Anticipation for POTW

Today is a special day for Katelyn Nestor and Roenick the Cat.
~
They can't wait for the Peep of the Week Selections this evening.
~
I think that Katelyn is more enthusiastic than Roenick.
~
The lovely Emily still has the logo contest lead.... even after well over a thousand submittals. There is still time to overtake her, but it will be tough.

Phase Transition

We are rapidly transitioning from the business development phase to the implementation phase at Nanepashemet Telecom. Hopefully this will lead to the making a lot of money phase. That's the phase I'm looking forward to.

I'm thinking that the making a lot of money phase is comprised of excellent quality, service beyond expectations, and high customer satisfaction. Should be no problem.

~
BTW, that is not me at the top of the State of New Hampshire Liquor Commission Rohn Tower. It's a guy that we hired. I may be nuts, but I'm not crazy.

Logo Contest Update

This logo, submitted by Emily Ingardia of Lake Tahoe, is clearly the lead of the Peep of the Week logo contest.
~
Pristine, don't you think?
~
I still have to sort though about nine hundred and fifty additional submittals, but this will be hard to beat.
~
Tomorrow, I will have to bite the bullet and make a choice. Whining and complaining by the losers will have no effect.

Physical Evidence

We installed the Broadband equipment today at the New Hampshire State Liquor Commission in two Concord, NH sites.
~
I have to say, I was impressed with my partners, and their ability to work hard in a physical situation. I had seen them in office and business development situations, but never in a scenario where they were required to exert themselves into an uncomfortable physical condition, In other words....work up a sweat.
~
We also tied into a great Tower Climbing tech firm which will substantially enhance our productivity and service offerings to the wireless industry.

I have pictures, but I'm just too bushed to download them right now.

Hatching

Today was supposed to be a slow day, with only one appointment in the morning, but I was out straight all day. Planning for the New Hampshire installation, handling some real estate transaction issues, setting up a PMO for a construction company, talking to a bank for business finance, were only a few of the things that filled up the hours quick.
~
I have a feeling that it is going to get a lot worse as the projects that we have been incubating start to hatch.

Weekend Progress

To my surprise, I got all of the mahogany cut and secured on the deck cap today. Now, I can add the oak accent undersides, and rout in the oak center accents.
~
Hopefully, I'll be doing the laminated stair railings by mid week. I'd like to wrap this project up midweek and ambush some Lake Umbegog trout by next weekend.
~
It all depends on weather and the Nanepashemet Telecom workload.
~
We'll be in New Hampshire on Tues., and Will Murray is lending me a pulley winch to hoist equipment up to the top of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission Headquarters.
~
Everything else is classified.

J Boat

I keep telling my friends that when Nanepashemet Telecom starts to hit stride, then I don't want money to change me. They think I'm joking, but I'm really serious.
~
The advantage that I have is that I made a lot of money in my thirties with the attendant cars, boats and high end homes. I also attracted quite a few phonies who hung around me as "friends".
~
When the real estate bubble of the eighties burst, and we took the financial hits, only a few friends remained. They remain today as my most trusted confidants. It took a disaster to discover them. But now I can spot the phonies a mile away - those pretentious, polite gold diggers who only care about what you can get for them. They wear their disguises well, and can be very convincing, but they don't stand a chance with me as we experience our long awaited financial resurgence.
~
I see them around others on the upswing, and I know what the surrounding phonies look like. You want to warn people, but everyone has to experience their own pitfalls I guess.
~
I believe that mine made me a better person in the long run, even though you wish others wouldn't have to go through the same pain.
~
While my kids were in college, I went the conservative corporate route and didn't take the kind of entrepreneurial chances that can lead to big scores. But now they are out on their own, doing well financially, and it's time for this J Boat to set sail again. There will be no phony crew members, and this boat will steer clear of the rocks because I've already been through these waters.

Real Estate Investments

I had a chance to help a good friend with a real estate deal today which was quite gratifying.
~
It's nice when people understand and appreciate what you do for them.
~
Real estate is great to be involved in as a method to accumulate capital and wealth. If I had maintained the investments that I was involved in during my thirties, I would be happily retired by now, but it was not in the stars.
~
Things happen for a reason.

Bluefishing

It just hit me that in my conversation with my son Mike this afternoon, he mentioned that I was a Bluefish fisherman.
~
I know that he was intimating that I never have much luck with stripped bass, but I usually catch bluefish.
~
He's right. And I have to say that it is a good observation. I think that I will concentrate on what I am good at, and leave the stripped bass to others.
~
Blues fight a lot harder anyway. Also, you have a chance to tie into a football tuna if you are bluefishing.... especially out by Halfway Rock.

Years ago, in my old Mako, Joe Collins and I were into Bluefish out there when something hit that stripped Joe's line. In hindsight, it was a tuna, although we didn't know it at the time. Tuna will take the same kind of Rebel lures that we troll for Bluefish with and actually feed on the Blues.
~
So, I'm going to key in on the Blues.

Weekend Goals

There's a couple of things that I'm going to try to do this weekend.
~
Tomorrow, I have to test the Broadband equipment that we bought for the New Hampshire State Liquor Commission with Elsier and DiMatteo.
~
So don't you think it is appropriate that we taste some fine single malt scotch afterwards? Me too.
~
On Sunday, I really have to devote some time to the deck railing project, but that shouldn't preclude a spin around the Marblehead Harbor on the Tender.
~
There's a bunch of other things I'd like to do too, some that I can't, and some that I won't.

Friday Decision

OK Peeps.
~
It's 2:00 PM and I've finished both pricing submittals with DiMatteo and Elsier and heard from Mikey in DC. Time to commence the weekend.
~
I'm going to head down to Silver Shears for a trim and then maybe get some work on the deck railing done. Tomorrow, we are testing some broadband equipment that has to be installed next week, so I don't feel too bad about quitting early.
~
I'll have my cell phone on, just in case.

Courageousness

Just to let you know that I am not afraid of anything, I'm going to reveal the following fact.
~
I'm a big fan of Martha Stewart.
~
I don't watch her show or anything, but I admire her determination and steadfastness. She took a stint in prison, got out, dusted herself off, and resumed her career with a lot of class. She is a model of how to handle the setbacks in life.
~
Now....

Give me you best shot.
Attack my manhood.
You gutless wonders.

I think I just wrote a haiku!

Competition Heats Up

Lots of great Peep of the Week logo submittals already. So far, these are the best.
~
I knew that this would be tough.

Week 29 - POTW

Today was a flurry of breakthrough activity.
~
If I didn't realize from my ten years in the business that the telecom business development cycle was so protracted and slow, I would be quite nervous by now. But it always takes a long time for the deals to matriculate.
~
The ironic thing is that the procurement process is so slow, but then the customer wants the implementation by yesterday.
~
I'm going to reward myself by having a large double cheese with garlic, pepperoni and artichokes from Vesuvius in Marblehead. Easily the best Pizza this side of the Coliseum. I might even throw in a Mike's Hard Cranberry Lemonade. How's that for a celebration dinner!!!

Now for the business at hand.

Announcing.....
The Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 29th week of 2007

• Emily Ingardia
• Rob Wise
• Gail Johnson
• Patrick Piscatelli
• David Letterman
• Mark Vona

Pretty soon, when I am swamped with work, I'm depending upon the Peeps to remind me of my current euphoria.

POTW Logo

I know that today is Thursday, POTW day.
~
Seriously... do you think I need a couple thousand of you sending me emails to remind me????
~
How Annoying!
~
I suppose that it is the price of celebrity.
~
What do you think of staging a logo contest for the Nanepashemet Peep of the Week?
~
Naturally the sole judge would be me, and the winner would get little or no recognition. I think that it is a really good idea. Start sending your graphic images now.
~
Who knows, you might even merit a POTW selection based upon your inspirational/annoying logo submittals.
~
Maybe I'll even offer a prize to the Winner.... like a five minute audience with Roenick the cat, or a chance to touch the Tender.

Dory Research

In my research on the Marblehead Gunning dory, I've been impressed with the acceptance of this traditional New England craft all over the world.
~
These guys are crabbing in Alaska with a homebuilt model.
~
The cedar strip planking method should really make the nice lines of this boat come alive.

Playing with Pain

Peeps, I'm still tormented by pervasive stomach cramps, yet I have carried on today in a spirit that inspires even myself.
~
Tom DiMatteo had to do most of the talking at our presentation today, which was good because Tom wowed the customer in my somewhat biased observation. My contributions were anecdotes and sidebars... but I'm pretty good at that, even in my debilitated condition.
~
I'm pretty sure that my customer didn't catch on how I played with pain. The mark of a true athlete.
~
Someday, when the story of how Nanepashemet Telecom became a dominant economic force on the American business landscape is told, tales of my triumph over stomach cramps will fill the boardrooms and permeate the water coolers.

A Matter of Faith

So the Catholic Church is coming up with over $600 Million in settlement money in LA to pay out to plaintiffs and make the current caseload go away. Cardinal Roger Mahony is off the hook and Cardinal Bernard Law is operating in Rome these days.
~
I was brought up as an Irish Roman Catholic. Lots of guilt. Lots of terrifying doctrine. As a public school kid, I was second rate to the nuns at St. Joseph's School in Lynn where I went for my Sunday School Catholic indoctrination. We all felt that the nuns preferred the parochial school kids, who were repressed maniacs by the time they came out of St. Joseph's in the eighth grade.
~
Easily the most violent kids at Eastern Junior High School were the transferees from St. Joseph's Catholic Elementary School from Green Street in East Lynn. I still have scars on my forearm from the maniac who took my ruler, split it in two, and stabbed me in the arm with one of the sharp pieces. When I proposed to meet him after school to settle up, he looked at me in a fearful and incredulous manner and asked, "What did I do?"
~
That was the product of a St. Joseph's Catholic education.
~
Luckily, I was never diddled by a Catholic priest. I was slammed up against the wall and slapped by a nun, but nothing that would turn me into the pitiful protoplasm of the victims who were sexually abused by the priests in Boston, LA and elsewhere.
~
Those people have my sincere sympathy. As kids, they were victimized by the ultimate authority figures, priests, who used them for their temporary perverted pleasure. Dispicable!!!
~
By the way, the fact that the Catholic Church has $600M to make them go away is a travesty in and of itself.
~
Years later, as the Executive Director of the Lynn Housing Authority, I bought the St. Joseph's School with state funds and turned it into 40 units of elderly public housing. At the time, I didn't think of it as revenge, but now I do. By the way, the priests at the St. Joseph's Rectory during the price negotiations were among the rudest, most inappropriately acting people that I have ever encountered in my professional life.in their behavior to the wait staff and cooks of the Rectory.
~
All in all, the Catholic Church has produced a completely dysfunctional social system in it's ministerial system, and wide scale reform has to occur. It's probably too late anyway, because the dogma is so non-sensical. I truly don't see how a thinking person can buy into the cosmology of a heaven, hell, purgatory, limbo, etc. Everything seems to be based upon fear and a medieval form of social control.
~
This has nothing to do with belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, his Blessed Mother Mary, or a host of other things that the Catholic Church exposed to me. The Church and my faith are distinctly separate to me, and I am certain that I will pray to Christ for mercy when I eventually contemplate my own demise.
~
But I won't need a Priest to perform the Last Rites.

Thinking Ahead

Even though the sailing rig is not complete on the Herreshoff Columbia Tender, and even though the deck railing hasn't been touched in three weeks, and even though the basement tile job has slowed to a dead halt.... I'm really starting to get psyched about building the Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory.
~
I find myself starring at the plans in John Gardner's Dory Book every chance I get.... thinking of ways that I would approach the construction.
~
Plus, you wouldn't believe how hot Nanepashemet Telecom is getting. We're pitching two major contracts in the next two weeks and pricing another. If we win all three, plus maintain the other opportunities in the air, my boatbuilding time will be few and far between.

Indian Call Centers

The people who man these things from the Indian subcontinent are persistent to say the least. They force you to be rude.
~
And those who know me best, know that I'm a very polite man.
~
The earth is really getting small when you get irritated by people who call you from India.

It's Not Just About You

Today was a painful day. Not a metaphor. I had stomach cramps and more all day long. But, as you know, I'm not a complainer.... not a wimpy girly man.... not a bed wetting cry baby.
~
So I stayed stoic and took it like the mountain of a man that I am.
~
But my tummy really hurts.
~
But enough about me. Let's start all over with another story... about me.
~
Despite the pain that would cripple a lesser man, I stayed the course with the Nanepashemet Telecom team that was on fire today. Processing everything. Mowing down all in our path. One ball has settled for a time, and I'm nervous about another, four other opportunities are ready to bust out, and one hits the street next week.
~
All in all - good productivity

Genuine Great Time

The day went according to plan.... only better.
~
Joanne and I were over to Brown's Island by 11:30 AM in the WhaleEye.
~
We were able to see Katelyn, Stacey and Brian Butler as well as a bunch of Katelyn's guy friends - the Wise Brothers, JJ McBride and others and still were able to ramp with Greg and Nancy, who had hooked up with Gilly, Chris Crawford, their wives Liz and Sarah, Dave and Megan, the cutie Maddie, and Emma the dog.
~
Great company, sunshine, warm sea water, cold beers, grilled chicken wings and Hot Dogs. If you can come up with a better combination to have a great time on the planet Earth.... be my guest.
~
No drama, no positioning, no worries about who you can talk to without pissing someone off. I hope I wasn't missing something, but I'm pretty sure that I had a genuine great time.

Brown's Island

It's going to be a scorcher in the 90's today. We're planning to bring the WhaleEye over to Brown's Island to tie up with Bruett's Damp Yankee. There's plenty of beers on the boat, and Joanne just went down to Crosby's to pick up some natural casing hot dogs and chicken wings for the Magma boat grill.
~
I wish we could take Roenick, but he would freak out. You don't see too many cats on boats. Dogs yes, but not cats. Roenick probably wouldn't get along with Nancy's dog, Emma, anyway.
~
Should be an awesome Marblehead summer day! Hope you have a good day as well.

Gearing Up

Some drawings on the web of the Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory that I will build.

A Fair Trade

So I get a good row in today. All the way from Riverhead Ramp through Marblehead Harbor, around Fort Sewall, into Little Harbor and over to Grace Oliver Beach, where I picked up Joanne and we rafted up with Greg and Nancy Bruett. Greg took a trial of the Tender, and I was thrilled to see how it performed from afar. It even made Greg look good.
~
A nice couple of hours.
~
Then over to O'Shea's pool and a trip to Beacon Hill Liquors for some Dark and Stormie supply. At the Beacon Hill counter, they sell Nancy Bruett's mystery novel, Dusting.
~
A guy was looking at the book and I told him that it was a great read. He said that it should be for $14.95, and I said he wouldn't be dissapointed. He muttered something like, "What the Hell, Life is short." and bought the book.
~
I'm thinking that paid for the two beers that I drank on Greg's boat, Damp Yankee, today.
~

Coming Alive

Okay.

I'm going to watch one episode of Flight of the Conchords on HBO On Demand, then I'm getting into Saturday morning action.

Not Interested

Heading up the list of things I'm never going to do is running with the Bulls in Pamplona, closely followed by bungee jumping and technical rock climbing.
~
I'm not as much afraid of the bulls, as I wouldn't get caught dead in one of those effeminate neckerchiefs.
~

Not Ready to Rock and Roll

Did you ever wake up feeling lazy?
~
That's what happened to me today. Thank God it's Saturday, and I don't have any scheduled obligations.
~
I just don't feel like doing anything.... although I am blogging, so maybe I can snap out of it.
~
Maybe I'll start by cleaning out the cat's litterbox. It smells like.... well.... shit. With Izzy and Roenick in and out of the house all the freaking day, wouldn't you think that they would void in the yard or somewhere. But no, they come into the house when it is time to take a dump.
~
Plus I have one of those macular migranes going on, where you feel kind of whoozy and your vision has trouble with focus. It doesn't really worry me because I've had these periodically for the last twenty five years. But they are a pain in the ass.
~
So stay off my back for awhile!

Small Suggestion

If you want something posted on this Blog, for God's sake, don't tell me to do it. Because that's the last thing that will ever be written about. The best way to get an entry is to secretly hope and pray that it gets in, and then maybe by dumb luck, I'll post it.
~
Conversely, don't forbid me to write about anything.... because I guarantee that the forbidden topic will be posted forward, backward, and inside out.
~
Enterprising Peeps have found ways to manipulate these rules, but it is not recommended.

High Tide

2007-07-13

11:06 PM EDT

10.70 feet High Tide

That pretty much kills my early evening rowing plans.
~
Tomorrow, I'm going to work like hell on the deck railing in the morning until 12:00 noon when the tide will be high again. Then I'll take the tender out for a spin, maybe all the way to Grace Oliver Beach where I might have a Bruett sighting.

KMA

I was accused of kissing up to someone the other day.
~
My friends at General Dynamics, Darwin and just about everybody else would really laugh at that. If anything, Joanne and I have been the Anti-Christ of KMA. We brought our kids up the same way.
~
Everybody farts the same as we do, and we all end up with a long dirt nap. So what is there to kiss up to anyway???
~
If I was a kiss up, I'd still have a huge salary coming in bi-weekly. But I have my self respect instead..... which is priceless. Being nice and courteous to someone is not kissing up. It's called manners. Get some, they come in handy when trying to get along with people.
~
So you missed the mark when you called me a kiss up. Maybe your own personal preferences clouded your judgment. How's that for kissing up??? KMA.

Chicken Thighs and Pork Ribs

Stevie Lewis invited us to his traditional smoked meat competition this Saturday.
~
Joanne was supposed to be a judge, and I was planning to team up with Jim Peabody, who is more into this type of barbeque than I am. But then some stuff came up and Joanne decided to go up North. If Katelyn comes home to Marblehead this weekend, I'm sure that Joanne will abort the North Conway trip.
~
At any case, I've had to withdraw from Steve's smoke off, and thus will be missing the glory of dominating that cooking competition. I will honor the victors with Blog entries, but they only will be on top until a new smoke off is scheduled. Then I will assume my rightful place.

Maddie Sighting

Saw the cutie Maddie Gill at the BYC last night with her attractive parents, Tyler and Liz - a nice family. We were having a drink with Jim and Charlotte, enjoying his stories of sailing to the Carribean. Jim has done some cool stuff since I used to know him as a kid living by the Meadow.
~
Today, I have to get into downtown Boston at the UMASS Club to meet with subcontractors and finalize pricing for a couple of jobs. There are a bunch of Rockett punch list items to do, since Mike is taking a week off to golf in Ireland, and we have to finish off the State of New Hampshire LC details.
~
It will get really busy if I get a few more calls answered. By the end of the day, I'll be ready for the weekend.

Take It Easy

The pen is mightier than the sword.
~
But a Blog can really bust your balls. Not to worry....scrotums will remain intact. So don't piss me off, OK?

Mind Song

Happiness runs in a circular motion,
Thought is like a little boat upon the sea,
Everybody is a part of everything anyway,
You can have it all if you let yourself be.

Why, Oh?
Because.

Why, Oh?
Because.

Happiness Runs, Happiness Runs,
Happiness Runs, Happiness Runs.

- Donovan

This little ditty has taken permanent residence in my brain for close to 40 years. I suppose that I could be mind-singing worse things.

Week 28 - 2007 Peeps of the Week

Peeps....
~
Today I was so torn. I have Peeps asking me to put stuff on the Blog.... asking me not to put stuff on the Blog..... what is a mountain of a man like myself supposed to do????
~
I'll tell you what I'm not going to do.... No matter how much screaming, begging, and threats I receive, I'm going to keep this Ponyboy golden. Righteousness and Purity never go out of style. Know what I mean????
~
So don't try to kiss my ass anymore.
~
If I were an ass kisser, I would be making a lot more money now.... but I also wouldn't be so damn goodlooking to myself in the mirror. Money isn't everything.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 28th week of 2007

Bobby Brown (automatic Lagavulin lock in)
Jim Ouellette
Tommy O'Shea
Debbie the Waitress at 7 Central
Dr. Danny Levy
Steve Lewis

It's about time that the automatic Lagavulin selection criteria kicked in. Even though Brown, Elsier and then DiMatteo all put a big dent in the bottle.

POTW Anticipation

It's Thursday, POTW Day, and very busy schedule-wise for me. I will get the selections out this evening, but I've got business obligations going until after 9:00 tonight.
~
I do have an automatic Lagavulin selection - the first in a while.
~
And the Elephant in the Room is still there, but now it's clear, and thus not that important to me anymore. A shame.
~
Plus I have to fit in an appointment to the dentist because of that broken molar that I told you about.
~
It's a good thing that I have such a high pain threshold.
~
Don't worry.... you will see your pathetic/admirable peeps of the week by the end of the day. So get to work and make some money or something.

Salvage Job

The customer comes in from San Diego and wants to catch some fish in the Atlantic.
~
The first thing I did was call Mike in DC and check where he and Mark Vona caught the stipers last week.
~
DiMatteo and Elsier got to Marblehead and we met the customer at the old Sundance Building.
~
The breeze on the water was stiff and was pushing 2 to 4 foot waves. I decided not to anchor at Ram Island and went to the back side of Baker's Island to get shelter from the waves and chum for stripers. No luck at the spot that we anchored.

I started to head up into Bluefish alley between Baker's and Halfway Rock, but the wave action made trolling uncomfortable.
~
There was nothing left to do but to salvage the trip by heading into Manchester Harbor for dinner at 7 Central. Luckily there was room at the public tie up at the end of the Harbor. 7 Central has never dissapointed, even though they didn't recognize my Dark and Stormie Card. They said that it was only a Marblehead promotion. Whatever.
~
After dinner, the waves had calmed down, and we had a pleasant ride back into Salem Harbor.
~
All in all, a very successful customer event.

The Sleep of Kali

Your brain turns to Jelly.

"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest".
- Paul Simon

Sail Preferences

This is the Sailrite plan for the Marblehead Gunning Dory. It's fashioned after John Gardner's Alpha Dory rig.
~
Pardon my blasphemy, but I don't like it. I'd rather see two sprit sails rather that the one mutton chop and the jib.
~
I would fashion the sail design much like the Herreshoff arrangement for the Coquina below.
~
Pretty good criticism from someone who has barely sailed more than a Sunfish.
~

So I'm going to change the planking on the Dory from plywood lapstrake to cedar bead and cove strips, and I'm going to change the sail configuration. But the actual hull design will remain true to Gardner's revised plans of the original Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory.
~
I don't want to screw around with the actual performance in the water, just the way it looks.
~
Aren't you getting psyched about this project? Me too!

Raising the Main Mast

I fitted the sprit sail mast into the front mast support during a lull today. It fits good, and now I have to complete the sailing rig.
~
It will be interesting to see how this performs, especially since I have so little experience in a sailboat.

Computer Swap

I have to get up to Sundance Pre-School this morning to switch CPU's. I must have bumped Joanne's in the move, and it hasn't worked for awahile. I'll take Mike's old one and bring that to the school, then try to fix the school computer in my spare time.
~
Right!!!

Joanne didn't want to bring her laptop to the school because she is addicted to it on the couch at home, and the teachers need a computer when she is not there for curriculum stuff.
~

Foggy Day

People make silly choices, then build strong arguments to rationalize them. Built into the arguments are more silly choices, and more rationalization until reality is lost in an unrecognizable fog. Then they have to wait for the fog to lift. Honesty is an elusive goal.
~
In all relationships, if you search for imperfections, you will easily find them. A relationship is built upon acceptance of faults and appreciation of the good things.
~
The Blame Game is an endless, self-destructive descent into purgatory with no winners. Certainly not a game that you want to play. Just no fun at all.

Filling the Void

Thanks to the great insight of Bill Hillegas, I've found the replacement in my life from the void left by the conclusion of Rome and the Sopranos.

Brett and Jermaine. The Flight of the Conchords

Gaining Momemtum

Nanepashemet Telecom came up big today. Lots of stuff looking strong and an invite to the West Coast for some significant business. If this continues, we'll be in the market for a good financial planner.

Setting a Course

Now that the Tender is substantially done, with the exception of the sailing rig, I've been thinking of the next project for Nanepashemet Boatbuilding.
~
I've decided that it will be the Marblehead Gunning Dory, but the planking will be cedar strip planking with the chines substantially rounded. It will be long enough and equipped to allow two Piandetosi Rowing Rigs, and will also have a motor well for an outboard motor of less than 10hp.
~
I'll also include a centerboard, rudder and sailing rig that will incorporate the two sails that I have for the Tender and the Pram.
~
I will document the construction process in words and photographs sufficiently to convert into a book, which will be used to fund my early retirement. (I wish!!) A central focus of the book will be to point out all of the events and circumstances that cause delays in the project, such as business and personal obligations.
~
A bunch of stuff has to occur before I can launch this project. I have to finish the deck railing first, then complete the basement cabinet demolition and tiling. I've committed to Mike to finish the basement by next Thanksgiving. Finally, the garage has to fully overhauled and organized - not an easy proposition.
~
I'm guessing that the project starts in October. We'll run the whole thing through Microsoft Project, and try to use my professional PMP training, but that could get embarrassing.

July Turkey

Today turned out a little better than expected. I didn't have to go to the airport with Mike after confirming his flight on United's obnoxious system, so I used the time to construct the mast support and glue it to the Tender.
~
I left a small amount of epoxy untended while I lined the glue area with masking tape, and it set up in the cup in that short time. The cup was actually too hot to touch as the chemical reaction occurred. Epoxy is weird stuff.
~
Then Joanne and I went over to Tommy and Linda O'Shea's new pool across the street. It is really nice and Tommy has the filtering system going so that the water is crystal clear. But it turned cool and rained after an hour or so.
~
Joanne cooked a turkey for dinner. Not quite sure why, but she was bound and determined to have turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and corn on the cob, and I just wasn't in the questioning mood. Naturally, it was outstanding. The girl can cook.
~
After dinner, I took a quick doze, then rallied by 6:30 PM to get the Tender towed down to Marblehead Harbor for a row.
~
Tomorrow, it's all business.

Bush's Popularity

I'm sick and tired of hearing about popularity polls. Harry Truman had the worst and now he is revered as one of our best Presidents.
~
It is irritating to see the Democrats on the Sunday morning press shows railing against the pardon of Scooter Libby, since their morally challenged role model, Bill Clinton, pardoned 144 scumbags before closing out his controversial term.
~
"Judge ye Not, Lest ye be Judged." - God

Time for the Dentist

I'll be looking for an appointment soon with my Dentist, Danny Levy in Peabody since I chipped a molar while eating mussels with Joanne, Brown and Elsier yesterday afternoon.
~
Just when you think you have everything under control, you chip a tooth!! I guess you should never hope for a completely smooth ride.

Closing out the Week

Mike heads to the airport early this afternoon for the trip back to DC. I tried to use my frequent flyer miles for his flight, but they couldn't find a flight, or had him going to Chicago first. What a scam!!
~
You can have the remaining 123,000 miles United. I wouldn't talk to one of your Indian call centers in Calcutta again for any amount of money.
~
I finally had to pay for his flight on my credit card , but now United Airlines is requiring the "cardholder" to go to the ticketing. Such crap!! Hate is a strong word. I only use it when referring to the United Airlines reservation system.
~
We'll miss Mikey around the house again. He's easy to be around, and has grown in intellect and judgment since he left for Washington. He's due back in August.
~
High tide is around 6:00 PM. I'm going to put the Tender through the paces in Marblehead Harbor and kiss this 4th of July goodbye. Some good times, but way too much drama.

Whales and Cubans

I was never much for tobacco. I can't stand the smell of cigarettes and a fine Cuban cigar is a waste to give to me because I just don't enjoy it.
~
But that doesn't stop me from realizing the satisfaction that it brings to fine Peeps like Mike Elsier.
~
Our fishing trip to Stellwagen also included some great Minke Whale sightings, a twelve pack of Guinness, some Bud Lights, and three large Italian Subs with oil and hots from the Little Store.
~
No fish, but a highly successful excursion.

Tender Adjustments

I made some adjustments to the Tender today, in order for the Piandetosi Rowing Rig to work property. I basically screwed some mahogany onto the rig, then affixed the mahogany boards to the cedar benches with aluminum bolts and wing nuts, which will allow the rig to be easily removed when I finally get around to setting the Tender up to sail.
~
I also permanently screwed the back seat to the transom to alleviate all of the movement during towing.
~
The rowing rig worked great. If I was in the right physical shape, I could easily maintain five knots or better through Marblehead Harbor. Ran into Gill, Crawford, and Kevin Rockett. They invited me to raft at the Patriot for a beer, but better judgement prevailed and I made it back to Riverhead Beach just before the Tide was leaving the ramp area.

Cheeseburgers

Just in case you didn't know it, nothing satisfies Joanne and I more than cheeseburgers. I know I'm wide open on this, and there's no shortage of witty comebacks among the Peeps, so have at it. But the truth must be told.
~
Cheeseburgers are central to life on Earth as we know it.
~
Here's how I make mine.....
~
Fire up the grill. Get it as hot as possible.
~
While the grill is heating, take a pound of hamburger and place it in a mixing bowl.
~
Sterilize your hands with Purell, then thoroughly wash them. I mean real clean. I don't know where the hell those hands have been. Even my own.
~
Put some Parmesan grated cheese, parsley, Italian bread crumbs and soy sauce onto the meat in the mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands, then form four burgers. (Hence the clean hands requirement).
~
Place the Burgers on the hot grill and leave them alone for four minutes. Turn them once and grill again for four minutes. For God Sakes... don't pat them with the spatula or anything. Just leave the freaking burgers alone on the grill.
~
Then turn them one more time and put slices of your favorite cheese on. We like cheddar, but it really doesn't matter.
~
Get some fresh, soft, hamburger rolls, open them up and place mayonaise and ketchup on both sides. Lay down a leaf of lettuce, place the burger, top on the cheese side with a slice of onion and tomato. Carefully place the top of the roll on the burger and press down to compact.
~
When you eat it, don't make groaning noices and stuff. Everybody else knows how good it is, so keep the pleasureable sounds to yourself.

Lucky Mike

Mike and I were going to take the morning off and demolish the countertops in the basement, but a large pricing negotiation has loomed forth for Nanepashemet Telecom, and I have to stay focused on that. Lucky Mike dodged a bullet.
~
He will feign disappointment, and I will accept his ruse.

POTW Week 27 - Special Selections

Although there was a ton of annoyance this week, I'm naturally taking the high road. As you know, it's not easy being morally superior, and intellectually better. I like to think that I carry it off well. Loud and Obnoxious in public has it's lovable side... don't you think?
~
This has been a unique week. The extraordinary irritation requires extraordinary selection. For this reason, I'm breaking with the pattern and adding more names than customary.
~
Just so you know..... all of the Peeps this week are inspirational. To throw in the annoying ones would have been way too easy.

Announcing ... A Special Peeps of the Week Selection for Week 27 of 2007....

Peeps who are not idle business acquaintances

• Mike Rockett
• Amy Mann
• Joe Collins
• Kathy Rowe
  
• Bobby Brown
• Mike Elsier

Peeps Who have Stood Up Big

• Peter Crawford
• Will Crawford
• Laren Crawford
• Sarah Crawford
• Christopher Crawford
• Liz Gill
• Tyler Gill

Peeps Who Have Shown the Real Stuff

• Joanne Nestor
• Mike Nestor
• Katelyn Nestor

BTW. They will get invited to the next one, whenever that occurs. We've been assured of that.

Kali Mar - Shact te De

You can be free from being totally embarrassed.
Look for blame elsewhere and avoid mirrors.

Alternate Plan

A nice night at Peter Crawford's beautiful new home overlooking Salem Sound. Great company with Tyler and Liz Gill, Will and Lauren Crawford, and Chris and Sarah Crawford.
~
We killed the rafting plans to link up to view the fireworks with Peter's sailboat in Marblehead Harbor when the weather report called for rain. It was a good move and we warmed up Peter's great home. We could see the fireworks in Manchester Harbor from his living room.
~
Joanne committed to letting all their kids go to Sundance, so I think that I will write off the beer, Dark and Stormies, and chicken that we brought as business expenses.

