Monday, August 31, 2009

Wedding Party

Trying to cram three days of work into the whole week because on Thurs, we are heading to North Conway for the McBurney wedding and won't be back until the following Tues.  It will be a nice getaway... the only one we've had this summer.
~
Mike is in the wedding party and a lot of super peeps will be there.   We'll take pictures and make a full report. 
 ~
I'd like to get a haircut in before but am not sure how I can pull this off with the schedule the next few days.   Toying with the idea of getting a buzz.   How bad can it be?  It will all grow back if it doesn't look good.  If it grows half as fast as nostril and ear hair, then it will be back in a week or so.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Paper or Plastic

Politics in Massachusetts will be interesting again with the rush to fill Ted's seat.  Whoever gets it will have the Senior Senator John Kerry as a mentor.   So they will have to have a strong stomach.
~
No, I'm not going to run.... Too much baggage.... way too much.   We're not talking paper or plastic here.... these bags are extra mil contractor quality.
~
But you are right to suggest that I'd make a hell of a Senator.  What with my ability to compromise and get along with people of all persuasions, as well as my rapier like tendency to understand the complexity of any issue.   
~
The only problem would be picking my administrative staff.  All of you Peeps would be clamoring for the jobs and it would be a real Donnybrook.  And I'd hate to see you all clawing and scratching  all over each other.
~
My agenda would be the standard Neo-Conservative Taoist Pagan party line.  Nothing out of the mainstream.

Pisc said...
I've already worked for you once. I am still recovering! Keep the pressure on, do not relent in stating your case and position, in line with right thinking or not. Rage against the machine!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Thinking of You

We're driving back from the Kittery, Maine Outlets, and Joanne asked me the always controversial question.... "What are you thinking about?"
~
In my younger, less experienced days, I might have been sucked into telling the truth... something like " I was thinking of how good a couple of grilled snap dogs with a Sam Adams might taste about now." ......Or....... "I was thinking about getting whether the Bluefish might be blitzing outside of the Harbor this weekend."
~
But now I am older and wiser.
~
Now, my stock answer to this murky question that is often riddled with bobbytraps, is how I responded this afternoon.
~
As in.... "I was just thinking about the richness of our relationship together, and how each passing moment sees my love grow deeper and stronger." Sometimes, I'll hit her with something like... "I was just thinking of you, you, and nothing but my love and appreciation of you."
~
Usually this little exchange results in a retort of "Bullshit" from her, but allows me to think in peace for awhile longer. And that is pretty much how it worked out today.

Rain Day Adjustment

It's a rainy Saturday morning.
~
I had hoped to get Kate's Adirondack Chair in full swing but Joanne wants to go to the shopping outlets at Kittery, Maine to buy some school clothes.
~
So I guess I'm going to Kittery.
~
Even though it has been established that I am the quintessential Mountain of a Man, I still tend to wimp under now and then.
~
That's OK.... as long as it doesn't happen too often.
~
Ryan is working on building some custom fishing rods for his kids before he goes away, and Kate and Mike are on the way to Beverly Ave. to hang with Ethan and Will. We'll chill until they show, then head up to Maine for a couple of hours.
~
Maybe the rain will let up by the time we return.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Spooling

Tomorrow, it is out by 6:45AM, over to the tool rental store in Salem to pick up a trailer, then out to Brimfield, MA to pick up a spool of coax cable, left at the job.
~
From there, I have to be in Burlington at our storage facility to pick up the 7' in diameter, spool of of 1 5/8" coax that is super heavy. This will be transported to the Tewksbury Water Tank job, then I'm hoping to be back in Peabody at the Nanepashemet warehouse to drop off the material by 1:00 in the afternoon.
~
Then I'll deadhead back to Salem, drop off the trailer, get back to Marblehead, check email and the mail, and maybe the weekend can start.
~
My brother, Jim, is up from Florida with a Blues Band that he is managing with gigs in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. So maybe I'll get the chance to see him.

POTW Week 34


Last week I missed the Peep of the Week selection.
~
Didn't even think of it.
~
It shouldn't be such a big deal. So why is everyone so freaking irate!
~
If you're expecting me to come up with some momentous reason for neglecting this thing, I suppose that I could.
~
If you think that I might come out with some diatribe about the evil effects of lies and lying and how it will eventually destroy any vestiges of character that you can salvage, I suppose that I could.
~
But I won't because I am conducting a slightly more expensive approach.

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 34th Week of 2009.

Sarah McCormack
Brian Butler
Phoebe Crawford
Tom Raiche
Charlotte Murphy
Carol Kenner

I'm pretty sure that I won't forget the selection next week, because I don't want to put up with all the whining and lamentation.

"This above all. To thine own self be True" - Shakespeare





Peep of the Year, Lauren Rathbone said....
My guess is Brian Butler was the one to complain that you missed a week.!!

There were many, Lauren, but I'm not inclined to make any specific disclosures.



Voting for Ted Kennedy

The Kennedy tributes continue to flow. You get the feeling that the liberal media has to continue to lay it on thick so that the underbelly never shows.
~
But there is a undeniable resentment to Kennedy that the media is pushing past.
~
I remember years ago, when I was skiing at Attitash in New Hampshire and going up the ski lift with a talkative New York guy. We introduced ourselves after getting on the lift and I told him that I was from Massachusetts. The guy immediately went on a diatribe regarding Ted.... Chappaquidick.... yada, yada, yada.... then asked how we in Massachusetts voted for him over and over again.
~
A lot of what he said was pure logic. But I told him that I had voted for Kennedy on any occasion that I saw him on the ballot.... even though I substantially agreed with the points that this New York skier made.
~
Though I had never examined the reason before, I told him that I voted for Ted Kennedy, not because of him, but because of the promise that the Kennedy's brought. For his brothers John and Bobby, for my Irish Catholic parents who sat at the kitchen table crying as I came home from school in the sixth grade during November and found out that President John Kennedy had been shot that day. For the incredible speech that Ted Kennedy made at St. Patrick's Cathedral at the occasion of Bobby's funeral. These are the reasons I voted for Ted Kennedy.
~
Like a liberal, I voted for Ted because of emotions and feelings of what could have been.... not because of the facts.
~
But despite the dark mistakes, the tragedy that beset this man and his ability to remold, and rebuild, and help people on an individual level has made his life a tough loss.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Dead Ted



Ted Kennedy has passed on.
~
This I know because of the relentless swooning from the media.
~
I'll admit that I'm having a hard time reconciling all of the lamentations and praise with the Chappaquidick incident haunting the back of my mind. If anyone took the time to analize the facts behind this, it is clear that a young girl lost her life while in the company of Kennedy, who took great steps to cover up the accident. Disingenuous, dishonest steps. The kinds of things that you and I would do time for.
~
He got kicked out of Harvard for cheating as well. Tremendous lapses of character that the average Dick would probably never recover from.
~
So the issue is ..... do people who stray, who make bad mistakes, deserve a second chance? I generally think they do. Most wounds heal. But the Kopechne girl can never be brought back to life. And Kennedy left her to drown, when a quick response could have saved her life. Despite the sappy Biden comments, he didn't always think of others first.
~
That said, he was a hell of a legislator. By all accounts, he was a Senator who knew the lay of the land and could get things done. And his constituent service is becoming legendary.
~
I feel bad that Ted is dead. He certainly had a good side to him that probably eclipses his shortcomings and mistakes. But the the effort to canonize him has a phoney edge to it that is a bit unsettling.
~
He was a practicing Catholic, and if his beliefs are true, he's now in front of a much greater judge than you or I.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Essex Seafood

Yesterday, after a nice suggestion by Tommy O'Shea to go out for some fried clams, we headed up to Essex Seafood for the best fried clams in New England.
~
That's not my assertion... it's a claim made by Brooke Dojny, author of the New England Clam Shack Cookbook, and I really agree with it.
~
Quantity and Quality. Huge plates of clams, fries, and rings, but not the least bit greasy. All presented in an informal, help yourself setting. Don't dress up, just go out and fulfull your craving.
~
All the tourists in Essex go to Woodman's where the fried clam was invented, but you won't find many tourists at Essex Seafood.... just die-hard, local, happy seafood consumers.
~
Doug Maxfield, renowned Essex fisherman and the guy who sold me the WhaleEye, first turned me on to this place, when we were up buying his boat seven or eight years ago. I suggested lunch at Woodman's, but he turned us to where all the locals go.
~
Doug is an excellent Peep for many reasons, and this is just one of them.
~
You won't be distracted by oceanscapes or anything.... the setting is picnic tables and a gravel parking lot off of Route 133 past the Gloucester line in Essex, MA. The focus is on the food.
~
But the ride up to the Cape Ann location is very scenic and not that long.
~
It was a nice fix for a strong clam crave, but it will wear off soon and we will be back.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Vacation

President Obama is down at Martha's Vineyard taking a well deserved vacation.
~
I hope he has good weather. I had originally picked this week to take off, but the events of the summer has shifted this off. Maybe some half days and some extra fishing this week, but other than that, I have to keep my hand in the game.
~
Vacations are a pain anyway. When I take one, I truly "vacate" and lose touch with the pulse of whatever I have on the table. Then when I come back, the re-entry is very stressful. Little issues that normally are handled easily pose a lot more effort than usual. So I prefer not to completely vacate.
~
I'm sure that the President doesn't have that luxury either.
~
I do plan to escape to Paris or Rome in the not too distant future though for a week or so. I've never been to Europe, but the Peeps there deserve a personal appearance.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

30 Years Out

You love your kids... and you want to give them everything.
~
And Lord knows... they want to take it.
~
You have a bottle of red wine??? They take it.
They need some tennis balls???? They take yours, and you never see them again.
You have a case of beer in the down stairs refridgerator??? Oh Man, is that gone or what!
They notice a golf club in your bag that they like???? You'll notice it's gone when you reach for it on the second hole.
~
I can go on, but it really boils down to one central tenet.
~
"What's mine is mine... and what's your's is mine."
~
And when you finally get pissed off and tell them what you think, they tell you that you are a maniac with anger issues.
~
My only hope is that when I am 85 and need somebody to change my Depends, I can count on them. I'll let you know how that works out in a blog post some thirty odd years from now..,,

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Hurricane Bill


Have you seen the size of this storm? It is freaking huge. I sure hope it makes that right turn as projected.

Willow Removal





The huge Willow trees in the yard adjacent to our backyard were removed yesterday by a crane operation that was set up in my driveway and hoisted all sections over our house.

~

An impressive operation by the crew at Cicoria Tree Service from Danvers.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Throttle UP

I haven't been a full throttle at Nanepashemet Telecom for the last week or so. Since I haven't taken a vacation and no longer plan to, I've scaled the intensity back a bit. But today will be different with a full agenda ahead.
~
Plus it is Day 17 of the streak.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Buff Update

No news today. No scandals, no issues.
~
I don't suppose that anyone cares that I completed my 16th consecutive day of getting a workout in. That's 16 days in a row, getting a burn in before taking a shower. Today it was only 6.7 mi on the Cybex over 20 minutes, but I still got my heartrate up to 148 and had a good sweat going.
~
Plus I didn't eat a high calorie take out lunch.
~
So you would think that I was starting to lose a little weight. So far, no discernable difference in the way my clothes feel. But I am feeling far more flexible, and picking up tools from the garage floor is not nearly as painful.
~
So that's something good. I'll take that benefit as worth the effort. Not going to get serious about weight loss until Day 100 has arrived. Then I'll assess the situation, and see if this regimen will buff me up or if I have to intensify in one way or another.
~
By that time, the habit should be in full swing and maybe we will only be tweaking here and there. I would like to get to running outside, but the pounding on my knees in my current fat boy state always ends up with a painful injury which will sideline the consistency of workouts. We'll keep it slow and steady for the time being.

Clearing the Decks


Workbench Project is almost done. The end vises went on easily, but the shoulder vise is not right. Once I Fix this, and drill the dog holes, we will be ready for a spray finish.
~
Will delay the finish until Kate's Adirondack Chairs are complete, so that I can spray all at the same time.
~
After that, the decks will be clear to get back on the Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Doggy


Sure, Jack Dog.
~
Now you're all cute and cuddily.
~
But what about last night when I had to wait for you in the backyard while you hid in the fallen willow branches for about 15 minutes????
~
Naturally Katelyn wasn't around and I've got better things to do at 1:30 in the morning then wait for you to take your sweet time doing your doggy pee pee.
~
Not so cute then were you?

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Rowing Circuit

Another day of rowing from Riverhead Beach, out and around Brown' s Island and back. About 4 miles.
~
It's a pain dodging yachts in Marblehead Harbor and when you finally get out of it the wake waves are a bit harrowing. Not that they scare me or anything.
~
Heading over to Brown's Island, I was hoping to tie up with "My Friend Who Doesn't Want His Name Mentioned in the Blog" but the Damp Yankee was nowhere to be found. Man.... was I thirsty for a beer at that time, but no takers.
~
So I rowed back. sustained by a couple of Mike's Hard Limes.
~
~

Blackburn Challenge

As I enter day 13 of Operation Buff, I've allowed myself to fantasize about entering the Blackburn Challenge open ocean 20 mi. rowing race around Cape Ann in Gloucester next July.
~
Emphasis on the word "fantasize".
~
Don't think I'd want to do it in the Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender. And the Marblehead Gunning Dory is far from complete. I would have to finish the Dory, install two Piandetosi Sliding Seats, and find another victim who would like to make the 4 hour row with me.
~
The first two conditions are doable with the right commitment. Finding a rowing partner is another.
~
If you are comfortable with torture, and would like to volunteer, send me an email at
jnestor@nanepashemet.com
..... and I will consider your proposal.
~
Course you would have to be in shape for the challenge.... and so would I.
~
Plus, in addition to the physical torture, you would have to have the mental edge to endure my constant whining and kvetching for multiple hours. I would have to insist that no instruments with sharp edges be taken on this row. So if you threw me overboard, I wouldn't be attracting sharks from open wound bleeding.
~
From my experience in rowing 4 miles around Marblehead Harbor every once in awhile, 20 miles is a freaking hike. But I'm game if you are.

Friday, August 14, 2009

No Plan Weekend

This weekend is shaping up as the best weather of the summer in the Boston area.
~
So I don't want to get myself wrapped up in a single project. That's right... Katelyn's Adirondack Chair will be on hold. And I won't be doing any obligatory household chores.
~
I'm thinking a little fishing, and a lot of tie-ups at Brown's Island. Maybe I'll clean out the boat grill and fire up some snappers, wings and burgers. Plus beers. Lots of them.

No Shit

After they kick the shit out of you....
~
And then they kick you some more....
~
You just don't give a shit.
~
How could you?
~
There's just no more shit to give.

POTW Week 32

I wisely gave up an offer to go tuna fishing at 3:30AM this morning.
~
Just too many loose ends at Nanepashemet Telecom to clean up before the week closes.
~
Even though we'd be back by noon, that trek to Stellwagen and back is an exhausting haul, and there is no way I could get to the details today, which would send them to next week, and I don't want to be looking at the same stuff on Monday.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 32nd Week of 2009

Chip Clancy
Michael Vick
Paul Lynch
Melissa Sherwood
Betty Quinn
Bill Howard

Next week, I'll get a tuna trip in.
~
And BTW, if you think you won, it is not over. Not even a little bit. I will etch the final score on your gravestone. That's when it will be over.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Streak Continues

I'm going to say that I completed Day 11 of consecutive workouts on a technicality.
~
At 5:30PM I was on the Cybex, with all intentions of getting a half hour burn in. But after 5 min. the doorbell rang and Joanne was in the shower, getting ready for the "My Brother's Table" fundraiser that we were scheduled to attend at the Nahant Country Club.
~
I let it ring a couple of times, hoping that it was just the FEDEX guy wanting to get a signature on something. But then I heard someone in the hall, so I had to abort the Cybex and get upstairs.
~
It was Craig LoConte, in from New York and dropping by to say hello. No way would I tell Craig that I had to continue my workout, and I was happy to see him, so the workout was over.
~
Only had time for a quick shower to get to Nahant, but when I got there, Harvey Rowe convinced me that the streak was not broken..... that the 5 min. on the Cvbex and my good intentions were enough to keep the streak going.
~
I agree with Harvey. Screw it.... Tomorrow is Day 12.

Heigl Hex

Most of you know that I am a big fan of Kat Giantis, the fashion critic. Look at what she has written about the evil Katherine Heigl!

UNDRESSED FOR AUGUST 12 by KAT GIANTIS

Green Heaves: Katherine Heigl's reputation for kvetching makes her seem older than her 30 years. A lot older. Think somewhere between bitter, two-time divorcee and grumpy old man. And she's not doing herself any favors at the London premiere of "The Ugly Truth" by dressing like she's heading to a Bicentennial-era key party at Kermit the Frog's bachelor pad, where she'd surely face the wrath of areal diva, because Miss Piggy would be most displeased to find her wearing the very same sequined dress she had custom-made for the occasion. Everything is just slightly off with the actress's one-massive-sleeved disco wreck: the skirt is a little too long, the bodice a mite too unsupported, the shoes a touch too matronly, and her titian-tinted tresses a bit too shellacked. And then there's the mint-green ribbon belt, an unnecessary addition that does very bad things to Heigl's very good figure. She would be better off unwrapping it from her waistline and recycling it as a handy gag, which she can stuff into her mouth whenever she feels a gripe coming on.

The Nanepashemet hex on Heigl, based upon her unfortunate dissing of a Nanepashemet Peep, is obviously working. You GO Kat! Just have to love good fashion journalism.

Tuna Lips said...

I likes her boobies plenty fine.


One Stupid Mistake


In another slow news day, Good Morning America is spending a lot of time talking about the sexual indiscretion six years ago of Louisville Basketball Coach, Rick Pitino. Apparently, Pitino banged a model in a restaurant, she got pregnant, and Pitino shelled out $3k for an abortion.
~
Plus he is a father of five. Since he's put himself out there as a leader and motivational speaker, his fall is long and hard.
~
Pitino has had an outstanding career. He was at UMASS Amherst in my class, and we generally didn't take to him because he was really full of himself and a complete showboat on the basketball court. Never missed the chance for a behind the back pass.
~
But I was always happy to see him become so successful.
~
Now one stupid mistake threatens to take him apart. It only takes one.

