Cat's last Ride

 It was a sobering move-related day, yesterday. I drove my Jaguar, Cat, for the last time as I delivered her to the new owner in Stafford, VA. 

Before the Last Drive
Elkridge, MD
August 26, 2022

It was a beautiful almost two-hour ride along I-95 with the top down and the wind in my hair before the heat of the day arrived. Chris followed along behind to bring me home. I relished the ride knowing that my days as a Jaguar and a convertible owner were ending. I have owned the car for 12 years and selling it was hard, but necessary. Where we are moving allows only two vehicles and we still need to shed the Camry, that we purchased as our Florida car fur use when we were using the Townhouse as a vacation home, to get to the two car limit. 

My time as a Jaguar owner has drawn to a close. I have owned two of the cars, a 1987 XJ-6 Vanden Plas known as Kitty, and Cat, the 2005 XK8 Convertible. After my final drive, Cat had driven just over 67,000 miles. I forgot to actually look at the odometer, but it rolled over 67,000 near the end of the trip. 

Good-bye Cat. I have many fond memories.

The one thing that makes me smile, however, is remembering a question that was asked of me during an oil change. The attendant asked me if the windshield wipers were OK. I responded, I don't know, I never drive it in the rain.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Picnic 2022

 Taking a break from the packing and moving action, I attended my former organization's annual picnic yesterday. The picnic has always been a great place to catch up with the retired crowd, of which I am now one, and talk to those still on the front lines of defending freedom. 

The Scratch
Elkridge, MD
August 25, 2022

It was a much needed break. The morning had consisted of the appraiser wandering through the house and a couple of guys that were here to haul away some of the larger pieces of furniture that we have and did not want to risk our backs getting out of the house. Unfortunately, they left a huge scratch on the floor that I now need to figure out how to repair. 

And so, it is with this background having come from Lowes where I attempted to buy materials to repair the scratch that I arrived at the picnic. My worries of the world and moving soon evaporated as I was engulfed by old and new friends and coworkers. Wow, it was so good to see everyone and to catch-up on life and what has been happening back at the workplace with the projects that we started and the directions that we intended to move the organization. There were some who could not attend and they were missed, but that is how life happens. 

It was a great afternoon that I did not want to end, but all good things end. I hope that I am around for next year's edition of the picnic and that we can stay better in touch in the meantime.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

And it is Gone

 

PODS Headed to Florida
Elkridge, MD
August 24, 2022 

The PODS departed yesterday. 

Tear were shed as the reality of the downsizing and move became a reality. Our stuff will arrive in Florida the day after our planned arrival.

It was fun to watch the PODZILLA maneuver to load the container onto the truck. And then it was trucking our of the driveway and the nearly all consuming work of the past weeks was effectively completed. All that remains in the house will either travel with us, get distributed to family members, become a donation, or find its way to the landfill/recycling center. I have already made two trips to the landfill this week and I expect at least one more. I made arrangements with Howard County to pick up our mattress and box springs from the curb the day we depart. It will be weird to sleep on the bed and then drag it to the street just before we head up the driveway for the last time. 

I hope I did a good job packing and securing. I think I used about 16 tie down straps and bungees to secure everything.

I got great news yesterday. I sold the Jaguar. I will drive it to its new owner tomorrow. So things are drawing to a conclusion.

In the it is hard to believe it happened this way category, the title company emailed forms to complete,  wet sign and PDF back to them. Suddenly this becomes a problem because my printer is in the PODS on its way to Florida. Nice one.

The house appraisal is today and that is the final piece of the house sale puzzle. I expect by this time am retired and we really do not have a hard must arrive by time--so the departure date is still fuzzy, although since it will be a two-day trip, I will need a hotel reservation because we will be traveling with furry friends.

Enough rambling. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Downsizing--Cat in a Bag

Riordin in the Wrapping Materials
Elkridge, MD
August 23, 2022

 Packing reached a fevered pitch yesterday. The PODS departs this morning for Florida and hopefully we are less than a week behind in making the trek south. The PODS is packed, although not fully, because we are not taking any furniture, save some lamps and a couple small tables. The PODS is full of mostly possessions and treasures intended to replace like possessions already in place in Florida. I expect that I will be actively on Facebook Marketplace once I arrive. 

As we were packing and wrapping the last of the items, Riordin, our cat, decided to crawl into a bag of wrapping material and cocoon himself inside. He wound up napping there most of the afternoon. He loves to nap in warm places and so this was not too out of the ordinary for him. We kept a close watch on him to ensure that is head remained outside of the plastic bag.

At least he found a place to hide out during the flurry of activity. 

Smart cat!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

P.S. Within a week, I expect that I my daily posts will be from Tequesta! Time in Maryland is drawing short. 

Caught in the Act

Makayla Caught in the Act
Elkridge, MD
August 22, 2022

 Keeshonden (the plural form of Keeshond) are known for being intelligent and devious. Makayla is no exception. She loves to clean-up Finnegan's left-overs, even though she knows she is not supposed to indulge. 

Yesterday, she got caught. Makayla has begun crawling into Finnegan cage to gain access to the left-overs, which sometimes are an entire meal. I usually do not notice it until she has to turn around in the confined space and the commotion alerts me to the crime.  Sadly, I pay the price for her indulgence in the form of, well to be polite, less than formed stools. I hate it when they are messy.

But, back to the story. 

I caught her coming out of Finnegan's cage after licking up the left-overs. She had that deer-in-the-headlights look on her face when she saw me. She fully knew that I was not happy, but she also knew she had won the battle of wills. She will do it again, of that I am sure. Finnegan's food is tempting. It is the cookie jar of dog food for her. And I will catch her with her paws in the cookie jar.

BTW, for those of you who know Makayla, she received a hair cut for the summer. That has made her much more mobile and devious!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 22, 2022

 

1. August seems to be dragging on as this is the fourth of five Mondays. There are just 19 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. School starts next Monday for most of the Maryland districts in my area. A sure sign that Summer is over and we are careening towards the dark days.

Main Water Shutoff
Elkridge, MD
August 22, 2022

3. People continue to ask; when are we heading to Florida. With the sale of our bedroom furniture today, we may be heading to Florida sooner than later and possibly as early as next week.

4. The home inspection report is in and I have determined that the process is a scam. The report is full of errors regarding the house. One of the biggest recommendations to the buyers was that the gutters should be cleaned--we have a LeafFilter system on our gutters. The inspector never even went onto the roof to see that. I also enjoyed the item where they could not find the main water cutoff and recommended that a licensed plumber be retained to install one. OMG--it is right there! Big blue handle. 

5. Does anyone really care about why Tom Brady was missing training camp?

6. The Orioles continue to play exciting baseball even though they have slipped to 2.5 games out of a Wild Card position. They remain 5 games over .500 and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. There are a number of important series coming up, for instance today they begin a series against the White Sox who are one game behind them for a Wild Card position.

7. Today in History. On August 22, 1950, officials of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) accept Althea Gibson into their annual championship at Forest Hills, New York, making her the first African American player to compete in a U.S. national tennis competition.

Growing up in Harlem, the young Gibson was a natural athlete. She started playing tennis at the age of 14 and the very next year won her first tournament, the New York State girls’ championship, sponsored by the American Tennis Association (ATA), which was organized in 1916 by Black players as an alternative to the exclusively white USLTA. After prominent doctors and tennis enthusiasts Hubert Eaton and R. Walter Johnson took Gibson under their wing, she won her first of what would be 10 straight ATA championships in 1947.

Jan. 6 panel ups pressure for testimony that may rock Pence's 2024 hopes - CNN

Teachers at Ohio's largest school district vote to strike just before start of school year - CNN

Tom Brady to return to practice Monday following personal leave - CNN

Stock Futures Fall in Broad Market Decline - The Wall Street Journal

Chinese Banks Cut Rates to Spur Economic Growth - The Wall Street Journal

Liz Cheney Says New Political Group Will Target Trump Allies - The Wall Street Journal

New breed of video sites thrive on misinformation and hate - Reuters

Turkey doubles Russian oil imports, filling EU void - Reuters

Russia fires rockets at areas near nuclear plant, Kyiv bans Independence Day rallies - Reuters

In upstate N.Y., a test for Democrats running on abortion to stop GOP wave - The Washington Post

Alaska’s snow crabs have disappeared. Where they went is a mystery. - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Moving--Kick it into Gear

 Moving has become serious now. We effectively have a table with chairs, a small futon sofa, and the bedroom set remaining in the house along with items that are destined for family members and donations. The PODS departs Wednesday and I have lost the better part of the past two days taking a much needed time-out to enjoy family.

Mostly Empty Living Room in the Morning Light
Elkridge, MD
August 21, 2022

Well, there may have been the issue of the sump pump that needed attention as well. But, I actually watched some of the Little League World Series and enjoyed it, despite everything that I need to do, because I miss baseball. 

Today it is back to the grind. I have three days to finish loading the half-full PODS. I had to unpack some of the items yesterday to find something we needed for a project. I hate it when we accidentally pack something and then need it. Ugh. Now I have to repack that part of the PODS and continue with the overall packing. I am looking forward to the PODS departure because I am fairly certain we will begin our journey south soon thereafter.

A hard deadline is a true motivator.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Home Inspection Blues

 As part of the sale of our house, we suffered through a home inspection yesterday. The appointment was scheduled for 2PM, but was changed to 12:45PM at 12:40PM. Great. We had the animals running loose in the house as we were sitting down to eat at a local establishment. It worked out, but was just a bit of added stress.

The Venerable Old Pump
Elkridge, MD
August 20, 2022

It is all part of the home sale process in America today. 

Do we know what they found? Well, no, except that the sump pump started smoking when it was checked. I wonder how long it has been non-functional? So, at least I was glad to know the sump pump needed replacing after 32 years. It was built during March 1990.

A new pump and check valve was installed today and I am really very happy that the non-functioning pump was discovered as I never really think about the sump pump. It just always did its job when it was needed. 

Well, at least the new owners will not have to worry about it for a few years.

I wonder what other repairs I will be negotiating about. I can't think of anything--the pool is in fantastic shape and the house is likewise in great repair. At least I think it is.

Moving is such fun.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

After the Storms

Rainbow
Odenton, MD
August 17, 2022

 Rainbows provide transient beauty after storms. I look for rainbows all of the time and I love it when, after or during storms, I find the rainbow.

The other day, I found what appeared to be a rainbow hiding in a small break in the clouds. It was very interesting to watch and imagine how it had formed. I can see the rays of light streaming through the clouds. 

I had just finished mowing the lawn when the thunder started and the first raindrops lashed at my face. I was glad to have put everything away before the deluge arrived. It was a short but powerful downpour. As it passed, there was the small rainbow in the sky. 

I marveled at how it was just a small portion of what could have been a much larger rainbow, but I was smart enough to enjoy the diffracted light for the brief time that it appeared. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Downsizing--When Treasures Become Cast-offs

 They are gone.

On the Auction House Table
Hunt Valley, MD
August 17, 2022

30+ years of clock collecting and repairing is over. The clocks, save for the few we gave away and the two we retained, have been placed out for auction. 

I took my treasures to two auction houses yesterday, a high end house cherry picked the collection and then a more moderate house took the remainder. I have been pretty successful in selling the best of the collection on Marketplace and of course the real gems are staying in the family. 

The Other Part of the Table
Hunt Valley, MD
August 17, 2022

Downsizing sucks! But, in fact. most of the clocks have been sitting in bins for the past few years as we transitioned from decorating with clocks and timepieces to a more modern approach. As it turned out I took only 17 clocks to auction. We determined another 6 were not worthy of being sold and they will be relegated to the landfill. They were in various states of disrepair and were project clocks that I never got around to repairing.

The house is becoming very empty. I was in the car talking to Chris on the phone yesterday and I could hear the echo. We are selling the last remaining table and chairs on Sunday leaving only our bedroom as the last remaining room with furniture. We are going to be sitting on plastic Adirondack chairs until we leave. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD