NYC Journal

That's the BMC Team bike!
Mine is from some team but don't know which or who rode it. Gorgeous ride. There were a couple TdF stages won on those BMC frames.
Phil
 
In my back-backyard on the area I call the “table” before the slope I think I have some cantaloupe vines growing in the wild. I count a total of three separate vines, and they are flowering.

I think they emerged from my kitchen mulch that I buried back there.

The granddaughter (10 years old) wanted me to plant watermelons. I have about 10 seedlings I grew from seed, and they are planted there also. The watermelons are the small variety that are round.

The table has a full southern exposure. Could be good.

Seems like my strawberry plants are invasive. I have thick ground cover by the garage. We plan on next year transplanting them to the table because they make great ground cover. The way these spread I don’t mind if the rabbits and chipmunks eat some. Pretty much I get more than I can eat.

Next year though I will try and freeze some.

I have this 30 inch wide roll of thick plastic that is surplus from when we installed a root barrier to prevent encroachment of Knotweed. I might have about 40 feet of this left, so I have an idea to use a my rivet gun to create 24 inch round raised beds.

Tomato plants are deer resistant so pretty much the best place to grow them on or near the table in the back-backyard.

Cal
 
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On my slope and table, this area was once just a huge thicket of Knotweed so dense that I used a machete to just remove the stalks. This monoculture depleted the soil. Pretty much it was like a bamboo thicket.

So I’m in the process of restoring the soil mulching it with leaves, wood chips, and branches from trees. It took a few seasons but nature has reclaimed and is choking out the remnants of Knotweed with my physical weeding.

This area gets mucho sun and is a southern exposure. I think eventually it will all get terraced, and some of that is already happening on one side.

The view is wonderful, and when we show it off it has “You-Suck Factor.”

I can see growing mucho tomatoes, transplanting our berry bushes, and growing strawberries and melons back there. The side that already is being terraced has a series of steps to descend as a path to the lower levels. My yard is flanked on both sides by thick dense forest.

Basically we have a 40x200 plus the 6 foot easement that has no sidewalk, and if I annex the dead end and the 60-70 feet that is the dead ends slope, I am getting close to about a 1/4 acre of land. This is huge in a city where most homers are on 40x100 with sidewalks.

When we bought the house we saw the value added by having enough outdoor space. Yesterday I cut back the milkweed and Poke Weed that I left to overgrow. Years ago I transplanted Norwegian Maples saplings that were growing wild around my property. Pretty much these saplings were getting crowded out but the undergrowth I let take over. The idea on the dead end is that I’m planting and have started a Micro-Forest to stabilize the area.

Cal
 
SMUT: My neighborhood of a maze of dead ends on the outskirts of Peekskill is ramping up into a major infrastructure construction zone. Con Ed is replacing all the natural gas pipes in the street. This was planned about two years ago and then nothing happened.

Two years ago we got notice of a free meter upgrade where a new external meter would be installed. This project manager back then kinda approved a larger meter. Separately in talking to plumbers and Jack HVAC I only have a meter big enough for a hot water heater and my stove. Know that the gas hot water heater is still connected but not used because my Crown oil Furnace supplies tankless hot water.

The Crown furnace I really love. I also love having the old cast iron heavy duty radiators. We have a hot water system and not steam. Last winter it cost $2.6K to heat our 1500 square foot house, and know that the attic really isn’t insulated.

I mentioned to the project manager that we intend on getting a generator (18 KW Generac) and that we need a larger meter. He said that it would not be a problem. There are restrictions to natural gas conversions for heating. Also I have my medical issue where in winter heat is life support because of my CAD (Cold Agglutinin Disease).

So one way or another I will get the infrastructure upgrade for free as part of this street upgrade.

Our house had the 1912 sewer line leaking and it cost $7.5K to have it lined. It is warranted for 50 years, and luckily our home owner’s insurance covered the repair except for the $500.00 deductible.

Add on top of this that our Baby-Victorian already has a 200 Amp service, and my two car garage now has an up to code underground 100 amp service. I dug the trench to save some money.

Central HVAC on the first floor via a two-zone Mitsubishi mini-split. I think a two or three zone mini-split for the upstairs will be in the future.

The other day while doing my power jog/walm along the riverfront, I ran into Josh and Laura, some hipsters from Brooklyn that live a few blocks away. Their house dates from the 1940’s and their taxes are about 25% higher than mine. Our taxes are really low, but basically I think it is mostly because the house did not get sold often and reassessed, and then also because it is mucho old.

So pretty much we are “golden” and are in a really great space as far as infrastructure goes. Currently the Con Ed contractor is wheeling in equipment and supplies into my dead end. Two years ago the project manager from Con Ed gifted me a cubic yard of clean fill. I wonder what could happen this time to my benefit. “Divine intervention,” I say.

Pretty much I will have a brand new asphalt on my street and dead end. Pretty much my dead end is only shared with the “empty” corner house, and know it is kinda long enough to provide access to my back-backyard that is a second building lot. What I’m saying is street access also provided to my second building lot.

I love Devil Dan’s idea of building out a serious studio/workspace on the back-backyard. I have heard stories of people getting barns for free and relocating them. Why can’t this happen to me?

Cal
 
I have a big imagination and I live in a world of dreams. Perhaps at times I am delusional, but actually I’m practical.

Sometimes I wish I had more land, and other times I wish I had either a vacation or second home further north in the wonderful and enchanting Hudson Valley or the Catskills.

So if I really want more land, the Mercedes camper van properly equipped for off grid opens up possibilities. Buying any land of course would be speculative, but also land taxes would be less of a liability than say a camp or small dwelling.

If farmland I could even exploit a tax subsidy and become a farmer as a side hustle. Hmmm.

Kinda crazy, but then again not so crazy. Remember I love hard assets and commodities.

I could be a modern gentleman farmer.

I can see having a barn, a greenhouse, and utility structures. My Milwaukee tools are all battery powered and a Mercedes RV for off-grid will have 600KW-800KW worth of solar power.

Like I said kinda crazy, but not so crazy.

“Don’t tell Maggie.”

Peekskill is my bunker and home base, but any venture further north could be fully subsidized with the Mercedes because it is so self contained. Hmmm.

BTW McGolrick Park in Greenpoint is 10 acres which is two city blocks and the long street that would run in between them. This is useful to know because I’m thinking 5-10 acres is a nice size.

I talking with Josh and Laura, they found their property because of being built on a slope and a hill that the corner plot is very limiting. They wished their lot was more level. This provided some wisdom for me, and it also indicated the good fortune we enjoy with our yard.

Cal
 
I am a clever guy. Pretty much I added a 4x8 shed and a 8x8 3-season cedar she-shack to my property that has a lot of value added while not raising my taxes.

Pretty much municipalities allow structures under 100 square feet to be erected without taxation if not classed as permanent structures. The key is to build a gravel pad for drainage and not set the structure on a concrete pad that would cross the boundary of becoming a permanent structure.

I also used pressure treated 2x8’s to be a container for my gravel pad to elevate my sheds. This allows for mucho rapid drainage, and helps preserve the base of the sheds.

So I wonder how I can possibly exploit this for tax avoidance. “No one ever got rich by paying taxes,” rich people say.

I’m not a tax cheater, but certainly I avoid taxes when I can without breaking the law.

I have seen land being sold with decaying barns. Pretty much no value added because of the amount of decay where restoration would not be possible, but someone clever could argue replacement of something that already exists to avoid taxes.

Land with a barn, hmmm…

Farm land conservation tax subsidy, hmmm…

Speculation on a hard asset. Hmmm…

Could always build a dwelling… Hmmm.

Land if paid off could be used as collateral for a building loan, hmmm…

I once made a lot of money in the stock market doing swing-trading at work. That is not so easy today, and pretty much what is going on today (living on debt) is not sustainable and will eventually have a very bad ending.

During the Great Depression Joe Kennedy moved down to Florida and lived in a very contained manner to ride out the Great Depression. He basically did this to manage costs and to preserve wealth.

I’m not so keen on paper wealth, meaning stocks and bonds. Of course this should be part of any portfolio, but if the she drops…

Cal
 
Phil_F_NM said:
That's the BMC Team bike!
Mine is from some team but don't know which or who rode it. Gorgeous ride. There were a couple TdF stages won on those BMC frames.
Phil
Click to expand...
Phil,
I think you mean PDM? No it's not a team bike but built like one with a number holder braze-on. It's a "Prelude", Columbus PRX tubing and I've seen it said made in the Ciocc factory. I purchased it on line from maybe O'Niels, they really had a full line of Concorde bikes at the time. Imported by Veltec if I remember. One way or another a really nice bike.
Joe
 
Yup, I meant PDM and was just watching Tour de France recap commentary and one of the guys mentioned BMC, my bad!
My Concorde is TSX made by Billato in 1994 as far as I can tell. Also has the number braze-on. I got it as frame and fork only and did the full build myself. Ever since I saw a Serotta Colorado with the same livery, I've wanted a ketchup and mustard frame.
Phil
 
Crazy bikes. I love ‘em.

Tonight was that First Tuesday Salon. Regina our Editor from the Peekskill Herald plugged the event. I was also on the stage as the color commentator.

