New York August NYC Meet-Up 2021

[Calzone]

Friday is a zoom call with our agent and crew in London. “Maggie” was stressed by having to fill out a one page sheet that included my height, sizes, and body measurements.

I had to measure my hips. Don’t forget that I kinda have a chubby butt because I’m a cyclist. If I inflate my chest I have a 38 inch chest, and this is also my suit size. Know that men’s sizes generally begin at size 40. My waist is a 28/29 depending if I want to have a tight fit or a relaxed fit. So my hips are a 37, and if I were a woman my measurements would be a 38/28/37. I find it amusing that if I were a woman then pretty much I would be a knockout or swimsuit model, but I instead I just look like a muscular 15 year old.

Kinda funny that I call myself a skinny bitch. BTW this annoys “Maggie.” On the one page form they ask for “Pronouns” because of all the gender correct or gender confusion. I play around with this because I’m prettier than my sister who is both attractive and jealous. Also from behind at times I get mistaken for a woman because I kinda have a nice butt. When I told her to put in the pronoun section “Skinny Bitch” Maggie went off. LOL.

So then Maggie accuses me of having a distorted body image and also an eating disorder. She also hates when I call myself a hill-billy now that I don’t live in NYC.

I can understand why a cyclist who is a serious rider can be associated with eating disorders. Riders want a high strength to weight ratio, especially riders who specialize in climbing. Also endurance athletes overall tend to be very lean and not overly muscular. Then compound that with one reason why some people like me are endurance athletes and are into fitness is not just for health reasons, but because we like to eat a lot and at times binge eat.

In my past I have eaten an entire 8 slice full sized pizza in one sitting. I use to regularly eat a one pound box of pasta for dinner. Using double coupons I once ate 4 Whoppers for lunch. My friend Iron Mike said he could not watch me eat them because it made him sick.

Anyways nothing wrong with having a low BMI on the low end of the normal scale. It seems being 5’10 and wearing a size small is not so common though. Now that I lost some water weight (salt) from the hotter weather and sweating, I likely weigh about 138. I think I look mighty healthy, but Maggie yells at me that I’m too skinny.

The grand daughter (Creature Junior) tells Maggie not to work me so hard. LOL.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Our carpenter is great. The replacement moldings are amazing. We will get rid of lots of lead paint, and the Craftsman style basically was natural stained wood.

Our kitchen is looking like my Chevy C10: a resto-mod.

Con Ed came by to check for natural gas leaks and to install a detector that is wired to the fire department and the police. When the battery needs replacement Con Ed will perform the maintenance.

”Maggie” will be heading into the city for an appointment, and she will stop by Nippon to pick up my M3-DS. Saves me a trip.

Electricians come tomorrow to hook up the lights and connect to the breaker panel. The kitchen is looking mucho Lux and expensive. The new moldings look killer, there are new doors and door frames also.

Appliances should be delivered next week. Some work has to wait for the countertops…

Anyways it is beginning to look like a dream kitchen and something you would see in a magazine to drool over. The refinished quarter-sawn heart pine floor is an exclamation point to indicate the house is over a hundred years old.

The reclaimed heart pine that went unused for patching is now being made into thresholds to match the floor. How crazy and clever is that? An oak threshold just would of looked odd and out of place.

Anyways, I’m happy-happy. We will have a killer kitchen. Really glad we bought a tiny house, otherwise we might not have the resources to go so lux.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I’ll be changing out a doorknob and deadbolt to a version that is “oiled bronze” to match the draw pulls that will get mounted on our new custom cabinets. These cabinets and drawers have a very controlled spring loaded closing to prevent the usual slamming of doors and cabinets that Maggie does. She hated the old cabinets because they were noisy, but my suggestion of not slamming them closed did not go too far…

Have to water the herb garden that “Maggie” just planted. Typical that I do the follow through. For about 2 weeks the wooden grid to make mini beds for organizing the herb section of the garden was done, and all Maggie had to do was “broadcast” the seeds, but that took two weeks…

Anyways another episode of why men have shorter lifespans… I guess nature is cruel, perhaps one reason why men are less emotional than women is that the emotional men pretty much let things like the above bother them and this resulted in them getting killed off.

