World Series 2014 Thoughts

Jeremy Guthrie's Offensive Tee Shirt

I was ecstatic that the Giants defeated the Royals 7-1 in the first game of the World Series last night. Just to be clear--I hope the San Francisco Giants sweep the World Series from the bad-boy Kansas City Royals.

No, it is not because the Royals beat the Orioles--I usually hope the team that beats mine wins it all so at least I can be comforted by realizing that my team was dispatched by the eventual champions.

Not so this year. 

The Royals do not possess the character of a true champion. They are thugs, similar to many NFL or NBA teams and do not deserve to represent either MLB or the US as our World Series Champions.

Champions have compassion and understand that winners are only a few outs or hits away from being losers.

Jeremy Guthrie and the rest of the Royals were not gracious in victory. They forgot that in sports only one team goes home happy at the end of the season. Rubbing the losers noses into the loss--especially a hard fought series which featured some of the worst umpiring I have ever seen in playoff baseball, is just not how it is done.

The Kansas City Royals have replaced the team from up north that shall remain nameless as my least favorite team in baseball because of their lack of character and respect.

The Royals are not royal, they are pretenders for the crown and the Giants will hopefully humble them into submission and be gracious about it.

Just saying.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Election Time is Upon Us

The ads for the candidates are mounting on the television.

My boredom with the candidates increases because they apparently are afraid to tackle real issues.

In my area of Maryland, I know that one candidate wants to be governor because  I shouldn't trust the other candidate. And I know the other candidate will make a good governor because his daughter says so!

Really?

The race for the congressional seat is a yawner. I have never heard of the candidate opposing the incumbent.  When I reviewed the ballot this year for my polling place, three elections have only one name, meaning they are running unopposed.

Issues? What are the issues?

There are a bundle of them and apparently the candidates at all levels are hoping the electorate doesn't have any issues.

I have a few: continually increasing taxes AND fees! An increased fee is a hidden tax! And then there is the issue of what is the state doing with the windfall revenue from the casinos? Much of it was supposed to go to schools and horse racing (believe it or not) but the schools remain funded by ever increasing taxes it appears. The state is doing a slight of hand by using the revenue from the casinos to fund school but reducing the amount of funding from the general fund--net difference ZERO!

What happened when the electorate becomes disillusioned? 

I believe two bad things happen:

First, people do not vote.

Second, those who do vote elect single issue candidates who do not represent the best interests of the people.

My advice--get out and vote two weeks from today. If you are happy with the way things are, return the incumbents. If you are unhappy--then find a candidate with a more global view of the issues and get them into office so that we can begin to repair the broken political system of this country.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 20, 2014

1. October is flying by. Too soon it will be November and time to let the clocks fall back and the dark days will be fully underway. 

2. Autumn is moving into the stage where the beauty shows up just before the leaves fall off. And the cold is coming.

3. When little boys play football on a full sized field, they look really small. Jax and the GORC Wildcats secured a shutout 25-0 on Saturday. Jax scored his first points of the season carrying the ball across the end line for the point after touchdown.

4. The NFL seemed like a bit of a let down Sunday after the excitement of post-season baseball.

5. After a busy day, even the dog needs a nap.

6. Birthdays are a great reason for families to get together.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Comfort Food Dinner

Sometimes the need for some comfort food for dinner is overwhelming. The other evening, Chipotle was at the top of the list. Inexpensive, fast, piled high, Mexican food. We stood in like for about 10 minutes to get served.

When I was a kid, I remember it was a trip to the newly opened McDonalds in our town that served as a dinner treat. We had to eat in the car because there was no inside seating. I also remember going to the Ponderosa Restaurant when that opened. These are definitely not upscale dining choices, but they specialize in comfort food.

After a long week, sometimes a quick trip for comfort food is just the ticket, as long as it in not an every week affair.

I was not amused when I stepped on the scale at the gym the following morning--comfort food is heavy! In my case, I played an extra game of racquetball the next day as penance for my Chipotle indiscretion. 

But it was tasty!

Bon Appetite!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Golden Autumn October

Morning Dawning over the Pool House
October 18, 2014

The morning dawned cool and sunny. The sky was clear and I noticed how quickly the autumn is progressing as it leaves summer in the now somewhat distant past. The leaves are changing color and falling from the trees. The once full canopy which surrounded my house is thinning with the approaching onset of winter.

The golden hues from the dawning sun created a beautiful setting. I enjoy the dawn and the promise that each new day holds. 

We have a lot planned for this weekend and I'm glad that it is going to be nice--weather-wise.

Thinning Canopy as Autumn Progresses

Yesterday was special because I was able to take the convertible out for a ride with the top down. I realized that it may be the last top-down, hair-on-fire ride of the year. The temperatures are getting cooler--the forecast highs for mid-next week are all in the 50's, brrrrr. 

Looking at the image of the day as it  dawned over the pool house and I noticed that the door is open--again! I'm not sure why or how, but it seems that the door to the pool house is almost always open. Not a good way to keep the vermin out with the onset of the dark days.

