Thursday, July 16, 2009

Push to Conclusion

Back to Block Island tomorrow.
~
Ryan and Alex have been making progress on the ground with the civil work, and the aerial work on the tower is finished. We'll be testing the antennas and cables for radio frequency integrity tomorrow. By the end of the day, I am hoping that this chapter is closed and we are ready to concentrate on the mainland.
~
I can guarantee you that I will not be going close to my truck this weekend. With an average of over 300 miles per day since Tues in the F150, and the Block Island trip tomorrow, I'll be more than happy to stay off of the road.
~
But the weekend won't start until 8:00PM tomorrow night.
~
I'm already looking forward to building the base for the workbench, and pulling the lobster pots.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Physical Work

Out by 5:00 AM this morning to see what Ryan and Alex had going at the Block Island site. They have a busy couple of days ahead, but should be in good shape by Friday. I was home by 8:30 tonight, and snapped at Joanne a little bit. Hey.... I was freaking tired and cranky. Deal with it.
~
I hope to get back down to the Island on Friday to see if we are at the punch list stage.
~
But before that, I have to check out sites at Cambridge, Burlington, and will need to file for permits in Groton, CT. I should easily log over 1,000 driving miles this week in the F150. Suppose that it is ultimately worth it monetarily, but I freely admit that this type of travel really wipes me out physically.
~
Maybe there are easier ways to make money... so clue me in if you have the answer.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

National Public Radio Contribution

On the drive back from Maine, I let my radio scan to PBS Radio and actually kept it on the station for an hour or two.
~
Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg, Terry Gross... these people are such gag reflexes. Just the way they talk is so self centered and phoney, but then if you actually listen to what they say.... it's just amazing how they skirt the facts to fit their leftist agendas.
~
This afternoon, they were discussing Presidential "Signing Statements" which is a situation whereby the President may sign a bill into law, but will give examples where the Executive Branch may not agree or honor the legislation in certain circumstances.
~
One of these "Fresh Air" Moonbats said that the evil George Bush was the only President to issue such "Signing Statements". And she repeated this several times.
~
When it was established that this practice has been in use since the James Madison administration, and that Barach Obama has already issued several, and that Wild Bill Clinton issued far more than the evil George Bush.... in other words, when she was completely and totally discredited.... she stated that Bush's statements were "more onerous".
~
I'm not making this up.... unlike this National Public Radio Dipshit. Even I couldn't lie that bad.
~
I have to thank these pseudo-intellectuals for getting my ire up in what could have been a dangerously drowsy ride.
~
So maybe if I make the planned trek down to Block Island tomorrow, I'll tune into some "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross. A suitable host's name for this very gross and tainted radio show. At least it will keep me alert.


Tuna Lips said...
Give me a bag of pork rinds, a pickled egg and a warm six pack of Red White and Blue beer, I'll give them commies some fresh air. Put them to mind of a warm nucular breeze, have 'em crying "oh, the humanities!"

Coastal Maine Roadtrip

Got up at 2:30 AM this morning to drive to Swan's Island, Maine - 282 miles away including a 9 mile ferry ride - to attend a bid walk and take care of some site acq work. I'm a little tired, but nothing that a couple of cans of Red Bull can't cure.
~
The physical beauty of this place is stunning.... particularly if you like seascapes.
~
If I can get back in the 1:30PM ferry, then I'll be in Marblehead by 7:00 PM tonight. Trouble is that I've only got a reservation for the 4:00 PM ferry. That would push the Marblehead ETA out to 11:00 PM or so.
~
Which could be fatiguing.
~
Even for a Mountain of a Man like me.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

RIP Pat


Pat McManus -Rest in Peace.
~
God took you too soon, but a lot later than you thought he was going to. That's our secret.
~
Lynn's former Mayor, Pat McManus died suddenly on Friday.
~
I saw him walking door to door on Lynnfield Street in Lynn, last Thurs. and wanted to stop and talk, but I had a delivery in Burlington that I was rushing to attend to. Now I really wish I made the time.
~
Pat was a classmate of mine and teammate on the track team at Lynn English. I watched his political career unfold and was happy for his success... and now particularly sorrowful at his untimely death.

Adirondack Chairs and Lobster

Contrary to your negative Peep thought processes, I did accomplish quite a bit this weekend, most of which I can't talk about until the summer is over, but I can tell you that the patterns for Katelyn's Adirondack chair were all traced from the plans and cut out in luan plywood.
~
I also cleaned and organized the garage somewhat, and the workbench may be getting some life soon.
~
Tommy O and I rebaited all of the lobster traps and caught 16 shorties in the process, which we lawfully returned to the sea. By Wed of this week, when I get back from Swan's Island, ME, we will pull the traps with the hope of getting six keepers or so. Then on Sat. the same thing, which will insure a great clambake next weekend. Stay tuned.
~
If you think that there is a lot that I'm not telling you, you are dead on. But discretion is the greater part of valor.
~
When the time is right, I will tell you how we dealt with all the bullshit, but now is not the time. For way too long, we have been waiting for the pendulum to swing back. Soon, it will begin it's karmic drift, drastically challenging those who felt that they were secure in their self serving precarious perches.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Bonus Plan

A sunny Saturday morning. Mega bonus. Time for a plan.
~
Tommy O and I baited the lobster traps yesterday afternoon, and the boat is a mess. Plus there is some unprocessed bait that I have to take care of. High tide is around 3:00 PM. So I'm thinking of going out around noon, bringing the boat into Village Landing for a hose down, then heading out to Bluefish Alley behind Baker's Island for a troll or two.
~
That will get me back to the dock by 3:00 PM.... Time for a nap before we rev up the evening with Harvey and Lisa Rowe. We'll probably do a harbor tour with them.
~
So that leaves between now and 12:00 noon to start Kate's Adirondack Chair in the garage. I'll cut the patterns out of luan plywood and use these for final pattern routing of the chair parts.

Pisc said...

When was the first beer cracked/dark & stormy mixed? Peach of a day it was.

Patrick -
Many a beer and Dark and Stormy was encountered. Statistics are hazy.
- J.

Friday, July 10, 2009

POTW Week 27



Watching the politically correct lefty assholes on Good Morning America playing a video of President Barach Obama checking out a young French woman's ass. They played it three times to emphasize that he was really watching his step.

~
For God's sake!!!

~

The girl had a killer ass.

~

If I was President, I'd still look at asses. It's only human.

~

So don't say he was looking down to watch his step.... you manipulative thought police assholes. Which brings me to the task at hand.
~
ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 27th Week of 2009
~
Diane Sawyer
Julie Johnson
Paul Parocchi
Grady Butler
Denise Kearns
Lou Panakio
~
Now I have to get through one more day before we rock this weekend.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

You Go Sarah


To the pathetic Peep who emailed me asking if my fondness for Sarah Palin has waned since she has resigned the Governorship of Alaska, I have this response.
~
What are you freaking Crazy????
~
She's still sizzling hot isn't she????
~
Plus I love the way that she brought that sanctimonious "funnyman", David Letterman to his knees.
~
Whatever her reasons for resigning were, this much is true. She was brilliant in her timing.
~
All those lefty media types who are so threatened by her were too busy fawning over the untimely death of Michael Jackson. Even though she could never slip under the radar, nobody had the chance to tee off on her like they would on a slow news week.
~
We haven't seen the last of Sarah Palin. And that is all right by me.

Paul on the road to Damascus said...

Now its all about Barry, no more smug mocking - you wont have Palin to kick around anymore. The whole "economy we inherited" bit is starting to lose some resonance. Joe Plugs has been like a broken record with that.

And Medvedev and Barry seem really tight, but when the Russian version of Darth Vader appears (Putin) Barry decides its wise to lecture the real leader of Russia that his ideas are in the past. And that "stern" proclomation about the fledgling democracy in Georgia, that has the Georgians feeling real positive about the stand they took for popular governance at the beginning of this century. Wow, the moral authority, Russians historically respond well to that. Where have you gone, Dick Cheney? What do the Iranians think of the democracy (admittedly fledgling) that you established in Iraq, in light of their "democratically" elected officials murdering them in the streets. The Mullahs are to Achmadinijad as Putin is to Medvedev. Playing nice with the folks who can't make deals, why, that reminds me of the sales folk that would golf with the lowest level lackey in a customer's orgnaization, and claim progress. Its playing business.

For the moonbat reader, note that the G-8 countries told him to go shove his global warming talk - Gore can get a medal, but the Europeans, who invented racism and excess, ain't havin' it.

It will take time to have all this nonsense discredited, but it will happen. Thanks to Governor Palin for falling on the sword, and stepping away from a rigged game.

Your home mortgage is a good hedge against inflation. The dollars you pay down with will not be worth the dollars you borrowed in real terms - the banks get Josed.

Spam

Don't know about you, but I get a ton of junk E-mail.
~
Mostly about things like weight loss, acai berries, phoney college degrees, Rolex watches, and the ubiquitious "pills to make your pee-pee get bigger".
~
Just so you Spammers know, I don't need any of this shit.... especially the weeny peenie crap.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Not Lip Service


My friend, Harvey Rowe, is a doer not a talker.
~
Although he can still talk a good game.
~
But he doesn't just say that "My Brother's Table" soup kitchen in Lynn is a worthy cause.
~
He actively recruits his friends and family to lend a hand.
~
Not a bad looking dishwashing crew!

Tuna Lips said...
I eats at the shelter anytime I gets to not having no food around the hacienda. I reckon it would be Tuna Lips service, then, sho nuff! Hoo ha, reglar Bob Hope I is!

Harvey Rowe said...
Thanks John/jay but the heroes are the ones in the picture like Ryan who gave his all and helped get 200 or so people feed and made their day a little better.......



Er.....
Harvey....
I didn't exactly refer to you as a "Hero", just as a freaking "Doer". I think you've read a little too much in.

Off Line

Peeps -
~
My Internet connection was down last night.
~
I felt so naked.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Happy 4th



Happy 4th of July.
~
We finally had a sunny dry day up here in the Boston Area. Went over to Will Crawford's house in Old Town, where his brother Chris was smoking five huge racks of ribs.
~
Many cool Peeps dropped by, including the very beautiful granddaughter of "My Friend Who Doesn't Want His Name Metioned in the Blog", Caroline Bruett.
~
Kevin Rockett gave us his insight of some of the intrigue at the Gerry Club, and I took a close look at Peter Crawford's motor scooter.
~
Pictures to follow.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Nanepashemet Job Opportunities

For all of you who have sent resumes to Nanaepashemet Telecom....
Be careful what you ask for.
~

~
Not every day is as good as this one.
~

Celebrating with Johnson

It's technically a work day at Nanepashemet Telecom. So we'll have our conference call, do some accounting, make a bank deposit, and tend to a few details. No big road trips today. Time to rachet this business machine back and shift into idle.
~
Plus, the Johnson's 4th of July Cookout is this evening and we want to harvest some lobsters, boil them, shuck them and bring the meat over for Lobster rolls. I suppose that we have to bring mayonaise, celery, and the imperative Nissan Hot Dog Rolls. A huge bonus is that Amanda and Jeremy have flown in from California and Minnesota... this is big time special.
~
So all in all, we will be pulling the traps and dispatching about twenty lobsters for this Dale and Gail Extravanganza. The Johnson's are the real deal. You find out who really counts during times like these.
~
Most of you really count too and have shown your friendship and support. Our family will never forget you.
~
Have a great 4th of July. You deserve it.

Tuna Lips said...
I am celebratory with my johnson every ding dong day. Why, you throw in a run away and a strung out street walker, its a regular marty graw. Me a my johnson is tight like that. No less than whitnee huston said learning to loves yerself is the greatest love. I likes that. Words to live by.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry.
~
I guess this Post Title was a High Soft One for our friend Tuna Lips. He took the bait quick and hard.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Dirt Under the Fingernails.

Those of you who know me as a top executive with rapier sharp business skills will be shocked to learn that I spent the day in Rockland, Maine helping Alex and Ryan set a communications shelter and pour a concrete stoop with 25 8lb sacks of 5000 psi Sacrete.
~
Is this a misuse of talent???
~
I don't care what you think.
~
A little sweat, dirt and grime doesn't hurt... as long as I don't have to do it everyday like those guys.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Karmic Justice

Thanks for all of the great emails today.
~
Just remember that people with axes to grind and negative motives tend to self destruct. Their transparency becomes obvious despite the rhetoric.
~
Don't worry. Justice ultimately prevails. The law of Karma dictates that.

Tuna Lips said...

TL alway prevails in de end, too. I often tell that no good hoochie Miss Pudding such. Restrainin' order or no restrainin' order.

Republican Reality


Does this women look crazy to you??
~
Trust me, she's not.
~
That's a special peep, Lisa Rowe, who still doesn't know that Barach Obama was elected President of the United States.
~
Don't break the news on her quickly. It will be like waking someone who's sleepwalking.
~
Wait till she finds out that Al Franken is a Senator from Minnesota.

Bitchy Trophy Wife said...

Ms. Rowe is a smart woman. Mitt 2010!

Tuna Lips said...

Looks like this philly needs some pacificatin'. Them big hoops danglin' from her ears says to me she has seen her share of sinnin'. I likes that.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Duffy Lewis

This is about Duffy Lewis, Not Monica Lewinsky.
If you are looking for Monica, click Here.

Duffy Lewis was always one of my favorites.

Career highlights and awards

"In 11 seasons, Lewis batted .284 with 38 home runs, 793 RBI, 612 runs, 1518 hits, 289 doubles, 68 triples, and 113 stolen bases in 1459 games.
During his tenure in Boston patrolling left field, Fenway Park featured a ten-foot-high mound that formed an incline in front of the left field wall, now better known as the Green Monster. The young outfielder mastered the incline to such an extent that it was nicknamed "Duffy's Cliff". Sports cartoons of the period often depicted him as a mountain climber making catches amid sheep and snowcaps. The mound was eventually reduced in 1934, long after Lewis had left the Sox, and was not completely eliminated until the field underwent a major renovation following the 2004 season." - Wikipedia

John Stamos

Every once in awhile, you take a swing and drive the ball right out of the park.
~
Everything that we intended to accomplish in the business meeting came out better than expected.
~
It's like the turning point in "Step Brothers" when Will Farrell asks John Riley....
~
"Did we just become Best Friends?"
~
"Yep."

Monday, June 29, 2009

Sweating the Small Stuff

The appeal of running a small business at Nanepashemet Telecom was getting my hands dirty. At General Dynamics, I was very far away from the action at all times. And you don't get too much dirt under your fingernails giving Powerpoint Presentations.
~
That's not to say that I don't do the executive sort of things at Nanepashemet. Especially when we have to pitch new business.
~
But usually, we don't have to be executives and get sweaty at construction sites on the same day.
~
Tomorrow will be different. We'll be finishing up a site in the morning, then pitching an account by lunchtime. Not sure how I will deal with the sweat issue.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Philosohical Phallout

I didn't mean to get so philosophical in that last post.
~
It just kind of slipped out.
~
I mean, I'm not a freaking guru or something.
~
I'm not forming a cult or anything.
~
So don't be pledging me your life long loyalty and asking me to father your children.
~
It was all a big misunderstanding.

Life, Liberty...

As Americans, our government was formed to provide us with the opportunity for "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".
~
These are rights that say that the rank and file of us can live to freely try to find happiness.
~
When you reflect on the seemingly tormented life of Michael Jackson, it becomes obvious that talent and wealth do not guarantee happiness. So many celebrities seem to live a life of pain amid their possessions. Even when you can totally control your environment, as Jackson did, happiness and contentment are elusive.
~
The answer seems obvious.
~
Pursuing happiness is not the pursuit of things, or talent, or relationships.
~
The Pursuit of Happiness is a search to find a way to see the good in all things.... to see the glass as half full.... to be comfortable in your own skin.
~
The Pursuit of Happiness is an inner journey to let your soul resonate in harmony with any surrounding that you choose to associate. James Taylor sang, "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." Happiness is that natural state of the universe.... with electrons harmoniously rotating around protons and neutrons whether you are Michael Jackson or a piece of granite.
~
Happiness is a choice. You can choose to see the harmony in each passing moment, or you can resist and long for a different moment or environment causing anxiety and discord.
~
If you can't see the the harmony in your current situation, then pretend that you can.... because it is there. You just are not tuned into it. I know of no person, myself included, that doesn't have some massive adversity that imperils their well being and state of mind. But each adversity carries its open or hidden benefit, despite the apparent absurdness of this assertion.
~
Don't judge the rightness or wrongness of the situation. We are eternal beings and each experience has its lessons and insights for us that benefit and enrich us for the long haul. In the context of eternity, all adversity is just a detail.
~
Nobody can give you happiness. It is your personal choice. The Pursuit of Happiness is to constantly remember to choose happiness in each moment of time.
~
You can choose to embrace this, or to ridicule and degrade it.
Again... it is all up to you. But open your eyes and test it before you fade back to black.
~
Choose happiness. Bitterness, hate and despair suck compared to it.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Photogenic

There was a stiff east wind heading into Marblehead Harbor during my row this afternoon in the Tender. Tough going against it, but when when you turned around and rowed with it, it was possible to go six knots with ease.
~
I noticed two people at different times taking a photo of me in the Tender.
~
Since people don't ordinarily take random photos of me, especially when I am currently solvent and haven't any pissed off creditors, I have to believe that the attraction is the Tender and not me.
~
But then again, you never know.... being the rough, tough, hard to bluff, damn good looking mountain of a man that I am.

Lucky Striper


Ryan and Alex are out at Stellwagen right now and sent this picture of the 42" Striped Bass that they boated.
~

Federal Law prohibits taking Stripers from the Stellwagen Sanctuary, or we would be chunking this bad boy up for the deep fryer this afternoon.

