Numbered Milestones

On the Water
Yellowfin Steak and Fish House
Edgewater, MD
August 9, 2017

Numbered events, like birthdays and anniversaries, provide a means to track progress as we journey the pathway of life. 

Yesterday, Chris and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. It is one of those significant numbered events in life, but in doing so we were able to take the evening and enjoy a relaxing meal on the waterfront and reflect on the years we have been together.

Chris Checking out the Menu

Taking time out to remember where we have been and what we have done helps us focus on where we are going. It may seem a bit mundane, but sometimes I find that by looking backwards I can see the path I'm traveling and decide whether a change is needed or whether it is better to "stay the course."

So we took some time out last evening to celebrate ourselves. We enjoyed a great dinner at Yellowfin Steak and Fish House in Edgewater, Maryland. We enjoy Yellowfin because of its broad views of the water and especially last evening as the sun was setting during our dinner. 

From Yellowfin Steak and Fish House
Edgewater, MD
August 9, 2017

But the evening was not over when dinner was finished. We did something really crazy. Upon arriving back home we dialed up the year we were married on our Amazon Echo and listened to the songs that were popular. I was amazed at how we still remembered most of the words to those oldies, even though we hadn't heard many of them in a very long time. 

Wedding Day

All too soon, the clock indicated that our night of memories and remembrances was over and by heading off to bed we would have to return to the daily patterns that we have established. Neither of us wanted to let it go, for the moment was magical. I can still see Chris in her mother's magnificent wedding gown entering the church and being escorted by her Dad down the aisle to meet me. White lace and promises! We were again two young, too young, kids together in a church to say "I do" and then off together, arm in arm, down the aisle to face the realities of life. 

But, here we are! Two kids with a few decades of experience still taking on the world and trying to carve out our place in the craziness that is life. 

And so with a smile and a kiss the fairytale continues! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday Blues

Chris on Hole 7
Willow Springs Golf Course
August 8, 2017

I struggle with Tuesdays. It is the lost day of the week. 

Sandwiched between Monday, the start of the workweek, and Wednesday which is "hump day" Tuesday seems to have no particular identity of its own. 

There are some unking Tuesday sayings out there. For instance:

Dear Tuesday, nobody likes you either. You're just Monday's ugly cousin.

I try to do special things on Tuesday to give the day some character. Most often, the things I do are sports related. I like to go to Orioles games on Tuesdays, but my racquetball league plays on Tuesday nights during the autumn and winter. During the spring and summer I try to get out for a quick round of golf, as Chris and I did last evening. 

Heron Keeping Watch

It made for a great ending to the day. I was amazed, however, that we had to travel as far as we did to find a golf course to play. The close ones all were booked. It seems that every other golfer had the same idea about playing yesterday. 

It was a beautiful day. Low humidity and bright sunshine. 

We saw a lot of animals yesterday as well. There were many woodchucks and this one heron sitting overlooking a pond. The heron did not seem to mind our presence and even posed for my picture. 

It was a fitting end to the "in between" day. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Back at 500

Drum roll please!

American League Wild Card Standings
August 7, 2017
From MLB.com

With their 6-2 late night win against the Angels last night, the Orioles have returned to .500 for the season. Their record stands at 56-56, with 50 games remaining in the season and the Orioles continue to claw their way back into the post-season playoff picture.

The Orioles have not been at .500 since June 29th and had sunk to 6 games below as recently as July 28th. 

For now it is a sprint to the finish line of the season. The Orioles are 1.5 games out of the second wild card and there is now only one team between them and team currently in possession of that magical playoff spot.

I am not going to write about last night's game because I did not get to watch it as it started after I was already in bed. The west coast games are difficult to watch since they begin after 10 PM and I get up about 5 AM to start my day.

Manny Machado

I do want to congratulate Manny Machado for his grand slam homer which secured the victory. It was his 21st homer of the season and he now has 65 RBIs. He is second on the team for RBIs to Jonathan Schoop who has 82.

There is hope for meaningful October baseball in Birdland!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 7, 2017

1. August is passing. One week is gone already.

2. Weekends are pleasantly busy times. There always seems to be so much to do.

1st Tee Box
Maryland National
August 6, 2017

3. Being on a golf course at 7AM on a Sunday morning can't be beat. Sunday it was Maryland National in Middleton, MD.

4. I enjoyed working with Tina yesterday doing the back brakes on her Jeep. Jeeps have enough room to actually get around and work on. 

5. I find it interesting that we need to excavate more coal.

Chewie in a Towel

6. I cannot do a project without bleeding. I was able to cut myself yesterday doing brakes. I guess it isn't a project unless some blood is spilled!

7. What do you do with a wet dog? He loves the pool. Wrap him in a towel of course.

Headlines

U.S. Troops Train in Eastern Europe to Echoes of the Cold War - The New York Times
Let Forest Fires Burn? What the Black-Backed Woodpecker Knows - The New York Times

Kayleigh McEnany appears in pro-Trump 'news' video after leaving CNN - CNN

Quote for the Week

"I believe that we've come too far, struggled too hard, and accomplished too much to turn back now. Once again the world knows that America will stand up for freedom, democracy, and peace with human dignity. And once again America is prepared for peace."

Ronald Reagan

Remarks at the National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Chicago, Illinois, August 24, 1984

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Day Exploring

Yesterday was devoted to wine and cider and friends.

The weather was classic August--clear skies, sun, but not blistering hot. Chris and I took to the road for a day trip to Charlottesville to look at a wine fridge that was advertised on Craigslist.

But the day turned into so much more. 

Bold Rock

We also planned lunch with friends, Mark and Peggy, visited Bold Rock Cidery for the first time and dropped by Keswick Vineyards to pick-up our wine club wines and visit with the winemaker. 

The motivating purpose for the trip was to consider purchasing a wine fridge in response to a Craigslist ad. The price was very enticing as was the size of the fridge. Due to potential structural problems, even after the seller offered to discount the fridge by more than 50 percent, we declined to purchase the item and continue looking. 

As the day progressed, I was amazed to learn that the Charlottesville region has been dry, rain wise, compared to Baltimore. The wine makers actually indicated that they could use some rain. Just a bit because the vines were beginning to shut down from the dryness.

Lunch was enjoyed at Travinia Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar in Charlottesville. It was very enjoyable to sit outside, enjoy lunch and catch up on life with Peggy and Mark. 

Bold Rock was the find of the day. Recommended by Patrick, it was no small jaunt from Charlottesville, but definitely worth the drive. The area was beautiful and along the way we discovered more wineries that we will be exploring in the future. I did not realize that hard cider could come in so many different varieties. I also did not realize that apples were as genetically diverse as they are. Apparently even more diverse than people.

Ending the day we stopped by Keswick Vineyards and renewed acquaintances there while sampling the current offering on the wine list. 

Once finished at Keswick, it was travel the almost three hours back to Elkridge after enjoying a great day out and about. 

The day passed so quickly. I wish we could have made it last a few hours longer.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

DC on a Friday Afternoon

Confusing Array of Signs

It seemed a simple task. Drive from home to Reagan National Airport, retrieve three people, and drive home.

At the proper time of the day it is a longish drive, but not too disturbing. But starting the trip at 3:40 PM when Waze indicated a 1 hour 5 minute drive turned into a marathon-like event.

DC Traffic

It was, after all, Friday afternoon and even though I was going against traffic, there still was a lot of traffic. The flight I was meeting was scheduled to land at about 4:50PM and so I built in a few minutes slop and allowed for time to retrieve bags. 

The trip took closer to 1 hour and 25 minutes as the traffic continued to build during my travel. 

But I arrived, even using the confusing National Airport parking shuttle service, at the terminal as the weary travelers retrieved their bags. 

And then the return trip through 5 PM Friday rush traffic. It was a planned 1 hour an 40 minute trip, according to Waze, through the middle of DC traffic. Thankfully, as we finally broke out of DC the traffic the time began to reduce as the evening traffic jams cleared. 

Note to self--in the future use BWI, it is closer!

But it all worked out.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Controlling the News

I ran across an article about government controlled internet use in China.

Internet Cafe in Shanghai
From New York Times

While we who live in the U.S. worry that we are confronted with a dizzying array of news and fake news, in China the government is working to control what people are able to access on the internet and ensure that only one source of news about the outside world is available.

The New York Times article titled, China’s Internet Censors Play a Tougher Game of Cat and Mouse, describes the ability of the government to control what the populace is able to access.

SHANGHAI — The shutdown was unusual, and came without warning.

Chinese censors tested on Thursday a new way of shutting down websites and cutting off the country’s internet users from the rest of the world. The censorship drill targeted tools that many in China use to thwart the country’s vast online censorship system, though internet companies said it also hit some sites at random.

Americans, need to treasure our unfettered internet access. We also need to understand that evaluating the source and authenticity of the news and information we are receiving is one of the requirements that comes with our freedom. 

Let's realize that the freedoms we enjoy are precious and not shared by people living in other countries and that they come with responsibilities.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Talking About the Orioles

From MLB.com

I attended another Orioles game last evening and was pleasantly surprised about the sense of urgency the team displayed in dispatching the Kansas City Royals in a 6-0 shutout.

With 55 games remaining in the regular season, the Orioles have come alive. They swept the Royals by winning the game last evening. The Royals had come into Camden Yards as one of the hottest teams in baseball. They are one of the three teams that the Orioles must catch and pass to earn a ticket to the post-season. The Orioles are now just 2.5 games out of a wild card spot!

The Orioles did their jobs! I watched a game with great pitching, good fielding, and most importantly I saw the Orioles score 6 runs and they hit only one homer! The Orioles are learning to move around the bases with clutch hitting and not relying on the long ball to get the job done. 

Did I mention awesome pitching? The Orioles latest acquisition, Jeremy Hellickson, pitched seven shut-out innings and turned the game over to the resurgent bullpen to secure the win!

Since the debacle that was June and July, the Orioles starting pitchers have arrived and begun controlling games, the bullpen has stabilized with the return of Zach Britton and Darren O'Day, and the hitters are not slugging for the fences but are getting timely hits. The result? They are on a 5 game winning streak and have won 7 of their past 10 games. They are 11-5 in their past 16 games! Just saying. 

Winning the division is still a possibility!

Bring on October!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Making the news

The White House

I just have to comment on the wild White House weekend.

It is hard to remember that the current administration has been in office only six months and a few long days.

The only constant seems to be a virtual merry-go-round of faces moving through key administration positions.

During the past week or so, it has been a truly revolving door of people in key positions. 

And then there are the tweets from the President. Daily insights into what matters most to the President. 

From yesterday, the President tweeted:

Only the Fake News Media and Trump enemies want me to stop using Social Media (110 million people). Only way for me to get the truth out!

And on Monday after the changes in The White House:

A great day at the White House!

I have no idea where everything is heading but I am sure of one thing: 

Making the news is controlling the news!

The President is certainly controlling the news!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Time Rockets By

Happy August 1st, it is hard to believe how quickly July passed. 

Carlin Park
Jupiter, Florida
July 10, 2017

I have been on my own for a couple of days now as Chris is out in the west visiting her brother and preparing for a wedding.One thing that has really struck me is how quickly time is lost. There is so much to do, but it seems that there is not nearly enough time to get it all done.

Each project requires time to set-up and clean-up. And then there is the obligatory trip to the home store for supplies. 

The lawn still needs to be mowed and I think it is finally dry enough after the rains. It is definitely tonight's project.

And the pool always needs care.

Did I mention vacuuming? Doing laundry? Cleaning up the piles of towels that do not seem to have home form around the pool? I am mired in the mundane.

Most people know that July is my favorite month of the year because I generally travel and do unique activities that do not happen during other months of the year. As I was reflecting upon the hectic pace of this most recent July, I remembered sitting on a couple of beaches where the  conflicting priorities of life melted away and I was just able to be in that moment.  

And now, July is twelve long months away.

I wonder what joys August will bring?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD