NYC Journal

There are going to be supply chain issues evolving, because of a drought caused by El Niño in Panama, as well as restricted passage in the Red Sea due to war.

Of course supply chains slowing down supports scarcity and inflation. Here we go again, but it is not Covid and a pandemic.

It will take longer to build things, and there are bound to be shortages.

In my case the time of chasing higher prices is behind us. We spent our money during the pandemic on remodeling and other big expenses like purchasing a car. Our debt load not only is low, but the interest rates on my student loans and on our mortgage are at or very near record lows.

Austerity is not a problem for use and the expected spike in inflation.

I think the recent Santa Rally is overdone. If inflation spikes the proposed three interest rate cuts that the FED “penciled in” those rate cuts likely will not happen. Those projected rate cuts right now pushed the markets to new highs, and in effect created a “wealth-effect” which in turn supports growth and inflation.

Of course added shipping costs and delays will effect energy prices. Right now it is said that the U.S. currently is the biggest/largest oil producer in the world.

In the news Angola dropped out of OPEC. Can the U.S. continue to control the energy market?

Cal
 
I just got back from the Carolina low country visiting “Maggie’s” three brothers who just recently retired and moved there.

It was fun talking the Audi out for a drive. On the leg down we stopped at Elizabeth City in the northern part of North Carolina for an over nighter. We avoided the Beltway and Richmond. Route 13 and 17 meanders south through a lot of swamp land. Saw lots of rural decay and a good amount of poverty.

On the most southern end of North Carolina is mega building and development of new homes. Basically three new homes for three of Maggie’s brothers.

Christmas was a family gathering that included the “Creature” (Maggie’s daughter), her husband, and the two grandkids.

We checked out the beach and during the day it hit 70 degrees.

An idea to rent something for January and February to snowbird is likely going to happen. The idea is to use the mild weather to train. Also a good break to kinda change the pace.

Overall though I learned to really love and cherish what I have in Peekskill. Driving down 17 south of Elizabeth City was kinda flat and boring. I love the mountains where I live and the Hudson Valley. Pretty much not a lot in the Carolinas except for the beaches and fishing where we visited.

BTW I loved the gas prices. About $2.75 a gallon for regular, but my Audi needs Premium. Lots of prolonged high speed 75-80 MPH driving.

On the ride home we tried doing Interstate 95. It was a rainy day so it ended up being a long 14 hour drive. What a disaster.

Also not a lot of historical houses. Southport had some really nice ones though. This place is getting built out big time with new houses on an unbelievable scale. I pretty much don’t like new houses. Mucho sterile and kinda dead. Made me think of how cool our Baby-Victorian is.

Cal
 
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I just got back from the Carolina low country visiting “Maggie’s” three brothers who just recently retired and moved there.

It was fun talking the Audi out for a drive. On the leg down we stopped at Elizabeth City in the northern part of North Carolina for an over nighter. We avoided the Beltway and Richmond. Route 13 and 17 meanders south through a lot of swamp land. Saw lots of rural decay and a good amount of poverty.

On the most southern end of North Carolina is mega building and development of new homes. Basically three new homes for three of Maggie’s brothers.

Christmas was a family gathering that included the “Creature” (Maggie’s daughter), her husband, and the two grandkids.

We checked out the beach and during the day it hit 70 degrees.

An idea to rent something for January and February to snowbird is likely going to happen. The idea is to use the mild weather to train. Also a good break to kinda change the pace.

Overall though I learned to really love and cherish what I have in Peekskill. Driving down 17 south of Elizabeth City was kinda flat and boring. I love the mountains where I live and the Hudson Valley. Pretty much not a lot in the Carolinas except for the beaches and fishing in the low country.

BTW I loved the gas prices. About $2.75 a gallon for regular, but my Audi needs Premium.

Also not a lot of historical houses. This place is getting built out big time with new houses on an unbelievable scale.

Cal
 
I placed a bid on a Rock Shox SID that is an early Race edition that has been newly overhauled. Somehow my low initial bid was accepted. The auction ended on December 26th, and I suppose the timing somehow worked in my favor. Now I have an airsprung fork for the Ti IBIS.

I could utilize either V-brake of a disk brake. Another benefit is I can fit a 2.5 Maxxis Minion DHF on the SID fork. Mighty evil…

Very light in weight.

Cal
 
Coming home to my old house, and the comfort and character of a non cookie-cutter community made me realize how fortunate we are. We understand now that we got a really great deal just 3 years ago, and our equity built up rather rapidly because of appreciation and improvements.

Our house likely is the cutest on the street, but while not for everyone, certainly worth a healthy premium to the right people.

Seems like the Case-Schiller report for October showed a remarkable increase in metropolitan areas because of a chronic housing shortage in these areas. Our close proximity to NYC holds a large premium. Also we are located in the Core-E-door being developed as a tech valley that stretches from Madhattan to Albany.

A thought did come to mind to buy a house in the low country to snow-bird, but renting seems like a more practical way to go. Pretty much January and February just rent someplace warm for two months. Could be an interesting lifestyle without responsibility or liability. I also kept quiet about my thinking about global warming.

The amount of building near Cape Fear is rampant: all these new developments at every price point. We were told that this area has been discovered and is the fastest growing area in the country. Right now it is still booming.

One brother lamented that he wished he could of afforded to stay in the Hudson Valley, but he got priced out. One bother is of The Jet-Set class, so his home is kinda just a launch pad. A third brother is kinda like me in chill mode and is just a plain and easy going guy who is charming because he is happy-happy.

I will say the mild weather where we saw people wearing shorts to enjoy the eventually 70 degree temperatures later in the day was easy to enjoy. “Maggie” though would be in hell during the summer. Know that she is not a beach person. Too bad because I would go nuts fishing, swimming, and riding one of my mountain bikes along the compressed sand along water’s edge. I saw some people doing this on fat tired bikes.

North Carolina pretty much has a swampy long coastline. The climate is warm enough that they have alligators. Frosts are common in the mornings, but the days warm up fast. We experienced 70 degree highs.

Anyways we will be setting up a slush fund to travel and explore. Decidedly we have a really great home-base.

One of Maggie’s brothers and his wife will be coming to the book launch at the New York Public Library on March 12th already.

Anyways glad to be home. Now Maggie is motivated to get the house done. So am I. Not too much work: prime, paint and trim on the first floor, and pretty much more paint and trim upstairs.

We got a few months to do that task.

Cal
 
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It dawned on me that pretty much the way I am spending on home improvements is really accelerating the appreciation of the Baby-Victorian.

I’m thinking and dwelling on how to get the best return on investment, and so far we have done well to be “one-and-done.” Our up front costs are more, but our remodeling will not get outdated and need an upgrade say a decade out. In the long-run this is the most cost effective.

I bought the 1966 Chevy C-10 for $9.5K. The suspension and steering are new and refreshed. I figure body wise all it needs for the body is a new bed; the OEM wooden bed simply rotted out; otherwise the OEM paint and body is intact and in remarkable condition with a wonderful patina.

For $20K I can replace the engine and tranny with factory engineered parts that offer great performance and are a serious upgrade with a 50K mile warrantee. I figure for $5K I can replace the rear axel with a performance rear axel that includes new rear disc brakes and a limited slip rear.

Pretty much for $25K pretty much an entire new drivetrain.

I figure about $5K for A/C, a new HD aluminum radiator; electric fans; and other misc items like new wheels and tires.

Built out like this basically it would be a new/old truck for under $40K, or about half the price of a new ”bloated” truck with some options; but here is the thing, a 1966 C-10 that is updated as such could readily sell for $50K for an easy $10K profit I figure if everything is still fresh and being broken in. For the right buyer though I might get $60K.

Of course I would still have on hand the original motor/tranny/rear axel.

Again kinda making a commodity and adding/building value. A thought did come to mind is to specialize in replacing engine/tranny Chevy crate motors as a side hustle. Don’t forget the Hot Rod Hotel is nearby. I could easily market cars/trucks/suburban right from my dead-end. Just park in the dead-end with a for sale sign. Pretty much you have to pass my house to the one-way-in/one-way-out.

Cal
 
I kinda grew a lot on this Christmas getaway. In the low country I saw lots of rural decay and poverty. I grew to realize even more of how I am living the dream.

I also learned that I dislike new houses. In the southern end of North Carolina the development of new homes close to the water is rampant. “Maggie” and I think that these HOA developments are akin to a Condo like structure because of rule enforcement, common fees, and support of common areas.

Living and owning a condo is different than owning a house, even though these houses are detatched. What is lacking is the hodge-podge like random mix of housing that is in my hood.

Anyways there is a great appreciation of how different and quirky our old Baby-Victorian is.

Today I feel a leftover tiredness from the concentration required to do a 14 hour drive in traffic-congestion, and in foul weather.

I also grew fond of the comfort and balanced handling of the Audi A4. I felt glued to the road even at speeds north of 80 MPH.

Anyways it is great to be back home. Had to load up and stockpile some food.

I also realize that our climate here in New York in Peekskill is really Sub-Tropic. Rob, “Maggie’s” brother tells me that because our Magnolia tree is an evergreen that it likely could survive our New York winters. I have seen a Magnolia outdoors in Tarrytown, not far away, that was a large thriving tree.

I wonder how big a species of Magnolia we have. The large leaves suggest maybe we only have a baby tree of one of the larger species. Currently it stands about 5 1/2 feet out of the soil. I had transplanted it into a rather large pot, but I bet the Magnolia is likely root bound at this point because that was over a year ago and it grew almost two feet.

I think I might plant it in the spring on my side yard on the lawn that is by my driveway. Lots of sun, and if it became a big tree it still would be far enough from the house. It would be pruned to keep it groomed to a reasonable size. I’m cool with the leaf litter. Magnolia’s have waxy leaves that don’t really decompose. The flowers are beautiful.

Cal
 
Looking forward to getting the Rock Shox SID “Race” to install on the Ti IBIS. This suspension fork was newly overhauled, so I will be good to go.

Now I have a newly overhauled Rock Shox Judy XC that has been updated with Steed Springs, new damper, updated brake arch, and features Ti hardware as a spare fork for use on the Yo Betty if needed to convert into a full blown mountain bike. Right now it is a full rigid with a suspension corrected fork.

Sorting things out, the Fat Chance Yo Eddy has the fatter 2.5 Maxxis Minion DHF front tire and a 2.35 rear, but the Ti IBIS will have lighter slightly skinnier tires. Then I also have the steel IBIS set up also with wide tires, but with low gearing and as a 1x11 as my technical bike.

This assortment means I have three bikes to choose from depending on the terrain and trail. What a luxury.

All these bikes are kinda period correct. How cool is that?

The IBIS Alibi is on the back burner. I’m waiting on the wheels to get built, and I’m in no rush.

Cal
 
I worked on sanding the walls and ceiling of the dining room, then I used a scraper on the pocket doorway to remove paint to strip the molding to raw wood.

This was after doing a max set of pull-ups and a max set of pushups. My arms are mighty tight now. Anyways using a scraper requires strength.

Paul’s Components makes a mechanical disc brake that can be ordered as a long-pull or short pull. The Rock Shox SID “Race” has provisions for either a V-brake or a disc brake, but I already have long pull brake levers. Pretty much the Paul’s “Clamper” allows me to use what I have on hand. EZ-PZ.

Pretty much I will have a plain Dual Air SID on the Yo Eddy and a SID “Race” on the Ti IBIS. With rim brakes most rims are narrow and not the best for fatter tires like 2.35 inch wide and 2.5 inch wide. The disc rims tend to be wider and tubeless ready.

The Sun rims are rim brake and wide, but mounting modern tubeless ready tires I find tight fitting and a bit difficult to mount. Tubeless ready rims have a center channel to provide some slack when mounting and dismounting. I also love the rounder/fatter profile of tires on wider rims. They hold more air for cush and give.

The Ti IBIS already utilizes a wide modern rim for the rear wheel, but the Yo Eddy uses a retro narrow rim both front and rear.

The steel IBIS is kinda locked into a Rock Shox Judy SL because it has a 1 inch steerer. Oh-well.

Tomorrow we will have the grandson.

2024 should be a good year. Less work, more bike riding, and more fitness. My chest and arms are getting big.

Cal
 
It seems like 2024 will be a more relaxed year for me. The heavy lifting and big construction has been done. Only a few big tasks left.

One is install a new hip roof on the two-car detached garage. Another is build two sets of carriage doors. Then insulate the attic floor. All this work I can do myself. Pretty much just a few weekends to do the work once everything is staged and ready with materials on hand.

What I’m doing now is prepping, painting and trim on the interior. I figure just doing some work every day that I’ll easily be done with the interior work by March, just in time to start gardening and prepping the outside. This leaves plenty of time to take care of the grand kids when needed.

I was going to install all new moldings, but I figured out how to strip the paint with just a scraper. Pretty much I developed a skill, but I can’t scrape for a full day, its just too strenuous. I say a few hours a day, then relax and do something else.

I’m really stoked to do some serious bike riding, re-establishing a fitness base, and getting stronger.

The attic has a stage 2, and that plan is to insulate the roof so the attic could be technically a work space/studio for me. I’m cool if this gets delayed because I want my high quality of life.

A lot of work can get done because I have not a lot of BS in my life. A thought came to mind that “Stress is BS.” At this point in my life I don’t need stress, or any stress.

I think I’ll also do a few fishing trips just to have some deep peace and relaxation. 2024 is going to be a great year: less work; more play.

Cal
 
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I’m able to do 8 pull-ups in a set. I can do 65 pushups in a set, and these are deeper and of better form now, not so sloppy and fast.

AJ thinks if I keep at it I will add an extra pull-up every week if I keep at it. I figure if I get up to a dozen that is pretty strong, but if I can get to 20 pretty much I’ll be a total animal. Let’s see how many I can do in a set a month from now. That would get me to a dozen.

BTW when I try to do three sets it usually cascades from N to N-1 and then N-2 for the second and third set, even with lots of rest.

It is really convenient having the chin-up bar set up in a doorway. Also just hanging decompresses the spine and feels great as a stretch.

BTW the pull-ups and pushups only take a few minutes out of my day. I don’t need a gym.

Cal
 
Here we go, it is not even the New Year and “Maggie’s” book, “How To Be Old,” is already the 163rd best seller on Amazon based on pre-orders under the general Memior category. Under aging and geriatrics the memoir is ranked number one.

BTW Maggie hates ageism and likes to think that her book is more about “reinvention” and strongly dislikes getting boxed into the “old” category even though she is 70.

Now Maggie has a goal to get into the top 100 memoirs before her book launch. Also in January it will take about 3-days to record the audiobook.

I guess we expect the next 100 days or so to be a bit of a crunch time. Oh-well. Privately I expect future episodes of crazy woman syndrome and insane anxious moments.

Meanwhile I realize that my few minutes of intense strength exercise (pushups and pull-ups) often leads to an early bedtime. When that happens I often wake up 3-4 o’clock in the morning, I go downstairs, and I play an electric guitar unplugged, then I end up going back to bed in an hour or two.

Basically I am old and need the extra rest. The exercise ensures I sleep good.

My neighbor has a stockpile of 4x8 half inch exterior grade plywood available. My thinking is that this would be good fo my attic floor. Basically this is a full pallet he got at a discount for his own attic, but he intends on installing a big and heavy air handler and likely needs to go 5/8ths.

In my phase 2 of the attic, I will already have the floor insulated to R-30 using rock wool. For me rock wool is one-and-done because it does not settle like fiberglass that eventually will need replacement. I will divide off the 15x16 A-frame that will be work/living space and the rest of the crazy rooflines that pretty much are just dead space.

In the dead space area I’ll use rigid foam insulation that has a radiant barrier on both sides right against the rafters. The idea is to prevent thermal bridging and to create an internal fully sealed envelope.

Devil Christian taught me about how studs and rafters are in fact conductors of heat and cold. It was his suggestion that since I have no attic ventilation that it might be a great idea to keep it sealed. Separately I discovered that a radiant barrier is a good idea to reflect both heat and cold. Best is to have a totally sealed enclosure, and in fact that is easily created with rigid foam and metal tape.

The floor joists would already be stuffed with R-30 rock wool, with a vapor barrier made of two layers of craft paper bonded together with tar. This vapor barrier is made as an underpayment under flooring. Because it is sold in 3 foot wide rolls there will be a better more continuous vapor barrier with less spaces and seams.

I would use the same vapor barrier in the work/living space. I will monitor the humidity level, and if I have to I will install a dehumidifier to prevent too high a humidity that would encourage mold growth.

The rafters in the work/living space would have a 1 inch space under the sheathing, then a 1 inch thick double sided radiant barrier, then more insulation to fill the rafter, and then 2 inch foam with double sided radiant barrier that would be a totally sealed envelope and a thermal break. I figure this in total could be or approach R-30.

In the unused part of the attic that is broken up by low and crazy rooflines, I could creat a total dead airspace by using rock wool batts to just simply backfill in the area. Through super insulation I’d be making my roof effectively smaller, where about 25% of heat costs occur. Since heat rises I might expect that no heating would be needed in the attic, or in any minimal amounts.

R-30 floor with an improved vapor barrier will limit heat and cold transmission through the second floor ceiling, then add in a very tight sealed second R-30 in a limited 15x16 foot space. Not a big roof at all if I super insulate and approach a real R-60 in the remaining second floor ceiling. Effectively I will make my roof about 60% smaller, and remember that a roof is responsible for about 25% of energy loss.

Cal
 
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Won a NOS 24 tooth 58 BCD Middleburn chainring. Nice to have it in my stockpile. The hard coated Middleburn rings wear like iron and are long lasting.

Not bad for $20.00: $26 and change with tax and shipping.

I put a bid on another chainring from the same U.S. seller. This one is a 34 tooth and 110 BCD.

Many of the Middleburn offerings are from Britain and the shipping costs are expensive. When NOS stock in the U.S. come online I swoop in. My last 24T 58 BCD went on ”Maggie’s” Yo Betty. I have a few spare 42T and a 32T already as backups. All Middleburn. This is ideal for a 3x9-speed with an 11-34 cassette. I loaded up on the cassettes on sale.

Know that I have extra/spare triple 94/58 and a 110 triple spyders. Middleburn cranks are modular.

It is probable that in 2024 we might have a trip to England. If that happens I will certainly load up the truck.

Cal
 
It’s New Year’s Eve, and the cold finally settled in of winter, but the Almanac says that usually the first week in January tends to be the coldest. Overall the temperatures have been higher than normal, and yesterday I wore fall jackets instead of winter coats.

Our growing season was among the top five longest ever recorded, with an early spring, a long fall, and a very late frost. I clearly see climate change and global warming.

Just three years ago rain was frequent and could happen at any time, even if not in the forecast, but clearly it rains less frequently, but when it rains it pours/floods.

I’m pretty sure the long time look for the south east leads to destructive storms. The building and development I saw on the southern end of North Carolina I think will eventually have a bad ending. Lots of clear cutting going on because clean fill has to be added to increase drainage. Not a lot of elevation in land that is basically swampy, and remained undeveloped for a reason.

”Boom and doom,” I say.

The weather in the Hudson Valley skirts the twenty degree mark for a low, but overall for winter it remains warm. I feel, see, and experience the milder winters of further south right here in New York. I can imagine NYC becoming a worse “Heat-Island” with life threatening heat and humidity buildups with mucho crazy heat indexexes.

BTW the lower Hudson Valley where I live still gets effected by the Gulf Stream. This is one reason why the lower Hudson Valley is predicted to become snowless. A few weeks ago I saw a light flurry, but it was way too warm for any accumulation. Last year there was no measurable accumulations. I expect the same at this point and even milder temperatures.

Cal
 
I went for a trail jog that ended up turning into a 4 1/2 hour hike exploring and connecting trails at Blue Mountain. Hiking my riding trails is like pre-running a race course like the Baja 1000.

I have been attempting to create good training loops that avoid the more used trails that are rocky, rooty, and eroded. I think I have one, but it is kinda directional. Pretty much much harder if you go in the wrong direction.

I discovered some new trails, but I have not looped them yet. Still there are some technical sections that I would like to avoid. Seems like the most used trails suffer from erosion.

This hike was after a set of 8 pull-ups, and when I got home my legs were hammered but good. I was surprised by the delivery of my overhauled/restored Rock Shox SID “Race.” Pretty much it is as if new, but the decals are newer versions. Very pretty.

I am a skinny bitch, and I guess I want to be a Jane Fonda who has a hot body even though she is old. Today I jump started my program.

My mind today and yesterday is full of racing thoughts of changing around some of my bike configurations. I kinda have big plans for the Ti IBIS, and I’m thinking of simplifying the steel IBIS Mountain Trials just into a trials bike. With the original rigid fork it can accommodate a 2.5 wide Maxxis Minion DHF. On the Ti IBIS I will try to mount a 52 tooth chaining, if that is too big to fit I’ll settle with a 48 tooth.

The spare wheel set could be recycled so I could easily convert the Ti IBIS from a 2x11 mountain to a 1x11 fitness bike. Also I have a wheel set for a 63.59 gear inch single speed all kitted out. Pretty much all modular…

Cal
 
Devil Dan,

Thanks for the link. A young Lou Reed and David Bowie remind me of how old I am.

The world is a hot mess, but my life is getting more interesting and better. Tomorrow begins a 72 day countdown till “Maggie’s” book gets released. That will be interesting and certainly eventful. Maggie I expect will be busy promoting her book. Things will certainly get a bit crazy.

Cal
 
I just found a short dirt drop stem that would be great in the steel IBIS with a straight bar. Old school look to be used with a rigid fork. Steep 50 degree angle and a short 60mm extension..

Beginning the new year right. Bike crazy. I also ordered a pair of Maxxis Minions DHF’s in a 2.35 width. I will use this as a rear tire since the 2.5 version is too wide. Today was the last day of a sale.

Should be mucho evil. The trails are a bit too muddy in places to ride.

Cal
 
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My cold weather biking gear works well to keep me warm Snarky Joe taught ne to load up the truck at the end of season sales. Know that the smells that fit me are often in these close outs. Pretty much engineered clothing that is breathable yet windproof.

The trick is to overdress slightly. Let the clothing wick you dry.

I started my hike about 10:45 AM and got home around 3:30 PM. By then the day was cooling.

Cal
 
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