New York August NYC Meet-Up 2021

[Calzone]

Calzone Klein???

MFM,

My friend Doug, calls me Klein because of my first name.

A few years back Calvin Klein produced these T-shirts with the name CALVIN imprinted on them, and some said "CALVIN New York." So I go to Bloomingdales and I luckily find a rack of these shirts that are being closed out.

The salesperson thought it was mucho cool that my name is actually Calvin and that I was rebranding.

Later I put my spin on the rebranding and I say, "I'm just hiding in plain sight," when I wear these T-shirts.

Back in the mid 70's I went into my neighborhood bakery in the burbs. The girl behind the counter was hysterical because the place had just been robbed. She told me to go look for the guy with the hat who just left. Of course I responded, but I did not know that the robber had a gun. Oh-well, being a hero is actually pretty dumb.

The cops interviewed me because I saw a guy with a hat getting into a car, and I had the plate number.

It was around Christmas and we were in a recession caused by the oil crisis: double-digit inflation; and double-digit unemployment. The cop explained to me that the perp was likely just a guy with kids who was down on his luck and had no money for Christmas.

The moral of this story is decades later I found this blue-collar work shirt that had the name Alex embroidered on it, and I called it my bank robber shirt. Since I'm a self-proclaimed drama queen and always was, I figured I was wearing a disguise that would cause confusion.

Not only heroes are kinda dumb, but so are criminals.

Anyways there were three times before I was 18 when I could of been shot, and the other two times I had guns drawn on me by the NYPD. Once I was profiled and mistakenly could of been shot like a black man; the other was when the NYPD stormed a McDonalds that I was working at that was getting robbed by 4 guys with guns. This is all pre SWAT Teams and the cops used revolvers. One of the perps luckily had the contents of the safe in a cardboard box in his hands, and the gun was on top of the cash. The perp was also standing right behind me, so if shots were fired I likely would have been ventilated. Also could have been a hostage...

The seventies were an interesting time of living dangerously. They only captured two of the four perps. Earlier when one of the two managers saw a perp leave went to the door and opened it to I guess look at the possible getaway car, and I heard a gunshot. Hector the other store manager was in the back getting pistol-whipped because he would not open the safe. Meanwhile, I'm in the front working as a cashier, and my friends Danny and Gil were in the back cooking burgers.

It was kinda surreal that the customers knew we were being robbed, but still lined up to place their orders, meanwhile in the back burger production was going downhill. Things in the front with the customers were getting mucho crazy. Angry customers wanted to know, "Where are my burgers and fries." Pretty much I mentioned we are in the process of being robbed by 4 gunmen and that you just have to be patient.

When the cops came I heard the command freeze, everyone hit the floor around me, and it seemed like I was the only person listening because other than the cops who came in through all the entrances I seemed to be the only one standing. Pretty much the dumb criminal if he crouched down would have had the counter as a place of cover.

So the guy who stood behind me when cuffed and detained by a cop, took a beating when Hector jumped the counter, threw the perp to the floor, and repeatedly kicked him in the head like in soccer where there is a penalty shot. This went on for some time, until the cop in a rather kind and gentle voice said, "That's enough," but the way he expressed "That's enough," was as if he was saying, "Just one more time, so make it count."


So this also reminds me about my friend Norman who was black and suggested that crime pays pretty well, and the idea if you are a criminal that if you steal, steal big. Norm cited the 6 million in cash that was stolen at JFK that obviously was an inside job that did not get resolved. Norm said the problem is that the risk versus the reward for committing a petty crime is not worth it, so decades before Mark Cuban said, "Go big: or don't go." Norm said, "If you steal: steal big." Also, I credit Norm with the wisdom, "Crime-Pays."

How did I become an old man? LOL.

So at work, I tell my boss How-Weird that I'm going to Citibank to hit an ATM. When I get back the building has been evacuated because of a fire alarm, and I don't see How-Weird (Howard is his real name) out in the street, so I disregard the procedure and enter the building and run downstairs to the bunker where the nuclear chemistry labs are and the Cyclotron Vault.

I see How-Weird standing in front of an open cabinet holding a CO2 extinguisher, and there is an electrical fire. Nearby a PhD scientist is just standing there and so is his technician. I grab another fire extinguisher and tell Howard that CO2 is safe for electrical fires and all fires, I pull the pin on the fire extinguisher that I'm holding and tell him that if needed another fire extinguisher is right behind him.

I tell the two men just standing there to not leave Howard alone, and that I'm getting the keys to the utility room to kill the breaker that is feeding the cabinet.

I have read reports that in WWII new troops fresh out of boot camp kinda froze and did not return fire when being shot at, 3 out of 4 froze and did not respond by shooting back. I don't think I am or was a hero. Truth be told, I was the only one who responded out of 4 of us. How-Weird could not think. Every year we get trained and regrilled on how to respond to a fire. It was not lack of training, but a lack of thinking.

Also know there was a lack of thinking on my part too. Truth be told I did not follow the procedure either, and I forgot all about the years of annual training. The funny thing is that How-Weird is not a kid, a loved one, or someone I respect or like, in fact, I even have reason to hate him. Later that day I took ownership of not following the procedure, and I told Howard that next time "I will leave you for dead."

What was I thinking?

Cal

 

[MrFujicaman]

I'm going to buy you a stuffed tiger named "Hobbes"........

 

[Calzone]

My Santa Cruz Hog-"F" developed a sizzle on the G-string that makes it sound like a Sitar. The effect can sound cool and an example of this can be heard on a Steely Dan song from the album Pretzel Logic, pretty much due to low action and the string rattling against the frets.

So I eventually raised the action and actually used about 1/32 of an inch shim under the sculpted bone bridge saddle made from the combination of a maple coffee stirrer and an expired Metrocard to get rid of the G-string sizzle. Now the other 5 strings have high action that can be set lower for playability but know that with the higher action the sound got fuller, more bassy, and with more definition and clarity. I don't think I'll lower the wound bass strings so much to maintain the tone, but the two unwound strings certainly will get lowered more for playability.

Pretty much a new guitar is evolving...

I figure that the top is gaining in flexibility as I break it in, and the excursions have been greater. The tone and character of the tone I would say is throaty.

I also took a look at the Santa Cruz website and discovered that all the Snakewood bindings increased in price, and when I looked at my order I discovered that already I beat a pretty big price increase. The body binding price went from $600.00 to $800.00, and the fingerboard binding went from $200.00 to $300.00. Anyways my order locked in the lower prices and even though the guitar has not even been built yet it has appreciated in price like I knew it would.

Know that Snakewood is very difficult to work because it is brittle. On a cutaway guitar on the body, it can't be used.

Pretty soon in February, the kitchen will get scheduled for remodeling. I don't want to jump the shark by demoing the dining room ceiling to kinda keep a low profile with the building inspector.

The snowstorm made for a relaxing day. The City of Peekskill does an outstanding job plowing and salting the streets. Even though I am at the very edge of the city my remote dead end gets a thorough plowing.

Even though it's cold we will be going for a hike today. "Maggie" has a gig in the city Wednesday, I could get the new IPAD that I ordered back in December anytime now, and Maggie will be getting her Cat-R-act surgery pretty soon.

Just got an almost $1K oil bill. Ouch... Part of the problem is all the open rafters in the hallway and kitchen. The Farmer's Almanac was correct with some cold spells. Seems like I live right at the border of two climate zones so this I think adds to the moodiness of the weather and light that is pretty magical. It seems because of the drop n altitude that the heavier colder air settles into the valley that defines my hood of a maze of dead ends. We experience bear sightings in the spring, and spring and flowering is delayed by about 2-3 weeks from just 2-3 blocks away. I see the delay in the flowers and the flowering of trees.

We also experience cooler summers.

The best thing is that because of the Croton Reservoir which supplies NYC's water northern Westchester has to remain with lots of wilderness, open space, and further development has to be limited. The suburbs of Long Island has a population of three million which excludes Queens and Brooklyn (8 million if Brooklyn and Queens is included), meanwhile Westchester in the most recent census hit a milestone of having for the first time ever a population of one million.

Do the math and certainly the limited supply and demand commands greater appreciation, and know that north of Tarrytown and the Tappanzee Bridge the character of Westchester dramatically changes to more rural and hill-billy.

So even though I'm not working it seems like I'm making money.

I think I'll add some strength training to the hike today.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Monday, tomorrow, "Maggie" will be featured on Gail King's Morning Show on CBS.

On February 12th we will meet in NYC my possible future agent who is flying in from London.

Today I used the CL and natural light in the house to shoot Maggie. She made a comment about how her life and the world is a hot mess and it resonated with many, so I had her enter the small "bedroom" that is a closet for her clothes, shoes, and bags. What a mess and perfect to convey the mess and chaos she created. Anyway we shot some upstairs using a retro mirror, where it is O.K. for me to be in the shot as the photographer.

Anyways I found out I didn't lose my chops, and what we are doing now is more like the relationship Bill Cunningham had with his neighbor when he lived in Carnegie Hall where he used his neighbor as his muse to make art. Anyways this work is not content which I hate doing.

Because of the pandemic, some bike parts like hubs are hard to secure, so I bought an el cheapo wheel. Even though it is Shimano, it is a wheel of loose ball bearings like they did back in the day. Made in China, the hub was pretty poor quality, and it did not spin so well. It was as if they forgot to use grease, and I thought they assembled the wheel dry. So I opened it up, there was grease, but they preloaded the bearings too much. Anyways This is just a throwaway wheel that might last only a season or two.

I didn't have to cut the slots lower in the saddle on my Hog-"F" and was able to get the action lower by straightening the neck. Only a very localized sizzle remains by the third to fifth fret. Only a tiny more shimming and all will be great.

I watched a Project Runway series. They really worked these designers right to the breaking point. One designer had to quit for health reasons. Anyways what some of the critiques mention how editing is a real make or break importance, and how some accessories and details are actually distractions that are kinda like noise that impeedes communicating a message and also can be viewed as distractions.

The above made me think of how this works in photography. In today's shooting it was about light, contrast, and in one case background. It really became that simple and elegant.

We talked about me getting perhaps a Q2 or even a M11 with the purpose of having an EDC (Everyday Carry) because of wanting full-frame and a smaller package than a SL or SL2. We talked about shooting slides and sticking with my film cameras.

So evidently some pent-up photography is happening. I like the idea of shooting slides. Maggie said she would cover the processing. Seems like a cool and retro way to make art and get back into the process. This idea of going retro I kinda like and s line with two housing trends, buying old, and buying used furnishings. Also will jump-start my dead photography by getting the slides processed for me while the house gets remodeled and updated.

Maggie really likes the idea of the garage studio.

Anyways something is awakening.

Cal

 

[dshfoto]

Trying to find out if there is interest in:
An Imacon Flextight Precision II w/ dedicated Windows 7 Computer, located in Manhattan S/N on back reads FP 9926XXX

SCSII connection, All the manuals, original software disks, set of film holders,
The PII was serviced by Hasselblad in New Jersey about 2013 and has had only personal, hobby use since then,

Includes is a dedicated computer running 7 Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 installed. ADM Phenom IIx6 1055T Processor 2.8 GHz, 8.00 GB RAM, MIS 880GM-E43 Motherboard
After the system was up and running it was disconnected from the internet (Air-Gapped).

Want to find out if there is anyone in the NYC area who would be interested in this. Local Pickup Only.
Can be viewed in Manhattan, This is an operating system, that I want to sell as a complete unit.

Anyone interested can PM me.

Best to all
Steve Harris

 

[Calzone]

Looking forward to February because the kitchen will be remodeled, and a Mitsubishi mini-split with two air handlers will get installed.

Don't tell Maggie, but I'm the better cook, and I'm looking forward to having a real kitchen. Been living without counter space and no dishwasher for over a year. I call living without a real kitchen "glamping."

So I wonder how many of us are good in the darkroom? Chemistry is a process and so is cooking, so I think these skills are related. Also, I'm really great at growing things, like in gardening, and Maggie is not so good at that either, but she has good taste and an eye for style. I can say I pretty much don't have style, or I really lack it. I'm pretty much a sloppy dresser, but no one dresses like me. Somehow I come across as cool. Some of the stuff I buy, like these Nike sweat pants I bought last week Maggie says for me not to wear them when I go out with her. The Nike logo is kinda bold in a ghetto kinda way. Also, the size is a kid's large, but they are nicely tailored for me. Remember I'm a skinny bitch.

The buzzed sides, a result of many shaving accidents, is likely a trend I started that caught on, but now I'm letting the sides grow out. I kinda have this puffy hair that is like on a balding man that resembles what I would describe as a commercial toilet seat. Kinda "Ducky" in look. Anyways it kinda looks odd and funny. Just know that I have not had my hair cut by a professional in about 4 years. How cool is that?

I will keep the old fridge and will likely set it up in the basement for film cold storage.

Talked with Mike the Skinny Hipster who just built a carbon fiber gravel bike that has some 13 speed Campy group. 1x13 is mucho crazy.

On the last fin-alley of Project Runway, was held at Spring Street Studios where me and "Maggie" have attended events. I even think Maggie walked the runway there as a model for one of her designers.

Today I have been woodshedding and tweaking guitars. A very relaxing day, and now I know why musicians are so relaxed. Meanwhile, Maggie is still a hot mess. She has a full week ahead of her and at almost 69 I have to ask why is she working so hard? Why is she stressed? Why is she overly busy? Kinda crazy...

I made sure that my Santa Cruz order got updated to have gold tuners that will go with the "Buttered Toast" burst on the top.

The new freewheel on the steel IBIS skips under heavy load in my low gear, but I need to still break in this freewheel before possibly upgrading to a trials freewheel that has more pawls for engagement. Before building out a 1x11 drivetrain I want to give the standard freewheel a chance to settle in. Also the cold weather could also contribute to the skipping.

So you can see I'm relaxed, but Maggie has me concerned.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Cal, I finished my Telecaster with part's I had and with parts I ordered from ebay, the body I purchased
is a ash in vintage white and a 1994 fender neck, that with an original 74 bridge pickup and Seymour Duncan
neck "Antiquity". The other parts I used was a 1967 bridge with steel saddles and original pot's and switch
from the 60's. it made a nice growling tele, not bright on the high's I thick that's because of the ash wood
it has more pop in the mids and lows. I'm pretty happy in the way it turned out.

 

[Calzone]

Cal, I finished my Telecaster with part's I had and with parts I ordered from ebay, the body I purchased
is a ash in vintage white and a 1994 fender neck, that with an original 74 bridge pickup and Seymour Duncan
neck "Antiquity". The other parts I used was a 1967 bridge with steel saddles and original pot's and switch
from the 60's. it made a nice growling tele, not bright on the high's I thick that's because of the ash wood
it has more pop in the mids and lows. I'm pretty happy in the way it turned out.

Bob,

Sounds like a great guitar. Ash depending on density can be warm or really bright.

Is your white finish a see-through finish where you can see the grain of the wood? Back in the fifties, Fender was cheap on the paint and that is how the thin finishes on vintage guitars came about.

Guitar parts have become mucho expensive. The pandemic and Covid made Warmoth bodies and necks almost double in price. Early on in the pandemic, I bought a mahogany short-scale conversion neck to use on a chambered Tele body I got from them. Somehow I missed the huge price increases, the waiting, and the delays. I had to do some extra fret leveling up the neck. I was surprised because usually, the frets are pretty good right out of the box. I likely hit the curve where the orders were surging and before there were shortages.

I'm in a good space with guitars, and I'm glad I already have a stockpile and enough. The prices for me have become cost-prohibitive.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Today I actually was able to take my jog down a notch to maintain a more sustained effort. I stopped to tighten my trail running shoes, and I did stop to check out the view of Mount Spitzenberg.

Somehow I missed a short goat trail that brought me right to the summit the last time I stumbled into climbing the mountain. The goat trail added another 40-50 feet in altitude. Because of the bare trees I could see the Hudson Valley. I found a small fieldstone shelter that lacked a roof that formerly was a fire lookout station built in the 1930's by the Conservation Corps.

I took the switchbacks down to the parking lot to the shooting range. The descent would be rather speedy on a mountain bike, kinda perfect if you wanted to kill yourself.

I lucked out and ran into a Postal Carrier to get me oriented to the streets to navigate my way home. Pretty much I was in Cortlandt Manor where the character of the housing is farm like and colonials with perhaps a minimum building lot size of an acre, but many many houses were on 3-4 acre lots that gave a real upstate vibe. This is a place where the mailboxes are far from the houses and along Furnace Hill Road the mailboxes would be grouped together. No shoulder to the road and no sidewalks to capture a rural vibe.

Kinda interesting how Peekskill is a city of old very modest houses. When you drive out of Peekskill you see the abrupt transition of where did all the small old houses go that are so cute and have character.

I ran into Felix, one of my neighbors. I mentioned how the ranch up the hill sold so fast and at an inflated price, and how that boosted the value of our homes. Evidently, the old owners now rent the house they just sold. I guess part of the agreement is they can rent until they find a new house to buy. Interesting... Also, Felix's house was built in 1948 and his taxes are a lot more than mine.

It will be interesting to see how the kitchen remodel gets appraised.

So I am pleased that I could sustain an effort for over 2 hours. I learned that trail running is a lot harder than running on pavement, and I had to slow it down a ctad to make it sustainable. On my jog I spooked a herd of deer, and I did run into two hipster girls on a trail early on. The exercise really relaxes me.

In the woods it is so still and quiet.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

No That's a great finish, mine covered good with the paint covering the grain hard to find that but I see some China made
body parts have promise.

 

[jszokoli]

My Steel IBIS is 35 years old and has a rear U-brake. This is O.K. because during that time some bikes had their U-brakes attached to the rear chainstays by the bottom bracket. At least my brake studs are on the seat stays. Right now I have a BMX brake back there, and a new CNC brake just got delivered while I was running-jogging-hiking.Cal

Cal,

I have a set of NOS Campy Euclid U-brakes you can have if you need them...

See:
https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=fb1ab3f4-379d-4b5c-ad0a-3db1dc675ba5&Enum=117

Hubs are also getting more rare as most people are buying wheelsets these days.

Joe

 

[Calzone]

Cal,

I have a set of NOS Campy Euclid U-brakes you can have if you need them...

See:
https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.a...75ba5&Enum=117

Hubs are also getting more rare as most people are buying wheelsets these days.

Joe

Joe,

Thanks for the Campy offer, but I am a blue-collar Shimano guy.

Also, those brakes are for a road bike I believe, but if for a mountain bike they would be a crazy cool piece of jewelry as all that Campy stuff is. Mike the Skinny Hipster would be all over a lot of your retro gear. He has a campy fetish.

