Veterans Day 2014

Service, sacrifice, patriotism!

Veterans Day grew out of a President Woodrow Wilson proclamation during 1919 for a commemoration of the end of the war to end all wars, as it was known, which ended on November 11, 1918. 

I get to enjoy a holiday today and, apparently, will also be blessed with great weather.

I continue to be frustrated that public schools in Maryland are not observing the holiday. I sat on the Howard County Calendar Committee developing the calendar for this year and I just could not get the country to allow students and teachers a day off to remember the service of our Veterans. I consider it one of the failures of the process of developing a school calendar.

On the other hand, I am continually pleased to note how many businesses celebrate and honor the service of veterans by offering a military discount. The list of businesses offering Veterans Discounts is large. Thanks! 

Hug a veteran and say thanks!

P.S.-- you are welcome!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 10, 2014

1. Veterans Day is upon us. Known as Remembrance Day in much of Europe to remember the carnage of World War I. Take a moment to pause and thank a Vet.

Tower of London Poppies

2. Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, and the poppy is the symbol of the day. This year a special remembrance was conducted in the moat around the Tower of London with thousands of ceramic poppies in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the start of World War I.

Chris, Patrick, and Tina at the after Ravens Game party

3. A special thanks go out to Patrick and Tina for taking Chris and me to the Ravens game yesterday--in the Club Level no less! We had a great time, the weather was awesome, and the Ravens won the game. It was a perfect day--a total surprise.

4. There is something nice about driving to work as the dawn breaks. Sadly, though, it gets dark so much sooner that I feel like is it 9PM when it is only 5:30PM.

5. Big shout out to the Homer, NY, High School Football Team which won its sectional game yesterday. On to the Regionals next week! Go Trojans!

6. It seems as if winter wants to take control of the weather over a month early with the monster storm heading East. Ugh! Snow. Who needs it?

7. Yes, I took today off in advance of the Veterans Day holiday to get some final outside work done around the house before the big freeze begins!

8. I have been enjoying the color saturation of the golden sun on the still clinging to the trees leaves in the cool autumn mornings.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Agony of Defeat becomes Real

I remember the words of the opening lines of ABC's Wide World of Sports talking about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The image of the ski jumper crashing on the slope after a failed launch still plays in my mind as the visuals associated with those words scroll through my mind.

I have felt the sting of defeat--losing a contest or event that I really wanted to win. I have watched my favorite sports teams accept defeat. Only one team can win, we are told. Or, both teams are truly winners--but only one can be the champion.

Usually, there are no tears--we have become resigned to not crying when we lose. We must be tough and accept the end result even though every fiber of our being wants to scream, it's not fair! We should have won! We are the better team!

GORC Playoff vs Andover
November 8, 2014
Arundel High School

That is why we play the games.

Yesterday, on a cold, but bright, November morning I witnessed the end of the season for a group of six and seven year old football players including my grandson Jax. They lost a playoff game by one small point (19-18) to a team they had previously beaten 25-0. Jax's team had lost games before--so they have felt the sting of loss. But this was the first time they felt the loss associated with a season ending defeat. 

With the filters off--because six and seven year olds don't have many filters, I was reminded how much losing a game that really needs to be won hurts. I was astonished to see tears in the eyes of most of the players as the finality of the game became real. And I realized, that there have been many times when I have lost a tough contest that I wish I could have cried--but couldn't. I thought the coach's speech after the game was perfect--he reminded them that this was only their first year of football and that they had come so far and learned so much. He encouraged them not to lose touch with each other and that next year--next year, will be different.

I'm sure the words meant much more to the parents who were tending to their crying football players than to the players themselves, but that is the gift of sports--we'll get them next time!

The agony of defeat stings hard, but it is temporary and motivating!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

First Frost Surprise

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. There was no forecast of frost for our area--but sure enough, last night the temperature dipped four degrees colder than it was supposed to and the frost arrived to terminate the autumn flowers we have been enjoying. 

It is still dark outside, and so I do not know the extent of the damage; but at least I brought in most of the plants we want to save through the winter.

The house is near the bottom of a low spot, and I have learned that cold goes downhill seeking the low places--that would be my house. The official temperature at 6AM, still 44 minutes before sunrise is 32.4 degrees. But my thermometer is recording 29.8 degrees, and falling. The temperature has gone down a whole degree since I woke up at 5AM and realized a freeze was in progress and rescued as many of the plants as I could.

The extent of the damage is unknown and likely it will be a day or so before we know how many will succumb to the cold.

Autumn has moved into the next phase--the final lock down before winter arrives. The cold winds of November are blowing. The darkness is settling and we are more and more confined to in door activities. The trees have mostly given up their leaves, and those remaining give the world a rusted hue when meeting the rays of the dawning sun. Green is giving way to brown and gray as the cold works its way into the region and winter's first big storm is lashing the Pacific Ocean making its way towards the coast and to cover the land with unseasonably cold temperatures. 

I am happy that I have so far enjoyed the season--but I do long for spring, already.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Feeding the Homeless Deemed Illegal

I read an article on RawStory about a 90 year old man and two ministers who were arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for feeding the homeless on a sidewalk.

Remember--Fort Lauderdale is where a significant amount of Spring Break partying and debauchery occurs annually.

The article, titled, 90-year-old Florida man faces 60 days in jail for feeding the homeless is an interesting read. Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott describes the incident as follows:

“As contemplated on Sunday, I was arrested for feeding the homeless and received a citation to appear in court,” Abbott explained on Facebook. “However, only 4 people were fed before an officer told me to, ‘Drop that plate immediately!’ As though it were a weapon I was holding, and to go with him to the police car. After a time I was allowed to get the food back on the van and we were able to find a small churches [sic] driveway, where we set up, and fed the people who followed us over.”

I am confused. How is a non-profit organization feeding homeless people that otherwise might have to resort to public assistance a problem for the city? As I read the article, the larger problem may be the number of homeless in Fort Lauderdale--but apparently, the city isn't solving the problem only exacerbating it through their "police state" actions. And it seems Ft Lauderdale has no problem with encouraging the annual partying and problems associated with Spring Break.

Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail when the courts get involved.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A New Butler in the House

I felt rich, for about a minute last evening as the new butler, Hermann, arrived to tend to our needs.

And then it was all downhill. Although it was a great buy from the after Halloween sales, the butler is just creepy! He has a mean sense of humor too--like saying something about dinner being served in the dungeon. Really? We don't have a dungeon, do we?

He says a bunch of other weird things and Makayla is terrified of him. 

Frankly, I get kind of creeped out by him too. Thank goodness he was on a 90 percent off sale and Chris brought him home for $5. 

It is almost too bad he will need to wait a whole year to terrify some unsuspecting trick or treater.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Shock Waves across the Country

I love it when "We the People" speak with a nearly unified voice. The election yesterday was one of those times.

I'm not saying that I am excited that a particular party was victorious, but I found that the message being sent to the political leaders in Washington, DC, was simply--"That dog don't hunt!"

Or put a different way--it is time for a course correction.

The leadership of our country has been dysfunctional and the people want a functioning government.

I note that in Maryland the voters elected only the 7th Republican governor in the history of the state. Democrats reportedly outnumber Republicans 2-1 in Maryland. I believe the results are clear, it is not about politics--it is about leadership.

I hope the winners take note of what the people want. No more gridlock in Washington or in the State Houses across the country. The people want functioning government, lower taxes, consistent policy and integrity.

I hope you voted! I did.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Tree Ate It! Really!!

Orange Golf Ball in a Tree

Yesterday, after I mowed the lawn primarily to remove the leaves that used to form the privacy canopy in the trees, I decided to hit a few practice golf balls.

My yard is not particularly large--but it is private. I use orange foam practice balls so that I do not risk breaking anything--like windows. 

I work mostly with my wedges and short irons trying to consistently hit the ball--which is a lot harder that I ever imagined it would be. 

All too often my shots leave the yard and fly into the wild and forested area next to the house. 

Yesterday, I  hit one and was tracked it into the wooded area as it flew off course, but I didn't see it come down. I knew about where it was headed, so I went over to look for it. The orange golf balls--which, while easy to see in green grass are a lot more problematic to find in the orange and red autumn leaves piling up around the yard. 

After searching for a few minutes, some of the people I play golf with say that I am a fanatic about finding lost balls, I was unable to find the missing ball. I replayed the shot in my head and remembered that I never saw the ball come down into the underbrush. 

Orange Golf Ball up Close

I decided that maybe, since it was a foam ball and not as heavy or dense as real golf ball, that the ball might be in a tree. The area is surrounded by juniper trees which are still green and have small needles for leaves. 

I looked up into the first tree and there it was--in the branches.

Wow! I was happy, I hate losing golf balls. It was funny to find the bright orange ball nestled in the branches of the tree. It was a lot like an Easter Egg Hunt.

I lose enough balls, it was nice to find a wayward one.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 3, 2014

1. November. Really? What happened to October?

2. When the tree canopy disappears and becomes debris on my lawn, I know that winter is not far off.

3. I played golf yesterday--the best way to describe it was, cold. Somehow, even though I improved my score by 5 strokes, I was too cold to feel excited. The leaves were obscuring many of my balls on the course.

4. I was sitting in my chair last evening about 5:30 PM. It was dark outside. I'm not sure I enjoyed the light in the morning more than the light in the evening.

5. Election day is almost here (tomorrow) let's show the politicians and pundits what "We the People" want. No, let's show them what we demand in leadership! Vote!

6. I have to give a shout-out to the Homer, NY, High School Football Team who will play for the Class B New York State Championship next Sunday--it will definitely be better than any NFL game. I think the kicker will have a big game! Go Joel!

7. So what happens after dark now?

Comet

8. Daylight Savings Time returns Sunday March 8, 2015. Let the countdown begin!

9. For my space geek friends out there--did you know that comets stink? I mean really stink? They smell bad! Check this article about comet smells. Can you smell anything in space, anyway?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wake-up Time in America

My concern over the future of our personal freedoms grows even more after reading an OpEd piece in the New York Times yesterday. 

The piece titled, Deceptions of the F.B.I. begins as follows:

If your Internet service goes down and you call a technician, can you be certain that the person who arrives at your door is actually there to restore service? What if he is a law enforcement agent in disguise who has disabled the service so he can enter your home to look around for evidence of a crime?

This is just one article in a series of revelations about how those sworn to defend us from the bad guys are themselves becoming bad guys. 

A New York Times article earlier in the week described about how the IRS confiscated $33,000 from a business owner without even the hint of due process. 

One business owner summed up the situation after trying to deal with the IRS as follows:

“I don’t think they’re really interested in anything,” Mr. Potashnik said of the prosecutors. “They just want the money.”

There are many articles citing police abuses confiscating cash and property from innocent Americans--again without any due process. In my article We Are Being Monitored--Everywhere, I wrote about the postal surveillance system and License Plate Recognition programs.

The problem? When innocent citizens are deprived of their financial assets or other personal assets the onus is on the them to defend themselves and that is expensive! If it costs $30,000 to recover $33,000--is it worth it? You bet it is! But often the legal costs can easily exceed the expected recovery. Even so, why should an innocent person have to pay anything to recover what is and was rightfully and legally theirs?

We are supposed to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure--that would be the 4th Amendment. Where does it stop? We are paying for all of this surveillance through our taxes!

Here we are on the brink of a  mid-term election and none of these issues have surfaced. We are mired in minor issues while our basic rights are being usurped by the very institutions chartered to defend them. 

Here's an idea--if agents of the government (e.g., IRS, FBI, police, Secret Service, DHS) confiscate money or property from innocent Americans--then that agency should pay all of the legal costs associated with the recovery. Something as simple as this will transfer the burden from the innocent to those who are making the accusations and rushing to judgment without cause. Currently, and I am fascinated by this, those confiscating the money and goods are protected from prosecution and paying restitution.

"We the People" need leaders who will correct these wrongs and defend our Constitutional rights! 

Soon, I hope.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Halloween Review

The main event has concluded, although I will be attending two more parties today. 

Halloween seemed very subdued in my area this year. All of the Trick or Treaters were off the streets by about 7PM. It was a bit sad. I am sure the numbers were down in the neighborhood where I spend my Halloween enjoying the costumes. 


The best costumes of the evening were really good. Makayla wore her Minnie Mouse costume through the neighborhood, but the best costume of the evening was an Orioles Bird costume.

Yea--Baseball isn't fully over! OK, it is, but it was good to see a replica of the Bird out gathering treats for next season.

Yes, it is November. Ugh. Daylight Savings Time evaporates overnight--I get an extra hour of sleep but lose evening activity time.

Well, at least Halloween was happy and there were more treats than tricks.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Happy Halloween

Dirt with Worms

The last day of October has arrived and with it the annual celebration of the harvest and goblins: Halloween.

We are having a gathering at work today and I'm bringing dirt--with worms.

Mmmm. Delectable!

I can already imagine crawling into it and wallowing around in it for a long time.

I'm not going to do the costume thing, but I do enjoy looking at the costumes that others wear. It is funny how people find costumes that reflect their personalities.

I wish I could take pictures of the costumes people wear at work--some are pretty funny, like the horse costume on guy wore last year.

We have two parties tomorrow--a kids party in the afternoon and an adult party at night. There will be another dirt with worms for the evening party.

It is time to party--responsibly!

Be safe. Watch for trick or treaters, and more importantly--stay sober! It's a jungle out there.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Baseball Season Ends

The  MLB season ended last night when the San Francisco Giants became the World Series Champions for the 3rd time in 5 years becoming the first team to win a game 7 on the road since 1979. Congrats to them. The road to the Championship that began in Spring Training during February has finally concluded. After 2,461 games, it all came down to last night and game number 2,462. I call it Game 7. Where one team is champion and the other 29 teams are unhappy.

Wow, there will be no baseball for the next four months. I will have to survive on hockey. Go Pens!

It is good to be finally through with the baseball season, I guess.

I am already preparing for next season. The dates for the Spring Training Trip have been selected--and it will include a golf outing this year.

I will probably really need a golf outing in March and golfing while getting my baseball fix--what could be better.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

We are being monitored--Everywhere

The disclosures last year about government monitoring of Americans, while sensational and much over blown, are nothing compared to what is really happening as state, and local governments as well as businesses increase monitoring of "metadata" and develop huge databases where no one truly has privacy.

I am reminded of one of my favorite sayings: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't after you." Joseph Heller wrote that line in Catch-22.

There is no way, it seems, to go off the net.

An article in the New York Times yesterday describes the increase in postal mail monitoring in the United States. The opening paragraph is below.

WASHINGTON — In a rare public accounting of its mass surveillance program, the United States Postal Service reported that it approved nearly 50,000 requests last year from law enforcement agencies and its own internal inspection unit to secretly monitor the mail of Americans for use in criminal and national security investigations.

Every time we use a credit card, make a phone call, send an email, or even drive on the highway; we are being monitored.

I have recently learned about a program that is especially frightening--License Plate Recognition, or LPR. An advertisement for a LPR system describes my concerns: 

The  Viper  ALPR  Camera  Solution is a standalone “All-in-one” plug-n-play DSP Based camera system, that automatically detects vehicle license plates for fixed installations up to speed of 30 mph. Using  advanced ALPR algorithms and simple web-based configuration  GUI, the Viper solution performs three functions in Real-Time (R/T): Analyzes the video input, captures vehicle license plates, and sends results to the hosted server over the network (local or cloud-based solution).

As if that isn't disconcerting enough, Maryland has a web page devoted to the Maryland LPR program. Every time we drive anywhere--we are being watched.

While I agree there is some utility in monitoring license plates and there is no expectation of privacy on the highways, where does it end? How long is this data retained? Who can access these databases?  Under what circumstances? 

Where does the monitoring stop? 

I guess I have questions. Why do governments and businesses need all of this data? 

And there is a lot more data being collected--monitoring citizens not suspected of a crime.

Someone needs to take these issues up and start ensuring our privacy is protected now and into the future.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Pair O' Kees

Ben with Chris on the Sofa

It was another one of those weekends when the number of dogs in the house doubles. 

Ben, Jeremy's dog came for a couple of days while they were out of town. Ben enjoys being at the house and treats it like his own. Even to the point of occupying sofas and chairs as the spirit moves him.

When Makayla and Ben are in the house, I call them my "pair o' kees," because they are both Keeshonden (or, for Americans, Keeshonds). 

Ben is truly comfortable at the house and becomes a member of the pack. And the pack includes both cats. The cats, Riordin and Louis, do not mind having Ben around. They don't run or hide like they do when some other dogs arrive--but everyone blends together.

One big, happy (sort of) family!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 27, 2014

1. Sitting around a fire last evening watching the night fall was an awe inspiring experience at the end of a full day. We have not done that much in the past--but we should have.

Burning Fire at Night

2. Burning embers on a cool autumn evening. 

3. I played golf again yesterday--my best round ever. It's not that great though, my computed handicap is still at the maximum of 36.

4. Football is winding down into the playoffs for high school and youth. I've been following the Homer, NY football team--go Trojans. On to the playoffs.

5. Smoke makes a fire linger long after it is gone.

6. People came to look at buying Kitty today--they test drove it for 40 minutes, but no sale--yet.

7. Read an article about possible links to cancer from the electromagnetic waves from my FitBit. Really?

8. Next week at this time we will be on standard time instead of daylight saving time. Translated--it will be darker sooner.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

I Had a Revelation

Thinning Tree Canopy

While enjoying the better than forecast October weather yesterday, I had a revelation.

If the weather was beautiful every day, I wouldn't appreciate the good days anymore because they would all be good days.

If there was not an autumn, I wouldn't appreciate the green leaves of the trees and the green grass of my lawn during the summer. As the season winds down and the tree canopy in my backyard gets thinner, I appreciate how thick it is during the summer. 

Autumn Flowers

I believe I could live in a tropical climate and never get bored--but I realized that living without leaves on trees for five months of the year makes me appreciate the leaves even while I am raking them from my yard.

The autumn flowers are also providing their last splash of color before the frost settles and robs my yard of their color.

I think I finally understand autumn. That doesn't mean I like it, but I appreciate how it makes me enjoy summer even more.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunset over Annapolis

Sitting at dinner last evening at a restaurant in Annapolis, the sunset became a topic of discussion.

It was stunning scene as the setting sun painted the clouds with fiery red hues during our dinner.

I captured the scene as best as I could through the dirty windows of the restaurant. 

It was a great way to close out the work week and begin the weekend. I thought of it as the exclamation point at the end of the week. It was an inspiring scene.

On to the weekend.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Gas Prices Dip

Elkridge, MD
October 23, 2014

I was amazed when I bought gas yesterday. Gas prices have fallen about $1 since summer. And they are still falling.

Road trip!

I really never thought I'd see sub $3 per gallon prices again.

Yay!

But, the analysts indicate that the lower prices may not be a long term good thing. 

According to a Washington Post article, low gas prices may signal that the world economy is much weaker than originally thought.