Tuna Lips said...

I cants fault a man fer watering his seeds. And au contrary to yer rushin to judge, he done so in a top notch eatin place, and even waited for all them folks to pay up and leave. That, mi amigo, is class.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

A Close One

I came so close to blowing it on Day 10. Had a Four Guys Bacon Cheeseburger and Fries for lunch at 1:00PM and felt like a log all afternoon.
~
But it sure tasted good.
~
With a little mind over matter discipline at 5:30, I got in 20 min. on the Cybex and salvaged the streak.

Obama's Presidential Health

Obama's Health Care Reform Bill may be extremely unhealthy politically. Barack just doesn't seem to be able to get the message out. First he derails it by the racist "Gates" debacle, now he is encountering a swirl of intense protest.
~
It will be interesting to see if Obama can defuse this, or if he cascades into political ineffectiveness as Jimmy Carter did. I don't see him getting impeached like horny Bill Clinton, but time will tell.

Pisc said...

Obama is irrelevant to the current debate. It is your representative who is responsible for the legislation. Hold them accountable. Don't let them hide behind BO. Its about policy, not ideology.


Whoa!! Our boy Piscatelli is all business on this one. Maybe we'll see him screaming on TV pretty soon.

Giant Loss


Rumor has it that "My Friend Who Doesn't Want His Name Mentioned in the Blog" and the prominent Marblehead Attorney, Paul Lynch, hooked into a Giant Bluefin Tuna on Stellwagen last weekend.
~
"MFWDWHNMITB" was at the helm of Paul's sweet Pursuit boat, and was blamed by the Marblehead Attorney with losing the fish due to his helmsmanship.
~
Lynch did look a little shell shocked and "Friend" seemed a little contrite when I rowed past them in my Tender on Sunday.
~
Does this look like the one that got away, Paul?

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Public Hearing

Late this morning, when checking in with the Town of Groton, CT, about the status of a Planning Board Hearing, the Planning Director told me that he could put me on the agenda this evening. A bit of an unexpected surprize, but not to worry.
~
So I made the 100+ mile trek down to Mystic Country and back. Naturally I was successful at the hearing. Some of the people at my customer's office didn't think I had time to prepare, but I have been doing this for so long that it is almost automatic.
~
Public Hearings for wireless installations are not the controversial events that they used to be either. I've only had one contentious petition in the past year, and that was caused by a group of crazies who fight against wireless as a hobby.
~
Still, when a Board approves your petition, there is always a bit of an adrenalin rush which makes it hard to settle in for the night. When I was a city official in Lynn, it was much worse. After meetings, I could never sleep.

Photo Op


Having a camera in your cell phone is so handy.
~
Like when I am coming to the front door and Grandson Will is standing there.
~
I know that your kids and grandkids are probably gifted and cute, but Will and Ethan RULE.




Blog Birthday

Next month, this Blog will be three years old. Seems like yesterday since I found this outlet which is therapeutic to me yet can entertain and antagonize others. Time flies. In no time, it will be six years old.
~
I'm afraid that there will be more antagonizing than entertainment in posts for the next three years.

Monday, August 10, 2009

One Thousand Days

Today was Day 8 and tomorrow with be Day 9.
~
To be truthful though, this is really a 1000+ day program.... about three years or so. By that time, I'll either have set up a lifelong habit of exercise and clean living, or be dead.
~
I vastly prefer the former alternative.
~
The difference this time, from other resolutions to return to buffness, is that I'm not setting elaborate training goals, like mileage buildups designed to run a marathon. This program is simply resolving to get some sort of aerobic burn in before I take a shower.... consecutively every day.
~
Since I've always kept a routine of personal hygiene.... i.e. I take a shower and brush my teeth every day .... adding a sweat in ahead of time doesn't seem to be as much of a stretch.
~
Three years has a bit of significance. That is how long it took to turn me from a chubby kid to a decent track athlete in High School. In retrospect, that time passed pretty quickly. I actually was thinking of quitting drinking over this 1000 day trek, but that would be too drastic.

Impatient with Karma


I'm sorry, but if you want to piss me off, then just do these three things.
~
1. Think only of yourself and your narcissistic existence.
2. Take absolutely no responsibility for anything.
3. When questioned or seeking to make a point, simply lie or make up the facts.
~
That behavior is guaranteed to give me fantasies of smashing heads like pumpkins.
~
Granted... I know that the law of karma says that I need do nothing to see torture come back to you sooner or later. But I still fantasize about helping it along.

Tuna Lips said...

Now hold on there, mister, that sorta principalled livin' dun raised a generashun of us folks and placed us among the giants in the hoboin' and 'shine runnin industrial complex.

