAX. I can hear the sounds of the aircraft engines as they run up in preparation for taxi or takeoff. 

The scene out my window is busy! There is traffic and there are aircraft. There are people scurrying too and fro. 

It is scene of life and activity. I am well about the chaos, but I can still hear the activity.

It was a much nicer day in LA on Thursday than I experienced on Wednesday during the Colorado Spring Blizzard! What a mess that was. 

Well, as I leave this morning, I am finally heading home and soon this trip will be a memory.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Los Angeles, CA

Out the Hotel Window - Denver, CO, April 2019

View of Pikes Peak on Wednesday Morning
Before the Weather Event
April 10, 2019

Unbelievable!

That is all I can really say about the weather I have faced during the lat 24 hours between Colorado Springs and Denver. 

Out the Hotel Window - Denver
April 10, 2019

Yesterday morning, I awoke to temperatures in the 40's with cloudy and an apparently beautiful day ahead--well, if I could forecast weather by liking at the sky. But then there was this thing called a Bullet Vortex! I decided to rain a blizzard down upon the region and drastically change everyone's early Spring plans. Well, we are almost a month into Spring.

The Road Ahead of Us
On the Drive to Denver
April 10, 2019

Well, the storm changed everything and I an my traveling party were lucky to get out of Colorado Springs as everything was being closed and make our way to Denver where we are staying the night in advance of our flight this morning.  

When I got to my hotel room, I snapped a picture out my hotel window--it was of snow and the gathering blizzard.

I hate snow--I just want to get that out there and make sure everyone knows. The scene out my hotel window last evening was not one of my preferred scenes--it was of snow and blowing snow. And cold!

I am happy to be leaving this out the hotel window scene behind!

I need some palm trees and blue skies.

Bob Doan, writing from Denver, CO

Bourbon Brothers Southern Kitchen

Sometimes, I run across unique places when I am traveling, and last night was one of those evenings. 

Lights in the Bourbon Room

We went to a Bourbon Brothers Southern Kitchen complete with a Bourbon Room for after dinner enjoyment. It was a different experience for me. 

Unique and different places give me ideas for decorating, like the lights in the bar which I found to be unique. 

Dinner was good, the conversation was wide ranging. It was a good evening out in a new location. 

The place was decorated in a fun a visually stimulating manner and I definitely enjoyed the bourbon barrels ad decorations and the rustic old barn boards used to cover the walls in part of the restaurant.

I recommend this restaurant as an enjoyable place to share a meal.

-- Bob Doan, writing form Colorado Springs, CO

Out the Hotel Window - Colorado Springs, April 2019

Out the Hotel Window - Colorado Springs
April 8, 2019

Pike's Peak from Near the Hotel
April 8, 2018

It is springtime in the Rockies! While there is a great view of Pike's Peak from near the hotel, my room has not such a grand view. I wonder why I always get the "no view" side of the hotels that I stay in?

The view is not bad--it just isn't. Although the blue sky is refreshing after seeing clouds for the past day. Like I wrote before, I want to live somewhere where I grow tired of seeing blue sky!

The travel day came to a conclusion about 6:30 PM and then it was off to dinner. Fortunately, there was a place close that also had the National Championship game in the tv's to watch as a distraction. 

I was so tired that when I returned to my room I fell into bed and only barely saw the end of the game with Virginia winning in overtime. Then it was lights out--my eyelids closed and sometime during the night I woke up to turn the tv off. 

Today begins another day on the road. It will be an interesting day and I am looking forward to meeting a lot of people. 

It has been a while since I was able to add to my out the Hotel Window series, and I hope to have a couple more entries during this trip as I will be in a couple more hotels before the week is over!

But, that written, I am already looking forward to getting home.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Colorado Springs, CO

Monday Musings - April 8, 2019

1. The second Monday of April has arrived. The month is off to a strong start!

Carroll Park Hole 5
May Second Shot Came up
 a bit short
April 7, 2019

2. Busy days pass too fast.

3. Despite my thoughts to the contrary, I did make time to play a 9 hole round of golf yesterday at Carroll Park. I actually did pretty well finishing 8 strokes over par, which for me is a fantastic round since I'm more of a double-bogey player. 

4. The crisis of having multiple homes is that when there is a problem in one and I'm not there, it becomes a crisis out of proportion.

5. Why do things break when we are not looking? Why do plugs come unplugged when no-one touches them?

6. The weather is in a seesaw pattern right now--Cold/Hot . I'm pulling for the cold.

7. Today is a travel day, beginning another week of travel for me. At least I will have some additions to my occasional Out the Hotel Window series.

8. Question of the moment. When did my pets learn to tell time? They awaken me every morning just before my alarm clock goes off. 

9. Today in History. On this day in 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record of 714 homers. A crowd of 53,775 people, the largest in the history of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, was with Aaron that night to cheer when he hit a 4th inning pitch off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Al Downing. However, as Aaron was an African American who had received death threats and racist hate mail during his pursuit of one of baseball’s most distinguished records, the achievement was bittersweet.

Headlines

Cheap Antibiotics Help Fuel Deadly Drug-Resistant Infections in the Developing World - The New York Times

Kirstjen Nielsen Resigns as Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary - The New York Times

A path back from the ruins of ISIS - The Washington Post

U.S. urges immediate halt to military operations in Libya - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

“If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth. And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except to sovereign people, is still the newest and most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man. This is the issue of this election. Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.” 

 Excerpt from Ronald Reagan's 1964 speech to the Republican National Convention

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Watching the Dawn

Sunlight in the Trees
Elkridge, MD
April 7, 2019

Another day is dawns and I am fortunate to be sitting in my chair looking out the window as the sunlight makes it way down the still too bare trees. 

The tops are illuminated in bright light, but the ground is still in relative darkness as the sun has not fully risen. 

I see the jets out in the distance making their way to BWI as passengers who began their travels hours ago are nearing the end or a mid-point of their journey on this relatively weather-quiet Sunday morning and landing on Runway 10. 

I am not on a golf course and that bothers me a bit, but that is how it plays out sometimes.

I chatted with Chris and found it weird that we are both at home but we are separated by over 800 miles. I am still trying to get used to the idea of geographically separated homes. Chris returns to Maryland on Tuesday after enjoying an additional week in Florida without me. 

So I am sitting here watching the dawn and before the sun could grace the earth with its warm rays, the clouds covered it for a bit. But the day seems as if it is off to a great start.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Diving from the Sky

Pelican Diving into the Atlantic
Carlin Park, Jupiter, Florida
April 1, 2019

I began April in Florida. I had been there for a couple of days, but on April 1st, I was finally able to spend a couple of too short hours on the Carlin Park Beach in Jupiter, Florida. 

Pelicans on Patrol
Carlin Park, Jupiter, Florida
April 1, 2019

It was a beautiful day, I thoroughly enjoyed being on the beach with Chris after settling on our Florida home. 

But on the beach, that day, the real stars of the show were the birds--mostly pelicans. The must have been schools of fish just offshore because the pelicans were flying above us in formation and then diving into the warm waters.

Sitting under an umbrella on the beach watching the birds,  provided a perfect ending to my short trip to Florida. I will be back, however, because I now own a small piece of paradise have a place to stay whenever I need to visit. 

And the pelicans will be there, too. Patrolling the waters just off the coast looking for dinner.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Flowers and Trees

Local Tree in Bloom
Elkridge, MD
April 3, 2019

Springtime is finally taking hold in the region. The trees are flowering and I enjoy seeing their blossoms along my route to work. 

It is refreshing after the grays of Winter to have Spring infuse color into the world and my daily drive to and from work. 

I am always amazed and encouraged at the rebirth of the Spring.

Bring it on!

--  Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Making it Ours

The Dark Room Before Transformation
Sample Colors on the Wall

The joy of buying a new house is decorating it to meet our needs and tastes.

I am back in Maryland, but Chris remains in Florida making the house our own and putting her special touches on our new vacation and future retirement home. It has become our new and biggest project. 

Same Corner First Coat Mostly Painted
Thanks to Fran and Mary for the Help

We were fortunate to be able to buy the home mostly furnished. That means we only need to find furniture for one bedroom, the dining room and a small sitting room. So we have been focused decorating and not furnishing.

The house was dark! The walls were painted in a very nice dark gray/blue paint. The problem was there are not many windows and so the house seemed dark. Solution for darkness? Lighten the color on the walls and change the lights. All of the lights have been changed from old-style incandescent soft white to LED daylight--it is like the sun us shining from every corner of the house now.

And we have transformed the biggest and darkest walls with a new bright white color. 

The place is really coming together.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Who Are These Guys?

It is amazing how the MLB season has begun. 

The Orioles are 4-1 and a half game out of first place in what may be the toughest division in the major leagues. 

My prediction that the Orioles would arrive in town for their Thursday home opener with a record of no better 2-4 was clearly wrong, thankfully. The can arrive with a record of 5-1 or 4-2!

Who are these guys?

I watched my first Orioles game last evening and I was impressed at how the team fabricated two runs with timely hitting. That was something they were unable to accomplish last year. And they are winning one-run games. Another welcome change from last year. 

As i watched the game last evening, the announcers noted that the Orioles had not had a four-game road win streak since 2014. They now have tied that event. 

On the down side? Chris Davis remains hitless in 12 at bats posting 3 walks and 7 strike-outs with only 1 RBI. 

Yes, I am still watching! 

Let's Go O's!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Heading Home

Pelicans
Carlin Park, Jupiter, Florida
April 1, 2019

I am sitting on a stool at a terminal in the Palm Beach International Airport this morning at the conclusion of my week away.

It was hard to leave Chris and my new home behind to begin the trip to return back into my Maryland life. 

The new house is really coming together and leaving Chris behind is tough, but she gets to enjoy the pleasant weather for another week, lucky her. I have a coat in my hand and am looking forward to temperatures in the 30's when I arrive back in Baltimore. 

Sandpipers
Carlin Park, Jupiter, Florida
April 1, 2019

Yesterday, despite all of the work we have been doing to get the new house set up, we took a much needed beach break. I enjoyed the sun and the surf and the birds. We were accompanied to the beach by our friends and enjoyed a great lunch. Sadly, it ended when Chris and I had to depart to meet the air conditioning repair person. Yup, you guessed it, we had a problem with the air-conditioning unit. Seem the air filter had not been changed in over two years and it was causing the unit to freeze over. I changed the filter yesterday morning after a 6AM run to Home Depot. But, the repair person finished the job by defrosting the A-coil, and not it system is purring and he checked it out so it is fine!

I didn't really need that yesterday. Four days in the house and already a service call!

Seems the old owners did not believe in changing filters, the refrigerator water filter also needed changing.

The birds were a welcome respite.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Palm Beach International Airport, Florida

Monday Musings - April 1, 2019

Jupiter Island Beach
March 31, 2019

1. Happy April! The month of springtime showers and flowers. It is April Fool's Day--be cautious.

2. I am enjoying the Florida house, but sadly, I have to return to Maryland and my regular life tomorrow. There is so much here that I continue to need to do.

Birds on the Beach
Jupiter Island, FL
March 31, 2019

3. The weather has been fantastic. Temperatures are in the 80's during the middle part of the day.

4. There is something very relaxing about being on the beach to start the day. Chris and I walked the beach yesterday to start the day.

5. Birds are fun to watch on the beach. Yesterday they congregated together to search for foos and security. Finnegan wanted to play with them and they were not amused by that idea.

6. I looked back and discovered that I have been preparing Monday Musings weekly for over 10 years, they began on March 9, 2009. There have been some omissions and a couple Monday musings on Tuesdays. But for the most part, I have been consistent.

7. Today in History. On this day in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools’ Day by playing practical jokes on each other. Although the day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.

Headlines

Russia’s Military Mission Creep Advances to a New Front: Africa - The New York Times

‘Breaches Everywhere’: Flooding Bursts Midwest Levees, and Tough Questions Follow - The New York Times

White House doubles down on threat to close U.S.-Mexico border - The Washington Post

China's Xi says West has long-term economic, military superiority - Reuters 

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

Since our first days in office, encouraging the kind of volunteer work you do has been one of our highest priorities. Now, this doesn't stem from any pride of authorship. Believe me, nobody in this administration thinks that we invented voluntarism. From the foundation of our Republic to the taming of the frontier, rightup to modern times and your wonderful work, voluntarism, the idea of neighbor helping neighbor, has been one of the distinguishing marks of the American experience and one of the primary causes of our nation's greatness.

 -- Remarks at a Ceremony Honoring Youth Volunteers, April 25, 1985


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Dog vs. Sofa

Rex Under the Sofa 1
March 26, 2019

The other evening, before we departed Maryland as as we were dropping Makayla off at Patrick's, we were treated to a welcome diversion of Rex looking for a ball. 

Rex Under the Sofa 2
March 26, 2019

As we were sitting together chatting about the cares of the day and the impending trip, Rex lost his ball under a sofa and we were able to watch his problem-solving skills. 

It was creative watching Rex, the Bull Terrier, try to retrieve the ball from under a sofa.

He twisted and turned every which-way bring to get small enough to get under the sofa. At one point I though he was going to raise the sofa up off its feet to get enough room to get the ball. 

Rex Under the Sofa 3
March 26, 2019

It was fun to watch the antics continue for quite a while as we were chatting and preparing to leave to begin our journey south. 

Rex is a very cute dog. 

He is much like a wrecking crew sometimes. In this instance, however, the sofa won and finally a human had to intervene to retrieve the lost ball.

I am sure that Makayla, my Keeshond, is enjoying her mini-vacation with Rex and Patrick's other dog, Chewie. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Home Near the Beach

Bob on the Beach
Intracoastal Waterway, Jupiter, Florida
March 30, 2019

OK, so it is true, and a dream come to reality.

Bob and Chris finally, after more than 20 years of visiting the Jupiter/Tequesta area have purchased their dream vacation and potential future retirement home in Tequesta, Florida.

Housewarming Gift

Where is Tequesta, you may ask? It is sandwiched between Jupiter, Florida, where many famous golf pros live, and the northern boundary of Palm Beach Country. If you click on the link, you will see that Tequesta is a small village with fairly irregular boundaries and a population just over 6,000 people. 

But, enough of the location and the town. Chris and I, along with Finnegan who is also here with us, are having a great time playing house and moving nearly every piece of furniture that we now own. We were fortunate to buy a place mostly furnished. That is good because we only need to buy a few things to complete our new home. Finnegan still hasn't figured out all of the good places for him to do his thing outside, but he is continuing to explore.

What is the most important thing about the new home?

Well, I have a palm tree in my front yard! I was going to take a picture, but it is raining. I'm kidding, of course. The most important thing is location, location, location in a place that I love to visit and long to live.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

As the Trip Finally Ends

Finnegan Thinking: "Are We There Yet?"
Somewhere on I-95 in Florida
March 28, 2019

Day 2 of the trip to Florida dawned with us heading our from Hilton Head Island headed for Tequesta, Florida. Call it an early Spring get away.

Georgia Line
I-95
March 28, 2019

For some reason, day 2 of the trip seemed longer than day 1. even though it was three hours shorter. We had the constant thought on our minds of, "Are we there, yet?" But we were not there. I was a full six hour travel day and we started a bit later.

The day started by quickly crossing into Georgia from South Carolina and following I-95 south. After about an hour and a half in Georgia, it was onto Florida. Fortunately, the road work in Georgia was not too significant. I wonder who decided to put the road work sign right in front of the "Welcome to Georgia" sign? The hardest part of the trip is Florida. While cruising through the other states takes just a couple hours, Florida goes on forever--almost four hours. "Are we there, yet" becomes a real statement.


We finally pulled into Tequesta about 2:30 PM and put an exclamation point on the trip. I am very happy that I will be flying home as we are leaving the car at our new home--which we settle on today. 

The walk through yesterday went well with only some minor things that are nothing more than annoyances as the sellers did not fully uphold to the agreement on which items which were to be left behind. Minor stuff, but annoyances. The place, however, is clean and we actually wound up with a brand spanking new, never used, dishwasher because the one that was there broke as they were clearing out. There is a silver lining in almost every rain cloud. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island Beach
March 26, 2019

The trip south continues this morning after a fantastic visit with friends on Hilton Head Island. It was our first visit to the island and we now understand why it is so popular.

I was impressed with the beach, even though I only briefly viewed the broad expanse of sand running to the ocean from a distance. It was a beautiful vista that stretched out in front of me. I do so enjoy beaches and sand and of course palm trees.

The area is beautiful and, well, full of golf courses. I kept wishing that I had brought my clubs with me, but then there would not have been enough time to play a round. But the courses were beautiful. As was the area.

We enjoyed a great wine dinner at Michael Anthony's where we experienced some very creative wine pairings. The most interesting was a Chardonnay paired with an eggplant and tomato-based sauce dish. I marveled that the Chardonnay held up against the tomato sauce.

We also ran across a Pinot Noir from a Willamette Valley winery that we visited a couple years ago, Elizabeth Chambers on their opening weekend. They were hanging the sign on the door as we walked into the tasting room. We ordered a glass to share, and it was every bit as good as we remembered.

And now, we are back on the road for Tequesta. We will arrive this early afternoon. I will be ready for some beach time and sunshine.

— Bob Doan, from I-95 somewhere in Georgia

North Carolina by 7:20am

Travel by car. Sometimes you just have to do it. We are headed to Florida with a car full of supplies and household items and of course Finnegan.

We left early to miss traffic in the bigger cities along the way and are making a stop in Hilton Head for the evening.

It was fun to see the sunrise from the highway this morning. We. Made it almost three hours before our first coffee/fuel/ bio stop. Yay!

— Bob Doan, writing from somewhere on I-95 in North Carolina

The Seven P's

5 of the 7 P's

Preparing to travel is an event that relies upon proper application of the 7 P's to ensure success..

Lists become critical. There are lists of things to take, lists of actions to accomplish, lists of appliances to turn off before leaving the house. What are we doing with the dog and the cats?

And then there is loading the car! Or, packing the suitcases. Did I remember the pillows?

All 7 of the P's

I wish I could just have a "ready bag" sitting in a closet somewhere that could just grab and go. It would reduce the packing part of the preparation.

Buy as the phrase correctly says, proper prior planing prevents piss poor performance! Some have apparently tried to gentrify the 7P's of life, but it loses something in the translation. 

When preparing for a trip, all seven of the planning "P's" come into play.

The worst part is the poor performance if proper prior planning is not accomplished. 

I hate getting lost along the way or arriving at my destination to discover that something critical has been forgotten. 

And so, in addition to dreaming of palm trees in the sand, I am running checklists through my head to ensure success and most of all, happiness at the conclusion of the adventure!

Wait, don't forget the chargers for the electronics!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD