Two Paths to the World

 

Path off Beach Road
Jupiter Island, FL
February 24, 2024

Yesterday was a travel day. I am looking at a few travel days during the next two weeks as Chris and I visit family in Weston Lakes, near Houston, and then, after a brief stop back in Tequesta head off to Maryland. 

Leading to The Concourse
Houston Hobby Airport, TX
February 27, 2024

But it was yesterday as we were leaving Hobby Airport that I turned around and snapped an image of the main hallway leading to the concourse. It reminded me of a path that I had seen during our last bike ride along Beach Road.

And so I thought about the two paths. One leading to concourses which provide a means to access the sky to travel the world and the other leading to the beach and the ocean which also allows access to the world. So very different, yet similar.

I much prefer the beach path lined with grape mangroves on either side of it to the cold and lifeless windows of the airport. 

But as travel days go, it was a great day. The Southwest flight departed the gate on-time, arrived 20 minutes early and was able to pull right into a gate at our destination. That does not happen often. There is nothing worse than arriving early and waiting on the tarmac for a gate to open. Well, maybe pulling away from the gate and waiting an hour to take-off is worse because the flight really hasn't even gotten underway and the passengers are trapped inside the plane. 

-- Bob Doan, Weston Lakes, TX

#travel #houstonhobby #southwest #flying #beach

Competitive Dog Pooping

 It is amazing, but sometimes the simple things in life can become the funniest. Take for example a dog pooping. Now, Everybody Poops, there is a children's book about that. 

Finn Pooping
Tequesta, FL
February 26 ,2024

Finnegan has taken the act of pooping to a new level, one worthy of a competition complete with required moves and style points. When Finn prepares to poop, first he has to find just the right spot and then comes the act of pooping where he balances on his front paws with his back paws off the ground. Once he is done, there is the obligatory territory marking which often throws grass into my eyes as I stoop to pick up the poop. I have to admit, I have never seen a dog do that before. 

Finn is a true artist when it comes to pooping. 

I put together a short, about 1 minute, video of the process putting together three events just to illustrate the artistry of his complicated pooping process. 

In terms of a competition with points, I gave him a 10 for style and points for the required movements as follows:

Search - 8

Poop - 9

Mark site - 10

It is OK to laugh, I do. And yes, I also feel sorry for him.

Oh yes, and finally, size does not matter as Chris and I always pick-up his poop and dispose of it in an appropriate receptacle.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#yorkie #poop #smalldog

Monday Musings - February 26, 2024

 

1. This is the final Monday of February 2024. It is also the ninth Monday of the year leaving 44 Mondays!

2. Major League Baseball is back! Spring Training is in full swing and the Orioles played two games over the weekend. It was good to see them back on the field. While people will say that Spring Training records do not matter, they do. It is nice to see the team return to the field every bit as scrappy as they were last season in posting two wins. 

3. The past few days have been very enjoyable here in South Florida with temperatures in the 70s, mild winds, and beautiful clear blue skies. Wow. Last evening we sat in our driveway enjoying the bright, warm sun and some neighbors showed up and we had a great Happy hour together. We eventually moved to the patio to escape the heat of the sun. 

4. The reluctance of House Republicans to support Ukraine has global implications. Putin is trying to tear up the rules-based international order that has protected international boundaries since World War II, while Trump has threatened to destroy the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that holds back Russian aggression. In the Wall Street Journal on Friday, chief foreign affairs correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov noted that European countries are worried that the U.S. will not defend its allies, while Putin has made “a de facto military alliance with the rogue regimes of North Korea and Iran while growing closer and closer to authoritarian China.” (Letters from an American)

5. The First Amendment [of the Constitution of the United States] prohibits the establishment of a national religion, and that same prohibition applies to the states through the 14th Amendment. What’s heartbreaking in Alabama this week is its Supreme Court Justices’ decision to abandon the Constitution and laws they took an oath to serve, in favor of advancing a religious agenda. (Civil Discourse)

6. Today in History. February 26, 1993. At 12:18 p.m., a terrorist bomb explodes in a parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City, leaving a massive, multi-story crater and causing the collapse of several steel-reinforced concrete floors in the vicinity of the blast. 