Northern Flicker





This great specimen of a Northern Flicker woodpecker was caught on camera this weekend, foraging at the beginning of the driveway for ants.
Unlike other species of Woodpecker, the Northern Flicker rarely feeds in trees.
~

I also have the video.



~So if you haven't seen a Northern Flicker lately, then this is for you.

Not Slow

Although it would seem to be the doldrums of summer, this week is shaping up with a decent amount of activity for Nanepashemet Telecom. A zoning hearing in Western Mass tonight, customer meetings throughout the week and a couple of bids due.
~
Thursday we will be at the "My Brother's Table" benefit at the Nahant Country Club.
~
So even though there will be no kicking ass, there will be no kicking back either. And this week will include consecutive workout days 8 to 15.
~
Plus the Grandkids will be around, which always makes everything better.

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Habit Forming

Day 7 of consecutive workouts. The first six on the Cybex and today a 4 1/2 mi. row in the Tender. Maybe a habit is forming. Course travel is always the thing that screws up a nice routine like this, and I didn't travel hardly at all last week. The challenge will be if I can maintain the habit when the schedule gets all twisted.
~
And no. I haven't weighed myself. That will come on the 100th consecutive day, which will be December 12, 2009. I am feeling a lot better, stronger even, after only one week. That is what's important. Not some number on a scale.
~
But I'd love to leave the Clydesdale class and be weighing in somewhere south of 200 lbs. by then.

Perspective

Last evening, before cocktails, Lou Panakio made the following observation.
~
"If you wanted to kill the Nestor's, not only would you have to kill them, ... you'd have to nail the coffin shut."
~
Kind words from a dear friend. Lou knows from experience that we know how to take the hits.
~
But let's put this into perspective.
~
Those of you who have seen your kids go to Iraq in harm's way have it way worse.... Those of you who have seen love ones pass on with debilitating diseases have it way worse.... I can go on, but you get the picture.
~
Life always offers challenges. Most of the time, these are endured quietly and relatively privately. Just because ours went loudly public, doesn't mean it is worse than the hits that all of us have to take from time to time. So don't feel compelled to tell us how bad you feel for us. We appreciate it, but there are those of you who have it far worse.

Gorilla Glue



Yesterday was a big push for the garage projects.
~
After a run to Moynihan Lumber, I had all the meranti mahogany needed for Katelyn's Adirondack Chair as well as a nice 10' Redwood 2x6 which I cut into three pieces and glued into a panel which will be the carving base for a sign to be placed at the Nanepashemet Peabody Warehouse.
~
I also bought a 16 oz bottle of Gorilla Glue, which is an expanding polyurethane based, waterproof glue which I have been curious to try.
~
So when I got back to the garage, I bandsawed all of the Adirondack pieces, and assembled the meranti legs for the Workbench.
~
The Gorilla Glue was easy to use, set up quickly and expanded through the tenon and mortise joints nicely. It is supposed to cure to a very strong bond.
~
My plan is combine the legs into the base this morning, and start the assembly of the Adirondack Chair. This will take some time, because of all of the sanding and routing prior to joining the pieces together. I could have bought a nice chair for Kate much cheaper, so I'm going to take my time on this to make it as perfect as possible.
~
BTW, at the Crawford get together last night, Dale Johnson aka "Buck" asked me if this Blog took a lot of my time. Naturally, I kept my cool. I mean, does it take a long time to breathe... Dale/Buck ???
~
I'm thinking it was Buck who came up with such an annoying question.... not my friend, Dale.

Saturday, August 08, 2009

POTW Week 31

Day 5 came and went has I logged another burn on the Cybex for the fifth consecutive day.
~
No Biggie.
~
But I can feel the Buffness starting to reassert.
~
As you know, an accurate desciption of me as always been "Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff and Damn Good Looking."
~
Nowhere there does it state that I am Buff. But I might have to add that soon.
~
Announcing...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 31st Week of 2009

Jeremy Johnson
Meaghan Bruett
Sarah Crawford
Brian O' Donnell
Emily Ingardia
Jeff Middleton

Maybe I'll take a break from the Cybex and rev up the Treadmill for Day 6.

Slammer


The Nestor Siblings reeled in a 45 lb, 50 inch Stripped Bass this morning, shortly after arriving to Stellwagen Bank.
~
Although it would have fed the whole cookout at Crawford's this evening, this fish is still happily swimming in Massachusetts Bay due to the Federal prohibition of taking strippers in the Stellwagen National Sanctuary.
~
Still no tuna though.
~
So maybe I'll stick to the Snap Dogs at the cookout. About 5 or 6 with mustard and relish in a massive bout of eating to relieve stress.








