Public Hearing

Late this morning, when checking in with the Town of Groton, CT, about the status of a Planning Board Hearing, the Planning Director told me that he could put me on the agenda this evening. A bit of an unexpected surprize, but not to worry.
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So I made the 100+ mile trek down to Mystic Country and back. Naturally I was successful at the hearing. Some of the people at my customer's office didn't think I had time to prepare, but I have been doing this for so long that it is almost automatic.
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Public Hearings for wireless installations are not the controversial events that they used to be either. I've only had one contentious petition in the past year, and that was caused by a group of crazies who fight against wireless as a hobby.
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Still, when a Board approves your petition, there is always a bit of an adrenalin rush which makes it hard to settle in for the night. When I was a city official in Lynn, it was much worse. After meetings, I could never sleep.

Photo Op

Having a camera in your cell phone is so handy.

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Like when I am coming to the front door and Grandson Will is standing there.

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I know that your kids and grandkids are probably gifted and cute, but Will and Ethan RULE.

Blog Birthday

Next month, this Blog will be three years old. Seems like yesterday since I found this outlet which is therapeutic to me yet can entertain and antagonize others. Time flies. In no time, it will be six years old.
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I'm afraid that there will be more antagonizing than entertainment in posts for the next three years.

One Thousand Days

Today was Day 8 and tomorrow with be Day 9.
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To be truthful though, this is really a 1000+ day program.... about three years or so. By that time, I'll either have set up a lifelong habit of exercise and clean living, or be dead.
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I vastly prefer the former alternative.
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The difference this time, from other resolutions to return to buffness, is that I'm not setting elaborate training goals, like mileage buildups designed to run a marathon. This program is simply resolving to get some sort of aerobic burn in before I take a shower.... consecutively every day.
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Since I've always kept a routine of personal hygiene.... i.e. I take a shower and brush my teeth every day .... adding a sweat in ahead of time doesn't seem to be as much of a stretch.
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Three years has a bit of significance. That is how long it took to turn me from a chubby kid to a decent track athlete in High School. In retrospect, that time passed pretty quickly. I actually was thinking of quitting drinking over this 1000 day trek, but that would be too drastic.

Impatient with Karma

I'm sorry, but if you want to piss me off, then just do these three things.
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1. Think only of yourself and your narcissistic existence.
2. Take absolutely no responsibility for anything.
3. When questioned or seeking to make a point, simply lie or make up the facts.
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That behavior is guaranteed to give me fantasies of smashing heads like pumpkins.
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Granted... I know that the law of karma says that I need do nothing to see torture come back to you sooner or later. But I still fantasize about helping it along.

Tuna Lips said...

Now hold on there, mister, that sorta principalled livin' dun raised a generashun of us folks and placed us among the giants in the hoboin' and 'shine runnin industrial complex.

Northern Flicker

This great specimen of a Northern Flicker woodpecker was caught on camera this weekend, foraging at the beginning of the driveway for ants.

Unlike other species of Woodpecker, the Northern Flicker rarely feeds in trees.

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I also have the video.

~So if you haven't seen a Northern Flicker lately, then this is for you.

Not Slow

Although it would seem to be the doldrums of summer, this week is shaping up with a decent amount of activity for Nanepashemet Telecom. A zoning hearing in Western Mass tonight, customer meetings throughout the week and a couple of bids due.
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Thursday we will be at the "My Brother's Table" benefit at the Nahant Country Club.
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So even though there will be no kicking ass, there will be no kicking back either. And this week will include consecutive workout days 8 to 15.
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Plus the Grandkids will be around, which always makes everything better.

Habit Forming

Day 7 of consecutive workouts. The first six on the Cybex and today a 4 1/2 mi. row in the Tender. Maybe a habit is forming. Course travel is always the thing that screws up a nice routine like this, and I didn't travel hardly at all last week. The challenge will be if I can maintain the habit when the schedule gets all twisted.
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And no. I haven't weighed myself. That will come on the 100th consecutive day, which will be December 12, 2009. I am feeling a lot better, stronger even, after only one week. That is what's important. Not some number on a scale.
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But I'd love to leave the Clydesdale class and be weighing in somewhere south of 200 lbs. by then.

Perspective

Last evening, before cocktails, Lou Panakio made the following observation.
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"If you wanted to kill the Nestor's, not only would you have to kill them, ... you'd have to nail the coffin shut."
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Kind words from a dear friend. Lou knows from experience that we know how to take the hits.
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But let's put this into perspective.
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Those of you who have seen your kids go to Iraq in harm's way have it way worse.... Those of you who have seen love ones pass on with debilitating diseases have it way worse.... I can go on, but you get the picture.
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Life always offers challenges. Most of the time, these are endured quietly and relatively privately. Just because ours went loudly public, doesn't mean it is worse than the hits that all of us have to take from time to time. So don't feel compelled to tell us how bad you feel for us. We appreciate it, but there are those of you who have it far worse.

Gorilla Glue

Yesterday was a big push for the garage projects.
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After a run to Moynihan Lumber, I had all the meranti mahogany needed for Katelyn's Adirondack Chair as well as a nice 10' Redwood 2x6 which I cut into three pieces and glued into a panel which will be the carving base for a sign to be placed at the Nanepashemet Peabody Warehouse.
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I also bought a 16 oz bottle of Gorilla Glue, which is an expanding polyurethane based, waterproof glue which I have been curious to try.
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So when I got back to the garage, I bandsawed all of the Adirondack pieces, and assembled the meranti legs for the Workbench.
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The Gorilla Glue was easy to use, set up quickly and expanded through the tenon and mortise joints nicely. It is supposed to cure to a very strong bond.
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My plan is combine the legs into the base this morning, and start the assembly of the Adirondack Chair. This will take some time, because of all of the sanding and routing prior to joining the pieces together. I could have bought a nice chair for Kate much cheaper, so I'm going to take my time on this to make it as perfect as possible.
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BTW, at the Crawford get together last night, Dale Johnson aka "Buck" asked me if this Blog took a lot of my time. Naturally, I kept my cool. I mean, does it take a long time to breathe... Dale/Buck ???
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I'm thinking it was Buck who came up with such an annoying question.... not my friend, Dale.

POTW Week 31

Day 5 came and went has I logged another burn on the Cybex for the fifth consecutive day.
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No Biggie.
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But I can feel the Buffness starting to reassert.
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As you know, an accurate desciption of me as always been "Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff and Damn Good Looking."
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Nowhere there does it state that I am Buff. But I might have to add that soon.
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Announcing...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 31st Week of 2009

Jeremy Johnson
Meaghan Bruett
Sarah Crawford
Brian O' Donnell
Emily Ingardia
Jeff Middleton

Maybe I'll take a break from the Cybex and rev up the Treadmill for Day 6.

Slammer

The Nestor Siblings reeled in a 45 lb, 50 inch Stripped Bass this morning, shortly after arriving to Stellwagen Bank.

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Although it would have fed the whole cookout at Crawford's this evening, this fish is still happily swimming in Massachusetts Bay due to the Federal prohibition of taking strippers in the Stellwagen National Sanctuary.

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Still no tuna though.

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So maybe I'll stick to the Snap Dogs at the cookout. About 5 or 6 with mustard and relish in a massive bout of eating to relieve stress.