Check Please

We had a nice dinner last night with Will and Lynda Murray at the Boston Yacht Club.
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I just bought an industrial condo from Will in Peabody to use for Nanepashemet Telecom, and it was Joanne's birthday, so he picked up the check.
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A class move.
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Generally, I like to pick up the check. Not because I am overly generous, but because I always get embarrassed splitting the check for some reason. Don't know why. So usually I reach for the check to avoid what is, to me, an awkward situation.
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But it's nice when someone beats me to it.

Testing the Water

Jim Cramer says it's time to get back into the stock market.
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It does seem like the market has hit bottom and is starting to turn back up. The telecom stocks seem to be fairly undervalued.
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The trouble is that every time I've entered the market, I have lost money.... not a ton, but enough to feel like a dufus.
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Maybe I'll just stick my big toe in.

Peep of the Week - 13

I had the opportunity to select the Peeps yesterday.
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Thursday is the official selection day. But I didn't feel like it. And you can't make quality and responsible decisions if your head isn't into it. After all... the POTW selections are just too important to handle on a casual basis.
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But this morning is another story.
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I got up feeling ready to challenge the day, and my first task will be to Purposefully Perpetuate this Pathetic Peep Process. ("P" is one of my favorite letters.)
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ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 13th week of 2009

Ryan Nestor
Mike Rockett
Kathy Peabody
Lauren Crawford
Peter Krupp
Jeremy Johnson

Next week, I'll try to get this done on Thursday, but I'm not promising anything.

Bad Addiction

Everybody copes somehow.
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My coping mechanism is to buy tools on Amazon late at night.
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And ... Oh Baby!..... Have I been Coping lately!!!!
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This week's stress has been Amazon's gain.
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Did I need a Specialized Power Mortising machine??? Nope.
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Did I get one?
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Yep.
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Did I need a Tenon Jig for my tablesaw???? Nope.
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Did I get one?
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Yep.
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Did I need an upgrade kit for my Leigh Dovetail Jig???? Nope.
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Did I get one?
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Yep.
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Believe me... this list can continue to the point where you can ascertain that I have a real problem. Lucky for me that Joanne doesn't read this Blog too often, because the cost of this stuff is really starting to add up.

Pier Four

After a lovely afternoon at the Joe Moakley house, we went over to the venerable Anthony's Pier Four restaurant, which is still serving one hell of a slice of prime rib with a popover after all of these years.
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It was Joanne's birthday, and the dinner was spur of the moment, but we couldn't have planned a better venue.
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Maybe we'll grab another meal there around August or so.

Deferring

Normally I like to multi-task..... Handle a bunch of issues at the same time.
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But for the next two days, I really have to limit my focus. Emotionally and intellectually, I just don't want to take on too much.
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So if you have some big problem to lay on me.... wait until Thurs. You'll simply have to deal with the fact that I won't be addressing you until then.

Tuna Lips said...

Did ye git on yer bike and ride this mornin', like youse was supposin' to do? Or did you slather some cream cheeze on a bagel and get to thinkin' "the other feller must be doin' this, too, I can lean on my shovel a few more minutes."

Layin' about is the road to ruination, sure as corn likker and peep shows at the road house, so mammy said. Mammy was one to talk.

I'm gone.

Establishing Routines.

I know that I've been harping on the weather lately.... but it's been so cold and clammy, wet and miserable. It is permeating.
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This day came together well. I've decided to take the advise of my friend, Lisa Rowe, and work out first thing in the morning. Especially if you are not traveling, it seems to make the most sense. So today, that's what I did. Jumped out of bed, had coffee, took a massive dump, exchanged niceties with Joanne, then hit the Cybex for 12 miles.
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By 8 o'clock, I was on the regular Nanepashemet conference call, and already had an item ticked off of my to do list. Everything else seemed to come together pretty smoothly after that too.
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So tomorrow, I'll try the same routine.

Tuna Lips said...

I gots an established routine of loosin' my bowels when i arises to greet the day, and then pleasuring myself whilst perched atop the porcelain honda. I find such ablutions most effifecious, and quite effevesent. Multitaskin, the Wall Street types calls it. On Stall Street we call it Coppin' a squat and rubbin' one out.

Waiting for Trust Funds

Someday, when all of my trust funds kick in, I will buy a beach house in some warm tropical place, and go there for the entire months of March and April every year.
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I don't really suspect that I have any trust funds, so this is probably an unrealistic fantasy.
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But what is definite reality is that March and April suck in New England.
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It's not cold enough for winter stuff, and typically wet, muddy and uncomfortable. Plus, the temperature is just below a nice warmth that starts to make you feel good.
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I would rather go from the winter right to the summer, hence the tropical beach house fantasy.
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Maybe I can substitute the trust fund approach with a couple years of kickass business years with Nanepashemet Telecom.

Weather Delays

It was supposed to be a nice sunny spring day today.... in the sixties. Instead it lurked in the low forties, with clouds and fog.
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Once again, the freaking weatherman throws us a curve ball.
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If he was under oath, he'd be doing time for perjury.
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But I've always prided myself as being a forgiving person. Forgiving is fine, but forgetting is not my policy.
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Anyway.
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I got into the driveway, built the case for my workbench tail vise, cut the tails and pins for two dovetailed DVD cases, and milled the top for Mike's coffee table.
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No freaking weatherman is going to slow down this Mountain of a Man.

POTW - Week 12

Joanne and I headed over to the Salem Country Club this evening with Harvey Rowe and his lovely wife, Lisa.
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They've just completed the insurance claim adjustment on our New Year's Day fire and did a most excellent job. The Salem Country Club serves a damn fine meal.... much like the Oakley Country Club in Watertown that my archrival, Joe Collins, espouses to.... but the good ole Boston Yacht Club beats them both..... hands down.
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That's not to say that it wasn't a great meal. It just didn't beat my club.

ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the Twelfth week of 2009.

Bill Hillegas
Bobby Brown
Tom Raich
Emily Ingardia
Lauren Rathbone
Tyler Gill

I mean.... It's no big deal if your club isn't as good as mine.

Harvey Rowe said...

You will have to take us back to the BYC to see if I agree.

Bird Preference

So the other day, I get this annoying Peep question that went like this....
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"Which do you like better??? Blue Jays or Cardinals?"
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As I've often said.... there are no stupid questions.... only stupid people who ask questions.
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The answer is that I like any bird that seeks to take nourishment from my feeder. Don't care if it's a gull or a crow. They all make a mess, and they all shit everywhere.
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So they are pretty much equal in my view.

Herreshoff Maintenance

Took the tarp off of the Herreshoff Yacht Tender this weekend. What a mess. Looks like at least ten hours or more of sanding and varnishing to get ready for the season. It will be worth it though.... that boat has such nice lines.
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I'll probably buy a case of Epiphanes Marine Varnish from Jamestown Distributers and wait for a good weekend to sand and start spraying coats.
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No wonder that wooden boats from the past century are so rare. There is a lot of work and care just to make them presentable each season. If left fallow for a season or so, it would probably seem like an insurmountable job.

Tuna Lips said...

Prioritize getting us a peep of the week. I makes book on this sorta thing, and the street don't likes to wait.

What is wrong with you son? Snap out of it!

Getting Back to It

Even though the temperature never reached 50 degrees this afternoon, I got into the driveway, set up the workmates and cut the 3/4" maple plywood into two 2' x 6' pieces that will be laminated together to provide a heavy enough top for the long awaited workbench project.
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The 3" thick plywood top will be trimmed with 3/4" solid maple that will be attached to the 1 1/2" thick mahogany endpieces with half blind dovetails. Plus we have to precisely cut in for the end vice that will be integrated into the top.
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Tomorrow, I will glue and screw the top pieces of the worktop, then design and layout the end clamp.
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It's good that the long awaited workbench project is underway, but I must simultaneously start the coffee table that I promised Mike that I would build for his new condo in Southie. That tabletop will be constructed from the thick fir mantle piece that we removed from the living room after the fire.
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If this Spring proves to be relatively warm and dry, the Marblehead Gunning Dory will be resumed in full swing by June or so. It's conceivable that the Dory hull be substantially complete by the end of the summer, although the interior fit out will take quite a bit more time.

Fire Away

Is it so wrong to desire peace? The world has an infinite number of moving parts... all colliding and smacking into each other. Every day offers challenges that you can never predict.
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I almost dread an outlook of peace and quiet when I get up in the morning, because it is so certain to be shattered by some crazy unforeseen circumstance. Maybe the best outlook is to get up, stare the world in the face, and goad it to give you its best shot.
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Then at least, you won't he so shell shocked when the bombs land.

Peep of the Week - Week 11

Spring has sprung. Astronomcally at least. But by the 20 degree temp this morning, it's not so apparent.
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So I broke down and got an Apple Ipod Touch this week. Holy Shit.... what a freaking device!!!!
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I've downloaded about 100 bucks worth of songs and applications. Everything on freaking earth is online at the Apple iTunes store. Plus, it will go online and you can email.
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But the pain is not just financial. I downloaded a pushup training program that tracks your progress to where you can do 100 pushups at a setting. I haven't done a pushup in over 20 years, and after the first day routine, I feel like someone has been pounding me from armpit to armpit with sticks and clubs. It's a wonder that I didn't throw out my back.
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ANNOUNCING....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 11 Week of 2009

Courtney Nestor
Liam Neelson
Phil Freeman
Kurt Bagwell
Alex Watts
Mike McLellan
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Who would have thought that an Ipod would be so physically challenging!!!!

