And the Holiday Weekend Begins!

Celebrate the 4th of July.

Party!

Enjoy the fireworks which commemorate the way our country began and the independence our forefathers earned.

This is also the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.  Was it a turning point in the Civil War? Volumes have been written about the first days of July 1863.

No matter though, it is time for celebration and a parties. This year, since the holiday is on Thursday, we effectively get a four day (plus) weekend. Enjoy the weekend and be safe.

Have some fun and take the Independence Day Trivia quiz. I took it and got 10 out of 11 correct.

I am doubly blessed because before the weekend is over, I expect to be on a beach somewhere in Florida erasing all of the stresses of life by slipping into the Atlantic Ocean surf.

It is a bit disconcerting that I am leaving for such a long time, I am just beginning to play respectable racquetball and am seeing the ball and reacting to it better than I have in a very long time. I will get to start over in August.

But how can vacation be bad?

And how can getting away from the daily grind for relaxation be bad?

Or even, getting away from the unnumbered series of house projects be bad?

It isn't.

Celebrate! Enjoy, Travel and Relax.

That is what i am going to be doing for the next few weeks.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Project Finished

The out building construction project is complete!

Finally.

Thank you again to Tina and Patrick for the help on Saturday. Without their hard work--it would not yet be complete.

I cannot believe how hard it was to get it done and finish all of the small details--like the shutters next to the window. Even getting the locks aligned was no fun--nor driving screws into blind places.

It still requires painting--note all of the bare wood trim, but that will wait until we return from Florida. Hopefully the wood boring insects will not eat it by then.

Even the lock on the door was problematic. I think I placed it a bit too high and I had to put a top in place to keep the clasp from breaking the window when the left door flings open.

Although it is not yet occupied, it is ready for the overflow form the garage to make room for the new highlander, a/k/a/ Cleo.

I still need a ramp to get the tractor into the building, but that should not be too difficult.

The roof was a lot of fun. As many of you know, I installed the roof system on Sunday between rainstorms. I hate working on roofs, but I overcame my irrational fear of sliding off a roof and got the job done. I just had to put on my big boy pants and do it!

I wonder what the next DIY project will be?

Hmmmm.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 1, 2013

1. OK, it is here. Let's have a great blast off for July 2013.

2. Abuse of power? What would you do if seven people assaulted you in a dark parking lot? Read about the University of Virginia student jailed for possessing water. Although they don't want to admit it, ;aw enforcement went too far.

3. Enough of Paula Deen. Everyone makes mistakes why have we become such an intolerant society? And not only are we intolerant, we have become vindictive.

4. Independence Day is later this week and then it is off to Florida for beach, sun, snorkeling and recharging after a really trying and stressful project filled June.

5. Who knew that constructing a simple shed was such a complex and lengthy project?

6,. Writing of my shed, I was cautioned that it was OK to call it an out building, but I probably shouldn't call it an out house. LOL.

7. If you are traveling over the 4th--be safe. If you are staying home--be safe, especially if you are planning backyard activities.

8. For all of my friends and family who remain Yankee supporters, all I can say is: "Sweeps are a beautiful thing."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Construction Continues Through the Heat of the Day

Who knew that constructing a storage shed was such a complicated and demanding project?

I certainly didn't. And I'm betting that Tina and Patrick, who spent their entire Saturday helping Chris and I construct the shed, did not understand the tortuous complexity of the project either.

The day was sunny and hot! Hot being the operative word. Thankfully, we kept ourselves well hydrated and so no dehydration ailments occurred. We worked steady but not frantic. It was nice when we finally transitioned from constructing walls in the hot driveway to constructing the shed in the relative shade of the yard.

As we ended construction work for the day, about 6pm, the shed was well on its way to completion, but still lacking a few critical items like doors, a window, and of course the roofing system. Isn't it amazing that I have begun to talk about a roofing system and not just slapping some shingles on the roof to keep the rain out?

Amazingly, the building took shape from a relatively small pallet of materials. Everything was precut--which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it simplified the construction and a curse when we could not find some of the pieces. Specifically, two smallish trim pieces which became critical components could not be found for some time and we continued on without them--until they were discovered, of all places, inside the folded door panels.

But the shed is taking shape--I think I will call it the "out building" just to be different.

Today, hopefully, we can finish the building and begin moving stuff into it. I also need to build a ramp for the mower to get into and out of the out building. We will paint it when we return from Florida.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Our Humans Have Abandoned us

Florence, Makayla, Jeff, Ben, Chewie watching us eat dinner

The kids are away this evening and Chris and i are watching all of the family's canines. That made dinner a bit problematic--and so we invited them all outside while we ate inside. After being outside all day building our shed, we needed some air conditioned comfort.

There are just too many of them and some of them do not have acceptable dinner manners--they are a bit too forward in helping us eat.

So--there they are--the doggies in the window.

