Championship Series

Celts are going to the Finals. Boston sports fans have had the thrill of seeing their teams in the last World Series, Superbowl and now the NBA Finals. That's pretty good.
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We watched the Celts beat the Pistons at the Gerry5 last, and Tommy O took the plunge - tendering his membership papers and demonstrating his prowness at billiards. Should be a nice series against the Lakers.
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Boston Celtics v the LA Lakers in the Finals... seems like deja vu.

Rain Delay

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain which sucks because I wanted to varnish the Tender and Will's Toy Box. I technically could spray the Toybox and I might, but it is far easier to do it in the driveway rather than the garage.
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The toy box lid has to be stiffened with some cleats so that it doesn't bend. Maybe I'll concentrate on that in the morning, because by noon we have to go to the Saugus High School Graduation, where my nephew, Kyle, will be giving a speech as the senior class president.
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We're pretty proud of Kyle. He'll be attending college in Virginia, majoring in theater.

Week 21 POTW

Peeps...
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I don't blame you if you are a little pissed.
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Entirely skipping the crucial Thurs post to name the Peeps of the Week is inexcusable...
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And yet.... I do have an excuse!
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I had dinner last night with a company CEO who wants to buy Nanepashemet Telecom. Unless he can make me an offer that turns me into a gentleman boatbuilder with no financial cares, there will be no deal.
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It could happen.... Pigs could fly.... and Monkeys could jump out of my ass.
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ANNOUNCING
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for Week 21 of 2008

• Bill Hillegas
• Pat Piscatelli
• Michael Bloomberg
• Rosella Mercuri
• Meaghan Bruett
• Sandy Greenlaw

So far, no monkeys.

Strange Coincidence

It happened again. Two entirely diverse projects, that we have been chasing for well over a year, coming together on the same day! Very weird and seemingly beyond coincidence. A couple of other jobs are also on the brink of coming in. This will be a busy summer.
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This has happened before to me before, so I shouldn't be so amazed, but it's still so freaking weird!
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Plus when got home from my field work today Grandson Will was over for a visit which was a fun end for a strange day.

Weekend Revelation

It was a nice weekend. Both Will's toy chest and the Tender are ready for spray varnish and these projects look set to be completed on schedule by next weekend. Then I can set my sights on building a corner cabinet for the TV that Joanne has been asking about, and resuming work on the Dory.
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Somebody driving by this weekend saw the Dory frames and asked me how many boats I am going to build. My glib response was that it depended upon how long I lived. But that is pretty much the truth. If I could cut the nut by building boats, I definitely would. But until then, Nanepashemet Telecom will have to carry the burden of paying for everything.

Hot Dog Rolls

Just had two natural casing hotdogs with JJ Nissen Frankfurter rolls, mustard, and relish for lunch. The rolls are wicked important as Joanne found out when she bought the wrong ones yesterday.
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After 30 odd years, she still has trouble getting it right. But she's trying... and I'm very forgiving.

Will Sleep Over

It's a Will extavaganza this morning with his Nana Joanne and his Auntie Kate.
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Even Jack Dog and Roenick are psyched.

Karmic Toy Chest

Those of you who view me as a narcissistic, self-absorbed, ego-maniac are not too far off the mark.
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But you can't say that I'm not honest.
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Now, back to talking about me...
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I just finished the first sealer coat of epoxy on the exterior of Will's Toy Chest. I'm reasonably satisfied with the craftsmanship, but the design is what I am totally pleased with.
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Three of the oak sides were part of the kitchen that I built 18 years ago when we first moved to Beverly Ave, and the inside bottom is cedar that I salvaged from my mother's hope chest. Too bad you can't smell it because it is still aromatic after over sixty years.
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There is a lot of good karma in this chest, and so to be more still when Grandson Will starts using it.

Lamp Post Envy

Matt and Allison Peabody bought a nice granite lamp post for their Dad, Jim Bob Peabody. Tommy O and I helped Jim and Matt to raise it and it really looks great in front of their house.
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Now, guess what?
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Joanne wants a new lamp post.
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I should have seen it coming.... but I have to admit, it is a good idea. She picked out this Azek PVC model which I like too. I may decide to buy the stock and build it, using the extra stock to build a cuppola from the Azek as well.
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I'll build another cupola for Jim-Bob so that he doesn't think that we're trying to steal his thunder.

Success

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

---
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Memorial Day Weekend

I'm a litttle ashamed and embarrassed at myself.
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All I could think of looking forward to this weekend is three days off.
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But the ability to enjoy those three days in peace and freedom, without having a German, Japanese or Russian telling me exactly what I could do with them is the true focus for this weekend.
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What a different, and dark world it would be today without the extraordinary actions and sacrifices made by the past generations of Americans in the Armed Services. The fact that I am writing this Blog in English and not German, and can say whatever I want without governmental repression.... this alone is testament to their services to us and America.
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I think of my father, who was blown off a ship in World War II, and spent a year in the Veteran's Hospital, my grandfather who was gassed in a trench in World War I, and my father -in-law, who was wounded by a Chinese artillery shell and held as a prisoner of war in Korea.
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It was the actions and sacrifices of these and millions of other men and women, who have given me the audacity to expect three carefree days of peace and relaxation this Memorial Holiday weekend.
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Have a great, fun, peaceful weekend.... but take the time to remember exactly why you are able to do so.... and give some thoughts and prayers to those who sacrificed for you.

Tuna Lips said...

and don,t for a minute think that Hassan the camel trader would like nuttin' better than to have your lilly white tookus muling around his figs and carpets whilst he watches good ole made in the USA porn. Cant have one without the other.

Help a vet, and pray for thems that fell so we might have our days in the sun.

Adjustments

I made a major change in Will's Toychest design today. The base that seemed so right in my head made the chest look too bulky and tall when I actually built it. So I eliminated it and simplified the design. It looks much better, and now I'm progressing to final sanding.
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The discarded chest base was used to create a display shelf for the antique bottles that we excavated ten years ago from the original Sundance Pre-School site, which was an apothecary, then a clam shack before becoming the florist shop that we demolished to build the school.
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It would be possible to get all of the toychest sanding done tomorrow, apply a sealer coat of clear epoxy and be ready for spray varnish when the Tender is ready next week or so. But I have to carve Will's initials on the inside lid and that will take some time.
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I don't want to cut any corners on this project, and have taken every step I know to strive for perfection. This one is turning out well, but they'll be other chances to build chests for grandkids yet to be born.

Three Day Weekend

I'm only a few conference calls and some accounting work away from a long three day weekend. The weather report is aces. Looks like summer temps are kicking in.
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The WhaleEye hasn't been launched so that we'll be giving quite a few fish a stay of execution until a future weekend. Then all bets are off, because fish will die this season.
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I'm just going to lay low and stay around the hood. Both Mike and Kate talked about dropping by, and we have Little Will on Sunday and Monday. Looks like there is a great chance to get all of the sanding done on the Tender and Will's Toychest so that I can begin the spray varnishing next week.
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BTW, yesterday, I completed my second running workout on the tread mill with NO KNEE PAIN!
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If I can get some quality workouts in over the weekend, then maybe I can salvage the attempt at the Marine Marathon this October.

Week 20 - POTW

A huge day for Nanepashemet Telecom.... picked up a nice contract from one customer and a long awaited purchase order from another. The big one is right around the corner. I can sense it.

Announcing...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 20th week of 2008

• Jon Lester
• Rich Berliner
• Will Murray
• Kelley Clark
• Bianca de la Gaza
• Ray Allen

Can't wait to check my email tomorrow.

Return to Normalcy

So Kristi Yamaguchi emerged victorious in Dancing With The Stars. I called that one episodes ago. I'm glad it's over though. Time to resume my manly role as a manly man, untainted by attention to a ballroom dancing diversion.

Tuna Lips said...

You call a jap winning anything on Americanish tv normalcy? What next, you gonna open up a 'gay care center' so all the chilluns can get learnt up on not being normal?

Cause for Concern

Peeps...
There are a couple of points of concern that I have to bring to your attention today.
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First... I did not throw a No-Hitter yesterday for the Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals. It was Jon Lester, not John Nestor. The fact is that I've never even pitched for the Red Sox. So stop all of the congratulatory emails and voicemails. You know how annoyed this makes me.
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And Second.... I've just recently found out that Dale Johnson, aka "Buck", was noted as the best marksman in his Army battalion. Buck with a rifle. That is definitely cause for concern.

Coming Together

Day Two of a diverse and busy week at Nanepashemet Telecom. Several completely different projects are coming together at the same time - pretty weird.
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Of course it all won't pan out as I imagine it. If it did, I'd be looking for loft space with a loading dock near a water put in for my ultimate Nanepashemet Boatbuilding business pretty soon.
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That will happen sooner or later... but sooner is definitely preferable.
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BTW, Will's Tool Chest is already finished... mentally in my head. I'm happy with the design. Now all I have to do is complete it with some solid craftsmanship. Since I'm not working with a printed plan, the mental part is the hard part.

Finals

Between the Celtics going to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Finals of Dancing with the Stars, I'm afraid that I might go on overload this week. Too much excitement and pressure!

Convergence

The lid for Will's Toy Chest came out very well and the design of mahogany and oak accents was successful. I borrowed this design element from the breasthook of the Herreshoff Tender and the hardwood seat that I had to re-fabricate after Jim Peabody inadvertently karate chopped the original cedar one.
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The mahogany has some stress cracks, but these will be sealed by the absorption of the first coat of epoxy.
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I also sanded out the dovetails but was less than 100% satisfied because the fit was not as precise as I would have liked for a project of this importance. The gaps were filled with a glue and sanding dust putty that will cause the flaws to disappear, but I know that they are there and a juried woodworker will see them.
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The vast majority of you Peeps won't have a clue, so I guess I shouldn't get pissed off with myself about it.
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The project will be completed well before Will's birthday in mid-June, but I'm rushing it because I want to spray it with multiple coats of marine varnish while the Tender interior is also being varnished, and I'd like to launch the Tender as soon as possible.
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Both projects will be completed with the varnishing at the same time.

Clean Up Your Act

My Mother use to say that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." Not sure where she got that from.
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But if cleanliness is next to Godliness, then my garage must be right next to Hell.
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That is one filthy place.
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I glued and clamped the dovetails on Will's Toy Chest today, but the bulk of the day was spent trying to clean and get order in the garage. It looks pretty good to me now, but to the untrained eye, it still must resemble a chaotic pigsty.
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The day ended right though when Tommy and Linda O'Shea came over with some natural casing hot dogs that we grilled with chicken wings and kielbasa... chased down with some Dark and Stormies.