Stalking Stripers

We will be hunting the elusive Striped Bass this afternoon with some worthy Peeps on the WhaleEye.
~
I've got some frozen pollack and mackerel from the last trip, which I will cut up for chucks, and we'll head out to Half Way Rock to dip for live liners.
~
Then we will dead head for the back side of Cat Island where stripers like to hang out in the gut. That's where we will stake our luck. I'm thinking there's a few thirty six inchers who will be giving it up for the WhaleEye.

Economy

I've now lived in my professional life through a few of these economic downturns.
~
It always seems to have some roots in easy credit, then when things tighten up, the assumptions that you made when obtaining the credit dissolve leaving you holding the bag. When you are riding high, it's hard to imagine that it can turn... but it can!!
~
Unless you are borrowing for income producing assets, credit can be a dangerous thing. I feel bad for people facing foreclosure, and those looking to invest in foreclosed properties deserve all of the bad karma that they receive.

Bonus Good Time

Joanne and I brought some Nanepashemet Telecom customers to the Boston Yacht Club last night for drinks and dinner. Usually, I pretend to have a good time at these customer activities, but last night, the good time was for real.
~
What a bonus!

Tuna Lips said...

Well bully fer you, Admiral Crotchrot, and yer yacht club jerk off party. I figger this plain folk will wine and dine with my clientelists at Red Lobster on Rowt 142, and retire to Hooters for an after supper round of shooters and boobies with the spray on tan. No economic down turn for thems at Hooters.

Tournament Results

All day long, people kept asking me how I golfed yesterday at the Salem State Tournament with Tommy O.
~
First things first.
~
Tommy got through the whole day without a single kidney stone..... That was a relief!!
~
The Kernwood Country Club in Salem is a nice track - very well maintained with fairways that aren't too long and generally open wide.
~
I actually had a good day. My bad back held up, and I shot three Pars including one Birdie attempt..( which I then three putted into a Double Bogy).
~
My crusher driver skills returned and I generally kept straight onto the fairway with only one miss hit. Our last hole was a Par 3 that awarded a Chevy hybrid ugly car for a hole in one. I parred the hole and then tried to bribe the Salem State Honor students to say it was a winner hole in one. They maintained their integrity, even though I raised the ante to $40 bucks.
~
All in all... A golf round that I had anticipated with considerable dread turned into an enjoyable day. Only lost two balls..... Maybe I can golf after all. At least, not suck as much.

Stephan's Ginger Beer Difference

Wojcik and Brown graced the gazebo of the Boston Yacht Club yesterday.... and had their first Dark and Stormies
~
There were no incidents and my membership remains in good standing.
~
We ran into Chris Crawford, MegaPeep Brian Butler and the Fabulous Stacey, who is due to bring a new Nanepashemet Peep into the world by the end of the summer. Can't wait for that to happen, even though we don't want the summer to end too fast. What a conundrum!
~
They make the Dark and Stormies at the BYC with Stephan's Ginger Beer, rather than Barrett's. Stephan's is just a little more pungent and the Two Bob's may have found it to be a bit too strong for their delicate sensibilities.
~
But they both toughed it out... each having two before retiring back to the WhaleEye for some more of the Lagavulin that Brown so thoughtfully brought.
~
Tomorrow, I agreed to play in the Salem State College Golf Tournament on behalf of the Salem Waterfront Hotel. Mike Rockett sent over a highest quality Footjoy shirt, Jacket and Umbrella. Doesn't he remember that I suck at Golf??? Truly SUCK!!!
~
At least I'll be looking good, but that goes without saying.

Cruise gets Stoned

So we plan a nice evening harbor cruise with Tommy O and his lovely wife Linda, and what happens???
~
Tommy gets a freaking kidney stone!
~
Just because he's doubled over in pain, we have to return to the Village Landing.
~
Wouldn't you think that he could tough it out??? I mean.... how bad can a little kidney stone hurt anyway?
~
Regardless of the nuisance, I swiftly brought him to the dock and cancelled the night's festivities. I can be the bigger man. Then, just to rub it in, Tommy gets rushed to the Salem Hospital Emergency Room.
~
The nerve of some people!
~
I hope he's alright though.

POTW Week 28 - The Reinstatement

Once again, Bobby Brown has shown us why he is such a Mountain of a MAN, a Man Among Boys, Massive against the Mediocre Marginals.
~
No one.... I mean NOBODY!!!.... Not One of you Pathetic Peeps picked up the fact that I neglected to pick the POTW's last week..... except for our man, Bobby Brown.
~
It wasn't a test. I really screwed up, what with the Thurs wind down for the Friday Fourth of July holiday. I'm not making an excuse.... just stating a fact. I blew it.
~
But none of you noticed. So who's more pathetic... me or you Peeps????
~
Bobby Brown excluded of course.
~
For once, I feel like what it must feel to be one of you. OH MY GOD!!!

ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 28th week of 2008

John Shaw
DeAnna Pappas
Chris Crawford
Bob Brown
Pete Endres
Parker Sides

What a shock to my system!.. It will take a while to recuperate.

Jesse's Open Mike

Has anybody ever stuck his foot in his mouth more that the Rev. Jesse Jackson?
~
Calls New York "Hymietown", wants to cut Barack's Nuts off!!!!
~
Everybody has their private, gutteral remarks that they don't really mean. Our prayer is that they don't bubble to the surface.
~
I've said crude things that I didn't truly believe, just to get a reaction or laugh, and I've seen those close to me do the same. But I don't propose to speak on behalf of a segment of the American political spectrum.

For a guy like Jackson, who always tries to hog the moral high ground, it has to be especially embarrassing to have his private comments exposed.
~
Guaranteed... He'll get caught again.

Tuna Lips said...

Such concernations is for the hypocrite types out there. TL lets it fly, and doeth thereby take the moralizin' high ground to which naamby paamby dreamers like Jessie only claim. I am on the peak, with my rod and my staff!

I aint got no fruitcake rainbow symboyl, but I have a dream myself.

Great Barrier Reef Crisis

I'm sitting here watching some cable show about a type of starfish that is sucking the life out of the Great Barrier Reef coral in Australia.
~
Excuse me, but I just don't give a shit.
~
Sorry, but I can't worry about everything. If the coral gets screwed up, I can live with it.
~
I think I care more about who the Bachelorette chose for her Soulmate than the Great Barrier Reef. That's how bad I don't give a shit.

Hypothermia

Some friends of ours had a crack in the hull of their fishing boat and luckily made it back to the dock in time for a pump out. It could easily have sunk.
~
The first question that I asked was if they put their life jackets on. They said , "No" because they could swim.
~
Wrong answer..... Wicked, Stupid, Wrong Answer!
~
I don't care if you are Mark Spitz.... sixty degree water will put you into a hypothermic state in an amazingly short period of time... you will lose your ability to reason and think, and you will grow incredibly weak. In short order, you will drown and die.
~
The minute something dangerous happens on a boat in the New England ocean, put on your lifejacket first...

Gag Me With a Spoon

Joanne sucked me into watching a whole episode of "The Bachelorette".
~
DeAnna Pappas is a decent looking female of Greek extraction from Georgia. She's got these two idiots, Jason and SnowBoard Boy, saying every sappy line that has ever been invented to get her to accept their marriage proposal.
~
"I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"I never thought I could feel this way."
"She is my soulmate."
~
Where do they find such ASSHOLES?????
~
To think that I'm almost ready to waste some perfectly good vomit over these three losers.
~
That is what really chokes me up.
~
BTW, she picked SnowBoard Boy.... that's who I was rooting for all along.

Tuna Lips said...

Thems lines was ripped from chapter 3 of the TL Book of Gettin' Some - "I Will Respect You in The Mornin'". Shucks.

Not Keepers

Apparently this guy, John Shaw, has been going all around town boasting about his fishing prowness and we've even heard about it up here in Marblehead!
~
BTW, John, those schoolie stripers aren't keepers.... even three of those wouldn't add up to one keeper.
~
You're going to have to fish a lot more.

Refreshment at the Dolphin

The weekend July 4th weather has been just short of crappy. No rain, but constantly overcast and cool.... not the summer beach day that you look for during this holiday.
~
Joanne and I watched the fireworks at the Dolphin Yacht Club deck with Lynda and Will Murray.
~
As is my custom at these places, I sampled the Dark and Stormies that the Dolphin served. I actually had quite a few samples to see if there were any variations in quality. There were not.
~
Joanne liked the Gin and Tonics so much that she drank them until she didn't like them anymore.
~
We had lots of fun.

Wojcik Said...
IT seems the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility does not apply to the Hairy One!

July 4th Reflections

The Roman Empire lasted for 1400 years. Makes the American Republic of 233 years seem like a baby... which it is in historical terms. One of the important things to consider is that the Roman Empire ended.
~
Will America last? It's been constantly changing since it's shaky beginning, revolting against the dominant world power of it's time, Great Britain.
~
Now we are a country that wields massive power, enough to the destroy the earth's inhabitants. We are self righteous in the use of that power and cause resentment in other nations which is hard to comprehend at times.
~
Exactly why did the Al Queda group decide to commit the murder of thousands of Americans? That is not clear to most of us... particulary to me.
~
And America's disproportionate comsumption of the Earth's resources certainly cannot last. The emergence of Asia to modern consumer economies will certainly affect the current American system. We cannot continue with our reliance on fossil fuels, although the conversion to solar, and fuel cells seems to be ready technologically.
~
Will America Last? Certainly for the forseeable future. But it will have to evolve and adapt, as it has been doing for that last 2 1/3 centuries.

Tuna Lips said...

To thems of us that have not just fallen off the cabbage cart, its perty plain to see that them arabs wants our money and our porn.

They thinks we gots no allegiance. But you gimme a stack of nuddie magazines and a bunch of rutting, jobless high school drop out, and Ise shows you right quick how to open a can of wupp ass and what this here country is made out of. Take a bar of soap an civilmalize them summinbitches.

Power Nap

Naps rule. They are the ultimate source of refreshment and rejuvenation. It seems that when you nap, your body is giving itself the perfect doze of rest and relaxation.
~
Taking a power nap should be mandatory at corporations. Instead of people fighting through afternoon fatigue, they should be required to take a half hour nap. That would vastly improve their effectiveness and worth to the company for the rest of the day.
~
And yet, dozing off is seen as a sign of weakness and lack of character. That's too bad. Not everybody needs them, and some people including Joanne, can't take them. She never dozes off.
~
When I am President, my first executive order will be to require mandatory naps.

Towel in Hand

I was checking in to see how my college roommate, Bob Towne, did in the Western States 100 mile run and found out that the run was cancelled due to forest fires. That has to be a dissapointment.... training for a 100 miler and having it postponed.
~
The results from last year detailed over 250 runners who completed the distance in less than 30 hours. I can't imagine staying awake for 30 hours, much less running continuously. Plus the recovery must be a bitch in itself!
~
I'm afraid that my own marathon training effort has fallen victim to the pace of work at Nanepashemet Telecom and a nagging left knee. I haven't thrown in the towel yet, but it's doubtful that the Marine Corps Marathon in October will have me on the starting line. If Towne and my Archrival Joe Collins go, I'll be there one way or another though.

WS100 Latest News

Going to the Mat for Tommy O.

Just as I thought that I was setting the gas pedal for cruise control, once again I'm called to use my superior wit and intellect to sidestep a potentially sticky situation.
~
Seems that Tommy O' Shea had raised some eyebrows over at the Gerry due to his proclivity with a pool cue. He definitely threatened some and inspired others. It started to look like a real deadlock with his nomination for membership and some of the detractors were ominously rolling a black marble on the table in front of them.
~
That's when I knew that I had to take action and put my oratorical skill to the test.
~
As I was taking the floor, the room fell to a soft hush. I sent a glare to the detractors and nodded comfortingly to the admirers. The room was mine. The chairman asked the crucial question.... "Is anybody here for Tommy O' Shea."
~
I slowly but firmly raised my left arm.
~
That's it. Tommy's in the Gerry.

Packing it in.

It's only Wednesday, but I might pack it in for the July 4th holiday weekend. I probably overworked myself on Mon and Tues anyway, getting the 40 hours in that you regular peeps take five days to do.
~
Sometimes being a mountain of a man has it's benefits. We'll cover a few items tomorrow. but Nanepashemet Telecom won't be at full speed until next Monday, when the frenzy resumes.
~
Plus, I have to go to the Gerry 5 tonight because they are voting in Tommy O for membership, and I took the solemn responsibility of sponsoring him...... I know what you are thinking, but we couldn't keep him out forever and somebody had to sponsor him.... So I stepped up.
~
Again.... a pure example of the courage and character that is a requirement to be me.

Pisca-azzzzzzzz said...

Wow. Lively lot you got there. Frame that picture. Good times.

Anonymous said...

Somebody wake the guy on the left!

Waiting for Sun

Another overcast day. I'll take this but some sun for the holiday weekend would be nice.
~
Joanne has been in North Conway for the last few days and the weather is rainy there too. She loves the pool up there, but the last few days haven't yielded any quality pool time.

Tuna Lips said...

That was one of my better lines with the ladies, back in the go go 70's. I had the mustache and plaid slacks with turtleneck, my work uniform if youse know what I'm talkin' about.

I'd find myself seemingly outmatched by the the peacenik fruticake guys with their peace and sissy rap. Lesser types (like those found in the dirt races) woulda given up. But not this here feller.

Sitting on the stoop of my bacheloriate pad, lookin' for the newspapers to see if there was anything in there about the incident with the livestock from the night before, and some pretty lil' thing comes by and asks ole TL "what's the haps?" I told her I was waiting for the Sun, that being the local newspaper. She must have found the smoothness of my voice beguiling, or something, she thought that was deep, and real cool like. From then on out, it became my "go-to" line when I had no read on the sitchiation before me. And that got me to Funky Town, if youse know what I mean, that and some of Shoo Flies home grown and some chilled Muscatel. I have been waitin' on the sun for most of my life, yes indeed I has.

Blog Enjoyment

I hope this Blog brings you pleasure.
~
Because I personally get a big freaking kick out of it.

Tuna Lips said...

I pleasures myselfs all kinda ways, thank yee very much.

Looking Forward to the 4th

The 4th of July comes on Friday this week. That's going to make for a short week. The Fourth is big in Marblehead and the Fireworks over the Harbor are always an event.
~
I think that because Marblehead has a long history, and men from Marblehead were noted for their contribution to the Revolution, especially for their role in getting Washington's army across the Delaware, the 4th of July is an important time in the Town's collective subconscious.
~
Should be a long weekend with some great cookouts and get togethers.

Secret to Success

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

~ Calvin Coolidge

"Man is made or unmade by himself. By the right choice he ascends. As a being of power, intelligence, and love, and the lord of his own thoughts, he holds the key to every situation."

"Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves."

~ James Allen

There you have it. Visualize the results that you want and think positive thoughts about your goals and yourself. And persist. You will create your own success.... per your own definition.
~
I will admit.... it's very hard to think positively. We are constantly bombarded with real or perceived slights, threats, and ill feelings. My technique for controlling negative thoughts is to realize that you are having them, accept them and forgive yourself for having them... then move on and try to think positively again. Not easy, but worth it.
~
The persistence part speaks for itself. When you have realized what you want, relentlessly pursue it. The hard part here is to realize what you want. Because what you want in not necessarily what you need.
~
So think good thoughts about what you want, for yourself and other people.... then persist in your goals.

Saturday Blahs

I thought that getting up at 5:30AM and rowing through the Harbor looking for fish would be a good thing.
~
By 6:15 I was on the water, but there was a strong fog and a steady wind causing a two foot chop at the harbor mouth. Plus no fish.
~
Pretty good exercise though. By ten o'clock, I was done messing around, and by eleven, I was good for nothing on the couch without an ambitious bone in my body. Kate and Mike showed up, but they headed for the basement couches right away.
~
I really let this Saturday go by with little to show for it.

Carlin

George Carlin died this week.
~
History will show that he was one of the purest thinkers of his generation.

Lean In

Lots of Leaning going on here.

Fine Revision

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined."
- Henry James

I pulled out of the tender rowing plan because of thunder, but tomorrow it will be break of Dawn... just me, the Tender and Stripers owning the Harbor.

POTW 25

I was wondering when Tuna Lips was going to make an appearance again and he came in a little close to over the top as usual. He seems to like it when I get a little agitated.
~
It's after 4 o'clock on Fri. and I'm going to wind it down at Nanepashemet Telecom after a very promising week. Things are looking up. We're closing out the first six months of the year in excellent shape, but it's not time to let up.

ANNOUNCING
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 15th week of 2008

Abby Bruett
Joanne Nestor (Automatic Lagavulin Rule)
Courtney Lynch
Dwight Jennings
Mike Rockett
Carol Andrade

Hope that your half year went well too. Now I think that I'll take the Tender out for a spin in Marblehead Harbor since the tide is right.

Nantucket Nitwit

Peeps....
~
I don't take vacations often, so you would think that they would be restful, stress free affairs. But that wasn't the case last year when I encountered Captain Dipshit administering XC ski permits in North Conway, and it wasn't the case in Nantucket either.
~
It started out as a nice day with Joanne and I doing some tourist trap shopping. I bought some great XXL T-shirts that said "NANTUCKET" on them. What a lucky find!!
~
By noon, all of the browsing had worn us down a bit, and we went into the Schooner on Easy St. for a light lunch.
~
We sat on a bench at the wall, and two tables down was a precocious 4 year old, with his loud and overly enunciating mother. Our tyke was wielding a pirate pistol and sword and in no time had disassembled the curtain behind us.
~
Naturally, Joanne and I were dispassionate and cool in our response to this annoyance.
~
Then the little guy lost his sword under the bench, which required waitstaff help to retrieve.
~
We were slightly peeved, but his obnoxious Mom didn't seem to mind.
~
Then, "Little Asshole", as I now started to mentally refer to him, walks down the bench to me pointing his toy pistol.
~
With restraint and reserve, I notioned that this was not cool to "LA". No response from Stupid Shit Mom, who was too busy doing anything but pay attention to Little Asshole...
~
Now this little Annoying Little Future Loser of America walks on the bench right up to me and points the pistol an inch from my head. It seemed to have one of those suction cup darts on it or something.
~
Naturally I kept my composure..... but I was hoping for a miracle that his father would appear, so I could pummel Dad's face to bloody mush until the police and ambulance arrived and carted him to the hospital and me away to a Nantucket lock up.
~
No luck with this fantasy coming true though.
~
So, turning to Little Asshole, I calming addressed Stupid Shit Mom saying, "Excuse me... Is this your SON???", figuring that she would take some responsive action.
~
LA retreated to the comforting arms of Stupid Shit, who said nothing... neither to Joanne and I nor to Little Asshole. Idiots beget idiots.
~
We continued eating our Buffalo Wings and Nachos as the Obnoxious Duo wisely decided to exit the Schooner.
~
Peeps...
I know that a lot of you are new parents or will be shortly.

A few words of caution/advise.

• Nobody wants to hear you talking loudly to Little Precious so that you can demonstrate what a superior caregiver you are.
• Keep the inappropriate stupid toys out of public places, and teach your cute little tyke to stay in his own seat.
• Your kids are bound to act out of line from time to time, but that doesn't mean that you have to add to the problem by ignoring their behavior, or even acting like a role model for Idiots yourself.
  
• Bring your husband next time so that I won't look like a bully reprimanding you for the utter lack of control that you have, and I can take out my frustration on somebody my own size.

Joanne and I brought up our three kids, and I can safely say that they never acted like the Little Asshole.

Tuna Lips said...

I find whippin' out my weiner an effecacious rejoinder in such situations. It frightens off most people around. Its a gila monster, my most excellent friend. You take that dog out the pound and folks are rightly lockin' thems gates shut. That's how I roll.

Nantucket

Heading down to Nantucket today for a bid walk on a Coast Guard site. I've never been there, so I'm taking Joanne and we're going to stay for a day or so.
~
I'll undoubtably post to the Blog while I'm there, so ease up on the anxiety and panic.
~
Don't I deserve a little R&R once in a whle????

Now What???

If our primary purpose is to perpetuate the species, then I think my time is up.
~
Joanne and I have raised three great kids... they make good choices and we have one incredible grandchild to undoubtably be followed by numerous others.
~
A nice friend of mine just sent me pictures of her best friend's four beautiful girls, who have entered the workforce, are getting married, and are contributing to society. While I'm really happy and impressed by these beautiful people, it definitely causes a bit of insecurity.
~
We've done our job. My generation has passed the torch. Now what the heck are we supposed to do???? My fervent hope is that some of the grandkids will want to learn how to build cedar strip boats.
~
That will give me a good enough purpose I guess.

Saturday Challenge

High Tide in Marblehead Harbor is not until 2:00PM this afternoon.
~
I definitely want to get the Tender out for some serious rowing and fishing by that time, but before then, there are some errands that can't go amiss.
~
Pick up the lawn mower at Salem Rent All and cut the grass at Beverly Ave. and Sundance, make a bank deposit, pay some Nanepashemet bills, and pick up the stock for Joanne's corner cabinet at Moynihan Lumber in Beverly.
~
It's 8:45 AM. We'll see if I can get these done before High Tide.

POSTSCRIPT
Everything got done with the exception of some Nanepashemet vendor payments which I will get to tomorrow morning.
~
Got the usual oohs and ahhs about the Tender during my row in the Harbor. That's getting tiresome. Paul Lynch yelled across the water that he wanted me to build him one, but he'd have to handle a hell of a lot of zoning cases to pay for it.
~
I have to admit that I do enjoy the banter that the Tender elicits from people. Somebody even took a picture of me today, and I'm not sure of the proper technique for sucking in my gut while rowing, without potentially hurting myself.
~
The truth is that the Tender cuts a nice figure in the harbor and I don't want to respond falsely modest when I am genuinely proud of the way that the Tender looks. When they ask if I built it, I just say yes, but if they ask if it was a kit, that tends to piss me off a little.

Pregnancy Pact

So the City of Gloucester has really hit the big time with this cult of pregnant girls. It's too bad because Gloucester deserves better. It's a hard working, blue collar town with a character that befits it's windswept, wave pounded location on Cape Ann.
~
Somehow, there was a cultural breakdown that allowed having babies to be a teen fad. Bringing up kids was the toughest thing that I have had to encounter in my 50 odd years of existence. For somebody to reduce it to a high school "go with the crowd" thing is a serious breach of judgement, and these kids will be paying for this lapse for a long time.
~
Ultimately, it is their own fault, but I wonder what type of influences they had to enable this type of behavior. I'm not blaming the parents or the schools, but it's obvious that someone was asleep on their watch.

Automatic

Joanne bought me a bottle of Lagavulin to celebrate our recent business success.
~
That makes her an automatic.

Spinners

I never was too good at the blame game. Had a nasty tendency to take responsibility for my own actions.
~
But there are some real pros out there who are masters at the art of blame, and have furthered their careers by skillful manipulation.
~
Knowing that they could never survive outside of their protective corporate walls, they frenetically point their fingers and spin the facts.... all to protect their disgusting jobs in a phoney hierarchy.
~
It's a purgatory that I have very successfully left behind.
~
So keep spinning and pointing. I'm happy to watch you fade from sight in my rear view mirror. You know who you are.

Week 24 Peep of the Week

This was an important week.
~
Nanepashemet Telecom kicked it into high gear and showed some real potential to reaching the levels that were predicted in our original business plans. As promised though, success hasn't spoiled me. I wouldn't change this loud, obnoxious personality for all the tea in China.
~
Speaking of obnoxious, it's time to pick the Peeps of the Week. There's lots of inspiring/annoying stuff going around, and precious little bottles of Lagavulin coming my way.
~
BTW... I said "precious"... and it felt FABULOUS.

ANNOUNCING
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 24th week of 2008

Peter Crawford
Paul Lynch
Abby Bruett
Sam Khairi
Peter Caruso
Rajon Rondo

Anyone for tea????

Celtics Reinstatement

Looking for the Celtics to clinch the championship tonight. I'm not sure that I can stay up for the whole game, because I'm still wiped out from our tuna sojourn, and I have to get up early for a commute to Maynard tomorrow morning.
~
When I was younger, this would be no sweat, but it truly gets harder to answer the call now that I'm a middle aged guy.
~
Seeing the Celts in contention brings back a lot of memories. I saw Russell play with Sam Jones, and Satch Sanders in the Garden in my early teens. Back then, we were like floor rats, running all over the Boston Garden and in the corridors during half time. I remember standing on the floor during warm-ups and marveling at the size of Bill Russell.
~
When I was at UMass in the early Seventes, Havlicek and Cowens had their run. Havlicek was such a winner... it's weird seeing him all grey with a few extra pounds now. The Knicks were great rivals then with Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, and Earl Monroe. In my dorm, there were a lot of kids from New York and the New York and Black kids all rooted for the Knicks against the Celtics. There definitely was a Black/White thing going on in those days. It was uncomfortable, but we sucked it up, especially since the Celts won most of the time.
~
There was a down era for a while with some guys from UCLA and Cedric Maxwell, before Red Auerbach assembled Bird, McHale and Parish in the Eighties. The bad guys then were the Pistons and the Lakers. Philadelphia and Dr. J were huge too. I loved Julius Erving and had seen him in person many times at UMass before he turned pro.
~
It's been a long drought since then, but now Paul Pierce has been joined by Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with a talented supporting cast, and they lead by 23 points over the Lakers at the end of the first half of the sixth and deciding game of the playoffs.
~
The Celts are back where they belong. There's justice and hope for the world.

Toy Chest Critique

Yesterday we delivered the Toy Chest for grandson, Will's, first birthday.
~
Most everyone was complimentary, but Katelyn's dog, Jack Dog, gave it a critical eye.
~
What the hell do you know about woodworking Jackie??? You're just a dog.

Skunked at Stellwagen

Zippo, Zilch, Zero, Nada, Nothing.
~
That's how many tuna we caught after getting up at 3:15AM and banging through 3 ft seas at 15kts to get to the Northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank by 6:00 AM.
~
And it wasn't a glorious sunrise either, with overcast skies and a cool breeze with 60 degree temps.
~
The ride out was an uncomfortable, wave crashing affair, but when we got to the corner, we saw whales immediately, and thought that the tuna would be close behind..... but they didn't respond to our elaborate squid sets.
~
After 3 1/2 hours crisscrossing the corner, we stopped and jigged, hooking three sand sharks and one striped bass. If we were inshore, the bass would have been a keeper, but we obeyed the federal regs that prohibit taking bass on the Stellwagen National Sanctuary.
~
Tyler Gill's father, Greg, hooked the fish and was happy with his catch, but it wasn't a tuna.

Up for the Bite

We're preparing to get to Stellwagen tomorrow by 6:00 AM when the tuna bite is on. That means that we'll be on the WhaleEye around 4:00 AM.
~
I'm concerned that it is dead low tide at that time and I'll have six people on board... all anxious to hit the gas and deadhead to the Northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank.
~
Plus six is going to get crowded if we hook into a decent size fish.
~
Both Mark Vona and Doug Maxfield have been into tuna this year, and the inconvenience could really be worth it if we lay into some Bluefin.

Peeps of the Week - 23

So Joanne and I went to dinner tonight at the Boston Yacht Club with Katelyn, Mike and his girlfriend, Kelley Clark, and Mike and I order the Dark and Stormies.
~
I fully expected a weak imitation of the masterful national drink of Bermuda..... certainly nothing approaching the versions that I regularly concoct over at Beverly Avenue.
~
But I was pleasantly surprised! Those BYC bluebloods have pretty much got it right. A tall glass, not too much ice, with the Gosling's Black Seal Rum resonating within the Ginger Beer!
~
Not as good as mine, mind you.... but a damn good rendition.
~
That reminds me.... I'm a day late on the POTW selections.

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 23rd week of 2008

Kobe Bryant
Kelley Clark
Bobby Brown (standing in for Big Brown, because an animal can't be a POTW)
Dustin Pedroia
Brian Butler
Tyler Gill

BTW, the WhaleEye is on the mooring now and many many fish are taking their last, watery gill breaths.

Called It

With the Celts down by 24 at the half of the fourth game of the Championship Finals with the Los Angeles Laker, I coolly predicted that Boston would pull if off. And naturally, they did, winning 97-91 and capping the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history.
~
I continue to amaze myself. A Proficient Prophet of Prognostication!
~
It shouldn't have come as a surprise.... Today was a day when everything turned to gold, including watching the Celtics game.
~
The only problem is that tomorrow I have to get in gear early for a morning meeting with NSTAR in Sherborn, so my ass will be dragging come 3:00 in the afternoon.

McMahon said....

J.

What is going on with this blog? I think you are averaging like 1 blog every two days. Are you slowly weeding yourself out of the blogging world?

It's summer J there should be tons of blogging to do.
_______________________________________

Because Tommy McMahon is a former Peep of the Year, I'll have to cut him some slack here.
~
But Tom, all you have to do is look at the archives to see that this Blog is as active and vibrant as it always has been.... to the overall detriment of all of us.
~
Don't be such a freaking, short sighted, moron for a change!

Yacht Town

It was a busy evening with the Sundance Pre-School Picnic at Devereux Beach from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM then a meeting with the Marblehead Selectmen to discuss the neighborhood impacts at Ryan Marine.
~
Mark Ryan and Atty Paul Lynch did a great job placating the concerns of the Selectmen, but a couple of the neighbors had obviously decided that they didn't want the business in their neighborhood, and were unhappy with any measures .
~
Ryan Marine is the best boatyard in Marblehead, and if you don't like living around boatyards, then you picked the wrong town to live in.
~
Politics brings out the worst in some people.

Tuna Lips said...

I sensitizes a conflagration in you, Boomerdog. You live in Yacht Town, which is a high falootin' boat, with lots of loafer wearin' "pinkie in the air drinkin' from a clean glass" types, but you does some equatin' to the ole boat yard, striking imagerie of steel riveted bath tubs, stinkin' of petrol, crawfish and the crabs from Trudie McCann panties. Don't quite match up, yer white short wearing yacht set and the scurvy curs that slinks around the boat yard. I measure this as a conflagration insides, street savvy operator, laysing in wait to rob some rube down by the boatyard, and sophistication mastery feller from a town with yachts in it.

Completion Declaration

I had to trek into Cambridge early this morning for a real estate update put on by Colliers Meredith and Grew - which is one fine, high powered firm - but I digress.
~
Before I left, I put on the sixth and final coat of varnish on Will's Toy Chest. The flaws still jump out at me, but I'm sure that Da Vinci had the same feeling when he finally laid down his brush painting the Mona Lisa. When you are striving for perfection, and realize that it is ultimately unattainable, you eventually have to make a declaration that the work is complete and walk away.
~
It's not easy being a Master.
~
Having to put up with all of the "oohs" and "ahhs" and all.

Project Completion

By now, you surely know that Big Brown failed miserably. His jockey said that he just couldn't find the right gear. That happens.
~
BTW, I made the mistake of Googling "Big Brown" and came up with a number of Brazilian porn sites specializing in fat asses. So Big Brown wasn't a total bust... so to speak.
~
Man... it was freaking hot today. All I wanted to accomplish was a fifth coat of varnish on Will's Toy Chest, but the warm temps were starting to cause the lid to warp and it had to be stabilized. So I concentrated on installing permanent cleats, and putting on the piano hinge and safety closing hardware. The piano hinge had to be inset, and I spent a lot of time to get this detail done right with the router and some cleanup with the chisel.
~
The safety hinge installation was easy and they work to perfection.... gliding the lid to a soft close. I think I lost a gallon of sweat installing them though.
~
I'll probably spray one more coat of varnish, but all in all, the chest could be declared to be finished any time now. So piss on you bastards who thought I'd never get it done in time. Plus the Tender is shipshape and ready for some serious rowing between now and November.

Tuna Lips said...

I sees the heat has rolled up to yer neck of the nape. Plenty hot here in God's countree.

I was in Atlanta, or as they call it, Hotlanta, this past weekend. One thing the mercury risin' brings on is some perspratin'. Now that ain't all bad. I seen more boobies, glistening like snow in the lane. All shapes and sizes, flavors, all suitable for lickin' like a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or whatever choice you might find in yer side of the town.

Big Brown

Can Big Brown do it???
~
No.... I'm not talking about that mountain of a man, Bobby Brown.... of course he can do it.
~
I'm talking about that magnificent racehorse, Big Brown, who is striving for the first Triple Crown in thirty years. I'll be pulling for him.

Cocktail Party

We went to the cocktail reception for new members of the Boston Yacht Club tonight.
~
Joanne and I had two cocktails each.
~
They were delicious. I had the Dewars on the rocks and Joanne had Chardonnay.

POTW Week 22

So every day this week, I've gotten up at 4:30AM to get some extra work in. It has definitely worked, and I got a lot of paperwork processed and nagging details taken care of.
~
But it's Thursday night, and feels every bit like Friday. My conscience won't let me take a day off during this busy period.... And my boat, the WhaleEye isn't even on the mooring yet. It won't make sense to play hooky unless the weather is perfect. In that case, fish would die.

ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 22nd week of 2008

Vince Antonacci
Tommy O'Shea
Lindsey Kepnes
Bill Shanahan
George Boylen
Courtney Nestor

At least I won't be tired from going to the Celts-Lakers playoff game at the Garden tonight. I have my GD standards.

Winds of Change

You must realize by now, that I have no love for Hillary Clinton.
~
It's nothing personal.... but I just don't care for someone who lies about being shot at, and will say virtually anything in any situation to benefit her own twisted ambition.
~
Like I said.... nothing personal.
~
Now that Barach Obama has clinched the Democratic Party nomination, it will be interesting to see how he deals with the Clinton's and their obnoxious sense of entitlement. Sen. Kennedy and Caroline dropped the Clinton's and Obama should take their lead. If he nominated Caroline for VP, I'd even consider voting for him. It would be a huge surge for Neil Diamond's career as well.
~
"Sweet Caroline... Whoa, Whoa. Whoa.
Good Times Never Seemed So Good.
SO GOOD .. SO GOOD.. SO GOOD!!!"
~
At any rate, a black man, an African-American has been chosen by the Democrats to run for President. That makes me proud of this country.... that in the blink of an historical eyelash, this country, which fought over the rights of states to allow slavery only five generations ago, has overcome this insidious prejudice.
~
So I'm proud of the Democrats, and happy for Obama... but I'm pretty sure that McCain has my vote.

Tuna Lips said...

"Where all the white women at?" Just follow the Barack.

Like bee to the honey. Its a matter of nature. Lock up yer women folk and keep yer powder dry. Corperal Tuna Lips showin' up fer duty.

Contrasting Lifestyles

Can you believe that they have located a Brazilian Tribe that has had no contact with the modern world? They are still in stone age mode. Wonder if they would be for Obama or Clinton?
~
In our wired Internet world, where technology is rapidly changing how we think and act without us even realizing it, we have people living like cave men. The contrast is staggering.
~
Looks like a fun group though. Maybe I'll invite them to be Facebook friends.

Tuna Lips said...

That little critter likes them boobies, he sure do! I wanna party with thems folk!

Early to Rise

Made a quick run to Providence this mornng. For some reason, we are picking up a decent amount of work in Rhode Island, and we have to register the company there if Nanepashemet is able to pull building permits.
~
I got up at 4:30 AM to get some work in before making the commute and left by 7:00, but I was still ten minutes late for my 9:00 AM appointment because of the traffic cutting through Boston. Finished the business and was home by noon.
~
By 3:00 PM, I took a break from processing invoices and figured to spray a coat of Epifanes varnish on Will's Toy Chest and the Yacht Tender. I'm a big advocate of spray painting, because it is so much faster than brushing, and I hate to paint. So I invested in a Fuju HVLP spray machine a number of years ago, and I'm generally pleased with it, but I've never used it enough to gain proficiency in how it works best.
~
The problem with any tools, and software for that matter, is that if you don't use them consistently, then you forget the nuances of how to get the best and most efficient performance from them. It's important to use your tools often....
~
The toy chest now has a coat of sealer poxy on the outside and two coats of Epifanes varnish. Will's birthday is a week from Saturday and I'm looking to spray four more coats between now and then. Installing the piano hinge and safety closers will be last step.
~
At any rate, just getting up early seems to give you a hedge on the rest of the day. I'll try it again tomorrow.

Championship Series

Celts are going to the Finals. Boston sports fans have had the thrill of seeing their teams in the last World Series, Superbowl and now the NBA Finals. That's pretty good.
~
We watched the Celts beat the Pistons at the Gerry5 last, and Tommy O took the plunge - tendering his membership papers and demonstrating his prowness at billiards. Should be a nice series against the Lakers.
~
Boston Celtics v the LA Lakers in the Finals... seems like deja vu.

Rain Delay

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain which sucks because I wanted to varnish the Tender and Will's Toy Box. I technically could spray the Toybox and I might, but it is far easier to do it in the driveway rather than the garage.
~
The toy box lid has to be stiffened with some cleats so that it doesn't bend. Maybe I'll concentrate on that in the morning, because by noon we have to go to the Saugus High School Graduation, where my nephew, Kyle, will be giving a speech as the senior class president.
~
We're pretty proud of Kyle. He'll be attending college in Virginia, majoring in theater.

Week 21 POTW

Peeps...
~
I don't blame you if you are a little pissed.
~
Entirely skipping the crucial Thurs post to name the Peeps of the Week is inexcusable...
~
And yet.... I do have an excuse!
~
I had dinner last night with a company CEO who wants to buy Nanepashemet Telecom. Unless he can make me an offer that turns me into a gentleman boatbuilder with no financial cares, there will be no deal.
~
It could happen.... Pigs could fly.... and Monkeys could jump out of my ass.
~
ANNOUNCING
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for Week 21 of 2008

• Bill Hillegas
• Pat Piscatelli
• Michael Bloomberg
• Rosella Mercuri
• Meaghan Bruett
• Sandy Greenlaw

So far, no monkeys.

Strange Coincidence

It happened again. Two entirely diverse projects, that we have been chasing for well over a year, coming together on the same day! Very weird and seemingly beyond coincidence. A couple of other jobs are also on the brink of coming in. This will be a busy summer.
~
This has happened before to me before, so I shouldn't be so amazed, but it's still so freaking weird!
~
Plus when got home from my field work today Grandson Will was over for a visit which was a fun end for a strange day.

Weekend Revelation

It was a nice weekend. Both Will's toy chest and the Tender are ready for spray varnish and these projects look set to be completed on schedule by next weekend. Then I can set my sights on building a corner cabinet for the TV that Joanne has been asking about, and resuming work on the Dory.
~
Somebody driving by this weekend saw the Dory frames and asked me how many boats I am going to build. My glib response was that it depended upon how long I lived. But that is pretty much the truth. If I could cut the nut by building boats, I definitely would. But until then, Nanepashemet Telecom will have to carry the burden of paying for everything.

Hot Dog Rolls

Just had two natural casing hotdogs with JJ Nissen Frankfurter rolls, mustard, and relish for lunch. The rolls are wicked important as Joanne found out when she bought the wrong ones yesterday.
~
After 30 odd years, she still has trouble getting it right. But she's trying... and I'm very forgiving.

Will Sleep Over

It's a Will extavaganza this morning with his Nana Joanne and his Auntie Kate.
~
Even Jack Dog and Roenick are psyched.

Karmic Toy Chest

Those of you who view me as a narcissistic, self-absorbed, ego-maniac are not too far off the mark.
~
But you can't say that I'm not honest.
~
Now, back to talking about me...
~
I just finished the first sealer coat of epoxy on the exterior of Will's Toy Chest. I'm reasonably satisfied with the craftsmanship, but the design is what I am totally pleased with.
~
Three of the oak sides were part of the kitchen that I built 18 years ago when we first moved to Beverly Ave, and the inside bottom is cedar that I salvaged from my mother's hope chest. Too bad you can't smell it because it is still aromatic after over sixty years.
~
There is a lot of good karma in this chest, and so to be more still when Grandson Will starts using it.

Lamp Post Envy

Matt and Allison Peabody bought a nice granite lamp post for their Dad, Jim Bob Peabody. Tommy O and I helped Jim and Matt to raise it and it really looks great in front of their house.
~
Now, guess what?
~
Joanne wants a new lamp post.
~
I should have seen it coming.... but I have to admit, it is a good idea. She picked out this Azek PVC model which I like too. I may decide to buy the stock and build it, using the extra stock to build a cuppola from the Azek as well.
~
I'll build another cupola for Jim-Bob so that he doesn't think that we're trying to steal his thunder.

Success

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

---
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Memorial Day Weekend

I'm a litttle ashamed and embarrassed at myself.
~
All I could think of looking forward to this weekend is three days off.
~
But the ability to enjoy those three days in peace and freedom, without having a German, Japanese or Russian telling me exactly what I could do with them is the true focus for this weekend.
~
What a different, and dark world it would be today without the extraordinary actions and sacrifices made by the past generations of Americans in the Armed Services. The fact that I am writing this Blog in English and not German, and can say whatever I want without governmental repression.... this alone is testament to their services to us and America.
~
I think of my father, who was blown off a ship in World War II, and spent a year in the Veteran's Hospital, my grandfather who was gassed in a trench in World War I, and my father -in-law, who was wounded by a Chinese artillery shell and held as a prisoner of war in Korea.
~
It was the actions and sacrifices of these and millions of other men and women, who have given me the audacity to expect three carefree days of peace and relaxation this Memorial Holiday weekend.
~
Have a great, fun, peaceful weekend.... but take the time to remember exactly why you are able to do so.... and give some thoughts and prayers to those who sacrificed for you.

Tuna Lips said...

and don,t for a minute think that Hassan the camel trader would like nuttin' better than to have your lilly white tookus muling around his figs and carpets whilst he watches good ole made in the USA porn. Cant have one without the other.

Help a vet, and pray for thems that fell so we might have our days in the sun.

Adjustments

I made a major change in Will's Toychest design today. The base that seemed so right in my head made the chest look too bulky and tall when I actually built it. So I eliminated it and simplified the design. It looks much better, and now I'm progressing to final sanding.
~
The discarded chest base was used to create a display shelf for the antique bottles that we excavated ten years ago from the original Sundance Pre-School site, which was an apothecary, then a clam shack before becoming the florist shop that we demolished to build the school.
~
It would be possible to get all of the toychest sanding done tomorrow, apply a sealer coat of clear epoxy and be ready for spray varnish when the Tender is ready next week or so. But I have to carve Will's initials on the inside lid and that will take some time.
~
I don't want to cut any corners on this project, and have taken every step I know to strive for perfection. This one is turning out well, but they'll be other chances to build chests for grandkids yet to be born.

Three Day Weekend

I'm only a few conference calls and some accounting work away from a long three day weekend. The weather report is aces. Looks like summer temps are kicking in.
~
The WhaleEye hasn't been launched so that we'll be giving quite a few fish a stay of execution until a future weekend. Then all bets are off, because fish will die this season.
~
I'm just going to lay low and stay around the hood. Both Mike and Kate talked about dropping by, and we have Little Will on Sunday and Monday. Looks like there is a great chance to get all of the sanding done on the Tender and Will's Toychest so that I can begin the spray varnishing next week.
~
BTW, yesterday, I completed my second running workout on the tread mill with NO KNEE PAIN!
~
If I can get some quality workouts in over the weekend, then maybe I can salvage the attempt at the Marine Marathon this October.

Week 20 - POTW

A huge day for Nanepashemet Telecom.... picked up a nice contract from one customer and a long awaited purchase order from another. The big one is right around the corner. I can sense it.

Announcing...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 20th week of 2008

• Jon Lester
• Rich Berliner
• Will Murray
• Kelley Clark
• Bianca de la Gaza
• Ray Allen

Can't wait to check my email tomorrow.

Return to Normalcy

So Kristi Yamaguchi emerged victorious in Dancing With The Stars. I called that one episodes ago. I'm glad it's over though. Time to resume my manly role as a manly man, untainted by attention to a ballroom dancing diversion.

Tuna Lips said...

You call a jap winning anything on Americanish tv normalcy? What next, you gonna open up a 'gay care center' so all the chilluns can get learnt up on not being normal?

Cause for Concern

Peeps...
There are a couple of points of concern that I have to bring to your attention today.
~
First... I did not throw a No-Hitter yesterday for the Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals. It was Jon Lester, not John Nestor. The fact is that I've never even pitched for the Red Sox. So stop all of the congratulatory emails and voicemails. You know how annoyed this makes me.
~
And Second.... I've just recently found out that Dale Johnson, aka "Buck", was noted as the best marksman in his Army battalion. Buck with a rifle. That is definitely cause for concern.

Coming Together

Day Two of a diverse and busy week at Nanepashemet Telecom. Several completely different projects are coming together at the same time - pretty weird.
~
Of course it all won't pan out as I imagine it. If it did, I'd be looking for loft space with a loading dock near a water put in for my ultimate Nanepashemet Boatbuilding business pretty soon.
~
That will happen sooner or later... but sooner is definitely preferable.
~
BTW, Will's Tool Chest is already finished... mentally in my head. I'm happy with the design. Now all I have to do is complete it with some solid craftsmanship. Since I'm not working with a printed plan, the mental part is the hard part.

Finals

Between the Celtics going to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Finals of Dancing with the Stars, I'm afraid that I might go on overload this week. Too much excitement and pressure!

Convergence

The lid for Will's Toy Chest came out very well and the design of mahogany and oak accents was successful. I borrowed this design element from the breasthook of the Herreshoff Tender and the hardwood seat that I had to re-fabricate after Jim Peabody inadvertently karate chopped the original cedar one.
~
The mahogany has some stress cracks, but these will be sealed by the absorption of the first coat of epoxy.
~
I also sanded out the dovetails but was less than 100% satisfied because the fit was not as precise as I would have liked for a project of this importance. The gaps were filled with a glue and sanding dust putty that will cause the flaws to disappear, but I know that they are there and a juried woodworker will see them.
~
The vast majority of you Peeps won't have a clue, so I guess I shouldn't get pissed off with myself about it.
~
The project will be completed well before Will's birthday in mid-June, but I'm rushing it because I want to spray it with multiple coats of marine varnish while the Tender interior is also being varnished, and I'd like to launch the Tender as soon as possible.
~
Both projects will be completed with the varnishing at the same time.

Clean Up Your Act

My Mother use to say that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." Not sure where she got that from.
~
But if cleanliness is next to Godliness, then my garage must be right next to Hell.
~
That is one filthy place.
~
I glued and clamped the dovetails on Will's Toy Chest today, but the bulk of the day was spent trying to clean and get order in the garage. It looks pretty good to me now, but to the untrained eye, it still must resemble a chaotic pigsty.
~
The day ended right though when Tommy and Linda O'Shea came over with some natural casing hot dogs that we grilled with chicken wings and kielbasa... chased down with some Dark and Stormies.

POTW Week 20

We finally broke down and had our cat Roenick groomed. He was really gross with clumps of fur that contained who knows what. So he spent the afternoon at the Kitty Spa. You can tell that he feels pretty hot right now.

ANNOUNCING...
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 20th Week of 2008

• Sarah Crawford
• Ted Bruschi
• Steve Spillane
• Stacey Butler
• Charles Sheen
• Nick Herz

I could use a decent grooming myself one of these days.

Tuna Lips said...

Comes to groomin', whatsoever you does, dont lets em shave your man parts. Why once, I was passing time with some some seemingly decent gents, and we took to tales of grooming and what passed for fashion at the time. This after several white wine spritzers. Next thing I knowed I was garbed in latex and gettin' my nuts shaved by a tattooed feller with a pierced foreskin named Reggie. Castro district has got nuttin'; to do with Fidel. Jeepers.

Cancellation and Obsession

Both of my morning meetings were cancelled today, and I was already out past route 128 when I got the first cancellation. So I used the time to go to Rockler Woodworking in Danvers and picked up the safety closers and piano hinge for Will's Toy chest. I also got a great deal on some Freud router bits, that I really didn't need.
~
It's true that I am dangerous in a tool store or on Amazon at night. I have no idea why I have bought some of the tools that I have. I suppose that irrational tool buying is a better vice than most obsessions but it's still bad.

Asian Catastrophes

What's with the massive loss of life from earthquakes and hurricanes in Asia? 100,000 dead from a typhoon in Burma... 20,000 dead from an earthquake in China.
~
Doomsday prophets might give this as evidence that we come closer to the "End of Days".
~
I think that's hogwash.
~
As the earth has become a global village via the Internet and other communication media, obscure provinces in China become next door neighbors. In 1916, a meteorite hit Siberia with the force of 1000 nuclear explosions. Nobody knew about it for 10 years. That could never happen today.
~
At any rate, thousands of people dying in natural catastrophes seems to be more of a 3rd world phenomenon. Katrina in New Orleans left 1800 dead.... a relatively low number compared to the carnage in Asia.
~
The only thing I can think of for the exponential Asian loss of life is a difference in building codes between the two cultures.

Project Progress

In between some great Nanepashemet Telecom calls today, I sanded the panels to Will's chest and cut the dovetail tails on the front and back panels. Tomorrow I will rout the pins and assemble the carcass.
~
I showed the panels to Joanne with the combination of oak and mahogany. She was impressed. That's good because she normally has no trouble telling me if something that I've done sucks.
~
I also received the Epiphanes Varnish from Jamestown Distributors. That gives me no excuse in finishing the Tender refit.

Project Status

I'd appreciate it if you'd slack off a little on all of the annoying emails asking me how the projects are coming. I'm happy to keep you informed, but the constant inquiries are starting to get on my nerves. Yesterday, I even snapped at Katelyn!
~
Yes, Will Nestor's Toychest is coming along fine. All of the side panels have been have been cut, biscuit joined and glued. The next step is to rough sand the panels, then cut the dovetails. The rough assembly of the carcase should be done by the weekend. Then I have to figure out what the lid and base assembly will look like. I've got a month to get this project done... so no problem.
~
The Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender seasonal fit out is also progressing nicely. Yesterday, I epoxied all of the seat seams and touched up any areas where the epoxy failed. I also epoxied some reinforcing fiberglass to some stress points in the bottom of the hull. Three quarts of Epiphanes Clear Gloss Marine Varnish is on order from Jamestown Distributors, and I will spray this on the interior when I have scraped and sanded the epoxy touchups. Then I'll turn over the hull, attach the brass bar to the keel, and spray a few coats of varnish on the outside hull. Can't see the launch happening before June, but it has to look good so I can impress all of my new friends at the Boston Yacht Club.
~
The Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory is another story. I keep promising to join the frames to the bottom, and I have them all laid out, but I haven't progressed due to the urgency of the top two projects. When I get some receivables from Nanepashemet Telecom, I'll buy that 8 HP Honda 4 Stroke Outboard from Ryan Marine, and the project will gather some steam, because the engine will require some design modications in the Dory plan. I want the motor to tilt up into the hull and will need to check the mounting and make provisions for the gas tank. I realistically can't see any movement on this until mid-June, after Will's chest is complete.
~
So now you should be happy enough. You're completely updated on the status of the projects, so ease up on the emails.