A Pall and Aftermath

It's hard to comment on anything within the pall of this Boston Marathon Terrorist attack.
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Any mention of another topic seems disrespectful to the issue at hand.
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The New York outpouring of support for Boston has been incredibly classy, characterized by the singing of "Sweet Caroline" at the Yankees game.  We may be rivals, but we are sibling rivals, and stick together when attacked by the outside.
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And the expressions of support from all over the world is particularly heartfelt.
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The singing of the National Anthem at the Bruins game last night brought tears to my eyes.  How can anyone think that they can damage us when we come together with such strength in times of adversity like this?
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We are all on pins and needles as they close in on the lowlife losers who perpetrated this crime.   Two people have been identified, which would eliminate the option that a mentally deranged schizophenic may be responsible. 
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If this turns out to be an act committed by some organization or cult, they just shortened their lifespan considerably.

Stupid, Evil Asshole

I heard that Brian Donovan, the heart and soul of the Mooseknuckles, was just stepping over the Finish Line on Boylston Street, when the first bomb exploded.   Thank God he wasn't hurt. 
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My heart aches for the victims and their families.  Selfishly, as soon as I heard of the explosion, I began to check on the whereabouts of my family and friends and was relieved when all were confirmed safe.  Then I felt a little guilty being relieved when so many would not have the same emotion.   My friends have said that this is a normal reaction.... but I still feel shitty about it.
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So nice job, Mr. Terrorist.   You killed an eight year old kid, a 29 year old beautiful woman, and a third Boston University female graduate student who hasn't yet been identified. Many have lost limbs.  Over a hundred and seventy wounded.
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Well done... you Despicable Vermin.
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We learned our lesson, didn't we?  That twisted, demented, evil mind of yours really got your point across.   By the way, we  found Hussein in a spider hole and executed him, and Bin Ladin is fish food after we killed him in his own residential prison.
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This will backfire on you and any of your sub-human associates.  You just set a cheap kitchen timer on the worthless days left in your gutless, rediculous life.
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Stupid, Evil Asshole.  

Beyond Reason

The finish line at the Boston Marathon was bombed today.
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Two Dead, over one hundred injured...  at least fifteen critically. 
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What glorious cause was it to kill and maim innocents watching a joyous event like the Boston Marathon? How can humans get so warped and twisted to randomly destroy others lives? 
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What a living hell it must be to have a mind that can conceive and execute this heinous act.
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We like to think we are civilized, but we still live in the Wild West. Little kids get shot in their classrooms, innocent supporting spectators get torn and maimed with shrapnel watching a road race. 
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You can never let your guard down.

Marathon Monday

There are 27,000 runners competing in the Boston Marathon today.
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When I ran it in 1972, there were 3,000 in the race and I remember marveling how crowded it seemed.
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Over the years, the race has gained considerably in popularity.  I used to take a bus to Boston at 12:00PM and casually walk over to the Prudential Center finish line to be there at 2:00PM before the first runners came through.   Back then, I knew who the runners and favorites were, and was shocked when Bill Rodgers first won, and nobody realized that he was a local guy as he turned the corner on Beacon Street.
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This year, I'll be pulling for Carrie Paige,  Shalane Flanagan, the elite Women's runner from Marblehead who has a good chance of winning, and former POTY Tommy McMahon, who doesn't.
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Looks like the weather will hold up.

My Favorite Lama

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."

~ The Dalai Lama ~

Nice Days Work

This morning, I was sitting on the couch, and decided that it was a good day to replace the lamppost at the Nanepashemet house that blew down in the Blizzard.  ~
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So by 8:30AM, I was bothering the nice tenants with a lot of noise digging out the old post and planning the project.   The  lamppost was rotted and the lantern fixture was pretty banged up, so there was no salvage.
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After checking with two HOME Depots, there was no stock lamppost to be found, so I grabbed a leftover 4x4 from the Tommy O deck, notched that for the wire and trimmed it with some 1x6 pressure treated stock that I bought along with a new fixture.
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Jim Bob Peabody lent a hand snaking the wire, and Tommy O brought over his post level.   The result is this classically understated and custom crafted lamppost at 32 Beverly Ave. .... All done in one day.... MOAM style.

 

I get by with a little help from my Friends.

Latest Entries to the Nanepashemet List of Truths.

Making Popcorn with your Grandkids is Special Time together.

Repetition is the Path to Mastery.... learning to play a musical instrument hammers this home.

Living in the Present is Joyful... focusing on the past causes regret and focusing on the future causes anxiety.

Time speeds up when you get older. An hour is much longer for a young child than an adult.

Final Greenhouse Steps

The Greenhouse plan has been very hot lately.
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Peeps.... please stop asking me to build one for you.  I'm going to test case one on the Sundance property and see how it goes, then I will consider exporting my expertise to the general public.... which is you.
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At Sundance, due to lot configurations, setbacks, topography, and ledge outcroppings, I really can only place it in a certain spot on the lot.   But Zoning won't be a problem at the present 12'x24' proposed size.
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The only issue left is whether the structure can be permitted as designed under the code.  I want the four foot open panel span of the polycarbonate panels if possible, otherwise, I would have to add a stud in the middle of each which would create a 24" on center framing system, which is an acceptable alternative.
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And I want to see if the pressure treated wall plate contact with the compacted soil at ground as well as a pervious dirt floor will fly.   I'm pretty sure that the Building Department will approve the PT issue, because I have addressed this previously with a garage that I proposed, and the dirt floor should be ok given the greenhouse use.
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So with a permit in hand, there is nothing to it but to do it... right???? 
Wrong, Kemosabe.
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I have a whole list of stuff to do with the existing property leading up to Katelyn's wedding, some of which come with a decent pricetag,  before I can indulge in this project for myself.

Imagine That

Just Coincidentally, the Greenhouse has enough room to construct a twenty foot long boat.

Repetition is the Path to Mastery

Peeps....

"Repetition is the Path to Mastery."

It's estimated that you must invest 10,000 hours into a skill or subject matter before you can gain true expertise.

That's five work years.

So I can't yet play the banjo like Earl Scruggs.
And my guitar skills are far less than  Stevie Ray Vaughn's.
I'm woeful as a CAD designer, and my woodworking is dwarfed by Tage Frid.

Lots more hours to go, and this middle aged Mountain of a Man is running out of unlimited time. 

But someday, I hope to be sitting on a stool that I designed and built and amaze some of my closest Peeps with a stunning rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" followed  by a kick ass version of "Pride and Joy".

That will be quite a few hours from now.

12 x 24 Panelized Greenhouse

Peeps....
I'm starting to get the hang of this Sketchup Program.   Above is my design of  a greenhouse that is made up of stock 2x4 nominal pressure treated lumber that is sheathed in 4x8 panels of 8mm polycarbonate panels.  All of the panels are fastenened
by deck screws so that the structure can be deassembled and relocated.  Rough estimate of the stock is $3,000.  With Labor and markup, Nanepashemet Builders can put this in your backyard for about $10,500. and you will be eating home grown tomatoes and smelling the roses in no time.

8mm PolyCarbonate Clear Panel

Temporary Hiatus

 It's been real busy at Nanepashemet Telecom this week, and during the evening, I've been brushing up on my stringed instrument skills, so the Blog has taken a hiatus for a few days.  Can't believe its Thursday already.
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But for me, a lapse in posts is usually a good thing.... because this Blog is where I generally work out my frustrations, so I must have not been too aggravated this week.
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Since I made a conscious decision not to get wound up over the Massachusetts US Senate race this time, and Obama and his money grab minions are mired in the horrors of Sequestration (is that still going on?), I just have not been moved to rant about politics.
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And my Spring projects, not the least of which is raising the war chest to fund Katelyn's Nuptuals, have also been taking up what might be bloggable items, but they are not really in full swing with the temps hovering around the freezing mark during these April mornings.
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But don't worry.
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Something is sure to aggravate me soon, and you will be the first to know about it.