A Futuristic View

The internet and it's information revolution have given us powerful tools that will profoundly change the way that we act in the next generation.
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For the most part, the demand for office space and retail space should curtail dramatically.  With Skype and other tools, there simply is no reason for people to have to congregate in the same physical space to conduct business.  And on-line purchasing negates the need for retail stores to a large extent.
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Online banking and direct deposits have dramatically reduced the time needed to go to a branch bank office.
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The fact the people continue to go to offices to work, and stores to shop is a habitual mode of thinking that will become increasingly obsolete as the next generation emerges with no such behavioral habit.
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The shift that this will cause in employment and land use practices will be profound.  All new homes will be equipped with home work station offices, and low paying retail employment will shift to logistical, delivery services.  Retail shopping will evolve to "Demo" rooms where people go to actually see the stuff that they will then order on-line, and shopping centers will be characterized more by restaurant choices and entertainment venues.
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Course... all this depends on the Mayans being wrong about  the end of days in 2012!   And if the Internet power sources are interrupted by any means, the new order will come crumbling down.

Powerful POTY Partner Promotion

As most of you know, this Blog monitors the goings on at the Minneapolis, Minnesota law firm of Grey, Plant, Mooty very closely.
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That's because our 2010 Peep of the Year, Jeremy Johnson, has been an associate grunt there for the past few years.   Generally, my opinion of lawyers is pretty low, unless they are protecting me or mine, and I was concerned that our POTY might have surrounded himself with the wrong kind of crowd.
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But GPM did the right thing recently and made the POTY a Partner.
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Peeps.... I hate to have to state the obvious.... but once again we see an example of the overwhelming and undeniable power of the Nanepashemet Blog.    Here Jeremy was laboring year after year as a low rung legal grunt at a huge Minnesota law factory.   Then, with his designation of Peep of the Year, he rises to the top of the ladder in this momentous last twelve months.
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Freaking Powerful POTY Promotion.
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Congratulations Jeremy.  You have served your POTY year admirably and reaped the appropriate rewards.
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Soon, another will receive the coveted mantle, and witness the supernatural powers that the POTY title conveys.

Jeremy said.....

Jay, thank you for the props and the free marketing.  The power of the POTY designation is undeniable.  Exhibit A:  Recent photo of me dazzling a jury.  Next year's POTY better prepare for a whole lotta snappin' necks and cashin' checks.

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Excellent likeness Jeremy.
Grey, Plant, Mooty and Johnson..... has a nice ring to it.

Rented

We rented Beverly Ave. today.   There were a lot of good times in this house, and not all of them by our family.  It is definitely a place of growth and joy.
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I hope that the new family that is renting has the same experiences.
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Looking ahead, the Sundance West Shore Drive house has the potential to be awesome for our family, our friends and our grandkids.  Lots of boats to be built, Thanksgiving Eve bashes, and lobster dinners.   A new venue, but maybe a little bigger and more comfortable for you Peeps.
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Granted....TommyO, Rinda, Kelsey and Kate won't be living across the street.... we'll just have to intercept them on the way to the Community Store.

No Crying Shame

There has been a decent amount of discourse lately about the fact that the new Speaker of the House, John Beohner. is a weeper.  He breaks down and cries easily.
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You would think that a Mountain of a Man like myself would condemn this type of response as that of a wussified girlyman.
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And you would be wrong... as usual.
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A real man isn't afraid to cry, to let his emotions show.   People who don't cry generally don't give a shit.  They are not committed enough to give their all to a job, a relationship, or a situation.   I'm not saying that you have to be a blubbering crybaby..... but a genuine tear is no sign of weakness.

Cool in the Cold

It's cold.
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Normally, winter weather doesn't bother me this time of year, but it seems to have gotten really cold, really fast.... and I haven't taken the time to mentally adjust.  I find myself running out the door in a sweatshirt, then feeling the frigid bite.
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The key to beating the cold is to recognize it, and dress accordingly.  Katelyn said she bought me a work coat from Duluth Trading Co. for Christmas this year.
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So I'll be warm, but still look cool.

No Complaint

I've been trying to get back to the Brazilian Cherry hardwood floor job at the Sundance building.   Every day missed is a big slip in schedule.
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But Nanepashemet Telecom has been keeping me pre-occupied.  Rightfully so.
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The wireless telecom business always gets crazy as the year draws to a close.  Lots of companies have bonus plans based upon completion of site construction milestones, and people get nutty to make the numbers.  I shouldn't complain, because the compulsion to reach milestones usually means that our end of year is filled with billable events.
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But it is a little annoying to see everyone else rev down as you are forced to gas things up.   This year, the move to West Shore Drive cranks things up even more.
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Once again.... I'm not complaining..... just observing.
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A Mountain of a Man rarely complains.

Christmas Card Originals

Seems like Ryan has made a hit with his Christmas Cards.  Two Blogs, NorthShoreWaterMan and Harvey's Thoughts have been touting them and numerous Peeps have remarked about how nice they were.
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From an artistic or literary standpoint, they aren't particularly noteworthy.... but they are proof positive that it's the thought that counts.
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You can sit around and be pissed off about your situation, or you can spread a little cheer.   I've seen both choices in action, and I'm really proud of Ryan's choice.
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Next year, there will be no more FreshAyer, and probably no original cards either.   But this year, they have served a good purpose.

Ready for Cherry

Peeps....
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How the hell do you expect me to meet my goals at the Sundance building if you continue to email me and text with your pathetic inquiries into my current progress????.
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I can't afford to pay attention to these annoying, persistent pleas for information.
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Yet... despite these irritating contrivances, I was still able to meet all of my lofty objectives today, as we picked out and ordered the counter top granite, ripped up the vinyl as well as well nailed plywood, and prepared the kitchen floor surface to receive the Brazilian Cherry 2 1/4" hardwood.
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The day ended suitably when Jim and Kathy Peabody dropped by at 5:00 PM with some Sam Adams and wine to check on the progress.
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Tomorrow,  I hope to get a good portion of the cherry installed.... barring interruptions.

Project Focus

I know that many of you are concerned that the Sundance home renovation is taking too long and might not be ready for the move on February 1.
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I too share this concern.... but remain confident that my Mountain of a Man abilities will eventually win the day and see the project through on time.
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Tomorrow morning at 7:30, Joanne and I have to go pick out the granite countertops, and by mid-morning, I hope to be ripping out the kitchen subflooring in order to install the Brazilian Cherry 3/4" hardwood that I bought from Lumber Liquidators in Woburn.
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A layer of 3/4" particle board, together with 1/4" plywood underlayment and lineoleum tile have to be removed in order to get to a level where the Brazilian Cherry can meet the existing Red Oak Hardwood.
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The contrast of the dark cherry and the light oak will be a nice demarcation between the open kitchen and living room areas.
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I bought an air powered hardwood flooring nailer from Amazon, then tried to cancel when I saw how cheap it could be rented at Home Depot, but it was too late, and the Amazon shipment showed up today.  Hopefully, I will install enough flooring in the next few years to justify ownership of the tool. 
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With the great price for quality hardwood flooring at Lumber Liquidators, and the evolution of random orbital disk floor sanders that are easy to use and cheap to rent, it should be possible to install quality hardwood floors in the next few properties that we invest in.
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With a little luck... scratch that... a lot of luck... the subfloor will be ripped up and the hardwood will have been substantially underway by the end of the weekend.  Then I'll rent the floor sander and sand down all of the existing oak and the new cherry at the same time... about 800 SF worth.
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Four coats of oil based polyurethane with light sandings between each coat  will take at least four days of work with curing time.   So if the floor is done by the end of next weekend, I'll be pretty psyched.
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There is a lag period in the project until January 25, when the kitchen cabinets will be delivered.  During that time, we'll concentrate on the second floor raised panel wainscotting and crown moulding.
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I'm fairly certain that most of the finish work will be complete by the February move in deadline.  Course the issue of a the boat workshop is unresolved.  That, and the deck will absorb the warm months of 2011.
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In the meantime, I have stay focused on the business boom that Nanepashemet Telecom has experienced over the last few weeks.  It's hard to do both, but that's where the Mountain of a Man tendencies kick in.

Multiple Lifetimes

We went to the Lynn Museum tonight where Lou Panakio was being inducted as a "Lynn Legacy".   It's a nice honor to be remembered as a contributor to life in a community, and Lou certainly deserves this recognition.
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Lisa Rowe and Superpeep Maria Rowen were justly proud of Lou.
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Harvey Rowe told a freaky story of  Lou's wife, Marcia, who is deceased.  Apparently, today Harvey randomly played a recording of one of her last messages on his tape recorder.... like she wished all to know that she was part of the proceedings.    Like I said... pretty freaky.... but nice.
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I also had the chance to renew some acquaintances with old friends who I haven't seen for two decades.  People like Ed and Sue Calnan, Jansi Chandler, Sean Potter, Al DiVirgilio, Nick Mennino, and Ann Marie Leonard.   They all got quite a bit older looking, but it didn't take long to peal back the years and see them precisely as I remembered them.
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Seeing these people, after twenty years or so seems like a time warp.... like all of the stuff that went on in the interim really never occurred.   But of course it did.
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In each life, it seems that we lead a series of lives.... with separate occurrences and relationships in each.   And every now and then, you get the chance to step back and remember what it was like in a previous life.
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That's what tonight felt like.

POTY Training

Joanne asked me tonight if  I knew who the Peep of the Year was going to be this year.   In truth, I haven't even thought about it.
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Outgoing POTY of 2010, Jeremy Johnson was a shoe in.  I mean.... who else could have been chosen last year?
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But this year the selection seems to be wide open.
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Of course, I'm obviously open to input and nominations from the Peep Population at large.... not that I would give it any consideration whatsoever.
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In the past, some of the POTY selections were pretty controversial..... with quite a bit of hate mail received after the Tommy McMahon and Laren Rathbone coronations.   Michael "Murph" Murphy and Jeremy didn't cause as much of a ruckus,  but there still were ruffled feathers galore.
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I'd like this year to be a tad less emotional.... although, in keeping with the honored tradition... I really don't give a shit who gets the final nod.... or what the hell you think of it.

Tuna Lips said...

Whith all yer cogitatin' and real estate maneuverin', don't overlook the season tide. Throw a yule log on the bonfire and gather your neiborlike folks to join hands and drop them house keys in the fuzzy bag - its Yankee Wife Swappin' Time! Ho ho ho! Hoooooooeeeee!

Facebook Assholes

Facebook is such a double edged sword.
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On the one hand, I've reconnected with some people who really interest me, and it's nice to see how they have grown and prospered.
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On the other hand, I keep running into people who I thought were assholes before, and every time I see them post, I remember what douche bags they were and how they annoyed me.   There is one guy from my old neighborhood in particular who was a real untrustworthy backstabber.... one of those me-first,  lying, bastards who didn't give a shit about other people.
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Now he is a Christian minister in the MidWest, praising Jesus, and raising money for his ministry.  I defriended him because the dichotomy seemed so hypocritical.  Everytime I see his now bald head and read his pious posts on FB, I get a nauseous grip in my stomach.
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Really don't need to renew these emotions.  They were nice and buried in a dusty spot in my mind, and now, here they emerge fresh and lively as if the years had never passed.
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I like to think that I have changed since my adolescent, formative years.   And the douche bags undoubtedly have changed as well.  I should give them the benefit of the doubt .... but I bet they're still assholes.