The Last Day

 The final day of 2023 has arrived. 

Despite predictions to the contrary, it appears we will actually make it to the arrival of 2024, which should be quite a tumultuous year. 

The new year is a Leap Year and that means it is one-day longer than 2023. 

Unlike the past two years, I will be ringing-in the new year in Maryland and not Florida. It has been just two years since I retired and I am still enjoying life without the necessity of setting an alarm clock.

This week, the flexibility of my retired life was recognized as Chris and I made the decision to extend our time in Maryland by a few days. In the world before retirement that would have been a difficult, if not impossible, ask. I would have been driven, literally, to get back to work.

Chris and the Boat
Sandbar in St Lucie River
August 2, 2023

I reviewed my image archives searching for the image which best characterizes the year, but it is tough with so many memories. I think this one, of Chris next to our boat, Sea Bean, anchored on a sandbar really captures the character of the year. We joined a boat club during the year and I have found great enjoyment learning to handle a boat and exploring the Intracoastal Waterway between Ft. Pierce and Lake Worth. I am looking forward to getting back onto the water when we return to Florida. And that is the beauty Florida life--year round outdoors summertime activity!

So on this final day of 2023, I remember those who have passed this year, and for whom I shed many tears, and the new friends we have made. I also remember the travel and fun that we have enjoyed, as well as the roughly 1967 miles I rode on my bike!

Here's a toast to the past and hope for the future.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Authentic Mexican - El Cabrito, Pasadena

El Cabrito Mexican Grill Dinner
Pasadena, MD
December 29, 2023

 Dinner last evening was at an authentic Mexican restaurant. Definitely not americanized and even the menu was in Spanish!

It has been a long time since I escaped the fusion of American and Mexican food--Tex-Mex or Southwestern--whatever it is called. 

We visited the El Cabrito Mexican Grill in Pasadena, MD, and enjoyed a filling and tasteful dinner. I samples a taco and a burrito. OMG--in the end I had one taco, half of the burrito and was full! But the flavors were perfectly balanced and enjoyable as were the variety of sauces they provided for dipping. 

We had a great time, maybe more-so because they do not serve alcohol!

There are not many places where 3 people can eat their fill of dinner for less than $40. And I brought half a burrito home for lunch today!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

A Visit with Louis

 

Louis
Laurel, MD
December 28, 2023

There is something almost magical about the week between Christmas and New Years. Many people take vacation to be with family and friends. And that is what we are doing. We are away from home, it is hard to call it a vacation since we both Chris and I are retired, but we are enjoying time with family and friends and, as it turns out, a former member of the family. 

Louis
Laurel, MD
December 28, 2023

Louis is a ragdoll cat that we got when he was a kitten. He spent many years with us and grew into a large cat who was part of the pack with Makayla, Riordin, and Finnegan--who was the late-comer. He is a soft spoken cat, but has one really great trait--he is not bothered by dogs. When family or friends would bring their dogs to visit Riordin would run away and hide, but Louis would just stay his ground and almost invite the dogs to bother him. It was interesting to watch the dogs sniff at Louis and he would stare at them with his blue eyes, taunting them. 

Through a series of events a couple years ago, we adopted out Louis to a friend as a companion. Last evening we visited that friend for dinner and were reunited with Louis, who in his usual cat-like manner totally ignored us even when we picked him up to say hello. We had always believed that Louis wanted to be an "only" cat and since his departure on the few times we have visited him we continue to be convinced that he is happier without another cat or dog to share life with.

Louis continues to enjoy life alone, but as always in the middle of what is happening. And yes, he always seems to have a scowl on his face.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Raw Day for Recovery

Northern Cardinal
Odenton, MD
December 28, 2023

 It rained.

It was cold.

I was not a good day to be outside. 

We have been enjoying a fun bird feeder. It is the Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder and comes equipped with a wifi camera and an AI program to identify the birds at the feeder. 

We have been enjoying the feeder and the visits from the birds--even on a rainy and raw day. Sadly, we cannot feed the birds in Florida due to the infestation of Palm Rats which are very destructive.

The Bird Buddy images and video can be shared and Chris and I have been added to this camera so we can enjoy the activity. 

The Bird Buddy provides images and videos of the visitors depending upon the length of their visit. Looking at the images and videos was something to do while also watching a few series on TV.

Today, hopefully, the weather will be better. 

Wait, did I mention that we went to trivia night at the local brewery and our team came in second? If only we had done better on the music round.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

The Day After

What did you do the day after Christmas?

Darn, I missed a holiday celebration. Of course, yesterday was Boxing Day--but we tend not to celebrate that here in the U.S.

It was also the 32nd anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union (USSR), but that is not a holiday and their ghost is currently at war in Ukraine. 

I had a pleasantly quiet day highlighted by watching the movie Oppenheimer, I saw it in the theaters but it is now available on streaming services. It was a lazy day recovering from the adrenalin-filled rush of the holiday. 

Sadly, then I had to hear of and read a diatribe from a disgraced former president which was included in a perverted seasonal greeting on his website, which read:

“Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith,” Trump wrote in the post. He has often called Smith “deranged” and has repeatedly accused the special counsel of working to further what he characterizes as President Biden’s “political agenda.” 

“Included also are World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and ‘sick’ as the THUGS we have inside our Country who, with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!” Trump continued. (The Hill)

I really do not need to read or hear this noise from a disgraced former president. He constantly touts how he is being persecuted, but no other former president (possibly no other person) has ever committed the widespread fraud and treasonous activities of this one man. I know he has freedom of speech, but I need freedom from him.