Friday, August 07, 2009

Railroad

I feel bad about the treatment received by Dan Grabauskas, the MBTA General Manager, by the Deval Patrick administration, as they are moving to fire him and are highlighting his six figure severance package.
~
I never met him, but I marveled at his turnaround of the Registry of Motor Vehicles, when he ran that bureaucratic morass. He changed the processes and completely reversed the culture in that agency which was formerly insulting and totally unresponsive to the public.
~
Don't know the details surrounding the issues at the Mass Bay Transportation Agency, but I know that they have ejected Grabauskas due to "lack of focus". Naturally the media stooges are honing in on his severance package and Patrick chimes in to say it is excessive. This is political pandering because he is simply legally entitled to it.
~
If you can railroad somebody because of "lack of focus", then Deval Patrick should be in the front of that line.

Tuna Lips said...
Howdy, there Boomer, Ise back from vacatin' the double wide on a trip to ole El Paso, where I wuz meetin' with some bizness relations from across the Rio Grande. Good timin' on my part, there was plenty of fiestasization and senoritas to serenade. About a fortnight back, I stumbled through the woods to find the the yellow tape marked "DEA" around my mobile hacienda, indicated the jig was about to be up. So much for teachin' basic pharmaceuticals to the local youth. But I digressify. I hi-tailed it from that vicinity, and headed down in ol' Mexico, where we-ins had us a plenty good time, re-fryin' beans and schemin' on this and that. No moss on me, I got outta Dodge, and set up shop right quick. Got me a new gal, since Miss Pudding went down as a material witnesser. Yes, Marguerite, she got a nose like Gonzo from that Muppet tv show, and can she cook, when she aint passed out. I sent message to Shoo Fly to come on down. We will gringofy my new hancienda. And if he is still courting that truck drivin' Sheryl, we can stage a wrasslin' match with her and "Large Marge", these here Mexicans love that wrasslin'. Make us a few peso, work the crowd a bit.See, I am cut from the molds of the great American Entrepreneurs, like Andrew Carnegie and Kernel Sanders.And like General Doug MacArchie, I shall return. Just lammin' it for a spell.. . . Hey! Marge, you get your mitts offa that bottle . . that is my tekeeler!

Pisco said...
Republican Appointee. An easy sacrifice. Patrick needs to look like he is doing something other than playing governor of the Commonwealth. He recently got a puppy. And he is having hip surgery next month. And that about sums it up. The guy is a lightweight. Lot of them out there these days.

Trials

For all of the Peeps who were with us in Boston yesterday.... thank you. We love you and will never forget your support. Things didn't turn out for the best, but it could have been much worse, and we are grateful for that.
~
So we all will get by this next test, will keep traveling the path together, and will continue to help each other unconditionally. We'll have some additional tough trials, but the best is yet to come, and it will.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Nanepashemet Wrath


We heard from good authority that Catherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy is a she-bitch.
~
Sorry Catherine.
~
But if you disrespect a Nanepashemet Peep, no matter how hot you are, you will be taken down.
~
And you screwed with the wrong Nanepashemet Peep.
~
So you're going to have to deal with the consequences.

Justice

Despite my positive thinking, whe really got screwed today. Madoof style.
~
So we'll deal with this, and persevere. But let one muthafuka cross me in the next few days and it will be shit storm deluxe.
~

Time for Celebration

Today is a big day, and I'm looking forward to seeing a number of you in Boston this afternoon.
~
But it is also DAY 4 of my consecutive streak of workouts, and I'll put a number of miles on the Cybex before I take my shower this morning and suit up for the stressful event.
~
I've already predicted a positive outcome and remain confident. But we will play any hand that is dealt to us, make the most of it, and proceed with the celebration of life and friends.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Missing Tuna

BTW.
~
Where the hell is Tuna Lips when we really need him????

Endure Betrayal

"To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Moving On

Those of you who are close to us know that tomorrow is a big day for our family.
~
We appreciate all of the well wishes, prayers, and expressions of support. More than you can imagine.
~
My prediction is that everything will be alright and that justice will prevail.
~
Keep the faith. We'll get through this and more.

Worldwide Pants

Day 3 - 8.65 miles on the Cybex.
~
No, I'm not checking my weight. Maybe after 100 consecutive days or so.
~
I'll gauge any weight loss on how my pants fit in the next few weeks. I have to thank Archrival, Joe Collins, for the big motivational boost.

The Last Straw

Arch Rival Joe Collins said…

I once new a runner named Jay

whose regimen just didn't play.

macaroni and cheese,

and dark & stormies

resulted in obesity !

C'mon buddy... As Ahnold wanna be's Hanz and Franz used to say... Don't let that "flahbby bohdy" make you a girly man!

If you're gonna visit me in hotzy totzy Naples in the winter... You need to start looking more like a GQ cover boy !I

~

I swear to God and all that is holy…..

I am going to kick his ASS. Plus he is a crappy poet.

Location, Location, Location

Map picture

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Motivation

OK I admit that my resolution to seek fitness is due to seeing my old friend Harvey Rowe compete in those triathlons and look so good.
~
And did I say old? He's at least 30 years older than I am. Maybe 40.
~
He published a picture of me on his blog, "Harvey's Thoughts" when I was on the cross country team at UMASS, and I really do miss being in such shape. It used to be great to break into a trot and escalate into a full blown sprint. Plus the UMASS Track Team alumni are always sending me invitations to events where they get together for a fun run or small road race out in Amherst, MA.
~
I wouldn't be caught dead showing up at my current weight.
~
And I'm sick of hearing how fat I am from Katelyn and Ryan. Mikey doesn't get on my ass as much, but I know what he's thinking.


  • Waterfront Offerings
  • Land Offerings
  • Process Improvement

    It was a milestone day for Nanepashemet Telecom today with our investment in a nice industrial condo unit right out there in the confluence of Rt 128, Rt 114 and Interstate 95. It will be convenient for our trucks, crews, and supplies.
    ~
    Does this mean that our service will get even better???
    ~
    It's hard to improve on perfection.

    Grateful Insight

    I told you at the beginning of this ordeal that this would be a test of character. What I expected was that loyalties would be strained and we would find out who our friends were.
    ~
    We were told that in situations like this, people tend to shun you and try to put some space away from you.
    ~
    But the exact opposite happened.
    ~
    We really didn't expect to see such an outpouring of support... and for that we are eternally grateful and will not forget. There are a lot more people out there now that I would jump on a grenade for. More than I ever imagined.
    ~
    We will forever look for ways repay the loyalty that you have shown us.
    ~
    Loyalty is the deciding factor of character. We all are weak, we all make bad judgments, we all make mistakes. But loyalty says that I am your friend for whatever reason, and I will stand by you despite your weaknesses, not because of the benefits that you can give me.
    ~
    The people who failed the test... and a few of you did... failed miserably. Those with the greatest past benefits, betrayed the most. You showed your true colors, and for this we are grateful also. We will be on our guard, and not waste any of our future concerns on you.
    ~
    The ironic thing is that the person who made the big mistake has shown the most character of all. And we are very proud of that.... as well as thankful for the loyalty of friends like you.

    Workout Resolution

    My new resolution is to workout everyday before I take a shower. Even if it's a 20 min. burn on the Cybex.
    ~
    So if you see me and I'm dirty and smelly, then you know that I haven't worked out yet.
    ~
    I'm not setting any goals on weight loss or anything like that. I just want to get a significant run of consecutive day workouts in.
    ~
    This is Day 2.

    Monday, August 03, 2009

    Say No to Nazi's

    The Big Lie went out of style with Nazi Germany.
    ~
    It just doesn't work here in the good old U.S. of A.
    ~
    And it sure doesn't work in the small Town of Marblehead, Massachusetts.
    ~
    The problem with The Big Lie is that this country allows the facts to come to the surface. And the truth will set you free, as well as kick the shit out those who stand behind The Big Lie.
    ~
    So get ready.

    Sunday, August 02, 2009

    Badass Bass


    Tommy O and I spotted some bird activity between Haste Island and Coney Island outside of Salem Harbor this afternoon.
    ~
    After bringing to bear some of our superior fishing skills, we landed this nice 26" schoolie on a surface popper.
    ~
    This striped bass put up a very commendable, yet completely fruitless fight and we promptly returned him to the brine to fight another day.
    ~
    Just a couple more inches and we would have debated whether we should grill him, broil him or put him in the turkey fryer.

    Saturday, August 01, 2009

    Activity Spectrum

    Once again, a beautiful Saturday.
    ~
    Should I keep sitting on this couch, drinking coffee and making sure that you pathetic Peeps get your Blog fix??? Or should I venture forth and try to make contributions to the further advancement of humanity?
    ~
    I'll probably choose to do stuff in the middle of this spectrum... like work on the Workbench and Adirondack Chair projects, row the Tender, and play with the Grandkids.
    ~
    BTW... sometime this weekend, one of you will hit this Blog for the 50,000th time. That's FIFTY THOUSAND instances of searching for solace and inspiration, yet most likely coming back with frustration and emptiness.
    ~
    I don't really care. I'd be Blogging or venting in another type of journal whether you looked at it or not. But I have to admit that it's nice to share some thoughts with you. As you may suspect, I really don't tell you everything.... some things you don't want to commit to documentation. Not now anyway.