I was reminded of a song we used to sing when I was a kid, on the soon to be restored player piano at my great grandmother's house. It was How Much is that Doggie in the Window? and it was truly one of my favorite songs to sing along with on the player piano.

Makayla, Jeff, Ben, Chewie

The chorus went like this:

How much is that doggie in the window (arf, arf)

The one with the waggley tail

How much is that doggie in the window (arf, arf)

I do hope that doggie's for sale

These doggies are not for sale, but they are certainly cute in the windows on the deck.

We did let them in as soon as dinner was over and they were most happy.

--  Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Action and Reaction: Cars and Garages

At the end of this busy couple of weeks revolving around the traffic accident earlier in the month in northern Pennsylvania.

Well, after the crisis and finding a new vehicle now comes the next part of the process.

Storing it.

Yes--the new vehicle cannot be stored outside, it seems. And so, a storage shed in under construction in my yard--to house my tractor and the rest of the stuff from the garage that must be moved to make space.

And so, in the yard there is a new floor for the new shed already complete. The rest of the shed should go up today.

Another day, another project it seems. Room for the new vehicle requires another project.

Let's see how it looks at the end of the day.

Or maybe weekend.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Crazy Fence Climbing Cat

The cat that came back, who was once lost for a week and then restored to us has developed a nasty ability. He can climb fences! Yup. No longer content to be constrained by the fence in the backyard, he can climb over the fence to freedom.

That creates a bit of a problem for us--now we cannot allow him outside unsupervised. He loves wandering around inside the fence and pretending to be a big time hunter.

Creativity was and is his downfall.

Who knew that cats could climb fences?

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Magic of Compounding Errors

I remember learning about the magic of compounding when I was a kid in relation to saving money. It almost seemed that a little money could magically turn into a fortune--except it never seemed to actually do that in practice.

Yesterday, I learned about the magic of compounding as it relates to errors and time. One little error can magically compound itself into a string of errors and chew up a lot of time.

I noticed the first error at fitness club as I was leaving a little early after my racquetball games. I was feeling good--right up until I reached into my pocket for my keys. Not there! Panic set in. OMG, this is gonna be bad.

I thought, they must be in the truck--but I never leave my keys in the truck. Upon reaching my truck and peering inside, I saw my keys on the passenger seat. It took me a while to realize how the keys came to be on the passenger seat. Digging through my foggy early morning memory, I remembered  that I had decided, after parking, to charge my bluetooth earpiece and I must have laid the keys on the seat and subsequently forgotten them after I hooked the charger up.

I then had locked my truck using the door lock, as I always do--and the error was made. My keys were on the wrong side of the locked door.

Ugh. At least I had my cell and I called Chris to come rescue me. I figured at this point that I was going to lose at most 15 minutes--no big deal.

And then compounding errors began to kick in.

After 10 or so minutes, Chris called me to inform me that in her haste to come to my rescue, she had forgotten to grab the truck key. Did I just want her to go back for the key or continue to me and she and could take me home and I would drive a different vehicle for the day. I told her to bring the key--having three vehicles out and about with only two drivers did not make good sense and we had a really busy day planned with no time to recover the truck later. An additional 10 to 15 minutes was to be lost in by this first compounding error.

She arrived and gave me the key--it was then that I realized that I did not have my parking pass for work--ugh, and with the time getting late there would be precious little, if any, close in open parking. And so I needed to go home to get the pass from the other car.

Whereupon, I realized that I the truck was going to need additional gas if I was going to do all of this added driving--I changed to a car when I arrived home to pick up the parking pass to save some time.

In the end, through the magic of error compounding, the 15 minute mistake wound up creating a series of misfortunes which ultimately cost over an hour delay.

I dearly wanted a do over. I should have stayed in bed!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Hotel Window June 2013- Huntsville, AL

Boring. Green and not very interesting.

That is how I describe the view out of my hotel window during my recent visit to Huntsville.

There are so many interesting things to see in Huntsville--a life size Saturn V copy of the space launch vehicle which sent Apollo 11 to the moon, mountains off in the distance, and many other things except green lawn.

Did I get any of those?

No.

Just lawn.

Yawn, I have a lawn at home.

I wish there was more, but alas there is not. I was hoping for something on the exciting side of life--but not. I guess it is better than looking at a parking lot or the side of another building. But still--there are so many possibilities

--  Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Defunct Airlines -- Bringing Back the Memories

As I was flying yesterday, for some unknown reason I started trying to remember the names of all of the airlines that no longer exist-- many of whom I had the opportunity to fly on.

There is even a website devoted to defunct airlines.

Some of the great ones came to mind:

Eastern (The Wings of Man)
National
Braniff
Pan Am
TWA

Mohawk
America West
Allegheny (a/k/a Agony Air)
Continental
Northwest

Some of these airlines were pioneers of air travel--yet, as with so many industries they failed to innovate and remain competitive.

Innovation and staying relevant. That is the key.

But it is good to remember old airlines of days gone by.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Huntsville, AL