~

So this fish gets a reprieve.
~
Ryan said that the football Bluefin Tuna are breaking water, but so far no strikes, and that conditions are mostly foggy.
~
But he has that co0l new Nanepashemet sweatershirt on.
~
I'll be taking the Tender out for a rowing workout around 11:30AM when the tide is half high rising.
~
Joanne says that there are thunderstorms forecasted, but I have to get a good row in. Not worried about getting wet, and if I get struck by lightning, then this pathetic Blog would come to an abrupt end. So all in all, it seems like a win-win.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Boss Man

This morning I had to struggle to get out of bed and had all intentions of calling it in.
~
It was Friday, I already had completed a ton of stuff for a very successful workweek so I was thinking of taking the day off. I'm the boss of Nanepashemet Telecom... right??? I can do whatever I freaking want.... Right????
~
So I was ready to report on the morning conference call, then kick back and start the weekend..... and then the waves starting hitting the beach.
~
Wave after Wave.
~
Things didn't stop until I finally pulled the Ford F150 back up to the house at 5:10 PM.
~
So much for being the Boss.

Tuna Lips said...
You needs a broader spectrum of workin' stiffs to horse whip to do yer biddings, that's all. Many a summer day I spent sippin' corn likker and pink lemonade with a barefooted harlot fanning me whilst I spectatin' the lesser folk fufillin' my obligations to Colonel Sartoris, he of the old stars and bars, bossman of the Chickesaw county.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

POTW Week 25

Ryan and I grabbed some time this afternoon and pulled eight lobster pots, yielding 9 keeper lobsters and 2 fairly large crabs.
~
We rebaited the traps and if the same production occurs, we should have about 25 of the tasty crustaceans available for the 4th of July celebration cookouts. Remind me to pick up some more butter and Old Bay Spice before then.

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 25th week of 2009.

Steve Farrar
Michael Murphy
Barbara Walters
Jorge Quiroga
William Nestor
Gail Johnson

It was finally nice on the water with the sunshine breaking through

Farah and Michael



We lost the American cultural icons of Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson today.
~
These were people, who had weaknesses and frailties, but made a definitive statement and added richness to our culture.
~
Tempus Fugit.

The "P" Words


The morning news is really into the story of the South Carolina Republican governor, Mark Sanford who went AWOL for a hot date in Argentina.
~
Sex sells.
~
Plus Sanford was a Republican Presidential Maybe, who had the audacity to criticize President Clinton when he diddled Monica Lewinsky.
~
So often, those who stray into the swamp of sexual scandal have a history of criticism of others indiscretions.
~
I personally believe that unless you are screwing with me or mine, where you point your pecker is not a part of public policy.
~
But it's probably proper for policiticians to keep their pee pee in their pants.

Pisco said...

Nice use of alliteration in making your point about public policy, pointing peckers and your peeps.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

You Can Bank On It

Getting back into the banking game.
~
Mountain of a Man historians will note that I used to deal with the banks all of the time in the 80's before the savings and loan crisis brought everything to a crash. I always felt comfortable with bank talk. Business finance holds a lot less mystery to me than a cellular antenna installation. Although there's really not a heck of a lot of mystery to installing antennas.
~
Anyway, I always vowed that if I got on my feet again after the 80's collapse, I would never again leverage business through financing.
~
But here we go again.
~
Maybe this time, I won't get that "Nothing Can Go Wrong" bullshit attitude that characterized my last go around.
~
This time, I'm really sure of what can go wrong. And there's no way I'm going to go through that crap again.


Tuna Lips said...

Ise, too, am wisened for havin' kept my moneys with so called bank & "trusts", only to have the whole thing go south just acause of somethin' I said, or dun, or maybe I exposed my weddin' tackle, and then find the bank & trust feller run off with his wife's cousin, all the while usin' my cash to bankroll a stag film starring the before menshoned cousin, who I comes to find out was with child due to fornicatin' with the boys in her sophomore english class. And that movie was my idea. John Ford was a major influence in my creative uprearin,' as was John Holmes. That banker screwed me.

We discuss such matters, and the unduly influencin' of internationalized bankers on the US of A every now and agin, like minded folk, down the holler, burn us a fire now and again. Real hush hush stuff. Sorta.

Evidence.

So I'm watching that big egotistical blowhard, Terrell Owens, get his ass kicked in the "Superstars" competition on ABC tonight. His female teammate is taunting him.... asking what he gets paid a million dollars as an athlete for.
~
Further evidence that there is a God.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Weather for the Week

It's cloudy and rainy. Tried to get out and see if a few of the traps could yield enough lobsters for dinner, but even in the inner harbor the nor'east wind was whipping up whitecaps, and seas reportedly hit six feet on Stellwagen.
~
A reprieve for the lobsters.
~
Now it looks like we're in for a whole week of this. Which is probably not at bad thing for the grass seed that we put on the dirt patch called our front lawn. But it doesn't bode well for all of the grounding cadwelds that we have to accomplish for Nanepashemet Telecom.
~
This is a big week - lots of moving parts in lots of areas - both personal and business. It will be interesting to see what Blog entry goes in next Sunday night.

Tuna Lips said...
One part I hope gets movin' is my bowuls. Criminiy sakes, Ise bound up like a treed pole cat.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Bound for Bait


Despite the threat of rain, tomorrow I have to get out early and catch bait to tend to the lobster traps.
~
My plan is to take the WhaleEye straight out to Halfway rock and jig for mackerel and pollack, then head down Bluefish Alley by the ledges to see if some early Bluefish might want to give it up for the traps.
~
Tide should be high enough and I should be back by 10:30 AM or so.

POTW Week 24






More rain.
~
The wet weather kills our efforts to finish some telecom work, because you can't CADweld safely around moisture, and CADwelding to support the extensive grounding systems at wireless telecom facilities is a daily, essential task.
~
There is only so much ditch digging that we can do.

ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 24th Week of 2009

Pat Piscatelli
Bill Hillegas
Chris D'Orio
Kelsey O'Shea
Courtney Cox
Ben Wallace

The rain delays won't kill us, but they are really annoying.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

No More Snore


In the spirit of total honesty and open disclosure, I have to admit to you that I snore.
~
Really Bad.
~
Each and every time I doze off.
~
And incredibly loud... like an old moose with a head cold.
~
I know that it bugs the shit out of Joanne, but there was nothing I could do about it.... until now.
~
Being sensitive to all of Joanne's needs, I decided that it was time after 36 years to take on this snoring problem. Plus it seems to have worsened over the last 2 1/2 years or so.
~
So I extensively researched the problem, and after 10 minutes of browsing, I came across a product called "SnoreMeds". Amazon sold it for about $39 bucks.
~
This is a plastic mouthpiece that you put into boiling water and then mold it to your mouth, causing the lower jaw to jut about a bit and create an open air passage past the offending palate.
~
It's the palate which vibrates when relaxed as you are sleeping, and that is the source of the gutteral snoring noise which Joanne loathes so much, but I don't even hear.
~
Tested SnoreMeds on a catnap today for about 1/2 hour and it is the first snorefree slumber that I can remember. So now I will be even better in the bedroom.

Pisco said...

Dude:

It puts a strain on your heart as well. I would not hesitate to mention it to your doctor. You might end up wearing one of those vacuum thingamajigs that make you look like you are ready to shoot down a MIG, but it could save your life. Plus, you can act like you are shooting down MIGs.

Lauren Rathbone, reigning Peep of the Year, said...

My mom has this problem with my dad, she wears industrial ear plugs every night. So much so, that my brother orders her them from some industrial safety catalog he gets at work.

Lauren's Dad must be cool.

Bunker Hill Day

There is a little commotion in Boston today, because it is Bunker Hill Day, and only Boston has it as a holiday. All city and state offices in Boston are closed.
~
The crux of the issue is that we have economic problems and can't afford this holiday, or the other Boston only holiday - Evacuation Day.
~
If people knew the history behind these days, the hue and cry should be why the whole country doesn't have these days off. Apparently the effects of a foreign occupation and the loss of American lives to throw tyranny off of American soil aren't very important any more.
~
Naturally, our Governor, Deval Patrick, has his finger in the wind and is making statements that he and his staff will be working.
~
Bunker Hill Day has nothing to do with the present economy and everything to do with remembering who we are and what our forefathers did to create this country for us. We are losing our true identity when we are so callous with our history.
~
I think that Deval caught the wrong wind on his finger.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Tuna Bite


Ryan and Mike got up around 4:00AM this morning to test the dawn tuna bite out at Stellwagen with Alex and a couple other guys. Light rain, 56 degrees, 9 mph winds. Can't be comfortable in an open boat like the WhaleEye.
~
But if they hook into a Bluefin, it will seem like tropical skies and summer breezes.
____________________________

UPDATE
I told those guys that I didn't think they had enough gas in the WhaleEye to make a Stellwagen run. Apparently, nine miles out, they found that I was correct.
~
Pretty happy that I renewed my SeaTow membership.
~
One of these days they will find out that.... while I am not always right, I'm seldom wrong.
~
Score 1 for the Bluefin.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Out of the Box

Had some drinks after work today with Elsier, Mountain of a Man Bobby Brown, and Peter Howard, an ardent Peep. Course, we had these drinks after a liquid lunch with our major customer. So you would think that I would be a useless slosh hound.
~
Not so.
~
I paced myself accordingly, knowing that there was business at hand. As it is, at the end of the evening, I ran into two prospects that I had been targeting for some time. They were as surprized to see me as I was them, when we bumped into each other at the Indigo Bar in Newton, just off of the Mass Pike.
~
Sometimes you just have to get lucky. I had been trying to contact these two for some time now. Who would have thought that I would meet them both in the same setting!
~
The lesson here is obviously to get out and drink in bars more often. The way I left Elsier.... I know he would agree.

POTW Week 23

Found myself doing some surreal stuff this morning.

As Joe Collins often said in our formative undergraduate years at UMASS....
"Life is a Weird Boogie."

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 23rd week of 2009

Lisa Panakio Rowe
Kevin Ouellette
David Cheney
Tom Raich
Stacey Butler
Tommy O'Shea

No Shit, Joe.

Tuna Lips said...

I hear ya hummin' there, Kemosabe. The other mornin', I wakes in a David Carradine Kung Fu contraption in the storage shed over yonder, havin' not the slightest clue about how I ended up with a rope around my neck, wearin' Dorothy's ruby slippers and mint julep spilled all over my sister Bitty's prom dress. Surreal.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Ornery Remark

Thanks for all the nice compliments on our 36th wedding anniversary.
~
I guess it is an accomplishment.... definitely beats the statistics.
~
Although..... Joanne gave me some lip because I characterized her as "ornery". Isn't that ironic! Her getting ornery about me calling her ornery!
~
I came so close to dumping her over that. She'll be damn lucky to make it to year 37.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Lobstermen Molt

Around 2:30 this afternoon, we took a break from the grindstone and went out to check the lobster traps.
~
We've got eight traps baited with mackerel around Salem and Marblehead Harbors. Can't tell you exactly where they are, or I'd have to kill you.
~
Of the eight traps, we pulled out six keeper lobsters and about an equal number of shorts. Plus about 5 skates, and numerous fairly large crabs which we didn't keep.
~
So not a bad haul for eight traps that were baited only three days ago.
~
By 6:00 PM the lobsters were dispatched and beginning to be digested. Two went over to Tommy O and Linda's house.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Wedded Bliss

Today is the 36th wedding anniversary for me and my first wife, Joanne.
~
So far, so good, but I still have her on probation, and if she fails to meet my high standards, I'll drop her like a lead balloon.
~
Many of you Peeps have asked me the secret to the longevity of our marriage. I wish I knew, because if I did, I'd franchise it and probably make a ton of money. She can be ornery and controlling, but I always counter it with my levelheadedness and sensitivity.
~
As it is , I've been offering out my services as a marriage counselor, but so far, no takers.

Lisa P said...

The secret to your marriage is Joanne is a saint. Saint Joanne

Tuna Lips said...

Ise doff my hat to yiz fer keepin' yer floor sweepeer in line fer such a stretch, through all these wimmins liberalizers times and such. Like them no good thievin' Mormon gypsies, I, too, keeps a brood at various locations on my circuit through the belly of this here Obammy Land. More likes a rock star, truth be told. And the more I takes on, the more friends they have that have no knowins' of the power of chloroform and cat tranquilisers. My herd grows thusly, me bein' the good sheep herder and all. I reckon you could hang with me, if I so chose.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

F******. Catalina Wine Mixer

More


All three kids are slated to come back to Marblehead today.
~
Everytime they link up here, it's like the F**king Catalina Wine Mixer.
~
Before things heat up, I'm going to get the Herreshoff Columbia Tender out for a row on Marblehead Harbor around mid morning when the tide is right.
~
Maybe a good workout will help me cope.





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Friday, June 05, 2009

POTW Week 22

My friend Harvey Rowe has developed a blog called "Harvey's Thoughts" which I have started to follow. Generally, it's takes all of my time to keep self centered on my own stuff, but Harvey's Blog is worth a visit.
~
The rap on Harvey is that he is a Lawyer and a practicing Catholic.... both of which can promote some pretty warped thinking.... but he manages to pull it off pretty well.
~
BTW - I can say that, because I am a cultural Irish Catholic who was traumatized by Nuns and force fed the Baltimore Catechism. Purgatory still scares the shit out of me. Plus I get a big kick out of Lawyer jokes.
~
My fervent hope is that a good deal of you will start to bug Harvey on his Blog, and leave me the hell alone for awhile.
~
Anyway....
~
ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 22nd Week of 2009.

Harvey Rowe
Brendt D'Orio
Rick Hudson
Charlie Sheen
Katelyn Nestor
Sarah Crawford

It's www.hrowe.blogspot.com, Harvey's Thoughts.

Must Do

It's 5 o'clock on a Friday.
~
The one thing that I had on my list as a "must do", I didn't do. Everything else I did and more. How does that figure???
~
Now the "must do" moves on to the weekend, because I'm going to bag this and settle down with a visit from Sam Adams.
~
BTW - I can't get into Twitter, and I'm only on the fringes with Facebook. You would think that a wicked cool dude like myself would rule those fashionable sites, but I kind of like the idea of Blogging better. Actually thinking out whole paragraphs. Although, I do admit that the paragraphs that I think out can be pretty pathetic.
~
So have a nice weekend.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Peep Milestones

Lindsay Kepnes got engaged.
~
Tina Rhodes had a baby boy, and Mary Endres had a baby boy on the same day.
~
Pretty good milestones.
~
Life changing, moving on milestones. Feel good milestones.

Well thats it J. I'm having a rough time dealing with this. Lindsay Kepnes is engaged. All my plans are shot.You won this one Lindsay Kepnes's fiance, but you haven't heard the last of me.
- McMahon

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Houses of Cards

GM filing for bankruptcy is amazing to me. All of those smart people, strategizing, planning, doing all the things that big corporations do... and it still hits the skids.
~
I'm starting to believe that big government and big business are little more than mega-juggernauts with no real way to understand or control their well being.
~
During my stint in corporate life, I saw many things happen that made no sense at all, but the consequences of the actions were not faced for months later. By that time the spin doctors had expertly redefined and redetermined the outcomes, and were exhibiting their only real proficiency.... feathering their own nests.
~
Hate to sound cynical, but these huge organizations get so complex that many insiders can pick them clean with impunity. The complexity rewards mediocrity, and hides incompetence. A little lie here, a little shaded truth there, and the incompetents save their bloated incomes for years at a time.
~
They know that they could never survive in a fair marketplace based upon real achievement, production and service. So they contrive and conspire and plot, and bend the facts in Powerpoint presentations to perpetuate their phoney careers.
~
I know that this is harsh, but if I didn't see it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn't believe it either. Sooner or later, the House of Cards comes crashing down, and the poor working stiffs and pensioners on the bottom level bear the ultimate brunt.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Passing Funk

I've been watching these great days of summer pass as I toil away with Nanepashemet Telecom. Just not fishing enough, and no golfing whatsoever. That has got to change.... at least the fishing part.
~
I also haven't put the Tender into Marblehead Harbor for any kind of rowing effort.
~
Maybe I'm getting too old.
~
Nah....
~
That can't be it.
~
After all... I'm still the same old rough, tough, hard to bluff and damn good looking guy that I always was.
~
I guess I'm just in a little funk. It will pass... I'll get over it.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

First Harvest

Tomorrow, I plan on getting out on the Mountain Bike early. Hopefully get about 15 miles in. Then maybe attack some paperwork and invoicing so that I'm not bogged down with that when the week hits.
~
Apparently, the boys came up with three keeper lobsters from the four traps that we set this week. If that ratio holds when we get our ten trap limit out, we'll be hauling in over a dozen lobsters per week. That's a lot. More than we could find ways to consume.
~
Maybe we'll be making lots of Peeps happy this summer with the thoughtful gift of fresh lobster.

Tuna Lips said...

I takes all my best clientellers to Red Lobster. Beats the shorts offa Sizzler, and I aint sayin' that cuz I was barred from that mule shack, neither.

POTW Week 21

The boys got into some mackerel this morning. That should be enough to bait the rest of the lobster traps. In the meantime, I headed up north for some serious kickback in North Conway. Even though I'll probably get some paperwork in, chilling out is at the top of the list.
~
However..... I was reminded in a very annoying voicemail from Mountain of a Man, Bobby Brown, that I had neglected to select the POTW this week.
~
Man.... is that irritating!!!!
~
I didn't freaking forget. Maybe I just didn't get around to it yet.
~
Announcing.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 21st week of 2009

Bob Brown
Mike Chandler
Emily UnGardia
Ty Hemmert
Sprague the concrete guy on Block Island
Michael "Murph"Murphy

That will teach Brown a lesson! Mountain of a Man aside, he's got to learn to curb his annoying habits.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Constant Sorrow

POTY Privilege







Apparently former Peep of the Year, Michael "Murph" Murphy, and his lovely wife, Beth, are running with a fast crowd these days.
~
So do you think you are pretty cool these days, Murph?
~
Have you considered the fact that the only reason that guys like Adam Sandler will take a picture with you is because you are a Former Nanepashemet Peep of the Year????
~
That's right.
~
Without the POTY designation, these guys wouldn't let you carry their Kleenix, and don't you forget it.
~
The truth is that Sandler, Rob Schneider, and Kevin James all wish they were you.... a former Peep of the Year. And they have absolutely no chance.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Piscine Prognostication