Although the terrorist bomb failed to critically damage the main structure of the skyscrapers, six people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. The World Trade Center itself suffered more than $500 million in damage. After the attack, authorities evacuated 50,000 people from the buildings, hundreds of whom were suffering from smoke inhalation. The evacuation lasted the whole afternoon.

Zelensky: 'It's unbelievable' that Trump is on Putin's side - CNN

Trump’s plan to use Judge Cannon to block Judge Chutkan and avoid trial - CNN

There are five days until a partial government shutdown, and lawmakers have yet to reach a deal to avert it   - CNN

Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh resigns - Reuters

Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner swap, says ally - Reuters

Exclusive: Satellite images reveal floating barrier at mouth of disputed atoll in South China Sea - Reuters

How AI Is Transforming Air-Traffic-Control Towers - The Wall Street Journal

AT&T to Reimburse Customers Struck by Outage - The Wall Street Journal

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#mondaymusings #constitution #oriolesbaseball

Friday Night Happy Hour Week 2

Tiki 52 on a Friday Evening
Tequesta, FL
February 23, 2024

 Although we were unaccompanied, Chris and I celebrated Friday Night Happy Hour for the second straight week by heading out to one of our new favorite watering holes, Tiki 52 Bar & Grill, where we enjoyed the setting sun and life by the water. 

Tiki 52 is not far from our house and we could bike it easily--but biking along US 1 on a Friday evening can be, well in a word, dangerous!

Pelican at Tiki 52
Tequesta, FL
February 23, 2024

Friday evening the colors of the sky, water, and Tiki 52 combined to make a very busy palette. I found it appealing to the eye. Unlike the last time we visited, we did not get to see any large fish be off-loaded from a returning fishing boat, but as evening was drawing near many boats were returning and it was fun to watch them arrive at the nearby marina.

We arrived before the crowds and before the live music. That meant we had relative calm and were able to enjoy  good table service and the Happy Hour pricing. By the time we departed, the parking lot was jammed and people were waiting for tables. It was a beautiful evening, for a change. Relatively warm and the winds were light. 

February in South Florida is the best!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#happyhour #fridaynight #tiki52tequesta #tiki52

The Sofa Story, Continued and Maybe Concluded

The Sofa
Tequesta, FL
February 19,2024

This is a follow-up to the blog from a couple days ago And So It Begins . . .  

In that blog I wrote about our just over one-year sofa, two-months out of warranty upon which which the fabric was failing and my efforts to work with La-Z-Boy to provide some relief.

Amazingly, the saga of the poor wearing fabric on the La-Z-Boy sofa has been apparently resolved. 

Favorably! 

I will not consider the issue closed until the new sofa is received in 6-8 weeks and the old one hauled away, but our replacement sofa is on order and the only cost to me was $171 and that was because we upgraded the fabric over our original purchase.

We managed to get all of the discounts that we originally received--the President's Day Sale really helped with that one as did my Military Discount. And we also retained our free delivery! 

I had provided the adjuster with 23 images and it was agreed that the fabric was defective. The following day adjuster sent credit information to the store where we originally purchased the sofa and later that same day Chris and I picked out an upgraded fabric to have another sofa in the same style prepared as a replacement. 

It was a relatively smooth process, well, except that it was pretty clear that this does not happen often and there was a lot of checking to see how to actually get the order into the system. 

All-in-all, we are so far very satisfied with the process.

Wow! I really did not expect to be writing that. 

I guess it really is true--you cannot get a yes unless you ask the question!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#lazboy #lazboypoorwear #lazboycomesthrough

Worst Tourist Traps in America

 Moneywise has compiled the 30 worst tourist traps in America. 

Atop the Space Needle
Seattle, WA
August 26, 2023

I was appalled. I have managed to visit 15 of these places and some of them more than once. 

Wow!

Now I have to admit, I did not think the Space Needle was a tourist trap nor the Alamo or Times Square. It is really interesting the places that have made the list--like Mount Rushmore, a place that I have yet to visit. 

Sunset from the Empire State Building
New York City, NY
September 25, 2021

The list is presents an interesting collection of places. Yes, they may be tourist traps--but really, some of them are historically significant. I do think the Empire State Building is overpriced for the value--but, at sunset when I was last there it was pretty nice.

Now, I will admit places that I have had the misfortune to visit places on the list that are actual tourist traps or not worth the time, for example South of the Border. Yes, we stayed a night there--once, about 20 years ago. Also, Plymouth Rock is just that--a rock! And it is not even in the place where they came ashore. I admit, I was underwhelmed when I saw the rock. 

I recommend taking a look at the list. It is a classic-advertisement filled list and is cumbersome to navigate, but just for fun figuring out how many places on the list I actually visited was an interesting exercise. 

Enjoy!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#worsttouristtraps #touristtraps 

A Martyr?

 I heard a statement that really disturbed me yesterday on the news program that I was watching.

“I got indicted four times ... all because of the fact that I’m in politics,” Trump said. “They indicted me on things that are so ridiculous.”

“It is a form of Navalny,” Trump said. “It is a form of communism, of fascism.” (AP News)

Wow. 

So Trump thinks he is a martyr?

And he thinks the charges are ridiculous. Such are the insights into the mind of a dangerous authoritarian egomaniac. He got off light on the charges because in my mind he should be charged with treason, espionage, inciting an insurrection, and an accessory to murder.

And he continues to disparage the legal system of the U.S. and the rule of law for holding him accountable for his transgressions. 

His continued assertions that he is being prosecuted only because he is a political candidate, while it plays well with his base, are just not true. If he were not a political candidate he would be in jail pending trial on his classified document charges. Period. But because he is a candidate he is allowed to turn our legal justice system onto the theater of the macabre and a continual political rally. 

Why does Trump want immunity from his actions? Because he idolizes leaders like Putin who can have rivals eliminated without consequences.

Be afraid--be very afraid! Our country is founded upon the principle that no one is above the law! It has worked since the republic was founded. It is sad that somehow a man got elected as president who does not believe in these fundamental principles upon which this nation was founded as stated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Trump misleads hardworking people into believing that he is working for them, when in reality he is only working for himself. His Go Fund Me page is but another example of not taking responsibility for his own decisions and trying to get working Americans to pay for his transgressions. 

That so many are misled by what he says and do not look deeper into what he has done is truly disturbing. 

And now a martyr? 

Trump is not now and never will be a martyr for any cause other than himself.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#trumpdictator #trumpcriminal #trump #presidentalelection

And so it begins . . .

Our Sofa
Tequesta, FL
February 20, 2024

 Chris and I bought a sofa from La-Z-Boy which was delivered during December 2022. 

We are not happy with it. The fabric is not wearing up as it should. Mind you, there are only two of us, no kids and only a small 6 pound dog. 

Fabric Wear on Sofa

This is the second sofa we purchased from La-Z-Boy which has failed to meet wear expectations. The last one was about 20 years ago and we were totally dissed by the company when we tried to get some satisfaction. One of the representatives even went so far as to say, "you actually sat on the sofa?"

Well, they have not yet said that to us, but we found out that we are two months out of the fabric warranty. Yay! But, I persisted and a representative of the company is looking into what they can do for us. I sent them 23 images yesterday--including the two above. Some of the poor wear is visible on the footrest on the right of the top image. Most of the real problem is in the fabric wear. The sofa looks as if it is already 5 years old! That is not pilling, which is a normal part of fabric aging , I am told.

Very disappointing.

