Year In Review

I'd have to conclude that this year was high on the interesting scale.
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Lots of highs and lows. Ups and Downs. Ebbs and Flows.
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Financially and career wise, I dumped all of my money into Sundance Pre-School and Nanepashemet Telecom. We'll see the prospects of that move in the next six months.
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Physically, I'm pretty much in the same place I was last January. Not bad since I'm a year older. I had planned on losing a lot of weight and getting into running shape, but my left leg got really screwed up and painful during the push in October, and I can hardly walk some days.
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Emotionally... well, that is my freaking business. I'm really pleased with some stuff, and outright stressed about others. But that doesn't make me a bad person. So keep out of it.
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I did notice that my resolutions from last year kind of fell flat. I wanted to get a workout burn going every day, clean up the daily clutter and pay attention to the details. That effort was an off and on process.
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It's worth reaffirming this year, but this year is a do or die for both businesses. My real resolve is to maintain a non-judgemental stability. Don't judge everything as right or wrong, good or bad, successful or disastrous. Just play the cards as they are dealt and stay away from doom and gloom or endzone celebrations.
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There is absolutely no chance that I can pull this off.

Tuna Lips said...

There is more than meets the eye with you sir. You are a complex man. Remindin me of my pappy. One moment all torn up over havin' to put down his beloved mule Sal soes we could eats, the next dancin around the campfire with a jug on his thumb and a grin on his face, wavin' the money momma brung home from her singin' lessens. Life is like that. We are a mere reflection of these sorts of goings on, likes you sees when you are bent over, wretching into the pond after eatin' some mule meat that had turned.

The Cranston Experience

So I walk in the door this afternoon, and Mike asks "How was Cranston?".
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How the hell did he think it was?
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Did he think that I traveled to Rhode Island at dawn to see the famous freaking sights of Cranston????
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The kid is a management consultant at a prestigious Washington DC firm, but sometimes I don't think his noggin is on straight.
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What with the crazy questions and all.
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The truth is that Cranston seems to be very ethnically diverse. The Dunkin Donuts where we had coffee was filled with about a dozen very vocal Asians, all speaking a dialect of Chinese at the same time. Then we grabbed a sandwich at lunch at a Lebanese delicatessen. There were a lot of elderly caucasians lingering around a veterans post that abutted our job site.
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That's how Cranston was. Maybe not such a dumb question after all.

Unreal

Two minutes from a perfect regular season of Patriots football. First the Red Sox, now this. I wish my Father was alive to see it.

Half Time Histrionics

Patriots are trailing the Giants at half time in the quest to go undefeated in the regular season.
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I really can't afford to stay up and watch the rest of this game, because of the need to get down to Rhode Island first thing in the morning. But I guess I have no choice. Eli Manning is really on for the Giants.
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I'm keeping the faith.

Attracting the Angels

Cranston went well. Not anything like I expected with lots of ups and downs. But it ended in an up.
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As long as you stay in motion.... as long as you try stuff.... you stand the chance that things can go your way. When you keep your head under the covers and presuppose that all is doom and gloom, you've cemented your fate.
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Angels don't land on our shoulders when we are sheltered and cowering in fear. They catch up with with us when we are trying to move forward. Keep trying stuff, even when all of the answers aren't clear. The answers get filled in along the way.
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Not sure what a photo of a Hammerhead Shark has to do with this, but it's a cool photo, don't you think?
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Back to Cranston in the morning.

Judge Ye Not

OK... I admit it. While all of the Christian world was in ecstasy over the birth of Christ, we at Nanepashemet Telecom have been busting our ass trying to get sites built on a deadline to nowhere. Not sure what it is all worth, but at least we have been doing our duty.
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The thing about job stress is that regardless of what others think, you finally have to meet the ultimate judge as you brush your teeth in front of the bathroom mirror. If he or she is satisfied with your performance, you have done your job, despite the outcome.
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See you in Cranston tomorrow morning.

Peep of the Week - Week 52

• Last Week of the Year
  

This is the last Thursday of the year. I can't believe that I've risen to the occasion - each and every week - summoning the strength and mustering the courage to make the all-important weekly POTW selections.
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To those of you who look to this as the highlight of your week, I definitely suggest that you look into some type of hobby or interest that will help you to advance your life to a more meaningful type of existence. I hope I said this gently enough.
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If you've been named a Peep of the Week this year, be not proud... nor should you be ashamed. General malaise and confusion is probably the most appropriate emotion for the weekly honor/disgrace. Most fortunate among you are those Peeps who were selected but don't realize it. Ignorance is truly bliss in this situation.
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The Peep of the Year will be chosen on January 1. I'm pretty sure who it will be, but I'm keeping the options open just in case a Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch delivery truck shows up at my front door between now and then.

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 52nd Week of 2007

• Kyle Raiche
• Ben Martin
• Emily Ingardia
• Mark Vona
• Tom McMahon
• Steve Lewis

The countdown is on for the New Year.... and the life changing POTY selection. Keep the nominations coming in, although I probably won't be paying much attention to them.

Holiday Feeder Action

First time visitors to the feeder over the Christmas holiday were a small flock of Dark-Eyed Juncos. Very nice looking birds with their dark feathers and white undersides.
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Also Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Sparrows and the Squirrel.

Wish You a Merry Christmas

It's probably time to wish you all a Merry Christmas.
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I'm going to try and nod off for an hour or so, then put a half hour on the Cybex cycle, get a shower in and head over to Ryan and Courtney's house for Christmas Eve Dinner. So now is the time.
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Merry Christmas Peeps. Best wishes to ...

• Lec and Tom at NPMI.
• the GD people, even the reality challenged obstructionists among them.
• the Rockett Management and Hotel People.
• my new friends at Sprint, MetroPCS, Qualcomm, Lucent, Maxton, EnerNOC, Grain
• all of you crazy subK tower climbers.
• Tuna Lips
• Katelyn's Crew and Jack Dog
• Mike's friends, including reigning POTY McMahon
• the Gerry 5
• Ryan's old and new friends and family
• Boyz and Girlz in the Hood
• that crazy, wacky Boston Yacht Club
• Roenick and Isabelle
• the workers at the Lagavulin Distillery
• my old College buds
• that lady in Chez Henri that Mike Rockett tooled on
• the POTW's who annoyed and, yes, more frequently inspired me.
• my Florida family and the New England one's too.
  
• all of my self righteous architect and engineer subK's
• the birds at the feeder - even the insidious squirrel
• my Darwin group who strayed away from the evolution
• our material suppliers and their sense of humor
• the happy fish swimming today who will be giving it up next summer
• the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox (even the Celts!)
• James Taylor, Chuang Tzu and Ralph Waldo Emerson
  
• those New York publishers that turn down my book (so far)
• the writers and editors of WoodenBoat Magazine
• all of the Peeps that I share this journey with
  
• and you, that slightly misguided reader of this Blog post.

Merry Christmas to you all, even if you are Jewish or other non-believers. You may irritate and annoy me from time to time, but that is usually temporary.
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I still wish you Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men, and you don't have to buy into Chistianity to accept that sentiment.

Patriots 15

So I started watching the Patriots game with Joanne and Katelyn at home.... then Mike and Nathaniel called and wanted me to meet them at Flynnie's. I was surprized that Flynnie's was so empty. A couple of cougars at the bar, along with Nathaniel, Mike and Jeff Flynn.
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Jeff said that the Gerry, and HDTV has affected his business during Patriots games. People would rather stay home or go to their friend's house to watch the game. The restaurant business must be a continual horror show. Literally feast or famine with constantly changing conditions.
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Ben Martin joined us at Flynnie's for one more and we moved the event to the Gerry 5 Fireman's Association.
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Ever since Larry Hudak finished the renovation at the Gerry, it has drawn a new crowd mixing in with the old guard, although Kevin and Brian Rockett are starting to seem like the old guard.
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Joining the Rockett brothers were Dave and Abby Bruett and their former nanny, Courtney Lynch, in from San Francisco. Courtney professed her allegiance to the Nanepashemet Blog, which is always the foundation for a potential POTW selection, because of its annoying/inspirational significance. She paid for a Gerry membership application for her father, Paul.... a very thoughtful gift for the popular Marblehead Attorney.
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The Pats cruised past the Dolphins for their 15th regular season victory this year.
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There was Good Will Toward Men at the Gerry, although women are still ineligible to join.

Piscabo said...

Merry Christmas to the old school peeps from back in the broadband revolution days, both on and off the treadmill. Spent a lot of good company time talking smack.

And a shout out to Father Christmas, Little Willie Hillegas, what up dog!?!

Official Steroid Denial

Like Roger Clemens, I have never taken steroids or human growth hormone.
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My excess bulk can be traced to pizza, beer, cheeseburgers, and an overly sedentary lifestyle.
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I vigorously deny steroid use.

Peep of the Year Buildup

The Peep of the Year nominations are really starting to mount up. Peeps, let's make a concerted effort to try to wait until Christmas is passed before getting all hyper and hysterical.
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But if you are going to continue to pepper me with emails, you should at least remember the rules.

No Dead People and No Animals....
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So the Peep of the Year has to be a living person who has done something exceedingly stupid, annoying or inspirational this year. And the automatic Lagavulin rule is not in effect for the annual disgrace/honor. Although a case of Lagavulin would be hard to overlook.