Enjoy the weekend!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Birthday Celebration Surprise

Chris with Jax and Ethan

Wednesday evening we celebrated another in out family string of  birthdays. It was Chris's birthday and I have to admit, she was a real good sport about letting the assembled birthday flash mob finish watching the Orioles season ending game before beginning the celebration of her time on the planet. The celebration was a bit subdued as the Orioles season ended and they officially entered the post-season.

But the party went on once the game was over. The lights went out, the candles were lit and the family rendition of Happy Birthday was sung again with the new Cha Cha Cha refrain. And gifts were exchanged.

It was a party--a surprise party! 

The sting of the loss was eased as we focused on life, living, relationships, and love.

The family was awesome assembling on short order.

The evening was rainy and the mood as bright as possible. It was nearly perfect.

Happy Birthday.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

No Joy in Baltimore

With a thud and a throw across the infield, the Orioles 2014 baseball season ended last evening in the fourth game of the American League Championship Series.

The Orioles lost 2-1.

They lost the series in four straight games and my hopes to attend a World Series game in Orioles Park at Camden Yards will be unfulfilled for another year.

It was raining in our area all day, almost as if the storms were shedding tears for the unexpected end of the Orioles improbable season.

The season did not end the way I would like to have seen it end, but it is over. I am already looking forward to spring training.

The team from the mid-west earned their berth in the World Series by winning the championship series from the Orioles. I will not be cheering for the mid-west team--not because I have a bad attitude, but because I like the teams from the other league more.

Our guys played hard--and came up just a few runs short.

It is sports: there are winners and losers, I know this because I play racquetball. Someone wins and unfortunately, the other player loses. It is a fact of life.

In the meantime, I celebrate the accomplishments of the team from Baltimore. 

There are special. I hope they can come back almost intact for the run to the post-season next year

Go O's! 

Thanks!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Why so Scary?

I need a mental diversion from the MLB playoffs. I think I am getting a bit wrapped up in the excitement that is this Orioles post-season. I have been dreaming of attending my first World Series game.

I remember being at Spring Training during March, enjoying the sun and heat of Sarasota while watching this Orioles team come together. They are, after all, one of the last four teams standing. Even though they lost again last evening, I am comforted by knowing that when I was in Sarasota the baseball pundits were picking the Orioles to finish last in the division which they won.

But this is October, the month of Halloween!

Scary costumes, parties, and trick or treating. 

I admit, I do not fully understand the fascination with blood and destruction. Like the image I snapped the other day of a display in a store.

It made me shiver--what if I really ran into one of these guys on a dark street?

I'm not sure I could run fast enough to get far enough away.

Do I really want my nightmares coming to life?

I'll stay with the Orioles--at least they are not going to be scaring anyone on Halloween. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Jack-o'-Lantern Carving

It's the season for the harvest and pumpkins. Sunday, we gathered the grandsons, selected a few pumpkins and hosted a carving party.

First, however, was the trip to the Pumpkin Patch to select the perfect pumpkin for carving and to become the jack-o'-lantern of their dreams. That was an experience in an of itself, but it was early enough in the day and the season that the patch was not too crowded and the trip was a great success. 


Next came the carving. Think about it, sharp objects and three boys under the age of 10.

And of course there were the stars of the day, the pumpkins. Prices are up. One pumpkin weighed in at a weight equivalent to $30. It was summarily rejected. It is a pumpkin, not a Christmas tree!

But Ethan, Jackson, and Lucas picked out pumpkins. Big pumpkins. And then, once we returned to the house the carving began. It was organized chaos.

It was not easy wading through the pumpkin entrails to get to the part where they become jack-o-lanterns. But the boys, and parents and grandparents, were up to the challenge. 

After some tense moments, the jack-o'-lanterns began to emerge. The efforts and the design process began to payoff and the final results were in sight. 

We had to opportunity to view Jax and Ethan's jack-o'-lanterns lighted and scary in the night. They are a study in contrasts--traditional and modern. But they are both awesome.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 13, 2014

1. Happy Columbus Day observed. In 14 hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. We have reduced the celebration of this observance in recognition of the subjugation and genocide directed at the native people inhabiting the hemisphere as a result of being "discovered" by Columbus.

2. The ALCS resumes this evening. Not for the faint of heart. Go O's

3. The grandson's got together in the garage yesterday to put together some Orioles cheers. I wonder where they learned all of those cheers?

4. I am still amazed at how therapeutic it is to get out early in the morning to play a round of golf. I did it again yesterday. At least once every week since August. Not a new low score, but better shots in all parts of my game--well except for 5 putting the par 4 9th hole. I went from putting for par to ugly in a few short strokes. Ugh!

5. Autumn is gracing the trees in our neighborhood finally. The color is beginning to show and the trees are donning their autumnal colors in anticipation of the finally beauty show before the onset of the dark days.

6. I am not a huge fan of the Washington Post, but they are running a series of articles highlighting how local police departments are using asset seizures to fund their operations. The series Asset Seizures Fuel Police Spending highlights how things that I didn't believe could happen in the United States are happening and are apparently "legal." Here is the part that really got me: Of the nearly $2.5 billion in spending reported in the forms, 81 percent came from cash and property seizures in which no indictment was filed, according to an analysis by The Post. Owners must prove that their money or property was acquired legally in order to get it back.

7. Let's Go O's.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD