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I’m handling all the retirement paperwork.

To do something positive I restored the carved top Tele by replacing the mahogany short scale neck I borrowed off it to test out the Cabronita.

The new one-piece maple Snakehead neck I buffed out with optical polishing clothes. Started with 3200 grit and went to 12,000 grit.

Mounted vintage style tuners and dressed the frets. Currently the neck is on the Cabronita body and I’m cutting the nut slots.

I can already tell that this guitar is mucho different with this other neck.

I’m going back to work…

Cal
 
The Cabronita is mucho different with the one-piece maple neck and the longer scale. I tuned it down a half-step to drop the string tension a bit.

Tomorrow after the neck takes it’s set I’ll tighten the truss rod for lower action, and then I’ll cut the nut slots lower to optimize everything.

The guitar plays great, and tomorrow I’ll plug it in. Unplugged it has a very different vibe. The shorter scale I think chimed more, but the frequency response seems warmer and the bass seems more pronounced.

I can always change back and use the snakehead on the carved top Tele. We’ll see…

Cal
 
I do not know man, I enjoy a few beers, though I only had wine on Christmas. I think one can drink and still have a good life as long as drinking is not your life.

So, when does the 8x10 camera arrive?
 
Calzone said:
Christmas had it’s drama.

A grieving process continued as “Maggie’s” mom died last Christmas Eve.

Then there was this tension between a father and his two adult children that were managing their father’s mental illness.

Things got a bit delusional at one point, and there was an outbreak of anger, attacks were made that kinda killed and ruined as some projected anger was directed at Maggie.

I kinda stepped in and had to be provocative. I kinda called Maggie’s brother out by comparing him to Billy Crystal and started digging into him by singing, “Rolling-rolling-roll-N; my ass cheeks are swollen…” because delusion along with the show “Yellowstone” somehow got romanticized because Maggie’s brother projected his identity as a real “cowboy” because he worked as one for 4 months one summer.

So pretty much if you want to attack or hurt someone try that with me. Go ahead and get aggressive with me I kinda layed out in a calm and cool way. No anger in my voice, but let’s go was the message.

Of course I’m dealing with someone with a drinking problem… I also know that fighting a drunk means you really have to take them apart and disable them.

Someone backed down. I apologized that things were taken the wrong way, even though it was not me or other people that took things in a bad way, I pointed out it was Christmas, and that Dave had been roasted by everyone all day.

An apology was given but it was lame and without merit because some one sat on the couch by themselves and unwound themselves further by sulking.

So the Alpha-Male behavior came out, and I’m glad I did not over react. Things can get crazy fast, but I was not the person being crazy.

So Snarky Joe and Devil Christian say I have a way with the crazies, and it seems I bring them out, but I say, “I was just minding my own business.”

Although I never worked as a cowboy, I am very aware of how weather, and the solitude of living in the wilderness out west.

A summer is an entire different story. Read the Whiting Writing Award winning book by Judy Blunt called “Breaking Clean.” This book reveals the other 2/3rds of what it is like to be a cattle rancher, and the harsh storms that have to be confronted and endured. A very brutal life and not so romantic.

I do not romanticize Christmas. Generally it is stressful and it causes mucho crazy behaviors.
Click to expand...

Sounds like someone waited too long before serving the lasagna. People tend to get grumpy when they are hungry.
 
jsrockit said:
I do not know man, I enjoy a few beers, though I only had wine on Christmas. I think one can drink and still have a good life as long as drinking is not your life.

So, when does the 8x10 camera arrive?
Click to expand...

John,

I spoke of mental illness and drinking is not a good combination.

Sadly, for some people drinking is the center of their life.

In my case I have lots of things that are more important to me than drinking.

Potential violent confrontation on Christmas at a family gathering is not fun.

Also talking with people who drink too much because of incoherence lacks any meaning.

My High School Class of 1976 seemed never to have grown up, as their behaviors were still as if they were kids partying.

Cal
 
“Maggie” told me about a New York Times article that basically blames late baby boomers like me who left the work force, retired early and created a worker shortage that is promoting inflation.

“Maggie” also contends many women have left the workforce because of the cost of daycare or the lack of daycare. I think this is also true. BTW daycare is expensive.

Then there is a business owner who told me that young people are demanding crazy salaries even though they lack experience. At this local tool rental, they hired a young person who had some automotive background, but lacked any 2-cycle or diesel experience. The young person wanted top dollar, ended up working for about a week, and then quit.

I figure it could of been a place to learn 2-cycle and diesel, but I guess this was not taken as an opportunity…

I’m not so pleased with the contractor who did our kitchen and powder room. They were short staffed and some of the work was done in a rush which turned out sloppy. Pretty much I have to regrout the powder room floor, and finish painting and do a lot of touchups.

My money is good elsewhere, and we have a new contractor for the upstairs bath and the connecting of the tower room to the front bedroom to create a master suite. Oh-well…

So I’m spending lots of time on my projects and the house. Today I got a flyer from a real estate realty that had a listing of about 20 different recent sales in Peekskill. The “Days on the market” is as short as 7 days and as long as 55 days, but most are in the 2-3 week envelope. I would say the market still remains hot because evidently the demand still remains high, and stock is limited.

If anything I think housing will go sideways at its worse as far as prices. The supply is tight.

I can say that this past year I spent a lot of money, and I purchased lots of things. Surely this can be inflationary.

I can tell you that I’m not going back to work, I’m retired. Remember they killed additions to my pension. Oh-well.

Also I don’t think the worker shortage will go away any time soon.

Don’t forget all the demoralized cops that are retiring… With DeBlasio the criminals got a get out of jail free card.

The “off-shoring” that happened with Globalization will unwind, and building and rebuilding domestic supply lines will take a lot of capitol. Of course this will take time and is fraught if a labor shortage persists. Pretty much I see stagnation for an enduring period.

Cal
 
The Cabronita came out great and plays well. Having only a bridge pickup is a limitation, but it is still a very cool guitar.

I think I will name it “Burst” because of the two-tone finish. The Snakehead maple neck comes off as unusual for a Fender style guitar, and I like it because it stands out.

The handwork I did on a Warmoth neck, slimming a “Fatback” profile into a somewhat 1959 “Roundback” till about the 7th fret, and then a bit beefier beyond the 7th fret.

The maple neck has less overtones and is perhaps drier than the short scale mahogany neck I borrowed off the carved top Tele to play around a bit.

The setup on the guitar is really-really great. Plays well with 12’s now at pitch with a plain “G” string. Mighty good looking also.

I took my time and really enjoyed building this one.

It might be a while before I build another…

Cal
 
Daycare for a 4 month old grandson is a full time job.

It seems an inadvertent consequence of mask wearing from Covid actually advance the strength of other viruses.

I have a persistent cold, as well as “Maggie” from our grand kids. Care giving exposed us to disease brought into our home by children.

The Pediatrician has stated that it seems kids are getting sick every two weeks, and he has observed pretty much a cycle of illness.

Normally I never get sick, not even a Cold.

So it seems that if my grandson was in a daycare he would be exposed to even more diseases, and these diseases have strengthened and are more rampedly spreading.

BTW we got Covid from our grand daughter.

I imagine that childcare workers have a high risk of getting infected with disease/illness. A tough job, no wonder it is so costly.

Cal
 
Calvin “The Gas Guzzler” went on a 4 1/2 mile walk from one end of Peekskill to almost the other to pay off a lumber yard bill. The new door and sidelights finally came in that perhaps we custom ordered about 9 months ago.

Dain’s Lumber is the oldest lumber yard in Westchester.

I have this thread where I kinda created a “safe place,” but some individuals have violated and invaded in a manner that required me to “Cast Shade.”

I’m surprised that these individuals still not only lurk, but also continue to try and engage with me. I’m done with them after giving them lots of leeway.

Pretty much these guys screwed themselves. I knew from other threads and other posts that this is where we were going to end up. No surprise. I know and gleaned from another thread and another post that one of our friends also laid out and confronted this one jerk for his bad behavior.

I’m a pretty tolerant person, but now I say that if you enjoy what I publish here, and you like or love having a safe place, then please support me in not engaging with these jerks here and in other threads in RFF.

Why support or engage with bad behavior? I say one needs to draw the line somewhere. Also, sadly, these people get off on behaving badly. I suggest ignoring jerks and not validating their existence by engaging with them. It would be great if this was extended into other threads and posts, and I encourage that.

Please lend your support and ignore these jerks on RFF. Don’t engage with them. Pretty simple.

Calvin The Gas’s Guzzler
 
Ever experience shopping at Trader Joe’s?

Not only do the cut flowers last a long-long time because they are fresh, but the people who work there are pleasant and seem to be happy.

”Maggie” researched why. Seems like the culture is nurturing, the benefits are great, and not only does the CEO/founder want the customers to be happy, but also the workers.

The pay rate is high and and raises can be 7%. No one ever got laid off at Trader Joe’s over it 50 years of existence.

They kinda avoid unhappy people because you can’t train people to be happy or nice. I found this to be true with the characters that needed shade to be enforced upon them. Eventually they showed their true colors.

So at Trader Joe’s they seriously hire only nice people who are pleasant because you can’t train people to be happy or nice.

Read around posts 159 and 174 as case studies and examples of the point.