Am I wrong that men as a group are kinda easy going and tend to be relaxed?

******************

The Audi is covered with a layer of saw dust, so I think I will give it a washing.

I have a mahogany stain, a mahogany gel stain, and a polyurethane mahogany finish to experiment with on clear pine scraps. This is along with some pre-stain conditioner that will encourage a uniform color. Pretty much want a translucent reddish brown that is not too dark that replicates the moldings and doors that are not painted.

If I have the chance I’ll do a rough cut of Knotweed in the dead end.

Another White Oak Seedling finally emerged, a slow starter. I need to transplant this from the mucho large pot that has the “Twin-Oaks” so they don’t crowd each other.

Deer have been eating leaves off my Maple saplings in the back-backyard. Pretty amazing how the bio diversity increased when I curbed back the thicket of Knotweed. We now have chipmunks and squirrels in abundance as pests.

In the past month the Baby-Victorian increased over $8K in value according to one realtor website. I was also surprised by the high end of the estimated value. I think with the new kitchen, when it is done that the house would sell in a blink of an eye at the higher end, but we don’t intend on ever selling.

******************

This Friday I guess with the zoom call from London that my new modeling career will begin. I have no idea how or if this will work out. I’m okay if it fails, but I’m also curious about the possible unlimited possibilities. It’s a little scary “putting yourself out there” as it not necessarily is a small safe place. In fact my home is being built out like a fortress/bunker of sorts where I can shelter in place, but the modeling gig puts me into the big world where I will be rather exposed.

”I was just minding my own business,” I say, but why do crazy things keep happening to me. I thought I was retired. That was short, not even a year.

Anyways marketing Maggie and me as a couple is a rather interesting idea that is kind of a fresh approach, and if it works out it could be big. I realize that I really stand out in a crowd. Perhaps I am a freak to that extent, and of course I tend/seem to draw out the crazies. “Takes one to know one,” I say.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

My M3-DS is back and it was worth the wait. The camera feels smoother than before, and kinda broken in.

I was thinking that with just the M3-DS and my Leica II with 50/3.5 Elmer I could do mucho photography with just 5222 and Diafine.

The new light fixtures in the kitchen are acorn shaped, and this goes with the arts and craft styling of the house. These details add up and they draw the eye. One of the things we exploit are oiled brass door knobs and draw pulls. “Maggie” just ordered oiled brass switch plates to replace the white plastic switch plates and recepticals.

I filled up the Audi with Mobil Premium and the price was $5.65 a gallon. This includes the $0.16 tax exemption. This is getting close to $6.00 a gallon.

The FED kinda just woke up and discovered inflation, and a 3/4 point hike is kinda late. Now it seems many analysts think a recession will be early next year. Anyways I think a “soft landing” is unlikely. The FED can’t control lock downs in China, nor the war in the Ukraine. My worries are that high energy prices tend to linger and will remain stubbornly high. That’s enough to keep inflation going. Remember 4 out of 5 recessions are caused by high energy prices.

The estimate that the Baby-Victorian appreciated over $8K in 30 days is pretty remarkable. 12X $8K= $96K, almost $100K in a year if inflation keeps going.

I do see Home Cheapo being less crowded lately though…

I saw a Preying Mantis today crawling up the wall of my garage. Only about 1 1/4 inch long. In addition to the two cocoons I found earlier, I found a third cocoon when Knotweeding last week. I expect to see mucho preying mantis around my yard.

Also saw a baby snake on the “table” in the back-backyard.

I weed whacked the overgrowth on the “table” because it was getting too wild and feral. Looks a lot better, and now the overgrowth will become mulch. I spread some leftover grass seed to help fill in the ground cover.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I’ll be monitoring Mobil Premium prices. I still see the price rising. As long as gas prices remain on an uptrend inflation is still happening. Also the prices of housing really has not leveled off yet. An $8K increase in estimated price in just the past 30 days on the Baby-Victorian.

