Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Drove about 20 miles north to Adam’s Fair Acre Farms to stock up on more bird seed. Of course we stocked up on other things.
A thought came to mind that we are living in an interesting part of world history. After reading Ray Dalio’s book on the history of rising and falling empires I kinda learned that corruption, cronyism, breakdown in the rule of law, and a host of other indicators strongly suggest the American Empire is on the decline and will eventually collapse.
But then the thought is what new empire will emerge?
Ray Dalio and others thought that would be China, but they too kinda have peaked and are in a downward spiral that also points to collapse. Pretty much Ray Dalio and others were/are wrong about China.
So what makes this time in history is what will be the new emerging empire? My thinking is it will be Canada.
Militarily it has the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as large moats.
Canada already is an economic power and a member of the G-7. They have abundant rescouces, both energy and water. In fact Canada has the largest supply of fresh water in the world, and you can’t live without water.
Also to have a thriving economy you need to have a growing population. Canada is a large vast country, but not highly populated.
So I see no other country that has as big advantages as Canada. Time will tell.
Cal
A thought came to mind that we are living in an interesting part of world history. After reading Ray Dalio’s book on the history of rising and falling empires I kinda learned that corruption, cronyism, breakdown in the rule of law, and a host of other indicators strongly suggest the American Empire is on the decline and will eventually collapse.
But then the thought is what new empire will emerge?
Ray Dalio and others thought that would be China, but they too kinda have peaked and are in a downward spiral that also points to collapse. Pretty much Ray Dalio and others were/are wrong about China.
So what makes this time in history is what will be the new emerging empire? My thinking is it will be Canada.
Militarily it has the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as large moats.
Canada already is an economic power and a member of the G-7. They have abundant rescouces, both energy and water. In fact Canada has the largest supply of fresh water in the world, and you can’t live without water.
Also to have a thriving economy you need to have a growing population. Canada is a large vast country, but not highly populated.
So I see no other country that has as big advantages as Canada. Time will tell.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
O-H,
Pretty much I was triggered, and I regressed.
A little psychotic because my situation really isn’t life and death.
I’m being honest and calling myself out here. I take responsibility for getting kinda crazy. I can acknowledge irrational behavior.
Actually it is a bit painful to remember being so much like a primal animal. That is why the term “Beast-Mode” fits well.
I don’t need to be a tough thug anymore. I’m trying to leave that part of my life behind, but here it is…
Cal
Pretty much I was triggered, and I regressed.
A little psychotic because my situation really isn’t life and death.
I’m being honest and calling myself out here. I take responsibility for getting kinda crazy. I can acknowledge irrational behavior.
Actually it is a bit painful to remember being so much like a primal animal. That is why the term “Beast-Mode” fits well.
I don’t need to be a tough thug anymore. I’m trying to leave that part of my life behind, but here it is…
Cal
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
I reckon many of us are club members. As one of my favouritest (!) ever Hollywood actresses, Joan Blondell, once said in a very old film, "early to bed, early to rise" - which can be taken any way one wishes it to...
Or as my late grandfather used to say in his old age, "...my bed is my best friend".
To sum up all this nonsense I've written - the benefits of good sleep can never be overstated.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
My prostate disturbs my sleep a lot. At times almost every hour. Sometimes it is just to relieve gas buildup (fart).
The bladder is not full but needs to be emptied.
So I’m looking forward to good sleeping.
I kinda keep a regular awakening, right around 6:00 AM.
“Maggie” is not so good about this. I am concerned…
I have been refraining from guitar practice to let her sleep. The mornings is when I want to row which makes turbulence as noise. Now she tells me not to be so considerate.
Oh-well…
She kinda kills the best part of my day.
Cal
The bladder is not full but needs to be emptied.
So I’m looking forward to good sleeping.
I kinda keep a regular awakening, right around 6:00 AM.
“Maggie” is not so good about this. I am concerned…
I have been refraining from guitar practice to let her sleep. The mornings is when I want to row which makes turbulence as noise. Now she tells me not to be so considerate.
Oh-well…
She kinda kills the best part of my day.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I think the neck I bought and used on the white 2-pickup Cabronita (Tele with TV Jones pickups) I bought as a bargain deal. My motivation was to save money and experiment.
One reason I bought it is it features a 9 1/2 to 14 inch compound radius. It is also crafted as a vintage neck and is Toreified, meaning the wood is baked to harden the resins and to make the wood structurally stiffer. So these two features are new to me. Now I kinda love them.
A funny thing is the profile of the neck is called a “Fatback” which is a neck that is kinda crazy thick kinda like a baseball bat. For many it would make a guitar kinda unplayable. I could always shave the neck down to a thinner slimmer profile I figured to customize it.
One thing about Jazz guitars is they tend to favor big necks, and also the headstocks are usually big, and builders also add extra weight by using large heavy tuners. This extra mass adds warmth, mids, and sustain, while dampening some treble.
A big part of the Jazz one is taming down the treble. So a big thick heavy neck seriously takes a big step towards the Jazz-Tone.
So on this guitar I decided to try and save money and decided to try using a mixer control to blend the two pickups instead of using a switch and a tone control. Somehow this worked out to be kinda ideal, and the funny thing is that it seems to work just like a tone control.
So sometimes wandering around with no idea of any destination or goal leads to miraculous events happening. I kinda stumbled into a great place with this very different guitar that has its own signature of sorts. I kinda like that it likely would put off and not be favored by others, but somehow this guitar speaks to me.
