New York Greetings From Hill-Billy Calvin, AKA Augie

[Phil_F_NM]

Be sure to check the "Car Facts" on anything from Florida or the south in general, where cars that have been under water due to hurricanes may have come from. Buyer beware !

It's not only a problem with cars from usually hurricane prone areas. A lot of cars from the greater NYC area had this problem in late 2012 as well! Lots of cars were floating in Jersey City and some of the beach parts of Brooklyn and Queens. I remember seeing a Mercedes Benz SL500 in Jersey City filled with water up to the level of the seats, looking like a dirty aquarium/terrarium inside. This was months after the storm, a testament to the door and body seals of the Benz! 😀

Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

Congrats on getting the green light on solar.. I think I'm mostly there too.

I'm hoping Biden extends/improves some of the green incentives.
I got a Tesla before their tax incentives dropped to basically nothing.

So having an EV already, and just dealing with a huge number of oil boiler issues in the first month here.. I'm ready to move to solar + some sort of electric heat lol! 10kW is about the size Tesla Solar/Google estimators have suggested for our electric bill / roof size as well.

For local driving with your own dedicated home charger, you could grab a cheap used Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt despite their short range. For commuting, if you aren't planning on road tripping.. it shouldn't matter.
I got a Tesla living in a condo so needed longer range and strong public charging network.

I feel like I'm at the intersection of "This Old House" x "Green Acres" x "Silicon Valley" TV shows.

Are we going to get a photo blog of your home improvement? Or a YouTube channel so you can monetize it??

Stephen,

Mitsubishi Heat Pumps seem the most cost effective and practical way to go, and according to Devil Christian, an architect, they seem to have the modular smaller space HVAC sewn up.

Bonus is that by reversing a valve not only do you get heat, but also AC.

They say that heat pumps utilize 25% of the energy of conventional oil or Natural gas. The idea is that a variable speed compressor uses the refrigeration cycle to both heat or cool. The Mitsubishi systems are kinda modular so it is kinda like Lego Blocks.

A concept to get your head around is that every time your conventional oil or gas furnace cycles (turns on and then off) it wastes energy. With heat pumps they run almost constantly. The idea is that starting and stopping uses a lot of energy, meanwhile a heat pump kinda just cruises along.

So the limitations of air heat exchanged heat pumps is that the E- Fish-N-C drops off at say polar extreames and in heat waves.

The work around to this is to use either well water taping int the groundwater, or taping into a body of water like a lake or pond.

To be truely off the grid one needs a super insulated house to make a "Null-House" where solar is enough to take you totally off the grid for heating, cooling, and electrically.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

"I only go to work to rest," my friend Dave use to say.

My legs are feeling a bit heavy today, yesterday I likely walked the 9 miles I did Wednesday with perhaps another three miles heading from the eastside to the westside and then back to the eastside to check out the Audi A4 Quatro Premium Plus.

So I bought a 6 year old car with only 16,114 miles on it.

It was a lucky find. The salesman said that it was not even cleaned and was as delivered. Looks like a new car.

I speculate that this might have been a "Beach Car" that somone had pretty much used to run into town in the Hamptons.

There just happened to be some other guy there before me buying a used A4 Convertable as his "Beach-Car" for out in the Hamptons.

Remember I was looking to buy an 2012 Audi A8 Limo with about 50K miles on it that evidently was a car used only to drive to summer homes in the Hamptons and a country home in Conn.

I'll be picking up the A4 today at 5:00 after work. Black exterior and black interior with the S-line decore package which includes the blacked out grill. Heated leather seats, upgraded stereo, and 18 inch wheel options.

So back in 2015 a base A4 was priced at $37K and with $7K of options the window sticker was $44K. I kinda stole the car because I paid little money.

The car is a cherry.

BTW CarFax is a very valuable tool.

Cal

 

[Particular]

No station wagon? Does it at least have a hitch so you can pull a trailer to lug gear?

 

[Calzone]

No station wagon? Does it at least have a hitch so you can pull a trailer to lug gear?

Christian,

My evil Audi has a 60/40 rear fold down seat for a monster tripod.

