NYC Journal

At times I can’t sign onto RFF.

Today I got a clean bill of health from my PCP, and I have a March appointment for my annual physical. My doctor said that my A1C was so good a number that there is no way I am Diabetic and I am in remarkably great health. The pattern of annual Cellulitis is a medical mystery from what she knows.

The high glucose levels were due to the infection releasing cortisol which in turn causes a release of glucose as a response. The high glucose levels from the labs in the ER indicated the range of diabetic and pre-diabetic.

I got a referral to go to a hematologist from my PCP.

Will likely cancel the hematologist appointment from the referral from Westchester Medical Center because I want to remain in my network and stay local.

It will be a while before I get my appointment though: March. Glad that I’m not Pre-Diabetic or Diabetic.

Still going to go more plant based eating, try Farro, and more into the Blue Zone.

Here in Peekskill there is a real shortage of houses. Most of the listings are condos. Slim pickings. Know that the surrounding towns that are the suburbs of Peekskill are less walkable and things are kinda spread out. Peekskill is a city…

My guitar strings arrived a day early. Awesome.

Cal
 
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Pretty much “Maggie” has done much of the heavy lifting as far as promoting her book. In talking with a private publicist she hired as a consultant to help her navagate this very fraught area the question had to be asked, ”Is she doing enough to promote her book.”

Pretty much already March is kinda very busy and booked up, and the things Maggie did to line things up already is remarkable and big profile. The publisher actually did very little.

At this point you could go crazy trying to make your book a New York Times best seller, but that would require going insane.

I’m very happy that my body is not shot, and that I can go a head with my plans to build out a strong long base as a foundation of fitness. I learned that I can easily clean up the diet further, and likely save money by doing even more home cooking. I surely love to eat and eat well.

I’m settled, yet unsettled because I want to move forward; I have things to do, but I can also see and realize that I do have to moderate my exposure to the cold more now than ever. After the exfoliation that occurred from the medicinal crème my nose smurfs up and turns a bluish purple, and it is not really even cold out.

I feel reassured that I will achieve my goal of mucho biking, and doing a century every week. I know what I have to do to get where I want to be: bike; and more biking…

I will still do the Maggie-maintenance on the Empire State Trailway, but also I can still do the hills locally on the quiet back roads nearby. There is Blue Mountain, the public pool, and my free gym membership.

Looking forward to the spring already. Being home bound is not where I want to be.

Cal
 
A busy morning. We had the 9 year old grand daughter and the 17 month old grandson. What complicated things is that “Maggie” had her first physical therapy session that coincided with the grandson’s usual nap time.

Luckily once in the car he slept. To pass the time I ventured and explored Maple Avenue which has some rather long monster climbs. Eventually this dumps into Furnace Dock Road which has sweeping turns and mucho rolling hills without much traffic. Pretty much a bike rider can take the lane and any car encountered would be polite. A nice country road.

Maggie is 70, and I’m only 66. It seems she has the same degeneration of the C-3 and C-4 vertebrate I have that is age related. At this point with Maggie it is the early stages of arthritis. Too much sitting aggravates the condition and pretty much one should never sit for more than 20 minutes.

I might have to build Maggie a standing desk.

This C-3 and C-4 degeneration is the wearing of bone and cartilage. It is common in people over 50. Eventually I will suffer the same consequences through aging. Maggie learned that the best exercise is rowing using our Concept 2 ERG. Even though Maggie had a hip replacement it is recommended.

“Motion is lotion,” is the mantra.

Later today I will drive the kids and their mom to the Westchester Airport for their trip to FLA.

After that my day begins.

Cal
 
I was very surprised and moved by a surprise delivery from one of my friends here. I got a kind boost of materials that will help me with building out a great darkroom, and some Tyvek coveralls for insulating the attic.

I got a huge laugh from the enclosed dictionary that was threatened to be sent to me because of my poor spelling. Know that I have a few dictionary’s, but they are still packed away, and basically I’m lazy.

Also know I can always blame my learning disability and also because I’m a person of color that pretty much I have the right to annoy people by the poor public education I received and that proper spelling and formal non butchering of language is a form of oppression.

Anyways I’ll try to do better, but there are no real promises.

Anyways mucho thanks. Very heart felt.

Cal.
 
“Maggie” is responding to the wake up call. Know that I mentioned that people had very positive outcomes using a Concept 2 rower after recovering fully from hip replacement surgery many years ago. Glad we still have the machine for both Maggie and me. Her PT recommends using the Concept 2, and stated that it is the best exercise she could do.

Know that I have the same vertebrate degeneration happening, but it is not as advanced as Maggie’s.

Now we both know that we need to do things to stay mobile and free from pain. We need to do maintenance to slow down the decline that is aging.

I figure in my case that retiring early seriously was timely and will extend my life in a compounding manner. I prevented a lot of premature aging and damage by all the lifestyle changes that have occurred over the past three years with fitness, diet and just plain taking better care of myself.

Finally Maggie will slow down and take better care of herself. The outcome of possibility is now apparent to her. Finally, but better late than never.

BTW I feel really motivated and looked at a new Apple computer to replave my old MacBook Pro that now has a dead battery.

I still have an old 17 inch IMAC that was my backup, but I think I want a bigger screen to go with my 27 inch EIZO. I don’t think I will want a laptop. I don’t need portability. I want a large screen though…

Cal
 
Baked a turkey breast to be assembled into a red and black bean Chile. I cooked the beans too from dried beans.

“Maggie” and I have been talking about how our home is about an hour’s train ride into NYC and also a bit more than an hour’s drive to Hudson or Woodstock. We plan on breaking out and spending mucho time traveling doing day trips to these locals.

Why stay local? Pretty much Peekskill is centrally located and makes for a great hub and home base.

Pretty much frequent day trips as soon as the weather turns.

When I’m up to it I have a truckload of concrete on my table (back-backyard) to deposit into the gulley as clean fill.

BTW the Center for Photography moved from Woodstock to Kingston.

The Woodstock Literary Festival had its announcement /release today. Maggie will be on a panel on the Sunday. Lots of big time writers will be in attendance.

We talked about how Peekskill is kinda entry level and not really a mature art or cultural center like say Hudson or Woodstock. What makes Peekskill strategic is that it is so close to NYC, meaning closer than either Hudson or Woodstock, and pretty much gas and a car ride is cheap-cheap-cheap.

What a great lifestyle. Pleasant driving at 75 MPH. Open road.

I’m setting up the Concept 2 in our hallway. EZ-PZ.

Cal
 
Been looking at the real estate market in the Hudson Valley further north. Kingston, Saugerties, Woodstock, Rhinebeck, and Hudson. Pretty much an advanced market, much more expensive, and a lot less bang for the dollar than the deal we have. Also none of the houses offer a reason to move, and then there is a flood risk.

There was a headline that says in your 60’s is the most happiest time in your life. One framing was that at that age you kinda are stable and somewhat content with a good amount of appreciation of what you have.

Pretty much the exercise is to really see that any upgrade that would be a reason to move pretty much does not exist at this point. Pretty much I am where I want to be, and these more northern Hudson Valley towns and cities are a little more than an hour’s drive away.

Meanwhile we reside close to the city, and have Metro North as a resource. Bonus is a great local hospital that is a branch of New York Columbia Presbyterian.

“Maggie” and I talked a lot. We live below our means, and Maggie calls where we live “entry-level.” Peekskill is very blue collar and working class, but Maggie and I have terminal degrees and have mucho education. The thing Maggie misses is the stimulation of these other locals that for no better word are more sophisticated that have more of a concentration of very highly educated people, meaning elites.

I know we escaped poverty, so we are less advanced because we started lower on the SES. No doubt that the burbs are less interesting than NYC, but in certain communities there are concentrations of creatives and highly educated.

Woodstock is an art community; Hudson is like an annex of the West Village and is a gay community; Rhinebeck has a big concentration of writers; Kingston once was the Capitol of New York; and Saugerties is not so far from Woodstock but has a really nice walkable downtown comprised of old historic homes.

For me I like staying humble. I can wear my rags and still look cool. Up here in the lower Hudson Valley I don’t want to get caught up in the BS of status and class. All around us just outside of Peekskill are all these displays of concentrated wealth. I want no part of that.

Another way to look at it is that in our community we don’t have many peers. Most of our friends that are locals pretty much are hipsters from Brooklyn. My closet friend up here is AJ who is 52. In these more established communities there seems to be a higher concentration of people we could call peers.

I am cool with the isolation of the burbs because pretty much a side of me is a loner, but for Maggie she feels isolated and she feels isolated. She misses the chronic overstimulation of NYC: I don’t. So pretty much more maintenance…

In my book, being a loner is cool, and on top of that I never have a problem meeting people and making friends.
Cal
 
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Only 8 pull-ups today. How easily strength fades from a layoff. My best so far was 10 on a good day.

I did a 20 minute row on the Concept 2 just to scrape off some rust. Pretty amazing how even though I slowed down a little to ease in that in those 20 minutes I burned a calculated 427 calories. If you multiply that out to an hour pretty much it would be about equivalent to skipping a large dinner.

As a gauge biking only burns about 500 calories an hour at a fast but sustainable pace riding on level ground.

The Concept 2 uses more muscle groups and really pumps a lot of blood. No resting or coasting like on a bike. I think rowing certainly will get me in good shape for biking. I’m grateful that I can jump start my training and not be inhibited and held back by the weather.

I did a set of 10 long-hard pulls on the rowing. Pretty much to do an interval and tax my heart-rate.

I’ll do some more pull-ups and at least a set of max pushups. I figure tomorrow is another day. It is always a struggle to start up again. It does not take long for rust to set in.

I might throw some weights around just for good measure. I have strength but really no fitness. Hour long rowing workouts do a lot of good and are a real concentrated effort. I know I’ll sleep good tonight.

Tomorrow a New York Times photographer is coming by the house to shoot some shots and video.

Cal
 
9 out of 10 Mortgages are below 6% (90%); 61% below 4%; and 23% below 3%.

Historically the long term average over decades is 7.49%.

Record low rates have skewed things up. Very unlikely rates will go below 3% ever again, very improbable and that locks out almost a quarter of the housing stock from selling and taking those homes with under 3% rates effectively off/outa the market to make the housing shortage worse.

4% is another powerful threshold. Wow, 61% of all Mortgages. This is a vast pool of housing.

In the balance a threshold of 6% would introduce some homes into the market, but still slim pickings. These homes surely are the late comers after much of the cherry picking was been performed.

It makes no sense to ever sell my home with an interest rate below 3%, unless it was a forced move like health reasons.

I don’t see the housing shortage going away for at least a decade or perhaps 15 years. We under built homes since 2007-2008 for about 15 years, so it is not unreasonable that it would take 15 years to balance the market.

Inflation has made it harder and more costly to build. There is a persistent labor shortage and the costs of materials like lumber are high. Then the homes that are being built are not necessarily affordable ones.

I don’t see housing prices really correcting, and there still seems to be an upside because this shortage is not going away.

Again the New York Times photographer will be coming this afternoon. This kinda breaks up the day.

I increased the row time to 25 minutes. I had to slow down a little, but that is alright. I must of not reset the computer because today’s calorie count was only 252. Hmmm.

“Maggie” is undergoing physical therapy, and she realizes that she lacks upper body strength. Her elbow might be a strained muscle or arthritis.

Her lifestyle is still a bit of a “hot mess.” She does not take care of herself. Today she is annoyed with the punk publicist from her publisher again. Pretty much I have heard enough whining and told her to lay into her and tell her to do her job, or just do everything yourself because she does little or nothing anyways.

I’m pretty sick of dealing with all this non stop nonsense. I kinda have had enough.

Cal
 
I've learned through personal experience, direct observation, and listening to those wiser than myself that life is a bit like water; it will always seek a point of restful equilibrium, regardless of the container or anything it runs into. Eventually, it will win. That is to say, that we must take care of ourselves as daily maintenance or else life will happen and then the self-care can become a full-time job, or worse, can take the form of rehabilitation or even disability.
We can go, go, go, being pushed by our busy minds while not keeping up the maintenance, but eventually things will break down without maintenance. Just like any mechanical device, our bodies need maintenance. Look at the B52 bomber, it remains in the USAF inventory because it has a role for which a new and equally capable and flexible platform has not yet been developed. That said, it requires far more maintenance than flight time, partially due to the role (and locations where they are stationed) but mostly due to the fact that the youngest B52 is 61 years old. The older the parts get, the more maintenance they need.
My doc has been telling me to watch my diet, and get exercise more and more in the last decade. I'm slowly working up but with a full time job, any workout is difficult to do. I need to position myself so that in 30 years, I don't have to worry about repairs as much, and regular maintenance, strength training, flexibility, aerobic exercise are key to this goal. Otherwise, any small thing could take a person out and that easy regular maintenance could have prevented a component failure, leading to maintenance being a full time job or disability even.

