Monday Musings - August 21, 2023

 

1. Wow, it is Monday all over again. It is the third Monday of August and there are only 18 Mondays remaining in the year. 

AL East Standings
Games through August 20, 2023

2. How about them Os? A great west coast road trip just ended which saw them go 6-3 culminating with a stunning sweep of the As. The Orioles are now 30 games above .500. They are playing solid baseball as a team and are hopefully preparing to close out the season. It will be a fight the remainder of the way as Tampa remains just 3 games behind. I do notice that the Yankees have apparently stopped playing baseball. 

Jeremy, Me, Mike
Elm Tree Golf Course, Cortland, NY
August 19, 2023

3. It was fun to be back on the golf course Saturday with my favorite golfing buddies Jeremy and Mike. We haven't been playing together much the past couple years and being together, even on different teams, was fun.

4. I find it amazing that North Korea attacks the water every time they want to protest something that the U.S. is doing in the region. 

5. Chris and I had a fantastic travel experience during our most recent journey. Both flights were early departing and arriving. Additionally, we had no ground delays and the return flight to PBI yesterday was pleasantly no full so that we had a seat between us. It was a big change from our previous flights which were delayed and over-full. 

6. Is anyone else concerned that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution may play a huge role in the upcoming presidential elections? 

7. Today in History. August 21, 1959. The modern United States receives its crowning star when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting (Native spelling: Hawai‘i) into the Union as the 50th state. The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five six-star rows and four five-star rows. The new flag became official July 4, 1960.

The first known settlers of the Hawaiian Islands were Polynesian voyagers who arrived sometime in the eighth century. In the early 18th century, American traders came to Hawaii to exploit the islands’ sandalwood, which was much valued in China at the time. In the 1830s, the sugar industry was introduced to Hawaii and by the mid 19th century had become well established. American missionaries and planters occupied the islands and brought about massive changes in Hawaiian political, cultural, economic and religious life. In 1840, a constitutional monarchy was established, stripping the Hawaiian monarch of much of his authority.

Hilary moves through Southwest with 'historic amount of rainfall'  - CNN

Trump’s expected Georgia surrender and debate no-show shatter campaign conventionality - CNN

Electric cars are breaking sales records, but here’s why they’re not replacing gas cars anytime soon - CNN

Russia says F-16s will escalate Ukraine war - Reuters

North Korea's Kim directs cruise missile test as South Korea, US begin drills - Reuters

Iranian delegation arrives in Moscow to discuss ground forces cooperation -TASS - Reuters

Rates in China Cut Again, but by Less Than Expected - The Wall Street Journal

Florida Teachers Are on Edge Over History and Gender-Identity Policies - The Wall Street Journal

How Ukraine is exploiting Biden’s cluster bomb gamble - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

8th Annual

Chris at the Hole we Sponsor
Elm Tree Golf Course, Cortland, NY
August 19, 2023

 Yesterday, Chris and I played in the 8th Annual Troy Whittemore Classic golf tournament. The tournament is conducted in memory of my nephew, Troy Whittemore, who was taken from us at age 23 by cancer and the proceeds are used to fund a scholarship awarded to high school seniors usually from Ithaca High School.

The Sponsor Sign
8th Annual Troy Whittemore Classic

Chris and I had a good time at the tournament and it was a solid way to end a very emotional week in Ithaca remembering Chris's sister Jodie, with a memorial service on Friday and the tournament on Saturday.

We sponsor a hole at the tournament. This was the first year that Chris actually played. The family had two teams in the tournament with 5 first time players between the two teams of 4. Needless to say, but we did not win or even come close. I was lucky enough to land a drive on a par 3 green on one of the contests. Only 5 players of the 92 in the tournament actually landed their ball on that green--so I was pretty excited to be in the 50-50 par 3 raffle--but did not win the over $300 prize.

We are safely back home in Florida enjoying the warmth. It was cool to cold in Central New York!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Ski Slope

Greek Peak
Cortland, NY
August 17, 2023

 The Maryland part of our family arrived yesterday and we gathered at a house near the major ski area in the region: Greek Peak. I must say, I prefer ski slopes in the summer because there is no snow and less crowds. Of course, I don't ski and therefore I really do not appreciate ski slopes and mountains. But they are beautiful in the summer. 

The location is a bit remote. It is a 15 minute drive to the nearest significant village with services, like gas and groceries. The scenery is great to look at and it is quiet, although it rained last evening and everything is very wet this morning so I am not sitting outside enjoying the dawn. But at least it is not raining. We will be golfing tomorrow in the annual tournament for our nephew, Troy. Today is a memorial service for Chris's sister, Jodie. I wish were were gathering for more celebratory reasons.

-- Bob Doan, Cortland, NY

Enjoying the Natural Beauty

Taughannock Falls
Ulysses, NY
August 16, 2023

 Ithaca has a slogan:

Ithaca is Gorges!

And it is! There are numerous gorges with waterfalls in the immediate area and they are fun to explore. 

Yesterday we managed to visit one of the the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi: Taughannock Falls. The water makes an impressive 215 foot drop to the pool below nestled deep within a gorge. It is one of the signature waterfalls of the region. It may not be as spectacular as some of the waterfalls along the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon, but Taughannock is definitely in the league of awe-inspiring waterfalls. 

Sailboat on Cayuga Lake
Ithaca, NY
August 16, 2023

And of course there are the lakes, the Finger Lakes, to enjoy in the area. We are closest to Cayuga Lake, the second largest of the Finger Lakes. Ithaca sits at the southern end of the lake and the beautiful summer days have been making me dream of boating. Last evening we were are dinner and had a view of the lake and the boats. I enjoyed watching the lake activity while I was also reveling in the pleasant weather which allowed us to dine outside. 

The day was the last relaxed day as activity ramps to a fever pitch today and through Sunday when Chris and I make our return to Florida. I am glad that we were able to enjoy the scenery and local natural beauty. 

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

Escape to the Wineries

 

Wine Tasting
Sheldrake Point Winery, Ovid, NY
August 15, 2023

We did it!

Yesterday, Chris, Nicole, and I managed to escape for a few hours and visit the three closest wineries. It was a grand afternoon.

One of the wineries, the closest, we had never visited and we had a very good time. It was fun to talk with the owner, founder, and winemaker all in the form of the same person. She has established a well designed small farm winery. The winery, Bet the Farm Winery, is a fun and enjoyable place to visit. The wines are solid offerings and the 2021 Lemburger stood out as a solid New York red wine. 

As it turned out, the other two wineries we visited are both for sale. They are also repeat favorites and we have been members of both at some point in the past. 

Sheldrake Point Winery and Americana Winery are both for sale, but their wines were tasting very well. I had the Riesling flight at Sheldrake Point and they were all very nice. The tasting was fun and enjoyable. It is always better to visit mid-week.

Americana was tasting well also. Their wines continue to run the gamut including a number of blueberry wines, but the redesigned tasting allows for sampling the wines paired with munchies and fudge. 

The wine tasting success of the day, however, goes to Bet the Farm. It was a traditional wine tasting at the bar and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to the owner/winemaker about the wines and her interpretation of the grapes. I had fun.

I still do not appreciate tasting wines in flights alone at a small table with no interaction with the staff.

OK, do not fret. I am not considering buying a winery. A wise person once noted, How do you make a small fortune? Start with a large one and open a winery.

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

August Summer Day

Summertime Flowers
Ithaca, NY
August 14, 2023

 I am enjoying a cool mid-Summer in Ithaca. And when I say cool, I mean cool. Having escaped from the low-90s of Florida. I am enjoying the high-70s of Upstate New York. Twenty degrees makes a huge difference. 

The skies were as overcast yesterday as I remember. Today will being rain most of the day. Yup, it is summertime in Ithaca, NY.

I have to admit, it is a radical change from Florida where the daytime temperatures are hitting 95 degrees and the heat index is reaching up to 110 degrees. It makes being outside almost unbearable. But, mid-70s is cold.

Well, if I think this is bad, in about two weeks Chris and I will be in Alaska where the daytime highs are in the 60's. 

I guess I can consider this a respite from a hot summer!

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

Monday Musings - August 14, 2023

 

1. Welcome to the second Monday of August! There are but two remaining Mondays in the month and just 19  Mondays remaining in the year!

2. What a travel day it was. Our flight from Palm Beach International to Baltimore was short and efficient. Although the place was packed, we departed early and arrived very early. We did not have to wait on the tarmac for a gate and the entire boarding and deplaning process was very smooth. The only problem? Retrieving checked baggage in Baltimore continues to be a very negative experience. The drive from Baltimore to Ithaca was smooth and enjoyable.  

AL East Standing
As of games through August 13, 2023

3. Orioles Baseball! Listening to the game yesterday during the drive, it was a game where each run and every play was important. The Orioles prevailed during the 10th inning after the relief corps almost let another one get away with a blown save in the 9th inning. But two runs, compliments of a Cedric Mullins homer, in the 10th sealed the win. Not to mention a spectacular home run robbing play by the same Cedric Mullins in the 9th inning.

4. Driving through the area from Baltimore to the Southern Tier of New York, I was reminded of how pretty and inviting the hills are when they are robed in the green of the trees. It was a great ride and seeing the Finger Lakes again brought me back to my childhood home.

5. Today in History. A major outage knocked out power across the eastern United States and parts of Canada on August 14, 2003. Beginning at 4:10 p.m. ET, 21 power plants shut down in just three minutes. Fifty million people were affected, including residents of New York, Cleveland and Detroit, as well as Toronto and Ottawa, Canada. Although power companies were able to resume some service in as little as two hours, power remained off in other places for more than a day. The outage stopped trains and elevators, and disrupted everything from cellular telephone service to operations at hospitals to traffic at airports. In New York City, it took more than two hours for passengers to be evacuated from stalled subway trains. Small business owners were affected when they lost expensive refrigerated stock. The loss of use of electric water pumps interrupted water service in many areas. There were even some reports of people being stranded mid-ride on amusement park roller coasters. At the New York Stock Exchange and bond market, though, trading was able to continue thanks to backup generators.

Dozens of news organizations condemn police raid on Kansas newspaper - CNN

Lawsuit alleges electric power lines blown over during high winds led to wildfire spread - CNN

Another criminal indictment would further divert an unparalleled election season from the campaign trail into multiple courtrooms - CNN

Russian rouble tumbles, Kremlin blames loose monetary policy - Reuters

Russia's Far East suffers flooding in Khanun's wake, over 2,500 people evacuated - Reuters

Taiwan will not back down to threats, Taiwan VP says on US trip - Reuters

China’s Worsening Economy Is Hurting Corporate America - The Wall Street Journal

Made a Nice Profit Selling Your House? Beware What Happens Next - The Wall Street Journal

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

Travel Day Again

Christmas Morning Travel
Elkridge, MD
December 25, 2022

 It is a travel day, again. 

Fortunately this morning we will not be on the highway to start the day, but rather end the day. 

We have a late morning flight followed by a five-hour drive should get us back to Ithaca. 

It is going to be a very tough week which will culminate in the 8th Annual Troy Whittemore Golf Tournament in Cortland, NY, before we begin our journey home.

We travel a lot, but it seems to be less and less on vacations. We do have an upcoming cruise--but this coming week stands squarely in front of the cruise. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Stool

Teak Shower Stool Refinished
Tequesta, FL
August 12, 2023

 Chris and I have a stool in our shower. 

It came with the house, but it has been a nice addition to the shower, not that we use it it as stool, but rather more as a gathering place for all of the shower-related items we use on a regular basis. 

The problem was that the finish on the chair was deteriorating. Badly. It was making the floor tile discolored.

Chris wanted to dispose of the chair, but after looking at the problem I determined that with a light sanding and the application of a new finish it could be salvaged. And, frankly, I didn't know where we were going to be able to store all of the stuff we use in the shower. So I had a project and over the past two days, I refinished the stool and it is happily reinstalled in our shower. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday - Riordin Update

Riordin Relaxing
Tequesta, FL
August 11, 2023

 And so the weekend is almost here. 

Wow. 

The week has passed so quickly.

Chris and I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon at the vet's office trying to get Riordin's asthma under control. We have been giving him daily albuterol treatments, but he didn't seem to be getting the asthma under control. The vet reassured us that the treatments are working and that his lungs are clear, but asthma is going to be the new way of life for Riordin. The vet gave him a steroid shot and a B-12 shot, which really seemed to have helped. 

We had noticed that Riordin was beginning, again, to become a solitary cat. He normally likes to be around. The shots seem to have helped, as he was more normal last evening. Fortunately, he continues to eat well. We have a lot of travel coming in the next weeks. We will be gone three of the next four weeks. I am hopeful that the people we have watching him will be able to keep the treatments going. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL