Sweet Caroline

Have you noticed the commotion over Caroline Kennedy's bid to be appointed to the vacant Senate seat in New York? All sorts of debate over her "qualifications" to be a US Senator.
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Seems to me that if you are a US citizen and people are either willing to appoint you or vote for you, then you meet the standard.
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All you have to do is look at some of the characters in the Congress to understand that the standards of admission just can't be too complicated.
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If you don't want Sweet Caroline to be appointed, why not just say so, and forego all of the bogus posturings of her qualifications.
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It's easy to have grown tired of the Kennedy's. If that is your position, so be it. But in America, everybody of legal age and proper residency has the qualifications by definition.

High Road

I've been taking a little bit of grief lately because of the lack of Blog posts, but it's not my fault. I've been sick as a dog which is quite a shock for a mountain of a man like me.
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So kiss my ass.
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If I can take the high road, so can you.
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In the next day or so, you'll know who the POTY is. That should calm you down a bit.

POTY Status

A nice comment received from outgoing Peep of the Year, Michael Murphy. Gives me renewed confidence that we made the right decision last year.
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This year's POTY choice is still up in the air. Thanks for your thoughtful nominations, but they are still falling way short.

Yuletide Memories

Christmas is such a signature day. It's a marker for memories.... happy and sad. Even happy memories can bring sad emotions, when the memories involve loved ones who can't be with you, or remind you of people and situations that are gone forever.
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The key is to concentrate on the present, and form the basis for more happy memories. I guess that's true for everyday, not just Christmas. But Christmas is the marker that elicits the memories.
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So Peeps.... have a Merry Christmas.... Felice Navidad.... Joyeux Noel..... and Glad Tidings to you and your loved ones.

Murph Said....

2008 has been a great year. As my POTY term comes to a close I have a few parting words. First off congratulations to the Nestor's, the Bruett's, and the Crawford's on their new family additions. Thankfully the children look like their mothers. Now I hope to see Tuna Lips Advice column heat up in early 2009. That is by far my favorite part of the Blog. Thank you again to Nance Nog.....I still wouldn't be here without it. And a Big Thank you to Jay for letting me live out my POTY dream. It has been a wild ride. I still get stopped for pictures and public appearances. I never knew how world-wide this Blog is. A Bottle of Lagavulin is in Jay's future, He deserves it. It has been a hectic year but I have enjoyed carrying the torch of POTY. I know Jay will pick my replacement carefully. Happy New Year to All. My predictions for 2009:

Celts Win NBA Championship again-Screw pau Gasol he sucks
Bruins win the whole Damn thing too-Congrats to Dave Bruett who has been waiting forever for that moment
Pats Make the playoffs
YANKEES DO NOT WIN THE WORLD SERIES-Guaranteed
and will be the laughing stock of MLB

Tough Cookie

As part of the winding down effort, I'll be baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies this morning. In case you didn't already know it, I make a damn good cookie.
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This batch will be loaded with extra chips, chopped almonds and dried cranberries.

Winding Down

I'm thinking of winding the machine down for the holidays. Getting it into a low maintenance speed. Take it down a few pegs.
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It's not like we have everything done at Nanepashemet Telecom. But we're substantially caught up, and it's going to be hard to get any response out there. So we'll concentrate on tying up some loose ends and try to get the machine into an idle mode.
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It won't be easy.

Better Type of Worry

It's the end of the year push. Plus we have a couple of great proposals to respond to. Glad I like to work, because the work is piling up.
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I'm not complaining.
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It's so much better to worry about getting work done, than worrying about finding work.

Caroling

Went to the Christmas Reception at Ryan Marine Service, where I met "My Friend Who Doesn't Want his Name Mentioned in the Blog" and his daughter Abby.
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Mark Ryan and Abby convinced me that I don't want a 9.9 HP motor for the Marblehead Gunning Dory. A 5HP should do the trick.
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Anyway..... then I went back to pick up Joanne for the Roper's Christmas Party, where they always gather over the piano and sing Xmas Carols. Those of you that know me best, know that while I am an excellent dancer, my vocal skills are basically sub par.
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So we skipped out before the pressure to sing got too intense.

Snow Day

So it snowed about a foot here and hasn't stopped yet.
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Do you think that bothers me????
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Hell No! I even helped Joanne shovel the driveway !!!
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Being a Mountain of a Man means that you can overcome any obstacle.

Tuna Lips said...

I reckon your mountainship is a fig newton of your imagining. I horse whip the fairer sex if necesscitsatifying to get me a path cleared fer mobilied. Check yerself. And have a Merry fesivizing with your homo friends in Massawhatever, I means that from the bottom of me hart.

Red Belly

There is a ton of bird activity in the backyard and at the feeder this morning. They must sense the snowstorm that is about to hit New England.
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Lots of Sparrows, Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, even a Robin. Plus the hog Grey Squirrel that is starting to get on my nerves.
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It's also the first time that I've seen a Red Bellied Woodpecker back there.

POTW - Week 50

I'm tired from a trip to Rockland, Maine today, where everything went wrong.
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Couldn't get the trucks up a hill because of snow... so we hired a plow and sanded.
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Couldn't get the 1,100 lb. generator off of the truck because the hydralic lift broke down.... so we muscled it out with a backhoe.
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Clearly, the Universe sent gremlins to torture and challenge us today.... and it came up majorly short. Another score for the "Mountain of a Man" team.
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Speaking of torture...
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ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 50th week of 2008

Ethan Nestor
Marion Hummer
Tim, the Manager at the Penske Truck Rental Place in Portland, Me.
Dick Man
Deborah Burke
Eric Johnson

I expect things to slow down in the next two weeks. Time to get reflective and give you the benefit of some of my best thinking.

Tuna Lips said...

Time to unshod yer feets and let them dogs breathe a spell. I reckon a good snooze and some extended mouth breathin' will fix you up jus fine fer a good run of it over these holiday makin. Drink long and deep of the potion of yer choice, amigo. Joyeux Noel (picked that up from a gap tooth harlot down in N'Orleans, Christmas tide, 1977). Plenty of good folk out there, I reckon. Dummies.

Complications

Nanepashemet Telecom is smoking hot these days. We're at a crucial time of having to add people and equipment to meet the increasing demand for our services. As much as I've tried to keep this business simple, when you give good service , it starts to get complicated.

Tommy McMahon said....
J. After age 25 are you required to have a minimum of a strong buzz to go sledding with your friends?

Yes Tommy, a strong buzz is a requirement for many things.... among them.... sledding.

Macaroni and Cheese Disclosure

It's been a long time since I've given you Peeps a cooking lesson.
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Yes, now that I've taught you about Dark and Stormies, Buffalo Wings, VO and Cider, and Fried Turkey, you would thing that I have exhausted the entire culinary topic.
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But No. I've just made the perfect kettle of macaroni and cheese, and since I'm feeling a bit generous this evening, I've decided to share my expertise with you regarding this ultra important, staple of life, food of champions.
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The first step is important. Get a two quart soup kettle. Fill it half way with cold water and put it on the stove to boil.
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While the water is boiling, place about a cup and a half of whole milk into a saucepan, and turn the burner on medium heat. Go the refridgerator or freezer for 1 1/ 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and place this into the milk. Stir this until the cheese is melted. The mixture will seem more milky then cheesy.

By now, water will have come to a rolling boil and take a lb. box of elbow macaroni, dump it into the kettle and set the timer for 7 minutes. I prefer Barilla or Prince elbows.
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Keep stirring both the macaroni and the milk and cheese with a wooden spoon. Take 1/4 cup of white flour and stir it into the cheese mixture. It's amazing how this thickens. Keep stirring and cut up one stick of butter and add it to the cheese. Salt and pepper the mixture while continuing to stir.
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Do you notice the stirring theme???? This is macaroni and cheese!! It must be constantly attended to if you want to achieve the pinnacle of success.
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By now the timer has rung.... immediately remove the macaroni from the stove and shut off the burner. Use pot holders, unless you are oblivious to pain. Bring the kettle to a colander that you have placed in the sink before this whole affair began.
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Dump the macaroni to drain in the colander and then refill the kettle with the drained macaroni.
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Take the cheese mixture and mix it into the kettle. Move the kettle onto the burner that the cheese came off of and keep it low. Mix thoroughly with the wooden spoon. Hit it again with some salt and pepper.
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Put a lid on the kettle.
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Enjoy your comfort food to excess.

Tuna Lips said...

Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas to youse and yers! TL here, spreadin' cheer and good feelins' like legs in a Tennessee cat house! Ooh ha, I gots a million of 'em.

I was listenin' to the wireless and heard that song about sleigh ridin', and hearin' that whip crack reminded me to slap the back end of Ms. Pudding as a sort of seasons greetification. Filled with the spirit is ole TL! I got me a stocking stuffer for Ms. Pudding, the likes of which she will find most gratified. I calls my bits and bobs the "Three Wise Men." She will knowd the gift of the Magi.

Yer kettle of cheese and noodles reminds me of the hamburger helper stew mama would make, she spared nothin', 'cept the burger of course. Good times, campin' out, thickened us up. Prepared Shoo and me for hoboing days. Christmas was a great time for us, plenty of food to be stoled, and presents for us under every Christmas tree in town!

Saturday Chores

It's a cold Saturday morning and do or die time to get to Amazon and send some gifts to my family in Florida. That's a top priority.
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I still haven't shaken this cold completely so have stayed away from seeing my new grandson, Ethan. Maybe today it will be safe enough to meet him by this afternoon, if this hacking cough has left me by then. I'm sure he's been disappointed by not seeing me yet.
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Other stuff that has to be done includes....

• Covering the Tender for the weekend,
• Hauling the Trash that I forgot to put out this week to the Marblehead Dump
• Cleaning out my file draws and bookcase from irrelevant crap.
• Tons of Nanepashemet paperwork

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Seems doable. Or... I could sit here in my pajamas blogging and watch TV all day. It's not like that never happened before.

Safety First

Up at 5:30AM to head to Rockland, Maine today, but by 7:30 there was ice everywhere and all sorts of power outages in Portland. We couldn't even get gas because the power was out at the gas pumps.
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The thought of another 2 hr drive to Rockland and then trying to navigate up a 30 degree sloped dirt road to the final cell site destination didn't look too promising. So we bagged it and came home to Marblehead. Safety considerations.
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A lesser man would have made the stupid decision to forge ahead.
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But we had breakfast in Portland, and were back in Marblehead by 10:30 AM with a salvaged day, and able to make a run at it again next week.

POTW Week 49

Peeps -
I am most heartfully sorry that I have neglected you.... what with all of the emails threatening suicide and all.... I personally would never kill myself over a freaking blog.... But that's just me.
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If you want to off yourself because of a missing blog post fix, be my guest. But remember... a dead person cannot be a Peep of the Week!!!
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That thought alone should sustain your pathetic, insidious, paltry lives.!!!!
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Which reminds me....

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 49th week of 2008.

Harvey Rowe
Susan Raich
Ted Moore
Mike Elsier
Caroline Kennedy
Dan Bennett

Soon the Blog postings will be back to normal again, but Nanepashemet Telecom is caught in that end of the year corporate "I have to make my numbers to get my bonus, so let's thrash the contractors" mode.

Rhino Virus

It's hard to think that a little cold has almost shut down a Mountain of a Man.
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But it happened.
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I haven't even gotten a chance to meet my new grandson because of all this hacking and sneezing.
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But do you see me complaining and whining???? Freaking sniffles are NOTHING!

Happy Birthday Ethan

It's a Happy Birthday extravaganza as Ethan Nestor decided to enter this earthly plane this morning at the healthy 7lbs,9ounces, 19 inches.
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Another damn good looking grandson.
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I'm sure that Ethan will give his older brother, Will, who is a year and a half older, a lot of friendship and competition.
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Their Mom, Courtney, looks pretty happy and relieved. Childbirth is a wonderful experience... I'm thankful that I've experienced it from the fathering side.
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The day Ethan picked to be born on is the same as his grandfather and great grandmother. It's the first cool move in his young life.

POTW Week 49

The end of the year is sneaking up fast.
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Soon it will be time to start thinking of the coveted position of Peep of the Year.
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Michael Murphy has had a rather quiet reign as last year's title holder and wasn't as flamboyant as his POTY predecessor, Tommy McMahon, who made a tremendous spectacle of himself by tackling inebriated trespassers at Fenway Park during the games. But Tom gave up that coveted low paying security position this year.
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There are plenty of good candidates to draw from though, and I welcome your nominations, although they are unlikely to influence the ultimate selection in any way.
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Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 49th Week of 2008

Katelyn Nestor
Alex Watts
Dick Man
Mike Rockett
Condoleeza Rice
Sam Khairi

And no..... as much as I would be tempted, I can't select Sarah Palin as the POTY.... but that doesn't mean she is not a HOTTY.

4th Quarter

It's that time of year again. Customers with their end of year expectations and fears. And when you are dealing with large corporations, it's all about finding someone to blame.
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Best thing to do is put your head down, move forward, and not let your ego get sucked into all the craziness.

Work Bench Detour

I've decided that I'm not going to resume the Marblehead Gunning Dory project until I build a suitable workbench. Of course I've done a little research, bought some books from the Taunton Press, and know exactly the type of bench that I will build, and I'm not going to scrimp either.
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I have purchased two front vises from Grizzly and have ordered tail vise hardware from Woodcraft and will be laminating the base from maple and mahoghany. The top will be birch plywood, laminated with CDX or MDF.
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It's going to have lines like this nice Laguna production model, without the cabinet work in the base. I'm going to store it in the basement and cover it in Nanepashemet paperwork when not in use.... which will be most of the time unfortunately.
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All in all, it will be a super cool bench and should be ready for action by February, when the Dory action will get back into the forefront.
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There will be pictures. I hope to keep the quality equal to Will's Toy Chest which I view as my best work thus far, even better than the Herreshoff Columbia Tender, although you haven't seen the pics of the corner TV shelf that I made for Joanne last month.