Cal
 
We have been shoppers with TJ's for many years now. We search them out in cities that we vacation in like Seattle, San Francisco, St. Lewis and so on. We had three locations when we lived in Austin. Here in Colorado Springs just one and it is super busy every day. The staff is very helpful and professional. They will stop what they are doing to get you an answer to a product question. Lots of that now with all the supply chain craziness that is going on these days. We love TJ's. Great products, great prices and great people. 😀
 
Austintatious said:
We have been shoppers with TJ's for many years now. We search them out in cities that we vacation in like Seattle, San Francisco, St. Lewis and so on. We had three locations when we lived in Austin. Here in Colorado Springs just one and it is super busy every day. The staff is very helpful and professional. They will stop what they are doing to get you an answer to a product question. Lots of that now with all the supply chain craziness that is going on these days. We love TJ's. Great products, great prices and great people. 😀
Click to expand...

Austin,

A manager said that in job interviews he does not hire people who do not smile within the first 30 seconds of an interview.

Also management comes from and is promoted from within, and at Trader Joe’s the salaries and opportunities are pretty big. I was surprised at the pay rate also.

Seems like they created a “Safe-Place” where nice people are teamed together.

I can tell you that at hospitals it is not like on the TV shows where people are all friends and having sex. Lots of difficult egos, bizarre behavior, and anti social behavior that is clearly crazy.

My big Chief had rage attacks and was a naracist. My Supervisor was a bully. A very demoralizing environment. Lots of crazy anxious people and crazy behaviors.

Cal
 
Do you think having a safe place and a support group is important enough to protect from invasive members?

Do you want to feed and nurture invasive behaviors, or support bad behaviors by engaging and responding?

And then why not draw a line and extend the ignoring to other threads in this forum?

I read a thread where one of our friends called one of these people out and asked directly, “Are we going to have problems again?”

There is a history and policy of aggression and hostility.

Think of what is happening in the Ukraine. How did that war start? And most of all, how do you isolate a person like Putin and remove his power and influence.

I know this is just a small thread, but the story is similar, as well as the characters that have distorted egos or lack of one that makes them forceful.

Be thoughtful…

Cal
 
Calzone said:
John,

I spoke of mental illness and drinking is not a good combination.

Sadly, for some people drinking is the center of their life.

In my case I have lots of things that are more important to me than drinking.

Potential violent confrontation on Christmas at a family gathering is not fun.

Also talking with people who drink too much because of incoherence lacks any meaning.

My High School Class of 1976 seemed never to have grown up, as their behaviors were still as if they were kids partying.

Cal
Click to expand...

Oh I understand completely Cal. I did not mean to insinuate otherwise. I was being lighthearted.
 
Calzone said:
Daycare for a 4 month old grandson is a full time job.

It seems an inadvertent consequence of mask wearing from Covid actually advance the strength of other viruses.

I have a persistent cold, as well as “Maggie” from our grand kids. Care giving exposed us to disease brought into our home by children.

The Pediatrician has stated that it seems kids are getting sick every two weeks, and he has observed pretty much a cycle of illness.

Normally I never get sick, not even a Cold.

So it seems that if my grandson was in a daycare he would be exposed to even more diseases, and these diseases have strengthened and are more rampedly spreading.

BTW we got Covid from our grand daughter.

I imagine that childcare workers have a high risk of getting infected with disease/illness. A tough job, no wonder it is so costly.

Cal
Click to expand...

I can vouch for this in Chile too. My son has been sick every other week for a year since he went to Jardin. He also gets us sick. No fun.
 
jsrockit said:
Oh I understand completely Cal. I did not mean to insinuate otherwise. I was being lighthearted.
Click to expand...

John,

Understood.

I have no problems with people who drink, but drunks are a serious problem.

Cops say that about 90% of violent crime is related to or involves drinking.

Sadly I see too many people who can’t control themselves. Very sad…

Cal
 
jsrockit said:
I can vouch for this in Chile too. My son has been sick every other week for a year since he went to Jardin. He also gets us sick. No fun.
Click to expand...

John,

Normally I never get sick, not even a cold, but now it seems I’m getting sick frequently.

With my grandson I’m seeing and experiencing development an a daily level. I find it a little sad in how it seems he is growing up so fast and changing.

The song “I Wanna Be Sedated” by the Ramones gets rid of any foul mood and brings a smile to his face. I sing it like a kid’s nursery rhyme.

24-24 hours ago I wanna be sedated…

Nowhere to go, and I don’t wanna go home…

I wanna be sedated…

Put me in a wheelchair, get me on the bus, hurry, hurry, hurry, before I go nuts…

Oh-oh-oh-O

Bah-bah-bah

A bah-bah-bah

I wanna be sedated…

Hurry, hurry, hurry

get me to the airport,

get me on the plane,

hurry, hurry, hurry

before I go insane…

Bah-bah- bah-bah

I wanna be sedated…


Cal
 
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