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I’m able to stay awake and focus today. Was able to accomplish a lot of guitar practice, and on two guitars I needed to do some maintenance and perform a string change.

Like on a bike changing strings in a timely manner saves the frets. On a bike changing the chain saves the cassette and the chainrings.

Phil, the recording engineer, said that if you want to be a good player basically you need to practice three hours or more a day. I can believe that. It takes a lot of discipline, but now I’m retired. I can say I made some progress today, a lot smoother, better technic, more percussive, and more dynamics.

Awesome…

”Maggie” is trying to line up another free vacation cruise. The last one was relaxing, and this one has a spa.

“If its free, its for me,” I say.

With the carbs it is portion control. I only eat about half of what I use to. It leaves me feeling hungry. I kinda love that full feeling.

I’m leaning out, day by day I can see the difference and I’m not working out. What a weird physiology.

I’m going through my guitars to see if others need maintenance. I think I might have to order strings. On electrics guitars I am using 12’s which is very heavy on an electric, and this gets compounded because the Tele’s I play have a long scale and more string tension. I love the big strings for tone and sustain.

Doing lots of scale work, and my own style is beginning to emerge. Kinda exciting.

Cal
 
My blood pressure is close to the 110/60 range again. This is encouraging. My resting pulse no matter what is below 60 and I get readings like 52.

Seems like I need to eat more frequently and breakfast is best to be my big meal of the day. Again today I will start with a double breakfast and then have a third In about 2 hours.

”Maggie” has a publisher in Croatia that wants to translate her book. The sign up fee is tiny, but there is 10% royalty on every book sold.

Johnny Farina of Santo and Johnny 30 years ago would get $30K every year in royalties for the song “Sleepwalk.” Boy saying that Maggie’s book will be a part of iconic culture, but the point is royalties can be a lot of money.

Cal
 
A bad sign is I went outside to dispose of some kitchen mulch and bring in the garbage can. My short exposure to the cold made my nose turn purple. This is a sign of my blood thickening, and it really isn’t really cold out.

I also spent a few minutes outside to remove a Ring motion detector light to recycle for use elsewhere. Still in total less than 10 minutes outside.

In the hospital a nurse applied a topical cream to the tip of my nose. Pretty much this was a mistake because it is a serious E-Foil-E-ent and it caused me to shed layers of skin.

So a cause, but I should not be so sensitive to the cold. Anyways the smufing-out dissipates as fast as it appeared. Evidently I have pretty high levels of IgM antibodies right now. I might have to go see a hematologist again for monitoring.

I was going to walk to the downtown with “Maggie,” but now it seems I’m home bound.

Time to row, pull-ups and pushups, but first my third breakfast.

Cal
 
I feel like an eating machine because I have to eat so often to refuel.

Quinoa and barley are my new low glycemic grains for carbs, but I seriously am cutting their intake by about a half. The doctor appointments begin and further testing.

On one hand I’m a remarkably healthy male, but something is off.

After my third breakfast I had a Miso, spinach, chicken and green tea noodle soup I made from scratch with scallions. Only one small bunch of noodles to keep the carb count low.

Wars are never good, and it seems like a retaliation is going to happen. Vary sad and dangerous.

Cal
 
“Maggie’s” book is ELLE magazine’s “most anticipated book of 2024.”

The ground swell continues.

I already broke a wound “G” string on my main guitar I restrung just yesterday. I need to order more strings. The 12-52 gauge strings are not light gauge strings BTW.

More progress on the guitar. Pretty much I play as if playing an acoustic for volume, even though an electric. There is something like drumming happening, and you know that the guitar really is a percussion instrument in a way. Not so different than a drum.

Because I’m excentuating the drumming aspect of the guitar it seems more hypnotic and more trance like. The string has a swell to the attack, and the accent I apply is kinda tasteful. Perhaps a bit horn like.

The guitar I broke the string on happens to respond well to this heavy playing. It actually takes a lot of concentration and focus to play this way, and the sound is mucho rich even though I’m not plugged in. Pretty much I’m pounding the guitar, but it is musical and the attack is expressive as well as aggressive.

I’m sure I’ll modulate this in the future to express a wild and wide dynamic range. The idea is to get a guitar to sound like a piano.

I think of the song “Compared To What” from 1969. The Piano’s percussiveness is definitely in that song and kinda expresses and energy of anger. That was what I was doing today. Kinda edgy.

To play loud good technic is required. Energy has to be uses efficiently and if done right it is kinda relaxed, smooth and snappy. Not easy to do, but I think I have it.

I think of this drummer named Andy I met though my friend Tim. Andy was playing a set of Yamaha Birch drums that were designed for extra crispness for recording. I would hear all this sound and drumming, but Andy appeared not to be moving. It was kinda surreal to watch him play that kit. His technic was flawless. Talk about speed…

A bit like boxing, where there is a rhythm between the left and right, and the down strokes are like left jabs. Something very physical is happening that I’m experiencing. No thinking and pure reflex. Kinda beautiful.

Cal
 
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Cal, perhaps try eating a lot more bulky vegetables for the fullness feeling.
Have you seen a GI specialist? Is your gut transit time really fast? How is your thyroid? You may have to retrain your body to deal with the feeling of being hungry. It may extend your life. People who experience trauma and/or deprivation often due to poverty in their very early years become programmed to consume based upon a "scarcity model". This is partially why obesity and the health problems which come with it, is endemic within populations of low SES. You may have fit within this early developmental programming but you happen to have lived with the metabolism to eat almost whatever you want, whenever you felt hungry. It's a deep, old primordial reptile brain bit of programming, to stock up on calories, particularly carbs and protein, as they allow one to fight back with the maximum amount of strength and speed. That may be catching up with you now and in order to feel full to trick your brain, you may have to eat a lot of bulky vegetables then slowly taper down your intake. Eating three breakfasts is not necessarily helping unless your breakfast is one meal of good carbs, protein, and fiber, then two successive meals of just bulky fiber. All that is doing is training your vaso vagus nervous system to need to be nearly full all the time, which is just a bad habit. Snacks of a few nuts here and there are ok, but you have to add in a bunch of celery stalks, cucumber, lettuce, kale, etc. for the bulk.
Get ye to a nutritionist, GI specialist as well
Phil
 
Phil,

As usual: good advice.

The habits of poverty is binge eating, hoarding, and over doing almost everything because of knowing scarcity.

I kinda know and realize I’m a hot mess. I have abused my body. I know I had Hypoglycemia in my 20’s, and that was corrected by no soda, no sugar, and no cake. Complex carbs were allowed. You are correct that I relied on carbs for most of my life. My dry skin could be explained by diabetes as well as my propensity for infection. Going to the ER every year for the past 3 years is not good.

If I’m lucky it might be only pre-diabetes, and a good diet could be key.

It is remarkable that I am healthy. Likely biking helped extend my heath and mitigated the death spiral.

I certainly have been programmed by poverty and hunger. It explains a lot.

In a ways my physiology kept me safe, but now I am aging.

Dinner was a salmon fillet with barley. I kinda half my portion of carbs. Generally if rice its a quart, but now only a pint.

I can’t explain why I remain thin. Before I was 40 I ate about 4K-5k calories a day every day. I cut back a bit. Take note that biking did not make me thinner. I gained a few pounds from quitting smoking. I was 32 when I quit.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
Dinner was a salmon fillet with barley. I kinda half my portion of carbs. Generally if rice its a quart, but now only a pint.
Click to expand...
Cal, have you heard of farro ? Another high fiber low sugar whole grain you may consider. I really like it.

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Which is better for you? Farro vs. Quinoa - ClassPass Blog

Interested in either farro or quinoa? These mighty carb sources are all the rage, read our blog to find out which is best.
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Austin,

Many thanks.

One thing I have going for me is that I am a skinny yet muscular bitch. This is part of longevity, but it also requires maintenance.

I learned in my 30’s when I rode with younger strong riders that I needed more protien intake to better recover. I ended up not only recovering faster, but I also got faster and stronger.

I always had a limitation to how bulky I got my whole life. I wonder if I have some underlying condition, or if it is just my genes. My three brothers are broader, even my little brother who is shorter than me.

Even if I am not pre-Diabetic it can’t hurt to eat lower glycemic grains.

Part of me has the small body of a marathon runner, but I have the upper body strength and build of a UFC fighter or of a boxer. Kinda crazy on a 66 year old man with the jowls and creases of an old man.

Today is a doctor’s appointment as an outpatient follow through. “Maggie” wants to buy a new Apple device. Later in the day we have to pick up the grandson.

The guitar is becoming a major focus of my day. Very relaxing and I am finding a trance like kinda focus. I would not call it “flow” yet, but it points in that direction. I spend concentrated hours, and because of disciplined proper technic my hands are not sore or inflamed. A lot of muscle memory is happening where thinking is being replaced.

The guitar is a very cool place. The heavy strings I use on my electric guitars simulates a light gauge acoustic set of strings that I utilize on my custom Santa Cruz Model “F.” My two other Santa Cruz acoustics use even heavier strings.

Moving forward is all I can do. I already have an appointment with my primary care physician for more follow through. I want to unfold these medical mysteries. Phil’s idea of seeing a nutritionist is a priority.

Cal
 
“Maggie” is not a big veggie eater. Pretty much I am and I kinda cook for myself. She is not a fish eater either.

I can sub in Quinoia, Farro and Barley seamlessly for a lower glycemic index. I can learn to live without brown rice.

The thing with Quinoia and Farro is the protien because in the Blue Zone studies less meat and more plant based protein sources are cited as life extenders. Pretty much superfoods.

It was clear to me in my big high school that had a graduating class of 800 or so that for my size not only was I the strongest for my size, but also one of the fastest on my feet. I think part of my physiology is mostly fast twitch muscles for strength rather than the slow twitch for endurance.

I think my genes are for strength and speed, not endurance. In fist fights in a blink of an eye I could hit an opponent twice after he missed me. I am bowlegged likely from suffering rickets when I was a toddler. I pronate, meaning I walk on the outside of my feet, but bow legged people are hyper agile.

In war and fighting agility means you can flank an opponent. A very big advantage especially compounded with and by speed. Then there are my narrow shoulders that translate into longer arms. There is the physics of having a longer lever to impart more force.

In boxing there is the “circle” which is the optimum fighting distance that depends on physic. I fight in a large circle to exploit leverage and full extension. Kinda like swinging a hammer.

In my genes is the almost thousand years of feudalism that is the history of Canton. I was breed for fighting and violence.

Cal
 
I got a clean bill of health from the followthrough ENT doctor. I still have to use the exfoliating cream and finish the course of antibiotics, just two more day’s worth.

Nurse Betty (Maggie) has been digging into the Cold Agglutinin Disease (CAD) and has discovered a link to a higher risk of infections and septus.

I see a hematologist in about a week and a half, and I will see my PCP later in this week.

Could be just the CAD causing the propensity of infections. This is better than being pre-Diabetic or Diabetic. From now on any infection needs to be addressed rapidly and seriously to avoid septus.

I’m convinced that I do not have high blood pressure. My readings in the morning and late at night confirm my normal range about 110/70 which is on the low side, but remember that I have a small lean body. I measured a resting BPM of 50 yesterday.

When I exercise my blood pressure drops below 100/60 at times, and my BPM under 50 And in the 40’s.

I learned that I have big veins. A nurse revealed to me that big veins “worm” around and are tricky to install an IV.

I was able to do 8 good pull-ups today after laying off for more than a week. I’ll do at least another set to try and build back up to 10 on a good day. Will likely do at least a max set of pushups just to get back and to see what I can do. Pretty much maintenance, and strength in old age is a valuable asset, as well as having a lean body mass.

Anyways, you can see my OCD tendencies, and why with me I do crazy things. I have fortitude and stubbornness on my side, and I’m a fighter.

I looked at my truck today. My current wish is the “Snarky Joe” which is just pull the head and see if the 61K on the odometer is just 61K and not 161K. 2024-1966 is 58 years. The rubber boots that are an oil seal on the valve stems surely have rotted away. Also the valve seats are not hardened for unleaded gas.

If I can get the C-10 into a reliable daily driver, all I would need to do is replace the leaky rear seal on the engine and then replace the wet clutch. It would be then a really good example of a “survivor” that pretty much is 1966 OEM except for the relocated gas tank.

Cosmetically a new oak bed would be in order. I wopuld let the oak get weathered into a grey patina. The truck would proudly show off a wonderful 1966 factory finish that has a mucho pretty patina that is very much remarkable. It would turn heads because it is a clean truck in remarkable original condition. A good Car-NUB-A way to preserve the patina and seal in the spot surface rust.

I would have some time to see if the truck was worthy. As a driver with 61K original miles it would have mucho value added and I would not have to spend tens of thousands to re-moter, re-tranny, and replace the rear axel and update the brakes.

Snarky Joe’s model makes the most economic sense.

The visit to the Apple Store got canned. Maggie thinks a new I-Phone will be the next purchase since she killed the battery on her current I-Phone.

Monday a New York Times photographer will come by the house to take some shots of Maggie for some feature.

Anyways, it is great to be retired because all these things I need to address and take care of are not really stress because I have the time. I need to know where I stand and where are the risks so I can respond and be sensible. Pretty much about life and limb. Septus can take me down and out.

Cal
 
Cal, as your recent injury was near your nose, you need to watch out for MRSA as well. One other thing, and I don't mean to be pedantic when it comes to spelling, but when it comes to anything medical, you should have both spelling and pronunciation down pat. You don't want to wind up missing an organ. Septicemia causes sepsis, which is the condition of being septic. Us followers know what you mean when you take liberty with spelling and pronunciation but make sure the communication with doctors is correct, many of them may be geniuses, or have extraordinary skills, but also may not have the common sense to change a car tire, or lightbulb, or tie their shoes.
Phil
 
Phil,

I have a MFA in Creative Writing, but I have trouble with spelling.

So far I have not had MRSA, but I know this is a very serious infection.

Did my second set of 8 pull-ups and a max set of pushups (65).

The abscess was 1 CM in size by the MRI and just inside my left nostril. The MRI also noted some degeneration of the C3 and C4 vertebrate. I inquired today with my MD even though it was on the fringe of her specialty. It seems that anyone over the age of fifty has a high likelihood of some degeneration due to aging.

The degeneration is either loss of cartilage, bone or both.

Pretty much symptoms like tingling in the extremities, or pain or discomfort would be the time to se a neuroligist or orthopedic surgeon. “Maggie” is suffering some of this neck pain and will be starting physical therapy soon. She is 70 though.

So far no pain, discomfort, numbness, or tingling.

Aging is a can of worms.

You have been a good friend. Thanks for all your insights and help. I try to give back here, because this process of aging is really fraught and full of surprises. I am grateful for the compassionate caring. I hope this offers some guidance to others.

Pretty much a wake up call.

In hindsight, my second hematologist should of tapered my monitoring to perhaps just once a year, rather than the quarterly we were doing, rather than just ending.

My CAD is not curable and can only be treated, but the treatment can become a pathway for disease progression. Messing with the immune system is full of booby traps. The research suggests to avoid any treatment of CAD is best unless it is really-really needed/required.

CAD is not a death sentence and my life expectancy could/should be normal, but I have to mitigate my lifestyle to keep my quality of life. It is not the end of the world to avoid the New York winters. As you pointed out I kinda have an idealized situation in Peekskill that can’t really be recreated.

As far as strength and lean body mass goes I’m in the realm of the Blue Zone. My heart with its low BPM and low blood pressure certainly could be improved upon by recreating a strong base of endurance fitness by mucho long-slow-distance.

My diet optimization has not been figured out yet, but I’m working on that. Likely more plant based and lower glycemic index. I need to take this to the next level.

BTW retirement I am finding is a rather evolutionary process that is full of surprises. I am projecting that the first 5-years is a kinda phase in and a work in progress. The changes also are not small either.

Lately I have had many dreams about work, being fired, fighting at work, and even the thought of work as I knew it makes me sick and is sickening. I am so happy with being retired that even the idea of work is repulsive.

I see my neighbor’s car missing from his driveway, and I feel bad that he has to work. It seems I can’t get the thought of work out of my mind. Kinda odd that I seem to be fixated on some form of closure. In reality I know I am retired and financially secure, but somehow I have all these unpleasant dreams that involve work, work related stress, and all the BS fighting required to get a job done.

What gives? These work dreams are a reoccurring nightmare.

Cal
 
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Austin,

”Maggie” is my handler, and she was a licensed therapist.

After writing the above post, I asked her about my work repeating dreams. Know that they depicted the times I worked at Grumman and at Brookhaven labs when I kinda was the point man to get the jobs done. In a ways this involved the burden and responsibility of complicated problem solving that was akin to combat duty.

Pretty much work was representative of unsettling chaos. We talked of loosing a year’s progress on the house because of daycare, and then all the nonsense with publishing a book. Of copurse there were other interruptions like the caretaking and visiting of Maggie’s mom that lead to her death.

So unsettling and then the anxiety created got played out in these dreams…

A TV news program has reached out for a second time to inquire about setting up an interview. Then this New York Times thing Monday is exploding into a video interview plus photo’s for an article that some how grew and got bigger.

We kinda laughed how pretty much we don’t want her book to be such a big deal. We know our agent, and we can expect that she will snooker us into doing things we really don’t want to be bothered with. We know that March will be busy and mucho crazy, and at this point we just want to be left alone.

I am perfectly happy playing guitar and riding my bike if life was that simple. We are behind in the things we would like to do or accomplish.

Cal
 
Austin,

Thanks.

At the IBIS web site there are a lot of stories and history. I will warn you that Scot Nicol projects a Calzone like flavor.

Scot has a persona he calls “Chuck.” He was just a punk kid who impressed guys like Joe Breeze because he had good bike handling skills. If I remember correctly he learned bike building from Joe Breeze.

I can loose myself on a bike, especially when alone. It is kinda like riding into a sunset and not worried that you have to at some point go home. Your bike and body somehow become one and the universe becomes rather simple.

At Blue Mountain they recommend not to go riding alone. Probably a good idea, but I ride alone all the time. LOL.

What is the purpose of wandering?

Understand that in the late 80’s mountain biking had developed, but was kinda new when I began here on the east coast. Shimano had created indexed shifting, which was a big deal back then. My IBIS Mountain Trials was a 3x6 with a freewheel rear hub and had that trick Shimano SIS Indexed Shifting.

Your story pre-dates my part of history.

Cal
 
We drove to Monroe again to the recording studio to do three “pickups” for the audiobook.

We met the producer of the audiobook and her husband who is a retired executive for HBO. They live in Ossning in a home that Devil Christian would love to see. It was built by one man who was an iron worker who spent 20 years to build single handedly who admired Frank L. Wright situated on an outcropping of Granite with wintertime views of the Hudson River.

Anyways, we plan on getting together and doing some biking as couples. The producer is/was a serious rider, and pretty much I joked about beating up the husband, and taking a beating like a man.

Also this woman producer grew illuminated by “Maggie’s” she-shack and wants one. I mentioned how to bypass any tax increase or needing a building permit, that applied a lot of pressure to Mike the husband. It was a funny sich-E-A-tion where the Calzone in me sided with the wife in building out a she-shack.

Oh-well, My new friend, who is retired and 68, was not so pleased, but he took it on the chin. I did offer to help because building out one of these shed kits is not really a one man job. I know because I did it alone.

Separately, a big production is brewing, that involves a rather big production for a feature on national TV. Filming in our house, a work in progress, and around Peekskill is being planned. Somehow I am being snookered into the story and will be part of this feature.

”I was just minding my own business,” I say.

The ground swell continues, and it is not even March.

It seems I’m moving forward and dealing with my eating disorder by adapting “portion control.” I’m advancing and pretty much being extra-normal is turning out not to be so bad.

Got up to 9 pull-ups today. I’ll concentrate on pushups today.

Cal
 
My friend AJ pretty much sells me bike parts at his cost. I also pay in cash so no tax. I bought a limited Eddy Merck jersey from him that is a bit oversized on me, but it will be cool to wear with jeans. It looks like wool and feels like wool, but is 100% cotton. The style is like a polo shirt. It is made in Italy, and if it were made of wool it would cost hundreds of dollars.

Anyways AJ does me great favors.

”Maggie” and I are advancing our diets to more plant based. Today we went to the health food store and bought some stuff, and we went to Shop Rite to buy dried beans to make a turkey chilly. I bought a turkey breast to bake this weekend.

I bought some Farro to try. Pretty much a low glycemic grain that has the complete 9 essential amino acids, high fiber content and other great things that make it a superfood. I figure as we age our bodies become less efficient in regeneration and rebuilding. Great nutrition can forestall some aging and slow it down.

My portion control seems to be settling in. No need for 3 breakfasts. My constant hunger is subsiding. Tomorrow will be my last day of antibiotics.

We will have the grandson tomorrow, and I have a doctor’s appointment. I’ll dig into seeing the root cause of why I’m so susceptible to infections.

”Maggie’s” column in the Peekskill Herald has been a hit. A really good response and seems to have a big impact.

Anyways, a bunch of little steps forward. BTW the TV news feature is not really about Maggie’s book, the producer is more interested in how we are embracing aging, the transition, and the reinvention aspects. This will not be a fluff piece news story. The audience is at a national level and kinda huge. I wonder about the possibilities.

Know that the producer has a copy of the book, but has not read it yet. In Maggie’s Memoir of course I am part of the story that covers the ages of 60-70 years or the last decade. Today was just a long phone call between the producer and Maggie to get acquainted and to get started. The segment could be 7-15 minutes. Like I said not “fluff.”

You should know that in Maggie’s book reveals some of my dark secretes and they will be public knowledge. For the U.K. Edition of Maggie’s book I had to sign a release giving permission to publish some of my personal info. A little scary because of the unknown. A can of worms will kinda be opened…

Cal
 
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