NYC Journal

Just got back from the city. Used the last of my expired Senior/Medicare half fare Metro North tickets. The new discount fair is $9.00, but I only paid $8.75 well over a year ago. I figure my 25 cents added up to be well over a $10.00 savings. Don’t forget this was all pre-taxed dollars.

Had to pick up clothes and get “fitted.” The first stop was a hotel in the west village. A PR person checked us in and then took us up in the elevator to a deluxe suite set up with clothes racks. A stylist showed us the clothes to select from. This was woman’s wear and for “Maggie” and basically picked cloths that would be gifted to her.

Pretty much the designer gets free exposure from when Maggie posts pictures wearing the clothing, and tags the designer. Basically it is a barter system where clothing is gifted for free indirect advertising.

Next stop was at a designer’s store in NoHo who does woman’s and men’s wear. I had the opportunity to get fitted for a fashion show I will attend. I got $450.00 pants, a $675.00 jacket, and a $300.00 shirt. My selection is kinda street style and fitness vibe, but the jacket has a motorcycle style.

So I’m carrying around the city a garment bag and shopping bags. In the evening we had an art book event at Christie’s the auction house. DJ, drinks, and finger food. Took some shots, and left early.

I forgot, I dropped Maggie off at the train station early, then drove the car home, and walked to the train station to save money. Maggie had a hair appointment, and I took a later off peak train where I could use my senior discount that is half-fare, also I did not pay the $550.00 for a municipal parking permit. All good.

In the city I saw many model types around midtown and downtown likely auditioning and getting casted for the runway shows. So now I am on the other side of the camera as a model. Today was fun and exciting. I liked getting fitted and dressed. Love the nice clothes, especially because they are gifts.

Tomorrow is another event where we will get dressed and shot. The store was changed from a downtown location to another one on the Upper Eastside, and we will get shot as a couple around Central Park.

Also know that the show that was up in the air if I would attend firmed up. I’ll be in the first row center, and afterwards we will have to go backstage for a photo shoot. Pretty much professional “assets” meaning photos will be forwarded to us for our own use.

We also ran into an old friend. Brown had not seen me in 6 years and he basically told me I did not change, but the truth is I display more grey in my beard and sideburns.

So far we have avoided the frenzy that can happen in the world of fashion that can be exhausting. We are at a point where we pick and choose, and we work with friends who we have relationships with. Our agent does not believe we have friends and influence without her. Anyways what happened today threw out that notion and made her happy.

Cal
 
I contacted my old friend Iron MIke, and generally he does about 12K miles on his road bike in a season, but this year he is up to 20K miles. Know that Mike also mountain bikes in the off road season. How amazing is that.

Mike I would say is 7-10 years younger than me and has been retired for a while.

I’m kinda tired from another day running around the city handling business. Again “Maggie” went in by herself early to have a meeting with a friend who heads up a BFA program in Fashion Design who wants to have Maggie do a speaking presentation at this university. Also separately they want to do some collaborative work between them and the students.

The timing of this event also is good PR for the release of Maggie’s book.

Sadly one of our designer friend’s showrooms will be closing down because of rent gouging in a location just outa SoHo. This designer was an anchor in this location for many decades.

Met an interesting photographer at the shoot today. Maggie had a dress and then shoot, was also gifted the clothes she selected from the upper east side showroom.

We also had lunch with an old friend that I have not seen in about 6 years. He lives in L.A. but is from China (Shanghai). Interesting to hear about his visa and green card problems. News to me that all the foreigners have left Shanghai. I heard interesting spins on the Chinese headlines I read here.

I didn’t know that the reason why so many Chinese from China are over represented in the population of universities is just a ploy to exploit student visa’s so they can wait for Green Cards. Also this year there is only about a 14% chance of getting a Green Card due to the quotas. Getting a Green Card is like winning the lottery.

Pretty much the same problems in China as here, but different.

For instance in China they have a residential real estate problem, but here in the U.S. we have a commercial real estate problem. Like here the Tier One is doing alright, but the tier two and three are a disaster that is bad and yet to unwind. Both in China and here these problems have not unwound yet.

They say here in the U.S. that credit card debt is a problem, and in China they too have a debt problem…

The ground swell that is now my life is continuing. Now I think I have three fashion shows to attend. It looks like The weather will moderate and turn a bit cooler but rainy. Very oppressive weather the past few days. Pretty much sweat baths.

The other day we sat in Bryant Park to rest in between business and a woman stopped by to say hello who evidently is one of Maggie’s followers, but what was different is she also said hello to me because now I am known and presented with an online presence. We both got compliments on our looks and dress. I am no longer hiding behind a camera, now I am a model.

A busy week lays ahead.

Cal
 
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I hope for a boring and relaxing day. Maybe I can trim the lawn before it gets overgrown again.

I met the new owner of the abandoned house last week, and I saw him again yesterday. This week Joe closes on the house. He is an engineer that has a P.E. who does remodeling. A guy with twin boys who presently lives in Pleasentville. He says this project will take time, and he might build out this house for his parents. Anyways my takeaway is that it won’t be a cheap flip.

My neighbors are relieved.

Even though life is distracted by Fashion Week, now we’re are prepped and can enjoy it. I’m excited and really it is for me like being a performance artist again. On the other hand it is not me the image I project, so instead of being performance art this gig is more like acting.

I’m not so glam and lux in real life, and now I have to tailor my public image. Perhaps I have to not go topless or wear the ratty clothes that are more my style. Pretty much in real life I’m a bit of a humble dirt-bag. I guess my dirty surfer and sweaty style is no longer the image I can project.

I have to do more maintenance and clean myself up more. Meanwhile I have better things to do.

I am thinking that I should follow Iron Mike’s advice and avoid running. Too much wear and tear on the joints. I have to think about the long-long run. I have to be gentile with my body, and the idea really is to pump lots of blood for body and brain maintenance. So what I am whining about is making the time to do the maintenance. The time has to come from somewhere.

A busy week lays ahead, and a new transition is beginning. Nice because failure is an option and I can moderate the frenzy that is the world of fashion because it is mad money that I can use, but I don’t need. Basically just a side hustle. Call me a greedy ho. I’m doing it just for money just like a day-job. Oh-well.

BTW lots of interest is happening with my photography. I guess I have a reputation or enough exposure to be taken seriously. I’m trying to shelter my work from being commodified and commercialized. Funny thing is that right now my photography is sidelined. I find it an interesting dilemma. Lots of inquires, but I keep my work separate and private.

Calvin the Ho
 
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I read in the news about how a full frontal assault against Russian forces has not worked well for the Ukraine, especially without air superiority.

I am reminded of growing up and all the bullying and fighting I experienced. I learned immediately to never confront head on, especially a larger bigger opponent(s), my strategy was to flank and outmaneuver an enemy with speed and agility.

Later I used my speed to overcome an opponent. With narrow girly shoulders, but extra long arms I used my leverage combined with speed to kinda have a kinetic weapon that like depleted uranium rounds are armor piecing and used to take out thickly armored tanks.

It is all physics, speed, velocity, acceleration, timing. Effectively precision strikes.

I am deformed and have bowed legs from malnutrition as a result of growing up poor.

An advantage that bowed legged people have is that they innately are hyper agile. Very easy for me to flank and strike and then change position to avoid getting hit.

Big guys learned the hard way…

I am a boxer by style.

Anyways, this war reminds me of my childhood.

Cal
 
I changed the handlebars on the IBIS SS from a Ti straight bar to a Nitto mustache bar that has a rise. The effect is a shorter stem and also acts like a smaller frame with a more upright position.

I have 1.25 inch wide tires on it so stead of being like a mountain bike it more resembles a cross bike, but it is a 3x7 21 speed.

The Suntour “motorcycle” style levers go well with the new handlebar, but the original cables that came with the bike need to be replaced. No big deal and in fact an enhancement.

I guess I’m trying to simulate the comfort on “Maggie’s” Yo Betty. Generally I use a low stretched out body position where I can use my upper body strength to hammer and push tall gearing, but this bike will support a different style.

I mowed the lawn even though it did not need a cutting. EZ-PZ and this prevents the added work of cutting an overgrown lawn.

I have to shave the wide 2.35 tire I mounted on the steel IBIS. The side nubs rub the frame, but the 2.35 wide tires are kinda crazy looking and also look aggressive.

So far a relaxing day.

Cal
 
ELM CFV16 Digital Back 50mm Dist Ready To Roll by Nokton48, on Flickr

Afternoon Cal,
Here I've got my Hasselblad EL/M Body playing nicely with my new Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back. I am finding that I prefer the Standard Central Cross Screen, with a drop-in mask 3D printed in Italy. Easiest to see sharp focus across the entire field using these. I sold off my black T* Distagon years ago, now I have a nice one back in the fold, a 50mm Hood is coming ina few days. Batteries and CF Cards sorted, I have plenty. My olde CDS Meter works great with the CFV16, reads out directly in EV's, which was the idea with the olde lenses. Running the CDS Meter on an MR9 and 386 power combo, it seems to be TTL accurate with the CFV16. This is going to be great FUN, I'm sure I'll be using my Blads more with this fat pixel back. If I like something I might even shoot it on 120 film as a choice! The Rubber Eyecup is from the Kiev 60 Meter Prism, I gathered up a bunch of them, back in my Wedding Daze.

This will make a great setup for Portraiture and Fashion.
 
Devil Dan,

Those are mighty huge pixels. My friend Darrel says what matters more is the size of the pixel, not how many.

I own a SL2 and the files are major huge and more than I need. Pretty much way overkill.

I imagine this rig will get used a lot. Kinda crazy good/great.

My friend Billy says, “The Devil has the best tools.”

Cal
 
We ended up blowing off the fashion show today. We are old and tired, and the big show is tomorrow that is important.

We needed to save our energy for tomorrow, and we are trying to avoid getting caught up in the fashion frenzy.

I started setting up the IBIS SS for new brake and shifter cables. The old housing was old and stiff, so fresh cables were a matter of maintenance In this case.

The Nitto mustache handlebars not only allow a more upright position, but also a more aero one as well. The nice thing is that there are a few different hand positions to utilize, more so than a flat bar.

The motorcycle levers also are a version of riding the hoods on a drop bar, a position I favored on my road bike.

Parts will stream in over the next week. I bought some new light weight flat peddles, so things will get shuffled yet again.

Looking forward to getting lighter SRP Steed Springs for the Ti IBIS. I ride with most of my weight right over the rear wheel, so the medium set of springs end up being too stiff to the point where it is almost like a rigid fork. The Blue springs are centered around a 150 pound rider, but I will be using green springs that are centered around a 130 pound rider.

I also am stocking up on 11-speed parts while they are still available. Know that a 12 speed upgrade would involve the expense of new hubs which translates into new wheels. I want to avoid that expense, and 11-speed suits me fine. Anyways I’m investing in my future I figure.

Cal
 
“Maggie” is always thinking of how to make money out of her art which is now writing.

I don’t believe in commodifying my creativity. Pretty much she started out just wanting to express herself, and then came all those Instagram dollars for posting and pitching products where more or less she became a salesman… In her book she talks of how she lost herself.

After a while instead of pleasing yourself, you are working to please others like a client, art director or PR department. Then you are suddenly under the control of others and not doing anything you want.

Anyways this is what her book is about. To her being a digital influencer is a derogatory term.

So now she is being a writer, and this too is fraught because it involves others.

To me two things interfere with being an artist: money; and the influence of others.

Anyways I’m glad I’ a bit of a Ho and did things I didn’t want to do like work a day-job for money so I could be an artist who did not have to commodify my work or please others or an audience.

I speak of this because my writing came up in discussion the other day, and my argument was that all I wanted to do was express myself, but Maggie began to direct my work into making money right away. I felt so oppressed.

I find it interesting that she is going down that same rabbit hole again.

It was decades ago when I was a fine art painter that an art dealer told me I had too many ideas and that pretty much I would have to limit myself to be commercially viable. He was actually giving me great advice, and it was not being mean, but I took it as insult.

Anyways Ivan Karp was kind to me, but I kinda knew I would not fit in, and I’m alright being an outsider who stays under the radar. I see the result of fame in my home and it does not lead to happiness. Truth be told I think I am happier because I have a simple life and all I have to do is please myself.