So I slipped back into the spirit of the season and blocked out the nonsense with friends and a bottle of wine.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

And it is a wrap

The Complete Family
Odenton, MD
December 25, 2023

 At the end of the Christmas day, during the Ravens' football game, I realized that I was exhausted. Looking back now, I can understand why. 

It was a Christmas of memories.

There were gifts and food and fun and family. 

The Roast
Odenton, MD
December 25, 2023

One highlight was that we gathered our complete family for the first time in a couple years to enjoy the holiday. 

The weather was mild and I managed to throw a football around for a while with Ethan and Jax. I am feeling the effects of that activity in my arm this morning. It has been a while since I threw a football or any ball for that matter. 

Did I mention the meat? The rib roast was cooked to perfection and was a fantastic centerpiece for the celebratory Christmas meal. 

And so Christmas is a wrap--well almost a wrap. Chris and I have a few gifts to exchange when we return home to Florida. I left most of hers under the tree there so we could enjoy Christmas one final time before returning all of the decorations to the containers and storing them for another year. 

Onto the New Year!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Christmas Eve Scenes 2023

 Merry Christmas!

Santa at Mosaic
Elkridge, MD
December 24, 2023

Well the day has arrived, breakfast is being cooked and I escaped for a few moments to record a greeting and show two scenes from yesterday's celebrations.

First, we caught Santa on the roof! Yup, there he was as we were exiting church services at Mosaic ringing a bell and sending wishes to all of the gathered masses. I was a bit surprised that we caught him in the act of delivering presents when he should have been across the world where it was already dark--but, he paid a special visit to us. 

Charcuterie Tray
Glen Burnie, MD
December 24, 2023

The second image of the day is the charcuterie tray that Julie made for our celebrations during the football games last night, which was lost by the Cowboys.

The tray was a thing of beauty and I almost did not eat to break it up by consuming the delectable meats and cheeses spread for our enjoyment. 

It was a great Christmas Eve and now the big day is underway. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Christmas Eve 2023

 And we are off. 

I am enjoying the calm before the storm as the day starts. Christmas Eve brunch will be upon me in a few short minutes as our family gathers to usher in the celebrations. I look forward to seeing them all and getting the day off to a great start. 

I wish all the best to you and yours during this season. 

Keep hold of the magic--it resides in our hearts. 

May the days ahead find you well and content. 

-- Bob Doan, Glen Burnie, MD

Cookie Baking Day 2023

Chris and Luke Cookie Baking Day
Odenton, MD
December 22, 2023

 One of the family Christmas traditions is to conduct a cookie baking day just before the main event. Cookies are a staple of Christmas and although we do not make the classic frosted sugar cookies anymore, the variety of cookies that come out of the kitchen in a relatively short period of time are truly mouthwatering. 

And of course, I have a strict limit on the number of cookies that I am allowed to consume. Well, that is if anyone is watching. 

Yesterday, in the kitchen there was a very special cool--our youngest grandson, Luke, joined in on the fun with Grandma and Aunt Ginger. I was able to steer clear of the kitchen and only enjoy the fruits of their labors. 

They had a lot of fun for a couple hours and I had some time to myself--to wrap gifts!

It is hard to believe that Christmas Eve is tomorrow and that is like the start of a great race. We have nearly every hour of the next two days closely planned and coordinated across numerous family units to get everything accomplished--and, of course, to enjoy the holiday.

Merry Christmas to all! 

I think all of the presents are purchased.

Publishing note: I do not expect to publish a Monday Musings on Christmas Day. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Bits, Pieces and Freedoms under Fire

 It was reported on multiple news outlets that Rudy Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy. Is anyone surprised? His liabilities are estimated at between $100 to $500 million on assets of between $1 to $10 million. (CBS News)

My how the mighty has fallen from the hero mayor on 9-11 to ruin. I guess that is what hanging out with a certain former president can do to someone's character and fortunes. 

For those of us who are watching the right wing of the Republican Party and their apparent love affair with Viktor Orban, check this out: 

The US state department has warned that a new law in Hungary “can be used to intimidate and punish” Hungarians who do not agree with the government, adding to concerns from Hungarian journalists and activists who have expressed worries the law is aimed at silencing critical voices.

Hungary’s parliament approved legislation last week that creates a sovereignty protection office with broad powers to investigate Hungarians active in public life. 

While Hungary’s government argues that law is needed to improve accountability and transparency, media outlets and civil society groups say it is designed to undermine independent voices in an environment where critics are already under pressure.

Last week, 10 independent Hungarian media outlets said the law was “capable of severely restricting the freedom of the press”. (The Guardian)

I guess freedom of speech is becoming a target? 

And finally this morning, 

I read an interesting piece yesterday: The Supreme Court Must Unanimously Strike Down Trump's Ballot Removal. Of course this refers to the Colorado ballot. I know that may seem counterintuitive to many, coming for me, but upon reading the piece in Slate, I have to agree with the headline of the article. It should be noted that I am not a constitutional scholar, but I highly recommend reading the article because the author makes a number of cogent points. Lawrence Lessing make a chilling point in closing the opinion piece:

No doubt, and again, electing Trump would be the worst political decision of the nation since the Civil War. But excluding him, wrongfully, by a close vote of the Supreme Court could well trigger the next Civil War. We must defeat him politically—not through clever lawyer interpretations of ambiguous constitutional texts.

Although he has never admitted defeat, it should be noted that he lost the popular vote in both of his presidential runs. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD