Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Captain Kangaroo. I have not seen or thought of him in decades.
Actually according to the Navy SEAL orthopedic surgeon I have the wear and tare on my body is “inconsequential” and insignificant. There is some deterioration in my lower back, but this is expected in anyone over 60.
It seems like I have a lot of fight left in me. My primary care physician stated that I am an almost 67 year old man trapped in a 40 year old body.
The weight gain of 5 pounds where I’m pushing almost 160 is alarming. I need to do more cardio to burn calories to get down into skinny-bitch mode. Also it seems my better eating is also adding lean muscle mass. It might get difficult to fall below 155 pounds.
I am still lean enough that you see the vein in my left shoulder that you see on basket ball point guards. I just have a bit of flab now in my mid section.
I think with more physical activity I can attain my goals.
Cal
Actually according to the Navy SEAL orthopedic surgeon I have the wear and tare on my body is “inconsequential” and insignificant. There is some deterioration in my lower back, but this is expected in anyone over 60.
It seems like I have a lot of fight left in me. My primary care physician stated that I am an almost 67 year old man trapped in a 40 year old body.
The weight gain of 5 pounds where I’m pushing almost 160 is alarming. I need to do more cardio to burn calories to get down into skinny-bitch mode. Also it seems my better eating is also adding lean muscle mass. It might get difficult to fall below 155 pounds.
I am still lean enough that you see the vein in my left shoulder that you see on basket ball point guards. I just have a bit of flab now in my mid section.
I think with more physical activity I can attain my goals.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Today I have a contractor installing a 5/8 plywood floor in my attic. Pretty much I’m building out the attic for storage, and later this year I hope to insulate the roof with Rock Wool, and install a vapor barrier.
I left the old insulation in the rafters, but it is old and self compressed. Better than nothing, but also of little value.
The vapor barrier I am using is this double sided craft paper sold in 3 foot wide rolls that utilizes a layer of tar to bond the two sheets together. I like that I have abundant overlap to make a good seal. This stuff is actually designed and made to be an underpayment under flooring.
Anyways this is stage one of insulating the roof. I could add rigid foam in addition for added R-value, about R-10 for a 2 inch wide sheet, and the additional benefit is that it would encapsulate the roof, especially if I cover the seams/joints with metal tape. Also adds a thermal break so that heat and cold don’t get conducted through the roof rafters.
The Baby-Victorian is a stick-house so the walls can act like a chimney to spread fires rapidly. I’ll add rock wool to act as a fire stop in between the studs at least in the attic. There are fire stops of rock wool in the kitchen, dinning room, and powder room downstairs.
The bathroom upstairs has rock wool insulation and fire stops, but the rest of the house has no insulation in the walls.
Know that 25% of your heat gets lost through your roof. The house is small (1500 square feet), has 40 windows, and surprisingly isn’t that bad to heat or cool. In the summer though the attic gets into baking temperatures. Pretty much baby steps. If I upgrade further with rigid foam over the roof rafters, I’ll have to add a layer of 5/8 sheet rock as a fire barrier since the rigid foam is flammable. The sheet rock brings everything up to code.
So pretty much there is a 15x16 foot A-frame section that will get the plywood flooring. Insulating the roof will get enabled, as the other 3 rooflines are crawl spaces in my attic. It would not be so crazy to stuff the crawl spaces to pretty much fill them to effectively make my roof small, (the 15x16 foot A-Frame). This is a possibility because it is EZ-PZ, less work, and you know me I’m a lazy-slacker and clever.
Bonus would be the sound deadening. Rock wool is great for sound proofing.
Pretty much this Baby-Victorian lacks closets, and the attic will be used or storage. I was made aware by Devil Christian that my attic lacks the structural integrity to be built out as a living space. Pretty much knee walls would encroach and in the end the resulting usable space would be only a walk-in closet.
Oh-well.
“Maggie” has the smallest bedroom, that is about the size of a great sized walk-in closet, filled with cloths racks and shoes. Pretty much a lot of this clutter and overspill will go into the attic.
Since my basement is not a guaranteed dry basement, I’ll move my prints and negatives along with some artwork into the attic because it is a safer place.
Pretty much only a baby-step forward, but insulating the attic roof is a big step.
Cal
I left the old insulation in the rafters, but it is old and self compressed. Better than nothing, but also of little value.
The vapor barrier I am using is this double sided craft paper sold in 3 foot wide rolls that utilizes a layer of tar to bond the two sheets together. I like that I have abundant overlap to make a good seal. This stuff is actually designed and made to be an underpayment under flooring.
Anyways this is stage one of insulating the roof. I could add rigid foam in addition for added R-value, about R-10 for a 2 inch wide sheet, and the additional benefit is that it would encapsulate the roof, especially if I cover the seams/joints with metal tape. Also adds a thermal break so that heat and cold don’t get conducted through the roof rafters.
The Baby-Victorian is a stick-house so the walls can act like a chimney to spread fires rapidly. I’ll add rock wool to act as a fire stop in between the studs at least in the attic. There are fire stops of rock wool in the kitchen, dinning room, and powder room downstairs.
The bathroom upstairs has rock wool insulation and fire stops, but the rest of the house has no insulation in the walls.
Know that 25% of your heat gets lost through your roof. The house is small (1500 square feet), has 40 windows, and surprisingly isn’t that bad to heat or cool. In the summer though the attic gets into baking temperatures. Pretty much baby steps. If I upgrade further with rigid foam over the roof rafters, I’ll have to add a layer of 5/8 sheet rock as a fire barrier since the rigid foam is flammable. The sheet rock brings everything up to code.
So pretty much there is a 15x16 foot A-frame section that will get the plywood flooring. Insulating the roof will get enabled, as the other 3 rooflines are crawl spaces in my attic. It would not be so crazy to stuff the crawl spaces to pretty much fill them to effectively make my roof small, (the 15x16 foot A-Frame). This is a possibility because it is EZ-PZ, less work, and you know me I’m a lazy-slacker and clever.