Remembering the 4th

When I was a kid growing up in the Highlands Neighborhood of East Lynn, Massachusetts during the 50's and 60's, the 4th of July was a huge and active celebration.
~
All of the kids in the neighborhood would collect any junk that anybody had and haul it down to the Cook Street Playground. There were four distinct neighborhood groups of kids. We didn't call them gangs, but they probably had the trappings of this from a sociological viewpoint.
~
The four groups were the kids from Wilson St., Hamilton Ave., Beacon Hill Ave., and Allen Ave.
Collectively, we were known as the kids from Cook St. Playground. as opposed to the kids from High Rock Street, Jefferson Street and the Meadow.
~
Cook Street was the rival of High Rock, which had it's own Bonfire... that I never attended.
~
On the 4th of July, the Cook Street playground was piled high with about a 30' wide by 15' high pile of combustable junk, with a dummy propped up on a broomstick at the top of the heap. Firecrackers, cherry bombs, barrell bomps and sparklers were exploding everywhere.
~
Around 8:30 or 9:00 pm, one of the leaders of the neighborhood, usually the oldest and toughest kid, would grab a gas can, douse the pile and set the whole thing into a blazing bonfire.
~
I can still see the huge flames and the sparks rising high in the night sky with all of the neighborhood - young and old - standing around cheering and stuff.
~
Then the fire trucks would arrive. Everybody would boo while the bonfire was doused with high power, heavy canvas fire hoses. We would all wait until the firemen left, then the gas would come out the the whole thing would be started again. It was organized mayhem, but it seemed that everyone knew how the whole thing would come off, and there was never any trouble.
~
In bed that night, I would envision that I was in the war, with the sounds of explosions still going off all night.
~
I can't imagine a neighborhood bonfire going on in Marblehead.
~
A pretty good memory.

Bring It

Farts don't bother me much. Everyone eventually has to fart. But seeing someone eat their boogers always embarrasses me. You definitely have made the wrong choice at that time. Then there is the combination of the two. Very unsettling for proper society. At all costs, never do it at the Club.
~
Just had to be said.



Are you feeling a little saucy today? Feel like being a bit loud and obnoxious in public? Feeling like you have no problem getting it on with anyone?
~
What a coincidence. Me too!! Obviously I'll practice self restraint and respond only in kind.

Class Act

Man, would I like to let loose on this Blog. To let some assholes really know what pathetic phonies they are.
~
I'd like to let loose, but I won't. Obviously I'm much classier than that.

A New Business Division

More great news from prospective customers today. There is a scary amount of balls in the air, and I hope that Elsier and DiMatteo are master jugglers.
~
I keep waiting for a ball to drop, but no, we just keep adding more. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission bid was an experiment, and we won that too!
~
Around 3:30PM EDT, I brought the Tender down to the Harbor for a workout. Three or four people asked where I got the boat, and when I said that I made it from Moynihan Lumber wood, I got incredulous remarks.
~
So then I got smart.
~
I told the last guy who asked that I bought the boat from Nanepashemet Boatbuilding, that they were a great company, and that he should Google them.
~
It was just easier, and he accepted it readily.

Work on the 3rd

High tide is at 2:15 PM EDT. That's probably when I'm going to put a wrap on Nanepashemet Telecom work to get ready for the 4th. Until then, petal to the metal with a lot of stuff that I have to get out.
~
I'll start the holiday by taking a row around Marblehead Harbor in the Tender. Then the grill on the WhaleEye has to be checked out and made ready for rafting in the Harbor for the fireworks Wed. Night.
~
The 4th of July is special in Marblehead.

