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My Medicare Advantage Plan costs me no extra money, and yields some additional benefits like a $40.00 per quarter for Over The Counter items like lotions, vitamins and such at my local CVS. This $40.00 is use it or loose it, and pretty much is “free-money.”

So I save $160.00 on stuff I would buy otherwise…

How great is that.

A rainy day, but sun and 60 degrees tomorrow. Back to the She-Shed.

Paying taxes on tax-deferred money was rude for 2022, but it made sense to pay them before I start collecting my pensions or Social Security.

Being retired I get a $20K tax deferment, which helps a little, but I spent a lot of money last year with remodeling, buying the 1966 Chevy C-10, and of course lots of money on bikes and guitars.

In February I was forced to collect one of my pensions because I turned 65. The rest of my 403B has to last me 4 more years. The idea is to deplete it before age 70 while my income is low and before Social Security kicks in at the mandatory age of 70.

There is a very useful tax calculator at www.SmartAsset.com that helps with minimizing tax liabilities. “No one ever got rich by paying taxes,” they say…

Cal
 
Phil,

Thank you for your service. For me every day is Veteran’s Day.

Invading Iraq was a huge mistake. Iraq was needed to hold a balance of power in the mid-east. Now Iran is a problem, and the Mid-East is destabilized.

George Bush (the father) was advised not to invade Iraq. But George Bush (the son) decided to invade Iraq anyways.

It was bogus the weapons of mass destruction.

Cal
 
The offices I worked in in Rotterdam had fancy coffee machines. One had a machine that would automatically grind the beans for each cup at the press of a button. I worked in a room with 4-5 other draft people. Whenever someone got up to take a (smoke) break, they would offer to come back with coffee. It was easy to say yes, so typically I'd have maybe 5 cups before lunch. In addition culture dictates that meetings don't start until there is coffee on the table.
Eventually I started waking up on Saturday mornings with blasting headaches. It took me a while to realize that since I was sleeping late, my body was expecting to have had a few shots worth of caffeine by the time I rolled out of bed. Basically I was physically addicted, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Since then I have limited myself to one or two cups in the morning, which suits me fine. Nothing bad happens if I skip a few days.
 
Devil Christian,

”Maggie” bought this fancy Breville coffee maker that grinds the amount of fresh beans depending on how much water you feed it. This coffee machine is like a drug dealer that makes it easy to become an addict. This machine is evil. LOL.

Anyways, I likely have already had a lifetime of coffee drinking. You know me and my addictive personality…

The house is much changed… Lots of heavy lifting has been done with a new kitchen and two new baths.

Cal
 
On the link SmartAsset.com add “tax calculator.”

Useful to create a spread sheet and understand the tipping points of the tax codes.

I find it interesting how the Banksters in the U.S., Switzerland, and now Germany are jammed up.

They say the banking crisis kinda did a lot of the heavy lifting for the FED. In other words loose money suddenly became a lot tighter.

Cal
 
I have to say my “baby-naps” are rather blissful. I wake up wide awake, feel more in my body, and have a feeling of overall well being. I actually feel rested rather than pushed.

I would not want to do a coffee cold-turkey while working. Glad I’m retired to be able to self-rehab.

Snarky Joe might be wrong about coffee and caffeine.

It’s day three and all I can say is I feel different. Perhaps I’ll be less annoying. LOL.

Cal
 
Day 4 of no caffeine began with me waking up at 5:00 AM instead of 6:00. Pretty much usually 6:00 AM feels natural for me, but with my caffeine rehab I have been going to bed at 9:00 PM or thereabouts. This is even with my generally two “baby-naps.”

So it feels like I’m catching up with needed sleep. When I wake up I feel refreshed and alert. Last night it seems I only needed 8 hours sleep, let’s see if I need cat-naps today.

Probably no naps today. Sixty degree temperature and full sun expected after a grey and rainy day yesterday. I have to complete the trim and details on the cedar She-Shed, I have 6 windows with screens to install, a Dutch door, and cedar shelves that make like a wrap around desk.

All the heavy lifting has been performed. There are even window boxes to accent the windows with flowers.

I’m also building framed boxes made of pressure treated wood that I will fill with surplus gravel for steps that will also help stabilize erosion control.

Cal
 
No napping today on day 5 of no caffeine.

I kinda feel a bit more relaxed and less tense and edgy. Since I got up so early I also went to Home Cheapo to buy some caulking since they open at 7:00AM. I didn’t get any fade outs, and my energy was kinda even. It will be interesting how late tonight I might stay up. Will I make it past 10 or make it to 11 tonight?

I also notice that my eyes look different. Perhaps from recovering sleep I look less old and tired.

Had to break off of working on the She-Shed to support this street closure that makes downtown Peekskill a cool place. This little cut through is kinda like a Union Square for Peekskill, but some people say parking is a problem even though it really isn’t. Behind the scenes there is a lot of politics…

Suppose to be a news story on the local news channel 12.

Also had to run to Trader Joe’s for some food and to stock up.

Had to get gas (Mobil Premium) as the Audi finally turned over 31K miles. In 2 1/4 years I did 15K miles.

Not a very productive day. Oh-well… It was pretty relaxed and stress free. Did mount the Dutch door and applied some of the trim. Tomorrow it looks like rain, but I could install the 6 windows even if it rains.

I can also see my abs popping out. Muscle tone is emerging, my chest is bigger, and my summer body is already here. All this from just working around the house, no gym, no weights, no pushups…

Also know that something evolved with my guitar playing. Seems like I like bright guitars for the articulation, but I kinda can play a guitar and get it to sound like a piano, and also like a horn.

The Cabronita has only a bridge pickup, and I have a Snake Head Tele that only has a bridge pickup, but I can get this percussive piano tone by picking and playing right at the end of the neck. I get the Chang of a piano, and on single note runs my heavy attack is like a horn, especially with a Tele bridge pickup.

Generally most jazz player utilize exclusively a neck pickup for the warmth and a darker tone.

Off to run the dishwasher, wash up, and then some guitar practice.

Cal
 
Day 6 of no Caffeine. I look different. My eyes seem softer looking. The difference is not so subtle.

Took the grandson for a stroll in Blue Mountain for two hours. He must weigh over 20 pounds then add in the stroller, and with the hills I can feel the tightening of my midsection.

The weatherman was wrong, the expected rain did not happen and it is a mild and sunny day.

I ended up falling asleep at 10:00 PM and waking up at 5:30 AM for 7 1/2 hours sleep. Pretty much 7 1/2 is what I normally need, and I just need to get it to 10:30 PM to 6:00 AM to fit into my usual envelope.

Had 3 eggs and everything roll from breakfast, and after the 2 hour stroll I had a grilled Tuna steak on a roll and then 2 bananas with granola for dessert.

The great thing about being athletic is eating. Tonight I’ll have a Salmon steak with rice.

Feel really relaxed.

Cal
 
The 2 hours of pushing “Kettlebell” the grandson in a stroller up and down hills was good long slow distance. Measured my blood pressure at 109/66.

Spring break means starting to ride every day. Again long slow distance to start building out a base.

Dinner is on the grill: Salmon.

Cal
 
A week of no caffeine. Last night still did 8 1/2 hours of sleep. The taper has slowed, but consider I power walked pushing a stroller yesterday. I still feel a tightness in my mid section. I figure anytime I do a workout I need an extra hours sleep. Anyways this has been the case since I turned 50.

So another layer of sleeping good for me is exercise. As I am starting my spring training I am also eating a lot more. I seem leaner as tone and tightness emerges.

Tested the steel IBIS yesterday. I had changed the cassette from a 11-40T to a 11-42T for even lower gearing. I have a 17 inch gear low. It is kinda crazy low, had and 18 inch low gear with the 11-40T. Had to adjust the pull on the cable slightly.

Cal
 
Only needed 7 hours sleep last night. Took about a week to catch up. Stayed up till 11:00 PM last night and woke up on schedule at 6:00 AM. This I would consider normal for me unless I workout, then I would need an extra hour of sleep.

Yesterday at CVS I go I.D.‘Ed as a NYC refugee. I inquired and found out that pretty much I have a Brooklyn accent.

Cal
 
Con Ed emergency service for my neighbor right across the street two nights ago. Pretty much a gas leak inside the house was caught before anything tragic happened.

Lots of heavy equipment excavating and replacing a gas line feeding the house.

On my corner in the street there seems to be constant repairs, and last year I was forewarned that there will be a gas line replacement sometime in the future, and I was asked if I wanted my meter relocated to the outside of the house. I responded yes because it was of no cost to me.

”If it is free it is for me,” I say. Don’t know when this gas line and meter replacement will happen, but maybe this year.

So I find out that with a new meter comes a new gas line feeder. Not a bad thing. I also learned that the gas lines on my street date back to 1924, so they are almost a hundred years old.

The supervisor looked at the two meter mounts in my basement, and solved a mystery. The small meter I have in use is for a stove and pretty much that is all it can handle. Evidently the second meter hook up that is not in use was for the gas hot water heater, which is still in place, but is not in use because my oil furnace has instant on hot water.

I want to get rid of the hot water heater, but I need more gas capacity because I want to get an 18 Kilowatt Generac generator as a backup. “Maggie” with her Northern European genes does poorly in hot humid weather. She is also prone to heat stroke, meanwhile I can handle heat an humidity very well. The idea of a generator is pretty much life support as we age.

So I figured out why two meter hookups, even though only one is used. The having two meters supports me getting the capacity I need to run a generator I was told.

Also a dump truck dropped about three cubic yards of topsoil in my dead end. In conversation with the manager I mentioned he could leave the clean fill because I would use it to fill in my back backyard. My new friend says he will have a dump truck drop more for my personal use. How cool is that? Don’t tell Con Ed.

It seems they run a new flexible line inside the old line so excavation is limited. My worry was my hundred year old Japanese Red Maple. Pretty much only two holes have to be dug: one is the street shut off; and the other would be the bend near the house.

So I’m hoping for a big dump truck of topsoil for free. How cool would that be?

I looked at the bloodwork from my physical, and I am anemic with a low red blood cell count. I played tag with my almost 9 year old grand daughter. I’m still fast on my feet, I get winded, but I also winded the almost 9 year old who had to stop and rest to recover.

Next week is a spring break which translates into a week off from daycare, except for Wednesday. I can get a lot of work done if the weather cooperates. I can finish the shed, finish striping the upstairs bath door, and strip the dinning room moldings and trim.

I built a series of 2 foot by 2 foot squares out of pressure treated 2x8 and filled them with leftover gravel to create a set of stairs. Need to buy more 2x8’s to make a landing that would be also a step. Terraces are being formed and the land is being sculpted into sections In the slope of the back-backyard.

I got killed by taxes this year. Basically had to pay taxes on tax deferred money, and since I burned a lot of cash remodeling and other things like the 1966 Chevy C10, a custom guitar and others, bike parts, and a small amp, I entered a pretty high tax bracket. All money well spent though.

Life is kinda boring, but then again lively. I kinda like the life I am building. Should be able to start getting in some long rides. Also know that my low blood cell counts are worse just after winter. The cold causes my blood to hemolize, meaning killing of blood cells. Typically I experience a bit of fatigue due to anemia getting aggravated, but upon warm weather I get energized And the anemia eases away. I still read low on the red blood cell counts, but always on the low range.

Cal
 
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I am diseased. Just bought an Olympic White distressed dual pickup Cabronita body from BloomDoom guitars.

I figure for a hundred dollars more than a Warmoth body I get a relic’s nitrocellulose finish. The quality is great.

Also because of experience I can build a guitar that really plays exceptionally well Using all top shelf parts. Not cheap, but has a lot of value added.

”Don’t tell Maggie.”

I kinda love my single pickup Cabronita, so to have GAS for a double pickup Cabronita is natural.

A ”Cabronita” is basically a Telecastor routed for Gretch pickups. Kinda hill-billy…

Cal
 
N-L,

I have a TV Jones Duotron in my single pickup Cab that is a two tone burst. I figure a pair of “Classics” but since these pickups are made to order I will get them not a “saturated” wax potting to get more air and liveliness.

Check out the nitro painted bodies that are distressed at www.BloomDoomGuitars.com.

Pretty much I get a relic’ed nitro finish for $100.00 over a Warmoth body. The raw body is from Wildwood guitars and the quality is great. No doubt a great deal, and Dustin does a nice thin finish. A tip is use a number 2 lead pencil to dirty up the chips and scratches, then use a little olive oil for penetration.

I play mostly Tele’s as far as electrics go. I will order the classics to be built with appropriate wax potting for a plug and play guitar for a lively more open sound.

Also it seems a Cabronita loves-loves a Vox style amp with chimney EL84’s. I own two Mark Sampson era Matchless amps: one is a Spitfire; and the other is a Lightning with a “Shower Curtain Black” covering. What makes these two Matchless amps rare is they are 2x10 versions instead of the standard 1x12.

Pretty much tone heaven.

Bridge will be a Hip-Shot with milled stainless steel saddles like used on the Fender Custom shop “Cabronita Especial.” Also intend on doing the Cabronita Especial wiring, except using a push-pull pot.

Pretty much I can get Fender Custom Shop quality for no money (figure about $1K with Callahan hardware). A Fender CS Cabronita Especial from 2009/2010 is about $4K-$5K.

