Retro-Grouch
Veteran
I love the passion you display for your guitars and your music. But understand, for us non-musicians, the exquisitely fine distinctions that mean everything to you are much like the difference between a quickly knocked off print on RC paper vs. a lovingly crafted platinum print. For non-photographers, those distinctions are virtually invisible. Nevertheless, indulge your passion; it's a joy to see you so excited!
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The heating season raised the action on my electric guitars. Wood is hydroscopic and this translates into the wood swelling in the summer and contracting in the winter.
My acoustic guitars I humidify in the winter to avoid cracking and to keep them stable.
So today I had to adjust the action lower, straighten necks, and set up all my electrics.
Because I have so many guitars it ended up being a lot of work. Pretty much like in the good old days working in a guitar shop. I pretty much now like a slinky action, and this is not so easy to do with 12’s that are a really heavy guage for electric, well maybe not really heavy for a jazz player.
Got a delivery update, the Candy Apple Red Strat will be delivered Friday.
Two of my electrics could use a fret dressing. This is a major task on the DeMarino, and another guitar just needs a kiss in the upper register. The single pickup Cabronita has a flat sawn neck, and I really had to tighten the truss rod a lot to straighten the neck. If you look at the cross section in one direction it is perfectly quarter sawn, but this is not the best orientation to resist the pull of the strings.
I think this neck has a case of heel tipping because if the lack of stiffness and strength needed to fight the pull of the strings. Of course this is compounded by my use of heavy strings.
So with these new set ups my playing and my sound will be much improved. I had high action that required more effort to play, but the high action built some technic and hand strength. Playing lower action will add speed and enhance precision.
Now I need to likely lower the pickups slightly. I need to plug in to do this.
I have 4 Tele’s that play well, a Cabronita that needs to be fully assembled, and two guitars that play alright that need the frets dressed to really play well.
The Bigsby good is that it loosened the feel on the DeMarino, it looks cool, and the actual added weight balances the guitar better. The bad is that the new bridge, the Bigsby, and the Bigsby upgrade kit, cost a good amount of money. The ugly is that the tuning stability is not so great. A floating bridge is never as stable as a hard tail.
I’m glad to have the capability, and remember that the DeMarino otherwise would of been a Shelf Queen because it was a dull guitar and un exciting. I think the Bigsby will make me struggle and become a better player.
Today the birds discovered the feeder in the front-backyard, because they emptied the feeder in the back-backyard. A flock of birds that included sparrow, black caped chickadees, a blue jay, a Cardinal and a host of others. There was a bit of a feeding frenzy going on and it was amazing and entertaining to watch.
I refilled the feeder in the back-backyard, and already it is half empty. I might have to make it easier on the front feeder, but actually I don’t mind have a binge feeder that gets emptied, and another that always will have a supply. I have hungry birds.
Today I drove to Adam’s to buy a 40 pound bag of feed for about $30.00 with the tax. I priced the feed at Home Cheapo and it was no bargain. It was worth the drive north to go to Adam’s fair Acre Farms. They have great coffee, and cheap-cheap-cheap.
I suspect this 40 pound bag might only last a month. The initial 3 pound bag went pretty fast.
Off to practice…
BTW things are advancing, but also I know that this is going to take some time. It kinda gets crazy…
Guitar is a big part of my day.
Cal
My acoustic guitars I humidify in the winter to avoid cracking and to keep them stable.
So today I had to adjust the action lower, straighten necks, and set up all my electrics.
Because I have so many guitars it ended up being a lot of work. Pretty much like in the good old days working in a guitar shop. I pretty much now like a slinky action, and this is not so easy to do with 12’s that are a really heavy guage for electric, well maybe not really heavy for a jazz player.
Got a delivery update, the Candy Apple Red Strat will be delivered Friday.
Two of my electrics could use a fret dressing. This is a major task on the DeMarino, and another guitar just needs a kiss in the upper register. The single pickup Cabronita has a flat sawn neck, and I really had to tighten the truss rod a lot to straighten the neck. If you look at the cross section in one direction it is perfectly quarter sawn, but this is not the best orientation to resist the pull of the strings.
I think this neck has a case of heel tipping because if the lack of stiffness and strength needed to fight the pull of the strings. Of course this is compounded by my use of heavy strings.
So with these new set ups my playing and my sound will be much improved. I had high action that required more effort to play, but the high action built some technic and hand strength. Playing lower action will add speed and enhance precision.
Now I need to likely lower the pickups slightly. I need to plug in to do this.
I have 4 Tele’s that play well, a Cabronita that needs to be fully assembled, and two guitars that play alright that need the frets dressed to really play well.
The Bigsby good is that it loosened the feel on the DeMarino, it looks cool, and the actual added weight balances the guitar better. The bad is that the new bridge, the Bigsby, and the Bigsby upgrade kit, cost a good amount of money. The ugly is that the tuning stability is not so great. A floating bridge is never as stable as a hard tail.
I’m glad to have the capability, and remember that the DeMarino otherwise would of been a Shelf Queen because it was a dull guitar and un exciting. I think the Bigsby will make me struggle and become a better player.
Today the birds discovered the feeder in the front-backyard, because they emptied the feeder in the back-backyard. A flock of birds that included sparrow, black caped chickadees, a blue jay, a Cardinal and a host of others. There was a bit of a feeding frenzy going on and it was amazing and entertaining to watch.
I refilled the feeder in the back-backyard, and already it is half empty. I might have to make it easier on the front feeder, but actually I don’t mind have a binge feeder that gets emptied, and another that always will have a supply. I have hungry birds.
Today I drove to Adam’s to buy a 40 pound bag of feed for about $30.00 with the tax. I priced the feed at Home Cheapo and it was no bargain. It was worth the drive north to go to Adam’s fair Acre Farms. They have great coffee, and cheap-cheap-cheap.
I suspect this 40 pound bag might only last a month. The initial 3 pound bag went pretty fast.
Off to practice…
BTW things are advancing, but also I know that this is going to take some time. It kinda gets crazy…
Guitar is a big part of my day.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
22 degrees outside. Our Baby-Victorian remains cozy.
Thanksgiving sales and Black Friday sales are reported to be muted.
Yesterday we found these Pyrex style baking glasswear for $2.99 and $3.99 each. While not family of four sized perfect for two. Made in the USA and cheap at Home Goods. We bought 2 of each.
Oven ready, microwaveable, dishwasher safe, and freezeable. What is not to love?
Today is a gym day, and I think I will go again Friday and Sunday. Today though “Maggie” works with her personal trainer.
I’m going to try another neck adjustment. This truss rod is getting very loaded though…
When I get to setting up the neck on the two pickup Cabronita the frets need to be dressed, and that would be a good time to dress the frets on the DeMarino.
A quiet and boring life somewhat secluded. Will have to check the bird feeder in the back-backyard. Birds are cold blooded animals and the cold effects them profoundly. When the day warms I expect a flurry of feeding.
Cal
Thanksgiving sales and Black Friday sales are reported to be muted.
Yesterday we found these Pyrex style baking glasswear for $2.99 and $3.99 each. While not family of four sized perfect for two. Made in the USA and cheap at Home Goods. We bought 2 of each.
Oven ready, microwaveable, dishwasher safe, and freezeable. What is not to love?
Today is a gym day, and I think I will go again Friday and Sunday. Today though “Maggie” works with her personal trainer.
I’m going to try another neck adjustment. This truss rod is getting very loaded though…
When I get to setting up the neck on the two pickup Cabronita the frets need to be dressed, and that would be a good time to dress the frets on the DeMarino.
A quiet and boring life somewhat secluded. Will have to check the bird feeder in the back-backyard. Birds are cold blooded animals and the cold effects them profoundly. When the day warms I expect a flurry of feeding.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I saw on a chart that more than half of the U.S. deficit is interest that is compounding. Pretty much compounding is what makes wealth or creates poverty.
People don’t realize how bad or how big the U.S. deficit is. It would take decades of prosperity akin to the baby-boom after WWII to pay it down.
Don’t forget that the loses that happened in 2007-2008 were socialized and pretty much every taxpayer has a mortgage whether they own a home or not. Basically the taxpayers took the hit for Wall Street.
Don’t forget that in the year 2000 George W. Bush started his Presidency with no U.S. Deficit, and in fact we had a surplus.
What happened is reckless spending, bailouts, and the indenturement of the general public.
That economic miracle is unlikely to happen again, in fact we have an aging population her in the U.S. in Europe, Japan, and even in China.
Austerity and hardship sooner or later has to happen. Perhaps when there is a collapse or currency crisis. Pretty much our debt load and deficits are a major problem.
Not a lot of wiggle room here…
Cal
People don’t realize how bad or how big the U.S. deficit is. It would take decades of prosperity akin to the baby-boom after WWII to pay it down.
Don’t forget that the loses that happened in 2007-2008 were socialized and pretty much every taxpayer has a mortgage whether they own a home or not. Basically the taxpayers took the hit for Wall Street.
Don’t forget that in the year 2000 George W. Bush started his Presidency with no U.S. Deficit, and in fact we had a surplus.
What happened is reckless spending, bailouts, and the indenturement of the general public.
That economic miracle is unlikely to happen again, in fact we have an aging population her in the U.S. in Europe, Japan, and even in China.
Austerity and hardship sooner or later has to happen. Perhaps when there is a collapse or currency crisis. Pretty much our debt load and deficits are a major problem.
Not a lot of wiggle room here…
Cal
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Retro-Grouch
Veteran
I've found that True-Value hardware stores have by far the best prices on bird food. Worth checking out. BTW, birds are actually warm-blooded, but, tiny creatures that they are, it doesn't take much cold to sap their body heat, sometimes fatally. For that reason, it's really important to be consistent with feeding once you've begun, since birds will flock to an area where food (from a feeder) is abundant. If the feeder goes empty, there's not enough native forage to support the increased population, and they can wind up starving.
Nokton48
Veteran
Devil Cal/All,
We have Menards around here, they have 11% rebates on everything in the store. On big purchases these can really add up. When I have $50 or more in rebates, I "load up the truck" on various bird seeds. Sunflower Oilers, peanuts, dried meal worms, thistle, and the white safflower seeds, I then mix it together in a big plastic bag. Suet blocks are cheaper in a dozen box.
This way I figure I pay NOTHING for bird seed, a thrifty way to operate.
The birds need nourishment so they can SHIVER, which is the way they keep themselves warm when it's cold.
We have Menards around here, they have 11% rebates on everything in the store. On big purchases these can really add up. When I have $50 or more in rebates, I "load up the truck" on various bird seeds. Sunflower Oilers, peanuts, dried meal worms, thistle, and the white safflower seeds, I then mix it together in a big plastic bag. Suet blocks are cheaper in a dozen box.
This way I figure I pay NOTHING for bird seed, a thrifty way to operate.
The birds need nourishment so they can SHIVER, which is the way they keep themselves warm when it's cold.
jszokoli
Well-known
Cal,
At the back of Home Depot you can find 40lb bags of bird seed. Sunflower seed is ~$36 for that bag...
Joe
At the back of Home Depot you can find 40lb bags of bird seed. Sunflower seed is ~$36 for that bag...
Joe
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
A lot of birds particularly prefer black sunflowerl and millet, the latter is especially cheap. During the winter months though, bird seed can go uneaten because birds are looking for fatty sources which is why suet is recommended for fall and winter. You can put all the bird seeds into a homemade suet cake and then it becomes far more appetizing. You just need to use some kind of edible fat source which is solid at room temperature. Shortening is what many people make. A few years ago, we were accidentally sent a half dozen quarts of shortening, which we never use. I called the seller about the misplaced order and they placed the correct order and told us to keep the shortening. We bought a 20lb bag of mixed bird seed, then made a whole winter's worth of suet cakes using cupcake trays.
In other news, my A.S. Gillot Alpine Tourist Deluxe is coming along quite nicely. I've amassed a collection of just about 100% of the parts I need for the build; just needing to find a good condition Sturmey Archer "window" trigger shifter, and get a set of 278mm spokes.
This fact that I now own the following bikes, which cost me VERY LITTLE, is proof positive that economic forces at play are not in a good way:
1964 A.S Gillot, Alpine Tourist Deluxe, brazed by Ron Cooper**
1949 Rotrax "the Shirley" path racer**
1952 R.O Harrison "Madison" path racer**
1994 Concorde Aquila (Columbus TSX) racing bike**
Late 1980s Puch Mistral (Columbus SLX) racing bike
1994 Breezer Lightning**
A bunch of other not-quite-dream-bikes, which are users.
** denotes "holy grail" bike
My being able to afford any one of these, let alone all six, portends an economy on the downturn, as I bought them all for less than 5% of their previous value. I put a full Suntour Superbe Pro group on the Concorde, and it has unobtanium Sampson Titanium hubs. Even the wheelset was formerly far outside my ability to purchase, but people are nearly giving these things away. The Concorde frame was very cheap, the Puch was almost free, the Breezer was also almost free and it came with an XTR bottom bracket and a Judy XC with a very uncommon 1" threadless fork crown.
In years prior, I've never been able to afford any one of these frames, without saving up for months. I also have a BS price cutoff above which I simply won't entertain purchasing a bike (or whatever used durable good I happen to be looking at). So now between those six bikes, the combined previous sane value of them (before the collapse of whatever) was easily over $10,000. These days, if they were all sitting outside the shop where I was working for a while, none of them could sell for more than $600, simply because people aren't looking for old touring bikes, superlight racing bikes, nor 26" mountain bikes built for racing (no braze-ons). Just like my old Benz, the only way I would be able to get rid of these bikes, would be to offer them to a scrapper. Not happening. Esentially, I'm just saying they have zero resale value in the current market, and I only have them because I enjoy riding.
Same goes for the remaining typewriters I have. All fully restored, but otherwise more valuable as boat anchors than as unplugged writing tools, which I enjoy using. The camera "collection" is another issue; lots of sentimentality and personal work history there, so it's a lot harder to put any value on them, and hard to think of getting rid of them. One of these days, I'll have my own darkroom, then I'll get back to shooting regularly.
Phil
In other news, my A.S. Gillot Alpine Tourist Deluxe is coming along quite nicely. I've amassed a collection of just about 100% of the parts I need for the build; just needing to find a good condition Sturmey Archer "window" trigger shifter, and get a set of 278mm spokes.
This fact that I now own the following bikes, which cost me VERY LITTLE, is proof positive that economic forces at play are not in a good way:
1964 A.S Gillot, Alpine Tourist Deluxe, brazed by Ron Cooper**
1949 Rotrax "the Shirley" path racer**
1952 R.O Harrison "Madison" path racer**
1994 Concorde Aquila (Columbus TSX) racing bike**
Late 1980s Puch Mistral (Columbus SLX) racing bike
1994 Breezer Lightning**
A bunch of other not-quite-dream-bikes, which are users.
** denotes "holy grail" bike
My being able to afford any one of these, let alone all six, portends an economy on the downturn, as I bought them all for less than 5% of their previous value. I put a full Suntour Superbe Pro group on the Concorde, and it has unobtanium Sampson Titanium hubs. Even the wheelset was formerly far outside my ability to purchase, but people are nearly giving these things away. The Concorde frame was very cheap, the Puch was almost free, the Breezer was also almost free and it came with an XTR bottom bracket and a Judy XC with a very uncommon 1" threadless fork crown.
In years prior, I've never been able to afford any one of these frames, without saving up for months. I also have a BS price cutoff above which I simply won't entertain purchasing a bike (or whatever used durable good I happen to be looking at). So now between those six bikes, the combined previous sane value of them (before the collapse of whatever) was easily over $10,000. These days, if they were all sitting outside the shop where I was working for a while, none of them could sell for more than $600, simply because people aren't looking for old touring bikes, superlight racing bikes, nor 26" mountain bikes built for racing (no braze-ons). Just like my old Benz, the only way I would be able to get rid of these bikes, would be to offer them to a scrapper. Not happening. Esentially, I'm just saying they have zero resale value in the current market, and I only have them because I enjoy riding.
Same goes for the remaining typewriters I have. All fully restored, but otherwise more valuable as boat anchors than as unplugged writing tools, which I enjoy using. The camera "collection" is another issue; lots of sentimentality and personal work history there, so it's a lot harder to put any value on them, and hard to think of getting rid of them. One of these days, I'll have my own darkroom, then I'll get back to shooting regularly.
Phil
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Thanks for all the bird feeding tips. I’m committed to helping them survive.
At my Home Cheapo they only had these 22 pound tubs as the largest container. I’’ll have to check out Tru-Value.
Now I know something about suet, and we will have to either make or buy some.
I have noticed that the birds favor the sunflower seeds. Now I know it is because of the fat content.
This one feeder in the back backyard gets depleted quickly. EZ-PZ for the birds to binge. No evil squirrel activity yet.
I am going to refill the back-backyard feeder after I post this.
Thanks for all the guidance and help.
Cal
At my Home Cheapo they only had these 22 pound tubs as the largest container. I’’ll have to check out Tru-Value.
Now I know something about suet, and we will have to either make or buy some.
I have noticed that the birds favor the sunflower seeds. Now I know it is because of the fat content.
This one feeder in the back backyard gets depleted quickly. EZ-PZ for the birds to binge. No evil squirrel activity yet.
I am going to refill the back-backyard feeder after I post this.
Thanks for all the guidance and help.
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Cal,
One more thing is to take a leaf blower or rake or even shop vac out under your feeders once in a while and get rid of the spillage and the shells. The birds will drop a good amount which the squirrels will get but they will leave the shells and some seeds. This is where the potential (at least in an urban setting like Philly) for rats to take advantage comes in. Since you have enough wildlife out there, you may not need to worry about them, but I have to sweep the birdseed fall from under our feeders, lest we encourage rats to take hold at the edge of our foundation.
I regularly engage in chemical warfare against mice and rats, currently having two cats and a good 40lb of litter a week to get rid of... rats and mice have extremely good sense of smell and unless they have toxoplasmosis, they will absolutely flee from the smell of cat urine. So I take a scoop of the old urine soaked litter (no poop included here) and sprinkle a small amount of it around the edges of the plants in the front "yard" of our house, as well as in the back alley. People think it's gross, and it may be, but no one can smell it besides dogs, other cats and animals that cats eat. It's proven to be effective at keeping them away. Back in New Mexico, I scattered litter on the driveway and parked on it because it is very common for mice to infest cars, destroy wiring and nest in the seats and heater vents. I wasn't having that. My dad never took heed and has had mice and squirrels in several vehicles, requiring upholstery and wiring replacement. "Just be cheap and use the best defense that nature gave us, don't feel above parking on old cat litter" is what I said. Oh well.
Phil
One more thing is to take a leaf blower or rake or even shop vac out under your feeders once in a while and get rid of the spillage and the shells. The birds will drop a good amount which the squirrels will get but they will leave the shells and some seeds. This is where the potential (at least in an urban setting like Philly) for rats to take advantage comes in. Since you have enough wildlife out there, you may not need to worry about them, but I have to sweep the birdseed fall from under our feeders, lest we encourage rats to take hold at the edge of our foundation.
I regularly engage in chemical warfare against mice and rats, currently having two cats and a good 40lb of litter a week to get rid of... rats and mice have extremely good sense of smell and unless they have toxoplasmosis, they will absolutely flee from the smell of cat urine. So I take a scoop of the old urine soaked litter (no poop included here) and sprinkle a small amount of it around the edges of the plants in the front "yard" of our house, as well as in the back alley. People think it's gross, and it may be, but no one can smell it besides dogs, other cats and animals that cats eat. It's proven to be effective at keeping them away. Back in New Mexico, I scattered litter on the driveway and parked on it because it is very common for mice to infest cars, destroy wiring and nest in the seats and heater vents. I wasn't having that. My dad never took heed and has had mice and squirrels in several vehicles, requiring upholstery and wiring replacement. "Just be cheap and use the best defense that nature gave us, don't feel above parking on old cat litter" is what I said. Oh well.
Phil
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
My diagonal neighbor has a cat and two dogs. They kinda stay separate and apart. I can get some used litter from them.
Thanks for te tip.
Seems like I will have to open up the ports/windows for the birds to have easier access to the ”silo.”
Cal
My diagonal neighbor has a cat and two dogs. They kinda stay separate and apart. I can get some used litter from them.
Thanks for te tip.
Seems like I will have to open up the ports/windows for the birds to have easier access to the ”silo.”
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Seems like I’m stuck at 159 pounds. Pretty much I have to put in the hours doing cardio to burn the calories. At least my butt isn’t getting chubbier and I’m stable. I forgot that I pigged out on Thanksgiving so maybe I’m not doing so badly…
Did 45 minutes on the elliptical and 25 minutes on the bike. Pretty much upped the time and I don’t feel so beat up.
I need to go to the gym more. Tomorrow we have the grandson. Thinking of buying a Christmas tree tomorrow and setting it up with him.
I plugged in today and enjoyed the fruits of my labor. The one guitar I thought needed a fret dressing just required a savage turn on the truss rod to further straighten the neck. This is the one neck that is flat sawn and is well quartered in the wrong direction. I got lucky.
Did the same with the DeMarino and it plays pretty good. The Bigsby settled in and now the tuning seems more stable. The strings had to stretch I figure, and it is different than when I manually pull on the strings to stretch them because the strings are spring loaded.
The DeMarino and the single pickup Cabronita are not getting the max volume treatment. The pickups have higher outputs than my vintage style pickups, so I need to dial down the volume about 1/4 or 1/5th depending on the guitar. Pretty much I don’t need a pedal to boost the signal to add distortion, I can get the overdrive by just turning up the volume.
I am pleased with the maintenance work I performed. Each guitar has its own character and personality. Kinda like having a big family. Pretty much over time I bond with a guitar and it becomes just an extension of myself.
The DeMarino is starting to go beyond my expectations. When I get a chance to dress the frets it will be a crazy guitar. Already is…
Cal
Did 45 minutes on the elliptical and 25 minutes on the bike. Pretty much upped the time and I don’t feel so beat up.
I need to go to the gym more. Tomorrow we have the grandson. Thinking of buying a Christmas tree tomorrow and setting it up with him.
I plugged in today and enjoyed the fruits of my labor. The one guitar I thought needed a fret dressing just required a savage turn on the truss rod to further straighten the neck. This is the one neck that is flat sawn and is well quartered in the wrong direction. I got lucky.
Did the same with the DeMarino and it plays pretty good. The Bigsby settled in and now the tuning seems more stable. The strings had to stretch I figure, and it is different than when I manually pull on the strings to stretch them because the strings are spring loaded.
The DeMarino and the single pickup Cabronita are not getting the max volume treatment. The pickups have higher outputs than my vintage style pickups, so I need to dial down the volume about 1/4 or 1/5th depending on the guitar. Pretty much I don’t need a pedal to boost the signal to add distortion, I can get the overdrive by just turning up the volume.
I am pleased with the maintenance work I performed. Each guitar has its own character and personality. Kinda like having a big family. Pretty much over time I bond with a guitar and it becomes just an extension of myself.
The DeMarino is starting to go beyond my expectations. When I get a chance to dress the frets it will be a crazy guitar. Already is…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Friday the 13th is just 9 days away. In the morning of the 13th I’ll get the PET scan. The DNA testing should be completed by then. Shortly thereafter I’ll find out where I stand.
Only 9 days away.
In Canada when they socialized healthcare the shortages began. Some of that is here in the U.S. Saw it above the Catskills in New York, and down south in North Carolina.
The situation locally is they have only one urologist when they need 3 for the case loads.
So today I feel kinda liberated. The guitar is proving to be a great distraction from all the waiting and the tension from all the unknown. I know I am getting the best healthcare available, and I’m greatful I’m not further upstate or in North Carolina.
All I can do is wait my turn…
Off to more practice. These old guitars are doing me good.
Cal
Only 9 days away.
In Canada when they socialized healthcare the shortages began. Some of that is here in the U.S. Saw it above the Catskills in New York, and down south in North Carolina.
The situation locally is they have only one urologist when they need 3 for the case loads.
So today I feel kinda liberated. The guitar is proving to be a great distraction from all the waiting and the tension from all the unknown. I know I am getting the best healthcare available, and I’m greatful I’m not further upstate or in North Carolina.
All I can do is wait my turn…
Off to more practice. These old guitars are doing me good.
Cal
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
Good tip on the cat litter as an anti-rodent weapon! We have a cat, and a gravel driveway that will hold the litter. We also have two cars that have endured thousands of dollars in rodent damage, so the math is simple! We've been using peppermint spray with some success, but hitting the little buggers on multiple fronts makes a lot of sense. Our mechanic told us that the reason rodents go after the wiring in cars is that the sheathing on the wires is soy-based, and a tasty snack if you're a rat. Weird, but it seems logical.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
All the work on the guitars makes me a better player because the guitars almost play themselves with all the tweaking.
The DeMarino settled in and turned out to be a great guitar. The tuning stability seems to be no issue with the floating bridge, but I’m using the Bigsby for a counterweight on a very light body, the springs to loosen the tension for bending and vibrato, and not really using the Bigsby for vibrato.
Pretty much the guitars are easier to play, and I can practice longer. They also sound better.
In looking in the mirror today, I lost some salt bloat from the Thanksgiving binge. I don’t cook with salt, and evidently I had a big dose over the holiday. My next weigh in will be interesting. Water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon so loosing a quart of water that is retained by a high salt intake can easily drop 2 pounds.
This excess water gets stored in the fat cells. My butt is less chubby today.
Of course in the summer with all the sweating I do I get this ripped look of being all muscle. There is this vein in my left shoulder that s pronounced, you see this on basketball lean point guards because they have a very low amount of body fat and are built for speed and acceleration. I have that.
Cal
The DeMarino settled in and turned out to be a great guitar. The tuning stability seems to be no issue with the floating bridge, but I’m using the Bigsby for a counterweight on a very light body, the springs to loosen the tension for bending and vibrato, and not really using the Bigsby for vibrato.
Pretty much the guitars are easier to play, and I can practice longer. They also sound better.
In looking in the mirror today, I lost some salt bloat from the Thanksgiving binge. I don’t cook with salt, and evidently I had a big dose over the holiday. My next weigh in will be interesting. Water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon so loosing a quart of water that is retained by a high salt intake can easily drop 2 pounds.
This excess water gets stored in the fat cells. My butt is less chubby today.
Of course in the summer with all the sweating I do I get this ripped look of being all muscle. There is this vein in my left shoulder that s pronounced, you see this on basketball lean point guards because they have a very low amount of body fat and are built for speed and acceleration. I have that.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
All the work on the guitars makes me a better player because the guitars almost play themselves with all the tweaking.
The DeMarino settled in and turned out to be a great guitar. The tuning stability seems to be no issue with the floating bridge, but I’m using the Bigsby for a counterweight on a very light body, the springs to loosen the tension for bending and vibrato, and not really using the Bigsby for vibrato.
Pretty much the guitars are easier to play, and I can practice longer. They also sound better.
In looking in the mirror today, I lost some salt bloat from the Thanksgiving binge. I don’t cook with salt, and evidently I had a big dose over the holiday. My next weigh in will be interesting. Water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon so loosing a quart of water that is retained by a high salt intake can easily drop 2 pounds.
This excess water gets stored in the fat cells. My butt is less chubby today
Of course in the summer with all the sweating I do I get this ripped look of being all muscle. There is this vein in my left shoulder that s pronounced, you see this on basketball lean point guards because they have a very low amount of body fat and are built for speed and acceleration. I have that.
Cal
The DeMarino settled in and turned out to be a great guitar. The tuning stability seems to be no issue with the floating bridge, but I’m using the Bigsby for a counterweight on a very light body, the springs to loosen the tension for bending and vibrato, and not really using the Bigsby for vibrato.
Pretty much the guitars are easier to play, and I can practice longer. They also sound better.
In looking in the mirror today, I lost some salt bloat from the Thanksgiving binge. I don’t cook with salt, and evidently I had a big dose over the holiday. My next weigh in will be interesting. Water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon so loosing a quart of water that is retained by a high salt intake can easily drop 2 pounds.
This excess water gets stored in the fat cells. My butt is less chubby today
Of course in the summer with all the sweating I do I get this ripped look of being all muscle. There is this vein in my left shoulder that s pronounced, you see this on basketball lean point guards because they have a very low amount of body fat and are built for speed and acceleration. I have that.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The Strat grounding shield was delivered today, made in the USA.
I opened up the holes on the feeder in the front backyard, and I had to refill the back-backyard feeder around lunchtime.
I will check at dinner if I have to refill again. It is looking like I’m give the birds 3 square meals a day at least in the back-backyard.
I have some extra cedar shingles, so I might make or design a Calzone feeder. I have a glass canopy that is funnel in shap from a lamp or light fixture down in the basement. Hmmm…
Had a snack. Brought up the Christmas decorations. Time to plug in. The grandson got picked up.
Cal
I opened up the holes on the feeder in the front backyard, and I had to refill the back-backyard feeder around lunchtime.
I will check at dinner if I have to refill again. It is looking like I’m give the birds 3 square meals a day at least in the back-backyard.
I have some extra cedar shingles, so I might make or design a Calzone feeder. I have a glass canopy that is funnel in shap from a lamp or light fixture down in the basement. Hmmm…
Had a snack. Brought up the Christmas decorations. Time to plug in. The grandson got picked up.
Cal
robert blu
quiet photographer
Hi Cal, I'm sure the grandson will makje your day interesting 
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Robert,
The grandson is into his terrible two’s.
He is like the cartoon “Boss Baby.”
He co=opted the dining room because it has a big window to watch the birds feeding under the pergola. To look I had to use the small window in the powder room.
Of course this kid likes to eat.
Today he refused to take a nap because he cherishes every moment with us.
Cal
The grandson is into his terrible two’s.
He is like the cartoon “Boss Baby.”
He co=opted the dining room because it has a big window to watch the birds feeding under the pergola. To look I had to use the small window in the powder room.
Of course this kid likes to eat.
Today he refused to take a nap because he cherishes every moment with us.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The feeder in the back-backyard it seems I will have to fill 3 times a day, Pretty much the birds get three square meals.
The feeder in the front-backyard has a slower feed rate, so the birds get to binge, and also have a steady supply. Today I emptied the front feeder and opened the ports to encourage easier access and less effort.
The el cheapo 40 pound bag of feed (about $30.00 with tax) lacks the sunflowers they like and enjoy. Now I know to buy a bag of sunflower seeds and blend them in. There is this rice like grain that I think is the millet that Phil mentioned.
So pretty much I have a flock of birds. The 9 foot round Rode-A-DEN-Drums is where they shelter that are along the side of the house, and in the back-backyard there are these 30-35 foot white pines to protect them. The black caped chickadees are boldly friendly. Then there is a related bird that has a head crest.
I’m going to fill the back-backyard feeder after I post this. I want to se if it is empty.
I feel the effects of the cold. I feel tired and lazy…
Cal
The feeder in the front-backyard has a slower feed rate, so the birds get to binge, and also have a steady supply. Today I emptied the front feeder and opened the ports to encourage easier access and less effort.
The el cheapo 40 pound bag of feed (about $30.00 with tax) lacks the sunflowers they like and enjoy. Now I know to buy a bag of sunflower seeds and blend them in. There is this rice like grain that I think is the millet that Phil mentioned.
So pretty much I have a flock of birds. The 9 foot round Rode-A-DEN-Drums is where they shelter that are along the side of the house, and in the back-backyard there are these 30-35 foot white pines to protect them. The black caped chickadees are boldly friendly. Then there is a related bird that has a head crest.
I’m going to fill the back-backyard feeder after I post this. I want to se if it is empty.
I feel the effects of the cold. I feel tired and lazy…
Cal