Flightless Birds

Birds of a feather flock together. Seems like I ran into an aquatic species that seek to imitate boat anchors. It was only a matter of time. Not sure that I want this species at the bird feeder.

POTW - Week 48

I'll be truthful....... I've been so busy this week that I didn't even realize that it was Thursday. Business has hit a fever pitch. I wonder if the Dow hitting new heights has anything to do with it?
~
At any rate, I really haven't had an idle moment since Monday morning. That's a good thing as long as the activity is profitable... I mean, ditch diggers are busy too.
~
But I have to believe that the action will convert into dollars, otherwise I'll never get that big ass BMW that I've had my eyes on.
~
Announcing.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for week 48 of 2007.

• Barry Lutchen
• Lindsey Kepnes
• Eric Rumpf
• Tom McMahon
• Linda O'Shea
• Brian Butler

It looks like a busy day tomorrow too.

Tuna Lips said...

Idle hands is the Debbil's workshop, that is what my momma was good for sayin', particularly when she caught me interferin' with myself. I never got that. I would say, "but momma, my hands is busy", whereupon she would throw in my general direction the mason jar she was drinkin' corn spirits from to forget about her existence.

Anonymous said...

A+ on the Peep of the week selections. Anything that puts me and Lindsey Kepnes together is perfect by me.

J. you gotta check out Tony La Rusa's youtube video from his sobriety test. The whole thing is good but make sure you hear the part where he says the alphabet. It's something special.

-McMahon

10:04 AM

2:15 PM

Dory Stalking

The other day, when I was coming back from the post office, I got behind a truck that was towing a Chamberlain Gunning Dory into Old Town Marblehead. Stalker that I am, I followed the trailer until I got to a narrow one way street where the truck stopped.
~
Not being able to pass, I got out and asked the guy, who was directing the boat trailer into a driveway, if that was a Chamberlain dory and who built it.
~
He corrected me by saying that it was a Chamberlain Gunning Dory (like I didn't already know) and that it was built by Thad Danielson of Redd's Pond Boatworks.
~
It was planked with four chined planks, painted gray. The lines were straight out of John Gardner's depiction.
~
I'm pretty certain that the utilization of cedar strip planks, carefully matched for color and grain and clear varnished, with no hard chine delineation, will make my dory a unique interpretation of a beautiful design.

Tuna Lips Disclosure.

Why all the controversy around Tuna Lips???? Thousands of emails, all demanding to know his identity!!!
~
The Truth is that I'm sworn to secrecy. I simply can't disclose the person that is Tuna Lips. If you know me at all, you know that I can never betray a confidence.
~
Yes.... Tuna Lips is a real person, but here is where it gets complicated. Tuna Lips is a guy who is writing in the persona of another guy that we have labeled as Tuna Lips. Does that sound confusing??? It should because it makes my head hurt.
~
So, there is the real Tuna Lips, and a guy who writes as if he is Tuna Lips.
~
I'm starting to loathe myself.

Tuna Lips said...

Like Yahweh (that is the God of the Jew in the old testermint for you ignant types) I am who am. Slow to anger, but you git my hackles out I am gonna bring my wrath upon yerself like one of them fire-breathin' lizards that attacked those sneaky Japs in the movin picture shows. But fear not, I am a gentle type. I knows how to act in polite society. And see, the ladies, they like ole TL. All of 'ems wants to get rutting around with me, their eyes tear up when I breath across they necks, can not control their emotions. Several have lost bodily control, upchucking undigested vittles, so vaclempht they gets near me. In most cases, they could stand to lose a couple pounds, but really, it aint natural. Shoot, the courts have used their broad intercessory powers on occassion, aiming to settle the women folk down by asking me to just stay out of their general quadrant. Its a burden, but I carry on. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I aint no commie, but there is a ring of truismness in that pertaining to my experience.

The Sizzler is havin' an All U can Eat buffet of USDA grade C beef(stored in only the best brine) and creamed corn. Gotta run.

Photogenic Roenick

Many times you Peeps have asked me, "What is your favorite photo of Roenick the Cat?"
~
It's a good question and naturally I've taken it very seriously.
~
As you know, Roenick is extremely photogenic. And he lives for the camera. So there is so much to consider.
~
This is a good one. Not sure if it is my favorite.

Going Native

So I suppose your wondering why I posted this painting of a Native American....
~
So am I.
~
American Indians have always held a fascination for me, particularly those of the New England area. I think this guy is from a tribe of the mid-west though.
~
What a different world it would have been if the Indians had an immunity to European microbes. Maybe the European technological edge would have been lessened if the Indians were more numerous.

The Indians adapted to technology very quickly. The Europeans introduced horses, and the Indians became arguably the greatest equestrians in history. Their dexterity with firearms was also quickly established.
~
But they had not adopted the wheel and were still hunter - gatherers when the Europeans arrived with their germs.

Tuna Lips said...

My pappy's pappy loved them red skins. In fact, thems was the ones, I think the Choctaw or some such tribe, gave him the name "Lips like Tuna Has". Having never seen a tuna in the Oklahoma badlands, the injuns must of had one of them visions. Not surprising them heathens was seein things, as we got our start in the hooch business selling "firewater" to them savages. I say that with all due respect.

11:51 AM

Getting It Done.

Today was one of those rare days when I accomplished everything that I set out to do.
~
I think it had to do with setting realistic goals and making lists. Also respecting deadlines. Everyday, I set out to get a workout in, but today I made it a point to stop everything at noon and workout for an hour.
~
Naturally I didn't get around to it until 1:00 PM, but I still got it in. Working out at lunchtime is probably the key. Nobody returns your calls then, and the exercise curbs your appetite. It would be nice to develop this habit.

Lousy OddsMakers

Patriots won by three, 31 to 28. So much for the spread. Philadelphia definitely didn't pay attention. Patriots will take the win, but the Eagles brought them back down to Earth.

Calling Towne's Bluff

Remember Bob Towne? My old college roommate who had stayed buff and in shape after all these years?
~
He's the one on the far right, and I'm pretty sure that he doesn't think that I have the guts to post these photos of Joe Collins, me and him.
~
I don't exactly recall what the three of us are doing in that picture.
~
At any rate, Bob..... as you can see, I still don't embarrass easily.

Fa La La

Joanne did a real nice job getting the house ready for Christmas. She and Katelyn got the tree from the Marblehead Garden Center, and set it up.... all during the time that I was taking Mike and Kelly to Logan for the flight back to Washington, DC. Luckily I had no role at all, which is great, because picking out the tree is my least favorite holiday thing to do.
~
Now that my kids are grown, Christmas shouldn't be such an expensive ordeal, although I don't think that Katelyn agrees with me.

Tuna Lips said...

Keepin' the Christmas season simple and about me and the baby Jesus is what I am all about. I have never given a present that someone has not commented on how thoughtful I am. If I had a nickel fer everytime someone said, "its the thought that counts" after I give them a present . . . . . but I digress. I am expecting a fine array of present from my collegues and business relations this yuletide. From Marilyn, the copy center gal who I never fail to compliment (be it her figure, or her pouty lips) to Suzanne (the 50 something office manager whose "juicy" (I am being generous) bottom I smack ever now and then to make her feel good about herself), there should be a bevy of snack baskets, company clothing, and heart felt notes full of longing ("this should sweeten your breath", came with a pack a mints from one admirer) and Christmas cheer.

Crazy Point Spread

Point spread of the Patriots over the Eagles is 24 points.
~
That says that two teams of professional football players are going to take the field, and one team will win by 24 points. I know that you knew that, but it bears repeating because it is such a crazy notion.
~
It's been 27 years since an NFL game has been given such a spread.

Tender Fishfinder

I was thinking that a portable fishfinder, run by batteries would work well in the Tender. The transducer is temporarily adhered to the underside of the boat by a suction cup.
~
This Humminbird model is supposed to be accurate up to 600 ft. There are other makes and models available - some in color, with GPS functions, and pretty pricy.
~
This B&W model seems to have the basics, reasonable resolution, temperature and deth gauges I'm concerned about battery life. It you don't get more than 12 hours, it would be a pain.
~
There should be cod and flounder in Marblehead Harbor over the cold months, and this baby could help me catch them.

Affordable Gifts

I've been fashioning these pendants and have them for sale at $200 each. They are solid sterling silver with silver chains and are very similar to those sold by Tiffany at their Wall St. New York store.
~
I hope to sell 100 of these and raise $20,000 in order to afford suitable gifts for Katelyn during this joyous holiday time of giving..... and Katelyn Getting.

Slow Day

The Friday after Thanksgiving is always a slow, non-descript day. I did get some business done though. So maybe I'm ahead of the game.
~
I doubt it.

Peep of the Week - 47

I hope that all of you had a Happy Thanksgiving. We did, and we were all pretty thankful about our new grandson, Will.
~
I was also very thankful that two special Peeps chose to take an automatic route to the coveted/avoided Peep of the Week designation. If more of you were as considerate as them, this weekly selection process would flow much easier.
~
But there was still enough inspiration, annoyance and stupidity to fill out the remaining slots.
~
Bob Brown in particular tried to pull a fast one by telling me that a gift of the Prince of Scotch, Talisker, should be an automatic. I agree that Talisker is the freaking balls, but it's still not Lagavulin. I get more annoyed the more I think about it. I better announce the POTW's before I get on overload.

ANNOUNCING......
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for Week 47 of 2007.

• Michael "Murph" Murphy *
• Bobby Wojcik *
• Dale Johnson
• Bob Brown
• Kristen Jellison
• Ginny Hudak

* Automatic Lagavulin Rule.
~
I'm still pretty upset about the Talisker caper.

Anonymous said...

I am more automatica than Gramatica! NOG NOG NOG NOG!!!

9:29 AM

Nevets Fud said...

In the PMP world, we call Mr. Brown's effort "gold-plating".

3:44 PM

Bash Rehash

The Thanksgiving Eve Bash came off flawlessly as planned. Some of the Peeps claimed it was the best time of their lives, which is pushing it a little, don't you think?
~
There were two automatic POTW selections due to the gift of the king of scotch, Lagavulin, to me.
~
That honor went to Bob Wojcik, who obviously is contrite about wrecking my marathon training, and Michael "Murph" Murphy, who has to be in the running for Peep of the Year.

Bash Eve

Today is the day. The most important day in the life of a Nanepashemet Peep.
~
That's because the annual Nestor Thanksgiving Eve Bash has grown to have a cult-like, almost religious significance in the life of most of you.
~
I don't know why this is. It's like a mystery of faith.
~
Anyway, I hope to see as many of you as possible, and please try not to lapse into a state of frenzied hysteria. It's just a day, like any other day.

Party Planning

Going to Costco this afternoon to get provisions for the Thanksgiving Eve Bash. I vastly prefer Costco over BJ's even though I've never been to BJ's. BJ's has a stupid name.
~
The Food menu is shaping up thusly.

• The Best Buffalo Wings in Civilized Society
• White Trash Balls for the Crawford Boys
• Mike Nestor's Renowned Clam Chowder
• Joanne's Gasless Chili
• Salami and Provolone Cardiac Calzone
• Macaroni and Cheese (the staff of Life)
• Fruit and Cheese for the Diet Conscious
• Cucumber and Dill Breads for the less messy preference.
• Various types of Beer and Wine
• Seagrams and Cider
• Lagavulin

No, we don't take requests, or variations. Don't bring your own forks... we have plenty.
~
If you come late, you will miss it because the food goes fast.
~
Then all that is left is drinking, and loud and obnoxious behavior.
~
I can't wait.

Getting Thankful

Even though it's Monday Night, I feel like it's Friday. Today was a breakthrough day on a very large procurement for Nanepashemet Telecom. Tons of emotional capital spent. Hopefully, it is a good investment.
~
There will be no clinking of champagne glasses until the fat lady sings. But she's starting to warm up. It could be a great Thanksgiving Holiday.

Running It Up

To the Buffalo Bills fans who were chanting bad things to Brady because of the last score....
~
If the Pats really wanted to run up the score, you would have lost by 80 points. Do you really pine to play our 3rd string?
~
Belichick should do what he is doing. If your level of execution is excellent, it is wrong to dumb it down in any circumstances.

Gearing up for the Annual Bash

I'm fairly certain that Scott McBurney is out of the country. He's not even in the Western Hemisphere.
~
So if you were thinking of coming to the 2007 Nestor Thanksgiving Eve Bash, the coast is clear.
~
Every year we get some Peeps who whine that they were not invited. That is so bogus, because there are no invitations.
~

Zazen

Peeps....
~
It's 10:22PM on Sunday night. Tom Brady has just thrown his fifth touchdown pass against the Buffalo Bills. We are watching a professional who has attained a concentrated singularity of purpose.
~
It is the Tao of Football.
~
Please appreciate this. It is not often that you see someone in such command of his craft.
~
Brady, like Larry Bird of the Celtics used to do, makes all around him reach a higher level of attainment.
~
In the telecast, John Madden and Al Michaels are reduced to praise and conjecture of whether the Patriots are the best team to ever plan the game. The Bills can't be this bad.... the Patriots are just that good.

Patriots Preparation

Will and his Nana, Joanne, are obviously ready for the Patriots game. The Bills don't have a chance.

Making Hay

Today was a work day. I know that it is Saturday, but "you have to make hay while the sun shines".
~
I actually have no idea what this means, but I find myself saying it quite often. I don't know how to make hay, and I have no idea what the sun has to do with it.
~
But it sounds pretty official. At any rate, I worked today because there is a ton of stuff to get done at Nanepashemet Telecom.

Government on Steroids

The possibility of Barry Bonds going to jail for lying about steroid use is ludicrous. The prisons couldn't hold all of the athletes, trainers and team officials who are guilty of this.
~
Using steroids is stupid, but is it cheating? Does lifting weights give an athlete an unfair advantage? How about jogging? How about cortisone shots?
~
I don't condone the use of steroids because it is stupid, not because it is cheating. If Bonds wants to tear apart his future body for a short term career satisfaction, that is his stupid choice.

BTW, looking at Bonds' photos at the beginning of his career and then now is completely bogus. I'm 100 lbs heavier too, and never stuck the juice into my ass cheek. You get old, you get heavier for most of us. Live with it.
~
Bonds apparently is a man of low character. That is why he allegedly lied about taking steroids. But to set him up for indictment is a waste of government resources.

POTW Week 46

I hate to reveal my weaknesses to you Peeps.... because you are so quick to judge, and so harsh in your judgements. Yet, I am drawn to express the truth from a strange, moving, somewhat idiotic force. I wish that I could be more demure and discrete at times.... but discretion can be so boring.
~
So, given that nice little preamble, I have to admit that I am scared of heights.... really afraid.... like having a sinking fear from my stomach to my scrotum. I can be on a rooftop with a parapet, and no problem. But a flat roof that you can fall off the edges sends me to wanting to assume the fetal position in the middle, as far away from the edges as possible.
~
Notice that I said wanting. I resisted the position in actuality
~
Not only am I nervous for me, but I can't stand to see anyone else near the edge.
~
I know what you're thinking.....
~
How can a rough, tough manly man like myself be so freaking fearful???
~
It's a mystery to me too. But today, on a rooftop in Providence, RI, I was reduced to a quivering mass of nervous protoplasm. Which reminds me....

ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 46th Week of 2007

• Bill Shanahan
• Jill Phillips
• Emily Buttorf
• Pat Piscatelli
• Sue Roper
• Debby Clarke

Tomorrow, I'll get on another roof.

Mass Movement

Peeps.....
~
Would you believe it if I told you that I was too busy to Blog?
~
Say it ain't So!!!
~
But that is the case as Nanepashemet Telecom reaches critical mass. After a while, we will open up and hire, which I swore not to do, but it is getting big fast. Which means I am glued to this keyboard, with a Blog in need and a Dory project waiting for a next step that just keeps getting pushed back.
~
Please don't panic. I will find a way to solve this.

Tender Moment

For those of you who have been constantly asking to see a photo of the Tender, here it is.
~
See???
~
Obviously, I'm not immune to your incessant questions and comments. ~
~
Even I can be worn down.

Dory Delays

Yesterday, during my row around the Harbor, I saw an 18 foot Swampscott Dory with two oarsmen. It moved throught the swells very smoothly and inspired me to get the Marblehead Gunning Dory project back on track. But today, I hit the laptop at 6:30AM, skipped lunch, broke for dinner at 5:30 PM and then worked from 7:30 until just now at 9:45PM. And I still didn't get where I wanted to be. My partners are also kicking it.
~
And that's just to clear to decks so that we can deal with the big procurement that just walked in the Nanepashemet Telecom door. There will be some major hours processing that. I'm not complaining. This is infinitely better than waiting for the phone to ring, or trying to manufacture opportunities.
~
But I'm not the least bit optimistic about finding the time to spend on the Dory. Plus it's starting to be the time to plan on the annual Nestor Thankgiving Eve Bash. Joanne wants to scale it down this year. She says that every year, and every year it always escalates to a blowout.
~
What makes this year different? Absolutely nothing. All of you Peeps are invited, and none of you know how to behave.

Pinch Yourself

Did the Red Sox win the World Series a couple weeks ago? Or have I been dreaming? Holy Shit!!! Time to pinch myself.

Cool November Row

It was a clear, cool November mornng today, and I took the opportunity to catch the high tide at 11:00AM to row the Tender from River Head Beach to the green can at the beginning of the Marblehead Harbor. The swells were rolling right into the Harbor, and crashing spray onto the rocks at the Barnicle and the Lighthouse.
~
The harbor was pretty empty and most of the boats were hauled. I smashed into a number of moorings, but the Tender seemed oblivious to it.
~
It was a pain hauling out on the concrete ramp however, and the strip of naval brass that was epoxied to the keel was ripped off. Luckily I found it on the adjacent beach, and I'll have to screw it back on. The epoxy alone obviously wasn't enough.
~
When I finally got the Tender back on the trailer, Abby Bruett showed up and I helped her and Greg haul the Mystic Krewe onto their trailer. Good timing.

Dale Johnson's Nostalgic Fashion Retreat

Dale and Gail Johnson sent me this Blog entry. It was painfully hard to get the pictures right and after a while, I just gave up. But it is pretty funny and worth the effort.

This is entirely Dale's narrative.
~

Last weekend I put an exhaust fan in the ceiling for my wife's grandfather. While my wife's brother and I were fitting the fan in between the joists, we found something under the insulation. What we found was this:



A JC Penney catalog from 1977. It's not often blog fodder just falls in my lap, but holy hell this was two solid inches of it, right there for the taking. I thumbed through it quickly and found my next dining room set, which is apparently made by adding upholstery to old barrels:

Also, I am totally getting this for my bathroom:



There's plenty more home furnishings where those came from, however I'm not going to bore you with that. Instead, I'm going to bore you with something else. The clothes.

The clothes are fantastic.

Here's how to get your ass kicked in elementary school:



Just look at that belt. It's like a boob-job for your pants. He probably needed help just to lift it into place. The belt loops have to be three inches long. And way to pull them up to your armpits, grandpa.

Here's how to get your ass kicked in high school:



This kid looks like he's pretending to be David Soul, who is pretending to be a cop who is pretending to be a pimp that everyone knows is really an undercover cop. Who is pretending to be 15.

Here's how to get your ass kicked on the golf course:



This "all purpose jumpsuit" is, according to the description, equally appropriate for playing golf or simply relaxing around the house. Personally, I can't see wearing this unless you happen to be relaxing around your cell in D-block. Even then, the only reason you should put this thing on is because the warden made you, and as a one-piece, it's slightly more effective as a deterrent against ass-rapery.

Here's how to get your ass kicked pretty much anywhere:



If you look at that picture quickly, it looks like Mr. Bob "No-pants" Saget has his hand in the other guy's pocket. In this case, he doesn't, although you can tell just by looking at them that it's happened - or if it hasn't happened it will. Oh yes. It will. As soon as he puts down his matching coffee cup.

Here's how to get your ass kicked at the beach:



He looks like he's reaching for a gun, but you know it's probably just a bottle of suntan lotion in a holster.

How to get your ass kicked in a meeting:

If you wear this suit and don't sell used cars for a living, I believe you can be fined and face serious repercussions, up to and including termination. Or imprisonment, in which case you'd be forced to wear that orange jumpsuit.

Tommy the Astronomer

Tommy O says that he saw a fireball like object in the sky over Beverly Ave. a couple of nights ago.

Look at the email he sent me.

Hi Jay,

This is making me a little crazy; I have been online looking to see if there were any other chuckleheads who saw this thing.

As I investigate I find that this may have been a “fireball”. Take a look at the photo below as this is exactly what I saw and the rest of the world did not.

Regards, TommyO

There are obvious problems with this email. First of all Tom, you were a little crazy long before seeing this so called "fireball" . Second, they are not "chuckleheads"... the proper nomenclature is "Peeps".

Now this is going to cause a whole new rash of hysterical emails. Thanks alot Tommy.

Another Convert

Yesterday, at various and repeated times, McMahon, Vona, Rafe, Frankie James and a girl whose name I forgot came by to drink their beers and Twisted Tea and sit with Joanne and I. They wanted to see the progress on the Dory, which was embarrassing, because of the sad progress attained on that all important project.
~
I introduced Frankie to the virtues of Lagavulin though, so it wasn't all bad.

Dream On

I got up at 5:30AM this morning to get a glass of juice to drink. A night of snoring can really cause a killer case of dry mouth. My cat Roenick was dancing around at the door to be let out. I knew that with the subfreezing morning chill, that he'd regret that decision if I decided to go back to bed... which I did.
~
Normally I would search for the channel changer and find some cool program on the History Channel to try to wake up to, but the channel changer was missing so I decided to drift back off to sleep and pay attention to my dreams.
~
Man... Dreams can be so crazy. The way things seem so logical as you are dreaming them, then you wake up and say "How does a volleyball transform into a Cat????" and "Why was I gagged and wearing earmuffs at a company picnic?" and even much weirder stuff that is hard to articulate.
~
It is amazing that when you are dreaming, these images and transformations seem perfectly tuned to reality. Then when you wake up and think about it, you say to yourself, "WTF!!!"
~
Naturally, a bunch of you wise ass Peeps are going to make stupid remarks of what these images reveal about me. Bring it on!!! If you were so damn well adjusted, you wouldn't be logging on to this rediculous Blog.

Getting into the Holiday Spirit

Its the freaking holiday season. You have to admit, this year flew by. With less than two months to go, it's been one of the best and worst years of my life.

Further Fart Fun

Thanks to Jen Geraci "The Little Trooper" for "passing" along this cute little children's story. It was Jen's 20th anniversary at General Dynamics today, and her first time on the Nanepashemet Blog.

I don't know which is more significant.

Friday Forecast

The Patriots have a Bye this weekend, and it seems like another rainstorm is in the forecast. It's probably the perfect weekend to tie up some Nanepashemet Telecom loose ends.
~
I don't usually like to work on business during the weekend.... it's healthy to turn away for a two day period. But we have to get all of the small details under wraps as we attack a major procurement that will have a profound effect on our company.
~
I know. Once again, the Marblehead Gunning Dory project is fading from view. I obviously haven't forgotten about it, but if I land this business, everything should be moving forward, and I will be able to devote some attention to your precious Dory.

POTW - Week 45

I did something today that I'm not proud of. I'd tell you what it was, but it is kind of too embarrassing. It wasn't illegal or immoral or anything, but for a short while I really felt like a jerk.
~
Then I went to Dr. Danny Levy's office and had the baby tooth that had been my left front canine for the last half century yanked. I felt sentimental about it and took it home in an envelope. Not that I believe in the tooth fairy or anything. I asked Joanne if she wanted it mounted in a necklace or something, however, she had no real show of enthusiasm.
~
Now I have a full size bridge and my mouth feels completely unnatural. Wonder if this will screw up my public speaking ability? At least Scotch tastes the same.
~
For the most part, the dentist trip proved to be cathartic after my embarrassing jerk episode.
~
..... So now I'm back to normal.
~
Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for Week 45 of 2007

• Pete Endras
• Emily Ingardia
• Rebecca May
• Tanya Towne
  
• Joe Collins
• Tom Faiola

Tomorrow, I'll try to be a better man.... with a brand new smile ;-)

Fart Retort

Most of you took offense to my fart post. The consensus was that it stunk.
~
It was one of Tuna Lips best comments, though and bears sharing here.

Tuna Lips said...

Many a night, Shoo Fly and me was hoboin', we'd settled into a tin of baked beans, dash on some catsup, and throw in a piece of salt pork, before an open fire under a starry sky, and we'd fart the William Tell Overture. Tanglewood has nothin to compare.

Its a burden being an artist.

Bird Mystery

It's a cool morning with lots of action at the feeder.... Cardinals, Blue Jays, Chickadees and Sparrows. Earlier this week, there was a small, blue and white, nuthatch type of bird that I haven't been able to locate in my edition of Sibley's Guide to Birds.
~
Don't you hate that???
~
No worries. I'll solve this mystery soon enough

Sundance Parents

Joanne and I went to a nice reception for Sundance parents put on by Julie Savage and Muffy Paquette tonight at Julie's beautiful home on Flint Street in Marblehead. What a good group of people! They seem to be very enamored with the new school and said that the kids seem more comfortable in it than the previous location. Muffy and Joanne both made nice speeches.
~
It was good input to the business decision that we made last year to move.

Fart Facts

Remember Bob Wojcik? That sinister soliciter of subterfuge? That harrowing harbinger of happenstance? Yeah him. He's the one that put my marathon training on ice with his calf stretching advice.

Well he's trying to get back into my good graces by giving me this really interesting documentation from the Mayo Clinic on farts and farting.

Just when you think he can't do anything worse, he sends me this stuff.... and totally redeems himself.

What is intestinal gas?

More than 99 percent of intestinal gas is a mixture of the same odorless gases that are present throughout the environment. These include nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and sometimes methane. But the exact composition of this mixture varies from person to person, depending on body chemistry and diet.

The nitrogen, oxygen and most of the carbon dioxide in intestinal gas come from the air you swallow when you eat, drink, chew gum or smoke. Chemical reactions in your stomach also produce some of the carbon dioxide content of gas.

Bacteria normally present in the large intestine produce the hydrogen and methane in gas. These bacteria feed on undigested food and release gases during a process called fermentation.

Which foods cause intestinal gas?

Carbonated beverages may cause gas. So can carbohydrates because they often contain indigestible sugars, starches and fiber. For example:

• Lactose. Milk and milk products such as cheese and ice cream, as well as some processed breads, cereals and salad dressings, contain the sugar lactose. While most people can digest lactose with no difficulty, some have trouble because they don't produce any or enough of the enzyme lactase, which splits lactose into digestible parts. Without lactase, milk and other lactose-rich foods ferment in the intestine, releasing excessive gas. People of African, Asian and American Indian descent are most likely to be deficient in lactase.
• Fructose. Onions, artichokes, pears, wheat, and some soft drinks and processed foods contain this sugar, which may be difficult to digest.
• Sorbitol. Apples, pears, peaches, prunes, and some sugar-free foods, candies and chewing gum contain the sugar alcohol sorbitol, another compound that's hard to digest.
• Raffinose. This sugar is found in beans, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus and whole grains.

Rice is the only starch absorbed almost completely by the small intestine. Because rice starch never reaches the large intestine, gas-producing bacteria don't break this starch down. But other starches, including potatoes, corn, noodles and wheat, are gas producers. Dietary fiber, found in beans and wheat bran, also tends to produce gas. When research subjects ate a diet in which half of their calories came from pork and beans, they experienced a tenfold increase in their normal gas production.

Pumped Up

Yesterday was a high adrenalin power day for me in business. Gained traction on all fronts and identified some very exciting prospects. If everything that was presented to me yesterday hits paydirt, a lot of people will be taken care of.
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It's important not to get carried away by the adrenalin at times like this. But I vastly prefer it to getting my ass kicked. Best to find a middle ground.

Get Out of Towne

I got a lot of emails from you disgusting Peeps about my roommate Bob Towne.
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No.... He is not the UniBomber. That guy was picked up years ago.
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No.... He was not flexing. Even in college, he was pretty ripped.
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If you want to get really off the wall, I'll post a photo of our buddy, Joe Collins.
So get off my ass. What the hell does your roommate look like?????

Downward Slide

This is my roommate from UMass, Bob Towne who now runs a BLM district in Washington State.
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Bob.... what have you done to yourself????
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How could you let yourself go like that? You should never have let yourself get so out of shape.
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I'm pretty sure that I can still kick your ass.
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I've included a picture of myself when I competed for UMASS thirty odd years ago. No need for an updated picture, because I really haven' t changed much.
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I'll admit that my hair has gotten a bit grayer... but that's it.

Picking Priorities

Emily Ingardia again proves why she is an all time awesome Peep by finding this wicked cool T-shirt on line.
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I know that I should be marketing a full line of Nanepashemet POTW stuff, but there is only so much time in the day.
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Then I'd have to get in the mail order business... so when would the Dory get built????
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Sometimes you just have to compromise.

Impressive Win

Pats won by 4... 24-20. And they had to come from behind to do it. We'll take the win though.
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New England had the most penalty yards in franchise history, yet still won the game against the undefeated Colts in their own stadium.
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This is one special football team... undefeated at 9 and 0.

New England vs. Indianapolis

Tommy O'Shea says that the Pats are going to blow out the Colts tonight. "Totally waste them!", he says. T goes on to predict a 49-21 victory. I tend to agree.
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Nanepashemet prediction is New England by 15.

McD vs.BK

So you're out on the road, been driving for three hours, skipped breakfast and have a crisp twenty dollar bill in your wallet. Its noon time and you are freaking starving when a roadsign says there is a McDonald's and Burger King at the exit 1/4 mile away.
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I hate to pose this dilemma, but where do you go??? Which junk food emporium do you turn to??
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First of all, I always go to the drive throughs. The chances of acute exposure to general public cooties is too strong if you actually enter the restaurant. So I always stay in my truck and eat in the parking lot. Therefore, the decor of either establishment doesn't enter into my choice criteria.
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And at either establishment, I'll be ordering a double.... Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese at McDonald's or a Double Whopper with Cheese at BK. Also, because I'm basically weak, I always get the fries and eat them first. I buy a milk because I'm health conscious.
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So most of the time, I'll choose McDonald's. It's not because I like the Quarter Pounder better, it's really because the Double Whopper is messier to eat, and I'm a wicked sloppy eater. There's nothing worse than ketchup stains on your jacket.

Celtic Pride

Just when you thought it was too good to be true for sports in Boston, it gets better. The Celtics are back with Kevin Garnett bringing back memories of Robert Parrish and Bill Russell (yes, I remember Bill Russell and even saw him play).
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When I was a kid, I would take the T to the Boston Garden and watch the Celts manhandle all comers. We would inevitably have obstructed seats in the old Garden. Sometimes you actually couldn't see the opposite goal. To try to get better seats, we would run all around the Garden, and we always went to the locker rooms at half time to see the players walk by. I knew every inch of that dirty old smoke filled Garden. It was great and the Celtics never dissapointed.
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Then in college, we had the fantastic Cowens-Havlicek teams that no one really talks about since the Bird era seemed to eclipse those teams. Joanne and I never missed watching a playoff game on TV, no matter how nice the weather was outside.
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After Bird, McHale and Parrish retired, and the Celts started to stink, we lost interest. But now there appears to be a new big three with Garnett, Allen and Pierce.
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I'll still be concentrating on the Pats this season, but the new Celtics are worth keeping an eye on.

Oh Baby

Joanne is in her glory this weekend, since we're taking care of grandson,Will. He's dressed up in Harley Davidson baby gear that the DiMatteo's bought for him. Katelyn is on the way home from South Boston to participate in the intensive goo goo gah gah bash.
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The double bonus for grandparents is that it brings back a ton of memories that you thought that you forgot about. Babies are neat.