It's a Tough Job...

... But somebody's got to do it.
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Who do you think is better looking - me or Fortier?

Moonshadow Check Points

Thank you to Paul Lynch and Bob Doane for clarifying the permit procedure. We are cleared to go.
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Check.
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Thank you to Dana Lothrop, Alan Ball, Bob Crosby and Harry Christiansen. The deal is cut.
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Check.
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Thank you to Mark Ferrante and Steve Lewis. Money is in place.
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Check.
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Thank you to Dave Fortier, Tom DiMatteo, and Jay Ohanian for putting up with ranting and raving.
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Check.
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Thank you to Eyk and RoseMarie Van Otterloo for agreeing to make this possible without hassle.
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Check.
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Thank you to Mike Rockett for always listening and caring about what we try to do.
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Check.
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Thank you to the teachers and parents who were so positive at the initial announcement.
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Check.

There will be many more thank you's to check off before we pull this off.

Commando

I have found that wearing underwear is the best policy.

Voted for Ted Kennedy Today

Why?
How the Hell do I know!
I have no logical, rational answer.
Certainly not because I agree with his politics, behavior, scandals, etc.
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I probably think I voted for him out of deference to the potential that the Kennedy ideal once had for the country and the past memories and pride that my Irish Catholic family once had by seeing one of their own in the White House.
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I also voted for Johnny O' Brien as Register of Deeds for the Southern Essex County Registry - a truly lovable rogue from the old Lynn days.

Election Day

Big race in Massachusetts is Patrick v. Healy for the Governor's seat. Black v. Woman. It's a sign of the maturity in our culture that this fact - a historic demographic matchup - is only a footnote and is only mentioned in passing.
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A nasty and expensive race. Over $40M spent. Theoretically, there is no return on this investment by the candidates. I suppose that I should say say something cynical here.
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Nationally, the control of the House and Senate is at stake, with the Democrats having a chance to grab the leadership of the Legislature from the Republicans. The national media is playing this as a referendum about President Bush.
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My prediction is that the discontent is not as deep seated as portrayed by the Press. I hate it when people try to tell me what to think. Give me the facts, I'll make up my own mind.
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Meanwhile, I'm hopeful that UPS will deliver my new sander today.

Pats Come Up Short

Too many errors against an undefeated team is impossible to overcome. Despite this, the Pats only lost to the Colts by one touchdown - 27-20. Manning is the real deal.

Moonshadow Revealed

Moving Sundance Pre-School will be announced tomorrow. All in all, it should be a win for everyone - more suitable space in a location surrounded by Stramski Park. Access to playground facilities and the Salem Harbor waterfront.
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Eyk is looking to reuse the Pleasant Street property and it will be interesting to see what direction he takes it in.
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Goal is to close on the Stramski property and make the move after the Holiday Break in Jan. It will be a ton of work, but should be motivating. I'll be blogging the details.

Batch of Wings

Ben Martin, Steve Lewis and Mike are claiming that I have just served up the best batch of Buffalo Wings ever.
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Maybe.
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I've had some great batches before, so I'm not willing to concede that I have reached the pinnicle tonight..... But they were damn good.

Pizza

For months now, Nanepashemet Peeps have been asking me "Where do you get your take out pizza?"
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Normally, I don't disclose this type of personal detail, but I'm feeling rather vulnerable this evening in anticipation of the Pats punishing the Indianapolis Colts starting at 8:30 tonight.
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So here it is.
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Cafe Vesuvius
18 Bessom St
Marblehead, MA 01945
View Map
781-639-8120
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If I have to wait to get my pizza because of the surge of business that they will receive from this disclosure, I'm going to be pissed.

Kristen on the List

We were really impressed to see Kristen Bitter make the Boston Globe Best of Boston list for #21 in Boston's Stylish.

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"Kristen Bitter, owner of Baranzelli Silk Surplus on Beacon Hill, said she wears clothing that reflects a mood or personality."

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Awesome Kristen.

Floor Support Slats

These had to be spiled and cut on the bandsaw. Lots of trial and error. If done right though, the flooring will be a huge correction to the irregularities in the hull planks that were unruly at the bottom of the boat.
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It's 11:15 AM on Sunday. I'll epoxy glue the slats to the bottom of the hull, clamp and glue the seat support planks to the gunwales, and finalize the centerboard sanding and attach the bottom logs with epoxy. Should be done by 2:30PM.
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A shower, trip to Crosbys for the wings and other Patriots game stuff, and then I'll be ready for the Indianapolis Colts.
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Not a bad plan.

Iraq - Time to Leave

Saddam got the death sentence today, from a trial that witnessed the death of a couple of his defense attorneys. I'm no fan of lawyers, but I can't think of any case in the United States where the defense team endured murders. If that unthinkable event happened here, the outcry would be deafening.
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Let's disengage from this medieval part of the world. I don't know what our continued role is, and for our kids to keep dying without a clear definition of what we are trying to achieve is unconscionable. Time to leave.
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Earlier, the war had my unequivocal support. It was valid to take out the murderer Hussein. We met that clear objective. Time to leave.
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Iraq and the Middle East has evolved a culture that has not embraced the system and institutions that are successful here. That is clearly their choice. Our efforts to establish an elected government are laudable but ultimately artificial, manipulative, and doomed to fail. Vietnam survived our disengagement. Let's get out of Iraq.
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We are not making the world safe for democracy. We can find enough oil. What's the point?
Time to leave.