Another Gem from Peter Crawford

101 Old Time Bostonianisms!

>1. The Red Sox World Series win was the greatest moments in your life.
>2. The guy driving in front of you is going 70 mph and you're swearing at
him.
>3. When ordering a tonic, you say a Coke.
>4. You went to Canobie Lake Park or Water Country as a kid
>5. You actually enjoy driving around rotaries.
>6. You do not recognize the letter "R" as a part of the English language.
>7. Your social security number starts with a 0
>8. You can actually find your way around Boston.
>9. You know what a "regular" coffee is.
>10. You keep an ice scraper in your car year-round.
>11. You can tell the difference between a Revere accent and a Dorchester accent.
>12. Springfield is located "way out west."
>13. You almost feel disappointed if someone doesn't flip you the bird when you cut them off.
>14. You know how to pronounce names like Worcester, Billerica, Gloucester, and Haverhill.
>15. Anyone you don't know is a potential idiot until proven otherwise. (heheheh)
>16. Paranoia sets in if you can't see a Dunkin Donuts or a CVS Pharmacy at all times.
>17. You have driven to New Hampshire on a Sunday just to buy alcohol.
>18. You know how to pronounce Yastrzemski.
>19. You know there's a trophy at the end of the Bean Pot.
>20. You order iced coffee in January
>21. You know that the Purple Line will take you anywhere
>22. You love scorpion bowls.
>23. You know what they sell at a Packie.
>24. Sorry Manny, but number 24 means DEWEY EVANS.
>25. You know what First Night is.
>26. You know at least one guy named Sean, Pat, Whitey, Red, Bud or Seamus.
>27. McLobster = McCrap!
>28. You know at least 2 cops because they were your high school drinking
buddies.
>29. Sure there are 6 New England states, but Connecticut & R.I. really
don't count.
>30. You intentionally give wrong directions to tourists, then say to
yourself ,"Ah, screw them."
31. You know at least one bar where you can get something to drink after
last call.
32. You're sick of the Kennedy's, but you vote for them anyway.
>33. You know holding onto the railing when riding the Green Line is not
optional
>34. The numbers '78 and '86 make you cringe.
>35. You've been to Goodtimes before
>36. You think the rest of the country owes you for Thanksgiving and
Independence Day.
37. You have never been to "Cheers."
>38. The words 'WICKED' and 'GOOD' go together.
>39. You've been to Fenway Park several times.
>40. You've gone to at least one party at U Mass.
>41. You own a "Yankees Suck" shirt or hat.
>42. You know what a Frappe is.
>43. You've been to Hempfest.
>44. You know who Frank Averuch is.
>45. ADVANCED: You know Frank Averuch was once Bozo the Clown
>46. You can complete the following: "Lynn,Lynn......"
>47. You get pissed off when a restaurant serves clam chowder, and it turns
out to be Snows.
>48. You actually know how to merge from six lanes of traffic down to one.
>49. The TV weatherman is damn good if he's right 25% of the time.
>50. You never go to Cape Cod," you go "down the Cape".
>51. You think that Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon are more evil than Whitey Bulger.
>52. You know who Whitey Bulger is.
>53. You went to the Swan Boats, Seven Gables, or Plymouth Plantation on a
field trip.
>54. Bobby Orr is loved as much as Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and Ted Williams.
>55. You remember Major Mudd.
>56. You know what candlepin bowling is.
>57. You can drive to the mountains and the ocean all in one day.
>58. You know Scollay Square once stood where Government Center is.
>59. When you were a kid, Rex Trailer was the coolest guy around. Speaking
of which...
>60. You can still hum the song from the end of Boom Town
>61. Calling Carrabba's an "Italian" restaurant is sacrilege.
>62. You still have your old Flexible Flyer somewhere in your parents'attic.
>63. You know that the Mass Pike is some sort of strange weather dividing
line.
64. The only time you've been on the Freedom Trail is when relatives are in
town.
>65. The Big Dig tunnel disaster wasn't really that much of a surprise.
>66. You call guys you've just met "Chief" or "Boss."
>67. 4:15 pm and pitch black out means there's just 3 more shopping days until Christmas
>68. You know more than one person with the last name Murphy
>69. You refer to Savin Hill as "Stab 'n Kill."
>70. You've never eaten at Durgin Park, but recommend it to tourists.
>71. You can't look at the zip code 02134 without singing it.
>72. You voted for a Republican Mormon as Governor just to screw with the
rest of the country.
>73. 11 pm? Drunk? It means one thing: Kowloon!
>74. 2 am? Drunk? It means one thing: Kelly's Roast Beef!
>75. 5 am? Drunk? It means one thing: You wish you had a blanket in your
back seat
>76. You know that P-Town isn't the name of a new rap group.
>77. People you don't like are all "Bastids."
>78. You took school or work off for the Patriots first Super Bowl Win
Parade.
>79. You've called something "wicked pissa."
>80. You'll always get razzed for Dukakis.
>81. Saturday afternoons meant Creature Double Feature with Dale Dorman
>82. Sunday mornings meant the Three Stooges on Channel 38
>83. You've slammed on your brakes to deter a tailgater.
>84. No, you don't trust the Gorton's Fisherman.
>85. You know that Papa Gino's usually has a jukebox.
>86. You think Aerosmith is the greatest rock band of all time!!!!!!!!!
>87. Your town has at least 6 sub shops, and none of them are a Subway.
>88. You know at least three Tony's, one Vinnie and a Frankie.
>89. 20 degrees isn't that bad as long as there ain't no
wind- then it gets wicked cold.
>90. You werrevery sad when saying goodbye to the Boston Garden.
>91. Thanksgiving means family, turkey, High School football, and Alice's
Restaurant.
>92. You know the guy who founded the Boston Pops was Athah Feedlah.
>93. You know what the Combat Zone is.
>94. You actually drive 45 minutes to New Hampshire to save $5 in sales tax
>95. You pull out of a side street and use your car to block oncoming
traffic to make a left.
>96. You've bragged about the money you've saved at The Christmas Tree Shop.
>97. You've been to Hampton Beach on a Saturday night.
>98. Playing street hockey was a daily after school ritual.
>99. Hearing an old lady shout "Numbah 96 for Sioux City!" means it's time
for steak.
>100. You remember Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Grants, Bradlees, Caldor, Zayres,
or Ann & Hope.
>101. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from
Massachusetts

Left Coast Prospects

This company is providing the type of content through its MediaFlo product that will drive the iPhone acceptance. Plus they are headquartered in San Diego. Could be a flight to the West Coast looming forth. The CellNet seeds are still bearing fruit.

Planning for the 4th

Peeps -
Thanks for all of the 4th of July cookout invites. Joanne and I have decided that we will attend as many as we can based upon the following criteria.

• The Hosts are cooler than we are.
• None of the other guests are Al Queda.
  
• No air travel is required.
• The cookout is primarily based in the New England region.

That cuts out a couple hundred of the invitations.
Even with this filter, we'll be pretty busy.
See you around the 4th!!

Bird Like

Larry Bird made everyone around him a better basketball player. Instead of playing to his teammates level, they rose to his.
~
It's always amazed me that greatness can be reduced to mediocity by being influenced by mediocre people. You would think that the Great can inspire those around to be elevated, but instead of rising to greatest, the descent to mediocrity has prevailed.
~
I think you should play like Bird. Don't let the others around you drag you to their level of foolish pride and petty mediocrity.
~
I don't exactly know how to do this, but it is worth trying.
~
You should start by playing your own game. It is far superior to the others' level of play. Ask your friends how they think that the game has been going. Maybe that will help.

A Weird Week

Since the 4th of July is on a Wednesday, both ends of this week qualify for celebration. Plus the weather is mint. I wonder how much work will get done this week. It will be hard to reach customers.