Back in the Win Column

It was a doubly good night for my baseball teams last evening.

Post Game Celebration
May 11, 2015

In an amazing display of batting prowess, the GORC Pirates, Jax's baseball team and the one that I help coach, managed to eke out a one-run victory. That was amazing given the lack of hitting that has plagued the team lately. 

I was happy because each boy on the team contributed to the win both with their bats and with solid plays in the field. And it was a come from behind victory at that, as the team was down by four runs at one point.

My other baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, also played a great game and overcame the Toronto Blue Jays to secure a victory in their first game at home with fans since before the Baltimore unrest. They also got just their second win in seven games against the Blue Jays to get back in the win column after two especially disappointing series against the the teams from the Big Apple.

Playing for the first time ever--or at least in a very long time, wearing home jerseys emblazoned with the Baltimore city name instead of the traditional Orioles, the O's showed that they are truly the pride of our region and a team with class. 

Two teams, two games, great night! Gotta love baseball!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 11, 2015

1. The Orioles are not in a good place right now. They have lost 5 of the last 6 games. I'm glad they are leaving New York City and coming back home to Baltimore. They are at the bottom of the division, 5.5 games out of first with 133 games left to play. No panic!

2. Did you call your Mother yesterday? If you forgot, call her today.

3. Who knew golf could be so exciting. The finish of The Players Championship yesterday was riveting--down to the 6 foot putt that finally won it for Rickie Fowler.

Mothers Day Family Pool Party

4. Sunday was a great day. Sitting around the pool, swimming in the pool, and being with family made the day great.

5. The pachysandra is planted!

6. The NFL really has a conundrum: what to do with Tom Brady? Not only did he fail to admit complicity in Deflate-gate, but as a pro quarterback he surely knew the balls were under inflated. 

7. Turns out that coffee may actually be good for you and an important part of a healthy diet--the unadulterated straight from the pot variety without the sweetness and additives. Bring me another cup, please.

8. Ready for the week ahead? Neither am I. When does my vacation start?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Weekend Recovery

Sometimes, I feel that I need a weekend to recover from the weekend.

Mary, Sue and Chris in the Wine Room
at the Engagement Party

Weekends are so busy that come Monday morning, as I am dragging myself back to work, I begin to wonder if it is more relaxing to go to work than to survive a weekend.

Yesterday was a good case study. 

6:00 AM - Depart for and play 9 holes of golf (there wasn't time for a full round)
9:40 AM - Depart for and watch a lacrosse game
1:15 PM - Depart for baseball picture day
3:00 PM - Coach a baseball game
6:00 PM - Arrive at an engagement part that started at 5:30 PM
10:00 PM - Fall into bed at the end of a full day

Chris at the party

So when did the lawn get mowed or the pachysandra planted that was donated to help cover the shaded bare spots? I was smart and mowed the lawn Friday evening! The pachysandra, however, is waiting to be installed in its new home.

There is always something more that needs to be done!

Maybe the pachysandra will be planted today. After brunch, after shopping, after spending time in the pool which I heated all night to get it up to temperature!

Happy Mother's Day--btw. I get to do the cooking, too!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cats

I have two very different cats.

Louis Asleep Outside

One sleeps. The extent of Louis' physical activity is getting up to find food or to change sleeping locations. 

He often asked to go outside to sleep in one of the lounge chairs under the deck. I'm not sure he realizes how much he sleeps--but it is a lot. The only time he comes around is in the morning to get some cookies and food. But he is pretty when he sleeps. His disposition in not all that inviting. He is a loner and does not like to be held.

Riordin on the Pool Deck

Rirordin, on the other hand, is a people cat. He is more of a dog than my dog. He is active and around. He likes to sleep, but on or with people. And he plays. He runs with reckless abandon through the house to stay in shape. 

When he goes outside he has to be watched because he figured out how to climb the fence. 

Riordin is a cat who is definitely not happy with the status quo--he wants to be part of everything and greet every person. He even enjoys some of the family dogs that come to visit.

Two cats--two different personalities, one house.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

First Pool Party of the Year

KJ, Chris, and Patrick

The first pool party of the year was a success. It was not a large affair, but it was huge in its impact. Patrick and Tina joined KJ, Chris and me around the pool and then the fire table for a relaxing evening to for dinner and to celebrate just being together.

Patrick and Tina regaled us with stories of their just completed bike trip from Pittsburgh to Cumberland along the Great Allegheny Passage. The images of the trip and the short movies provided by their GoPro added laughter to the evening. Who knew that a biking trip could be fraught with so many perils and humorous events? The stunning vistas imaged from the bridges along the trail and the incredible mud of the one tunnel highlighted the discussion of the evening along with the stories of sleeping in the cold and finding refuge in a hostel for one of the nights along their journey.

As the evening fell we continued to enjoy being together telling tales. Sadly, it will be a long time before we all can gather around the pool again, but the memories of laughter and fun will sustain us.

Pool season has arrived and with it, outdoor living.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Annapolis in the Evening

Annapolis Docks

Just because it was a beautiful evening, and that KJ had never visited Annapolis, we headed off to the State Capital last evening to enjoy the sights and some dinner.

We waited until after 6PM to depart and that meant the traffic was not too bad. The trip, which used to seem like a long one, has over the years become familiar. Upon arriving, we wandered through the old town area along the docks enjoying the sights and stores--most of which were closed because it was a Wednesday evening. 

KJ and Chris in Annapolis
May 6, 2015

The city was alive. The usual bustle of the midshipmen from the Naval Academy added to the ambiance of the crowds, their white uniforms glistening in the waning light of the day. 

Even though the skies were not clear blue, the evening was generally warm with a cool breeze from the water. There is something enjoyable about getting near the water and Chris and I exchanged our usual joke about wanting a boat. 

Main Street as Sunset
Annapolis, MD

As evening turned into night the colors of the city accentuated and the taillights of the cars could be seen driving up Main Street into the cloud covered sunset. The water, the historic buildings and the cars created a scene that I had to record.

All of the walking around the city made us hungry and we decided to enjoy dinner along the docks at Pusser's Caribbean Grille. Sitting along the docks enjoying dinner at sunset--what could be better? 

Curried Scallop Sautee
Pusser's, Annapolis

My dinner was a sight to behold and equally as good to enjoy. I do appreciate dinner served with a bit of panache.

It placed the exclamation point onto the end of a long day in a most perfect manner. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Needing a Baseball Fix

Nationals Park
May, 5, 2015

Needing to get to a live baseball game, I hadn't been to one in over a month since Orioles Opening Day, I headed off to Washington last evening to a Nationals game with my nephew KJ who is visiting from Colorado. I have had to miss one and reschedule another of my Orioles season plan ticketed games. 

It was very different heading off to a baseball park to a game in which I wasn't rabbit about one of the teams. I had been to Nationals Park before--but when the Orioles were playing. This time it was different--I was cheering for the home team--and it wasn't the Orioles who were managing to lose to the Mets in New York.

Many of the fan songs are the same--I did the obligatory rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the Seventh Inning Stretch. The Seventh inning Stretch has quite a history and some believe that the idea of stretching during the middle of the seventh inning may have begun in Washington, DC, although the tradition may have already been in place and just observe by President Taft. 

The Presidents

Speaking of Presidents--I met a few last evening. Yes, I met George, Tom, Abe, and Ted. They were standing in a row when I went to find ice cream.

They were, I must say, larger than life in person. And the Geico Gecko was even there.

The game was close and exciting. The home team was behind by a run entering the bottom of the ninth inning and got two men on base with the opportunity to tie theme or take the lead--but, alas, the Nationals failed to plate a run and the game ended in a 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins. 

Thoughts? 

Nationals Park is a great venue. The variety of food is great and the fans were nice. 

I did have a problem deciding what to wear because it is very poor style to show up at a game wearing the colors of a team that isn't playing and so I had to leave all of my Orioles team clothing and accessories home. 

The drive to the metro station at rush hour is a prime reason I don't go to more Nationals games. Also, getting home after midnight and then getting up to get ready for work at 5AM puts me in an extreme sleep depravation situation. 

All in all--great evening, good fun and if the home team had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, it would have been perfect!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

And the Games go On

View of the GORC Pirates Bench

Although the Baltimore Orioles did not play baseball last evening, the GORC Pirates took the field for their third game in five days! It is a tough and demanding schedule--no practices to work on fundamentals, just game after game. 

It has been a string of tough games. Thursday the game was shortened because of lightening, Saturday the team dropped a close 3-2 game when the opposing team scored two critical runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. Last evening was a long, almost two-hour affair played in bright sunlight that resulted in a demoralizing loss by more than 10 runs. Ugh!

Me working with the Infielders 

The boys get a break and we finally get a practice on Thursday. There is so much to work on the hard part will be selecting the truly important fundamentals that need to be addressed. For instance, base running. Last evenings game saw our team victimized by a double-play on a pop-fly that could easily have been a triple play except we already had one out. In reality it should have been an infield fly rule situation. And then there was the ground ball home run! 

This is where baseball is played and skills are learned--in the trenches! I love the dust of the infield and the short outfield.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 4, 2015

1. May the fourth be with you! Smile, it is Star Wars Day!

2. My favorite foreign holiday is tomorrow--Cinco de Mayo! It is interesting that both of my favorite foreign holidays involve the French.

3. And so summer begins! The pool is open--bring on Memorial Day. 

4. Seven of the next ten days are projected to have high temperatures above 80 degrees! Yay!

5. Responsible dog owners know to pick up the poop. I read an article about excessive dog poop on a mountain near Aspen, Colorado, where dog owners are not cleaning up after their pets. It is call Smuggler's Mountain. 

6. The curfew is lifted in Baltimore! That doesn't mean that life has returned to normal. 

7. As the home team in an away stadium this weekend the Orioles took two out of three from Tampa! They head to New York to relive the excitement of the 1969 World Series beginning tomorrow against the Mets. I hope Baltimore wins this time.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Surprise--The Pools is Open

The Pool is Open

This is a late day edition of my blog because I didn't get one done earlier. 

When I woke up this morning, opening the pool was not in the plan for the day. 

I did expect to play a round of golf and spend the afternoon doing projects around the house.

When I returned home after playing a good, for me, round of golf, the temperature was heading for 80 degrees and the view in the house was that today was the day to open the pool. 

Ugh! Really? But it was still before noon and there was plenty of time to get the project completed--and so we began. With incredible enthusiasm the cover was removed and the real work began.

The reward for a long hot day's work? Burgers on the grill.

The pool was actually in pretty good shape and the entire attitude in the house is that summer has actually begun!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD