Dory Alternative

I bought the plans to build this Alpha Dory a few years ago. These dories were adaptations of the Swampscott Fishing Dories, and were used for club races around Marblehead at the turn of the last century.

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I also was very interested in building a Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory along the lines preserved by John Gardner in his landmark Dory Book. The Gunning Dory is a double ender that was used for duck hunting among the islands in Salem Sound.

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I've seen great dories reproduced out of the Lowell Boat Shop on the Merrimack River in Amesbury. As much as I'm tempted to build one of these, I still think that I am going to build a Peabod next.

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The Dory will have to wait a year or so. I also have plans to build a canoe, but I may pass on this unless one of the kids wants it as a gift. By the time I do the canoe, I'll probably be too old to be flipping over in the Saco. Although, I'll also have a few years of rowing the Tender under my belt by then, so I could be up for it.

Moving Forward

Good progress on the tender. I assembled one side of the floorboards, epoxied the floor supports and planks beneath the floorboards, and got a finish of epoxy on one side including the mahogany gunwale and breasthook.
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Charlie Jellison dropped by and we discussed the great news.

Trash Talk

I bet I hauled 500lbs of trash to the Marblehead Transfer Station in two loads this morning. I actually feel like I got a workout in. Not quite Richard Simmons style.
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Granted, a lot of it was Bash Trash. But still, it's amazing how one household can generate so much waste.
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Buck Johnson must be into something with his Ontario recycling venture.
(Note to Self. Stay on Buck's good side. He is going to be filthy rich someday and might need to buy a yacht tender.)

Feeder Count

A crystal clear day after the driving Thanksgiving Day rain storm.
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By 9:30 AM
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1 Grey Squirrel
1 Tufted Titmouse
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I'm remembering next June. A wonderful year to look forward to.

The Christmas Season

In the spirit of the season, Joanne and I ordered our Xmas gifts from the Internet this morning.

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Joanne thoughtfully picked out the 14' EZ Loader Trailer that I have been lusting for, and I in turn ordered her the Bose Wave in a heartfelt gesture.

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I will put the Bose under the tree.

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - 3

Since Jay Turner, Chris Crawford and Bob Brown all showed at the Bash with bottle of Lagavulin, they are a lock on POTW slots. New Rule -if you give me Lagavulin, you are automatically a Nanepashemet Peep of the Week on the next immediate Thurs.
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So the evolving rules are....
You must have done something annoying, stupid, or inspiring that week, you can't be an animal, you can't be dead, if you gave me a bottle of Lagavulin you are a POTW regardless.
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Announcing...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week Trois (that's 3 in French)

• Bobby Brown
• Jay Turner
• Chris Crawford
• Ryan Nestor
  Courtney Jellison Nestor

A very worthy list this Thanksgiving week.

Special salute to Sarah and Lauren Crawford for their tasteful and practical Scotch plates (more on this when I get AA batteries for the digital Camera.)

Lots to be Thankful For

T-Bash 06 v.1

Scorecard for the 06 Thanksgiving Eve Bash -
~ Lewdness 2
~ Debauchery 3
~ Drunkedness 10
~ Nudity .5
~ Hysteria 4
~ Wholesomeness -4
All in all, no physical violence and the lack of police indicated a successful affair.

Happy Thanksgiving

Not to Panic

I've run out of Lagavulin.
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The day before the Bash.
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Don't worry though, the King is usually in stock at Beacon Hill Licquors in the Community Store.
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Plus Bobby Brown is coming tomorrow, and he always knows enough to pack a
bottle with him. Bobby is such a mountain of a man.
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No Worries.

Crawford's Modest Request

Normally, I wouldn't share my recipes with the Peeps. The exceptions are the cocktalls - Dark and Stormies, the Classic Autumn Seagrams and Cider - these are recipes that can't be withheld from mankind for the good that they provide for humanity.
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Chris Crawford has continually tried to break me - asking how I made my Buffalo Wings, how I made my White Trash Balls, etc., etc. I've always been able to dodge these questions. But now Chris pitifully tells me that he is frying his first turkey, and wants to know some of my coveted superior methods.
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Since Chris' wife, Sarah, always dances with me at weddings, even though I am a fat middle aged white guy, I guess I owe him this one.
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OK Chris, here are my turkey frying recommendations.
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Don't Skimp on the Peanut Oil. You will pay twice as much for this as for the turkey, but get enough to cover the submerged bird.
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Fill the fryer pot with water, then place the turkey in to displace the water and see the resulting level of the liquid. Take out the turkey, pat it dry, and make sure that all of the water is wiped clean in the fryer. Make sure that the level of the water is not too close to the top of the fryer pot. This is Important. When you first put the turkey in the hot oil, it will boil up and if it crests the top of the pot and falls onto the propane fuel, run. You are screwed and Thanksgiving is a bust.
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BTW, do this all outside.
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Make sure that you have a long stemmed thermometer. Wait until the oil is well above 350 degrees - up to 400 degrees is acceptable. When you put the turkey in the pot, the oil will cool down and it is important to keep it at 350.
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Know the turkey's weight. Calculate 3 1/2 minutes for each pound of turkey. Before you lower the turkey into the pot, inject it with some spices mixed in olive oil. Pick your poison - make sure that the spices are savory.
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Put the turkey into the frying basket and lower it into the pot. Use gloves or the oil will splatter you, burn you, and make you cry like a sissy boy in front of your whole family on Thanksgiving Day.
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After the calculated time, pull out the turkey, carve it into slices and enjoy Thanksgiving with your great family.
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Some say that the fried turkey produces distinctive couch farts later on in the day. Please check with Ryan on this. His expertise in this field far exceeds mine.

A Clear Day in New York

I Love New York.
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Great flight into LaGuardia. The temperature was in the high twenties, and visibility was crystal clear. The flight path took us low over Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. New York is an impressive examble of the current phenomonal state of modern mankind’s transformation of the environment. The infrastructure of buildings, water and land transportation from the sky looks so coordinated and well planned, while our knowledge of its actual development is haphazard, even chaotic.
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The meeting with Cingular was as good as it gets. Total recognition of the talents and resources of Darwin. If we returned with a PO it would have been perfect, but that will come during the first of the year. All in all, Darwin has been successfully repositioned in this market and can expect significant business in 2007.
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We caught a 3:30PM return flight and the clarity of the day allowed me to see Mount Washington as we were landing at Logan Airport.
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I was able to extend my workout streak to 3 days in a row. Substantial strides in the Wealth and Health efforts today.