Week 6 - Peep of the Week

This was an easy week for POTW Selections. It was pretty obvious who should get the nod for a host of unambiguous reasons. Regardless.... that doesn't lessen the prestige or disgrace that a selection brings to a chosen Peep of the Week.

These peeps have the right to be proud, or embarrassed as the case my be.

Announcing.....
The Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the sixth week of 2007.

• Ben Martin
• Brian Butler
• Drew Jellison
• Steve Lewis
• Tommy Kallopoulos
• Lynda Murray

That felt good. Now back to more of the mundane and insignificant daily grind.

Thursday Again

That means that by the end of the day, there will be POTW thrills and disappointments.
~
Who knew that Thursday could be such an important weekday???

KMA

I'm asking you nicely.... Please stop emailing me on a constant basis asking me how much weight I've lost. I don't think that I deserve having my mailbox clogged with hundreds of emails a day requesting that I divulge such private information.
~
Just to stop the hysteria.... I've only lost 2.5 lbs. in the first week of my healthly lifestyle binge.
~
This is a high achievement given the mountain of stress that the universe has steamrolled down on me last week. Usually, I resort to a double cheese, double pepperoni from Vesuvius, or a kettle of Macaroni and cheese when confronted with too many of life's challenges at the same time.
~
Bring it on. Give me your best shot. Regardless of the crap ahead, I'm going to be one buff son of a bitch by March 21.

Home of the Brave

You had better be damn brave with the IRS and their power to assess charges in view of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Home of the Brave, but land of the free is a stretch.
~
Don't tell me that freedom isn't free. We're outlaying our economic privacy to a ruthless, faceless bureaucratic agency who holds us guilty until proven innocent.
~
So.... How is your day going?

Better Late Than Never.

I saw a couple of these Catbirds in my driveway last summer. and just identified them now. Never forget a face.

House Pets

We had a nice dinner last night at the Barnicle with Jay and Kate, who came to Marblehead with their dog, Jack.
~
Jack Dog, the Pug, was excited to be here and kept running around the house, creating a mountain of concern from Isabelle and Ronick. The cats emanated a little hissing, but thankfully no domestic pet violence.
~
Izzy and Ronick both slept with us together last night though. I can't remember the last time that they were both on the bed at the same time, for any continuous period. Jack Dog deserves the Nobel Peace Prize if he can bring those two together.

Rome Again

The HBO series, Rome, is back with season two. This show alone is enough to subscribe to HBO. We can never truly know, but it seems to depict a realistic version of how life might have been in Italy at the time or Julius and Augustus Caesar. The story of Caesar motivated Shakespeare and remains today as the highest form of drama.
~
Well done with acting and sets, down to the colors of the buildings and the extensive graphic graffiti on the walls.
~
One thing that is perplexing though.... Why is it that the film industry always represents Romans speaking with English accents?

Superbowl Sunday

An unofficial holiday in the United States. With the Patriots not in it, you have to root for the Colts. Manning deserves it. Plus the Patriots annihilated the Bears in the regular season. Sarah Crawford invited us over because it is Chris' birthday.
~
No offense to anyone, but I had plans to stay at home and eat Buffalo wings with Joanne. Lay low and stay out of trouble.

Wardrobe Threat

By the way, I'm kicking ass with my weight loss program. 2 1/2 lbs lost since Tues. Course I haven't really eaten much except for when Ryan and Courtney came over, and even then.... no carbs. Plus I've been working out semi hard on the Cybex stationary bike. Joanne cleaned out Mike's room since he moved to DC, and she moved the Bike there.
~
The last time that I had a significant weight loss, I got off of the carbs, but never really stopped having a beer or two at night, and certainly didn't get a daily exercise burn in. That time I lost 20 lbs in about a month.
~
This time, it's diet, exercise, no weekday evening beverages, and probably a lot more business stress. The deadline is March 21. Plus I have the Peeps to cheer me on this time. Can't miss.
~
Hopefully my clothes will still fit, but it would be a pleasure to buy smaller sizes. I do have some really cool clothes though.

Metz a Metz

One of those days. Got a lot done, but didn't feel good doing some of it.
~
I can't really explain without compromising business confidentiality.
~
On the good side, I settled the Sundance Elevator order, finalized the handicapped Bathroom issues and bought some real nice entry doors that will open to the outside per the wishes of the Marblehead Building Dept. These were special order doors that I got at a real nice price from the Peabody Building Products Outlet. A great referral from Sparky and Mike Rockett. Paid some bills that were due. Always a good feeling when you have the funds.
~
I also had a nice conversation about China with a guy whose name I cannot reveal.
~
Some really unpleasant shit happened that I can't tell you about. Business is Business. Some things never change.

Week 5 - 2007 Peeps of the Week

Another Thursday. POTW Day.

The elevator issue at Sundance definitely has me frazzled.... because it is going to make me broke. Plus, the Cingular capital freeze is a downer. Two money issues that have been playing havoc with my nervous system. Experience tells me that this too shall pass. But that simple phrase doesn't loosen the knot in my stomach.

At least I can turn to the weekly POTW selection process for solace and consolation.

So....
Announcing the Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for Week 5 or 2007.

• Sarah Jane Freymann
• Dr. Louis Casale
• The Salesguy at Joe Jones who sold me the XC Skis
• Jan Cyr
• Mike Chandler
• Ben PC Wong

Now back to the hand wringing.

Squaw Sachem, Wife of Nanepashemet

The Mark of Squaw Sachem

Terrorism

When I was growing up, we were afraid of being nuked by the Russians. I remember the Cuban Missle Crisis, and the fear that I felt that a nuclear war was pending. We used to have air raid drills in elementary school where we would kneel in the corridor with our head against the walls.
~
As much as that sucked, I think that the environment that my grandkids will grow up in is worse, where people from a range of countries wish to bring havoc upon us for reasons that make no sense. How do you defend against an enemy that has no distinct country, and hates with no distinct reason?
~
At least fearing the Russians was easy and logical.

Not a Setback

I forgot that Ryan and Courtney were coming over for dinner, so I missed the burn, but it was worth it to see them. They are pretty excited about a bunch of stuff. All good things.

Negative One.

Since yesterday. I'm psyched. With a 1/2 hr. burn in this evening, I should be able to drop another one. Let's see if it's this easy after 15 lbs. or so.

New Motivation

I have to admit that during this snowless winter in Boston, I'm starting to really miss being out on the water. The Sundance Pre-School new site build and Darwin has pulled all of my time away from finishing the Tender, but I have to find a way to get it done in the next few months.
~
My appointment with Dr. Casale is in Mid-March, and he wants me on fish oil, aspirin and the HBP med. I'm also supposed to exercise for at least 30 min per day. As much as the Cybex stationary bike is great, I think it would be cool to get that half hour in rowing around the harbor.
~
That means I have to get the trailer assembled, registered and finish the damn Tender. Probably a good motivation. I'll be honest. I'd like to lose 20 lbs. in the next 50 days before my appointment. That's 3 lbs. a week for the next seven weeks.
~
Really, How hard can it be??? Go low on carbs, cut down on portions, no cookies, lay off the scotch (weekdays anyway). Get the 30 Min. in everyday, and gut it out for 7 weeks.
~
Time for a gut check.... literally.
~
I'll let you know how I'm doing, +/- , when I publish the Peeps of the Week each Thurs. for the next seven weeks.

Vertical Lift

Choosing the elevator for Sundance has been fairly stressful. Probably because it will be very expensive, and is only needed to meet regulartory requirements.
~
I don't even mind the matching handicapped "his" and "her" bathrooms on the bottom level, because I know that they will at least be used, but the elevator requirement is silly and bureaucratic, based upon the amount of times that it will be operated for the use intended.
~
I have to bite the bullet and make the order, because there is a four to five week factory lead time.

Melt Down

With all good intentions today, I was home from No. Conway by 12:30PM. Ryan came over and told us about his trip to Arizona. By then it was 2:00 and rigor mortis set in. I was really paralized, and couldn't get to any action items. Took a power nap, but never rallied.
~
I did manage to read up a little on high blood pressure on the internet. Apparently one in three adults has HBP. Looks like I have to get serious and attend to this. Means losing weight and working out. How bad is that? I have another check up with Dr. Casale in mid March, and hope to make a push to change things between now and then.
~
Tomorrow, I'll be up at 5:30 AM, heading for the ariport to fly to LaGuardia for my Paramus Meeting with Cingular. I hope the lethargy has left by then. There is too much to do for this couch potato bullshit to be in the mix.

Sunday Anticipation

I have 19 hours of sanding to go with these 60 grit hook and loop beauties on the Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender interior work.
~
I'll leave North Conway by 9:00 AM after a quick try out of the new XC Skis. Home by noon, and hopefully I can fit in 2 hours of sanding then. Leaving 17 eventful hours. I don't care. The Tender will rock when it is done. And I'm not taking any shortcuts.
~
More basement clean up in the late afternoon, then get ready for the Paramus trip. No more Patriots games tying up productive Sundays.
~
I still haven't heard from my book agent. Looks like I have to toss the passive waiting mode and start barking. Nobody said it would be easy.

Time for the Time

I broke down today and bought a pair of Rossignol XC Touring skis at Joe Jones Sports in North Conway. The ones that Joanne and I bought when we were out at UMASS in the seventies are virtual antiques. I'm not kidding. I've seen the same model nailed to a wall in a restaurant.
~
My walk today convinced me that I should get out in the cold and solitude more often. Very cleansing, both physically and spiritually. So I figure that with skis, all that good stuff can get done quicker. Just kidding. But I think that physical exercise in solitude can get rid of a lot of demons. The key is to find the enablers to do it... XC skis, rowing the tender, jogging (ouch).
~
It's time to find the time.

Winter Stroll

OK, so I didn't go skiing afterall, but at least I got out for a walk around the North Conway cross country ski trails; eventually coming out to Route 16 at the Scenic Vista in Intervale.
~
Probably a three mile loop. I brought my camera, but didn't see any wildlife or birds, however, heard some chickadees. They obviously were mocking me.
~
BTW, the Scenic Vista is the sight of an annual Abenaki Tribe summer camp, whereby the Indians made a trek down from Quebec to fish and trade. The last encampment was in 1964.
~
It was pretty cold... under 10 degrees.

BC-BU Hockey

Watching the BC - BU hockey game. BC is winning 3-2 in the second period.
~
Maybe I should root for BU where I went to grad school, but my son, Mike, played with the the BC goalie, Cory Schneider, in Youth Hockey and on the Marblehead Hockey Team. Then Cory went on to glory at Phillips Andover and BC. Cory is a great kid. It's kind of neat to see him excel at BC, and move on to the pro ranks next year.
~
Brings big time hockey to a personal, manageable level. I'm happy, though, that I'm not slepping to rinks every weekend now, like Cory's parents are still doing.

Skiing

I'm up in North Conway and thinking of going skiiing tomorrow.
~
I know what you're thinking..... He's old, he's out shape, he's going to hurt himself.
~
Yeah, I think I will go skiing...... Screw you.

