White House Tenants

I have some good friends who are offended by the policies of George Bush.  

~

But regardless of your politics, the Bush's are nice people and never exhibited the crassness of the Clinton's and the Obama's.   I know accounts of Secret Service people who served the various administrations who say that the Bush's were the most genuine and caring  of all the White House tenants that they served.

~

Apparently, Barack wanted to go to Camp David, but Michelle nixed that plan.

Back to Normal

We're heading out to FreshAyer this morning for maybe the last time with the Grandkids.  The countdown is down to a little over two weeks.
~
For those of you who have been keeping tabs on the days left, I'm sure you feel as we do that it is almost surreal that this ordeal is coming to an end.  At the beginning, when we were staring at over 700 days each time, it seemed like these days would never be here.
~
As Will Crawford eloquently said the other day, "There's been a void in our lives, and now everything can get back to normal."
~
That pretty much sums it up.

Doug said....Jan 15, 2012 12:03 PM

Let me know if there is anything planned for his imminent release...I got the little fella a gift he's sure to appreciate.

___________________________________________________________
The Waterman among others is asking about any ceremonies or festivities that are contemplated.  None yet.... until all the details of the release are available, but he and the rest of the loyal peeps will be suitably informed and involved.

Straw Poll

Patriots are pummeling Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.
~
Taking a straw poll on who is going to win?

POTW Week 2 - 2012

I've told you Peeps that this year seems to be shaping up pretty well.  What  with Nanepashemet Telecom winning all of that business and FreshAyer drawing close and all.   So it comes as no surprize that an Automatic Peep of the Week selection comes up so soon in this magical year.

When Harvey and Lisa Rowe showed up with the lovely Maria Rowen last night they showed the ultimate coolness by sporting their Tuna Lips Skull Caps.

~

Then it was tenderly revealed to the Mountain of a Man that Maria had brought the King of Scotch, Lagavulin 16 Year Single Malt to grace the evening.

ANNOUNCING....

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Year for the 2nd Week of 2012

Maria Rowen, Automatic Lagavulin Rule

Tommy O 'Shea

Sue Sue Raiche

Will Nestor

Doug Maxfield

Lou Panakio

Joanne, Maria and Lisa professed their gratitude for the Tuna Lips hats in the traditional manner.



Hang in There Michelle

I don't blame Michelle Obama about being pissed at people labeling her as an "angry Black Woman".
She's just trying to get by in a tough situation.  And her main concern is that her daughter's make it out of the White House experience intact.
~
This country must really be screwed if living in the White House is such a hardship.
~
Sorry, but as much as I wanted the Obama's to succeed, they seem to be such out-of-touch lightweights.  They make me wish that Hilary Clinton had the job.  It's that bad.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Living Well is the Best Revenge

Quite a day.
~
Tommy O, outgoing Peep of the Year posted his POTY swan song down on the Dec. 31 post, and Nanepashemet Telecom scored on a big... scratch that... massive contract that makes me particularly happy that I banned that big stupid company from being a Nanepashemet customer.
~
Somebody said, "When God closes one door, he opens another."  That sure seemed to fit the bill today.
~
If we had started work with the banned customer, we would have done our typical professional work while being sabotaged and harpooned the whole way.  And it would have been a lot harder to absorb the quality work that we just won.
~
So everything works out for the best.  We can concentrate our best efforts with ethical, forthright customers and go to sleep every night with a feeling of the recognition of good work and fair treatment.
~
Starting to feel really good about this year.

Spray Booth

Have to make a spray booth.  Got this concept for water borne paints from Fine Woodworking.
~
If I were to use oil based, then I'd have to get an Explosion proof fan, prices starting at $600.  So the water based will have to do.

New Hampshire Republican Primary

They're voting for President up North in New Hampshire today.
~
Despite a host of annoying requests, I won't be making any endorsements at this time.
~
I know that a lot of my New Hampshire Nanepashemet Peeps feel hopelessly cut adrift in having to make a decision all on their own, but I won't be giving the Nanepashemet Nod.
~
Don't you know that when the NN is given, then victory is virtually assured for the receiving party?
~
It's just too early to release that type of power.
~
Plus... What if Sarah Palin dives in, and I've already committed the Nod to another????
Didn't think of that... did you?

Cyper Graffiti and Matt Damon

We watched the 2011 film "Contagion" starring Matt Damon and Jude Law among others last night at Dale and Gail Johnson's house after a great birthday dinner for Dale at The Antique Table in Swampscott.
~
Law played a Medical Blogger and someone quoted that "A Blog is just Graffiti with punctuation."
~
Sad to say, I can't really argue with that.
~
Speaking of Matt Damon, he spouted off again about Obama the other day, expressing his dissappointment about the lack of leadership exhibited by the Chief Executive.  After shamelessly shilling for BO during the election and pissing off conservatives, Damon is drilling Obama now which will drop Matt's  standing with the lefties.
~
I'm actually starting to like him.  While I probably don't agree with his positions, at least he is true to himself, and is not a sheep in the Liberal Herd.

Culinary Kudo

Peeps...
One of the problems of being a Mountain of a Man with multiple skill sets is that it's hard to be humble.  Lucky for me that one of my superior abilities is deep seated humility.
~
So naturally, you don't often hear about how good I am at ordinary stuff like cooking.
~
Because Joanne is such a good cook... and insists on watching all of those lame cooking shows, and collecting cook books from all of the egomaniacal cooking stars.... I have generally backed off from bragging about my prowness in the culinary area.
~
But suffice it to say... I am a freaking great cook.
~
And I'm not just talking about the Buffalo Wings and White Trash Balls that we serve up for the Night before Thanksgiving Bash.
~
Like today for instance, I whipped up some homemade dough in the Cuisinart to use for pizza while watching the NFL Playoffs, then topped it off with some pecan shortbread cookies which were nothing short of freaking spectacular.
~
The Pizza was the balls too.
~
I hope Denver wins.

Playoff Season

It's Pittsburgh v. Denver with the winner playing the Pats next week.   I thought the playoffs would never get here, and I bet Ryan feels the same way.
~
But in four weeks or so, it will be Super Sunday... in more ways than one.

Tablesaw Panel Crosscut Sled

Since I cut my teeth in woodworking with a radial arm saw, I've never gotten into the habit of crosscutting on my table saw.
~
But with this custom cabinet job that I've taken on, we'll be cutting a lot of plywood sheet panels, so I'll be making a table saw sled capable of handling 35" crosscuts.
~
After a little web search, I've settled on the plan shown right which was published by Fine Homebuilding in 2006.
~
My version will be made with 24"x42" panels so will be a scale larger than this drawing, and I've ordered some aluminium from McMaster Carr to use for the runners rather than the plywood strips noted here.
~
If the McMaster Carr shipment arrives today, this baby will take shape tomorrow over at the Nanepashemet Telecom shop.

Waterfront Offerings

Land Offerings

Qualifications Standards.

I'm pretty proud of Nanepashemet Telecom.  We do good work and our customers show a lot of appreciation with repeat business.  Virtually all of the valid players in the industry have approved us as a vendor.
~
So I run into a company that is playing games and decides to question our qualifications.
~
Guess what?  I could give a shit if they don't approve us a a vendor, because I have disapproved them as a customer. 
~
They are not qualified to be a customer of Nanepashemet Telecom.
~
Sorry.  You have to pass some basic tests, and your big company failed miserably.   And you don't even want to know what the appeal process is.

Pisc said...

Work those C level connections to get past the boobs in their Procurement fiefdom. Small, petty, Oompah Loompa Looking D Bags run those qualification "programs". Making you blog about them is often their only shot to being heard in this world. Walk past like you been there before, and give them a t-shirt or something, make them feel like they matter.

__________________________________________________________________

Fine advice, Pisc.  But unfortunately the Nanepashemet Telecom Operations Manual prohibits presenting T-Shirts to Oompah Loompas if their company is unqualified as a Nanepashemet Customer.  

This is out of my hands.  There is nothing I can do.

Clinking Cubes

Peeps -
When I told you that you could have a Nanepashemet On-the-Rocks Whiskey Glass, I didn't mean all of you.   Do the freaking math.  There are thousands of you greedy-assed Peeps, but only a couple of hundred Whiskey Glasses.  And I need a lot of them for customer appreciation tokens for my Nanepashemet Telecom clients.
~
Like today for instance... I'm heading into one of my best customer's office with a case of the glasses, which I will distribute after a vendor pile-on lunch with as many staffers as can sneak away for an hour or so.
~
By tonight, there should be cubes clinking in quite a few Nanepashemet glasses.

CAD Learning Curve

Back to reality Peeps.
~
Heading back to that little place of heaven, New Haven County, to haul stuff around on the flatbed trailer.
~
But I got some great CAD work done yesterday, designing a kitchen concept for one of my favorite Peeps.
~
 I downloaded the Google Sketchup program which is available on line for free, and I'm still in the learning curve, but it is very powerful the way you can design in 3D and then orbit all around your model to see results and make adjustmnents.
~
Sketchup also has an online database of other's models which are unbelieveable time savers. 
~
My general rule for becoming proficient in a sophisticated program is 40 hours of frustration during the learning curve..... trying to make things work and going back and forth to manuals.  I'm only about 5 hours into Sketchup.

Happy New Year

Live your life, Dream your dream.
Everyday that you are able to wake up, you are able to think, plan and act.
~
For us, it's not three strikes and you're out.  As long as we can pick up the bat, we have unlimited opportunities to hit one out of the park.
~
So get in the batter's box every day and take your swings.
~
Look at your daily obstacles and problems as lessons to learn.  Turn them into daily building blocks.  Search out the good in every situation.  Even though I've known this to be true, Ryan, over in FreshAyer has powered this point home for me.

And don't expect God and the Universe to be on the same plane as you all of the time.  If God answered all of our prayers, Tim Tebow would win every game.  God has a much larger perspective than we do.  Trust that the problems that she throws your way are there to help you, however irrational or unfair that they may seem.
~
One day, as you are taking your swings, you will notice that the dream that you had previously formulated has manifested itself all around you.
~
May that day happen to you this year.    Happy New Year.

Nanepashemet Peep of the Year for 2012.

So this is the time that you have so impatiently waited for all year.  Ever since Tommy O' Shea achieved the ultimate honor/disgrace.... the Nanepashemet Peep of the Year for 2011.... speculation has been rampant as to who will succeed him in 2012.
~
But first a word about Tommy O.
~
His reign was regal as his career soared at that foreign corporation that he works for, and he served as an anchor for his long suffering wife, Linda.  And it all capped off with the highly successful launch of the TommyO  Fashion Line  in the Nanepashemet Blogging Apparel Store.  Both the TommyO Tank Top and the   TommyO Taking Out the Trash Bathrobe were killer sales items that had the Indonesians working overtime and bitching constantly in their cheap labor production sweatshop.
~
So Tommy will be a hard act to follow.
~
Course all of the former POTY's served with distinction as their lives were transformed for better or worse during their dubious POTY reigns.

• Tom McMahon ~ 2007
• Lauren Rathbone ~ 2008
• Michael "Murph" Murphy ~ 2009
• Jeremy Johnson  ~ 2010
• Tommy O'Shea  ~ 2011

And now the mantle must shift to another individual, who undoubtedly will be testament at this time next year to the almost metaphysical transformation that the Nanepashemet Peep of the Year title conveys.
~
So without any further a do do.....

ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peep of the Year for the Year 2012.

Kerry Russell D'Orio.

As you know, it would be taboo to disclose the reason for this solemn selection, and I dare not even approach the topic given the effect that it could have on the balance of the Universe.
~
So don't be sending me any "Why, Why" incantations.  The deed is done and is forever scribed into the firmament.
~
OK???? So that's it.  All done.  Hang in there Kerry.   It will be a roller coaster year for you.

Kerry Russell D'Orio said...

OMG! After a day of ripping it up on the bunny slope like Linday Vaughn and celebrating my daughters 8 th birthday I have found out that I am peep of the F'n year!! I can guarantee that I have been annoying and fun. Tommy O ( cue orgasm voice) is a classic. I have some big shoes to fill. I will order me up a plush Tommy O bathrobe and write my acceptance speech. Happy New Year!

Kerry Russell D'Orio

TommyO said......   Jan 12, 2012 01:45 PM

Wow, Twice now I have tried to send along my "outgoing" POTY post and both times, lost it or failed. I am going to tell you this right now. During my run as POTY, this never happened.  

This just goes to prove the Power of the POTY Title. I had a tremendous year. Work has been outstanding, could be the best sales numbers in my career. My SWISS based Logistics Company posted excellent results and is very healthy, My family is also healthy and looking good. I have had great times with great friends and hope to continue to do so. 

The POTY title is not just a title for one year. This honor gives one the inner confidence to do the right thing and brings out the best in a person. The POTY is not just a title given by a MOAM, it is a state of mind. That is why this attempt will be posted accordingly. Kerry, you are well deserving and all my best going forward. You can feel it right?
Thanks Jay for bestowing upon me this tremendous gift.
TommyO

2012 New Year's Resolutions

Peeps -
So many of you have been pestering me about my New Year's resolutions. Not sure why... resolutions are highly personal, and the reolutions of a Mountain of a Man are normally unattainable by ordinary Peeps like yourselves.
~
But I know you.... you will fret, worry, and get really neurotic until you see what the MOAM has in store for the New Year.  So, regardless or how irritating it is, I will comply with your pathetic request and let you in on what I have resolved for 2012.
~
This year, my resolutions are about developing habits, not necessarily acheiving goals.

• Get a burn in every morning, on the Cybex, Treadmill or a Harbor Row.
• Practice Banjo and Guitar every night (after Joanne goes to bed)
• Learn CAD and practice it every night (between banjo practice).
• Process Mail and paperwork daily.
• Archive Files and purge daily.
• Eat sensibly and deny urge to eat carbs.

So if I develop these habits, the results should be that my weight trends downward, I become a closet musician, can design projects on the computer, and my office is neat and organized. 
~
And BTW....phuck the Mayans..... They can take their sophisticated calendar calling for the end of the world and stick it up their extinct asses.  I don't plan on cashing it in this year.
~
I agree that it sounds pretty boring... but it's my life, not your's.  Get your own Goddamn Resolutions.

Customer Appreciation

We got these cool on-the-rocks whiskey glasses to hand out as customer appreciation gifts to Nanepashemet Telecom customers and vendors.  They are clear heavy glass with "Nanepashemet" laser etched on them.  Even Joanne thinks they are really classy.
~
It's not required that you drink Lagavulin in them, but highly recommended.
~
If your think that you can't live without one, drop me an email, and we'll see if we can save one or two for you.

Anonymous said...

Obviously drinking whiskey out of the glasses.
What's a Cutomer?

_________________________________________

Normally I Don't publish anonymous comments, but this guy was correct on the whiskey and correct on the mis-spelling.

J.

Fried Laptop

Somebody dropped some liquid on my laptop at Christmas and it's fried now.  The theory expressed by my kids is that it is my own fault for leaving it on the end table when the elderly are around.  If I agreed with this, I'd be filled with self-loathing, but I'm basically just pissed.
~
I wanted to replace it with a Mac, but I have my Dell account that I paid off earlier this year, so I fired it up for a cheap Dell laptop that should be here next week or so.  In the meanwhile, I'll try to see if I can salvage some files from the dead laptop.
~
BTW, it would be interesting to hear their theory if it was their computer that was doused.