After the event I finally met Joe this photographer who is known for the Hudson River School of Photography. He is going to have a solo exhibition ant The Hudson River Museum.

We made a date to see the 45 commissioned prints at the Abbey, a high-end luxury hotel in Peekskill that is up on the hill that marks the Gateway to the Hudson Highlands. A mix of prints shot with 135, medium format, 4x5, and digital.

I tried to lay low as not to get snookered into anything. Just trying to mind my own business.

I had that deck of business cards as my micro-portfolio and that drew lots of attention.

Cal
 
“Maggie” and I did a riverfront power walk. I used the three pound heavy hands and she used the 2 pounders.

Pretty much we need to build some base and do not have much fitness. Our walk was about 6 miles I figure and lasted 2 hours. The heavy hands burns a lot more calories and tightens up the core.

Slow progress, but we are keeping at it. I think tomorrow I’ll add some strength training. This should advance things.

Today in the afternoon I went down to the shelf at the bottom of the slope to pull Knotweed. In this area the vegetation is dense and almost impassable. The native plants are my allies in helping choke out the Knotweed. Nature is making a strong comeback with my weeding.

The marsh grass is spreading and in places has leaped up onto the shelf.

In discussion with Maggie she wants the slope and below to be all native, wild, and feral for the wildlife. The only thing I can disturb is the Knotweed. There is not a lot, and much of my weeding included the roots that came up with the stalk. Still was an ugly job. This section of my property I would say is a jungle. Good thing that there was not a lot of knotweed because if it was it would be hell.

The grand daughter already has a best friend in North Carolina who lives across the street from the new house her parents are buying. This makes me so happy. Here in New York she was kinda isolated in the burbs. She also had some problems with bullying.

So far they are loving it down there. The school where the “Creature” will work (term I used for Maggie’s daughter from my Jane Austin fetish) is a compound of many buildings that are new. The grand daughter will also attend school there, and staff recieve free day care.

The commute is about 5 minutes instead of from northern Westchester into Yonkers which in the southern part of Westchester near the Bronx. The grandson will need a daycare though.

They went to the beach which is not far away.

Cal
 
Today Andrew and I will be going to a RV center in Peekskill. He once almost bought an Airstream built Mercedes Sprinter that was used.

I can see the tightening of my build and an obvious melting of fat. Abs are beginning to get outlined, and this is without any strength training which I soon will add into my routine, perhaps today.

I love not having obligations and the freedom of not having responsibility. “Maggie” pretty much is going to stop booking events.

In my dead end is parked a bull dozer with a backhoe, stacks of piping, and other construction supplies for the natural gas pipeline in the street to be replaced.

I’ll water the garden and do a strength workout before I head out with Andrew.

Joe the Hudson River photographer wants to take Maggie and I on a tour of the Abby to show off the 45 large prints on display that were commissioned as decorations. Should be spectacular. Joe speaks of his legacy and the need to find a home and caretaker for 50 years worth of work.

Cal
 
A proposed 10% tariff is mucho crazy and the trade war that would pursue surely would reignite inflation.

Separately Goldman Sachs suggests that 5 more FED rate increases would have to be performed to reign in inflation.

I’m kinda happy my level of consumerism is contained. After securing a Mercedes RV pretty much I don’t really have to buy anything. I can seal myself tighter than a clam shell.

If you study economic history, there was a crash in 1929, and then tarries and trade wars in 1932. The protectionists policy actually made the crash worse and then the Great Depression began in 1934.

On the other hand the living on debt policy is also a very bad policy. This too is a time bomb that leads to austere times.

I’m bracing myself for the worse. This is a very bad time to be holding mucho debt. Money is going to get mucho expensive. Remember Arab Spring was the result of inflation that led to hungry children and then finally civil unrest and finally revolutions.

Back then the dollar gained a lot of strength, and because commodities like food is priced in dollars, basically inflation was exported. This exported inflation led to Arab Spring.

All I am saying is sooner or later something is going south. Mucho scary…

Cal
 
Afternoon Devil Cal,

3F Kodak 8x10 B&W Sink Line 15 Litres by Nokton48, on Flickr

I bought the Delta Sink for $50 it took a while to clean it. I custom built the table myself so the Delta is pretty level. Adjustable feet on the bottom for best drainage. Here I've stocked up on 1 Gallon Distilled Water, two gallons of TF4 Fixer Concentrate, and Artcraft and Photographer's Formulary chems necessary for 15 litres of straight D23. Adding Sodium Carbonate makes the D23 Replenisher. Once set up this can last for many years. I made the homemade Lids with 9x12" Plexiglass, I drilled and added the Knobs and SS Nuts and Bolts. Then adhesive foam padding to the bottoms, to keep the smell of the Fixer tamed down. And lessens evaporation too, hopefully. Will be mixing up the chems next.
 