Misdiagnosis

My doctor thinks that I might have high blood pressure and that I seem stressed out. What an Idiot!!! What a Moron!!!! What the hell does he know about stress????
~
I'm freaking fine.

Thursday POTW Time

I almost went to bed after having my celebratory Lagavulin in honor of the Sundance permit. But then I remembered....It's freaking Thursday, and Thursday is Nanepashemet Peep of the Week day.
~
Imagine if I had forgotten to select the POTW???
~
Earthquakes, Tsunamis, possibly the end of life as we know it would undoubtably have been the result.
~
So don't panic. Ease the drama already. Here's the selections.

Announcing Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week 4-07

Amanda Johnson
The Bali Hai waitress who remembered that I always order the No. 32
Maddie Gill
Nancy Bruett
Alan Hezekiah
Bobby Wojcik

That's it. Now you can relax.

Reasonable Query

So often, my peeps ask me, "When you look out of your window at Darwin Partners, what do you see?"
~
It's a reasonable question and, since I am patient and amiable by nature, I am always happy to respond.
~
After all, there are no stupid questions. There are only stupid people who ask questions.

Building Permit Granted

Got the permit. Someday I'm going to tell my grandson how his grandpa stood there and took it like a man. Course, his inheritance took a major hit over this project. Time for a scotch... maybe even a Lagavulin.

Another Run

Eric Rumph and I are meeting with the Bob Ives of the Marblehead Building Department at 4:00 this afternoon. Since the New Sundance School site project is technically moving along under the residential renovation permit that I pulled, and other efforts that we can undertake, we are making progress, but I have to get the change of use permit which entails the requirements of a public building, namely handicapped access.
~
I really hope that the permit phase is behind us by the end of the day.

Buried with Paper

It's amazing how much crap gets mailed to me. And then I keep most of it! My initial emotion is always that I may need the information, so I better not throw it out. What a sickness this is!!! A couple of months of this behavior causes my home office to look like an archealogical dig.
~
No More! For now on, every piece of mail will be either filed or thrown away.... every day. The criteria for keeping something will be if I owe money, or can immediately make money. Otherwise, it gets tossed.
~
Magazines will be held for one week, then gone. (except for Wooden Boat and Fine Woodworking). I am going to clear the decks for action.
~
Let's see how long this resolution lasts.

All Fired Up

Captain Mike Porter of the Marblehead Fire Dept. has restored my faith in humanity. Thanks for the fire prevention plan approval Captain Porter! I was beginning to feel paranoid, plus I thought that everyone was out to get me. Operation Moonshadow is back on the happy path.

Thanks for the Inspiration

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26
times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed
over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
- Michael Jordan

Thanks to Balzac for this great insight by basketball legend, Michael Jordan.

The interesting fact is that we have unlimited strikes at the plate... we have unlimited downs to make a touchdown. We just have to keep stepping up to the plate and take our swings. You won't be remembered by the number of swings you took, only by the hits that you made.

So... just keep running plays.

Common Sense

Common Sense has left the area, and has been replaced by rules, regulations, and bureaucracy. It would be nice if you could hire competent professionals and say "Protect the Town, Do what's Right, use your good judgement".
~
But the system dictates that competent professionals must say "There is nothing I can do. Despite the inapplicability of it all, the law is the law."
~
You have to wonder if the sturdy Marbleheaders who rowed Washington across the Delaware would be satisfied with this type of response.
~
Have you checked your pay stub lately? We are unbelievably accepting of the huge levy that the government exerts upon us. I doubt that our forefathers, who wouldn't stand for a tax on tea, would admire our acquiescence.

Big Push

Tomorrow we will try to alleviate the curb cut and handicapped access issues, and get the Sundance building permit.

Coquina

Plans are available to build this beautiful 18' Herreshoff "Coquina" Cat Yawl.
~
I'm still building the Matinicus Peapod next though.... no matter how good the Coquina looks.

AFC Champions.

Not the Pats. Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts deserved the win and the trip to the Superbowl, primarily by their defense, but Manning is the real deal.

The Patriots played very well to stay with the Colts, who just seemed to be relentless on both sides of the football. It was a great season.

My only problem is Tony Dungy thanking the Lord for the win. I think that the Lord is probably neutral with regard to who wins a professional football game.

Sunny and Cold

Ten Degrees in Boston. No Snow. Weird winter.
~
When I was a kid, I loved the snow. I guess you never get over that basic emotion. But now, snow costs money. Plowing at Sundance. So I'm happy both ways this winter.
~
Pats at Indianapolis tonight. I'm not going to predict a win, but I never saw the Patriots get this close without going to the Dance. The Bruett's invited us over to watch the game, but I don't know. The chances of losing are slim, but it would be embarrassing for Greg to see me weeping like a girlyman.

Jeremiah Johnson

A 1972 film starring Robert Redford and depicting "Liver Eating Johnson" who carried on a twenty year vendetta in Wyoming against the Crow Indian Tribe who had killed his wife.
~
Easily my favorite movie ever. I must have watched it fifteen times before tonight. The soundtrack is great if you like acoustical music like I do. Very simple, brutal, survivalist theme. I've often wondered why I like this movie so much, and have developed a few theories, which I don't think I am ready to share with you.
~
"The way that you wander, is the way that you choose.
The Day that you tarry is the day that you lose.
Sunshine or Thunder, a Man will always wonder,
Where the fair wind blows.
Where the fair wind blows."

Tender Waits

Even if I had good weather like this, I couldn't get stuff done on the Tender because of all the other things going on.
~
Darwin and Sundance have me straight out, plus some more stuff that I'll tell you about later.

About 19 hours of interior sanding remain on the Tender before we can install the seating and sail supports.

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - 3-07

Man, the weeks are spinning by. The Sundance school is progressing acceptably, except for some asshole who creeped out the Building Dept. I'm not going to mention his name, but we'll keep the cross hairs on him for years to come. Bad move on his part, and he'll never know what hit him when the time comes. I'm not vindictive, but that m-----f---- is going down.
~
Now for the Nanepashemet Peep of the Week Selections.

• Steve Lewis
• Nathaniel Clarke
• Ryan Nestor
• Ivan Salaberrios
• Dan Ross
• Frank Gaul

I was tempted to break the rule on the animals given the last two posts, but you have to keep some standards. It would be nice, though, if someone used the Lagavulin loophole one of these weeks.

Halifax and Rigger

Steve Lewis' dog in laws, Halifax and Rigger, obviously like a nice fire in a field stone fireplace.
~
They also are ineligible for POTW.

Exception to the Rule

As you know, animals can not become a Nanepashemet Peep of the Week.
~
So no matter how Jack Dog tries to convince me that he is worthy, it is to no avail.
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I don't care how sad he looks.... POTW must be denied to him.
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It's out of my hands.
~
So stop looking at me.
~
There's nothing I can do.
~
If I made an exception for JackDog, then how could I ever face Ronick. Plus it's pretty cold tonight, and I need Ronick the cat to warm my feet at the foot of the bed. So I can't afford to piss Ronick off.
~
Jack Dog, you're plumb out of luck.

Entitlement

A sense of entitlement typically causes hurt and resentment, when things don't work out in the manner that you think you are entitled to. For instance, you feel like you are entitled to honesty and loyalty from members of your family, and when that doesn't happen, it can really be painful. Best not to expect that you are entitled.

Bears Repeating

From Investor's Business Daily.

HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING

Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.

DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS

Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

TAKE ACTION

Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started. Just do it.

NEVER STOP LEARNING

Go back to school or read books. Get ` training and acquire skills.

BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD

Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.

LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS

Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

FOCUS YOUR TIME AND MONEY

Don't let other people or things distract you.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO INNOVATE; BE DIFFERENT

Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.

DEAL AND COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY

No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Otherwise, Nos. 1-9 won't matter.

Disciplined Action

Isn't it weird that weight loss and obesity are such a national obsession? I personally struggle every day with overeating and gaining weight. I know that flies in the face of my image of being "rough, tough, hard to bluff, and damn good looking".... but it's true.
~
Probably for the first time in history, we are not preoccupied with getting enough food. We are obsessed with finding ways to keep from eating too much!!! I suppose this is one of those good problems to have.
~
All achievement comes from discipline.... taking a course of action and maintaining the discipline to stay the course.
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Getting into shape and losing weight is the most obvious example.
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Business success requires that you identify what you should be doing, and what you shouldn't be doing and continually redirect yourself to take consistent and coordinated actions.
~
Better said than done.
~
There are so many diversions, and uncertainties that interfere with your ability to take concerted, direct action. Basic lazyness and procrastination lie in between the diversions and uncertainties. Also time constraints and conflicting interests become deterents to disciplined action.
~
No wonder it is so hard to lose weight... or succeed in business.

From Good to Great

Do yourself a favor and check JimCollins.com. He is a Stanford professor who wrote "From Good to Great" which I will read as soon as possible.

He asks three fundamental questions.

1) What are you deeply passionate about?
2) What are you are genetically encoded for -- what activities do you feel just "made to do"?
3) What makes economic sense -- what can you make a living at?

If you can come to the brutally honest answers to these questions, and discipline yourself to adjust your actions to work in concert with them, you can achieve greatness. At the very least, you could be happier at your everyday work.

Pats Beat SD Chargers

Phew! Patriots grit it out. Great competitive game 24-21. Hard hitting, grinding football. Not pretty in the vintage Patriots style.
~
On to Indianapolis and Peyton Manning again in the AFC Chamionship Game next Sunday. Good Stuff.

Looking Back, Thinking Ahead

Some nice 1900 vintage Marblehead Neck Postcards.

Good fishing for Blues and Bass here.

I'd like to get the Herreshoff Tender out working these rocks this summer.

Balzac Discovered

My apologies to Mike Nestor and Tyler Gill. I was so sure that one of those two were hiding under false moniker of "Balzac". But Balzac recently came forward and identified himself.
~
I can't reveal his identity. If he were to be known to be corresponding with Nanepashemet, the retribution from his peers and colleagues would be swift and deadly.
~
I simply respect the fact that he mustered the fortitude to unmask his burdensome secret identity. A true profile in courage.
~
Once again.... Mike and Tyler.... I am sincerely sorry. But then again, both of you are capable of saying the same stupid shit as the real Balzac. So I don't feel that bad.

Waiting Patiently

I've had my book proposal out for about two weeks now.
~
No response.
~
How do they expect me to help millions of peeps in need if I can't get one freaking book published??? Do these literary agents realize that they are delaying the advance of culture in our society??? Do they realize that people's livelyhoods and well being depend on this book being published? How do they live with themselves??
~
Looks like I might need some divine intervention. I can't leave something this important in the hands of fallible humans.

Logo Update

I found a 14" round clock in the garage that I had made out of 2x6 hemlock about 30 years ago, so I used that for the sun part of the logo. The rays were cut from a 2x6 clear piece of spruce stock that I was saving to make spars with.
~
At Home Depot, I picked up a 12 MM piece of poplar plywood that will be painted white and used as a backdrop for the logo. Primed everything with Rustoleum white primer and I will paint and install tomorrow.
~
Rockett cut down the four spruce trees for the Sundance parking lot on Friday. It's too bad, they were over twenty five years old, but I have to deal with this rediculous off street parking requirement.
~
In the meantime, Joanne has been wonderful to live with in response to Michael's relocation to Washington, DC. This will be an interesting transition.

Tuna Fish and Ginger Ale

Some things are made for each other. The best example is tuna fish sandwiches and ginger ale. Milk and tuna, coke and tuna... it's just not the same.

I'm sure you wise asses will come up with some other lewd combos. This is just a simple observation. Why do you have to drag everything into the gutter? Perverts!

Sundance Logo Sign

I have to dig out the template of the Sundance sun that I used for the first building and build another one for the new site. Now do you see why you should save everything? You never know when you have to build a new sun logo.

I'm thinking that I can change the method a little bit and make the sign logo out of birch plywood which will be painted, rather than the redwood that I edge glued last time. It will go faster and look just as good from the street.

Off to Home Depot.

Stupid Bureaucrats

Bureaucracies are the boon of society. So much effort wasted. So much energy diverted into insincere and untruthful activity.

Can there be organization without the decay of bureaucratic behavior? Can people be tasked to act in keeping with truthful and forward moving endeavor? Bureaucracy is the manifestation of conflicting self interest. It rewards mediocrity and despises truthful and inspirational acts.

The dedicated bureaucrats are denizens of purgatory. They are not content to see anyone expose their inadequacies by talented and forward moving action.

Happy and Sad

Mike heads to Washington DC to begin working with Nathaniel at Bearingpoint. We're really happy and pretty sad.

WhaleEye

It's official. I've named my 23' Hydra Sport boat the WhaleEye and ordered the signage. Joanne will be pissed, but Ryan and Mike will like it.
~
BTW, do you know what a WhaleEye is?

Progress

Great Meetings today on several fronts. Once again, Mike Rockett showed his tremendous talent at property development and construction with his insight into the Sundance parking situation. A great part of his talent is the dedication that guys like Lenny Cameron, Sparky Spillane and Eric Rumph have for him. I wouldn't hesitate to have any of these guys in my foxhole.... absolutely trustworthy, thoroughly dependable. A tremendous team.
~
Nice talks with DiMatteo and Steve Garten at the Darwin meeting.

Peep of the Week - 2007 Week 2

Amongst the McMahon Controversy, I almost forgot that today is POTW day... Thursday to the uninitiated.
~
I have an all hands meeting at Darwin this evening, so I probably wouldn't be able to make the selections at my usual 7:00PM time. And I don't want to stress anyone out unnecessarily by delaying the all important selections.

So Here Goes.....

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for Week 2 of 2007

• Lenny Cameron
• Suzanne Somers
• Donald Trump
• Jeff Reed
• Linda Mirasolo
• Joe Sweet

Yada Yada Yada.....

Peep of the Year Feedback

Quite a few of you have asked for the selection criteria behind the Peep of the Year - Tom McMahon.
~
As you know, the reasons for Peep selections can never be disclosed. It is the one sacred, unalterable rule that we must abide by here at the Nanepashemet Blog.
~
However, I can give you some clues without fear of ripping a hole in the outer lining of the universe.
~
By process of elimination, McMahon is not dead, nor is he an animal. And he didn't give me any Lagavulin over the year. That leaves only three selection criteria to consider.
~
McMahon had to be especially annoying, stupid, or inspirational to be selected as the Nanepashemet Peep of the Year.
~
..... or could it be that he was a combination thereof????
~
That is as far as I dare go. The consequences of breaking this rule would be tantamount to risking the end of life on Earth as we know it .... worse than being caught in the car with gassy Ryan... worse that asking Katelyn to take out the trash... worse than seeing DiMatteo in a good mood... worse than expecting Mike to pick up a meal tab .... worse than playing 18 holes with me.... worse than misplacing a bottle of Lagavulin.... worse than seeing Buck Johnson's bare chest....
~
It would be that bad.
~
So don't ever ask me again.

Piantedosi Rigs

A couple of years ago, I bought two of these units from Gary Piantedosi of Piantedosi Oars in Acton, MA. Gary is an MIT Engineer, and Olympic Rower. A real class guy who opened up his shop to me as a stranger and showed me his operation.

These "Row Wing" sliding rigs are made of quality marine grade aluminium and are very well crafted.

At the time, I was going to rig them up to a type of catamaran that I was thinking of converting my two 14 foot sea kayaks. I never did the project, but now will retrofit the Herreshoff tender to be able to use both of these sliding seat rowing rigs, as well as traditional oar locks. The units will be designed to be removed for sailing and traditional rowing while fishing.

I think that it will be cool to pull the tender around Marblehead harbor in tandem with a friend. I'll have to find someone who is robust and fit enough to keep pace with my rowing cadence though.

Piantedosi Oars


-=[ Piantedosi Oars - Rowingrigs.com ]=-

A Clear Path

Eric Rumpf dropped off the Sundance School Drawings tonight. A fine job.
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Another trip to see Bob Ives with Paul Lynch, then Mike Rockett and Sparky Spillane can go to town, as only they can.
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This is going to be a great facility, and a lot of kids will have a wonderful start at this site that offers so much in terms of parkland, open space and water access.

3G

We will shortly all be walking around with this type of unit. Just as Apple revolutionized the PC in the 1980's with mouse driven, point and click software, the same company now is presenting the iPhone, a portable device that will enhance everything that we do. Communicate -both verbally and written - photograph, and give us instant access to almost any information needs that we have.
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The playing field is getting more and more level. The only thing between us and success is truly us.

Second Thoughts

I know that I'm committed to building the Maine Peabod, but this Herreshoff Coquina Cat Yawl has got to be built sometime in the near future.

Back on Track

Time to rev up the Sundance Project. We'll be seeing the new architects drawings in the next day or so, and get the project back on track.

With the other projects, the Tender lies fallow due to losing the weekend on the wireless stuff, and I'm waiting for my literary agent to give me feedback on the Boatbuilding Book proposal.

Joanne is nervous about Mike relocating to DC, and there is some more stuff going on that I'm not going to tell you about now.

Lots of balls in the air.

Pats Trump Jets

The Patriots finally manhandled the Jets in the playoff game for a convincing win. We could easily see Donald Trump at Bob Kraft's Owners Box, two boxes down from Darwin's Gillette stadium box. I'm sure that Kraft had some fun with him.

Pat - Jets Playoff Game

Another workday at the Darwin Gillette box.

Stuck

Like I thought, a cluster.

Sixty Degrees

Incredibly on January 6, it is sixty degrees outside at 9:00 AM, even with rain and overcast clouds. I'm sure that the global warming crowd will be freaking out soon.

We took Mike to the Landing last night for a family dinner - the last time the family will be together for awhile since Mike is relocating to Washington DC for his new job at Bearingpoint. It felt like winter in California with the temperature so high.

Too bad I'm not far enough along with the sanding on the Tender, since this temperature is perfect for coating epoxy and varnish.

Irons in the Fire

The weekend will be killed because I will have to go to Darwin Saturday and finalize the draft network services submittal, and we have customers going to the Patriots – Jets Playoff game in the Darwin Box at Gillette Stadium. You have to meet the customers at the Box and act like you enjoy all of the eating, drinking, and climate controlled playoff football action. I don’t know how I’m going to pull it off.

Between Darwin, Sundance, the Boatbuilding Book and a couple of other entrepreneurial exploits, wouldn’t you think that I would be raking in the dough with all of these irons in the fire? My rake must be missing some tines.

Can’t see much hope in gaining some hours on the nineteen estimated to be left in interior sanding on the Tender. Maybe one or two on Saturday afternoon.

1-07 POTW

A New Year. A new start for Nanepashemet Peep of the Week Selections . To those who forget the criteria, you'll have to check the past posts, I can't keep repeating it over and over again.

Nanepashemet Peeps OTW 1-07

• Dale Johnson
• Steve Livermore
• Sarah Jane Freymann
  
• Michael Porter
• Jim Hormann
• Jay Ohanian

May they receive the accolades and/or ridicule as appropriate that they so well deserve.

Rumpf and Livermore

The A and E boys came up big time in the Sundance design. We should be on a roll by next week. Thanks to Eric Rumph and Steve Livermore - two class acts.

A Special Role

Why is it that I am the only one in my family who can change a roll of toilet paper ? Would it be a unique gene and DNA structure in my makeup? As far as I can remember, nobody in my family has ever changed a roll. If the toilet paper is hanging in my house, that is documentary evidence that I have been in the vicinity.

Darwin Account Reviews

We'll be conducting account reviews in the next two weeks and all of the business development managers will be heading to Wakefield. Maybe we will take another group photo this time.

A New World of Information

"One of the most infamous men of the 20th century met a very 21st century fate Saturday morning. Within hours of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s hasty execution at the hands of masked hangmen, amateur cameraphone clips taken by eyewitnesses joined television feeds of the event on video distribution sites YouTube and Google Video. Television clips available on the internet within hours of his death showed executioners roughly placing a noose around Hussein’s neck. An amateur video clip of the event, taken on the cameraphone, then shows a pause before Hussein’s sudden plunge from the gallows. The grim amateur footage—unavailable on mainstream outlets such as the web sites of CNN and The New York Times—marks an era where eyewitnesses can crank out accounts of news events seen by millions within just a few hours. " - Red Herring

Nanepashemet Peep of the Year - 2006

I know that I've created a monster.
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In a light hearted process of acknowledging the triumphs and foibles of various Peeps every week, I have caused a strange and invective cult to emerge, filled with hundreds of mindless drones whose only life function is to anguish and obsess over the merits or inequities of the Nanepashemet Peep of the Week selection.
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If only I could turn back time, I never would have set this juggernaut in motion. Woe that I have lifted the lid on this Pandora's Box.
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What's done is done. I will have to live with this burden of my own making, trying to make the best of a whirlpool of bad karma.
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There can only be one Nanepashemet Peep of the Year 2006.
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I have selected the one Peep among you who has solved the riddle of the shroud.
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Only one of the multitudes has found the truth... that the shroud is not linen wrappings of antiquity, but a sheet of Big Brawny brand paper towel.
`
Announcing....

The NANEPASHEMET PEEP OF THE YEAR 2006 - TOM McMAHON






To those of you who know McMahon, it cannot come as a surprise.

Matinicus Island

We'll be spending a little time researching this island since we have decided to build the Maine Matinicus Peapod for the next project.
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This is an antique 1906 USGS map.
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Click on the map for greater detail.

Competition to Shroud of Turin

In the midst of all the controversy regarding the visage of Christ on the Shroud of Turin, a new mystery arises.
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This one is especially baffling.
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Don't be distracted by the devastatingly good looking image on this ancient shroud of antiquity.
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Some say it's not a man at all... but some sort of a Greek God. I don't think he is Greek though. In fact, nix the Greek idea altogether.
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To me, this man exudes deep knowledge, and animal sexuality. His piercing, intelligent gaze, and confident smile portend superiority, yet ultimate humility.
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Please help us find the truth! If you have any idea of his identity, please email me at this special address that will support the mountain of mail that this mystery will generate.