I think I feel fulfilled because I have lived perhaps selfishly pleasing myself. Part of me is anti-social because I guess I do not get subdued by public pressure.

Fame is a funny place that I would not wish on anyone. You kinda loose yourself, and you cannot really ever express yourself.

Cal
 
BTW this modeling gig is kinda fun. I look at it as an experience, where I enter a world where I don’t really belong.

In a way instead of being performance art where for a decade I put myself out there, in modeling I am more like an actor just playing a part.

Did you know that many of “Maggie’s” followers think we are very wealthy. That is one illusion.

Anyways this world is smoke and mirrors. Everyone in this world treats you special and the flattery gets over the top.

But then some people begin to think they are special or great.

It is a funny world living on both sides of the camera. I hope I stay in the real world. Yet again there are ground swells ahead that I realize are coming and I can’t stop them.

After the fashion show there is an after party. I’m kinda glad to not wait around and to just go home. I guess I’m use to being an outsider and not fitting in.

Also know it is pretty easy to get caught up in a frenzy in the world of fashion. Everything is the last minute which I absolutely hate. It aggravates anxiety because of the chaos created.

Cal
 
Austin,

I read the Trilogy and the Hobbit in tenth grade. I was a big fan of JRR.

When I was young I read books to escape the sadness and punishment of poverty.

For me I really experience life. I love just getting up in the morning and having no plans. I don’t like having a schedule and a full calendar.

“Maggie” needs to have interaction and stimulation to feel alive. She seems to need to be busy as a distraction.

I spend the time to rest enough and take care of myself. I don’t procrastinate which to me is a waste of time.

I think Devil Christian impacted my outlook a lot. He is a European, and he indicated how Americans get swept up into material and consumerism in a competitive manner. In Europe life is more centered around quality of life and not money.

I have been to Europe and I see the difference.

The Yo Betty I just built for Maggie is kinda like a work of art. A lot of passion and love went into building that bike, and part of me is in that bike. Much of the assemblies were my own, and they are like some of my old clothes that were part of my life and used over a period of decades.

I guess what I am trying to express that there is a bond there, and these inanimate objects all have a past and a separate life of their own. There is great beauty there that cannot be recreated or commodified, marketed, or sold. It’s commercial value to me is priceless and it is a rare commodity built of scattered parts assembled over decades that represent an interrupted life of struggle.

In other words my identity and who I am is represented in that bike. It has character, personality, and a long history, built of pieces of me and my life. The bike in a beautiful way expresses perhaps something no other person can see, feel or understand the way I do. That bike is an expression of not only what I do, or what I am capable of, but also represents much of my thinking, and stands for what I am.

I don’t expect, even Maggie to understand, but I know what I have done. That bike is me… or an extension/expression of myself.

Is not true art just self-expression?

I was a visual artist: a painter; but a work of art does not have to be a visual object to be fine art and have profound meaning.

Art is just an expression of ideas…

Maggie loves the cedar She-Shack (She-Shed) I built for her for her 70th birthday. Certainly a nice gift and a good idea, but not a work of art like the Yo Betty. Both are fruits of my labor that I literally built, but the Yo Betty is clearly to me distinguished as a work of art.

I like the stealth, of course I don’t expect anyone to understand the meaning, but I at least know and understand, and pretty much why I argue that it is just self-expression.

Sadly these profound thoughts I can’t expect to ever be conveyed to the masses, and I would be lucky to have a handful of persons who grasp the concepts. It is not me who has an empty life…

Cal
 
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I am great full for the predicted lower temperatures expected for Sunday.

It would totally suck to have to get dressed up and be in a nasty sweat bath to attend a fashion show.

Also know that in 1990 IBIS offered a drop bar stem for the IBIS SS I own. Very funky looking bike, and I guess my bar change is almost equally strange, but I like it. Mucho hand positions and comfort for me. Also allows the fit to be more universal to be a loaner bike for friends.

Cal
 
Ok, here it is in all its grimy glory.


Looking at these images, I see that my host stretched the thumbnails and the image previews; it also didn't properly rotate them, but I am feeling like not sitting at a computer and rotating images ad-nauseum so a thumbnail looks correct. If you open the image in a new tab or click the little box to maximize the image (small icon above each image next to a camera icon) it will show the image appropriately.

The album starts according to the most recent image I took, which is after I did a lot of cleaning. If you go to page 3, you'll see how the bike was as-delivered. That poor stem is just a curiosity at this point and a loss due to whomever drilled it then stuck in a sheet metal screw. Too bad since that's a brazed Reynolds 531 stem. I have a 1950s Titan on the way.

The crankset is possibly the original, and possibly decent. It is made by Nicklin and fluted; the interesting thing is that it is 116 BCD, not 88 BCD like the bottom-end 3-arm seen later in the Raleigh TI era. I may keep this crankset on the Rudge since its original, I just need to find a steel 44 tooth 116 BCD ring, which is quite difficult. Current ring is 48 tooth, which is just too much for me considering where I'll be riding and my intention for the cogs. It's pretty though. In one of the images, you can see all the way through the bottom bracket spindle, which was strictly a mark of racing bikes, so the provenance and story of this bike is a mystery.

The black marks on the frame are actually the "primer". In the Clubman line, the frames were electroplated with aluminum then painted over. It's just a 2-stage paint unlike the TI subsidiaries Sports/Superbe line and the DL-1s which have at least 5 layers of paint, one of which is impregnated with galvanized rubber. That's why there are half a billion Nottingham bikes out there still working. The black marks used to be shiny until they oxidized. Some of these Clubman bikes are quite dark and nearly black due to this undercoating.

My spokes are here, I'm waiting on rims to arrive this week. I'm hoping to have this built and rideable by my birthday, next Saturday. I may not get enough spare time to actually do the build, we'll see. I need to hit the crown race and lower headset cup with some 400 grit lapping compound to try to remove the indexing. If that doesn't work, I'm going all out and trying to find a Stronglight needle bearing headset with the proper threading and a 27.0mm crown race. I have one of these in black, which I'm tempted to buff off the anodizing to use with the Clubman, but it would be far easier to just purchase a newer one. Realistically, finding a proper Raleigh headset shouldn't be a problem, I just may need to talk with someone whom I really don't feel like talking with.

Anyway, that's the project so far. One of these days I need to finish that Raleigh Mtn. Trials, getting rid of the Mercedes, cleaning up the garage and basement derailed that, then finding the Clubman completely got me off track. The weather has not been friendly to the trails out here lately either. If it's not above 90 degrees, it's pouring rain (like last night) and then the trails are closed for a few days to prevent erosion.

Phil
 
Just got back from NYC. The fashion show was kinda huge: about 50-60 models walked the runway and I would guess about 800-1000 people in the audience.

Our friend is an independent designer, during the George Floyd Looting his showroom was hit pretty badly, and this is his first show in 4 years.

It seems “Maggie” and I were clearly the two oldest in the crowd. Also because of our age we kinda were invisible. It became obvious that Maggie is no longer on top of the game. Perhaps our agent is way too optimistic.

It was interesting the feeding frenzy where people drew attention to themselves to get photographed. That was not us.

Anyways it was a great show and our friend teared up and cried when he saw Maggie after the show. I don’t think Phillip remembered me from 5-6 years ago.

The venue was in the Bowery and out the windowed wall you could see the Madhattan Bridge. One of our friends got $200K sponsorship so you can imagine this show cost about a quarter million dollars to produce, plus the clothing.

What a crazy way to make a living.

At 10:00 PM starts the after party, but I’m kinda glad to be home and back to my normal life. The show was great, and I am glad to have supported our friend.

Cal
 
Today an artist from Europe will be visiting our house. Our house is kinda funky and is a work in progress. Unpainted sheetrock in the dining room with all the windows missing their trim. A hallway also has new sheetrock on the ceiling, as well as partially the stairway. At least the Sheetrock has been Spackled.

The Yo Betty sits in the hallway in a place of honor, and the muy retro IBIS SS is stored in my living room which in itself a work in progress because it awaits parts for the reconfiguration with new handlebars.

Then there is my fishing rods I have out for my own comfort displayed in the dining room.

Upstairs “Maggie” has her messes. Pretty much clothes, shoes and bags spread out over 3 rooms. She is a worse slob than me. I at least am an organized slob that knows where everything is, and I can always find what I need in the chaos I created. Maggie just is a plain hot mess.

The chaos Maggie creates bothers her, but pretty much it is no bother to me my mess.

Anyways we will have a house guest today. Oh-well.

It all started a few years ago when this artist set a wonderful large print. A photoshopped photography that has been manipulated to the extent that it looks like a screened print. Also know that the image has been altered and outside elements added in to make it dream like.

We built our kitchen, and then got the print archivally framed and mounted, and it seems we inadvertently designed the kitchen around the print which kinda stands out as a centerpiece in a great way.

The kitchen and powder room are finished, and they display a rather polished look when compared to the rest of the house. The upstairs is more of a mess, most of it or all of it Maggie’s.

Pretty much the basement is my private warehouse. Lots of my gear is stored there, a lot of building materials, power tools, a complete digital darkroom, a complete wet darkroom, guitars, amps, bikes, a big tube stereo, and even some of my clothes and shoes. I have enough ELFA hardware to build out several rooms with storage space and perhaps three digital work stations.

The attic it seems will be my man cave that I will build out the A-framed largest section of roofline, a 15x16 foot space, without knee walls, to have as my space. My intent is to insulate with radiant barriers, and rock wool to be one and done. Devil Christian advised not to have the attic spray foamed.

One of his concerns was moisture control, but If I add a mini-split it will not only add heating and cooling, but also dehumidify. The Dyson air purifier likely will get recycled to keep my digital studio dust free and clean.

The attic pull down stairs will kinda be a moat to keep Maggie and her messes out of my space. BTW my HiFi tube stereo will go up there, and pretty much because of the rock wool insulation in the floor it would not be hard to sound proof the room. Know that there are no windows so my studio will be kinda like a deprivation chamber.

Once I clear out part of the basement, next would be a darkroom in the basement.

Another big project will be building out the 1966 C-10 Fleetside longbed with a new engine and drivetrain Using all new parts; a heavy duty Chevy stroked crate truck motor; a 4-speed close ratio tranny with 2 overdrives; and a new rear axel with Posi.

Meanwhile I have a garage roof to replace and I want to build out a set of carriage doors to replace the eyesore and sad metal doors that are mucho ratty.

The point is on the outside the house looks mighty cute and snug, but inside only small parts are finished, but finished very nicely. Even the new full bath upstairs is still a work in progress.

There also is another project of removing the two closets, one from each room, and connecting the two rooms with a pair of French Doors to effectively connect the roundish tower room with the smaller of two bedrooms to make/create a master suite.

The front enclosed porch I want to insulate to make into a 3-season living space. Yet another project.

Anyways, I have ambition, but I also realize that things take both time and money. At this point most of the heavy lifting has been performed, and the rest of the work more or less is on me.

I complain about Maggie’s messy life, but my life is no less messy, but at least mine is organized and at least has the potential to move forward. I’m afraid that Maggie will always remain a hot mess.

At this point, am I really retired? I got plenty of work to do, and the really nice thing is that I benefit greatly from the fruits of my own labor. In the end my old/new house will become a gem. Our house went unloved, even though it was the beginning of the housing shortage almost 3 years ago.

Cal
 
We met up with our artist guest and had our photo shoot. For privacy we mostly shot outside and the only shots indoors were of our hallway.

I learned a how photoshop can be taken into the realm of great expression where although photography was used it somehow became more about print making as far as creating an image.

Anyways this contrasts greatly with what I do.

Some background is Dasha is was Russian born and now is a Finnish citizen with two boys that are about the age of our grand daughter.

Anyways we supported an artist by our modeling. A possible recreation of the image that hangs in our kitchen could be in the making. Sasha shot with a Sony A7.

Her images are so removed from photography that I would say she really is a printmaker who uses a lot of compositing and digital manipulation. She has no formal training BTW.

Anyways, we have another friend…

Cal
 
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