I see value and quality in the BloomDoom painted bodies, especially if you have the skill in setting up guitars.

Cal
 
Headlines: Seems like early retiring baby-boomers like myself are a good part of the 48 million people that dropped out of the workforce. In my case it did not pay to continue working because additions to my pension was discontinued. I retired at the age of 63 instead of full retirement age of 66 1/2. It did not pay to work.

40% of all mortgages either originated in 2020-2021 or were refinanced. Pretty much an unintended consequence of record low interest rates under 3% that kinda lock homeowners into staying put, and effectively exacerbating the housing shortage.

Headlines suggest that homeowners that locked in interest rates at or near record historic lows are doing a historic amount of remodeling. They say people are spending more than $50K. I am one of them.

There are daycare shortages, and because of this many women have left the workforce, exacerbating the worker shortage and driving up wage price inflation. Here in New York daycare is about $2.5K a month, so for many households it does not pay to work.

It seems that house corrections are bigger in the western part of the country, but so far I would say housing is kinda stable in the northeast, mostly due to slim pickings and a continuing lack of inventory.

So far New York has not outlawed purchase of new internal combustion cars. When and if this happens I say the prices of used gasoline cars will be driven up, partially because of a supply and demand imbalance, but also because electric vehicles will be beyond the reach of many households.

Our electric grid I would deem In-add-I-quit and in need of not only rebuilding, but also expanded and improved. They say to effectively utilize electric cars we need 25% more electrical capacity. I live in the evacuation zone of Indian Point a now shut down and decommissioning nuclear power plant.

There was an out cry over dumping radioactive waste water into the Hudson River. Basically Tritium. Instead of spending 60 years to decommission the nuclear reactor, now they pan on doing the decommissioning over 12-15 years.

They say NYC is the banking capitol of the world, but many hedge funds are relocating to FLA. Pretty much finance and banking are kinda vital to NYC, but will this industry leave NYC?

They predict more wind damage due to global warming, but I am inland and somewhat sheltered because I live within a valley within a valley flanked by small mountains. Also northern Westchester where I live is the watershed for NYC, so further development has to be limited to preserve the vital watershed.

The business news suggests that home prices are stable north of NYC (Westchester). I see further extension and development of a migration more north in the Hudson Valley. I suspect work from home, quality of life, and affordability are the reasons for these expansions.

Cal
 
Particular said:
The offices I worked in in Rotterdam had fancy coffee machines. One had a machine that would automatically grind the beans for each cup at the press of a button. I worked in a room with 4-5 other draft people. Whenever someone got up to take a (smoke) break, they would offer to come back with coffee. It was easy to say yes, so typically I'd have maybe 5 cups before lunch. In addition culture dictates that meetings don't start until there is coffee on the table.
Eventually I started waking up on Saturday mornings with blasting headaches. It took me a while to realize that since I was sleeping late, my body was expecting to have had a few shots worth of caffeine by the time I rolled out of bed. Basically I was physically addicted, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Since then I have limited myself to one or two cups in the morning, which suits me fine. Nothing bad happens if I skip a few days.
Click to expand...
I have a machine like this in my apartment... and it is hard to say no. However, 4-5 cups in the morning is crazy! I'd have a heart attack. I limit mine to 3 cups a day...and try to go more often for 2 these days. Even with that, I cannot skip a day.
 
Calzone said:
Check out the nitro painted bodies that are distressed at www.BloomDoomGuitars.com.

Also it seems a Cabronita loves-loves a Vox style amp with chimney EL84’s. I own two Mark Sampson era Matchless amps: one is a Spitfire; and the other is a Lightning with a “Shower Curtain Black” covering. What makes these two Matchless amps rare is they are 2x10 versions instead of the standard 1x12.

Pretty much tone heaven.

Bridge will be a Hip-Shot with milled stainless steel saddles like used on the Fender Custom shop “Cabronita Especial.” Also intend on doing the Cabronita Especial wiring, except using a push-pull pot.

Pretty much I can get Fender Custom Shop quality for no money (figure about $1K with Callahan hardware). A Fender CS Cabronita Especial from 2009/2010 is about $4K-$5K.

I see value and quality in the BloomDoom painted bodies, especially if you have the skill in setting up guitars.
Click to expand...

I've never played 2 x10s other than in a Jazz amp (roland chorus) - but i bet this setup sounds nice.

It's on the bucket list to build my own using a warmoth but I've not been there yet, the USD is a bit too strong at the moment. Looking forward to some pics when you're done.

Callahan saddles sound excellent - will you use mallory caps on the push/pull?
 
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