Tempus Fugit

Did it seem to you like this week flew by? It's seems like yesterday when we were watching the Pats on the Peabody's deck. No running, no boating, no fishing, no dory work. Just the Project Management business and the World Series made the Time pass quickly.

Peep of the Week - 43

Thursday came super quick this week. What with the World Series and all of the action at the bird feeder, it was damn busy.... not to mention that Nanepashemet Telecom is getting hot as a pistol. The Dory is suffering and my Running training is definitely on the back burner.
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But enough about me. What about you and your life?? Ok..... I'll admit I could care less.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 43rd week of 2007

Nathaniel Clarke
Tommy O'Shea
Jonathan Papelbon
Jay Ohanian
Carol Andrade
Bob Towne

It's not that I'm indifferent to your plight, it's just that my life is just so much more interesting to me.

F-150 and Lobster Transaction

Broke out of the malaise and got some Dory work done today. Tyler Gill and Chris Crawford actually got me into gear, because they wanted to borrow the truck and the inside was such a mess that I had to get off my sedentary behind to clean out the cab.
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After that, I sanded all of the frames with the belt sander and the rotary Grizzly monster that I bought during a late night frenzy of irrational internet purchasing a number of years ago.
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Gilly and Chris returned the truck with a cooler of 10 lobsters. Excellent trade.
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We will boil them over at the Peabody's deck with the O'Shea's and be ready to slumber by the third inning of the Sox-Indians playoff game.
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Tomorrow, I will measure and attach the frames to the Dory bottom and the Strongback.
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Add another three hours to the Dory for a cumulative project amount of 23 hours to date.

Cap It Off

A good week. Breakthrough actually.
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We penetrated a bit more into our most important carrier customer, made some inroads with a new carrier, tied into a nice tower company to contruct their towers, and picked up upon the scuttlebutt that our reputation is being "super responsive".
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I like that reputation. There's a lot of companies that can get it done, but being responsive is the key to delivering service beyond expectations.
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And Nanepashemet Telecom is "super responsive".
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I've had great success in this business working for the Man. But now we're the Man. And we're not doing anything different. This is going to be good.
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OK, I know you're saying that the Dory hasn't moved in weeks, the basement job is fallow and my marathon training is almost out the window.
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Thanks for wreaking it for me.

POTW 42nd Week of 2007

I made a huge mistake yesterday.
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Telling a few Peeps who I thought I could trust, that the reason I fell off of my workout plan was because of Bob Wojcik. I should have never followed his suggestion to stretch out my calves at the edge of a curbstone. It's been a ordeal even to walk since.
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But that's no reason for all the resentment, vituperation and vitriol that so many of you have been trying to lay on Wojcik. It's my bad... my fault.... my stupidity.... for taking his advise. He doesn't deserve your derision and blame. You don't even know him (he lives in Albany, NY, about six feet tall, blond hair, vacant stare).
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Even though he really screwed up my marathon chances. I will overcome this.

Announcing.....

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 42nd week of 2007

• Bob Wojcik
• Brendt DiOrio
• Tyler Gill
• Mirela Marku
• Deborah Norville
• Coco Crisp

I'm begging you to leave Wojcik alone. Even though it wasn't his fault, he really didn't mean it. Being a peep of the week is punishment enough.

Stoicism

Sunday, I could hardly walk with the calf pain shooting up to the area behind my knee. I'm pretty sure that nobody in the family noticed, because I always take pain like a man. No complaining.... no whining.....no whimpering. Naturally, I laid off the workout.
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Today I had to go to Worcester with Mike Rockett. We met with the State rep, Bob Spilane, and the City Manager, Mike O'Brien - two very sharp guys who were great ambassadors for investing in Worcester. The only trouble I had was trying to keep up with them on a quick walking tour around some downtown buildings.
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If I can't walk a block around Worcester, how the hell am I going to run 26 miles from Hopkinton to Boston????
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It's starting to seem like I'll need a visit to Lourdes to get this bum leg in shape, so I can work out again. Tomorrow, we'll see if the Cybex loosens up things a bit.
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Meanwhile the Dory work lies fallow, and the basement tile project mocks me everytime I go down there. The only thing that is moving forward is Nanepashemet Telecom. For that , I'm very grateful

Minor Setbacks

Cleveland waited until the 10th inning after 1:00 am in the morning to tee off on Boston with 7 runs. Now the series is tied 1-1. Cleveland is good.
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But what is really disappointing is that my left leg is painful to walk on - forget running. The calf pain now extends to the back of the knee and runs up my inner thigh. I'm thinking that it relates to the sciatica that I suffered maybe ten years ago. Doubt that I will get in a running workout today, so I'll probably row the harbor and cycle the Cybex.
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A little pain in the lower extremity didn't stop me from enjoying a visit from Will Nestor, my handsome 5 month old grandson though. He and I continue to communicate on a psychic level, and he mentioned that the Dory seems to be falling off schedule. Maybe he's worried that it won't be ready for me to teach him to row and fish. Already, he's looking for instant gratification. He also telepathically told me stuff that he didn't want me to repeat.
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The Kid has a lot to learn.

POTW Week 41

If I had known all of the anxiety that I would create by telling you Peeps about my quest, I would have kept it to myself. All day long.... hysterical emails, neurotic voicemails... all because I can't tell you what I doing.
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So Guess What????
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You don't deserve to know. Freaking psychos.

Announcing.....

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 41st week of 2007.

• Larry David
• Trish Theriault
• Louis Levy
• John Hynes
• Mike Lowell
• Rachel Ray

I still can't tell you about the quest.

Back to the Boat

I know that I have been dwelling on my running regimen lately, much to the demise of all of you who yearn for any kernel of information about the Dory construction.
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Admittedly, the Dory has been neglected for the past week, but I have plans to rev it up this week. If enough customers decide that Nanepashemet Telecom is worthy of payment, I'll hire Kevin Rockett to come in and help with the basement tile job, allowing me to make some progress on the Dory that everybody seems to be so concerned about.
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The frames are all done and waiting to be attached to the dory bottom and the strongback. I have to sand them before making the connection though.
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So Back Off. I didn't forget you or your freaking Dory project.

A Weighty Subject

So far, I've lost 4 lbs this week. The goal is to lose 2.5 lbs. a week until April 21, 2008, which will get me in the 180 lb range. So if you are twisted enough to wonder what I weigh now, you do the freaking math. I choose to keep focusing Progressively on the future.
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As far as the anonymous commenter who tabbed me as the "Round Mound of Telecom".... if you have the gonads to disclose your true identity, you are a shoo in for POTW this Thurs.

POTW Week 40

Nanepashemet Telecom has a construction job around Sebago Lake in Maine, so I'm working out of North Conway today. No difference. Mountains here, ocean in Marblehead.... it's all good. It's interesting that you don't need a General Contractor's license in Maine. NH and VT are the same way.
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Massachusetts requires a Construction Supervisor's license and a Home Improvement Contractor's license if you work on private residential construction. I have had both for years and they have come in handy. But now, with all of the construction that we are involved with for Nanepashemet, they are crucial.
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Announcing....

Nanepashenet Peeps of the Week for Week 40 of 2007

• Greg Bruett
• Kevin Rockett
• Tom O'Shea
• Linda Murray
• Bob Brown
• Dr. Phil

Now, it's time to fix the network around Lake Sebago.

Electric Motor

An electric motor would be an interesting add on to the dory. This one is from eCycle Marine Systems of Temple, PA.
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I'll probably stick to a gas powered 15hp Honda 4 stroke from Ryan Marine though.

Dory Shape

These are the extreme frames and stems for the Marblehead Gunning Dory. Unlike the Tender, the stems will not be flush with the breasthook, but will extend about six inches beyond.
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Not for any particular reason outside that I just think it will look cool. A little bit like a Viking ship. Suitable for pillage and plunder.

Add another three hours for a cumulative 20 hours on the dory. Not too bad. We'll be planking soon.

Dory Projection

After the Bluefish victory yesterday, I took an obligatory nap, then put in another 2 hours on assembling the Dory frames. This brings the tally to 17 hours for the project. I also got a chance to tell Will about some of my fishing prowness. I think he will be a fine boatbuilder like his grandfather.
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With any luck, the frames and stems will be set up on the strongback this week. Then we'll have a feel for the true lines of this boat. Unlike the Tender, it should easily accomodate two rowers, and equiped with a 12 HP outboard, it should be great for moving in close to the rocks to flyfish for Stripers.

Dory Frames

I've been working on the stems and the frames. These are the skeleton of the Dory and they have to be perfectly symetrical. This is where the bandsaw is a necessity in boatbuilding. The manuals will tell you that you can get by with a jigsaw, which is possible but the quality would be unlikely.
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With a bandsaw, you can screw all of the matching pieces together and cut them simultaneously, ensuring that they come out symetrical. Then you just flip them and attach opposite ends.
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It is also possible to cut the stem molds to use to clamp the stem strips into a laminated curve with the bandsaw.

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I mean, don't go rushing out to buy a bandsaw just because of this. But if you wish to build quality boats, you should invest.
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I have a Jet 14 inch which I'm pretty pleased with.
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With three hours spent of the frames, the cumulative tally is now 15 hours.
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Next I'll attach the frames to the dory bottom and set everything up on the strongback to start planking the Dory.

POTW Week 39

Even though it was a slow day, we still closed out one carrier order, opened another, and continued the Coast Guard work in Maine. So maybe it wasn't that slow.

Announcing....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for Week 39 of 2007

• Bob Brown *
• Michael Murphy
• Mahmoud Almadinejad
• Lindsey Kepnes
• Matthew Peabody
• Kevin Rockett

* Automatic Lagavulin Rule.

This would be so much easier if more of you would just buy me a bottle of Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch like that mountain of a man, Bobby Brown. Then I wouldn't have to think. Course I'd probably be too sloshed to think, with all that Lagavulin around. So maybe we have reached a kind POTW selection equilibrium.

Common Courtesy

It's already Thursday. Let the hysteria begin.
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Before you start uselessly sending me your POTW selections, could you please review the selection criteria????

To become a Nanepashemet Peep of the Week, the lucky/unfortunate candidate will be measured as follows:

1. The candidate has to have done something annoying, stupid or inspirational in the past weeks.
2. Animals and dead people are not eligible.
3. The gift of Lagavulin to me within the last week is an automatic selection.

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So even though it is highly unlikely that I would pick anyone that you recommend, you could at least have the courtesy to recommend someone who is eligible for selection.
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Now... Bring It ON!

Slow

Slow day. Waiting for the phone to ring. Joanne thinks that if I work on the Dory during the day, that somehow I'm goofing off. But she doesn't know that I'm doing a lot of thinking... crucial to moving the business forward.

Dory time

Another 2 hrs today, gluing up the other stem, bringing the total Dory time to date up to 12 hours. The weather is too nice to sit in waiting for the phone to ring.
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Next step is to build the frames and lay them out on the Dory bottom, attaching all to the strongback. Then it will look like a boatbuilding project.

Impatience

I've received quite a few emails lately, asking about the progress on the basement.
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What do you think I am? A Freaking Octopus?
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I only have two hands and the weather has been so nice that it would be foolish not to take advantage of it in the driveway. And I'm no Fool.
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Even with the need to finish the basement by Thanksgiving, I'm better off spending time on the Dory. Plus I'm writing the book on the Dory project... not tiling the basement. Who would ever be interested in that???? The Dory is where the money is.