"Maggie" bought an antique turkish rug. Ended up being about an inch too big for the foyer, but it is a good size for the living room.

Fed Ex basically blocked my front door with a wall mirror she ordered. It basically created a barricade, so I enter the house via the rear door.

An antique desk is being delivered Saturday that was made in London that has some really nice inlays.

I imagine the evil Audi A4 all blacked out will look great parked by the house. One of the options added was burled walnut inlays and trim. Kinda goes with the house.

The ceiling tiles in the foyer I learned are of some form of carcenigenic Silica. I found more stored as spares in the garage, along with the instructions that revealed the hazard. This weekend I'll likely be tearing down that ceiling.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The ceiling tiles in the foyer I learned are of some form of carcenigenic Silica. I found more stored as spares in the garage, along with the instructions that revealed the hazard. This weekend I'll likely be tearing down that ceiling.

Cal

The silicate tiles are more stable and less hazardous where they are. You should think about leaving them. The dust from improper REMOVAL is what causes silicosis. It's the same precautions and similar hazard to asbestos. You don't want to simply rip these out, you need to do serious PPE and treat the tiles like asbestos with full remediation protocol if you're going to do it. Otherwise, leaving them there and vacuuming around them, in the cracks, etc., with a shop vac that has an installed HEPA filter is the safest course of action.

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/o...e silica dust enters,is no cure for silicosis.

Phil Forrest

 

[Prest_400]

Congrats on the move Cal and on the Audi. You actually have a longer commute than I do, with my main leg being a 40 minute train. Train is great, I do read out of the phone news and browse the forums or auctions. Lately with the dark hours it's a lot of sleeping or attempting to.
I have about 2+1 miles out of that and I never thought about walking it, except for some days after work when it is nice to walk in the city.
Which I gotta do more often because the rest in work can be true, it's sitting all day. Got fancy standing desks but easy to get lazy and not use them at all.



Hope you set up darkroom soon!

 

[Particular]

The ceiling tiles in the foyer I learned are of some form of carcenigenic Silica. I found more stored as spares in the garage, along with the instructions that revealed the hazard. This weekend I'll likely be tearing down that ceiling.

Cal

That sounds like asbestos. Even if it isn't I'd be extra careful with any dust from cracking or breaking tiles. It only becomes a problem once it is airborne, not as long as it is sitting un-disturbed.

 

[Calzone]

That sounds like asbestos. Even if it isn't I'd be extra careful with any dust from cracking or breaking tiles. It only becomes a problem once it is airborne, not as long as it is sitting un-disturbed.

Christian,

The tiles are loose in some places. Upon close inspection I can see 2x10 joists, there seems to be no ceiling that they are glued to.

Makes sense to use my respirator (3M 7000 series). Will buy a Tyvac jump suit. Already have large contractor bags. Will mist and wet down. I should be able to take them down as whole tiles.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

That sounds like asbestos. Even if it isn't I'd be extra careful with any dust from cracking or breaking tiles. It only becomes a problem once it is airborne, not as long as it is sitting un-disturbed.

Christian,

I verified that Asbestos has other names and silica is one of them.

The tiles appear to be removed easily and no need to break them. Like I reported they somehow are suspended off the 2x10 joists. There is a tongue and groove such that once one is removed the others will follow. In two places the tiles are already loose.

No more hazard I suspect than the box of tiles stored in the garage.

Cal

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Second page, pictures still missing.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Second page, pictures still missing.

Photos can't be posted on the regional clubs pages.
Aside from that, I agree and I'd like to see some images by Cal. I've only ever seen his prints in person.

Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

Photos can't be posted on the regional clubs pages.
Aside from that, I agree and I'd like to see some images by Cal. I've only ever seen his prints in person.

Phil Forrest

Phil,

I'm at a point where I should start a blog.

All this crazy stuff happens to me.

A 2015 A4 that is 6 years old with only 16,115 miles on it. I suspect that it was parked in some garage in the Hamptons, it is that clean. Pretty much looks like a new Audi.

Finding a 1966 Fender Pro Reverb amp being thrown out on the upper eastside with the early AA165 circuit is another recent event. Not an exaggeration to say I found $2.5K laying on the sidewalk.

Then finding this Baby-Victorian that no one seemed to love. The market is so tight right now that I could flip the house "as-is" and make $50k-$70K. Seems the timing I caught the knee of the curve and had perfect timing.

Then Indian Point will become decommisioned, so no more living in an evacuation zone. Peekskill home values should esculate. Peekskill having a "bay" on the Hudson is an important geological feature.

Getting a "free" second building lot when I bought the house.

You can't make this stuff up. Also these three wonderful things just happened in the past 30 days if you compress buying a house into just a closing.

So now I have wishful thinking: since they froze my pension, perhaps they might offer me a "package" to retire early next year.

Audi gave me a thirteen month calendar that starts with December 2020. I brought it to work as my "countdown" calendar to retirement. Less than 13 months to go.

Meanwhile the half hour hike to Metro North is leaning me out and building up my legs along with a walk from Grand Central to the upper eastside. I figure I do a minimum of 9 miles of walking/hiking a day, and at times carrying groceries or home supplies.

BTW I get up at 4:30 AM, I get to work at 8:00, and I leave early at 3:15 PM. I feel so relaxed and unstressed. My quality of life is so much better.

Friday I'm taking off of work, I have to get some photo inspection performed on the Audi that I named "Beauty" which is short for "Black Beauty." The interior and exterior are both black, and then add in the blacken grill due to the "S-Line" badge. It sports ten-spoke 18 inch wheels that are from the Audi RS series. Looks mucho evil.

In my basement I utilized all this ELFA modular shelving to build out free standing shelves. The laundry area is kinda trick with a folding station, and a clothes rack that is double sided with shelves dresses out the space.

Augie

 

[Calzone]

Second page, pictures still missing.

KoFe,

I will eventually start a blog.

You should know that "Calzone" is a bit of a persona. In real life I'm kind of a loner, but because I'm kinda funny or strange looking all kinds of odd and weird stuff happens to me.

Seems like I draw out the crazies. "Takes one to know one," I say. LOL.

My gal is a celeb. Check out her Instagram at #IconAccidental. She has to get approval but there are some shots that will be posted soon that I took Sunday.

Because of moving I could not find my tripod, so I improvised and used a Leica table top tripod. Had to do all these timed shots because I had to be a model.

The oversized blue sweater I'm wearing is a woman's sweater. Call me a cross-dresser if you want. LOL.

Cal

 

[JeffNYC]

Wishing you the best Cal..

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I was always trim, but then I became a skinny bitch when I became a 5"10" Welterweight (under 146 pounds), but now I think I'm likely a Junior Welterweight or a Heavy Lightweight around 135 pounds.

I hate to say it Cal, but I am twice the man you are. Literally. 😱

 

[Calzone]

I hate to say it Cal, but I am twice the man you are. Literally. 😱

Ben,

Kinda funny how from behind I sometimes get mistaken for a girl. Because I am a cyclist I have a muscular butt, then throw in the long hair.

Guys find it rude when they come up from behind and see that I'm a guy with an arrogant chin beard.

Then about 15 years ago there was this serial rapist that victimized hipster girls in Williamsburg and Greenpoint when I lived there.

On this particular rainy night I was wearing shoe boots, sporting a camera bag, and I had my hair not in the usual pony tail. On this night I was doing video for Jim Marshall a band, but When I got off the subway I could hear someone running towards me.

So in one hand I held an umbrella, and in my right hand I held my extra heavy duty monopod that collapsed was about the size of a cop's nightstick.

So at the appropriate time I turned and swung. The guy/rapist happen to be shorter than I expected. It was one of those Oh-well moments that happened around 3:30 AM in New York on a deserted street.

So about 5-6 weeks later they caught this guy who once lived in the nearby projects. He no longer lived there, but because he once did he eluded the police for nearly a summer.

He said he was "sorry" as he ran past me. How rude was that? And then he turned the corner. I could of taken him out that night.

No mercy for a rapist...

Cal

 

[Calzone]

So I spent the weekend condensing stuff and cleaning up the basement.

So due to the low ceilings (7 foot) and plumbing it seems that it makes sense to create an 8x13 foot sound proof room that exploits a lack of piping to have as my music room that also will be a dry darkroom.

This heavily insulated room for soundproofing I also will seal tightly to try and make a clean room that is freestanding, meaning not utilizing any basement wall. There will be no vapor barrier, and I will allow the basement to breathe to prevent condensation and/or mold.

So a kinda strange freestanding room that has no windows and no basement walls. I'm cool if I have to remove this room one day. The hot water plumbing for all the radiators has manifolds around the perimeter of the basement, so this presents obstructions.

I went to Walmart. This was the first time ever in a Wallmart, and I made a comment to "Maggie" that in the bread isle they only sold "White Breads," but I saw merit in taking advantage of stuff like laundry detergent for no money and generic household items that I would buy in bulk.

I love the Multi Media Interface in the Audi A4. Life is so easy where grocery shopping did not involve hiking with a knapsack and breaking my arms carrying bags of heavy and bulky items.

The technology in the new cars is pretty amazing. Now I look back on my 84 Jeep Scrambler with the Corvette motor as a crude beast that lacked any sophistication. I can say I like driving the A4 more.

So the basement is moving along. When I tore down some old shelves I discovered that the previous owner worked for Metro North. In the garage I found an anvil made from a piece of railroad track. Found a lucky dollar and some antiqued mouse traps.

In the back-backyard I see that a male buck has been making territory scrapping and scuffing my grass. Also saw deer poop, and a area of dead grass likely marked with deer pee. Rutting season is still going on I guess.

My only next-door neighbor tells me that he has recorded a fox on his motion detection cam, as well as racoons, possums, and skunks. Once he even recorded a bobcat. Just down the block I was told that wild rasberries and blackberries grow along the road, and that when in season people come to pick berries.

Maggie has been buying antique period correct furniture to build out her office tower. The room is mighty pretty.

I plugged in the Epson 7800 (Jersey Barrier) and tested it by performing a power cleaning with Piezoflush. Not a glitch, didn't have to reset any carts even. All I need is fresh inks and a workspace to get crazy again.

So next is to get rid of some stuff in the garage to get that ready for restoration.

I'm finding this hill-billy life relaxing. I gathered about half the leaf blown pile of leaves to add to my mulch pile. My neighbor John lent me a wheelbarrow to tow the gigantic contractor bags filled with wet leaves. I'm brewing topsoil.

It is so weird looking in the mirror, an old face with white sideburns and chin beard, but on the body of a scrawny 15 year old. Life is great, I feel relaxed, and this Baby-Victorian is the ideal size. Wait till I retire...

Cal

 

[jszokoli]

Cal,

Get your snow shovel ready; you do have a snow shovel...

Most people up by you go with a snow blower, by next year you will know how to keep those going...

Joe

 

[Calzone]

Cal,

Get your snow shovel ready; you do have a snow shovel...

Most people up by you go with a snow blower, by next year you will know how to keep those going...

Joe

The previous owner left us with two.

I have no sidewalks to shovel, so all that is required is the walkway from the curb to my stoop steps. Perfect for a lazy slacker.

The City of Peekskill will plow my street and dead end. No parking on the streets after a certain date in December.

The Audi A4 is AWD. Glad that you recommended getting AWD.

I see no need for a snow blower. LOL.

Interesting to see a ground fog hovering over the valley that is Dickey Brook right behind my house. The sun was shining and the drama was great.

I love how the light plays with the windows in this Baby-Victorian. Very romantic.

Ha-ha. I beat the rain this morning.

BTW looks like the huge $2.7M grant to rebuild and overhaul my cyclotron looks to get a "green-light" in January.

Hmmm... this is an amusing Sich-E-A-tion. The rebuild could take 6 months, there are long lead times to manufacture parts and for ordering components that are 6-9 months. This includes a new control system and updates.

Could be a big surprise when I retire in 12 1/2 months. "Ha-ha," I say. LOL.

Cal