Turn on a Dime

The tragic death of Natasha Richardson is a disturbing reminder of how fragile the parameters of your life can be.
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A talented actor with a young family, in the prime of her life, takes a harmless tumble on a bunny ski slope, and dies in a day.
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Never take any day for granted.
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Always appreciate the people that you care about.
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Life can turn on an instant..... at a time when you least expect it .... in ways both bad and good.
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Mark 11:22-24
²² And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ²³ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
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The power behind this Biblical quotation is so simple as to be unbelieveable. Christ simply says to ask God to give you what you want, believe that you will receive it, and you will get it.
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Be careful what you ask for!
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The hard part is believeing in the receiving.
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Plus, sometimes, you receive what you want and don't even realize it.

Tuna Lips said...

We all gots it comin' to us. Make ready the way of the Almighty, ye sin smeared heathen. The Man comin' round takin' names. What side will you choose?

Like I said, did me some preachin' on AM radio back in Galveston days. Met some wonderful sinners, taught me plenty of what I do.

Better Deal

Hi Peeps.
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Just coming up for air after a worldwind three days this week, pumping the production from the Nanepashemet mill.
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Tomorrow will be no different. We are going in four different directions and will be covering projects from Harrington, Maine to New London, CT.... with two points in between.
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If you want to know where the hell Harrington is, we were wondering the same question. It's six hours drive north from here... about an hour north of Acadia National Park. My partner, Mike Elsier, is handling that one and I'll be in southern Connecticut, pulling permits and attending a hearing. I was feeling bad about having to drive all the way to New London, until I Google Mapped Harrington.
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Now I'm pretty certain that I have the best side of that deal.
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It's a glamorous job... plus we get paid for doing it.
~

Economic Stimulis

How bad is it when you start looking to Tuna Lips for solace and advice???
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It's time to start to turn this tanker around. Set a new course for commerce and prosperity.
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Sometime today, this Blog will receive a hit for the forty thousandth time. 40,000 times people have sought out Nanepashemet for one pathetic reason or another. What really irks me is that not one of you "suspects" have ever sent me a dime to support this oasis of insight and rationality.
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It's not that I haven't asked.
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I am 100% in favor of capitalism. Let the money come and go. It's not like I would take your contributions and invest them in stocks or something.
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Be assured that your money would be recycled in the most worthy of places.
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• Like buying extra cheese, garlic and pepperoni pizza from Vesuvius of Marblehead.
• Like purchasing bottles of Lagavulin, the King of Scotch, Stephan's Ginger Beer and Black Seal Rum from Beacon Hill Imports at the Community Store.
• Like keeping the garage full of meranti mahogany and red cedar from Moynihan Lumber for those beautiful Nanepashemet boats.
• Like ponying up for rounds of Bud and Miller High Life for the Peeps at the Gerry Club.
• Like stocking up on paper towels, 48 rolls of toilet paper, and 7,000 packets of Splenda from Costco.
  
• Like late night purchases of power tools that I will rarely use from Amazon.com.
• Like dining on the world's best lobster rolls and Sam Adams at the Boston Yacht Club.

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I'm doing my part to keep this economy going. You can too.... by contributing to Nanepashemet.

Revenge

They say that living well is the best revenge.
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They are right.
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We will have our revenge.... and the naysayers will be continue to anguish as they wallow in their putrid pool of palpitating protoplasm contemplating the utter injustice that we will not be stifled.
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Miss Rogosa, my ninth grade English teacher, would have appreciated the onomatopoeia.
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She was an old spinster who was crippled by polio and got around with huge metal braces.  We used to call her "Rogo Stick" in our insensitive 9th grade way.  Read a lot of Edith Hamilton's "Mythology" in her class, and we spent an inordinate amount of time on the works of Helen Keller. Now I think I know why..
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Haven't thought of Miss Rogosa in 40 odd years.

Tuna Lips said...

My pappy was one fer blowin his stack, no douts about it, and but fer me mammy I think a few more charges woulda stuck.

As I mentioned afore, mammy was visionary, seein' things and oppertunities when ole pappy was just seein' red. She was fer the simmerin rage - she bein' of the lady persuasion - and was all fer servin' it cold. This way, she saw to it taht on the front end, no one bounced us off the mule, and thussin they had nary a finger to point. And when they did, agin and agin and agin, as hard ons like thems like to do, our uncivilization eventually waranted the point no more. It become about them sayin' they was better than someone else. It become them hatin' on us, and they fancy friends all tight up with Jesus had no choice but to think twice.

Give it time. Tehn we'd burn them sumbitches barn down, and cover it good, make it look like the Almighty raining his justice on they asses fer what they had done to us (forgettin on what we allegedly had done to them). Justice with mammy was best done slow, like molasses in winter. Nice and cold.

Think on that. TL is everyman.

POTW Week 10

Tons of annoying stuff to choose from this week.
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But also an extraordinary amount of inspirational stuff.
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A truly Nanepashemet style week!
~
ANNOUNCING.....

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 10th week of 2009

Steve Lewis
Will Murray
Amy Mann
Tricia Rockett
Claudio Alvarez
Nate Clarke

There were so many more that deserved it.