Lots of changes happening amongst my sphere of influence. More on that later.

Phil
 
Phil,

I’m doing everything I can. I’m retired and there are no excuses for staying fit, lean and strong. The “Q” factor is the Cold Agglutinin Disease. This disease is age related and is mostly a disease of the elderly.

“Maggie’s” hot messes are better, but still never ending. A big killer is stress, and that also can age you rapidly. My life is relaxed and calm, but Maggie still remains unsettled.

Retirement is fraught for many. In my 30’s I had to learn to relax. I was so crazy anxious that I was diagnosed as being Manic Depressive. Pretty much my mind and body could not deal with the speed I was living. At Grumman I kinda was a workaholic.

My friend Iron Mike saved my life though biking. I was a complete mess, and I had to learn how to relax, a skill I never learned. Back then I would be considered a “scary guy” because I appeared so wired and mucho crazy. I also had a bad attitude and crazy anger issues.

Maggie’s mom lived to 94. Some things like eating and sleeping, basic needs, don’t get met because of this drive that Maggie has. She seems stuck in a mode that is exhausting, destructive and not sustainable.

After this book release will life settle down? Something has to give… I offer a lot of support, and I get swept into Maggie’s frenzies. I hate it.

I pick up the pieces and in a ways I’m a bit of a caretaker already. I want her to be happy, but her pathway is fraught and unreasonable.

I follow the airplane emergency plan now: put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. Maggie can’t seem to do this.

I enjoy remarkable health. This year I no longer will take for granted my fitness. It has deteriorated, and I know how to get it back. I feel like a AA meeting, where you can’t control others and you have to let them figure things out on their own.

I’m at a point where I can’t be an enabler.

Tomorrow is some podcast, and we will likely have the grandson again because he is sick. Meanwhile I loose momentum in my life.

Otherwise I would be relaxed, productive, and happy-happy. Supposedly in your 60’s a sense of accomplishment and contentment takes place, but I’m not sure that happened to Maggie who is now 70.

I get aggrivated because she complains to me but can’t confront or be rightfully aggressive and hostile when perfectly appropriate. I just want to mind my own bussiness, and I wish she directed her anger and aggravation at the guilty parties. This is BS. Some people need to addressed and held accountable for doing their jobs. I’m tired and frustrated.

Right now she is talking with the lame publicist. No confrontation is really happening. If that’s the case then just don’t be upset. Don’t vent on Calvin. Direct the anger where it belongs.

This is kinda ridicules because Maggie has a PhD and was a licensed therapist. I blame this on “Woman-Factor” and the main reason why generally men have shorter lifespans.

Cal
 
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Joe,

I’m not where I want to be. “Maggie’s” life is kinda crazy right now. I don’t like it.

I have to address my health issues. Already just two days of rowing has lowered my blood pressure to the 100/60 range. I let my fitness go.

Right now my hobby seems to be the guitar. Plenty of relaxation there.

Maggie is high maintenance because she kinda is a mess and pretty much gets outa control.

Pretty hard to get anything done with all the pop-up emergencies. I really could not do anything with the dining room that needs sanding of fresh sheet rock, primer and paint because of having the New York Times photographer stopping by the house. Also because of the POS publicist we had to go to Best Buy to get plug in ear buds for tomorrows podcast.

How hard is it to paint a small dining room? For me it seems impossible. I’m retired, but I actually need a vacation so I can get my life back, finish the work on the house, so I can do photography again. Building a studio work space/darkroom has been on the back burner for over three years.

Taking care of the grandson when sick is understandable, but this frenetic chaotic life of Maggie never ends. I want my life back.

Kinda funny how hard she has to struggle to be creative. I wish I could chill and relax, but I have to take up the slack while Maggie puts her energy into being a writer. After March things are going to change. Too much enabling going on.

I intend on working up to doing a century every week.

My friend Dave retired, and his wife finds it difficult being “underfoot” with Dave around the house. She is use to having the house to herself. I wish Maggie was more independent. Too much maintenance.

Cal
 
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I guess I am frustrated. At this point I’m annoyed.

It all started when I helped “Maggie” with her blog by being her photographer. There too I got swept into a world where I did not belong: the world of fashion. My own street shooting and urban landscape photography got displaced.

There was some fun and excitement, but pretty much this kept me from doing what I wanted to do, and that did not include Maggie. Pretty much shooting with her around and meeting people/strangers was fraught with her in tow.

She was at times impatient, or became a wallflower excluding herself. Her needs came first.

The conciliation was that somehow I was able to concentrate on my printing…

I know I need some separation and time alone for me to pursue my ambitions. I have tried to get Maggie into taking better care of her body. I cook, and she forgets to eat. She also binge snacks and then complains about feeling bloated and fat. She is not really a biker, and is more like a casual rider. 18 miles for her is a long ride, even on a railroad grade.

With the house I do more than my fair share of cleaning. I also have been either managing the improvements or doing the actual work myself with a lot of her interference. A good example was the garage was painted three times because she was indecisive about the color. So much paint was used that it almost was like a fresh recoating of stucco that filled in all the thin cracks in the cement.

Meanwhile doing something important like insulate the attic does not get done…

Pretty frustrating.

After March I’m putting in for a summer vacation. I don’t want to continue to be a personal assistant.

Cal
 
The two big developers in China that are being liquidated is a reported loss of $500 billion. That’s $500 billion for just these two companies, then think the banks, the owners of property, and all the losses that trickle through an economy that has for 15 years relied on real estate as 70% of its GDP.

One report compares that the 2007-2008 financial crisis was $800 billion dollars, and an estimate is that China’s losses are 3 1/2 times that of the financial crisis. There is a lot of criticism that China is not doing enough. They already have 20% unemployment for youth and are suffering serious deflation.

Sidebar is that China relied heavily on real estate as the center of their economy and double digit growth over the past 15 years.

So pretty much an implosion is eventually going to happen…

Pretty much a ruined economy created by bad policy. Not so different than the winning of the Cold War. In China’s case self inflicted wounds and death by a thousand cuts.

I am deeply moved by Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” reawakening that was use to the Grammy’s. In digging in I learned of her upbringing, and there is beauty in the reflection. There was also a bit of chance that provided traction that launched her career as a songwriter/artist. An interesting backdrop, humble beginnings…

I wonder about how I put off parts of my life. Presently I am somewhat of a caregiver already, but I also at an early age took care of my little brother, my father who became an invalid, and a run down house when I was in high school.

I grew up fast and pretty much alone, had to fend for myself, and grew really tough. Had no choice.

I put a lot of things off, and I know sacrifice, but I now have stability, financial security, and a sustainable life. Point is I lived with a lot of compromise to earn the freedoms I now enjoy. On one hand I am sad or saddened, but on the other mighty glad.

The lyric, “be someone” from Fast Car applies, and here I am in the suburbs like in the song. Escaping poverty and racism, or dealing with it resonates with me. The escape, the journey, the humble appeal, the tenderness, the courage, the risk taking, and most of all the great fortune of luck. All in a song.

I have very strong confused mixed feelings. I wonder about the twists and turns in my life and the greater meaning. There seems to be some profound deeper meaning, or otherwise I should be dead. Is there some destiny that lays ahead? Not sure where all this is going, but there seems to be an appointment with destiny happening, or perhaps just another artistic delusion…

Cal
 
The takeaway from the above post is that there is time in retirement to wonder about things in a manner that is very childlike.

There also is a lot of self discovery going on. It can be unsettling. There is also a sense of wonder that gets reawakened, perhaps a sense of urgency.

Snarky Joe might of picked up on this. If something happened to me, the Baby-Victorian would be too much for “Maggie” to handle alone. It kinda needs to be turnkey and market ready. There kinda is a sense of urgency here so I can move forward with life and living.

Kinda sensible…

I’m not counting on getting beaten to death, or dying suddenly in a car accident, but we live in a crazy old where anything can happen.

I daydream: our friend Klause gave me some huge archival mats that have windows cut sized perfectly for my monster prints. I intend on making frames and perhaps doing an exhibition at our local coffee house one day. Anyways something to do.

Like I said, the mind wanders and there is a sense of wonder. Very child like.

Maybe because I was cheated out of part of my childhood.

Cal
 
I just realized last night that I haven't posted any photos of the fixed gear, multi-speed Raleigh Competition.

RCGS_01

1978 Raleigh Competition GS. Built up as a multi-speed fixed gear.
gallery.leica-users.org

RCGS_02

Close-up of the gearing scheme of the Raleigh.
gallery.leica-users.org

Phil
 
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