I would consider Mike the Skinny Hipster one of the "Crazies of New York" that I am known for knowing. Also, he is a working pro photographer. This is a guy who rides down a descent on 9W on a fixed gear bike doing like 50 MPH clipped in. A total wack-job.

I got the new BMX CNC'ed brake and it allowed me to mount the wider tire that says it's a 2.1 but I say the tire is about a 2.25. On the steel IBIS the front uses a 2.35 Schwable Hans Damph on a 26-inch rim, but the actual tire diameter is 27 inches. Also, the Arrow Racing aggressive tire is on a 24-inch rim, but the tire diameter is 25 inches. The gain in diameter of one inch raises the bottom bracket height, raises the center-of-gravity, and makes for a more aggressive bike. The steel IBIS has a very short wheelbase that is only 39 1/2 inches and with the 72-degree head tube angle, the steering is fast and twitchy.

Anyways some of my friends say that the steel IBIS is unrideable. LOL. This is a bike where it is easy to do endo's. I love it. LOL.

My hill-billy friend Alex is alive. I was worried that Covid might have taken him out because I called, and called, and called... He was the sole supplier of Middleburn cranks and chainrings that are trials tough and great for tandem building because they are so overbuilt. The shipping costs from England make buying Middleburn products cost prohibited today.

Alex has some stock, but I guess he wound down being the U.S. distributor is the smut, so I now have the opportunity to buy out his last remaining stock. The Middleburn chain rings are known to last twice as long as regular chainrings, especially the ones that are "Hardcoated" which is some grey ceramic coating that is impregnated with teflon.

Also, he has these "Duo" inners in 29T that offer me great gearing with the odd 24 inch rear wheels that are so unconventional on a mountain bike. The Duo inner is a combination of chainring and spyder for a double. He is out of 42T outer rings, but he has 40T in hardcoat. I have only one 42T outer Duo chainring in my stockpile, so the addition of mucho 40T is actually ideal. The 42T is really for an extended wider gear range.

The Middleburn cranks I have on both IBIS's utilize ISIS bottom brackets which are splined and overkill.

The idea is the steel IBIS is a 25-27 inch wheeled bike set up for technical. This bike is no "Skinny Puppy" and is built for durability, but the Ti IBIS will be a 24-26 wheeled bike that is more for single track and cross country that will be lighter for epic rides. One bike is like my old Jeep Scrambler, and the other like my Audi.

I realize that the more than a year of commuting took its toll on my strength. Strength takes a lot of time to develop, and not so much time to lose. The only thing I have going for me is that I'm a skinny bitch, and I can rely somewhat on muscle memory. Also know that all the walking/wandering I do has kept my resting pulse in the low to mid 50's range.

I'm at a point now where my strength is building and I can do sustained efforts without resting. I know I need to do lots of this to build out a firm "base." There is this remarkable thing that even happens to people who get stents called An-GIO-genisis where new veins and arteries grow and branch out with diet and exercise. This is part of the process even though I never had a stent or blockage.

Today another sustained effort in Blue Mountain. "Maggie" wants to go so I will use a pair of 2 1/2 pound heavy hands to tax me and slow me down. The idea here is sustained effort for blood flow. I'll also do a morning weight workout to slow me down.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

No That's a great finish, mine covered good with the paint covering the grain hard to find that but I see some China made
body parts have promise.

Bob,

Yesterday "Maggie" had a gig in NYC. I dropped her off at the train station and pretty much had a guitar day. The Santa Cruz OM from 1996 is very well played in and set up so it is bright and loud. Because the Santa Cruz Model "F" is larger and deeper the OM feels small and intimate like a parlor guitar.

I discovered that I shimmed the bridge saddle on the Model "F" too much and removed a shim the thickness of a postcard, and what a difference it made. Now it seems the guitar is set up in its "sweet spot."

Anyways I was in heaven.

So I'm learning a lot of new material and music is like learning a new language. My playing is smoothing out and getting faster and more fluid. Kinda interesting where very little thinking is happening and it is kinda like just breathing.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

On "Maggie's" gig from some Canadian Funiture manufacturer we likely will get a new day-bed that Maggie says will go nicely in our front enclosed front porch. Right now I have this porch occupied with the Concept 2 rower/ERG. Anyways It will be a great place to have coffee or to take a nap.

Oh-well for my Concept 2.

In conversation with "Jimmy" the guy who performed the interview part of the production on Maggie's gig yesterday, who also bought a house in northern Peekskill near Garrison right before the Pandemic, somehow came up in conversation that each of Jimmy's next-door neighbors are both photographers with darkrooms. One is a guy who recently displayed his work at Peekskill Coffee (downtown), and the woman has a gallery in Cold Spring that represents her.

Maggie told Jimmy about how "Fred" and "Brian" both want me to start a mini Photoville in Peekskill, and that I might start a Peekskill Meet-Up of some sorts. This is their idea, not mine.

Snarky Joe says that at Photoville the shipping containers are an awful way to present an exhibition, and I agree. A better approach would be a rather huge tent with open sides to exploit the lower Hudson Valley light just to create a sheltered space. The idea would be to "Showcase" photography. Anyways that would be my pitch to the City of Peekskill.

An idea would dealing with a limited space of a smaller tent would be to replicate what Brian, Apple, and Fred did which is to have a rotation of sorts so a smaller space would be fully exploited and "The Tent" would be exploited every weekend. They did this at the Christmas Market and it worked very well.

Also Fred has this idea of doing our own version of "The Fence" near the incinerator along the "Riverwalk" that one day will connect all the way down to Yonkers. Nearby is a Brewery BTW.

So far I have not taken any action or given feedback to either Brian, Fred or Apple.

Fred BTW is a local Mover and Shaker who has political and social connections. He kinda knows all 18K residents of Peekskill and can pull off on a whim a Christmas Market Downtown on a week or two notice with the City of Peekskill approval. He did this with Brian who I will profile as a ex-hipster from Brooklyn who is a retailer of clothing downtown, and "Apple" a pretty hipster gal who sells flowers, makes floral arrangements, and also is an ex-hipster from Brooklyn.

So another "Damaso" of where I try to just "mind my own business" and other people kinda ruin my life. Of course, I'm being a Drama Queen and exaggerating, because when Damaso Reyes suckered me into being responsible for the NYC Meet-Up by doing a bait and switch when he left Dodge for Barcelona Spain. The NYC is a great thing, it creates a sense of community and a space that is safe for us camera nerds.

So sometime after the kitchen gets done in February, I'm thinking of setting up Meet-Up's: one in NYC likely at the Beer Garden in Astoria for safety, and perhaps one in Peekskill.

By some computer error somehow I got an extra month ($383.00) credit on a debit card that can be used for commuting expenses. I have about a 2 month or 2 1/2 month deadline to use it or lose it. I'll call today to find out how much credit I have, but rather than lose it I figure I could at the last moment buy Metro North round trip tickets that are off-peak to give away for covering a Peekskill visit. The train ride is just over an hour from Grand Central.

The train fare is not inexpensive by the way. These last moment tickets are good for a two-month envelope.

More details later.

Anyways I do the Meet-Up as a public service, but in the end, I also get back more than I give somehow. When I asked Damaso to consider someone else because I'm a lazy slacker, he said, "I know I made the right choice."

Pretty crazy is how I try to keep a low profile, but I don't need any Public Relations or an Agent to get work. How did that happen?

So now I have plans of possibly upgrading my Epson 7800 24 inch floor standing printer known as the "Jersey Barrier" that I secured for $100.00 thanks to Chris. How crazy would it be to go even bigger with a really big Epson to fully exploit my SL2 47.3 MP.

Then the thought comes to mind of making the Epson 7800 a full-blown color printer using "Cone Color" inks.

The big deal of the upgrade is that a real crazy printer would allow me to print digital negatives and still be able to print Piezography Pro to have digital proofing. Piezography Pro does not require a two-step process or any change of ink sets.

So this might be a new beginning. Somehow I can see a printing studio evolving. Who knows if it will expand into an actual storefront/gallery in Peekskill. A goal would be to use my "Newsboy" bike as a trademark and my mode of transportation to work. Maggie says I have no style, but that's the point, I don't need any style to be noticed.

With my Jeep Scrambler I was known by everyone as the crazy who installed a Corvette motor into a Jeep Scrambler, but I can see people talking about the fit old guy on the silver (polished Titanium) bike that has the 1950's vibe that is youthful and timeless. Anyway, it did not take long to have a "stalker." LOL. Remind me not to go running around with my shirt off in Peekskill. Then again artists by definition are exhibitionists. LOL.

I can see me doing a business where I'm open on the weekends and by appointment only. I want to remain my reputation as a lazy slacker. Devil Christian says, "I can see you having a gallery in Peekskill and doing well."

I wonder if I bought that Fugly house not so far away that has the storefront being an ideal workspace if things ever took off. I would have a storefront that is kinda ghetto which oddly is an ambition of mine, and then I could have a guest house and additional workspace since Maggie is putting the squeeze on me. The house is not far from the Armoury which I want to convert into Peekskill's version of the DIA in Beacon.

Anyways I have the imagination of a ten-year-old, but because of divine intervention miracles seem to happen repeatedly for me.

As I say, I get approached by the crazies of New York for a reason. "Takes one: to know one," I say. I have lots of crazy ideas, but the scary thing is that like a Navy SEAL I can pull this off. How cool is that?

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Help me...

"Maggie" left a bag in NYC, and "Jimmy" stopped by the house to drop off the garment bag. So they conspire to have a meet at Peekskill Coffee which includes Jimmy's wife to talk about photography.

I think and feel like I'm getting snookered.

So I wonder how I can be an extreme extrovert and a loner at the same time?

Cal

 

[Calzone]

My Master's in TV Broadcast Journalism made me fact check. Fred likely knows all the 24.6K residents of Peekskill not the 18K I mentioned.

Did you know that the City of Peekskill is only 4.4 square miles? Also, Peekskill is only 50 miles from NYC.

Anyways Beacon further north on the river and also a river town that is an art community actually went down in population from 15.5K to 13.8K, while Peekskill grew from 23.5K to 24.6K. My guess is that the redevelopment and gentrification forced out poor people. Evidently, that has not happened in Peekskill.

So I started to "game" CVS. They issue receipts that are 3-4 feet long with coupons. So I in turn figured I would hose them. I just used a $4.00 off a twenty-dollar purchase coupon. The trick here is to maximize the savings to 20% by making the total just barely over $20.00. This way I kinda profit more than they do.

Then there is a $6.00 off my next purchase of $30.00 or more I just got. Know that I still have another $4.00 off my next purchase of $20.00 or more that expires on February 8th. The $6.00 coupon expires on the 10th of February, but using these coupons is not a problem for a hoarder like me who says "Load up the truck when things are on sale, especially in an inflationary environment."

I now have a stockpile of Fig Newtons which are a good "biker food" and a great emergency snack to keep in the car. Also, know that the granddaughter known as the "Creature Junior" can eat a whole box of Fig Newtons in one sitting.

Pretty much anything I buy at CVS is 20% off. "Load up the truck," I say. Also, "Hose them good."

Anyways life is a game and the idea here is to play it on your own terms, and not to get played by others. Kinda childish, but also a good approach.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I called the Commuter Card issuer to find out that my current balance was $1052.50. Even though I canceled the monthly subscription in November when I had a surprise $383.00 my employer's payroll continued deductions anyways for December and January it seems.

In the end, I was hoping for a tax deduction since this system was to use pre-tax dollars ($4596.00 annually) to pay for my $383.00 monthly Metro North ticket. So now I have what they call in the military a "Cluster-FXXX." According to the representative the likelihood it was my employer's payroll that is to blame.

So in one way, it is not a tax deduction anymore, and if I write off the $1052.50 it still kinda is a break-even, I just would not save the 25% of tax savings I figure. Also I know that I have 90 days from December 22, 2021 to expend these funds (till May 22d).

I also know that the Metro-North tickets have a two-month envelope before they expire, but that means the conductors have to check the dates. So technically I could have legit Metro North tickets that expire May 22d at best.

I could buy a bunch of Metrocards as a store of value.

I have a few friends where I might be able to buy their monthly to recover $383.00 for a monthly Metro North ticket.

The round trip off-peak fare is $26.50 from Grand Central to Peekskill, and at this time of the pandemic they are not charging or enforcing peak fares.

So now that I have a car it seems I could plan a few Bear Mountain "Death Marches" that involves say a carload of photographers to basically cross a "bridge to nowhere" (Bear Mountain Bridge) into the wilderness for a long hike of shooting.

In the book, "On The Road" a cult classic for the "beat generation" the main character gets stuck in Peekskill and has to hitchhike back to NYC to head west. I'm not kidding about being a bridge to nowhere, and I think that Bear Mountain State Park and Harriman State Park combined present a huge wilderness to explore that is the "Gateway to the Hudson Highlands."

So I say let's plan a few single-day trips, but know that the train ride is an hour 15 minutes, and I would like to be driving on the road over the bridge at daybreak to make the day full and worthwhile of a true epic adventure.

The owner of "The Bruised Apple" told me about a hike to an abandoned iron mine that actually is accessible and a likely great destination to go shoot. I already bout a map and opposite Peekskill is very little development and mostly wilderness.

So let's do this 4-5 people at a time. I have the Metro North tickets covered, but the adventures have to be before May 22d.

Cal

 

[jszokoli]

... those brakes are for a road bike I believe...Cal

You believe wrong, 100% Campagnolo mountain craziness. These where part of the early mountain groups that guaranteed that Campy would not play in the mountain market going forward.

Nothing blue color with your other tastes, get with the program and get with Campagnolo....
Joe

 

[Calzone]

You believe wrong, 100% Campagnolo mountain craziness. These where part of the early mountain groups that guaranteed that Campy would not play in the mountain market going forward.

Nothing blue color with your other tastes, get with the program and get with Campagnolo....
Joe

So Joe you are a campy snob. LOL.

A Campy U-brake for a mountain bike. I love it. Hopefully, it has clearance for my aggressive tire.

I'm actually living in a retirement daydream. Lots more opportunities and possibilities. Might be time to get really crazy.

The light this morning was so grey and diffused. Over the frog ghetto was a hovering ground fog.

Lots of cops are getting shot in NYC I heard from "Maggie." She saw a sea of cops in uniform for the two that were killed. Recently 4 cops have been shot I am told.

I presently line in a news blackout and am in a bubble of sorts.

So now I'm looking how to expend the $1052.50. I wonder If I could buy a Amtrack tickets... Could be a good excuse to go to the Philly Flower Show...

Cal

 

[Calzone]

"Maggie" now says, "You are too skinny." I'm likely around 140 pounds and the pumping up and loss of accumulated water weight makes me think I am where I want to be. My blood pressure dropped into the 110/60 range.

Still waiting for Alex to give me a special closeout deal so I can load up the truck with chainrings that I deem the best for my bombproof Middleburn cranks. I will exploit the modular design and the number of different Spyders I own to make conversions easy from 1x11 to 2x11. I will also gear the steel IBIS lower than the Ti version for versatility.

I await the warmth of spring to get into my training cycle deeper. I'm looking kinda youthful, so I'm ready to meet my possible future agent for the second time in a little bit more than a week.

Maggie has been getting frequent Covid testing. She needed one for the last gig, and today she got another before her left eye surgery for Cat-R-ACTS. Meanwhile, we have been having "Creature Junior," the granddaughter, for a few days. I really enjoy the company of a wonderful kid.

The cold limits me to just strength workouts. A recent ice storm makes trail running marginal.

Seems like the real estate agents are short of inventory. So many people now have locked in mortgage rates below 3% that selling and locking in another low rate makes people hold onto what they own. It may take a decade or more to get through the housing shortage. I have also taken notice that people like me who own old houses tend to hold them for because of their lower tax rates.

Maggie says that one housing trend is going old in housing. My guess is that with Covid they don't want a dry-modern open space anymore and there is a return to the cozy with broken-up private space. Having lived in a real loft in the Southside of Williamsburg before it was conquered by hipsters, I know both. Private space I see being underlined and emphisized. Glad that I have experienced both, but I'm mighty glad for the cozy and privacy I'm building out.

I figure with the cold weather lifting that this year the spring, summer, and fall will add a new dimension to living because of my retirement where I will and can experience everything more fully. With my training, I know that I likely will need to sleep an hour more. Not a problem because I have the time. I still get up right before sunrise...

I have a quiet life, and I'm enjoying it. Enough big things are happening this year that I don't feel bored, and it will be interesting to see how much I can get done when the cold moderates. Really looking forward to working on the beds around the pergola to build out the landscaping to create an outdoor living space. Then there is the back-backyard. I have some red and white oak acorns that I am trying to germinate, then there is the Japanese red maple mulch that will likely generate many seedlings. I'm trying to generate somewhat a container tree farm of sorts. The purpose is to try and restore the environment, and with the Japanese Maples, there could be a profit.

I have False Indigo seeds I harvested from a mature plant on my property. The tall blue flowers are wonderful, but to propagate it takes 4-years to get to flowering. The stalks and flowers are long and lanky. Again I could use container gardening. I have all this land that drops off in the back as a rather feral space. Plus I have the land around the dead-end that I already transplanted a bunch of maple saplings to create a grove of sorts.

I imagine that in a year or two that the chain link fence I moved down the slope will become invisible with the leaf mulching that I accumulate on a large scale. The next few years will cascade over and backfill the slope with mulch that eventually will become fertile topsoil. The overlook of this cliff I'm building will extend to the edge of the frog ghetto which is a 35-40 acre sea of marsh grass that includes Dickey Brook that leads to the mighty Hudson River. There is a small pool also on Dickey Brook.

I envision a sanctuary of sorts evolving. On the dead-end, I have a lot of Milkweed already growing, so I intend on making the dead end a butterfly garden of sorts. For some reason, we already have a crazy amount of birds. The frogs limit the number of insects it seems, but the frogs are noisy neighbors. Pretty much a swamp is right next to my back-backyard, but there is a serious lack of flies and mosquitoes.

I have found Ladybugs wintering in our house. They seem to like older houses, especially ones with a large number of windows. I learned that they cause no structural damage, but I have to do the catch and release into the wild to prevent an infestation. Also have seen a remarkable amount of Preying Mantis on my property.

I wonder how the new kitchen might impact my property taxes. I have remarkably low-low taxes, especially for Westchester. I do know the value of having a wonderful backyard and back-backyard that is private and serene, but this won't impact my taxes. The outdoor space we created by building out a 10x10 pergola and patio I think went under the radar as far as taxes. Not sure if our remodel of the kitchen will cause a tax increase. I hope not.

Cal