Bonus would be the sound deadening. Rock wool is great for sound proofing.
Pretty much this Baby-Victorian lacks closets, and the attic will be used or storage. I was made aware by Devil Christian that my attic lacks the structural integrity to be built out as a living space. Pretty much knee walls would encroach and in the end the resulting usable space would be only a walk-in closet.
Oh-well.
“Maggie” has the smallest bedroom, that is about the size of a great sized walk-in closet, filled with cloths racks and shoes. Pretty much a lot of this clutter and overspill will go into the attic.
Since my basement is not a guaranteed dry basement, I’ll move my prints and negatives along with some artwork into the attic because it is a safer place.
Pretty much only a baby-step forward, but insulating the attic roof is a big step.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
UPDATE: “Maggie” mentioned wanting her shed to be more like a living space, so it became an opportunity to float the idea of making a 400 square foot studio over the garage with a fully windowed wall facing due south along with an elevated deck.
I already have a 100 amp service, so I already have a jump start.
HVAC via a mini-split. Maggie mentioned having a bathroom, and pretty much the plumbing for the water and sewer could connect to the powder room off the kitchen. Kinda ideal. Gravity would be my friend.
She is thinking of having this as her studio…
Pretty much this is a better deal than buying a second property, it adds an ADU/rental value to our property, and certainly increases the value of this home.
So what is in this for Calvin? I already have the second largest bedroom, and there is the smallest bedroom I could possibly annex. There is also the tower room that has potential to be connected to my music studio/second bedroom. If I can secure three rooms upstairs, maybe it is not such a bad deal.
The house was sold and advertised as a 4-bedroom, but IMHO it is really a two-bedroom with two additional rooms that are really too small for bedrooms, but are suitable as home offices. I would want to merge the tower room with my music studio by taking down the two walls that create a closet in the tower room and a closet in the real bedroom (second bedroom).
This would kinda have “Calzone-factor” and be mighty cool. I can see double French doors dividing the two spaces so technically for tax purposes and building codes it still could be framed as two separate rooms.
I might have to give away my closet in the master bedroom. I basically cut down a shelved cloths rack that wheels in and out of a narrow deep closet. It is mighty clever and smart. Perhaps something Devil Christian would think of. I could store my fancy clothes in the attic. No big deal, I mostly wear rags or worn clothing anyways.
Know that I have clothes and shoes stockpiled in the basement, so the attic provides some room to move in the basement. It is pretty much too cluttered right now to do anything. Realize I am a hoarder.
Also know I would negotiate that the carriage house could be used as guest quarters. I would not build out a kitchen at this time, but provisions would be planned in.
I am mighty clever. Maggie said I could have the house, but she wants the carriage house.
If Maggie gets 400 square feet, certainly it is in the realm for me to annex three rooms on the second floor. Hmmm…
Cal
I already have a 100 amp service, so I already have a jump start.
HVAC via a mini-split. Maggie mentioned having a bathroom, and pretty much the plumbing for the water and sewer could connect to the powder room off the kitchen. Kinda ideal. Gravity would be my friend.
She is thinking of having this as her studio…
Pretty much this is a better deal than buying a second property, it adds an ADU/rental value to our property, and certainly increases the value of this home.
So what is in this for Calvin? I already have the second largest bedroom, and there is the smallest bedroom I could possibly annex. There is also the tower room that has potential to be connected to my music studio/second bedroom. If I can secure three rooms upstairs, maybe it is not such a bad deal.
The house was sold and advertised as a 4-bedroom, but IMHO it is really a two-bedroom with two additional rooms that are really too small for bedrooms, but are suitable as home offices. I would want to merge the tower room with my music studio by taking down the two walls that create a closet in the tower room and a closet in the real bedroom (second bedroom).
This would kinda have “Calzone-factor” and be mighty cool. I can see double French doors dividing the two spaces so technically for tax purposes and building codes it still could be framed as two separate rooms.
I might have to give away my closet in the master bedroom. I basically cut down a shelved cloths rack that wheels in and out of a narrow deep closet. It is mighty clever and smart. Perhaps something Devil Christian would think of. I could store my fancy clothes in the attic. No big deal, I mostly wear rags or worn clothing anyways.
Know that I have clothes and shoes stockpiled in the basement, so the attic provides some room to move in the basement. It is pretty much too cluttered right now to do anything. Realize I am a hoarder.
Also know I would negotiate that the carriage house could be used as guest quarters. I would not build out a kitchen at this time, but provisions would be planned in.
I am mighty clever. Maggie said I could have the house, but she wants the carriage house.
If Maggie gets 400 square feet, certainly it is in the realm for me to annex three rooms on the second floor. Hmmm…
Cal
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
When Ringle first hit the market, the shop where I worked repeatedly saw failures in all their products. Perhaps they were pushing the envelope too hard in prioritizing lightness? Don't know, but I subsequently avoided most of their products. That being said, however, my Bridgestone still sports a 1" quill stem (in 3-D Violet!), purchased in '95, that is still going strong after years of hammering.
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
And Bunny Rabbit? And Grandfather Clock? Truth be told, I was madly in love with Mr. Greenjeans at age five. I guess my parents willfully ignored that warning bell!
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
RG,
I confess, I am a reformed weight weenie.
I learned that lightweight parts are often not durable.
This is from a guy who fatigued an early Litespeed Ti frame at the head tube weld.
Oh-well nothing lasts forever… BTW I had the frame repaired under warrantee. Pretty much they replaced the entire front triangle with a new one that had oversized tubing. The original frame flexed a lot and was wonderful over rocky and roots terrain.
Today this frame features and sports a chrome Koski fork to match the polished titanium. I was an early adopter of titanium, and it didn’t take long for builders to realize that bead blasting saved a lot on labor costs. This bike today is a 2x11 gravel bike. Old pre-suspension mountain bikes kinda do well for gravel.
I’m glad I kept my old retro gear. It has Grafton Speed Controllers, remember them? Lots of retro parts. Kinda like a rolling museum. The polished titanium along with the retro chromed fork makes for a kinda “loud” bike.
Cal
I confess, I am a reformed weight weenie.
I learned that lightweight parts are often not durable.
This is from a guy who fatigued an early Litespeed Ti frame at the head tube weld.
Oh-well nothing lasts forever… BTW I had the frame repaired under warrantee. Pretty much they replaced the entire front triangle with a new one that had oversized tubing. The original frame flexed a lot and was wonderful over rocky and roots terrain.
Today this frame features and sports a chrome Koski fork to match the polished titanium. I was an early adopter of titanium, and it didn’t take long for builders to realize that bead blasting saved a lot on labor costs. This bike today is a 2x11 gravel bike. Old pre-suspension mountain bikes kinda do well for gravel.
I’m glad I kept my old retro gear. It has Grafton Speed Controllers, remember them? Lots of retro parts. Kinda like a rolling museum. The polished titanium along with the retro chromed fork makes for a kinda “loud” bike.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I set the hook into “Maggie” on developing and converting the garage into a carriage house/ADU, but I don’t have a gaff into her yet to “tail-rope” and “boat” her.
I use shark fishing terms above. Women are unpredictable animals.
I’m going to measure the rooms upstairs to calculate square footage.
The mind wanders, but I like the idea of just building a 400 square foot studio. A bathroom would be a bonus and value added, and the smart thing would be to have the infrastructure built out to make a kitchen build out EZ-PZ upon conception, even if not built out yet or immediately.
Call me a worm, but I want to know what the deal is, and how much wiggle room I have. Hmmm…
Call me “Shark-E.”
Cal
I use shark fishing terms above. Women are unpredictable animals.
I’m going to measure the rooms upstairs to calculate square footage.
The mind wanders, but I like the idea of just building a 400 square foot studio. A bathroom would be a bonus and value added, and the smart thing would be to have the infrastructure built out to make a kitchen build out EZ-PZ upon conception, even if not built out yet or immediately.
Call me a worm, but I want to know what the deal is, and how much wiggle room I have. Hmmm…
Call me “Shark-E.”
Cal
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Cal you wrote - "... Know that 25% of your heat gets lost through your roof. The house is small (1500 square feet), has 40 windows, and surprisingly isn’t that bad to heat or cool.
Wow! Forty windows or forty window panes?? If it's the former, please can I have the contract to be your window washer?? My fortune would be assured.
Otherwise, your comments re insulation, heating (or in our case, more cool) loss, and so on, are of great interest to us in Australia. In Victoria (state) where we live, climate change/global warming brings new 'highs' of cool/cold in the winters, which thank all the gods are mercifully short and more reminiscent of Italy than Canada, and heat in the summers, which look and certainly feel to be longer. The seasons are nalso later than they were a few decades ago. The summers are longer and the heat is fiercer. So insulating is important, even critical. Many older houses have wide verandas to give shade and to keep things cooler inside. More attention must be given to areful planning and planting of trees in our yards and gardens to ensure natural cooling and shade. Also extreme climate-resistant plants and trees.
When we moved to our country town weather board (I think you Americans call it "clap board") house a few years ago we realized little or nothing had ever been done to provide good insulation in our little hacienda built in 1921. So we blew our budget and put in split systems in strategic places. (We also 'lektrified' the kitchen and hot water system to be done with gas, which has saved us some $$.)
I had great plans to modernize the attached garage and turn it into a gala workshop for myself, with an additional split system to keep temperatures and humidity levels under control, but I quickly became aware that the costs involved, especially for insulating the open walls, were too high for this project to be financially sensible for us.
So my darkroom and my film archive storage have a place of importance (and take up too much space) in our second bedroom, which has a split system shared with the main bedroom. One for two!.So far this works well, even if some winter nights can be a tad cold. A large fan keeps things nicely cool in the summer until we get mid-30s days, when the AC comes on. In the cold months four cats under the doona quilt in the bed help keep two human bods warm. Bedrooms are for (mostly) sleeping in anyway, so there isn't a great necessity to keep them liveably cool or warm. So some say.
Again so long-windedly. Many3 thanks to you for your ideas and thoughts about all this. Know that some (even many) of us read what you write and find good ideas in your musings. You are a useful source of good information about so many things, long may it go on...
Wow! Forty windows or forty window panes?? If it's the former, please can I have the contract to be your window washer?? My fortune would be assured.
Otherwise, your comments re insulation, heating (or in our case, more cool) loss, and so on, are of great interest to us in Australia. In Victoria (state) where we live, climate change/global warming brings new 'highs' of cool/cold in the winters, which thank all the gods are mercifully short and more reminiscent of Italy than Canada, and heat in the summers, which look and certainly feel to be longer. The seasons are nalso later than they were a few decades ago. The summers are longer and the heat is fiercer. So insulating is important, even critical. Many older houses have wide verandas to give shade and to keep things cooler inside. More attention must be given to areful planning and planting of trees in our yards and gardens to ensure natural cooling and shade. Also extreme climate-resistant plants and trees.
When we moved to our country town weather board (I think you Americans call it "clap board") house a few years ago we realized little or nothing had ever been done to provide good insulation in our little hacienda built in 1921. So we blew our budget and put in split systems in strategic places. (We also 'lektrified' the kitchen and hot water system to be done with gas, which has saved us some $$.)
I had great plans to modernize the attached garage and turn it into a gala workshop for myself, with an additional split system to keep temperatures and humidity levels under control, but I quickly became aware that the costs involved, especially for insulating the open walls, were too high for this project to be financially sensible for us.
So my darkroom and my film archive storage have a place of importance (and take up too much space) in our second bedroom, which has a split system shared with the main bedroom. One for two!.So far this works well, even if some winter nights can be a tad cold. A large fan keeps things nicely cool in the summer until we get mid-30s days, when the AC comes on. In the cold months four cats under the doona quilt in the bed help keep two human bods warm. Bedrooms are for (mostly) sleeping in anyway, so there isn't a great necessity to keep them liveably cool or warm. So some say.
Again so long-windedly. Many3 thanks to you for your ideas and thoughts about all this. Know that some (even many) of us read what you write and find good ideas in your musings. You are a useful source of good information about so many things, long may it go on...
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I learned a lot from Devil Christian who has the technical formal training.
Pretty much Mitsubishi has the small modular mini-split market cornered as far as having the best offerings in the non commercial market. In fact 3 years ago we were early adopters of these newly released ceiling mounted air handlers that fit in between the second story floor joists. Kinda transparent and invisible.
Jack HVAC says that pretty much the mechanicals are durable, but what fails is the electronics. He also said they last the longest if used all the time. Durability could be 10-12 years, I hope 15 for me.
They are efficient because they kinda try to run without cycling. Comparable to jogging or walking along in no hurry verses sprinting. Also kinda like driving a car where you burn more gas in stop and go traffic verses cruising at a steady speed.
Here in New York the summers get swampy to the levels of being tropical. Sweating does little to cool you because evaporation does not really happen. My mini-split is a really wonderful dehumidifier, so pretty much the cooling is ctually a secondary benefit.
The heating though is not so different than forced hot air. Actually the dry air causes discomfort to the extent that we use our oil furnace to heat our home. Nose bleeds, painfully dry skin, itching… are the result of heating with the mini-splits.
We have old fashion heavy radiators that are bulky, but they have mass for thermal storage. “Snoopy and JJ’s” house looks totally different than our house, but is the same size and layout, but they heat with forced hot air using natural gas. They run their heating at a low 60 degrees and complain about their very high energy bills.
Meanwhile we run a steady 68-72 degrees, on a dumb thermostat. 68 degrees downstairs, but 72 degrees upstairs because heat rises.
There is a debate about energy savings with turning down a thermostat verses what we do which is a steady state. I can see both arguments, but a lot depends. In our case the cast iron radiators are a thermal storage device, and I think JJ and Snoopy’s high energy bills that are kinda crazy especially since they run their heating system at a low temperature.
I believe the difference is the amount of cycling, combined with how hot air so easily escapes, verses us having a warm radiating hot spot in every room. The upstairs bath had a radiator removed, but this bathroom is sandwiched in between the largest and smallest bedrooms. The contractor assured me that with the tiny amount of exterior wall that no heating would be required.
I trusted him enough, but I also added the electric heated floor that can add radiant heat. When I get out of the shower it is wonderful to step onto a 75-80 degree floor instead of cold tile. I don’t use it often, but when I do I’m mucho glad I spent the money. The controller provides the time and temperure for the upstairs, and also serves as a night light.
Have you ever heard of a “Swamp” cooler? Pretty much all you need is a fan and a wet towel. The principle is to encourage evaporation. This form of artificial resporation is the same cooling effect that happens in a forest. Across the Hudson River from Peekskill are two rather large State Parks that are basically wilderness. This forest does a lot t moderate pollution also as a secondary benefit, but the reparation of trees helps moderate global warming.
Adirondack State Park is the largest state park in the lower 48 states. This park is so vast that they say that it is immune from global warming’s temperature change. I would later learn from a hiker in New Hampshire named Doug, who lives within the park, that there still are other effects from global warming like flooding and roads and bridges getting washed out.
FRom what I understand Australia has a somewhat desert climate, so the temperature extremes get amplified by dry air. Adding humidity can add comfort to heating. An ld trick when operating a wood stove is to use the stove to also heat a pot of water. The added humidity does a lot.
I have two high end humidifiers in my basement, but they require maintenance about every 3 weeks and daily filling when I lived in a 650 square foot apartment that utilized forced hot air heating. If you don’t use distilled water pretty much a white film gets emitted that is messy. This white film extends about 5-6 feet from the humidifier.
In the Baby-Victorian (1929) the 1500 square feet is just too big an area to justify humidifying. Too much work… A creative idea though is set up a rather large body of water within the house like a Koi pond or a large fish tank, then use aerators to encourage evaporation. I figure size would have to be at least 50 gallons for 100 square feet. I actually had an large clay urn as a koi pond in a 1000 square foot loft. So I actually ran this type of humidifier, but the heating was baseboard.
Cal
Pretty much Mitsubishi has the small modular mini-split market cornered as far as having the best offerings in the non commercial market. In fact 3 years ago we were early adopters of these newly released ceiling mounted air handlers that fit in between the second story floor joists. Kinda transparent and invisible.
Jack HVAC says that pretty much the mechanicals are durable, but what fails is the electronics. He also said they last the longest if used all the time. Durability could be 10-12 years, I hope 15 for me.
They are efficient because they kinda try to run without cycling. Comparable to jogging or walking along in no hurry verses sprinting. Also kinda like driving a car where you burn more gas in stop and go traffic verses cruising at a steady speed.
Here in New York the summers get swampy to the levels of being tropical. Sweating does little to cool you because evaporation does not really happen. My mini-split is a really wonderful dehumidifier, so pretty much the cooling is ctually a secondary benefit.
The heating though is not so different than forced hot air. Actually the dry air causes discomfort to the extent that we use our oil furnace to heat our home. Nose bleeds, painfully dry skin, itching… are the result of heating with the mini-splits.
We have old fashion heavy radiators that are bulky, but they have mass for thermal storage. “Snoopy and JJ’s” house looks totally different than our house, but is the same size and layout, but they heat with forced hot air using natural gas. They run their heating at a low 60 degrees and complain about their very high energy bills.
Meanwhile we run a steady 68-72 degrees, on a dumb thermostat. 68 degrees downstairs, but 72 degrees upstairs because heat rises.
There is a debate about energy savings with turning down a thermostat verses what we do which is a steady state. I can see both arguments, but a lot depends. In our case the cast iron radiators are a thermal storage device, and I think JJ and Snoopy’s high energy bills that are kinda crazy especially since they run their heating system at a low temperature.
I believe the difference is the amount of cycling, combined with how hot air so easily escapes, verses us having a warm radiating hot spot in every room. The upstairs bath had a radiator removed, but this bathroom is sandwiched in between the largest and smallest bedrooms. The contractor assured me that with the tiny amount of exterior wall that no heating would be required.
I trusted him enough, but I also added the electric heated floor that can add radiant heat. When I get out of the shower it is wonderful to step onto a 75-80 degree floor instead of cold tile. I don’t use it often, but when I do I’m mucho glad I spent the money. The controller provides the time and temperure for the upstairs, and also serves as a night light.
Have you ever heard of a “Swamp” cooler? Pretty much all you need is a fan and a wet towel. The principle is to encourage evaporation. This form of artificial resporation is the same cooling effect that happens in a forest. Across the Hudson River from Peekskill are two rather large State Parks that are basically wilderness. This forest does a lot t moderate pollution also as a secondary benefit, but the reparation of trees helps moderate global warming.
Adirondack State Park is the largest state park in the lower 48 states. This park is so vast that they say that it is immune from global warming’s temperature change. I would later learn from a hiker in New Hampshire named Doug, who lives within the park, that there still are other effects from global warming like flooding and roads and bridges getting washed out.
FRom what I understand Australia has a somewhat desert climate, so the temperature extremes get amplified by dry air. Adding humidity can add comfort to heating. An ld trick when operating a wood stove is to use the stove to also heat a pot of water. The added humidity does a lot.
I have two high end humidifiers in my basement, but they require maintenance about every 3 weeks and daily filling when I lived in a 650 square foot apartment that utilized forced hot air heating. If you don’t use distilled water pretty much a white film gets emitted that is messy. This white film extends about 5-6 feet from the humidifier.
In the Baby-Victorian (1929) the 1500 square feet is just too big an area to justify humidifying. Too much work… A creative idea though is set up a rather large body of water within the house like a Koi pond or a large fish tank, then use aerators to encourage evaporation. I figure size would have to be at least 50 gallons for 100 square feet. I actually had an large clay urn as a koi pond in a 1000 square foot loft. So I actually ran this type of humidifier, but the heating was baseboard.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Our friend “Snarky” Joe pointed out that old houses back in the day dis not have HVAC systems. They were not developed for consumer use back then.
The original heating system in the 1929 Baby-Victorian was likely a coal stove in the basement, and a single duct in the hallway. Pretty much this was it for the whole house. The house has a center chimney.
Devil Christian wondered why the entire second floor had newer not period correct oak flooring. My forensic guess is when a modern heating system was installed there was a choice: tear up the ceilings to install the required plumbing; or tare up the second story floors.
In the first floor hallway is a patch of heart pine flooring where once an iron grate once was.
The 40 window count is a bit of an exaggeration because in that count are the enclosed front porch windows that were added later. I also have a second basement under the front porch, so not only do I have two backyards, I also can brag that I have two basements. These are unusual features that I kinda love about the house.
Remember this was a house that went unloved during the beginning of the housing shortage 4 years ago. Now it could be judged as the cutest house and coolest out of the 13 old homes on the street. I believe we might be the oldest home too on the street, and “Maggie” thinks it was likely the model home for the development because of the features, premium options, upgrades, and being the corner lot with not only a second building lot, but also bordering on public land with our view.
Kinda funny is that as a prompt I was going to brag about our heating bill last year. It was a very mild winter with almost no snow. Our fuel tank (275 gallons) was topped off in August or maybe September and now it is November and only about 1/4 tank was consumed. Understand that our Crown oil burner features tankless hot water, and this system is surprisingly mucho great.
Last heating season our total fuel bill for oil for the year was only $2.6K. Generally heating a home in the northeast for under $3K is really-really good. Snoopy and JJ complain/whine that their total energy costs that includes electric as well as natural gas is about double our heating costs.
Our electric is generally under $100 a month, but when we run the mini-splits to enjoy deep comfort as old entitled old people it is about double on the electric bill.
So actually we do pretty well, and our electric bill is unduly high because we run a window AC unit in the bedroom. Pretty much the heat rises, and I have a bit of overkill using a 8K BTU window unit to compensate for the heat that rises from using the mini-split all day.
The attic Devil Chrisian
CONTINUED…
The attic Devil Christian mentioned is not vented. Pretty much older houses generally have vented attics. He taught me that new construction utilizes non vented attics that are sealed and the thrice here is to avoid condensation that would promote mold growth.
Cal
The original heating system in the 1929 Baby-Victorian was likely a coal stove in the basement, and a single duct in the hallway. Pretty much this was it for the whole house. The house has a center chimney.
Devil Christian wondered why the entire second floor had newer not period correct oak flooring. My forensic guess is when a modern heating system was installed there was a choice: tear up the ceilings to install the required plumbing; or tare up the second story floors.
In the first floor hallway is a patch of heart pine flooring where once an iron grate once was.
The 40 window count is a bit of an exaggeration because in that count are the enclosed front porch windows that were added later. I also have a second basement under the front porch, so not only do I have two backyards, I also can brag that I have two basements. These are unusual features that I kinda love about the house.
Remember this was a house that went unloved during the beginning of the housing shortage 4 years ago. Now it could be judged as the cutest house and coolest out of the 13 old homes on the street. I believe we might be the oldest home too on the street, and “Maggie” thinks it was likely the model home for the development because of the features, premium options, upgrades, and being the corner lot with not only a second building lot, but also bordering on public land with our view.
Kinda funny is that as a prompt I was going to brag about our heating bill last year. It was a very mild winter with almost no snow. Our fuel tank (275 gallons) was topped off in August or maybe September and now it is November and only about 1/4 tank was consumed. Understand that our Crown oil burner features tankless hot water, and this system is surprisingly mucho great.
Last heating season our total fuel bill for oil for the year was only $2.6K. Generally heating a home in the northeast for under $3K is really-really good. Snoopy and JJ complain/whine that their total energy costs that includes electric as well as natural gas is about double our heating costs.
Our electric is generally under $100 a month, but when we run the mini-splits to enjoy deep comfort as old entitled old people it is about double on the electric bill.
So actually we do pretty well, and our electric bill is unduly high because we run a window AC unit in the bedroom. Pretty much the heat rises, and I have a bit of overkill using a 8K BTU window unit to compensate for the heat that rises from using the mini-split all day.
The attic Devil Chrisian
CONTINUED…
The attic Devil Christian mentioned is not vented. Pretty much older houses generally have vented attics. He taught me that new construction utilizes non vented attics that are sealed and the thrice here is to avoid condensation that would promote mold growth.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Got another probation reminder E-mail.
This is for a November appointment.
Just got back from visiting “Maggie’s” cousin who lives near Windam and Hunter Mountain in Delaware County. This is near the northwest corner of Catskill State Park.
Seems like a medical/doctor shortage, and Maggie concedes that we would have to keep our Peekskill home for medical care.
Cal
This is for a November appointment.
Just got back from visiting “Maggie’s” cousin who lives near Windam and Hunter Mountain in Delaware County. This is near the northwest corner of Catskill State Park.
Seems like a medical/doctor shortage, and Maggie concedes that we would have to keep our Peekskill home for medical care.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Further north more selection and housing stock is available, but the trade off is medical care and services. Having nurse practitioners instead of real MD’s is what is available locally, and for more serious issues the major health care is 40 minutes to an hour’s drive.
That being the case why not keep our doctors here in Peekskill and look closer for our retreat.
“Maggie’s” cousins are more interesting than her brothers and sister. Actually the cousins feel more of a family. The purpose of this trip was writing research to explore her grandmother’s history. Family secrets are always good material.
My thinking is that residing near ski areas if you don’t ski is kinda dumb. I have to deal with woman factor…
The area included farms though. Me I kinda like woods.
The electrically heated leather seats on the Audi made the 2 1/2 hour ride soothing and comfortable, but I feel the tightness in my IT bands in my thighs from too much sitting. I will do the awful foam roller massage to loosen things up.
The trees were bare up there further north, but here in Peekskill the trees are about half stripped of leaves, althogh my Japanese Red Maple still retains all of them. Pretty much a slow fall.
The tomato harvest is slowing down. Lots of green ones that I likely will let go to rot. My freezer is full and so is my fridge.
On the long drive a discussion happened about Post-Modernism. Maggie with her PhD likes to argue, and pretty much it can get crazy. We talked about the end of modernism. There was some debate about who led the movement, and when modernism ended, and pretty much I drew upon my art and art history background, while Maggie drew upon philosophers.
So now the words Post-Modernity is used to explain our state of minds as being post-modern where there is chaos and no rules or even facts. In this frame of mind everything is fluid and there are multiple framings of reality, and plural systems of belief.
Pretty much I have the vast liberal arts interdisciplinary education and mind, so whenever I challenge rigid thinking or absolutes of a PhD, this often is taken as not listening, misunderstanding, or wanting to argue. My training and education is mucho post-modern, and I challenge all thinking, though, and things presented as fact or science.
Somehow on this car ride I not only realized and recognized how complex I am, but I also got Maggie to understand my challenges to some of her thoughts were more modern than post-modern, and now she somehow made the jump to post-modern thinking and pluralisms and reframings.
She did a lot of study in her PhD program, a lot involved post modern philosophers, so she was well aware of the concepts, but living as a post-modern person really was not applied to her life and thinking. Knowledge was wasted and not utilized.
So I hope that her digging in and her having to prove she is correct, smarter, or right stops. I think I managed to effect a great change and opportunity for both intellectual and creative growth.
Interesting side bar is that Maggie informed me how fiction writing involves a practice of spontaneous creation, that kinda relates to Jazz.
Cal
That being the case why not keep our doctors here in Peekskill and look closer for our retreat.
“Maggie’s” cousins are more interesting than her brothers and sister. Actually the cousins feel more of a family. The purpose of this trip was writing research to explore her grandmother’s history. Family secrets are always good material.
My thinking is that residing near ski areas if you don’t ski is kinda dumb. I have to deal with woman factor…
The area included farms though. Me I kinda like woods.
The electrically heated leather seats on the Audi made the 2 1/2 hour ride soothing and comfortable, but I feel the tightness in my IT bands in my thighs from too much sitting. I will do the awful foam roller massage to loosen things up.
The trees were bare up there further north, but here in Peekskill the trees are about half stripped of leaves, althogh my Japanese Red Maple still retains all of them. Pretty much a slow fall.
The tomato harvest is slowing down. Lots of green ones that I likely will let go to rot. My freezer is full and so is my fridge.
On the long drive a discussion happened about Post-Modernism. Maggie with her PhD likes to argue, and pretty much it can get crazy. We talked about the end of modernism. There was some debate about who led the movement, and when modernism ended, and pretty much I drew upon my art and art history background, while Maggie drew upon philosophers.
So now the words Post-Modernity is used to explain our state of minds as being post-modern where there is chaos and no rules or even facts. In this frame of mind everything is fluid and there are multiple framings of reality, and plural systems of belief.
Pretty much I have the vast liberal arts interdisciplinary education and mind, so whenever I challenge rigid thinking or absolutes of a PhD, this often is taken as not listening, misunderstanding, or wanting to argue. My training and education is mucho post-modern, and I challenge all thinking, though, and things presented as fact or science.
Somehow on this car ride I not only realized and recognized how complex I am, but I also got Maggie to understand my challenges to some of her thoughts were more modern than post-modern, and now she somehow made the jump to post-modern thinking and pluralisms and reframings.
She did a lot of study in her PhD program, a lot involved post modern philosophers, so she was well aware of the concepts, but living as a post-modern person really was not applied to her life and thinking. Knowledge was wasted and not utilized.
So I hope that her digging in and her having to prove she is correct, smarter, or right stops. I think I managed to effect a great change and opportunity for both intellectual and creative growth.
Interesting side bar is that Maggie informed me how fiction writing involves a practice of spontaneous creation, that kinda relates to Jazz.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Gym today.
Have to hit CVS for antibiotics and enemas. Wednesday is the prostrate biopsy.
I love the Ti IBIS as a 2x11, and the steel IBIS as a 1x11. Even though I have mucho single speed wheel-sets for these 24/26 inch wheeled bikes, I’m reluctant to convert these two bikes to trials or single speed, or 3x1. They are both great bikes as currently built out.
Nice to have a retrograde for these bikes on the shelf, but there is no reason to devolve these bikes presently.
That’s why making or creating the IBIS SS into a single speed, 2x1, or 3x1 comes in. Also collaterally this bike’s OEM drivetrain will get saved and preserved like a time capsule to capture an era in history. It is a “survivor.”
It will be also a “loud” bike that broadcasts muy retro and cool. Definitely a luxury statement, but developed at little cost using parts I have on-hand.
I’m kinda excited. Using an unused bike is mucho exciting. A new toy of sorts, and pretty much displays character and enhances my projection of personality. I’m mucho pleased this bike came my way of accident/mistake. Mighty cool…
The 2 1/2 hour drive is about the limit for me as far as further north or northwest that I would want to travel. Also I learned that there are zero APR loans to buy a $30K John Deer tractor that has a 43 HP diesel. Useful for snow removal, but also needed if I want to be a hippy farmer. 84 month terms…
I stopped at a gas station that had a convenience store to pee. To buy something I bought $3.00 worth of Lotto tickets. I would love to become an old hippy farmer… Another daydream… Another fantacy…
Meanwhile I’m mucho happy with my present life, being retired, but perhaps I long for doing something crazy. Would be great to have enough land to build my own pump track. That John Deer tractor would be a nice tool. Then I could also play lumberjack and create a lumberyard and build things. I would also build out a trials course.
Hippy farming would be fun. Perhaps grow weed.
The song “Real Compared To What” recorded live at a casino became this mucho angry anti Vietnam War anthem that is a magical “Jazz-Moment” that somehow became an iconic recording. The Piano player was stoned on hash for the first time when he took the stage with his drummer and bass player along with a horn an sax player.
Somehow this assembly created a moment in history. The horn and sax player were just sitting in, no rehearsal, and pretty much no one knew what would happen, but history was recorded.
This is what I live for: the conversation in the car ride upstate was total improvisation and the profound complicated conversation, communication, and understanding was so profound and eloquent. It in itself was historic and also a Jazz-Moment that can’t be planned or recreated.
Absolute beauty…
I also realized how much of a thinker I am. My art education was not a waste. My simple life is very complex and rich…
Also retirement is great.
Cal
Have to hit CVS for antibiotics and enemas. Wednesday is the prostrate biopsy.
I love the Ti IBIS as a 2x11, and the steel IBIS as a 1x11. Even though I have mucho single speed wheel-sets for these 24/26 inch wheeled bikes, I’m reluctant to convert these two bikes to trials or single speed, or 3x1. They are both great bikes as currently built out.
Nice to have a retrograde for these bikes on the shelf, but there is no reason to devolve these bikes presently.
That’s why making or creating the IBIS SS into a single speed, 2x1, or 3x1 comes in. Also collaterally this bike’s OEM drivetrain will get saved and preserved like a time capsule to capture an era in history. It is a “survivor.”
It will be also a “loud” bike that broadcasts muy retro and cool. Definitely a luxury statement, but developed at little cost using parts I have on-hand.
I’m kinda excited. Using an unused bike is mucho exciting. A new toy of sorts, and pretty much displays character and enhances my projection of personality. I’m mucho pleased this bike came my way of accident/mistake. Mighty cool…
The 2 1/2 hour drive is about the limit for me as far as further north or northwest that I would want to travel. Also I learned that there are zero APR loans to buy a $30K John Deer tractor that has a 43 HP diesel. Useful for snow removal, but also needed if I want to be a hippy farmer. 84 month terms…
I stopped at a gas station that had a convenience store to pee. To buy something I bought $3.00 worth of Lotto tickets. I would love to become an old hippy farmer… Another daydream… Another fantacy…
Meanwhile I’m mucho happy with my present life, being retired, but perhaps I long for doing something crazy. Would be great to have enough land to build my own pump track. That John Deer tractor would be a nice tool. Then I could also play lumberjack and create a lumberyard and build things. I would also build out a trials course.
Hippy farming would be fun. Perhaps grow weed.
The song “Real Compared To What” recorded live at a casino became this mucho angry anti Vietnam War anthem that is a magical “Jazz-Moment” that somehow became an iconic recording. The Piano player was stoned on hash for the first time when he took the stage with his drummer and bass player along with a horn an sax player.
Somehow this assembly created a moment in history. The horn and sax player were just sitting in, no rehearsal, and pretty much no one knew what would happen, but history was recorded.
This is what I live for: the conversation in the car ride upstate was total improvisation and the profound complicated conversation, communication, and understanding was so profound and eloquent. It in itself was historic and also a Jazz-Moment that can’t be planned or recreated.
