NYC Journal

Snarky Joe says I’m stuck in the past. Certainly there is a great amount of truth to this because I honor history, and certainly I am retro. Another part of me though is rather progressive, and I’m somehow always moving forward.

I looked at the link that Glen supplied. The greenhouses seem like a great value and well engineered. The designs are kinda modern, made of extruded aluminum and polycarbonate. The 10 foot wide version is appealing over the 8 foot versions. Pretty much a real greenhouse.

Outdoor Living Today uses a lot of cedar and intergrated into the design are raised beds shaped like a U. There is a rustic quality that is less modern that I find appealing. Understand that the Baby-Victorian is a 1912 Craftsman style home, and the local is pretty much the “Gateway” to the Hudson Highlands.

Ascetically the OLT greenhouse matches the two sheds we already have.

Separately the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a warm fall that is drier than usual. I can see that water is becoming an important resource, and I have to consider collecting rainwater, and drip irrigation. Oddly global warming and climate change has made New York both more humid and more arid.

The receptionist mentioned that it isn’t even August first and autum leaves are falling. In my garden I see my plants are stressed. The 5 year pattern displays the trend of severe rain when it happens, more violent storms, and more sporadic rain besides the increase in temperatures.

My worry is that NYC is in trouble with global warming. At a point it will become unlivable.

Today I await a delivery of another month’s supply of inhibitor. This is a drug that has a cost of $30K annually. Because “Maggie” and I are not married my out of pocket costs for this drug are covered because my retirement income is modest. Financial aid covers all of my out of pocket costs. Next year I have to reapply. I hope I do not loose this benefit.

This laxative is literally saving my ass. I took a dose yesterday afternoon and today it seems I am “one and done” instead of mini and micro pooping all day. I feel normalized…

Tomorrow August 1st will be my 19th radiation treatment, only 20 more to go, so pretty much I’m at the cusp of the halfway point.

For Phil and I the extended warmth expected in the fall along with the dry weather means this will be a good large envelope to exploit to do mucho biking. I’m looking forward to perhaps an extended long fall to make up for the horrible heat of the hellish summer.

September for me means no more radiation treatments, and pretty much I get my life back. By then my body should be fully acclimated to the Inhibitor and steroid that have weakened me. Literally I’m about half-strength, and I have to go at a measured pace of an old man.

I don’t think I’m far off in assessment. Did an 9 mile out and back for a total of 18 miles with Chris who is nearly a 75 year old man. That ride was kinda just what I needed.

I am learning the discipline of pacing myself and living within my limitations. I am looking forward to the end of hormone treatment, and hopefully my testosterone returns (30% chance that the fem-out will be permanent), but it will still take a year to year and a half to normalize after I terminate inhibitor and steroid use.

My gardening I see has to evolve and adapt to cope with climate change. At this point the mini-split that provides central AC to our first floor is “life-support.” Heat, humidity, and severe weather will kill many people. Brace yourself…

Cal
 
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156.2 pounds this morning upon wakeup after a rehydration. Joe V taught me about water loss due to respiration when sleeping.

So I am not very far above the 155.0 pound threshold to be a skinny bitch again, but when I look in the mirror I see the side effect of bloating from the hormone treatment. Also I visually see the loss of muscle mass that is another side effect of the few-out.

At this point it is an oh-well. At least I don’t have the side effect of weight gain.

BTW some men grow breasts. So far this is not happening to me. I think this happens to men that are overweight.

Cal
 
My Inhibitor was delivered by currier. One of the side effects is “death.” I’m not making this up. Another warning is that pregnant women should never handle these 500 mg pills without gloves. I presume this warning might be for medical staff. My dosage is two pills or 1000 mg which is the “max dose.”

Understand because of my size and low body weight this max dose is kinda supersized in my case. Somehow my body is handling this drug well.

Supposedly my hormone treatment will last 2 years, and pretty much this too is a max dose. My Cancer metasticised, so they are trying to ensure any spread gets killed off. The prostatectomy was suppose to make me Cancer free, but my post surgery PSA indicated that it had spread beyond my prostate envelope.

This secondary treatment is called “Salvage,” when the primary treatment fails. Understand that I have a stage 4A Cancer, meaning the spread they think remains localized to my pelvic region. Know that all it takes is one Cancer cell for Cancer to spread again.

Scary, but this is my reality…

Around 2:30 you could smell the rain even before it arrived. There were headlines warning of flooding, but updated weather shows possible thunderstorms. It is raining lightly now and the air is cool and refreshing.

“Maggie” and I are doing more talking about setting up a serious mini or micro farm. We are aware that at this level a garden will have to be tended. We also agree that we need to spread our planting to help prevent disease.

Hard to stay awake in the afternoons. This is the accumulated fatigue I’m talking about. I imagine it is a bit like being on heroin where there is this twilight in between being conscious and unconscious, meaning asleep.

Oh-well…

Cal
 
A red screen today as some tariffs become real and not just threats.

Realize that these costs will take a while to filter into the economy, so expect a delay. Someone will pay this new tax…

Do you think manufacturers and retail will absorb these new taxes?

Deflation also can be a problem because when the consumer is forced to retrench there will be an oversupply.

I do not see how this will increase domestic manufacturing in a competitive manner. Infrastructure has to be built and a lot of capitol needs to be spent. Kinda like reinventing the wheel and making it cheaper to produce domestically.

Cal
 
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