NYC Journal

John,

Call me a ghetto-boy, but I slur things all the time.

Anyways I argue with “Maggie” as a person of color it is my right to create slang, invent words, and blur meaning. I tell her that when she corrects me with her proper Catholic education, that she is oppressing me.

Of course she cannot argue against the “race-card” and of course I exploit “white-guilt.”

Anyways, if its free: its for me. Now that I’m retired I am a major CF. I don’t waste money.

How did I get to be an insider?

Do they know that in the past I was just a hose-bag?

Somehow I went with Maggie to Gabriella Hearst’s birthday party. Maggie was sent over $20k worth of clothes to wear to the event held at the Carlyle Hotel.

The silk cocktail dress had a print that featured roses and a sled to riff off the film “Citizen Kane” which was about the life of Randolph Hearst the newspaper magnate. The handbag alone was around $8K.

At the party a Grammy Award winning Latin Artist was going to perform that was a friend. I kinda felt out of place and moved toward the stage and stayed close to this guy who evidently was the “sound man” for the solo performer. I took note that instead of having a soundboard he used an IPAD.

I stood in the sweet spot right behind the sound man. Maggie elbowed me and told me that Gabriella Hearst was standing right behind me, but I was polite and did not turn around during the performance of a few songs.

Then came the birthday cake, and the song Happy Birthday.

Then the photo crews and friends converged to photograph Gabriella and I tried to get out of all the shots, but I’m pretty sure that I am in almost every shot trying to get out of the shot.

I tell you this because you know because I shot with a 28mm how I would jump into your shots pretty much all the time. LOL.

Anyways, how come these things happen to me? There has to be a deeper meaning…

Cal
 
A day off from child care allows me to do some bike maintenance to get ready for warmer spring weather.

I have three wheels that I set up as tubeless, and the liquid latex sealant dries out and creates solids that are affectionately known as “boogers.” I had tried Stan’s No Tubes sealant, and the boogers are kinda stubborn and difficult to remove.

There is this other product, the original “Orange Seal” that does not effectively seal punctures as well as Stan’s, but booger removal is easier.

One can just add additional sealant, but know that in a 26 inch tire it could be an addition of 3-4 ounces of rotating mass that has to be accelerated, so this can pretty much effect performance in a slightly negative manner.

Rotating mass is like a flywheel, it can store energy, but it also takes more energy to spin and accelerate. Understand that in mountain biking speed varies more than on a road bike to an extent.

I have this rigid foam that also has a double sided radiant barrier. I might insulate some spaces around the new front porch entrance.

The accumulated snow is melting. Tomorrow, Thursday, they expect 50 degree temperatures.

I wonder about my Ground Hog. No sightings or trace of him/her, and I wonder if he is hunkered down in a new local. I hope he did move on and is someone’s new pest. I hope he made it through the winter.

Cal
 
The Orange Seal came off easier than Stan’s sealant, but was still a lot of work. I used Scotch Brite pads to do a good job in scrapping off the dried latex.

I forgot how hard it is to seat a tubeless bead with a floor pump. I have to buy an inexpensive valve converter and use a compressor to set the beads.

The Ti IBIS will get built out as a 2x11 now that I have a 24 inch wheel built out.

Thinking of maybe upgrading the “Newsboy” from a 1x11 into a 2x11.

Know that the Newsboy has a lax geometry and a fork with a long rake so it is kinda like a cruiser, but the Ti IBIS is a fast and twitchy bike that is kinda hyper with a UBER short wheelbase and steep angles.

It’s bike season almost.

The monthly pickup for recycling happened today and I cleared out a few full cartons of paper and cardboard that I had stored on the porch. Now I have room to set up the rowing machine (ERG) to pump a lot of blood and build strength and stamina.

I remain a skinny bitch, but I lost a lot of strength when I got Covid. Time to recover.

Projects for the milder weather: build out the 8x8 cedar “She-Shed” in the back-backyard; put on a new hip roof on my two car garage; install a new level floor in the front porch; insulate the attic floor; insulate the porch basement ceiling; install a cedar fence along the driveway; strip the moldings for the dining room; and of course some gardening.

The contractor still has to paint the front entrance. We wait for mild weather above 55 degrees. A vanity light has to be installed in the new bath, and we wait for the custom glass for the walk in shower in the upstairs bath.

My idea is to maximize the tax credit from the “Inflation Reduction Act” on insulation for the attic. Pretty much I’ll do the attic floor first and then next year do the roof rafters to peg the taxpayers again. The math allows about $4K of insulation a year.

”Moo,” said the Pig.

I’ll see if I have money for another Mini-Split to get another Tax Credit.

”Moo,” said the Pig.

They say another storm expected next week…

Cal
 
Cal, sometimes even a compressor doesn’t have the burst oomph to really seat a bead. But no need to invest in a compressor unless you want one for other reasons; you can just use a CO2 cartridge for a pair of MTB tires to seat.
Phil Forrest
 
Phil,

My intent is to buy a Presta-Schrader valve adapter and use a few quarters to have access to a compressor.

Luckily I tried to use some CO2 carts, but the valve stems are short, and I discovered that the adapter won’t engage the valve to work.

The inflation kit I have is decades old and I have to update it. Oh-well…

My last option would be go to my local bike shop and have them set the beads. Removing the valve and injecting sealant is EZ.

Because I’m stubborn I might use a tube to seat the beads, and then try to only disturb one side to remove the tube.

A retirement experiment because I want to be independent and free. Also because I’m a CF.

Last year somehow I seated the beads with a floor pump, but now the tires are not new. I wonder if I stretched them out. Anyways tubeless involves a bit of struggle.

Cal
 
Cal,

Just use tubes... Please...

What do you do if you get a cut too big to seal? That dollar bill will get you home if you'r using tubes. (as a boot for those who don't know)

Tubeless is for guys with a follow car.

Joe
 
I agree Joe. Most of the shop guys I know say I should go tubeless, but I prefer to be able to change or patch my tube and continue riding. Their answer is “but you don’t get flats”. Meanwhile somewhere out there is a guy searching for a phone signal in the dark, because he didn’t see a piece of a broken whiskey bottle which has allowed him to see a veritable cross-section of his tire. Kind of extreme example but sidewall cuts happen, especially with newer supple tires with folks running them at 18psi because they can. I can change a flat in under 1 minute if I’m in a race; thats good enough to get out of danger if NOTLD Romero zombies were approaching from a couple hundred yards away. Different story if it’s post-Romero/DawnOTD/running reboot zombies. But really, fixing a flat and using some gorilla tape to boot a tire is one of those things that I want to be able to do. I don’t want to be arguing with sealant boogers and would really like whatever i have for a boot to be able to actually remain in the tire instead of slipping out or what not.
Phil Forrest
 
Joe and Phil,

The thought past my mind, and in fact on the Ti IBIS and steel IBIS I in fact use tubes. On these two bikes the rear wheels use 24 inch BMX racing rims that are not tubeless ready, and I did not want to experiment with going “ghetto” with attempting to go tubeless on these wheels. I did try using one of the front wheels that was UST to experience the tubeless ride last year, but this year decided it was not worth the bother.

Half and half certainly made no sense…

Tubeless is a lot of work, requires maintenance, and pretty much creates a mess I learned last year and again this year with cleaning out the boogers.

As for road hazards, I once ran over a piece of metal strapping that somehow was held vertical in a sewer grate, and it’s sliced off my tire like an O-ring.

Stuff happens.

How hid I run over a roofing nail somewhere in Blue Mountain Preserve in the middle of the woods?

The thing with the IBIS geometry is that most of my body weight is right over the rear wheel, so really since rolling resistance is greatly effected by load, and since I weigh only about 150 pounds, Oh-well, not a big difference in rolling resistance.

Perhaps on a regular/normal bike like the “Newsboy” I might feel a difference maybe, but probably not. The tires I use are like Phil suggests with light sidewalls which are a vulnerability for sure. If anything for sure I feel the difference in the tires because low rolling resistance is designed into the tread as well as the sidewall, enough to notice a real difference.

I would rather spend my time riding, perhaps if I were racing then tubeless would be worth the bother/hassle.

The tubeless experiment now can have closure, thanks for the advice and keeping me from wasting time instead of riding.

BTW my UST rims allow tires to be readily removed pretty easy If I did ever catch a flat. I watched a video (very funny) of this guy who claimed to be an engineer documenting how Mavic lied in a linked video that showed a Mavic employee mounting a tubeless tire on a Mavic wheel without any tire irons.

The video clearly demonstrates how to exploit the center channel to gain clearances to fit the bead over an otherwise extremely tight fitting rim. Evidently the “Engineer” did not follow instructions and documented a struggle that lasted hours. Very comical because this engineer overthought the process, could not follow simple instructions, and was arrogant.

What a jerk. Kinda reminds me of some people I had to deal with at work that were stupid and arrogant that were also entertaining.

All things considered being light in weight likely has the most dramatic effect in the math involved with rolling resistance.

One of the reasons why I love biking is that riding is experimenting with physics in real time. Kinda fun to see a roadie try to mountain bike. They do not lean the bike or counter steer. They slow down and brake in the turns. Mucho dumb.

Of course I find entertainment value In their struggle, but again mucho dumb. LOL.

Cal
 
“Maggie” remains frenzied. Seems like a simple life that is uncomplicated makes no sense to some people.

Kinda like someone who hates vacation and can’t wait to get back to work in a rat-race.

I kinda understand how for some people who are anxious need to stay busy or occupied to forget about worries. In a way back in my Grumman days (17 years) I was a workaholic. For me it was a coping mechanism to help me run away from my disturbing past.

Pretty much in my early 30’s I had to learn how to relax or I would die. Pretty much my body could not take the frenetic energy I expended.

That’s how my friend Mike saved my life by getting me into biking so I could learn to relax. I was so overwound that people were scared of me. I appeared to be high on amphetamines when I was not.

I am seeing an unhealthy amount of stress where a book contract, family matters, and taking care of oneself remains a frenzied lifestyle that I think will shorten one’s life.

Pretty much this behavior could be avoided: but it is not. Some people are just wired that way…

So for pretty much for a long time I have been a bit of a caretaker of sorts. Kinda natural for me because as a kid I did my best to take care of a house, a younger brother, and my elderly father. I became great at being kinda maxed out, but I had a life of being almost always overwhelmed.

So I changed, but I’m experiencing perhaps someone who still perpetuates an unsustainable lifestyle that at this point is a bit self destructive. Perhaps I’m an enabler because I pick up the slack…

I saw a headline where Lady GaGa says that she just wants a life of solitude. Fame and notoriety is clearly to me a death trap. Maggie went down that path and is still on it. Fashion is not glamour: fashion is an illusion and a world of make believe. “Smoke and mirrors,” I say.

Maggie made it big as a blogger, then that led to being a digital influencer, and now all that got abandoned to now become a writer.

The other week she brought up how her creativity got corrupted and commodified, and she says she understands my indifference of the influence of others who tell me or suggest things that I should do.

At this point Maggie can’t wait till the book is completed. I wonder when this will end. For some standing out and getting attention is a need to get filled, but the emptiness for many can’t be filled. Out of love I supported this exploration, but in the world of theater I learned that things have to go “in one’s own time.”

I hope it is not too late. Meanwhile my pursuits have become secondary. Perhaps this is best, no remorse, and pretty much I’m a whole enough person to put other people first.

BTW a lot of mental health issues are happening. A drug related death happened, someone we know has a son who went psychotic and had to be admitted to a hospital, there is a lot of anger going on, and I know someone who seems to be on the road to homelessness…

Meanwhile I’m happy-happy dispute all this. So what if my plans for the future are delayed… I kinda know with confidence that I’m alright even though the world for many is mighty fraught. Certainly the world is a mess, but I’m not being sloppy. Too many crisis surround me though.

I made my choices, and I’m happy with them. I maintain resolve, I have direction, and know that remorse, second guessing, and anxiety are minimized. I stay true to myself despite all that surrounds me.

Cal
 
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“Maggie” is a good writer, and that’s why she did well with her blog. It was easy for her to engage with her readers, she had a unique appeal because she was just a college professor who one day started a fashion blog.

Then things went viral and she gained 300K followers in a day, then things changed because of that tipping point. Money got made, lots of it, there was also a lot of travel, and initially it was glamorous because it was all new.

Maggie kinda lost herself and her original intentions got corrupted and co-opted. Everything became about marketing and money; and not about having a creative voice And being an artist.

So now she basically wrote a book by herself, and is now kinda rewriting a book under the guidance of an editor who works for a book publisher.

Understand that this happens a lot with first time authors, so basically someone struggles to become a writer, and then the gate keeping begins. This in a way is a bait and switch.

Eugene Smith is a great photographer. Many-many iconic images, and to top that he was also a great printer. Sadly his work was controlled by editors, later in life he tried to free himself and have control of his own work, and later in life this led to failure, destitution, and being black listed.

For more info investigate the “Jazz Loft” era of his life.

Louis Mendez revealed to me that back in the day he hung out with Gene Smith at the Jazz Loft in NYC’s flower district. Louis mentioned that Gene would open a tin of cat food to gather and feed the cock roaches to describe the squalor. This was a celebrated Life Magazine photographer.

Back in the 70’s I was a painter (visual arts) and I displayed a good amount of talent. A notable art dealer (Ivan Karp) who once worked under Leo Castelli, set up his own gallery called OK Harris in SoHo, not far from Leo Castelli’s gallery On West Broadway.

Mr. Karp was known to be open to young and unknown artists. I showed him my slides, and he said, “I like your work. Come back and show me more.”

I was in my early twenties or maybe only twenty, and I took Mr. Karp’s comment as a rejection, and he must of sensed it because he added, “When I said I like your work I meant it. Please come back when you have more.”

So I did, but this time I got criticized that I had too many ideas. Perhaps I took this wrong, I took it as an insult, but in a kind way Mr. Karp was trying to help me and was suggesting a way to commodify my work so he could sell it.

This event made me kinda crazy with anger, but I also had to think about the gate keeping, the exclusion, and how I had no privilege to take advantage of. This experience pointed me in the direction of having a day-job, and to never really try to make a living as an artist.

Sadly I see how Maggie is caught up it this dilemma and how unhappy she is. Things are not what they appear. There is a real struggle going on and it is painful.

Cal

Post Script: Unfortunately no time to attend the Philly Flower Show this year.
 
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Calzone said:
Sadly I see how Maggie is caught up it this dilemma and how unhappy she is. Things are not what they appear. There is a real struggle going on and it is painful.
Click to expand...
Luckily, she doesn't need it and can just forget about it... live a quiet life. Or is the quiet life too quiet for her?
 
John,

I can tolerate or live in isolation, but “Maggie” likes and misses NYC.

I can understand that, but I get along fine without all the stimulation or over stimulation that NYC has to offer. I have plenty to do, and have much to accomplish.

Also it is so easy for me to meet people, make friends, and pretty much I have a lot of friends.

The burbs are not NYC. What makes NYC so great and energetic I think is young people. By comparison the burbs are stale and old.

The thing with contracts is that her old agent gets his 10%, and her literary agent 10%. You can’t really walk away as you suggest at this point. She got an advance also so that’s another complication.

It’s pretty hard to avoid doting on a 6 month old baby when in our house, add on top of that Maggie is a “Baby-Hog.” At this stage of development he is growing so much every day. Now he can sit up, he screams for attention, and pretty much wants us both to be engaged with him all day.

So how do you rewrite two chapters every two weeks to meet the imposed deadlines with childcare happening.

I’m willing and able to step up, but then there is “Baby-Hog” factor.

So the situation is that Maggie does not have a military like focus, nor is she able to not live in an overwhelmed manner with too many things to do, that is not sustainable, that creates enough stress to shorten one’s life. In less words she is unrealistic.

So on weekends to balance her life we explore and do things, and now the workweek is childcare. Something has to give, and I’m not the problem.

So much for a simple life…

Cal
 
WOW, some interesting data:

“Greater than 40% of all U.S mortgages were originated in 2020 and 2021.”

Know that in 2020 we bought the “Baby-Victorian.” This was in the time of record ”historic” low interest rates, and many of these mortgages were refi’s.

More than half of U.S. mortgages originated in 2020 or thereafter.

Almost a quarter of U.S. Mortgages are 2021 “vintage.” In this time rates were still low, but rising. This was a “refi boom.”

25% of mortgages are under 3%.

Meanwhile current 30 year mortgage rates breached 7%.

”Maggie” and I kinda caught a falling knife in 2020 and locked in near the record “historic” low of 2.8%.

Pretty much this locks out a lot of sales of existing housing, and perpetuates a housing shortage.

Few people will unload a low interest rate 30 year mortgage for a higher interest rate is what they say. Now that 40% mentioned quantifies how many existing homes will effectively not circulate in the market.

Pretty much the FED manufactured a different kind of housing crisis: a housing crisis that is really a housing shortage that will persist for decades.

This tips the scale towards “persistent” inflation, perhaps an unintended consequence of FED policy. BTW shortages cause inflation. Easy to remember if you know that deflation equals an oversupply.

Don’t know if housing will make inflation persist by itself, but it seems the buying opportunity or the chance to refi is now in the rear view mirror and might not come by for an extended time period that might span decades.

Cal
 
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Calzone said:
Eugene Smith is a great photographer. Many-many iconic images, and to top that he was also a great printer. Sadly his work was controlled by editors, later in life he tried to free himself and have control of his own work, and later in life this led to failure, destitution, and being black listed.

For more info investigate the “Jazz Loft” era of his life.
Click to expand...
Cal,
If you have access or are interested, this movie, Minamata, is now streaming on Hulu. I did watch it and while I don't care for the man, Johnny Depp did a pretty good job of acting as Gene Smith. Perhaps a story that should be revisited and worth the time, for me at least. YMMV
 
Austin,

While I love Eugene Smith, I too am not a fan of Johnny Depp.

When I learned of the Jazz Loft years of Eugene Smith’s life it deeply disturbed me. Anger turned into madness.

In the end I think I have an understanding though.

A sad end to a great man.

BTW It try to be a shooter and a printer And Gene Smith is the person I want to emulate.

Minimata I believe is about Gene getting beat up by thugs when covering some labor dispute in Japan???

Cal
 
Separately last year I went to Austin for a wedding, and at last Christmas I inquired about the housing correction, when the bride and groom came to New York for a visit.

Garret was under the position that certainly prices have come down more than other cities, but the correction comes to one of the cities that got hyper inflated in value and displayed the largest gains.

His spin was that the haircut chopped off a highly inflated top, but his home still sits on a vast appreciation still. He is not worried.

I assume this to applies also the other three cities that are cited in a report that states Austin being one of four major cities where the price correction is greatest.

Cal
 
Looks like we have to can the play at Studio 54 tonight. “Maggie” has to slave away…

I think I will do some “staging” this weekend by rounding up supplies for projects in anticipation of milder weather that involve the She-Shed, putting up a fence by the driveway, and other spring projects.

No matter what I am moving forward…

Some interesting learning with the guitar where I’m learning to “modulate” which is shifting/changing/and jumping keys. Pretty much I’m doing some rather advanced learning that promotes my expression of style that is very improvisational. I am pleased.

Cal
 
Lots of working on bicycles lately.
I restored a 1971 Raleigh Twenty (folder) and added a few nicer touches (centerpull caliper brakes, Brooks C67 saddle) for Bethanne to ride if she pleases. I have a 1973 Raleigh Twenty which I began building last fall as a short commute bike but those plans changed, so I'm not using it to shuttle between the main medical center and my building. That bike is still on the stand, but it's almost complete. I ran into a snag last night and found that I need to find a fulcrum for standard dropouts for my rear 3 speed hub. I thought I could make the one for reverse (track style) dropouts work, but with the gearing I want, it's a no-go because the chain is too close to the fulcrum and the shifter cable. Once those two are done, we'll have bicycles to stick in the tiny egg of a car and take some nice biking day trips.

I've been getting my old Miyata 610 ready for milder weather as well. I've calculated over many rides that it takes me no less than 53 minutes, and no more than 58 minutes to ride to work on my 1983 Univega. This bike is outfitted for a heavy tour though. It weighs a ton but it's durable and I'm confident it could get me across the continent, as long as I keep pedaling. It's older sister, the 1981 Miyata 610 was second from top-of-the-line in Miyata's touring series in the early 80s and it is one of those bikes that just feels perfect to me. Anyway, I got spoiled by having a dynamo light on the Univega, so I'm going to be building up a set of new wheels for the Miyata. One other thing I have recently found out is that with my leg-length discrepancy of 31mm (left is longer), I can run a 5mm shorter crank on the drive side and ride flat pedals, instead of the racing shoes I have with a 12mm nylon shim between the shoe and the cleat. I've been running a 175/170 on the Univega for a few months and my hip pain from rocking in the saddle is gone. The Miyata currently runs a set of 170mm Suntour Superbe Pro cranks, but there is no such thing as a 165mm Superbe Pro drive side for sale, anywhere on the planet, at this time, so I had to make a decision to switch the whole thing. I could buy a whole 165mm crankset and pay over $300 from a seller in Japan, but I'm way too cheap for that. So I decided to switch to period-correct Superbe cranks. So I bought 1.5 old Suntour Superbe cranksets, both in "user" condition, but which will polish up nicely. Drive side will be 165mm and NDS 170mm. I have a set of matching Superbe road platforms ready to go too. The slightly shorter 165mm crank is going to allow me to drop my saddle height by almost 10mm and will effectively raise my bars, thus reducing my neck strain and exacerbating numb arms from stenosis. I may put a shorter reach Nitto Technomic on the bike but I don't want it getting too twitchy. It started out as a 27" wheel bicycle which I changed to 700c, thus effectively reducing the trail while keeping the rake the same. This has the effect of making it feel like a track bike almost and if I shorten my stem reach, it may become too unstable, we'll see.
Anyway, once the cranks are installed and get the Miyata tuned up, I should probably be able to shave off 10 minutes from my commute, simply due to less weight and rolling resistance. I'm going to have to get used to going up a 3 mile hill running a 42/28. On the Light Miyata it shouldn't be a problem.
The cargo bike is fully done and I'm fabbing up a way to hold two sets of surplus "Royal Mail" postal carrier bags I got from a seller in the UK. These are the heaviest nylon bags I've ever seen and I'd put them against a set of Ortleibs any day for durability, but not for water-proof-ness. We'll see how it goes.

Phil Forrest
 
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