Well, we will see what La-Z-Boy will do for us.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#lazboy #lazboypoorwear

Sunny, Cold and Springtime

Springtime is arriving in South Florida. 

Mango Tree in Bloom behind the Palm
Turtle Creek, Tequesta, FL
February 14, 2024

No, I can't say that Spring is springing because the snow has melted or the daffodils are popping up in gardens throughout the area--that just isn't happening. I don't expect to see daffodils, except in pots until Chris and I return to Maryland in early March. 

But, what is happening is that the trees are leafing--yes, while the trees do not all lose their leaves, the live oaks do shed many of their leaves and there are other trees that actually go dormant for a time. The leafs are getting thicker! There is more shade on the ground. 

What really brought home the idea of a South Florida springtime was when I saw the mango trees in bloom during my bike rides last week. And mangos are everywhere, it seems. 

Mangos are fun and they are a nuisance. They are fun because they are good to eat and they are fairly ubiquitous. They are a nuisance because people do not pick them up off the sidewalks and roadways and they become a hazard to walkers and bikers. 

But, I have discovered how to actually identify the arrival of Spring here in South Florida. Now if the temperature would crawl back up into the high 70s it would be ideal. The 49 degrees I am looking at right now is just cold! Too cold for a bike ride even though the sky is blue and the sun is warm.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - February 19, 2024

 

Happy Presidents' Day! 

1. And we are past the halfway mark of February. This is the third Monday of February and the end is in sight. There are 45 Mondays remaining in 2024. 

2. Yesterday was a weird Sunday, trapped in the house by the rain with neither football nor baseball to watch. 

Wilson at Carlin Park
Jupiter, FL
February 12, 2024

3. I know where everyone ventured to yesterday because of the rain: The Gardens Mall! The place was more crowded than at Christmas, I know because Chris and I, like many others, went to the mall to get out of the house. We walked around and shopped, but amazingly went home with nothing new. 

4. We found what appeared to be Wilson from the movie Cast Away the other day. He/it was at Carlin Park. He/it was just sitting there on the beach. I wonder where the tides have taken him/it? I admit, he/it did not look to much worse for the wear. 

5. Pop quiz. Which country is the world's biggest oil producer providing 21 percent of the world's total oil production? 

Answer:Oh wait, that would be the U.S. and we as a producer exceed the next largest producer of oil by 9 percent. See the chart.

6. Today in History. On February 19, 1847, the first rescuers reach surviving members of the Donner Party, a group of California-bound emigrants stranded by snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

In the summer of 1846, in the midst of a Western-bound fever sweeping the United States, 89 people—including 31 members of the Donner and Reed families—set out in a wagon train from Springfield, Illinois. After arriving at Fort Bridger, Wyoming, the emigrants decided to avoid the usual route and try a new trail recently blazed by California promoter Lansford Hastings, the so-called “Hastings Cutoff.” After electing George Donner as their captain, the party departed Fort Bridger in mid-July. 

The Kremlin has never been richer, thanks to a US partner - CNN

 US conducts strikes against Houthi underwater vessel for the first time since Red Sea attacks began - CNN

China’s homegrown passenger jet makes international debut - CNN

Rafah attack: How Israel plans to hit Hamas and scale back war - Reuters

Russia takes full control of Avdiivka coke plant, defence ministry says - Reuters

Oil slips on demand jitters and profit-taking - Reuters

America’s Oil Power Might Be Near Its Peak - The Wall Street Journal

In Russia’s Far-Flung Cities, Navalny Inspired Average People to Challenge Putin - The Wall Street Journal

Neofascism in the United States takes the form of big money, big banks, big corporations, tied to xenophobic scapegoating of the vulnerable, like Mexicans and Muslims and women and black folk, and militaristic policies abroad, with strongman, charismatic, autocratic personality, and that's what Donald Trump is.

Cornel West

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#headlines #todayinhistory #mondaymusings