I rode up the Manayunk Wall today. Well, 90% of it. It was already quite warm and about noon. I was wearing a long sleeve "rash guard" shirt which is excellent for hot weather and has a very high UV protection rating, but it still cuts the wind and makes it more difficult to cool. I had to stop in the shade about 20 meters from the top because I saw my HR was sitting at 194bpm and I wasn't cooling down, in spite of controlled breathing and basically meditating while riding. I got the HR down below 180 after a minute in the shade then got back on the bike. This is a 17% grade and the steepest paved road in Philly. It used to be part of the "Philly Classic" which lost funding and ended I think in 2019. It's not a long hill, at about 500m, but it is long enough to make one suffer for a good few minutes. I was riding the Concorde, pushing a 38/26 gear, so it wasn't that bad, I just need to be better hydrated and wearing a better jersey next time I have a go at it.
We're gonna be under thunderstorm watch and heat wave through this coming weekend, so if I get to try again soon, it will have to be early in the morning, and definitely not after a rain, I'll just be sliding down the hill if there is anything which prevents my tires from gripping.

Phil
 
Pretty much they say that sunscreen makes it harder to stay cool. Don’t know if its better to have your skin covered instead.

I guess because I’m a person of color I go no sunscreen. My helmet has a visor to cast some shade.

The wicking engineered clothing works for me. Bike jerseys, Patagonia, and Nike running wear.

Stay hydrated…

Cal
 
Devil Dan,

Seems like “Maggie” and I made some impact last night. Now we have an invite to dinner party which is cool and now a broader circle of friends that are mature artists.

There was great interest about my street photography. What a mess.

Oh-well.

I guess I have a messy life.

Cal
 
At the RV center they had a Airstream “Bambi.” Mighty cute alternative that would or could be towed by the C-10.

Mighty hippie and retro.

Our neighbor the “Monster” mentioned that campsites that have hookups are costly. Forget about trying to get into a National Park (all booked up). Lots of additional costs that mean no real savings. Hmmm…

Anyways, eyes wide open. Might be more cost effective to camp, Air B&B, and hotels… Anyways less liability and more flexibility.

I guess in pursuit of freedom, nothing is free.

Oh-well. A nice daydream…

I worked on the dining room molding, sanding and then staining it. I still need to do another coat to darken it. Currently the red mahogany gel stain is a bit too red, and with another coat it will likely not only get darker, but also browner.

Three of the window sills were partially destroyed by my contractor. I used my table saw to cut a nice straight clean edge and added wood I needed to rebuild the sill. The gel stain will likely make the seam invisible. Let’s see.

Anyways I’m glad I saved the moldings and recycled them. Old growth heart pine is really nice. In the remodeled kitchen we had new moldings made of clear pine, but with my gel stain it looks like mahogany. The finish is translucent so the grain is visible, and visually it has depth.

At this point we would like to have the first floor close to done so we can have guests and dinner parties. We want to show off the house and the garden.

The word is that the grand daughter is so happy. She kinda has a gang of kids. She has a new best friend already that lives across the street from the house her parents are going to buy. A brand new house. The way the development is the kids can play in the street.

The grand daughter is a water rat. Maggie’s brother has a pool in his gated community. The rest of the family, two other brothers and their families call it “Tim’s Castle,” so I in turn call the pool “Tim’s Moat.”

Pretty much Tim’s house is more upscale. It is at the top of a hill so he can look down on his neighbors. LOL.

We will likely head down for a visit when they close on the house. A 1500 mile drive round trip or about a 10 hour drive each way.

Cal
 
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Talked with one of the contractors about the gas line replacement. Carl says it might take about a month.

Sometime during this time Con Ed will replace the meter in my basement and it will be moved outside. No cost to me. I also want my meter upgraded so I don’t have to pay out of my pocket for the upgrade when I get an 18 KW generator.

Hanging out with Andrew, who is 77 is interesting. Pretty much I can see what will eventually happen to me.

Andrew lent me two books: one is called “Last Breath” (The limits of adventure); and “Battling The Oceans In A Row Boat,” about crossing the Atlantic and Pacific on oars and grit.

I gave him the book “Completely Insane.”

My book is about solo crossing the Atlantic in 1969. “Battling The Oceans In A Row Boat” involves a two man team.

Anyways Andrew is an interesting man. He raised two boys on his 52 foot sailboat he built as their home in Verplank.

Cal
 
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