Toy Chest Critique

Yesterday we delivered the Toy Chest for grandson, Will's, first birthday.
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Most everyone was complimentary, but Katelyn's dog, Jack Dog, gave it a critical eye.
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What the hell do you know about woodworking Jackie??? You're just a dog.

Skunked at Stellwagen

Zippo, Zilch, Zero, Nada, Nothing.
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That's how many tuna we caught after getting up at 3:15AM and banging through 3 ft seas at 15kts to get to the Northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank by 6:00 AM.
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And it wasn't a glorious sunrise either, with overcast skies and a cool breeze with 60 degree temps.
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The ride out was an uncomfortable, wave crashing affair, but when we got to the corner, we saw whales immediately, and thought that the tuna would be close behind..... but they didn't respond to our elaborate squid sets.
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After 3 1/2 hours crisscrossing the corner, we stopped and jigged, hooking three sand sharks and one striped bass. If we were inshore, the bass would have been a keeper, but we obeyed the federal regs that prohibit taking bass on the Stellwagen National Sanctuary.
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Tyler Gill's father, Greg, hooked the fish and was happy with his catch, but it wasn't a tuna.

Up for the Bite

We're preparing to get to Stellwagen tomorrow by 6:00 AM when the tuna bite is on. That means that we'll be on the WhaleEye around 4:00 AM.
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I'm concerned that it is dead low tide at that time and I'll have six people on board... all anxious to hit the gas and deadhead to the Northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank.
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Plus six is going to get crowded if we hook into a decent size fish.
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Both Mark Vona and Doug Maxfield have been into tuna this year, and the inconvenience could really be worth it if we lay into some Bluefin.

Peeps of the Week - 23

So Joanne and I went to dinner tonight at the Boston Yacht Club with Katelyn, Mike and his girlfriend, Kelley Clark, and Mike and I order the Dark and Stormies.
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I fully expected a weak imitation of the masterful national drink of Bermuda..... certainly nothing approaching the versions that I regularly concoct over at Beverly Avenue.
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But I was pleasantly surprised! Those BYC bluebloods have pretty much got it right. A tall glass, not too much ice, with the Gosling's Black Seal Rum resonating within the Ginger Beer!
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Not as good as mine, mind you.... but a damn good rendition.
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That reminds me.... I'm a day late on the POTW selections.

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 23rd week of 2008

Kobe Bryant
Kelley Clark
Bobby Brown (standing in for Big Brown, because an animal can't be a POTW)
Dustin Pedroia
Brian Butler
Tyler Gill

BTW, the WhaleEye is on the mooring now and many many fish are taking their last, watery gill breaths.

Called It

With the Celts down by 24 at the half of the fourth game of the Championship Finals with the Los Angeles Laker, I coolly predicted that Boston would pull if off. And naturally, they did, winning 97-91 and capping the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history.
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I continue to amaze myself. A Proficient Prophet of Prognostication!
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It shouldn't have come as a surprise.... Today was a day when everything turned to gold, including watching the Celtics game.
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The only problem is that tomorrow I have to get in gear early for a morning meeting with NSTAR in Sherborn, so my ass will be dragging come 3:00 in the afternoon.

McMahon said....

J.

What is going on with this blog? I think you are averaging like 1 blog every two days. Are you slowly weeding yourself out of the blogging world?

It's summer J there should be tons of blogging to do.
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Because Tommy McMahon is a former Peep of the Year, I'll have to cut him some slack here.
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But Tom, all you have to do is look at the archives to see that this Blog is as active and vibrant as it always has been.... to the overall detriment of all of us.
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Don't be such a freaking, short sighted, moron for a change!

Yacht Town

It was a busy evening with the Sundance Pre-School Picnic at Devereux Beach from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM then a meeting with the Marblehead Selectmen to discuss the neighborhood impacts at Ryan Marine.
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Mark Ryan and Atty Paul Lynch did a great job placating the concerns of the Selectmen, but a couple of the neighbors had obviously decided that they didn't want the business in their neighborhood, and were unhappy with any measures .
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Ryan Marine is the best boatyard in Marblehead, and if you don't like living around boatyards, then you picked the wrong town to live in.
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Politics brings out the worst in some people.

Tuna Lips said...

I sensitizes a conflagration in you, Boomerdog. You live in Yacht Town, which is a high falootin' boat, with lots of loafer wearin' "pinkie in the air drinkin' from a clean glass" types, but you does some equatin' to the ole boat yard, striking imagerie of steel riveted bath tubs, stinkin' of petrol, crawfish and the crabs from Trudie McCann panties. Don't quite match up, yer white short wearing yacht set and the scurvy curs that slinks around the boat yard. I measure this as a conflagration insides, street savvy operator, laysing in wait to rob some rube down by the boatyard, and sophistication mastery feller from a town with yachts in it.

Completion Declaration

I had to trek into Cambridge early this morning for a real estate update put on by Colliers Meredith and Grew - which is one fine, high powered firm - but I digress.
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Before I left, I put on the sixth and final coat of varnish on Will's Toy Chest. The flaws still jump out at me, but I'm sure that Da Vinci had the same feeling when he finally laid down his brush painting the Mona Lisa. When you are striving for perfection, and realize that it is ultimately unattainable, you eventually have to make a declaration that the work is complete and walk away.
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It's not easy being a Master.
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Having to put up with all of the "oohs" and "ahhs" and all.

Project Completion

By now, you surely know that Big Brown failed miserably. His jockey said that he just couldn't find the right gear. That happens.
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BTW, I made the mistake of Googling "Big Brown" and came up with a number of Brazilian porn sites specializing in fat asses. So Big Brown wasn't a total bust... so to speak.
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Man... it was freaking hot today. All I wanted to accomplish was a fifth coat of varnish on Will's Toy Chest, but the warm temps were starting to cause the lid to warp and it had to be stabilized. So I concentrated on installing permanent cleats, and putting on the piano hinge and safety closing hardware. The piano hinge had to be inset, and I spent a lot of time to get this detail done right with the router and some cleanup with the chisel.
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The safety hinge installation was easy and they work to perfection.... gliding the lid to a soft close. I think I lost a gallon of sweat installing them though.
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I'll probably spray one more coat of varnish, but all in all, the chest could be declared to be finished any time now. So piss on you bastards who thought I'd never get it done in time. Plus the Tender is shipshape and ready for some serious rowing between now and November.

Tuna Lips said...

I sees the heat has rolled up to yer neck of the nape. Plenty hot here in God's countree.

I was in Atlanta, or as they call it, Hotlanta, this past weekend. One thing the mercury risin' brings on is some perspratin'. Now that ain't all bad. I seen more boobies, glistening like snow in the lane. All shapes and sizes, flavors, all suitable for lickin' like a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or whatever choice you might find in yer side of the town.

Big Brown

Can Big Brown do it???
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No.... I'm not talking about that mountain of a man, Bobby Brown.... of course he can do it.
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I'm talking about that magnificent racehorse, Big Brown, who is striving for the first Triple Crown in thirty years. I'll be pulling for him.

Cocktail Party

We went to the cocktail reception for new members of the Boston Yacht Club tonight.
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Joanne and I had two cocktails each.
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They were delicious. I had the Dewars on the rocks and Joanne had Chardonnay.

POTW Week 22

So every day this week, I've gotten up at 4:30AM to get some extra work in. It has definitely worked, and I got a lot of paperwork processed and nagging details taken care of.
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But it's Thursday night, and feels every bit like Friday. My conscience won't let me take a day off during this busy period.... And my boat, the WhaleEye isn't even on the mooring yet. It won't make sense to play hooky unless the weather is perfect. In that case, fish would die.

ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 22nd week of 2008

Vince Antonacci
Tommy O'Shea
Lindsey Kepnes
Bill Shanahan
George Boylen
Courtney Nestor

At least I won't be tired from going to the Celts-Lakers playoff game at the Garden tonight. I have my GD standards.

Winds of Change

You must realize by now, that I have no love for Hillary Clinton.
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It's nothing personal.... but I just don't care for someone who lies about being shot at, and will say virtually anything in any situation to benefit her own twisted ambition.
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Like I said.... nothing personal.
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Now that Barach Obama has clinched the Democratic Party nomination, it will be interesting to see how he deals with the Clinton's and their obnoxious sense of entitlement. Sen. Kennedy and Caroline dropped the Clinton's and Obama should take their lead. If he nominated Caroline for VP, I'd even consider voting for him. It would be a huge surge for Neil Diamond's career as well.
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"Sweet Caroline... Whoa, Whoa. Whoa.
Good Times Never Seemed So Good.
SO GOOD .. SO GOOD.. SO GOOD!!!"
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At any rate, a black man, an African-American has been chosen by the Democrats to run for President. That makes me proud of this country.... that in the blink of an historical eyelash, this country, which fought over the rights of states to allow slavery only five generations ago, has overcome this insidious prejudice.
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So I'm proud of the Democrats, and happy for Obama... but I'm pretty sure that McCain has my vote.

Tuna Lips said...

"Where all the white women at?" Just follow the Barack.

Like bee to the honey. Its a matter of nature. Lock up yer women folk and keep yer powder dry. Corperal Tuna Lips showin' up fer duty.