The last quarter of the year flew by, and at least in Sweden they opened up fully till the new wave led by Omicron. I used the time to be out and socialize as much as possible.
not much photography and I have been away from the forums for a while. Did not even notice the RFF migration and glad you are posting and happily retired!
It thus has felt as 2021 were different years in one.
Had a similar mood before christmas, went home, Covid strikes again and the news are not good.
It was a bit tough getting home and, while it is not death, I had reminders of time passing.
The Mediterranean light re inspired me photographically, and it has been nice after Christmas.
Jorde,
We went for a long walk today in the fog. Yesterday and today there was a persistent fog with some wet ground, but no rain. The Hudson Valley pretty much told us that it is a one big cloud forest. The contrast was very conducive to photography and the light very diffused. Somehow I became inspired and began seeing shots, but I was without a camera. I wish I had my M9M because that is the camera that I consider my "art-camera." So I began to notice that there are these funky houses that had storefronts added that built out front yards. Kinda ghetto, funky, and rather odd that gave new meaning to "work from home." but these storefront additions were decades old and pre covid.
Not far from my Baby-Victorian is a fugly white house that has been under contract for over a year and 4 months. The storefront happens to be a good one for an art gallery and would make for a great studio.
So I found inspiration in photographing these work from home spaces because they are so odd and perhaps a bit crazy. We walked from the southern end (We live on the last street in Peekskill and beyond is basically woods) to the northern end of the city where there is a creek where once there were steel mills. So the light was interesting, so was the contrast, and then I found a very interesting subject to photograph with a book in mind with the title "Work From Home."
There is a building that is industrial by the junior high I would love to buy. Looks like the roof is beginning to collapse, but the walls are brick, and the building is old. Not too far from the Peekskill downtown, and on a busy street. The roof would have to be replaced (Gable style), and I'm sure the insides are a wreck, but anyways that's my style. I'm sure it would make a great workspace and gallery.
So Beacon has the DIA which is a huge museum on the river that formally was a Nabisco factory, so the only building I know that is pretty big that could be made into an art center/museum is the Armoury near my house. The only problem is that the National Guard still uses this armory. If I ever meet the governor of New York I would suggest that they move all the stored equipment to Camp Smith on the northern end of Peekskill and donate the armory to create an art center/museum.
"Maggie" says I should talk with Fred, one of our friends, who is influential in the development of the city. There also is another friend, and another friend who created a Christmas Market on about 3-days notice. Fred would wants me to promote a version of "Photoville" in Peekskill.
All I can say is that all I'm trying to do is mind my own business, and yet again it seems like I cant retire or keep a low profile.
"Maggie's" brother thinks he has Covid. He did a rapid test and the results were positive. Maggie's sister isn't feeling so well either, but this is day 4 after the funeral, and for the new variant the average incubation period is 3 days. Maggie and I feel fine.
One of my Titanium bikes I decided to create into a skinny tire mountain bike as a 1x8, 2x1, or 63 inch gear single speed, to exploit the narrow rims to use with a slick made by Schwable called Kojak. The tires are only 1.35 inches wide, and this allows me to use soft latex 700C innertubes that are very lightweight and promote low rolling resistance. This bike uses lots of my recycled parts in a very clever manner. I recycled these titanium mustache bars that are very retro in style so basically this bike promotes the name "Newsboy." The titanium is polished and the fork is an old Koski vintage original that is chrome so the bike is a looker with mucho "Calzone-Factor."
Anyways this bike has my over-the-top style. The wheelbase is 42 1/2 inches, and part of the long-wheelbase is a 2-inch rake on the chrome vintage fork. I suspect that the bike will weigh in under 19 pounds even as a 1x8 because it is outfitted with every trick lightweight aftermarket boutique part from back in the day when mountain bikes were first invented. Basically, the bike is a two-wheeled museum of aftermarket parts. Lots of purple anodize from back in the day, and all top shelf parts that are period correct from that era.
My steel IBIS is being built out as a Jeep, while the Ti IBIS is being built as a gravel bike substitute for epic rides on and off-road, and my old Ti Basso road bike already has been built out as a SUV. Kinda funny how I am building out bikes as if they were cars. In my twisted mind the "Newsboy" is like a substitute for the 1980 Checker "Limo" I owned that had a black vinyl top, an opera window, and had a fold-down bench seat so it had 9 passenger capabilities. This car was evil. Did you know that checker cabs were built on top of Chevy pickup frame? Mine had a posi rear
In January I have to get the kitchen floor done and demo the kitchen and dining room ceilings. Sometime in February, the GC will begin installing cabinets, a radiator has to get removed, and sometime a two-zone mini-split will be installed for HVAC for the first floor. I forgot the kitchen bathroom will also get remodeled at the same time.
I'm pretty excited.
Took down the Christmas tree today. I bought a small dwarf spruce that was a potted tree about 32-34 inches tall without the pot. I will transplant it into a larger pot pronto so hopefully, I can recycle this tree next Christmas. We bought used Christmas ornaments from thrift shops and antique stores. The lights from CVS for little money. Now the lights are on sale half price, they were only $4.99 on sale when I bought them, so for $2.50 I want to load up the truck so for the next few years I'm done.
We kept it simple this year with everything going on, but next year I want to get a little crazy. BTW no need to visit Las Vegas because my neighbor across the street (corner house) has mucho Christmas lights and decorations. "Very garish," I say. Maybe next year he'll have strippers for entertainment factor.
Our neighbors must think we are odd because our decorations are mostly organic and are recycled materials like used Christmas ornaments, a living potted tree, and pine cones from our own yard. The garland and homemade wreath will become compost and landfill in my back-backyard.
I did a cooking experiment and tried to recreate my moist sausages except using turkey sausages instead of pork versions. Not bad, but the pork has mucho mas more flavor and richness. Tomorrow though I'm sure the turkey sausages, peppers and onions will make a rather deadly omelet especially with cheese added (Provolone). Oh-well. Just trying to be healthier, Maggie no longer can eat pork.
I'm taking good care of myself, eating well, but I need to do some weight training so I don't get soft, and start biking and rowing. I don't want to end up in a nursing home or doing "Groundhog Day" like my older friend. I forgot he told me about 4 times also how he qualified to get into the electronics school in the Navy, told me 4-times how they wanted to bump him into mechanics, explained to me 4-times how he learned about the special program from his brother... I forgot also the story about how he set up a TV repair shop in Yonkers in the building he lived in. The super gave him the room for free with the condition that he would get free TV repairs in exchange. Know this was in the time of analog electronics and everything was vacuum tubes. The day job was with Honeywell and he worked on computers that ran on vacuum tubes.
Anyways it was kind to listen, but I got the message that I have to pump mucho oxygen into my brain over the next decades. Anyways I am glad I was there for my old friend.
In a ways my positive spin is that I got a lot of valuable gifts this Christmas in the form of wake-up calls. Funny how this coincided with my retirement. "Divine intervention," I say.
Cal