Secondly, lower gasoline prices may also damage the developing U.S. shale oil industry, which amazingly, may be responsible for employing over 2 million people. They call it tight oil and shale gas.

Wow!

For now, I'm looking forward to some extra spending money for the holiday season. My concern about the larger worldwide economic problems is definitely secondary to my personal checkbook. I wonder if gas prices will get into the low $2 range for Christmas? And that would be good for people who use fuel oil to heat their homes, too.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sportsmanship begins Young

Following on to yesterday's blog about the Royals and their lack of championship character, I was reminded of what I observed during last weekend's football game between the GORC Wildcats, the team that grandson Jax plays for, and the Chesapeake Cougars. 

Jax has been developing into a tough-nosed player during the season. The past two weeks he has not even come off the field--playing offense, defense, and special teams. He loves to recover fumbles and loves to run the football.


Last Saturday he scored his first point by running the ball across the end line for only the second point after touchdown for the team this season.

The week before, he picked up a fumble and rambled thirty or so yards before being dragged down from behind.

But you know what made me proudest? Last week after he leveled a kid trying to block him as he rushed on defense to tackle the quarterback, after the play, he stopped to help the kid back to his feet in a friendly sort of way.

Sportsmanship.

The game is not personal!

Pro teams need to take a lesson from six-years olds like Jax! (and so do many fans)

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

World Series 2014 Thoughts

Jeremy Guthrie's Offensive Tee Shirt

I was ecstatic that the Giants defeated the Royals 7-1 in the first game of the World Series last night. Just to be clear--I hope the San Francisco Giants sweep the World Series from the bad-boy Kansas City Royals.

No, it is not because the Royals beat the Orioles--I usually hope the team that beats mine wins it all so at least I can be comforted by realizing that my team was dispatched by the eventual champions.

Not so this year. 

The Royals do not possess the character of a true champion. They are thugs, similar to many NFL or NBA teams and do not deserve to represent either MLB or the US as our World Series Champions.

Champions have compassion and understand that winners are only a few outs or hits away from being losers.

Jeremy Guthrie and the rest of the Royals were not gracious in victory. They forgot that in sports only one team goes home happy at the end of the season. Rubbing the losers noses into the loss--especially a hard fought series which featured some of the worst umpiring I have ever seen in playoff baseball, is just not how it is done.

The Kansas City Royals have replaced the team from up north that shall remain nameless as my least favorite team in baseball because of their lack of character and respect.

The Royals are not royal, they are pretenders for the crown and the Giants will hopefully humble them into submission and be gracious about it.

Just saying.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Election Time is Upon Us

The ads for the candidates are mounting on the television.

My boredom with the candidates increases because they apparently are afraid to tackle real issues.

In my area of Maryland, I know that one candidate wants to be governor because  I shouldn't trust the other candidate. And I know the other candidate will make a good governor because his daughter says so!

Really?

The race for the congressional seat is a yawner. I have never heard of the candidate opposing the incumbent.  When I reviewed the ballot this year for my polling place, three elections have only one name, meaning they are running unopposed.

Issues? What are the issues?

There are a bundle of them and apparently the candidates at all levels are hoping the electorate doesn't have any issues.

I have a few: continually increasing taxes AND fees! An increased fee is a hidden tax! And then there is the issue of what is the state doing with the windfall revenue from the casinos? Much of it was supposed to go to schools and horse racing (believe it or not) but the schools remain funded by ever increasing taxes it appears. The state is doing a slight of hand by using the revenue from the casinos to fund school but reducing the amount of funding from the general fund--net difference ZERO!

What happened when the electorate becomes disillusioned? 

I believe two bad things happen:

First, people do not vote.

Second, those who do vote elect single issue candidates who do not represent the best interests of the people.

My advice--get out and vote two weeks from today. If you are happy with the way things are, return the incumbents. If you are unhappy--then find a candidate with a more global view of the issues and get them into office so that we can begin to repair the broken political system of this country.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 20, 2014

1. October is flying by. Too soon it will be November and time to let the clocks fall back and the dark days will be fully underway. 

