Find Your Lot in Life

I've been thinking about something deep and moving to blog about but nothing is stirring things up.  Although I did see an episode of NH Chronicle about some guy whose passion in life is fixing old fountain pens.  He said he is doing what he loves and people from all over send him fountain pens to make operable again.  He looked truly happy but I found myself feeling lucky that fixing fountain pens was not the thing on earth that I loved doing.
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http://www.nanepashemetboats.blogspot.com/

We've all heard the credo... Do what you love and the money will follow.  And there are plenty of examples of wealthy people who apparently are doing what they love.  But there does seem to be some sizable loopholes.

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As in...... how long does it take for the money to catch up with you while you are engrossed  in working at what makes you so happy.  I've made no bones about the fact that  I'd be thrilled to go through life buildng finely detailed cedar stripped wooden boats.  
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There is absolutely no doubt that these boats, which turn so many heads when I row through Marblehead Harbor, could reach a willing market.  But it would take a huge investment in marketing and production techniques to get these boats built at a price that the public would find desirable to purchase.  My one off boats that I have made would be wildly prohibitive in price because of the manhours involved.
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Unless I found an Angel who wanted to fund the venture at a loss for five years or so, there could be no real Nanepashemet Boat Company.  And you don't find these Angels hanging out at the Gerry Bar.  So while my love would be boatbuilding, my life for five years or so would be finding  investors, then keeping them happy.... a far cry from planing and sanding cedar hull planks.
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I guess I'm not willing to make the sacrifice to truly do what I love.
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Sometimes, though, what you love is right there in front of you and you don't even see it.
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I really love negotiating business deals, and Nanepashemet Telecom Site Acquisition  lets me do two or three lease agreements per month.  I love to build stuff from the ground up, and even though it is cold steel, Nanepashemet Telecom General Contracting gives me plenty of satisfaction in that regard.  I love being on the cutting edge of technology, and wireless is where it's at.
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So maybe I'm already doing what I love.  And the money has been following along as needed all along.  Although if a deep pockets Angel who wants to fund a startup classic boatbuilding buiness is reading this... please give me a call.

Wasted Water Season

The WhaleEye is coming out of the water this week.  Ryan Marine will be pulling it and I have to get out and clean out anything that shouldn't be left on it before it is shrink wrapped for the winter.  Like boat beers and that bottle of Lagavulin that Bobby Brown so thoughtfully brought on our last "fishing" trip.
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I didn't run into any bluefish blitzes this year, and never got the lobster traps out.  The one time we made it to Stellwagen, even the whales failed to show.   I never spent the time to revarnish the Herreshoff Columbia Tender, and that remained on the trailer in the driveway.   It was the most unproductive boating season ever.
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We got in a couple of cruises in that ended happily at the Boston Yacht Club bar,  however.  So my bar tab would indicate that the season isn't a total bust at least.
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With the work at the Sundance house and other priorities, we never got our act together on the water.  Significant amounts of fish and lobsters got a stay of execution. 
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We'll be ready for them next year.

Goober Holes and Cooties

We rented out our condo in North Conway for the ski season.  What with the FreshAyer countdown, Nanepashemet Telecom and some other stuff, we knew we wouldn't be up there too often in the next five months, and we also had some of our favorite Peeps who were looking for a place to rent and not stay in hotels all season.  Seemed like a win-win.
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I don't mind renting it to frends, because you know they don't have cooties.... or at least their cooties don't gross you out.... and vice versa.
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So Joanne and I went up there over the last few days and cleaned out all of the closets and goober holes that accumulate useless crap over  a dozen years or so.  Since we are always in a recreational mode when we go up there, we have never really spent time organizing, cleaning and throwing stuff out.  Stuff like broken computers, clothes that we never wear, and TV sets that sit in a corner out of the way for a couple of years while we come and go.
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We didn't even go out to eat.  Bought a couple of $5 Foot Long Italian Subs from Subway and powered through.
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I always like the way that condo looks, but by the time we left it was freaking spiffy.  Home to Marblehead in plenty of time to watch the Pats.

Airam Newor said...

No worries for the MoaM and his Madame. The Cootie-Catchers(C-C)are in control and will corner and contain all contaminants. C-C cautions don't fill holes with goobers.

Pisc said...
Sounds like someone needs a refresher in his Project Management Institute principles.

Snow Watch

So the storm wasn't a dud.  We even lost power for a couple of hours last night.  But the temps are above freezing and this will melt fairly fast.  I wouldn't get too ambitious with a shovel because this won't freeze and stay.
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Course if Joanne wants to shovel, I won't get in her way.
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By 4:15 when the Pats play the Steelers, this one will be in the books.

Gearing up for Spring

I'm betting that this October snowstorm is going to be a dud.
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All of the meteorologists are saying it could be a record breaking 10 inches or so.  That always puts the whammy on a storm.... when the weathermen get all hyped up about it.
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I figured that I had the month of November at the very least to fix my snowblower, having broken the shear pins last year, and then ordering two sets on Amazon that didn't fit.  There has to be one dealer around here who has the right freaking shear pin size!
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Course... a shovel and a little manual labor should do the trick in this non-event.  I can't imagine that this stuff will accumulate and stick to the ground this early in the year.  Which is a reason to believe that this might be the real thing.
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Actually, I could care less whether we get hit or not.   I have four wheel drive, winter boots and my ski jacket close by.  And Joanne still can wield a mean snow shovel.
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Whatever happens.... spring is right around the corner.  Happy Halloween.

Eight Inches

We have some work to do in New Hampshire this weekend and it looks like we'll run into 8" of snow that is predicted.  An October snowstorm.  Earthquakes, Tornadoes and an October snowstorm.  Looks like those freaking Mayans might have been on to something.
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It won't impede our progress, but it definitely feels weird.

Another Down Day

Still no big national new events today.  Something screwed up has to happen soon to break through this news drought.  Channel 5 has a story about Roslindale High going Number 1 in the state on some academic competition.  And some punks spraypainted some swastikas in Concord, NH.  At least there is a chance of snow in the weather report.
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Brendt D'Orio said that he checks out Boston Barstool Sports and the Nanepashemet Blog every morning. That explains why Brendt is so well versed.  I generally don't look at Barstool, because of the strong sexual content.   At my age, you can't afford to get too excited every morning.  That can get even more aggravating than watching George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America.
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Once again, I've offered up a post utterly devoid of substantive content. 
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I could write about whether Michael Jackson's Doctor should do some time for putting the King of Pop out with heavy anesthesia every night to cure his insomnia.  But nobody really gives a shit about that.  The King's time had come and gone, and he was way too weird.
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I could offer a rant about the Occupy Wall Street losers who are protesting their lack of jobs and wealth.  Who would hire these knee jerk misfits anyway?  I could care less where they pitch their pup tents.
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I could discuss the First Lady, Michelle Obama's propensity for expensive vacations on the public doll to give her daughters a break from life in the White House.  And how she brought her mother to Africa because she had never been there before.   And how she doesn't want her kids to watch the Kardashian's which the Kardashian's immediately seized upon for whatever marketing  and self promoion that it was worth.
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But things are so dull that even the crass, inappropriateness of our Nation's First Lady doensn't get a rise here.
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There's the story of Bernie Madoff and his "out to lunch" wife trying to commit suicide by downing a handful of pills, then waking up in the morning anyway.  They must have had strong stomach linings to go along with their utter lack of conscience.
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Just nothing out there  is inspiring/annoying enough to get a close inspection on the Nanepashemet Blog today.  Maybe you should check out Boston Barstool Sports and see if anything better is going on there.

Social Networking

I've been on Twitter for a couple of weeks now.... and I'm just not getting it.  I've been following some celebs like Serena Williams, Paris Hilton and OchoCinco, but their one sentence diatribes don't do anything for me.   And about 50 are following my tweets... why?.... I have no idea.
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For that matter, Facebook seems to be losing its cache as well.  It was fun for a while when I was aggravating Liberals and Bible toters, but then the Liberals wouldn't take the bait anymore and the Bible toters got really pissed. 
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I did touch base with a couple of old friends, which was worthwhile... but it seems that anybody who I was to uncover has been exposed.
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I have about 200 "Friends" on Facebook and look in amazement with all those who have 1000 or more.   I don't know 1000 people period.... friends, enemies or whatnot.    I've only "defriended" a few people.  One guy I really like, but I couldn't stand to read about him constantly in post after post everyday.  Another guy was an asshole from the old neighborhood who I never liked 40 years ago and didn't want to pretend to like today.
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LinkedIn is a different story.  That's more business oriented and I never deter from business etiquette.  I have about 500 Linkedin contacts, many of which I would walk right by on the street and not recognize, but the contacts are for business development.
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I still really enjoy posting in this Blog.  It's a very selfish enterprize that I undertake solely for my own enjoyment and psychological grounding.   If I wasn't doing this electronically, I'd be writing in journals like the old days when I started in college after taking a course on Emerson and Thoreau.  The fact that thousands of  you hapless Peeps follow my every word is an interesting byproduct that I never imagined when I initially entered this medium.
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It would only be fair if you mailed me a check once in awhile.

Slow News Day

It's a slow news day..... the big story on the always irritating and sometimes offensive Good Morning America Show is Chaz being kicked off of Dancing with the Stars.
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There is the obligatory Michael Jackson wrongful death coverage too.
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I guess you can't depend on an international terrorist being killed and mutilated every day.
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Maybe I shouldn't be too critical.  I know that many of you look to the Nanepashemet Blog each day for precious guidance of what to think and how to live your lives.
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Sometimes I feel sorry about that.  But it's hard to conjure up inspirational and relevant shit on a consistent basis, and I refuse to write an entry when I have nothing to write about.... like this post for example.
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I do have a controversial, interesting, yet disgusting topic to review, but will have to do it later.  It's time to make it rain at Nanepashemet Telecom.

Jettison Jane

Senator Scott Brown called for the removal of Jane Lubchenko as administrator of NOAA recently.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x2117290926/Brown-NOAA-chief-must-go
I have to agree with the level headed Senator.
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Jane is in lock step with the Al Gore theory of environmentalism... which is make it up as you go.  Her idea of helping the fishing industry is to foot the $7.5M bill of having regulators sit in on fishing trips.

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I'm not against government regulation.  I'm against insincere, agenda minded moonbats implementing the regs.  Brown is in concert with Congressman Tierney and Frank who also get it when it comes to supporting fair fishing industry regulation.

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Jane must go.  But it will take the removal of Obama to make it so. 

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If it was up to me, I'd appoint the NorthShore Waterman, Dougie Maxfield, to the post.  It's time for a Gloucesterman who has a stake in a healthy balanced fishery to call the shots.

Tuna Lips said...

Why, Ise did not realize that the jail house matron of my yuthe, Mrs. Hortense Grottlesnatch, has a chillun' done gone into the fishery business. Fishy stench probably don't trouble her so much, livin' like them Grottlesnatch done, down in the Beef Curtain district of town.

dougmaxfield said...

Interesting timing for her announcement regarding the observer bill. I fear that when she is 'released' the damage will be done. Expecting the new stock surveys soon with rumors of another 50% cut in allocations. No doubt the fishermen will be blamed for this tragic state of our inshore stocks. I would immediately decline the position to head NOAA, I would have no more business there than the recent head of the Environmental Defense Fund who is currently dumping on fifteen years of sacrifice and well planned conservative measures.

the Next Hundred Days

So we're into the last 100 days of a sojourn that seemed mountainous when it first started.   For well over two years, we have been making the biweekly trek to FreshAyer, and it seems surreal that the finish line is finally in sight.
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Ironically, some of the self righteous coffin nailers of two years ago are in their own rough patches these days.  Maybe the "Big Boy Time Outs" that they advocated will be something that they will be treating themselves to in some way, shape or manner.    Good ole Law of Karma never seems to let up.  After the next hundred days, I wonder who will have the better outlook?
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"Well, the thing about time is that time isn't really real,
It's just your point of view,
How does it feel for you?
Einstein said he could never understand it all." - sang James Taylor.
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The laws of Physics have been taking a beating lately with particles that apparently can move faster than the speed of light.  The whole concept of time gets turned upside down, when you can move faster that you can see an object.  It means that you can experience something before it "appears" or "happens".  Even the longest, most painful ordeals, sometimes seem like they never happened with they are over.
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For most people, the next hundred days will cruise along with a regular cadence.  Others, who are dreading their coming karmic ordeals will see it fly by.   But for us, I think it will still feel like a long time.
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But then it will be over.

Jim L. said...

Best wishes for a happy new year.

Fox Network Pitch

Amanda Johnson is in from California with her signicant other Tomas, who is a network executive at Fox.  Her brother, POTY Jeremy is also here with wife, Julie.
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Joanne and I will be bringing the grandkids by to see them later today.
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I was thinking of combining business with pleasure when I meet Tomas, because it will be a great time to pitch a new Fox mini series, detailing the adventures of a certain Mountain of a Man and his sidekick, Buck.
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George Clooney would be great casting for the MOAM, and Brad Pitt could probably play an acceptable Buck.  I really don't care about the story line as long as it contains a decent amount of gratuitous sex scenes.
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Generally the plot will center around two wicked good looking Marblehead guys who build their respective small businesses into industrial powerhouses, yet never forget all of the insignificant little people that they step on in their quest for wealth and power.   There will be a lot of "women want them, fish fear them" subplots, but they never stray from their trophy wives, Roanne and Vail.
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Through it all, a vast right wing conspiracy known as the Nanepashemet Peep Society, pulls all of the strings in leading the world to a new enduring state of justice and enlightenment.
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It's basically a reality series and should be an easy sell to Tomas.