Where's the Fire

Just as I was getting ready to make the crucial POTY selection, a FREAKING FIRE broke out in MY FREAKING HOUSE.

And it's already been reported in the Lynn Item. If you don't think that the Nanepashemet Blog has deep metaphysical power... Think Again!

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Chimney fire causes estimated $50G in damage to Marblehead home

By Dan O'Brien / The Daily Item

MARBLEHEAD - A slow-building fire crept through a chimney flue at a Marblehead home Thursday before it burst through a wall and caught the house on fire shortly after 5:30 p.m., firefighters said.

Fire Captain Elizabeth Wilson said the couple who lives at 32 Beverly Ave. started a fire in the fireplace a few hours earlier but the situation got out of hand when the flames went through the chimney flue.

"It breached the chimney and was in the wall on the first floor" when firefighters first arrived, Wilson said. "It burned for quite a while before it broke through. There was a lot of charring."

Wilson estimated the damages from the one-alarm fire at about $50,000.

The occupants of the home, John and Joanne Nestor, both evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Wilson said the couple had their chimney cleaned just two days ago.

"This is a good reason to have your chimney inspected and not just cleaned," Wilson said.

She said frequently these types of fires happen at night.

"They were lucky they were home and awake," Wilson said.

Salem and Swampscott fire departments provided mutual aid to Marblehead.

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Our profound thanks to the Marblehead Fire Department for saving our house. They are hard-working, tremendous professionals.

Tuna Lips said...

I have to same troubles with my crystal meth lab. We moved that trailer towards the swamp area just in case. Smart thinkin'. We deals the mix to the entire volunteer FD here in town, so that too is good fer preventin infernos.

Has they ruled out a fire starter? Ise thinks a feller of your compartmentations has crossed metal with a few in the days. Plus, all them fairy types, why thems hates a plain speakin' gent, and takes to sneak attackin, like them no good Japs.

Sweet Caroline

Have you noticed the commotion over Caroline Kennedy's bid to be appointed to the vacant Senate seat in New York? All sorts of debate over her "qualifications" to be a US Senator.
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Seems to me that if you are a US citizen and people are either willing to appoint you or vote for you, then you meet the standard.
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All you have to do is look at some of the characters in the Congress to understand that the standards of admission just can't be too complicated.
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If you don't want Sweet Caroline to be appointed, why not just say so, and forego all of the bogus posturings of her qualifications.
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It's easy to have grown tired of the Kennedy's. If that is your position, so be it. But in America, everybody of legal age and proper residency has the qualifications by definition.

High Road

I've been taking a little bit of grief lately because of the lack of Blog posts, but it's not my fault. I've been sick as a dog which is quite a shock for a mountain of a man like me.
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So kiss my ass.
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If I can take the high road, so can you.
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In the next day or so, you'll know who the POTY is. That should calm you down a bit.

POTY Status

A nice comment received from outgoing Peep of the Year, Michael Murphy. Gives me renewed confidence that we made the right decision last year.
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This year's POTY choice is still up in the air. Thanks for your thoughtful nominations, but they are still falling way short.

Yuletide Memories

Christmas is such a signature day. It's a marker for memories.... happy and sad. Even happy memories can bring sad emotions, when the memories involve loved ones who can't be with you, or remind you of people and situations that are gone forever.
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The key is to concentrate on the present, and form the basis for more happy memories. I guess that's true for everyday, not just Christmas. But Christmas is the marker that elicits the memories.
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So Peeps.... have a Merry Christmas.... Felice Navidad.... Joyeux Noel..... and Glad Tidings to you and your loved ones.

Murph Said....

2008 has been a great year. As my POTY term comes to a close I have a few parting words. First off congratulations to the Nestor's, the Bruett's, and the Crawford's on their new family additions. Thankfully the children look like their mothers. Now I hope to see Tuna Lips Advice column heat up in early 2009. That is by far my favorite part of the Blog. Thank you again to Nance Nog.....I still wouldn't be here without it. And a Big Thank you to Jay for letting me live out my POTY dream. It has been a wild ride. I still get stopped for pictures and public appearances. I never knew how world-wide this Blog is. A Bottle of Lagavulin is in Jay's future, He deserves it. It has been a hectic year but I have enjoyed carrying the torch of POTY. I know Jay will pick my replacement carefully. Happy New Year to All. My predictions for 2009:

Celts Win NBA Championship again-Screw pau Gasol he sucks
Bruins win the whole Damn thing too-Congrats to Dave Bruett who has been waiting forever for that moment
Pats Make the playoffs
YANKEES DO NOT WIN THE WORLD SERIES-Guaranteed
and will be the laughing stock of MLB

Tough Cookie

As part of the winding down effort, I'll be baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies this morning. In case you didn't already know it, I make a damn good cookie.
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This batch will be loaded with extra chips, chopped almonds and dried cranberries.

Winding Down

I'm thinking of winding the machine down for the holidays. Getting it into a low maintenance speed. Take it down a few pegs.
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It's not like we have everything done at Nanepashemet Telecom. But we're substantially caught up, and it's going to be hard to get any response out there. So we'll concentrate on tying up some loose ends and try to get the machine into an idle mode.
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It won't be easy.

Better Type of Worry

It's the end of the year push. Plus we have a couple of great proposals to respond to. Glad I like to work, because the work is piling up.
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I'm not complaining.
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It's so much better to worry about getting work done, than worrying about finding work.

Caroling

Went to the Christmas Reception at Ryan Marine Service, where I met "My Friend Who Doesn't Want his Name Mentioned in the Blog" and his daughter Abby.
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Mark Ryan and Abby convinced me that I don't want a 9.9 HP motor for the Marblehead Gunning Dory. A 5HP should do the trick.
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Anyway..... then I went back to pick up Joanne for the Roper's Christmas Party, where they always gather over the piano and sing Xmas Carols. Those of you that know me best, know that while I am an excellent dancer, my vocal skills are basically sub par.
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So we skipped out before the pressure to sing got too intense.

Snow Day

So it snowed about a foot here and hasn't stopped yet.
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Do you think that bothers me????
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Hell No! I even helped Joanne shovel the driveway !!!
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Being a Mountain of a Man means that you can overcome any obstacle.

Tuna Lips said...

I reckon your mountainship is a fig newton of your imagining. I horse whip the fairer sex if necesscitsatifying to get me a path cleared fer mobilied. Check yerself. And have a Merry fesivizing with your homo friends in Massawhatever, I means that from the bottom of me hart.

Red Belly

There is a ton of bird activity in the backyard and at the feeder this morning. They must sense the snowstorm that is about to hit New England.
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Lots of Sparrows, Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, even a Robin. Plus the hog Grey Squirrel that is starting to get on my nerves.
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It's also the first time that I've seen a Red Bellied Woodpecker back there.

POTW - Week 50

I'm tired from a trip to Rockland, Maine today, where everything went wrong.
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Couldn't get the trucks up a hill because of snow... so we hired a plow and sanded.
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Couldn't get the 1,100 lb. generator off of the truck because the hydralic lift broke down.... so we muscled it out with a backhoe.
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Clearly, the Universe sent gremlins to torture and challenge us today.... and it came up majorly short. Another score for the "Mountain of a Man" team.
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Speaking of torture...
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ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 50th week of 2008

Ethan Nestor
Marion Hummer
Tim, the Manager at the Penske Truck Rental Place in Portland, Me.
Dick Man
Deborah Burke
Eric Johnson

I expect things to slow down in the next two weeks. Time to get reflective and give you the benefit of some of my best thinking.

Tuna Lips said...

Time to unshod yer feets and let them dogs breathe a spell. I reckon a good snooze and some extended mouth breathin' will fix you up jus fine fer a good run of it over these holiday makin. Drink long and deep of the potion of yer choice, amigo. Joyeux Noel (picked that up from a gap tooth harlot down in N'Orleans, Christmas tide, 1977). Plenty of good folk out there, I reckon. Dummies.