We've got all of our fishing tackle organized as hell, and have big plans to tune up all of the loose ends on the WhaleEye.
~
Got a call this morning from Patrick Piscatelli telling me of his fishing success down on the Cape this weekend. The piscine aficionado landed some blues and schoolie stripers, and was right at the verge of his enthusiasm transforming into bravado. Not that I can blame him. If I caught Blues and Stripers this early in the season, I'd be bragging my ass off.
~
Tomorrow, I'm taking the CEO of a promising wireless startup in the public safety networks sector to lunch at the Boston Yacht Club. I thought I might impress him with the ambiance of Marblehead Harbor, but it appears that he lives on the Monterrey Peninsula in California, which is probably the most spectacular ocean venue that I've yet seen.
~
So I'll have to find another way to impress him. Maybe with fishing stories.
~
Anyway.... I predict the best fishing season ever this year. Tuna, Stipers, Blues and Lobster. Not necessarily in that order.

Monday, May 25, 2009

First Crack at Crustaceans

Ryan and Mike caught four mackeral off of the Tinker's Island Gong yesterday, so we had no excuse but to get four lobster traps baited up and dropped outside of Salem harbor this morning.
~
After fishing for another hour and only coming up with one more mackeral and a monkfish, we headed back to check the traps which had only been in place for less than two hours.
~
We found scates, and crabs in three of the four traps. That was an optimistic sign. Probably Wed. this week, we'll check the traps and put out three or four more. By the end of the week, all ten will be in service and we should be crawling in crustraceans.
~
The whole effort was salvaged by the beautiful weather, and the beers that Tommy O'Shea so thoughtfully contributed to the effort.
~
BTW, with the new fin on the lower unit of the Honda Four Stroke, the WhaleEye seems like a new engine. Planes perfectly, and idles at slow speeds with no issues.
~
This could be a hell of a summer.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Unblocked

In case you were wondering, the three tumblers of Newman's Own 100% Grape Juice came through big time last night. And I do mean "came through".

Memorial Day


A beautiful Memorial Day Weekend. I hope you all get to kick back and enjoy the company of your friends and families.
~
But don't lose sight of the fact that you won't be speaking German or Russian this weekend. That many have made huge sacrifices so that you could have a peaceful, stable, enjoyable weekend.
~
This day always makes me reflect on my father, who was blown off of a ship in the Atlantic and survived during WWII, my grandfather, who was gassed in the trenches in France during WWI and my father-in-law who was a POW to the Chinese in the Korean War.
~
Regular people like you and me, who were called to duty and made the sacrifice so that we could have a normal life. And our young people continue to serve so that terrorists who would destroy our way of life don't get the chance to implement their demented plans.
~
Freedom isn't free. And some of us have had to pay a stiff price. Give them your recognition and respect this weekend.

Pisc said...

A wonderful reminder to the folks who hold forth on appeasement as peacemaking while sipping a buttery chardonnay with oak high lights and wearing the latest from Ann Taylor and Tommy Hifigger, snacking on canapes. The Barry Crowd, I bet you get a bit of that in MH.

POTW Week 20

So I get a couple hundred emails yesterday from Peeps who didn't appreciate my hourly rendition of my daily grind. They basically said that they didn't care what the hell I did, and should concentrate on cogent, and controversial commentary.
~
Well..... Kiss my Royal Irish Ass!!!!!
~
This Blog is not for your reading entertainment. It's not designed to make your pathetic day go a little easier. Loosely disguised as a blog about Boatbuilding, it is really all about me. By me, for me, and about me. And I'm not too thrilled that you get to read it anyway.
~
Pretty annoying, which gets me to the next step in this juggernaut of a literary institution.
~
ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 20th week of 2009.

Ann Swaine, the Weston Permit Lady
Jack Keough
Larry DiGiamarino
Steve Lewis
Perry Dinatale
Emily Angardia

Tomorrow, I think I'll tell you my special technique for cutting your toenails.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Advice to Barach.

This whole Obama emphasis on the "Torture" issue reminds me of Clinton's first issue "Gays in the Military." Both are non issues that I could care less about.
~
It seems that when the Democrats win the big prize, they go through a "Holy Shit, What Do We Do Now" phase. They are good at strirring peoples emotions, at campaigning, but now they have to belly up and lead with some policies.
~
Now Obama chooses to concentrate on the "evil Republican practice of torture." Never mind that fact that when we were under siege by radicals looking to kill anyone who takes a elevator in a major US City.
~
So Peeps.... here's how I weigh in on this.
~
I know that I don't usually show it, but I deeply care for each and every one of you. Even those of you who have relentlessly chosen to act like assholes. At least you are my assholes.
~
So if I ran into some misguided moron hell bent on a plot to kill millions of you by crashing airliners into buildings, or igniting a nuclear blast, or causing an anthrax outbreak, I would have no problem in torturing this motherfucker over and over with every whacko method that I could devise until he gave up the details.
~
That's just the way I am.
~
By the way, the evil Bush administration waterboarded three people in the last eight years. That's THREE! And I understand that the technique was highly effective in eliciting information.

~
How many people died in the Twin Towers???? and the Pentagon???? and herocially bringing down their own airliner headed for the White House????
~
Oh yeah.... well over 4000 noncombatant Americans. Peeps like you.
~
How many more of us would have bought it in Tunnels, in SmallPox epidemics, in Propane Tank explosions, in contaminated water supplies if we didn't pin the ears back on these Fuckers.
~
C'mon Barach. You won the White House. Now Lead!!!! Cut the Bullshit. Your're not a phony idiot like Nancy Pelosi. Get out in front and use your inspirational abilities to get this economy swinging back.... and making sure that these medieval motherfuckers never get the chance to screw with us again.

Ringer on a Racetrack

Today was another up and early day. The Building Inspector at the Town of Brimfield, Jack Keough, is only there for two hours on Friday morning and I had to make the 1 3/4 hour drive out to the Berkshires, leaving at 7:00AM. No problem usually except for the 4:00 AM gig the previous morning.
~
You know me....
~
I don't bitch and I don't complain. Those traits are just not in the repetoire of a Mountain of a Man like me.
~
But my concern is that these irregular starting hours have truly changed the routine that my body has been used to. In other words, I haven't had a solid waste passing in two days. That's right.... constipated..... damn constipated.
~
So by the end of the day today, my last stop was to get to Costco in Danvers and pick up a couple gallons of Newman's Own Grape Juice. This stuff has treated my digestive system like a ringer on a racetrack in the past.
~
After three big tumblers in the last hour..... nothing.
~
I'm starting to get concerned. No Camptown Races yet. Do Dah.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Daily Grind

Started the day meeting my partner at 6:ooAM in Grafton on the MassPike, which is about 1 1/2 hours from Marblehead.
~
So you do the math. Got up at 4:00AM, printed out some stuff, hit the shower and jumped in the truck for the morning ride.
~
By 7:00AM, was sitting at the Charlton Town Hall, waiting for it to open at 7:30 so I could ask for the certificate of occupancy for the two sites that we built in that town. Left the files for the building inspector with the Administrator, Nancy, and went 30 miles further up the road to the Hampden County Registry of Deeds in downtown Springfield.
~
The Registry is on the fourth floor of the superior court building and there were tons of plaintiffs and defendants mulling around when I arrived at 8:30 AM. The security guards made me leave my digital camera with them which I hate because it could dissappear so easily, and I really need a good digital with me at all times.
~
After wading though the chainsmoking malcontents outside, I made it to the elevator and filed a decision of the Brimfield, MA Zoning Board of Appeals for recording. The stamp on the recorded docs would be proof to apply for the Building Permit in Brimfield tomorrow morning when the Building Department will be open to file between 10:00 AM and 11:30 only.
~
After Springfield, I deadheaded to Chelmsford to drop up some lease docs for execution at a Burlington site. Made it by 11:00 AM and was out by 11:15 and was on the road to Weston to file a permit to but an antenna on Regis College.
~
The good folks at the Weston Building Department have a lot of requirements and I found out that I had to get an original structural report from the Engineer in Downtown Boston, needed a signature from the College facilities VP on the Building permit application and needed to record a Zoning Board of Appeals decision at the Middlesex Registry of Deeds.
~
So that shot to hell my chances of filing for that Building Permit today with those three hoops in front of me to jump through. Put in some calls to see if I could get the Regis College signature, and made plans to pick up the structural on Summer St in Boston. I knew that the Middlesex filing would be a pain in the ass. It always is with the parking in Cambridge and the wait at the Registry.
~
Plus I had to deadhead to the Suffolk Registry of Deeds after picking up Katelyn for the passing of her South Boston Condo.
~
Got to Bowdoin St. outside of Katelyn's Beacon Hill office by 12:45PM, picked up Kate and went to park down at the Govt Center Parking garage. The closing went by without a hitch which is a miracle since everything in this deal seemed to be a chore. But Katelyn waded through it all, and I'm really proud of her.
~
After the passing, at 2:15. I was driving with Katelyn to her apartment in Southie and hopeing to grab a beer to celebrate and wind it down. But then I got a call from Regis saying that if I got back there within an hour and a half, I could get the permit signature that I needed. So I dropped Kate off and deadheaded to the College with a permit signature in hand by 3:30PM
~
I was in a debate with myself to see if I should go back to the Weston Building Dept and plead to file without the recorded ZBA decision, but ultimately resolved to go back to Cambridge and file in the Middlesex Registry of Deeds first.
~
Without a quarter in Cambridge, I took a chance at a meter and was in and out of the Registry by 4:00PM with no parking ticket. That was the fastest Middlesex filing in history. Virtually no wait.
~
The gameplan now would be to retreat back to Marblehead and make a run at the Weston Builidng Department tomorrow with all of their docs in place.
~
My GPS said I'd be back home by 4:30, but no freaking way with the Tobin Bridge traffic. Walked into Beverly Ave. at 5:15 pretty damn tired.
~
But it was a good day. and we kicked it pretty good on the Block Island RI project today too.


Tuna Lips said...

I applaud yer runnin' hither and yonder to get stuff done. I am missin' the part about takin' some cash down for all this sweatin'. Be right kind of you to let us knows when you gots the jingle we gots comin' to us, so we can help youse congratulate yerself.

I am all above showin' the love.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Amazing Foggy Mountain Breakdown on Guitar

Shift to Adirondack

Mike's Coffee Table is now living where it was designed for.... in Mike's South Boston Condo in a renovated brick foundry. He says it looks great, and I can't wait to see it.
~
While building his table, I had hoped to get some work done simultaneously on my Workbench project, but that fell by the wayside.
~
Now the demand to build Kate's Adirondack chair looms forth with her condo passing due tomorrow. I want this to be a unique piece with some tenon and mortise joinery that is not common in this type of piece, and have modified my original plans to match a design that I downloaded from SketchUp.
~
The first step will be to make some patterns for reproduction of all of the parts, because I think a lot of the Peeps will want one of these chairs when I get Kate's done. Joanne is already talking about getting two of them.
~
I have a feeling that the Workbench will be back burnered.... and I wanted to get that done before resuming work on the Marblehead Gunning Dory. Conservatively, the Dory probably gets started in mid-summer.

Fair Warning to Fish

The WhaleEye is in the water. I don't ever remember getting my boat launched in May and got caught short when Ryan Marine put it in before Mid-Harbor finished the mooring work.
~
Thankfully, we are on a temporary empty mooring in Salem Harbor while mine is being set up this week.
~
So it's only a matter of time before fish and lobsters start to die.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Countertop Threat.

Now they are trying to sell me on the idea that my granite countertops can kill me. Researchers say that they emit radon and radiation.
~
Let 'em try. I'm not scared of a damn countertop.
~
Sooner or later, the researchers will come to the realization that we are not going to get out of this life alive.

Tommy McMahon said.....
Researchers are now finding that doing research causes cancer. Who knew.