Absolute beauty…
I also realized how much of a thinker I am. My art education was not a waste. My simple life is very complex and rich…
Also retirement is great.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Seems like the old retro pre suspension mountain bikes from IBIS are showing less offerings. I checked the listings to see if there was abundant supply, but there is a very limited supply of the early era mountain bikes from IBIS.
So ideas have their era and time, and eventually supplies dry up. I am pleased that I have what I wanted, but I wondered about when and if the supply dried up. Evidently it has. The slim pickings include mostly the IBIS Alibi, an aluminum framed bike. I happen to have bought an Alibi as a clean frame.
Not sure I need it, or if one day I will re-sell just to get my money back because I kinda have my fill of bikes, or at least old ones. The Alibi could be made into a single speed bike with a suspension fork for/as a pump track bike. You never know if I might buy some property further north.
Don’t tell “Maggie” but a lot of land would be good for me.
Cal
So ideas have their era and time, and eventually supplies dry up. I am pleased that I have what I wanted, but I wondered about when and if the supply dried up. Evidently it has. The slim pickings include mostly the IBIS Alibi, an aluminum framed bike. I happen to have bought an Alibi as a clean frame.
Not sure I need it, or if one day I will re-sell just to get my money back because I kinda have my fill of bikes, or at least old ones. The Alibi could be made into a single speed bike with a suspension fork for/as a pump track bike. You never know if I might buy some property further north.
Don’t tell “Maggie” but a lot of land would be good for me.
Cal
ASA 32
Well-known
Good luck with the biopsy!
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
I wholeheartedly agree on both points! Art education is never a waste. It may not be the golden meal ticket (ask me how I know!), but only small-minded sheep regard it as a waste. No offense to real sheep, of course.
And oh yeah, retirement is sooo nice!
And oh yeah, retirement is sooo nice!
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
ASA 32,
Many thanks. I’m not so anxious about this procedure, and I know I have great medical care where I live.
I’m finding out that there are medical shortages in places like North Carolina near Wilmington and in the north western parts of the Catskills.
“Maggie” concedes that we either have to keep our Peekskill Baby-Victorian, or be not so far away. This is a relief for me, and know we enjoy good heath, don’t need meds, and pretty much don’t have any of the chronic conditions that come with old age.
Still the preventative maintenance, screenings, and regular checkups utilize a lot of time.
The biopsy I’m actually looking forward o because I will know where I stand, and from there a plan of action.
The MRI only shows some lesions, and that my prostrate is the size of a lime instead of a walnut…
The elevated and high PSA numbers is only an indicator…
Cal
Many thanks. I’m not so anxious about this procedure, and I know I have great medical care where I live.
I’m finding out that there are medical shortages in places like North Carolina near Wilmington and in the north western parts of the Catskills.
“Maggie” concedes that we either have to keep our Peekskill Baby-Victorian, or be not so far away. This is a relief for me, and know we enjoy good heath, don’t need meds, and pretty much don’t have any of the chronic conditions that come with old age.
Still the preventative maintenance, screenings, and regular checkups utilize a lot of time.
The biopsy I’m actually looking forward o because I will know where I stand, and from there a plan of action.
The MRI only shows some lesions, and that my prostrate is the size of a lime instead of a walnut…
The elevated and high PSA numbers is only an indicator…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
RG,
I actually had a reputation for being clever and annoying. Likely as a result from all my art education.
Seems like I also have a talent too also piss people off. How-Weird hated me.
“I made a big mistake hiring you,” he said to me.
“Fire me. Do me a favor,” I said.
Pretty much I was serious, but today I laugh about it. Pretty much I made it my full time job to annoy him.
Cal
I actually had a reputation for being clever and annoying. Likely as a result from all my art education.
Seems like I also have a talent too also piss people off. How-Weird hated me.
“I made a big mistake hiring you,” he said to me.
“Fire me. Do me a favor,” I said.
Pretty much I was serious, but today I laugh about it. Pretty much I made it my full time job to annoy him.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
“Maggie” and I keep going back and forth about selling the Baby-Victorian, or keeping it forever. We also would love more land and more privacy, a less suburban lifestyle, and to live in a more natural setting.
I have no love for Snoopy and JJ. I have a hope that they move to Austin sooner rather than later. They did something offensive on the 4th of July, and pretty much in my mind I am done with them, but I will remain a polite neighbor.
I see where the Baby-Victorian was a very lucky find. Financially i see great affordability, low cost, low taxes for New York, and pretty much a bargain of a lifetime. Location-location-location is another asset, but it is what it is, a suburban city of only 4 square miles with a population of 25K.
For me there is enough natural beauty and wildlife. In fact that is part of its charm, yet we are an hour’s train ride to Grand Central and NYC.
It is clear to me that I would want not only more land, but also serenity and enough land to farm and still have woods. For me I’d rather stay put, unless I kinda have a rather grand reason to move. My thoughts are unless there is a great benefit like no mortgage, or some great deal that fell from heaven, I don’t want to ever move, and I am perfectly happy here.
“Maggie” has other ideas…
Cal
I have no love for Snoopy and JJ. I have a hope that they move to Austin sooner rather than later. They did something offensive on the 4th of July, and pretty much in my mind I am done with them, but I will remain a polite neighbor.
I see where the Baby-Victorian was a very lucky find. Financially i see great affordability, low cost, low taxes for New York, and pretty much a bargain of a lifetime. Location-location-location is another asset, but it is what it is, a suburban city of only 4 square miles with a population of 25K.
For me there is enough natural beauty and wildlife. In fact that is part of its charm, yet we are an hour’s train ride to Grand Central and NYC.
It is clear to me that I would want not only more land, but also serenity and enough land to farm and still have woods. For me I’d rather stay put, unless I kinda have a rather grand reason to move. My thoughts are unless there is a great benefit like no mortgage, or some great deal that fell from heaven, I don’t want to ever move, and I am perfectly happy here.
“Maggie” has other ideas…
Cal