Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Carpe Diem

Tomorrow morning, I'll be up at dawn and barrell assing down to Rhode Island with stops in Johnston and East Greenwich.  Have to jump through some hoops to process a permit and then meet the power company to ponder an easement problem.
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If all goes well, I'll roll back into Marblehead before mid afternoon, with another 200 miles racked up on the F-150.
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Not every day is as exciting as this one at Nanepashemet Telecom.
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Living the Dream.

Tuna Lips said...
you gits tired of that telephone business, c'mon down el Paso way, get your fixed up runnin' special packages over the border. Pays good, and all the jails bait you can handle, no word of a lie, I tells ya. Coooo cooo ca choo!




Monday, February 14, 2011

Walk like an Egyptian

Not to sound too unsophisticated about world affairs, but I just haven't been worked up about this Hosni Mubarek, Egypt thing.
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I mean.... what does a few million Muslims crowding around the Nile River, who are pissed off about their government, have to do with me?  So what if they screw around with the Suez Canal for awhile.  How much can that cost?  The mega oil freighters can't fit through anyway.
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And our President, Barack Obama says its a new day for Egypt.  But as far as I can see, there is just the military in charge and parliament suspended.  Not such an exciting new day if you ask me.
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But the network newcasters keep saying that it is mega important.
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I don't get it.

Access to Condoms

The debate is on today regarding whether or not students in Boston Public High Schools should have access to condoms.
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Am I missing something here?
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Can't anybody at any age stroll into the local drug store and pony up some cash for a Trojan Enz or two?   I believe they can.
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So the debate isn't about "access to condoms" from the schools.  It's about whether the schools should distribute free condoms.   Clearly kids already have access to condoms.  It's really a budget issue.  Schools that can't afford athetic and sports, now seem to be able to dish out rubbers.  Go figure.
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I personally don't see any morality issue here.  Just because a horney kid has a rubber, doesn't mean he is going to get laid.    It's the same problem that comes with Viagra.  You might have the ability, but the opportunity is a whole other matter.
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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Possessions and Memories

So we have substantially completed the move of our accumulated possessions from Beverly Ave. to the Sundance building.   There still are some stuff in the garage, and our deck furnishings remain covered with snow.
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I filled the F150 to capacity with trash this morning, and Mike and Scuba Steve helped me to move the dining room table back, because our tenants wanted to use it, and from here on in, Joanne and I will be sorting out stuff and putting things away at our new Sundance home.
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Peeps....
The amount of stuff that we have is mindboggling, and I'll be tossing stuff away agressively for the next couple of weeks.  
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My problem with accumulating things is that when I look at a book, a file, or a piece of clothing... it stimulates a memory associated with the item.   And then, I'm afraid to part with it because I think that I won't be able to retrieve the memory without the stuff.   This has become an issue because I can't continue to haul around all of this baggage.
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Plus I have trouble parting with electronic equipment that I paid so much for, and now is obsolete.   So I have a few useless, CPU's and laptops hanging around that I have to trash.
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The bottom line is this.... I'm not placing a file in the file cabinets unless it has a present relevancy... otherwise it will be trashed.   I'm not putting any clothes in my closet or dresser that I haven't worn in the last year... otherwise, it will go to the Salvation Army bin in the Town Dump.   I'm not putting any book into a bookcase unless it has current relevance.... otherwise, it is going to the book bin that Joanne will soon have removed from the  Sundance building.
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There is simply no sense in carrying around these possessions that have no place in the present or the future.  Just don't have the space.
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So I'm heaving them and taking the chance that memories that they hold will still crop up from time to time.
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Friday, February 11, 2011

Power Day

Yesterday was one of those power days that don't come too often.... because if they did, then I'd be rubbing elbows with guys like Donald Trump, Bill Gates, or even Bill Hillegas.
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Closed the rental deal on Beverly Ave., received orders from a highly sought after carrier with the promise of more to follow, was invited to bid on a major regional build by another of the big four carriers, and picked up a couple of paypoint milestones for our core customer.  Plus other stuff confidential to Nanepashemet Telecom.
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And in between, Joanne and I substantially completed the move of our stuff from Beverly Ave. to the Sundance building.
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All of this didn't come without cost, as I was pretty wasted by the end of the day.   But you know the routine... Mountain of a Man... yada, yada, yada.
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I'm not expecting today to match yesterday's accomplishments, but you never know.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Man UP

Peeps...
Sorry for the lapse.
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But as you can imagine, I've been working my all too bounteous ass off trying to complete the move plus maintain the high standards of Nanepashemet Telecom.
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The only thing that saves me is that I'm a Mountain of a Man.
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Thank God for that.
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Things will get back to normal after the weekend, so stop sending me your neurotic, panic-sticken emails about the lack of freaking Blog content.  
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Man UP for Cripes Sakes!

Monday, February 07, 2011

A Moving Experience

There is nothing fun about moving.  It always takes a lot more time and effort than you had imagined.  And it is physically and emotionally draining.
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But we got by on Saturday with a little help from our friends.   Make that a lot of help.  Eight solid hours worth.
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I appreciate anyone who lifted one thing for us that day, because that was one thing that my worn pudging form did not have to move.  As it is, I am quite stiff and uncomfortable two days later, but I least my back didn't give out.
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I know that a whole lot of you were planning to come and some couldn't for a host of reasons, but the people who heard the call on Saturday were...

Alex Watts
Brian Stanton
Harvey Rowe
Mike Lec Elsier
Katelyn Nestor
Sue Sue Raiche
Gail Johnson
Dave Bruett
Maria Rowen
Tom Raiche
Dale Johnson
Tommy O' Shea
Mike Nestor
Linda O'Shea
Tyler Gill
Will Crawford
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There were acts of heroism and bravery, plenty of thrills and almost no spills.  By 5:30PM we were licking our wounds at the Gerry 5, and I was basically too tired to lift a couple bottles of Sam.
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Thanks for your help and we also appreciate the well wishes from those of you who could not attend the epic event.  Jeremy Johnson and his sister Amanda went the extra mile by sending a bottle of Lagavulin, the King of Scotch.   It was a nice gesture and worth their "Automatic" selections as Peeps of the Week.
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By the way, the rest of you listed also have also achieved the coveted designation as POTW's for last week.  An unprecedented number but highly appropriate.

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Joanne and I were very moved.

bearable

Thanks to the help of some great peeps, the move was bearable.
More to follow.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Feeling Bullish

Peeps...
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Real Estate is where it's at.
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If you live in New England, you have to realize that that this part of the country is mint and the prices are bound to go up.
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Give me a call and we'll make some money together.  781-727-6516.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Monkey Wrenches

Moving day looms near and the weather has continued to toss monkey wrenches into the critical path of this project.  The remodeling work is not complete and we will be forced to put furniture into the unfinished rooms.  And the kitchen appliances have not been reinstalled.
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So there will be a lot of workarounds left for the next couple of weeks.
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But being a Mountain of a Man means that you take these inconveniences in stride, and realize that they are small in comparison to say... being a rice farmer in Cambodia or a Peruvian copper miner, or something like that.
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You get the picture.   I wouldn't be caught dead whining abount how much work this has turned out to be, right in the middle of record setting winter storms.   Being a MOAM says, "You throw all of the snow and slush my way, and I'm still going to pull the move off in style.
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Well, maybe not exactly in style...  But the offers from Peeps to help on Saturday morning keep pouring in, and I'm sure that my bar bill at the Gerry 5 Saturday afternoon will reflect the considerable help that we receive.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Pablum and Heating Oil

Once again, Joe Kennedy is asssailing the networks with television commercials starring him and picking out disadvantaged individuals and thanking the "people of Venezuela" for giving our poor Massachusetts families a handout of home heating oil.
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Quell the nausea.
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I'm not sure why this act turns my stomach so much.  Maybe it's because he's so obviously trying to talk down to us and forcefeed some bleeding heart bullshit down our throats.
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It doesn't bother me that he pulls over $400k as a salary from his non-profit Citizen's Energy Corp.
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Nothing's for nothing.
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Which brings me to the question of who is really profiting?   And please don't repeat that "people of Venezuela" line.   They don't know us, and could give a shit less.   Why do the "people of Venezuela" single out us poor Northeastern Americans for their largess???  I mean, send money to Peru or Somalia or something.  Us New Englanders sitting in the richest nation in the history of the world have hardly put out the donation cup to Caracas.
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I have no way of proving this, and probably shouldn't say it,,, but this is my blog, so what the hell!   I figure that Joe Kennedy has found a profit making revenue stream through his "non-profit", and needs to feed a mega political ego as a by-product.   There is a certain bleeding heart liberal constituency that feeds on the pablum that he serves and the circle is complete.
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Plus some poor sick New Englanders featured by Joe on TV gets to be mortified before Joe saves them.
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Call 1-800 JoeforOil,.... or set your browser to www. givemeafreakingbreak.com

MO SNO

If I was a kid, I'd love this winter.   All this snow... all of these snow days.
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But it is starting to cut into Nanepashemet Telecom profits by making sites inaccessible and prolonging schedules.   And the time I've had to take moving it from Beverly Ave., Sundance and the Peabody Shop has definitely affected the Sundance renovation project.
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We are still moving on Saturday, but there will be a ton of loose ends to take care of.
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And naturally we are staring at a forecast today and tomorrow for another foot and a half of snow.  Which means that instead of taking care of Sundance details, I will be expending a great deal of my limited middle age energy shoveling and snowblowing.
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In a couple of months, all of the snow will be gone.... we will have fixed everything at Sundance.... and this period of stress and strain will be another footnote.

Jim L. said...
"Limited middle age energy"? And, this, from the mouth of a mountain of a man. Somehow, the world just seems different today.

_______________________

Just to clarify, Jim... being a Mountain of a Man sometimes means that you recognize long naps and no heavy lifting with appropriate acceptance and dignity.