Send to stupid@whatamoron.com

Cure the Common Cold

Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer with Aloe, Moisturizers & Vitamin E
8 fl oz (236 ml)

If only everybody had a bottle of this. We would send the rhino virus to a much deserved extinction.

Shaping up to a Happy New Year

Best Wishes of the New Year to the Peeps! I had mentioned earlier to you that I had good vibes for 2007. I still do, and it is starting to become clear why.
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There really are some great things to look forward to.
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Ryan and Courtney's gift to the world,
Michael and Katelyn's great emerging careers,
Joanne's new Sundance location,
WiMax wireless technology deployment,
Launching the Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender,
Building the Maine Matinicus Peapod,
Publishing the Nanepashemet Boatbuilding book,
Fishing for Tuna on Stellwagen,
Remodeling the basement,
Kicking back with Joanne, Izzy and Ronick,
Fly Fishing the Saco River and NH Lakes,
Getting rid of this Wicked Head Cold,
Weddings for Murph, Tina, Stacy and Brian,
Selecting the Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week,
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Man, I've got to stop before I get emotional. Too many good thoughts at the same time can even make a rough, tough, hard to bluff, mountain of a man like me break down and cry like a baby.
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Not a pretty sight.
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Why don't you make your own list of great things to look forward to, and stop bugging me about mine??? Obviously, 2007 will also have some annoying segments to it.

Jill and Thomas

Congradulations to Matt and Sue on the birth of their twins. Welcome Jill and Thomas Peabody to the exclusive club of human earthdwellers, alive during the greatest period in history.... here and now.

Resolved

The last day of the year. A day for reflection and resolution. Obviously, a central resolution is to finish the Tender and begin the work on your Peapod. But I do have some other concerns.

Next year, I resolve to open my mail, everyday, even the bills. I resolve to pay attention to the details, so that things don’t end up looming so big that is seems like a tsunami of stress engulfs me.

I resolve to pay attention to what I eat, and get an exercise burn in every day. I can’t predict weight loss here, because I’m sick of worrying about the number of lbs. that show up on the scale when I step on. I just want to feel good and move easier.

I resolve to clean up after me… everyday…everywhere. This means my truck, my bedrooms, the kitchen, the garage, my office…. everywhere. Keep the decks shipshape for action.

That’s it. Pretty simple. Build the boats, workout, eat right, check the details, and clean up afterward.

In past years for New Year’s resolution, I’ve tried to outline detailed economic and career results that I would like to attain. A lot of that stuff was out of my control… and hardly ever occurred the way I was resolving. This year, I’m going to be more of a receiver of the big stuff, and less of a controller. My resolutions are designed to deal with what life flows my way, not direct the flow.

Courtney's Cupcakes

For somebody who doesn't like to eat, Courtney certainly can bake.
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Awesome cupcakes.

Pruning

Did I say a little pruning in the last post? After four truckloads of cutting brush and trucking it to the Marblehead Town Dump, in the snow, I was freaking exhausted. Coming out of the dump on the fourth load, I saw Greg Bruett, and asked him if he wanted to see the new school site.
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Big mistake for progress on the Tender.
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Greg stopped home and came by Sundance with two Coors Light Beers.
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A classy move.
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Beer always is the perfect refreshment following some physical work. After showing him around the place, I asked if he wanted to join me for a beer at Maddies. I had a pass since Joanne was going to Boston with her mother and sisters, so Greg called Nancy, got permission, and we were headed for Old Town.
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We could'nt find a parking space at Maddies, so we headed for the Landing. Fine with me since I belong to the Dark and Stormy Club at the Landing and needed to add some stamps to my card. Ten stamps, and you get a free Dark and Stormy.
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The only problem is that the Dark and Stormies at the Landing suck. They are all ginger beer, and hardly any Black Seal Rum.
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Whatever... Three stamps later, and lot of man talk under the bridge, we were headed for home, but it was 5:30 PM and there was no boatbuilding energy in sight.
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Tomorrow is another day.

Tender Neglect

You may have noticed that I haven't done much work on the Herreshoff-Columbia Yacht Tender recently. With the Sundance project, It has taken a back seat. I never dreamed that I would be launching in 07, but that's where we are.
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Today though, I'm planning to rev it up again. I'm going to the Sundance site with my reciprocating saw to prune some of the tree limbs and open up the area to give us better insight into the location of parking spaces. That will get my rhino-virus-wracked body back in motion.
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Then I'm going to resume sanding the interior of the Tender.

Take It Easy

To the couple hundred or so Peeps who have emailed me recently to see if I felt better, I really appreciate the sentiment. But really, calm down.... it's just a head cold. Not the Bubonic Plague.
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Some people always seem to overreact.

Permission Granted

Thanks to Bob Ives, Marblehead Building Commissioner. Took a big step in the Sundance project today because of his insight and consideration. Many hurdles remain, but at least the race has started.

Dave Bruett, Paul Lynch, Sparky Spillane and Eric "International Man of Mystery" Rumpf can all take a bow. Their contributions will be duly noted for future Nanepashemet Honors.

Nice Beavers

Beavers have made a huge comeback. By the 1700's they were virtually out of existance in Massachusetts, but now are very much in evidence even in urban areas. These trees were just cut down by Beavers in Wakefield, MA right next to the Darwin office.

Cancun

To my Mexican Peeps. Watch out!
Bobby Brown is heading your way!
Protect your women!!!

Legal Help

Saddam Hussein will be put to death within the next thirty days under Iraqi law. Somehow, I didn’t think justice would be this swift.

While we’re on the subject of law and death, what is it about lawyers that make even the most law abiding, peaceful, God-fearing person contemplate methods of torture and murder?

The times when you consult with an attorney usually have stressful components. Especially in business, you ask a lawyer to do something for you when you fear a certain consequence. In business, though, time is money. Do something quickly, reduce expenses, make some money, or at least, avoid losing too much.

For the lawyer, money is time. Delay, process… there is always tomorrow. Then… when they finally get around to returning your call, they usually find some reason to blame you for the reasons for delay. But you maintain your composure and play along with the ruse, because you feel like they have you by the gonads.

I know that there are exceptions, but trust me, I’m talking about the general rule.

No Pity

My head cold is still brutal…. and I’m rapidly losing ground with the family over it. Mike calls me a pussy and Joanne says that I am gross. All because they hear a little sniffle once in awhile. If I had Bird Flu they would be sorry.

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - 8

As I told you earlier, Jay Turner bought me a bottle of Lagavulin for Christmas. Bingo! He's in.
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The rest of you didn't heed my suggestion, and must be evaluated by the remaining criteria.
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So be it. Here Goes....

NANEPASHEMET PEEPS OF THE WEEK - 8

• Jay Turner
• Paul Lynch
• Susan Raiche
• Mitt Romney
• Dan Brown
• RobbyDoyle

Not bad for the last week of the year.
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Now for the biggest challenge yet...... the Peep of the Year selection.
You're automatically in with a case of Lagavulin if somebody wants it bad enough.
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The big day is Mon. Jan. 1, 2007. Even I can't wait for this one.

POTW -8 The Final Designations for 2006

By the end of the day, a few more of you may have achieved the ultimate.
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Because today is Thursday.... and Thursday is Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week Day. The last one in 2006.
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Don't put pressure on yourself. There is still life for those who are not chosen. A lesser life, yes, but all is not lost. There is still time to meet the automatic selection criteria. Just do what a few brilliant individuals have done - have a bottle of Lagavulin delivered prior to 6:00 PM EST.
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Good luck

Bird Bonanza

On the feeder, right now.... two chickadees and three tufted titmouses. Or would they be tufted titmice?

Book Proposal

I was invited to send the book proposal to an agent in NY based upon a query that I e-mailed. Nice. I was expecting total rejection bordering upon ridicule.
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The proposal will take some preparation. I actually bought some books on Amazon detailing a successful book proposal. They should be delivered today.

Head Cold

I have a wicked head cold. I slept down on the living room couch last night because I didn't want to be hacking next to Joanne. You would think that she appreciated that!!! Nope.
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All day long, she gives me dirty looks when I cough and sneeze. Let's be honest. I'm only sneezing, hacking and snotting to annoy Joanne. This head cold is a ruse to be extra irritating to her. Maybe I'll really piss her off and get pneumonia.

Christmas Presents

I hope you got some nice presents for Christmas. I did. You all know about the boat trailer that Joanne got for me. It came in FIVE BOXES!!!
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... with some assemble required. Then she got me a paper towel holder for the kitchen counter. I was so sick of always looking for the paper towels. And the kids gave me some more really neat stuff.
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Ryan and Courtney gave me a brass thermometer and a great book on the Herreshoff Yacht and Boat Builders of Bristol, R.I. I had actually lusted for this book down at the Marblehead Spirit of 76 Bookstore, but denied myself because of the price tag.
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Mike gave the the National Audubon Society, state of the art, Sibley Guide to Birds.
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Boats and Birds.... some serious reading enjoyment.
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Katelyn bought me a sweater and a Dark and Stormy Gift Box, with Ginger Beer and Goslings Black Seal Bermuda Rum. You will recall that Dark and Stormies are the official Nanepashemet Drink of Summer. I wore the sweater during the Chistmas Eve parties and emerged stain free by the end of the evening. That's a great omen.
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Jay Turner gave me a bottle of Lagavulin... you know what that means!!! He is an automatic for POTW. Brilliant move.
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All in all, some thoughtful presents from an awesome family.

Sundance Chores

Met with Mel Blackmun to have the lead certification done. I have to replace the wrought iron railings at the front entrance.
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I also talked to both Paul Lynch and Mike Rockett regarding the permit submittal. Hopefully to be done tomorrow with the parking spaces laid out. Kept Sparky in the loop.

Design Review

Joanne and I are meeting this morning with Eric Rumpf and Steve Livermore to crank out the final design details on the new Sundance building. I'm looking forward to meeting with them, but I'm afraid I'll gross them out from the sound of my headcold. It certainly grosses me out.

Flashing the Bird

I'm not entirely sure why, but my friends and family seem to take great pleasure in flipping the bone, flashing the bird, and/or giving me the finger.
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Don't they know that at any time, I can lose my senses, go beserk and pummel them mercilously?
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Apparently not.
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Lucky for them that I am the poster boy for tolerance and self-control... that I'm able to see beyond the gutteral meaning of such base expressions....
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.... that I'm cool and they suck.
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I will continue to ignore their juvenile assertions, and seek the truth through the lens of my honest Canon Digital Camera.
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Don't worry Peeps... it takes alot more than a lousy middle finger to make me forego my obligation to bring you your daily life's inspiration. I won't be deterred!

Katelyn's Christmas Collage

Kate seemed to have a good Christmas. There were no eardrum piercing screams or high pitched vulgarity.
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Happy Holidays Katelyn!

Tighty Whities v. Boxer Shorts

I remember that my father wore boxers. But my brother and I never had a pair that I recall. We only had tighty whities.
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My boys wear boxers exclusively, while I have carried on with my tighty whitey briefs. Joanne bought me three pairs of Tommy Hilfigers for Xmas.
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It will be interesting to see which choice that the grandkids follow.
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Maybe it's a generational thing.