NYC Journal

Morning Cal,

4x5 Sinar Norma Handy 65mm f8 SA Viv365 C Cell Pack by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here is my 4x5 Sinar Norma Handy with 65mm F8 Super Angulon Compur, with original Norma Vintage Helical Mount 65mm F8. The real deal. Vivitar 365 has the poke required for portable 4x5.

But is it obnoxious enough in your opinion? I will continue to pimp it, six 4x5 Graphmatics are loaded with 4x5 HP5+ and TMax400, as a side by side test. I have several olde boxes of 50 and some new as well. C Cell Pack works perfectly fine and flash sync is perfect.

I suggest you buy some Apple Boxes from B&H. Happy I bought two sets.
 
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The chain link fence is a no-go today. No child proofing the back-backyard will happen today.

We both decided that a 4 foot high chain link fence would be fugly, and we decided to visit Dain’s our lumber yard to look at cedar fencing. Glad we did, and we will order some 3x8 foot sections of picket fencing that is more pleasing to the eye. We intend on having the center section to be a double doorway to open up the view and to serve as a gate of sorts.

Pretty much we are dividing the back-backyard into two sections. The cost is just a little more, and the end result will be prettier. No painting, so eventually weathered cedar like the two sheds.

We went to Bear Mountain with the kids and the husband. Just across the Bear Mountain Bridge is another world that pretty much is wilderness. Very expansive that connects and includes another adjoining even bigger massive state park.

There are a few lakes and I wonder if the fish are safe to eat? Anyways the wilderness is mucho big and just a few miles from my house. I feel the impact of our location in the Hudson Valley.

Walking around Bear Mountain there is a lot of revolutionary war history and battles that took place at Bear Mountain that involved British attacks on Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton. Bear Mountain is a very rugged place.

Not so far away Kingston further north, the former capitol of New York, was captured and burned to the ground.

In Verplank, just south of Peekskill, the Continental Army and a French Army crossed the Hudson to skirt around NYC to attack and win the battle of Yorktown that led to our independence.

During the Civil War guns and canons were forged in Peekskill. West Point is not far away, a narrow part of the Hudson.

Cal
 
This New York Times feature I’m trying to understand. It seems like it is getting blown up into something big. Generally and usually just one photo, but this one multiple?

Hard to get my head around. The shot of mine is in color. Not sure if for print or online. Anyways a profile of sorts.

Separately the grandson is 18 months old and pretty much he does not talk. We already know he is mucho smart, but the Creature, “Maggie’s” daughter is kinda freaking out because in his daycare his peers have words. So off to a speech therapist, and evidently the grandson is so advanced and the testing indicated that this kid has a vocabulary of hundreds of words.

My friend Iron Mike did not speak until he was 4. At that time his parents brought him to a psychologist. They were told that Mike will speak when he wants to, and were told he is very-very smart.

Our grandson is one of those.

Cal
 
One key element of a Blue Zone is a sense of community to fight isolation and loneliness.

The burbs can be an isolating place, but Peekskill is a tiny city. Also it is a bit of a gateway and crossroad that has a kinda strategic location.

I discovered Eva Cassidy a singer/guitar player who only got famous after her death. She died of Cancer at a young age. Understand that Eva was shy.

I kinda have the opposite problem. Although I’m outgoing I am a bit of a loner who somehow is widely known. I feel at times without peers because of my personal experiences growing up, but somehow that shell has broken down. In these past few weeks I am meeting people that I think will be a strong circle of friends.

In NYC most of our friends were younger than use by a generation or even two generations, but now were are finding comfort in people more our age. It kinda happened suddenly, after 3 years of living here.

There also seems to be a bit of a class divide. Peekskill is a blue collar town, but we are more akin to the white collar professional class. Our friends have homes that are not modest like ours, and there seems to be displayed a disparity in wealth because we are highly educated like the peers we are meeting.

“Maggie” and I escaped poverty, and we started low on the SES. Anyways Westchester County certainly is a wealthy community, and likely one of the wealthiest in the country. I am kinda proud of our humble beginnings, and we have enough comfort, security, and luxury.

In a ways our life is more simple and pure. I like to think we have more freedom by already living a sustainable life without needing to downsize.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
Separately the grandson is 18 months old and pretty much he does not talk. We already know he is mucho smart, but the Creature, “Maggie’s” daughter is kinda freaking out because in his daycare his peers have words. So off to a speech therapist, and evidently the grandson is so advanced and the testing indicated that this kid has a vocabulary of hundreds of words.
Click to expand...
Does he say anything Cal? Like Ma? Mom? My kid said very few words until after 2 years old and then he exploded with words in Spanish. Now he talks very well with great pronunciation. He understands English completely, but doesn't like talking in English much yet. He responds to my English in Spanish mostly. He's almost 4 now. 18 months is still young and of course online they say 20-200 words, but boys sometimes take longer than that. Girls start talking earlier it seems.
 
John,

Very few words spoken. He will point to something and say, “That” to want to know what it is called. He understands full sentences, and you can tell him to do things like throw out a diaper in the garbage, or put his toys away.

His mother is a bit of a helicopter mom. The grand daughter had some speech problems and underwent an intervention because of enunciation problem.

This kid is mucho smart. He can really manipulate his parents, and especially his mom.

He calls “Maggie” Ma but does not say this to his mother. He say “Da”for dad.

When I shake my head “No” he shakes his head “Yes” and smiles. He thinks he is Brad Pit and can get over.

Cal
 
I was able to move forward with the Dinning Room. Uncovered the electrical switches and removed the mini-split air handler cover to get the room ready for painting. Had to Spackle around the electrical holes that were cut slightly oversized.

I was able to prime the Sheetrock and I cut the interior molding that frames the inside of the window.

I also cut some scrape clear pine into blocks for the grandson. He collected a bunch of my scrape already, and now he has a big bag of blocks as an addition. We will likely have him Tuesday. If the storm is bad we might end up with the grand daughter also.

Tomorrow I need to buy the ceiling paint and the wall color.

The living room became the staging area.

Tomorrow will be one month to book launch.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
John,

Very few words spoken. He will point to something and say, “That” to want to know what it is called.
Click to expand...
That's normal.
Calzone said:
He understands full sentences, and you can tell him to do things like throw out a diaper in the garbage, or put his toys away.
Click to expand...
This is the key... he will speak when he's ready. Same thing happened with us and of course my wife was freaking out.
Calzone said:
His mother is a bit of a helicopter mom. The grand daughter had some speech problems and underwent an intervention because of enunciation problem.

This kid is mucho smart. He can really manipulate his parents, and especially his mom.

He calls “Maggie” Ma but does not say this to his mother. He say “Da”for dad.

When I shake my head “No” he shakes his head “Yes” and smiles. He thinks he is Brad Pit and can get over.

Cal
Click to expand...
It'll be ok, but unfortunately the mom will have to go through the process. Everybody always compares kids to other kids at an early age and it isn't fair. Sounds relatively normal to me.
 
John,

I cite my friend Iron Mike who did not talk till he was 4. Drove his parents mucho crazy. The psychologist said the same, “He’ll speak when he wants to.”

Iron Mikes dad was a really smart guy. He scored 1800 on the SAT’s. I think that is a perfect score.

With my daughter she got tested because her reading was not so good. My wife was from Costa Rica and English was a second language in our home. This was similar to my upbringing where Chinese was spoken.

With our grandson it seems he has a couple of hundred words. Also when he does speak he cuts out the first syllable. Pretty much the Phycologist says it is because he is lazy. Pretty much he gets doted on so much he does not have to speak.

Cal
 
I still have the power to draw out the crazies, even in the burbs. Yesterday I got out of my car at Home Cheapo to buy some lumber and drop cloths, and upon exiting the car a bald headed man approached and engaged with me.

He was retired, had worked in NYC, and he told me of his hip problem. After a short conversation, I went to shake his hand, to say goodby, but he suffered from Reynauld’s and had blue hands. Instead he wanted a hug.

So here I am hugging a total stranger who I don’t even know his name.

“I was just minding my own business,” I say.

I wonder about some artists who bare a soul. I seem to draw out the best and worst in people for some unknown reason. Pretty much I lay low, but also somehow I draw lots of attention. Part of me is shy and private. This forum is a safe place for me, but am I really me when I hid my past?

In a ways not so different from a veteran who does not talk of their war experience and horrors. I wonder about the deeper meaning between public and private.

Meanwhile the media and social media is a crazy place.

Cal
 
John,

Kids are amazing. The grandson reminds me of me from a time I don’t remember. There is great beauty and a sense of amazement. They change so much even day by day.

Taking care of him is more an honor rather than work, but he can be challenging. Lots of joy…

Cal
 
Ceiling is painted. Now we have to select a light color for the walls.

We by expensive Benjamin Moore, but it makes the job easier. You kinda get what you pay for.

Even with just primed walls the dining room is bright. There is a walkout comprised of 3 windows and also a window that faces south. The Baby-Victorian has amazing light, especially early and late mornings and afternoons. The orange glow enters the house. A tiny house with 40 windows.

The grandson acts like it is his house. Upon first arrival he surveys the area to make sure nothing has changed. Not sure how he will respond to the new dinning room.

I have the original moldings, but I have to scrape off some non lead white paint and gel stain them.

Next is the hallway. We kinda want to have the first floor done to have guests. The house has been a construction zone for three years. We are tired of all that and want to move forward.

Cal
 
Got the ceiling painted. It further brightened the room.

I have to wait a day for the ceiling to dry fully to be able to use the “Frog” tape to create a hard edge between the ceiling and the walls. Oh-well.

I have the wall paint on hand. Loaded up on more supplies.

Looks like the winter storm will mean the parents of the grand kids will both be off because they are both teachers. Still we have a doctor’s appointment for Maggie.

On the book launch front, the British version is kicking into high gear with promotion, and “Maggie” is busy and distracted by all the things she has to do. The book launch is just a month away.

The living room could be freshened up with paint, and then the moldings could have the non lead white paint scraped off and gel stained.

The hallway needs the ceiling primed, some sanding, and then the hallway could be painted. The entire first floor will be done. Only took three years. LOL.

We kinda discovered that our next neighbors are somewhat stalkers. I know they use surveillance cameras, but pretty much all my neighbor’s do. It is to the extent that we kinda get free coverage. I guess we are interesting and they are very curious about us, but I kinda dislike the judgements that get implied.

Roasting a turkey breast for dinner to make sandwiches on sourdough bread. I beefy salad will fill out the meal. I think I have the time to attempt a long row.

Cal
 
Was able to do a half hour of rowing. Next will be 40 minutes.

I lowered the foot-holds to get better extension and leverage. 40 minutes should not be so big a jump.

Should be able to shed the 5 pounds of winter weight before the weather breaks.

5 pounds on a skinny bitch is a lot.

Cal
 
Tomorrow our agent will call about this cruise vacation.

Pretty much a free vacation, but not in the best interest of our agent. Pretty much no real money for her.

Let’s see how this pans out. I suspect maybe a bone will be thrown our way.

Not my idea of travel, but if its free its for me.

This year I have a budget, and I am pretty much in austerity mode. The time of indulgence is gone.

When I’m 70 my income gets boosted, and I’ll be in a position to save lots of money. I will have to play money manager again. None of this money will be tax deferred.

My plans are to build a massive slush fund made of annual savings.

Cal
 
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