2. Autumn is moving into the stage where the beauty shows up just before the leaves fall off. And the cold is coming.

3. When little boys play football on a full sized field, they look really small. Jax and the GORC Wildcats secured a shutout 25-0 on Saturday. Jax scored his first points of the season carrying the ball across the end line for the point after touchdown.

4. The NFL seemed like a bit of a let down Sunday after the excitement of post-season baseball.

5. After a busy day, even the dog needs a nap.

6. Birthdays are a great reason for families to get together.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Comfort Food Dinner

Sometimes the need for some comfort food for dinner is overwhelming. The other evening, Chipotle was at the top of the list. Inexpensive, fast, piled high, Mexican food. We stood in like for about 10 minutes to get served.

When I was a kid, I remember it was a trip to the newly opened McDonalds in our town that served as a dinner treat. We had to eat in the car because there was no inside seating. I also remember going to the Ponderosa Restaurant when that opened. These are definitely not upscale dining choices, but they specialize in comfort food.

After a long week, sometimes a quick trip for comfort food is just the ticket, as long as it in not an every week affair.

I was not amused when I stepped on the scale at the gym the following morning--comfort food is heavy! In my case, I played an extra game of racquetball the next day as penance for my Chipotle indiscretion. 

But it was tasty!

Bon Appetite!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Golden Autumn October

Morning Dawning over the Pool House
October 18, 2014

The morning dawned cool and sunny. The sky was clear and I noticed how quickly the autumn is progressing as it leaves summer in the now somewhat distant past. The leaves are changing color and falling from the trees. The once full canopy which surrounded my house is thinning with the approaching onset of winter.

The golden hues from the dawning sun created a beautiful setting. I enjoy the dawn and the promise that each new day holds. 

We have a lot planned for this weekend and I'm glad that it is going to be nice--weather-wise.

Thinning Canopy as Autumn Progresses

Yesterday was special because I was able to take the convertible out for a ride with the top down. I realized that it may be the last top-down, hair-on-fire ride of the year. The temperatures are getting cooler--the forecast highs for mid-next week are all in the 50's, brrrrr. 

Looking at the image of the day as it  dawned over the pool house and I noticed that the door is open--again! I'm not sure why or how, but it seems that the door to the pool house is almost always open. Not a good way to keep the vermin out with the onset of the dark days.

Enjoy the weekend!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Birthday Celebration Surprise

Chris with Jax and Ethan

Wednesday evening we celebrated another in out family string of  birthdays. It was Chris's birthday and I have to admit, she was a real good sport about letting the assembled birthday flash mob finish watching the Orioles season ending game before beginning the celebration of her time on the planet. The celebration was a bit subdued as the Orioles season ended and they officially entered the post-season.

But the party went on once the game was over. The lights went out, the candles were lit and the family rendition of Happy Birthday was sung again with the new Cha Cha Cha refrain. And gifts were exchanged.

It was a party--a surprise party! 

The sting of the loss was eased as we focused on life, living, relationships, and love.

The family was awesome assembling on short order.

The evening was rainy and the mood as bright as possible. It was nearly perfect.

Happy Birthday.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

No Joy in Baltimore

With a thud and a throw across the infield, the Orioles 2014 baseball season ended last evening in the fourth game of the American League Championship Series.

The Orioles lost 2-1.

They lost the series in four straight games and my hopes to attend a World Series game in Orioles Park at Camden Yards will be unfulfilled for another year.

It was raining in our area all day, almost as if the storms were shedding tears for the unexpected end of the Orioles improbable season.

The season did not end the way I would like to have seen it end, but it is over. I am already looking forward to spring training.

The team from the mid-west earned their berth in the World Series by winning the championship series from the Orioles. I will not be cheering for the mid-west team--not because I have a bad attitude, but because I like the teams from the other league more.

Our guys played hard--and came up just a few runs short.

It is sports: there are winners and losers, I know this because I play racquetball. Someone wins and unfortunately, the other player loses. It is a fact of life.

In the meantime, I celebrate the accomplishments of the team from Baltimore. 

There are special. I hope they can come back almost intact for the run to the post-season next year

Go O's! 

Thanks!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Why so Scary?

I need a mental diversion from the MLB playoffs. I think I am getting a bit wrapped up in the excitement that is this Orioles post-season. I have been dreaming of attending my first World Series game.

I remember being at Spring Training during March, enjoying the sun and heat of Sarasota while watching this Orioles team come together. They are, after all, one of the last four teams standing. Even though they lost again last evening, I am comforted by knowing that when I was in Sarasota the baseball pundits were picking the Orioles to finish last in the division which they won.

But this is October, the month of Halloween!

Scary costumes, parties, and trick or treating. 

I admit, I do not fully understand the fascination with blood and destruction. Like the image I snapped the other day of a display in a store.

It made me shiver--what if I really ran into one of these guys on a dark street?

I'm not sure I could run fast enough to get far enough away.

Do I really want my nightmares coming to life?

I'll stay with the Orioles--at least they are not going to be scaring anyone on Halloween. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Jack-o'-Lantern Carving

It's the season for the harvest and pumpkins. Sunday, we gathered the grandsons, selected a few pumpkins and hosted a carving party.

First, however, was the trip to the Pumpkin Patch to select the perfect pumpkin for carving and to become the jack-o'-lantern of their dreams. That was an experience in an of itself, but it was early enough in the day and the season that the patch was not too crowded and the trip was a great success. 


Next came the carving. Think about it, sharp objects and three boys under the age of 10.

And of course there were the stars of the day, the pumpkins. Prices are up. One pumpkin weighed in at a weight equivalent to $30. It was summarily rejected. It is a pumpkin, not a Christmas tree!

But Ethan, Jackson, and Lucas picked out pumpkins. Big pumpkins. And then, once we returned to the house the carving began. It was organized chaos.

It was not easy wading through the pumpkin entrails to get to the part where they become jack-o-lanterns. But the boys, and parents and grandparents, were up to the challenge. 

After some tense moments, the jack-o'-lanterns began to emerge. The efforts and the design process began to payoff and the final results were in sight. 

We had to opportunity to view Jax and Ethan's jack-o'-lanterns lighted and scary in the night. They are a study in contrasts--traditional and modern. But they are both awesome.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 13, 2014

1. Happy Columbus Day observed. In 14 hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. We have reduced the celebration of this observance in recognition of the subjugation and genocide directed at the native people inhabiting the hemisphere as a result of being "discovered" by Columbus.

2. The ALCS resumes this evening. Not for the faint of heart. Go O's

3. The grandson's got together in the garage yesterday to put together some Orioles cheers. I wonder where they learned all of those cheers?

4. I am still amazed at how therapeutic it is to get out early in the morning to play a round of golf. I did it again yesterday. At least once every week since August. Not a new low score, but better shots in all parts of my game--well except for 5 putting the par 4 9th hole. I went from putting for par to ugly in a few short strokes. Ugh!

5. Autumn is gracing the trees in our neighborhood finally. The color is beginning to show and the trees are donning their autumnal colors in anticipation of the finally beauty show before the onset of the dark days.

6. I am not a huge fan of the Washington Post, but they are running a series of articles highlighting how local police departments are using asset seizures to fund their operations. The series Asset Seizures Fuel Police Spending highlights how things that I didn't believe could happen in the United States are happening and are apparently "legal." Here is the part that really got me: Of the nearly $2.5 billion in spending reported in the forms, 81 percent came from cash and property seizures in which no indictment was filed, according to an analysis by The Post. Owners must prove that their money or property was acquired legally in order to get it back.

7. Let's Go O's.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD