Under the Cover of Darkness

Empty and Dark
Elkridge, MD
August 30, 2022

 Chris and I departed our house in Elkridge for likely the last time early this morning. The world was dark as we drove the streets that had been our local neighborhood for more than two decades. The good-byes had been tearful, but we know not permanent. It is sad that sometimes we don't appreciate the people we know until it is time to say good-bye.

The last item that I sold was my tractor and I have to admit that more than a few tears fell as I mowed the lawn for the last time and remembered everything we had done during the past 22 summers. Wow. And it really does seem like just yesterday that we moved into the house that became a fantastic home which is again a house waiting for a family to make it a home.

We are on our way home. Where we are headed is no longer our beach house, but it is our home. Chris and I have spent much of the day talking about transforming our Florida townhouse from a vacation place to our home. We have many plans and ideas. 

We should arrive in Tequesta tomorrow during the bright part of the day to start our lives there. I expect to be on the beach tomorrow night celebrating a new beginning.

-- Bob Doan, Yemassee, SC

Clock Delivery

 

Our Ithaca Grandfather Clock's New Home
Odenton, MD
August 29, 2022

Yesterday marked another point along the journey of relocation. For the first time in over 30 years there are no grandfather clocks in our house. I awoke this morning and the reassuring chimes to which I have become accustomed were not heard as our three (yes, three) grandfather clocks have been re-homed. 

It was no small task and I can report that two of them are happily ticking in their new homes, while the other seems a bit off. I will have to make a quick call on it this afternoon to see if I can straighten out the problem, which likely involves the escapement. This clock did have a bit of a problem in during transit and actually required a more extensive set-up than expected. It is also on a carpet which has a lot of pile and so that may be causing some issues because the clock rocks a bit when the pendulum sways.

We have a busy day planned completing the final tasks before departure. Although our drive-away date is not cast in stone, we have a hotel reservation about halfway because we are caravanning with two vehicles and three furry friends. It should be a challenging two days on the road. But the driving will be easier. We are planning to get over halfway the first day leaving a shorter drive the second.

At least the clocks are in their new homes.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 29, 2022

 

1. Monday has arrived again. This is the final of five August Mondays. It has been a long, hot month. There are 18 Mondays remaining in the year.

Closing the Pool for the Last Time
Elkridge, MD
August 27, 2022

2. Things are winding down at our Elkridge house. It is hard to believe we have only a few days remaining here. The pool is closed, which was a sad day's work--but, it is for the best as there will be no one to manage it until the buyers become the owners. I will mow the lawn one last time today. And we will begin removing all of the remaining non-essential items tomorrow. 

The Brothers Working Together
August 28, 2022
ELkridge, MD

3. Brakes again. Ugh. Actually changing a bad brake line that presented a large number of challenges. The brothers got it done. It was fun supervising and watching the brothers work together. I did get my hands dirty as we tackled some of the tricky and potentially disastrous problems the brake line presented. We got it done, even in the heat of the day.

4. The United States is preparing to send humans back to the moon, Hopefully the Artemis 1 rehearsal mission goes well today. To infinity and beyond! I am amazed at how many countries are in a space race to the moon. NASA, South Korea, India and China are currently exploring the Moon and its environs.

5. Because some important people cannot keep their ideas secret, the future pain of fighting inflation has become real pain due to stock market speculation.

6. Today in History. Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, as a Category 3 hurricane on August 29, 2005. Despite being only the third most powerful storm of the 2005 hurricane season, Katrina was among the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States. In the wake of the storm, there were over 50 failures of the levees and flood walls around New Orleans and its suburbs. The levee and flood wall failures caused widespread flooding.

After briefly coming ashore in southern Florida on August 25 as a Category 1 hurricane, Katrina gained strength before slamming into the Gulf Coast on August 29. In addition to bringing devastation to the New Orleans area, the hurricane caused damage along the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, as well as other parts of Louisiana.

NASA to Launch Artemis I Moon Mission - The Wall Street Journal

Stock Futures Point to Further Losses on Rate Concerns - The Wall Street Journal

U.N. Inspectors Head to Ukraine Nuclear Plant as Safety Fears Grow - The Wall Street Journal

The unexpected impact of Western sanctions on Russia - CNN

Pakistan pleads for international help as parts of country 'resemble a small ocean' - CNN

Mississippi residents are once again fleeing rising river waters - CNN

Analysis: Pain of breaking inflation will reverberate around the globe - Reuters

Dollar hits 20-year high as markets hunker down for higher rates for longer - Reuters

Taiwan says 12 Chinese fighters crossed Taiwan Strait median line - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Moving - Watching the Action

Riordin in the Empty Cupboard
Elkridge, MD
August 27, 2022

 Pets are very sensitive to the activities around the house. They get anxious when they see suitcases coming out of closets and being filled with clothes. They are even more anxious now, I believe, trying to understand why the house is empty and all of the places and things they were accustomed to are now gone.

The house is very empty, it echos.

Yet, there is a lot of activity and people coming and going. The activity and people also indicate to the furry friends that we live with that something is happening out of the ordinary. That has made the three of them, Riordin, Finnegan, and Makayla anxious. 

Riordin took the opportunity the climb into an empty cupboard yesterday and keep tabs on the activity. Riordin is generally not far from me. Like now, as I write this, he curled up right next to me on the futon. One of the last remaining pieces of furniture in the house. He will likely freak out on Tuesday as the futon departs along with the last remaining coffee table, end tables, and lamps which have been designated for disposal. At that point the living room will be empty.

The time remaining in the house is growing short, but the transition from a home to  house is effectively complete. 

And the pets are just hoping they don't get left behind. They stay close and remind us of their presence continuously. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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