Monday Musings - 13 April 2009

And now, for the first week in a row, the Monday Musings--on Monday!

1. Birthdays and holidays stirred together form a weekend unlike any other weekend ever seen before.

2. Yes, Ethan, there really is an Easter Bunny. Makayla saw it in the yard and chased it away.

3. We appreciate warm weather more after it has been cold. OK, we got it, bring on the heat--now!

4. For the Orioles to win 2 out of every 3 games in a series is great--I just wish they wouldn't get blown out on the day they lose. I mean, 11-3? Really? And the 3 were gratuitous runs in the bottom of the 9th.

5. MASN needs to rethink its HD broadcasting policy--the O's games should be broadcast in HD and the Nats should be on probation until they get a win.

6. Pictures on Easter Sunday after church bring back memories of times long ago.

7. Everyone keeps asking me when I'm going to open the pool--and I will open it just as soon as we have a week where the temperatures aren't in the 30's at night. That may not be until June at the rate we're going.

8. Chaos is the only way to enjoy a holiday. It means everyone is together and most of them are happy. It is also what you get when you add a 5-month old puppy to a 1-year old and then toss in a 4-year old for good measure.

9. I forgot to drive the Jag on Easter. And we still got to church 30 minutes early.

10. You know its been a good day when at 9PM Makayla is laying on the floor in the family room and I get up to make coffee and she doesn't even move. Pure exhaustion from all the activity.

11. After four days off from work--a total of six counting the weekend, I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning.

Good Friday 2009

He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. Col 2:14 NET Bible

Chris and have this problem. We can't really celebrate Easter without first going through Good Friday. Seems we both need to be reminded of the sacrifice before we can celebrate the redemption--and it is in the somberness and remembrance of Good Friday that we are reminded of how we were bought with an incredible price--not of our own doing but out of Christ's love.

At service last evening, we were reminded of Christ's sacrifice, but it was the words from Colossians which really caught my attention and brought it all to reality.

We had a debt that there was no way we could pay--but Christ took it and paid it and nailed it to the cross for us. That is why a tool of torture and execution has become a symbol of hope and redemption--the cross. A place of death has become the way to life.

Happy Easter--our debt is paid and we are sons and daughters of God.

Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvingnon 2006

I am a big fan of the Smoking Loon wines--but I have to say I was let down by this wine. Unlike most of the others that I have had the pleasure to sample, this wine was lifeless. The nose was flat, the palette unremarkable, and the finish non-existent.

The tasting can be described as: This wine is dark deep plum in color with a nose of cherry pie and dark ripe berries and tree bark spice. Flavors of dark berries again fill the palate with a rich fruitiness and tingling acidity while ending with a smokey finish.

While the cost of this wine is definitely less than $8.00, I believe you can do better.

RECOMMENDATION: Not a first choice. In desperate times following two or three other bottles--it will hold up O.K.

Knowing: Movie Review

Took some of our precious Spring Break time to see the movie Knowing. We had thought it looked intriguing and wanted to see at least one current movie during Spring Break.

The movie is directed by Alex Proyas and stars Nicolas Cage and Chandler Canterbury.

The movie has a lot of promise as it begins. The plot is well developed and quickly pulls the viewer into it. A time capsule is opened 50 years after it is buried at an elementary school and there are troubling signs in the numbers on the sheet given to one boy that ultimately predict the end of the earth.

OK--it is a great start and a good story. The acting is good--not great but good. The story compelling as all of the pierces come together including the daughter and grand daughter of the girl who wrote the numbers on the paper 50 years ago. The interaction of the actors and characters is very good and the movement along the plot if compelling.

But let me tell you this--the ending is poor. Beautiful, Hollywood grand style, but a cheap movie trick. Yes it is set up at the beginning of the movie--but any movie that ends this way (and there are a lot lately) just is not a good movie. here are so many other ways to end movies other than resorting to this type of ending.

RECOMMENDATION: MUST MISS. There is no reason to see this movie unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. The ending is just bad. And I was left wondering if the movie producers believe I have any intelligence at all.

Out of the Fog

One morning last week, as I was walking across the parking lot to go in the front door of work, I noticed a real picturesque scene.

The parking lot was draped in fog--which always makes it kinda eerie, but it was just after dawn so the sky was brightening up lending a surreal lighting to the parking lot. On top of this, the fog was very close to the ground and so the flag, illuminated as it was, was flying above the fog boldly waving in a light breeze.

Wow I was a cool scene and I wished I had a camera or was an artist to be able to process the scene from my mind onto canvas.

I was filled at the same time with a feeling of patriotism and awe about the beauty of the world around us. Sometime we need to stop to smell the flowers--and likewise we need to stop to see the world and take it in.

Those are the moments where we realize we are part of something larger than ourselves.

Monday Musings on Tuesday

OK--totally missed last week and I'm late this week--but life does that sometimes.

1. I love baseball, especially when the Orioles beat up on the Yankees, 10-5 yesterday. I need to enjoy it while I can because there are another 161 games to play and reality will set in soon enough.

2. Opening Day should be a national holiday--it is simultaneously the beginning of both Spring and Summer.

3. The Orioles are the only sports team that all of us agree about being our favorite team.

4. I actually have two favorite teams: the Orioles and whoever is beating the Yankees.

5. I worked all weekend and had a lot of new experiences--who says an old dawg can't learn new tricks?

6. As the weather grows warmer--I love begin able to go outside without having to bundle up like Nanook of the North.

7. Makayla is growing like a weed. I can't believe how small she was just over three months ago.

8. Despite my belief to the contrary--I look forward to Spring Break. I decided to take the rest of the week off.

9. I wish we had planned a trip this year to somewhere for Spring Break. Key Largo comes to mind.

And God said "play ball"

I love baseball.

And when the game is going good it is really good.

Especially against the Yankees wjen the O's are winning and I'm at the park watching.

Bob Doan
Elkridge, MD
Sent from my Blackberry

Opening Day

I'm at Camden Yards for opening day with the Orioles. Baseball is back and I'm thrilled.

And I'm thrilled to be at the game with my three sons.

Wow.

Spring really is here.

Let's rock.

Bob Doan
Elkridge, MD
Sent from My Blackberry

Birthday Dinner for Patrick

The whole clan together in one place--minus Jax. It was really cool as we all got together and went to dinner to a place we had never been and for a style of dinner we had never done either--Japanese.

It was a blast and we all had fun. The food was good and the family was all having fun together.

Patrick decided to do something different and it was--like being on a cooking show with the chef right in front of us.

And catching a piece of chicken in my mouth was only one of the highlights. Ethan was was to catch one too.

And the after dinner photo is one to be remembered for a long time.

BTW--opening day is a week away.

A nice Sunday dinner followed by dessert at Patrick and Tina's--and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.

Basketball, Beer, Burgers and Dogs

It has been over a week now since the first day of March Madness and the memory of watching the games over at Jeremy's with him and Mike and the dogs: Ben and Makayla is a good one.

A complete guy kinda day.

Made better because Maryland won--that day. And of course the company.

I love watching Makayla learn how to be a dog from Ben. And while this particular picture isn't from that day, it does show the kind of relationship the two of them have. I especially like the paw on the neck. Be still you Tasmanian Devil Dawg.

It seems that after every time they are together--Makayla comes home just that much more of a real dog and not a wild puppy. But she is growing up so quickly.

But back to the three B's.

A great day, good fun, hard played Tournament Basketball and a bit of comic relief playing Rock Band. Frankly, in the overall scheme of life--unless I'm diving a reef somewhere in the world in a blue ocean on a calm day, it don't get no better than this.

Thanks Jer and Mike. Opening Day is just over a week away--and when we add Patrick to the mix, it is going to be a great day!