Project Initation

Tomorrow is the first day of September. Time to begin the Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory as drawn by the venerable late John Gardner. There are three constraints that will initially impede the project.
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First is my commitment to the success of Nanepashemet Project Management in developing a financially stable business. That constraint is the fuel that drives all other initiatives. Without this commitment, there will be no way to pay for the cedar and epoxy required to build the dory.
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The second constraint is space, or the lack thereof. The first action item in the construction of the Gunning Dory will be a wholescale reorganization of my garage and the space under the deck in the back of the house. The garage is twenty feet long; the Dory will be eighteen feet long. Efficiency in the use of the garage space is paramount. It I can't move around with ease from machine to machine, I will lose interest in keeping pace with the project requirements.
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The third constraint is the state of my basement. It used to be a fairly decent family room, but now it is filled with crap. The floors have to be tiled, the cabinetry replaced, the trimwork has to be completed, ceiling repaired and everything has to be painted. If I commit whole heartedly to the boat project, and neglect finishing the basement, I will lose the support of Joanne, Mike and Kate for the overall project and be subject to constrant derision and ridicule.
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I'd like to complete the Gunning Dory by next June.
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So there we have our equation for success. The Dory has to be built without compromising my commitment to my business, the garage has to be revamped and the basement project has to progress simultaneously.
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Somehow, I am not daunted.
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Since I spend a lot of time at Nanepashemet Telecom waiting for customers and vendors to call me back, it should be possible to fill in the gaps with focused activity. The Garage can be reorganized with the help of some serious dump runs in the next couple of days. And the basement can be looked at as a welcome diversion from Boatbuilding from time to time.
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Course, there is also social obligations that will bite into project tiime. Tomorrow we have Michael Murphy's wedding in Stow, MA. By Sunday, it may be possible to start the garage reorg work, providing a manageble hangover from the Wedding Reception. Murph deserves nothing less that a full party effort.
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But if it is a great day, we might have to get some striper fishing in... and the dump isn't open on Sunday, or next Monday which is Labor Day.
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So the project launch has some interesting challenges this weekend.

Fair Winds

Since the Bank meeting for Nanepashemet Telecom was so successful, I decided to blow off work in the afternoon and try to sail the Tender in Marblehead Harbor. Either the Tender doesn't sail too well, or I suck at sailing, or a combination of the two, because I soon became bored with trying to make headway sailing and bungeed the sail to the mast in favor of a row around the Harbor.
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Afterwards, I got a chance to see my grandson, Will, who eventually will be riding his bike over to Beverly Ave., hanging around the garage, learning how to build cool looking boats that don't sail too well. Maybe he won't suck at sailing like his grandfather.

No Sweat

Runner's World says that the maximum heart rate formula is 208 - (.7 x age).
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That puts mine at 170. I've been consistently at 150 beats per minute, and have also hit 160 on the Cybex stationary bike recently, so I was interested in finding out where I should back off.
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Anywhere over 140 and I'm getting a good burn based upon my breathing and sweat.
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When I'm rowing in the Tender, I don't really get a burn in because there are two many distractions on the water.

Peep of the Week - Week 34

Peep of the Week day.
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People shouldn't get so worked up about it.
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It's just another day.
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So why all the hubbub???, why all the dither????, why all the rigamarole????
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It's only Thursday, Peep of the Week Day.
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I suppose that if I didn't have the heavy and aching responsibility of selecting the POTW, I would get all hot and bothered too.
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Whatever....

Announcing
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for week 34 of 2007

• Trish Rockett
• Denise Sousa
• Patrick Piscatelli
• Bill Hillegas
• Marion Solomon
• Derek Jeter

So now that's over with. Everyone can take a chill pill until next Thursday when all of the angst and hysteria begins again.

Dark and Stormy Tour.

It was a nice evening with Lynda and Will Murray as we first graced the Corinthian Porch for a drink, then headed to the Boston Yacht Club for dinner. At both stops, I sampled the Dark and Stormies and rated the BYC's far superior.
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Both yacht clubs had better D&S's than the Landing Restaurant however, which advertises a "Best of Boston" for their Dark and Stormies.
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Course, the ones that I make at Beverly Ave. eclipses all of them.

Book Writing Methodology

I'm thinking of writing the Gunning Dory book on this blog, then transferring the text and graphics to Microsoft Word. That means that the many thousands of you who faithfully hit this blog every day will get a free book.
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Maybe it would be worth it.
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After all.... the book should draw millions, and a relatively few "loss leaders" shouldn't greatly diminish it's commercial success. Plus, I'll put a few bonuses in the Word edition which should lure the Blog Peeps to make the purchase.

Burdensome Free Speech

Have any of you Peeps noticed the comments made by "the Topper" and "Tuna Lips"???? They are bogging down the Blog, nasty to Nanepashemet, piercing to the Peeps. What can we do about these sinister influences???
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Even though I believe in a free exchange of ideas, and cherish our civil liberties.... I am troubled by the hapless comments made by these ill advised individuals.
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As always, I am open to suggestions from the Peeps in dealing with this unpalateable dilemma. Despite the fact that I hardly ever do what you suggest, I am still open.

Nice Bridge

Millau, the highest bridge in the world

The construction of the Millau viaduct in the southeast of France was a colossal engineering effort. The piers rise 803 feet from ground level, and the bridge weighs 400,000 tons. The bridge is supported by seven huge pillars. When the thickness of the platform (14 feet) and the height of the pillars are included, the total height reaches 1102 feet. That is about 50 feet higher than the famous Eiffel Tower. Construction of this bridge required more than 350,000 tons of concrete and 40,000 tons of steel. Assembled with the precision of a Swiss watch, this giant was designed to resist winds of up to 130 miles per hour and has cost almost 300 million euros (US$523 million). Built across the mountainous terrain of the Tarn river valley, the 8071-foot long bridge is part of the A-75 freeway that connects the cities of Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers. It will shorten by more than 60 miles the route connecting Paris with the Mediterranean.

New Beginnings

Last week of the summer before Labor Day. Even though the calendar year starts in January, September is always the month for new beginnings. We have Murph's wedding next weekend with Tina's the following weekend. It will be a nice beginning for them.
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In many ways, Nanepashemet Telecom will begin anew as we roll out some major contracts.
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I've also consciously decided to begin my book on building the Marblehead Gunning Dory, which means that I'll have to actually begin building the boat. This book won't be presold, which means that I will have a final manuscript to send to publishers.
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A nice byproduct will be that I 'll also have completed the Marblehead Gunning Dory as drawn by John Gardner after the prototype developed by William Chamberlain of Marblehead in the early 1900's. The boat will be developed using the cedar strip method similar to the process for the Tender construction. Improvements on the Tender will be a larger size - 18 ft. - to accomomdate two rowers or fishermen. It will be equipped to sail - with two sprit sail masts - but will also have an internal motor well to handle a 12HP outboard and fuel.
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A little something for everybody.
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The book will detail the construction process including not only the boat itself, but all of the distractions and issues that impede its completion. In many ways, the boatbuilding theme will be the note of resolve in a free flowing jam.
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I will entertain suggestions from the Peeps for a book title.
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As always, upfront cash for the reserve of signed, first run copies is perfectly acceptable.

Fish 1, Me 0

Today (as in most days) the fish won. But it was an interesting fight. Rowing across Conway Lake, I had two strong strikes, but saw no rising fish. Dead heading back to the put in, the trolling rod went down hard, and as soon as I picked it up, a large mouth bass leaped out of the water with a head shake that he must have learned in Tarpon school.
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I was pumped, and felt that the day was vindicated. While keeping the line tight, I was reeling in when the fish made another twisted jump clear of the water. I figured that if he didn't throw the hook on those two attempts, that I would boat him for sure.
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When I got him to the boat he came out of the water yet again, and rid his mouth of the lure. I lost him. He was by far the better competitor.
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I didn't mind losing him.

Another Day, Another Fish

Conway Lake will be the field of battle tomorrow.
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We'll see if any one other than the stout Yellow Perch will have the fortitude to mount a challenge.

Yellow Perch Recollection

The Yellow Perch is a feisty little fish.

Many years ago, I fished with my Grandfather, Adelbert Crosby, in Little Lake Ossipee and we caught a mess of these and took them home to fry. They were great to eat, but small.
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I thought of him today, catching these fish in Lake Umbegog.

The Battle of Umbagog

The confrontation with Small Mouth Bass and Brook Trout didtn't materialize on Lake Umbegog today.
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Five Yellow Perch fell victim to my deceptive and highly effective angler techniques..... but no small mouth or trout.
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I did catch an ambitious pickeral as well - the smallest fish that I've ever landed on a lure.







Other events of the day are worthy of note.
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I saw two bald eagles, three loons, two otters, and a dead bull moose at the side of the road. The moose took with it a Dodge Ram Pickup front end, and the three mountain men standing on the highway looked pretty perplexed.
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I was going to stop and take pictures, but then thought the wiser of it since I had my NY Jets T-Shirt on that Rich Berliner gave me.
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Umbegog is a nice lake. More motor traffic than I would have thought, and the wind that was written about, definitely came up after the noon hour, which made rowing back to the ramp a workout.

Confrontation with Small Mouth

By the time I finished three meetings today and returned to Marblehead to clean up a little, it was 5:30 PM. So I hitched up the Tender and headed to North Conway. This is the first time that I trailered the Tender on the highway, and there were no issues. I think this could be a regular occurence.
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Tomorrow morning, I hope to head to Lake Umbegog in Errol, NH first thing in the morning. Mike says that he say a TV news item that says that the Bald Eagle is making a comeback, and specifically mentioned Umbegog. I've seen one before, down in Naples, Florida where it flew right in front of my car like it was a common pigeon. It would be cool to see one again.
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The last time that Joanne and I were in the Umbegog region in Northern NH, a Moose crossed the road in front of us.
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Hope to have a violent encounter with some small mouth bass and brook trout sometime tomorrow morning. I will bring a camera, because no one will believe me otherwise.

Shaping up the Weekend

Tomorrow...
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A visit to our corporate counsel in Boston, first thing in the morning to take care of some organizational details, then on to lunch in Southeaster Mass with a customer.
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By 3:00 PM, I should be back in Marblehead, and will hitch up the Tender to take it to NH and test it in Lake Umbegog and Conway Lake for some trout and small mouth fishing this weekend.
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A fitting end to a fitting week.

POTW - Week 33

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My day ended exactly as I wanted. We nailed the big meeting and it is full speed ahead from here.
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With Joanne in North Conway, I was looking for a celebratory dinner, but didn't have her finesse in preparation.
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So I went with the old standby, my famous buffalo wings which I supplemented with some canned oysters that I fried with the wings. The accompanying vegetable was two slices of swiss cheese. Combined with a couple or three Dark and Stormies, and the rest was pig out heaven.
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Now for the real matter at hand.
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ANNOUNCING....

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 33rd week of 2007.

• Jay Turner
• Tom DiMatteo
• Isam Halwani
• Joanne Nestor
• Craig Murray
• Stacy Butler

Now on to glory and prosperity.

Morning Action

Feeder visitors of note were this Chickadee and a few of his flock, two young Cardinals - a male and female - as well as a House Finch and the Downy Woodpecker.
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I couldn't catch the woodpecker on camera.
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Other than that, the Sparrows are pigging out and a couple of Mourning Doves have shown up.

Today is the Day

Today is the Day.
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Everything is going to go right today.
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Just to make sure, I'm going to shower and change into some fresh underwear.
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I'll be brushing my teeth, even though I already did that once this week.
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Might even give the nose hair a little trim.... and shave my back as far as I can reach.
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Personal hygiene is a part of business success that shouldn't be overlooked.
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No detail will be left unturned.
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Today is the Day.

Approaching the Launchpad

With any luck, tomorrow will be a power day.
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The events and strivings of the past six months culminate in a crucial meeting that has the potential of launching this juggernaut firmly into a stable orbit.
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It would be nice if the meeting was definitive, but business rarely works that way. The suspense will probably play out a bit more.

A Good Start

Something about this T-Shirt that makes me think that it might work as the POTW version.
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A Damn good T.
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Kudos to a special Peep for the nice research.