Don’y forget how all the imports are trucked around, and diesel fuel is even more expensive than Premium gas. “The money has to come from somewhere.” I say, and the cost of fuel adds to inflation. I have seen diesel selling at $7.00 a gallon.

Cal

 

[fireblade]

I’ll be monitoring Mobil Premium prices. I still see the price rising. As long as gas prices remain on an uptrend inflation is still happening. Also the prices of housing really has not leveled off yet. An $8K increase in estimated price in just the past 30 days on the Baby-Victorian.

Don’y forget how all the imports are trucked around, and diesel fuel is even more expensive than Premium gas. “The money has to come from somewhere.” I say, and the cost of fuel adds to inflation. I have seen diesel selling at $7.00 a gallon.

Cal

$2.25 a litre which equates to $8.50 a gallon down here in Oz. Paying $2.40 for my diesel vehicles $9.10 a gallon. As they say...such is life.

 

[Calzone]

$2.25 a litre which equates to $8.50 a gallon down here in Oz. Paying $2.40 for my diesel vehicles $9.10 a gallon. As they say...such is life.

FB,

Seems like the new normal here too.

I am mucho glad that I went counter trend and avoided buying a SUV or pickup truck as my primary vehicle. An Audi A4 with AWD has balanced handling and enough performance for me. Also I’m spoiled by the luxury.

The 1966 Chevy C10 was like noticing a twenty dollar bill laying on the sidewalk: I had to pick it up. With just the simple clean up I performed I could easily flip and sell it for a few thousand more. Also made into a reliable “Rat-Rod” with modern updates to make it a daily driver kinda doubles its value. Fuel injection, HEI electronic ignition, new intake, cast iron headers, and 4 wheel disc brakes translate into 2-3 MPG better fuel economy as well as performance.

Unleaded gas burnt the valves so I’ll have to pull the head and send it out for a valve job and new valve seals for unleaded gas. Oh-well no big deal.

The truck is mucho clean and OEM, including paint, the exception is the under bed gas tank.

I have a hunch things will come to a boil this winter.

My friend Krause in Germany told me a while back that energy prices there are 4-times that of the U.S. where traditionally energy prices are cheap-cheap and cheap.

The winter I say will be bitter and likely cause a recession in the spring next year.

Keep your ammo dry they say.

I need the compressor for my mini-split system to have a secondary heating system. I still have oil as my heavy duty heating system for January and February when mini-splits loose their efficiency. Also oil is used for my domestic hot water, so the oil system gets utilized all year round to avoid maintenance issues from disuse.

Back in history oil prices spiked because of the 7-day war, but oil prices remained high for a long time after. I say get ready for some pain.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Mortgage rates now exceed 6% and are more than double the rate I locked in over a year and a half ago. The age of “Free-Money” and crazy amounts of stimulus (over-stimulus) is done. The FED is certainly “behind the curve” and it seems highly improbable a “soft-landing” will occur.

I say, “The winter heating season likely will be a trigger for a recession next year.” The first quarter indicated negative growth, and the second is indicating further slowing (retail sales for example, mortgage applications another, and Calzone takes notice less crowds at Home Cheapo). Anyways it takes a while for a recession to be recognized by the government…

So now housing is becoming even more unaffordable, and this also has conflated rents. “The money has to come from somewhere,” I say. The same is kinda happening with cars. Both new and used prices are mucho crazy.

I say, “Keep your ammo dry,” because in a bad, or long, or double-dip recession some people will be compelled to sell their treasures. I hate to say that my behavior is vulture like, but then again many people live beyond their means and it will be their own fault if they are caught up in a squeeze.

Anyways, “Buy-low,” they say, and I will add, “Load up the truck.”

I guess I’m kinda stating the obvious, but pretty much bargains and opportunities will happen, but be patient and ready with cash (“Keep your ammo dry”).

Could this be like 2007-2008 again? I know that I bought lots of stuff I consider treasure at bargain prices. Pretty much there was lots of forced selling.

Cal

 

[Saganich]

Yup, spending has surpassed real income for many and it hit really fast. A major downturn in the near future is likely and I wonder how to hedge the doubling of everything. I see personal austerity measures in the near future....no more GrubHub, no more Uber, etc. Circle the wagons, manage your domestic affairs, and if you don't have the cash, don't even think about it.

 

[MrFujicaman]

It's the valve seats that using unleaded in old cars and trucks that get ruined. The lead was to provide a cushion for the valves and up octane. Or the "puffing" you mentioned could just be a torn head gasket.

Glad you finally got your M3 back !

 

[jsrockit]

$2.25 a litre which equates to $8.50 a gallon down here in Oz. Paying $2.40 for my diesel vehicles $9.10 a gallon. As they say...such is life.

My favorite is some of my family members who blame the gas prices in the USA on Biden. hahaha... I tell them it is still cheaper than most other places! Chile is like Oz.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I was talking with my brother who lives in Melbourne (not Florida) and he said the petrol prices there are about the same as they are here in Philly.

Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

It's the valve seats that using unleaded in old cars and trucks that get ruined. The lead was to provide a cushion for the valves and up octane. Or the "puffing" you mentioned could just be a torn head gasket.

Glad you finally got your M3 back !

MFM,

A valve job is no big deal. Pull off the head and have it sent out to a shop, then reinstall.

The “puff” is because the valves are “burnt” carbon deposits have built up and the valves don’t seal off the combustion chamber. The lead was a lubricant, and excessive oil use and burning is happening. This is a separate issue and related, but a proper valve job with new valve seals that can handle unleaded gas will refresh the low RPM engine that has 7 main bearings. The bottom end of the engine likely has long legs.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

My favorite is some of my family members who blame the gas prices in the USA on Biden. hahaha... I tell them it is still cheaper than most other places! Chile is like Oz.

John,

I think I can blame a lot of people on high gas prices. Number one would be Putin. The war in the Ukraine was the tipping point.

Then the inflation that led us to this point can be blamed on George W.Bush, Obama, Trump, and also Biden.

George W. Bush started deficit spending (he also gave tax cuts), Obama socialized medicine in a manner that is costly that we really can’t afford, Trump gave us tax rebates when not needed and increased the deficient further, and Biden added stimulas to an already overheated economy.

Don’t forget the Trump Tariffs. BTW tariffs after the 1929 crash made things worse (inflation) and kinda created the Great Depression.

25% Tariff was pretty steep on my Canadian 10x10 cedar pergola. Also 20% tariff on Canadian lumber where we get 25% of our lumber. Do you think this accelerated the cost of housing and renting?

I wonder what the update in Germany is today. Winter will be painful for everyone.

Also remember that Arab Spring was basically caused by high inflation, that caused high food prices, that made hungry children…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yup, spending has surpassed real income for many and it hit really fast. A major downturn in the near future is likely and I wonder how to hedge the doubling of everything. I see personal austerity measures in the near future....no more GrubHub, no more Uber, etc. Circle the wagons, manage your domestic affairs, and if you don't have the cash, don't even think about it.

Chris,

Austerity means not wasting money by definition.

I think Americans are just plain dumb. I grew up poor, and poverty is the worse punishment because it is relentless and everyday.

As a mark of poverty I tend to hoard. I have the habit of loading up the truck when things are on sale. I also only tend to buy good deals based on value. The Chevy C10 I know I can likely make a few thousand on as is because it is a commodity. Pretty much I bought my house cheap, and I have a mortgage with under 3 % interest.

This kitchen remodel is mucho costly, and it definitely is a lux kitchen that is kinda crazy expensive, but unlike a cheap kitchen remodel it has “legs” and has mucho value added. The quarter sawn heart pine floor I rescued (original 1912 floor) is a trophy about my stubbornness because it was dog work, but the results are priceless. Then all the upgrades distinguish the small house into something bigger.

I’m pretty sure we have added a lot of value to what the house is worth. It is not a cheap house anymore. Hopefully I get the compressor for the mini-split soon before it gets hot, humid and sticky.

I also buy premium luxury goods to keep long-term as a way of building wealth. Think hard assets that store wealth. I tend to buy stuff as if “durable goods.”

I don’t think I will ever buy a brand new car because the instant depreciation is a big hit. At DSW I buy the footwear that is on clearance, and to compound my savings I use coupons.

Pretty much I save money as much as I can.

Growing up poor made me think of austerity all the time. I don’t waste money.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Suppose to have a zoom call from London this morning with Vanessa, our Agent, and her team/crew. Anyways I have no idea what lays a head, but pretty much in a Street Photography manner/attitude we will walk this walk and see what happens. Pretty much I have to pursue this gig to not have any remorse.

I’m at a point now, where if I won the lottery, my life would not really change much. Certainly I have plenty of cameras, and maybe I’d buy a Leica Q2, and another Monochrom Leica. I’d put some money aside to buy a future Audi RS electric car thinking the longer I wait the better and more evolved the technology.

I would still love and behold the 2015 Audi A4 I found with 16K miles as a trophy car, as well as the 1966 Chevy C10.

I’d still live in my Baby-Victorian, and pretty much my life would not change much. I can see getting a lap pool installed in the back-backyard with a cabana though.

Seems like I lost my water weight and I am rather skinny. My BMI is very close to 20 which is the lower end of the scale. I think this is where I want to be. I am eating clean and fresh.

I kinda like the 1966 Chevy C10 as a “Rat-Rod” and would not go any further than my original plan for reliability, economy, and safety.

Anyways, how happy is the contentment mentioned above?

There is a brick industrial building on Washington Street that is very old. It is not so far from the Peekskill Downtown, in fact it is a few blocks from the Peekskill Post Office. Anyways it would make a great studio, but would require mucho restoration. The roof has been compromised, and I’m not sure how much structural damage has happened.

Anyways it is big enough to have a digital studio, a huge darkroom, a gallery, and a wood working shop for framing. I could fit in a soundproof recording studio with perhaps a small soundstage. Of course this is the delusional artist in me day dreaming…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Zoom call with London was smooth. We will be doing a slow ramp up, have monthly meetings, with a goal to “Launch” in November. This allows things to settle. The book writing will be done, the kitchen will be done, the grandson will be born in September.

I’m to grow my hair. Right now it is approaching my belly button. I think I will get it trimmed though since my last haircut I did myself and it is uneven. I guess Vanessa likes the feral man look on me.

We talked about more about presenting us as a couple and as a lifestyle. My term “Vintage Hipster” has an element of being timeless and will be part of our “branding.”

We are at a point of recreating ourselves and redefining our lifestyle. Pretty much we stressed a fresh start leaving the past behind. “Maggie” is tired of being a digital influencer and fashion. Her life now is more relaxed and casual.

So let’s see where this goes. We have to sign the contract, and need some photo’s of us together. Nothing fancy, just jeans and a T-shirt. Pretty much for private use, and not to market anything.

Today the heat and humidity is like a 4th of July. I was pulling Knotweed, but I gave up around lunchtime. I was soaked in sweat.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I believe a combination of Covid Fatigue and Vacation Revenge is keeping the economy floating. Otherwise the high energy costs should be killing the economy more.

I heat with oil, and my tank I am told can hold 275 gallons. Say I run down the tank to a quarter and fill 3/4’ers of a tank the cost is $1031.25 at $5.00 a gallon for the 206.25 gallons I need to fill my tank. Anyways this is the real world because generally I get the tank topped up once a month during the heating season, and twice last season I got bills (pay as you go) near $1K and over $1K.

When we first moved in our heating bill was around $3.6K for the entire first heating season, and the second was around $6K. I’m afraid that this heating season will be even more painful. I figure I will still be warm, but it will cost me, others will suffer greatly, not only here in the U.S., but all over the world.

I do think the adage “4 out of 5 recessions are caused by high energy prices” will be especially true and that perhaps the up and coming recession will be both long and deep. The war in the Ukraine is evolving, getting more complicated, and appears that both sides are bracing for a long war. This is not good, and is very dangerous.

This also has a great impact on the cost of food. The tipping point is in the very near future with the onset of winter and the heating season.

With this war raging, we know now and from the past that wars create shortages, so don’t expect supply problems and bottlenecks to go away. I think they are here to stay and bottlenecks will persist. Meanwhile governments say that these disruptions will clear, what if I am right and they don’t. China is riddled with all kinds of problems, and they are not going to go away.

In many ways China wasted their ammo and will run out. They did not develop a consumer economy, and very shortly will have a population implosion due to their failed policy of only allowing one child per family. Compound this by all the infantcide that happened to skew the population to boys. In China there is a shortage of females and population growth will fall off a cliff. Fact s you can’t have a growing economy with negative population growth.

This negative population growth also is imbedded in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. All these “developed” countries now have “aging” populations…

Certainly the world has begun deglobalizing. Globalization created what Alan Greenspan called “disinflation” because basically cheap goods imported kept inflation low, but this cost in other ways like jobs, manufacturing, and self sufficient local infrastructure. To unwind this man made and government made problem there will be the burden of cost going forward as we de-globalize.

If you believe in “regression to the mean,” it is highly likely that the disinflation era is over, and inflationary costs will be the future and the new normal. One era is gone and another begins. We enjoy decades of disinflation that came with stagnant wages, and now the switch has been flipped; expect inflation and rising wages.

I actually see where the U.S. has a great military and economic geographic advantage because we have large land borders and in a ways two very large huge moats: the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. I suggest that Master Sargent Jim Clinton U.S Army (retired) is profoundly correct. Pretty much the U.S could isolate itself from the world and just do trade with Canada and Mexico hand have an American Empire where raw materials would come from Canada, and labor from Mexico.

This radical idea pretty much was the old NAFTA that was dismembered, but pretty much encouraged local free trade among local and neighboring countries. Of course it would be in our best interests to have great relations with our neighbors rather than have them as enemies and adversaries.

Unfortunately Europe, Russia, and China is a different story, and Africa is kinda left out of the picture.

A news headline is that 60% of home owners are fore going maintenance and home improvements currently due to inflation. Effectively they are getting “priced-out” because the wisdom here is that in the future the maintenance and improvements will cost even more because of inflation. The point here is that “Maggie” and I are running counter trend with our home improvements, upgrades and maintenance that should of been performed by earlier owners.

The headlines are also suggesting that some consumer goods are deflating in price due to an economic slowdown, but this is at a level that does not effect me because I don’t buy cheap consumer goods at Target and stores like that. I am not a Walmart shopper like so many-many Americans.

I now see the shortages and delays from the Canadian company that we bought our pergola from is no longer the case, and in fact they are offering 10% discounts on some items. I’m considering buying a 4x8 cedar shed to store my lawn and garden gear. Perhaps Biden, if he was smart or smarter would undue the Canadian tariffs created by Trump rather than the eliminate the Chinese tariffs. I think Biden has things backwards in this policy.

I’m keeping my ammo dry. I want to move forward in a sustainable manner, and too many projects is a bad-bad idea. In this case “Time is your friend,” and I don’t see things returning to “Normal” ever. That history is a past and bygone era, and these harsh times I believe will persist. Now keep your ammo dry becomes “Don’t waste your ammo” and in other words “Make every shot count,” or embed the idea “One shot😱ne kill.”

Anyways brace yourself for the long-haul…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yesterday’s cool weather was great to do a fine cut Knotweed pull. I got into the marsh grass wearing long pants and rubber winter boots to protect me from ticks. Pretty much performed a tidy weeding. The Knotweed is getting weaker and is no longer deeply rooted, in fact many times the root comes up with the stalk.

The marsh grass is filling in and the existing marsh grass where I have weeded is actually taller than the rest of the marsh, perhaps an unintended consequence, but also the marsh grass is spreading by sending out runners.

In effect I’m restoring a native plant and getting rid of the invasive plant.

Mowed the lawn (push mower/no motor). I use a low setting for a short lawn, but I have to mow every 5 days or so. I don’t rake up the clippings and they turn to mulch. The result is that I have a green lawn as if I fertilized with nitrogen. EZ-PZ. Not a bad gentle workout.

Then I’ve been consistent “walking the girlfriend,” (Maggie), to keep her in a minimal form of fitness and as preventative maintenance. Generally about 5-7 miles walks that at times could become 8-9 miles. Anyways Peekskill is not that big. Problem though is that the area in places has no sidewalks and we have to walk on the shoulder of the road.

On our walk along Washington Avenue we walked south through Cortlandt. Saw a cool 66-67 Z-28 leading a herd of hot-rodded muscle cars, but what made the Z-28 mucho distinguished from the pack was that it was a “Rat-Rod.” Later in the walk I saw a 69 Vette, but my favorite went by, a 64-65 Stingray convertible. Seems like mucho vintage muscle cars were making their way south. I believe there is a weekly vintage and muscle car meet-up in Cortlandt north of Peekskill.

In mild August is some big local car show that we will attend. We know some car people through our neighbor.

In the past our UPS Driver mentioned that he sees me all around the area either walking, biking or running. This came up because I’m a skinny bitch who is 64 1/2, unlike most Americans.

Today we likely will check out some of the bathroom supply stores where we can get our contractor’s discount. The upstairs bathroom is our next remodeling project. Counter intuitively during a time of inflation we are spending our money to save on capitol improvements. We bought a house that was not turnkey, and we were well aware it would take money to remodel, but it seems that inflation has sped up the process. Do it now or pay more later.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

My next-door neighbor saw me walking with my new backpack last week and thought there was a new kid in the neighborhood, but then realized it was me. Pretty much my body is like a muscular 15-16 year old. “Maggie” says I’m too skinny. Pretty much I am on a “No-Kitchen” diet.

I was handling my cameras over the past few days, exercising them, checking the batteries on the digitalis, and reconfiguring them. I put on the neck strap from my old SL (digital) on my SL2-MOT with the 50 Lux “E60.” I also was admiring the black MD2 with the 21/3.4-“R” Super Agulon that I want to show to Snarky Joe. It is a “Monster” of a camera, but also clever because it is a way to have a vintage SA 21 for no money. It has mucho style in a “Calzone” way.

My old SL is still a great camera, and I like using it with the Noct-Nikkor. Focus is EZ-PZ with the zoom. This is also a great camera rigged with my 28 Cron-M. Pretty much a 24 MP color manual focus camera that has a weatherproof body. Nice to have because the SL2 with AF lenses are big and weighty.

So I counted, and I have nine Leica, three are digital (SL2, SL and MM); four M-Bodies (M3, M4, M6, and MD-2); one LTM (nickel Leica II black paint with nickel 50/3.5 Elmer); and the SL2-MOT.

All of these are great cameras, and I’m mucho glad I have them. Also pretty much today it would be mucho costly to replace or attain them.

I wonder what is going on with Leica. My SL2 I would consider an old camera, it is still being made and sold, but it is due for a n update or revision.

Then I have my collection of medium format cameras which include my prized Linhofs, my Plaberl 69W Proshift, and my Whiteface Rollieflex.

Anyways call me a pagan, but I guess my experience is a form of camera worship. I do treasure these hard earned items, and I feel very lucky to own them.

There is a delayed gratification going on right now as the house is kinda being assembled and being put together, but the return into photography will have its vengeance and a strong comeback.

BTW did you know that Vanessa, our agent in London, also represents photographers. She just signed a transgendered guy and got him 4 gigs. I don’t want the work, but an exhibition would be nice. Vanessa is not a gallerist.

Cal