Another odd miracle is that generally any neck needs usually a dressing to level the frets to take away any unevenness, but the neck seemed perfect right out of the box. Ends up it is perfect right out of the box, and plays with slinky action, using 12’s, and with an absolutely straight neck.
I wished all my other guitars played as great as this guitar. Maybe the Custom Santa Cruz Model “F” is as playable, and that is a very serious guitar.
There is a deeper meaning and understanding to all this guitar nerd gibberish, and that is I reflect that it displays spontaneous improvision and is the physical manifestation of Jazz and being in the moment. It takes advantage of chance in a fluid manner, and in a way did not really involve thinking or planning. It was in totality just a “Jazz-Moment.”
Then I dig in deeper into my life, the art I made, the work at Grumman, and the somewhat reckless manner that I always seem to move forward despite no plan or goal. Pretty much being somewhat lost at the same time.
So the bigger picture hear is my life kinda has been a bigger large “Jazz-Moment” that somehow happened. So as my guitar playing evolves, I now know that I do have a native and innate talent for that Jazz-Understanding.
So an epiphany happened today that comforts me. I can now see where all this is going as an artist.
I feel like an awakening has just happened…
Now I see clarity and where I am going…
Cal
One reason I bought it is it features a 9 1/2 to 14 inch compound radius. It is also crafted as a vintage neck and is Toreified, meaning the wood is baked to harden the resins and to make the wood structurally stiffer. So these two features are new to me. Now I kinda love them.
A funny thing is the profile of the neck is called a “Fatback” which is a neck that is kinda crazy thick kinda like a baseball bat. For many it would make a guitar kinda unplayable. I could always shave the neck down to a thinner slimmer profile I figured to customize it.
One thing about Jazz guitars is they tend to favor big necks, and also the headstocks are usually big, and builders also add extra weight by using large heavy tuners. This extra mass adds warmth, mids, and sustain, while dampening some treble.
A big part of the Jazz one is taming down the treble. So a big thick heavy neck seriously takes a big step towards the Jazz-Tone.
So on this guitar I decided to try and save money and decided to try using a mixer control to blend the two pickups instead of using a switch and a tone control. Somehow this worked out to be kinda ideal, and the funny thing is that it seems to work just like a tone control.
So sometimes wandering around with no idea of any destination or goal leads to miraculous events happening. I kinda stumbled into a great place with this very different guitar that has its own signature of sorts. I kinda like that it likely would put off and not be favored by others, but somehow this guitar speaks to me.
Another odd miracle is that generally any neck needs usually a dressing to level the frets to take away any unevenness, but the neck seemed perfect right out of the box. Ends up it is perfect right out of the box, and plays with slinky action, using 12’s, and with an absolutely straight neck.
I wished all my other guitars played as great as this guitar. Maybe the Custom Santa Cruz Model “F” is as playable, and that is a very serious guitar.
There is a deeper meaning and understanding to all this guitar nerd gibberish, and that is I reflect that it displays spontaneous improvision and is the physical manifestation of Jazz and being in the moment. It takes advantage of chance in a fluid manner, and in a way did not really involve thinking or planning. It was in totality just a “Jazz-Moment.”
Then I dig in deeper into my life, the art I made, the work at Grumman, and the somewhat reckless manner that I always seem to move forward despite no plan or goal. Pretty much being somewhat lost at the same time.
So the bigger picture hear is my life kinda has been a bigger large “Jazz-Moment” that somehow happened. So as my guitar playing evolves, I now know that I do have a native and innate talent for that Jazz-Understanding.
So an epiphany happened today that comforts me. I can now see where all this is going as an artist.
I feel like an awakening has just happened…
Now I see clarity and where I am going…
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The kid’s want “Maggie” to go look at a house in Carmel today, but she had an appointment with her personal trainer. I will use the slot and go for a session. A good idea is to learn some pelvic floor exercises to bone up in advance of my surgery.
I’ll also spend the usual hour doing cardio in addition. I suspect that my weigh in will be around the same. I would be pleasantly surprised if I lost any weight.
I have to stop by CVS today and use this $6.51 in my health plan account before the New Year. I am running low on my multi-vitamin.
On guitar I broke down scales into diatonic triads, and now I’m doing the same with 7th chords. This is kinda going from rock and roll into Jazz. The 7th extension really opens things up musically.
Now in my riffing and improv I see how Charlie Christian added a 6th to do what he did.
I discovered this tiny boutique pickup winder that makes a set of three Strat pickups that would make that Candy Apple Red Strat body a convincing Jazz-Box. These pickups have the warmth and clarity for a very “woody” sound. Pretty much would be killer with my amp collection.
Remember that I’m a plug and play player…
So this has me dreaming. Price is nearly $500.00 for the set, a stiff premium over the Lollar 65’s I was interested in.
Also I’m interested in another set of pickups from this tiny boutique: a humbucking P.A.F. neck with a Tele Broadcaster bridge. This would be for the guitar known as “Korina” that currently is set up as an Esquire. This guitar has a Gibson vibe and a lot of warmth and midrange. The Korina body has a tone very much like mahogany, and the neck is a solid one piece rosewood neck that weighs a lot.
This combination is naturally woody. The Gibson vibe is no lie.
It is nice to have the time to daydream and for ideas to distill, especially if you live on impulse like me.
Cal
I’ll also spend the usual hour doing cardio in addition. I suspect that my weigh in will be around the same. I would be pleasantly surprised if I lost any weight.
I have to stop by CVS today and use this $6.51 in my health plan account before the New Year. I am running low on my multi-vitamin.
On guitar I broke down scales into diatonic triads, and now I’m doing the same with 7th chords. This is kinda going from rock and roll into Jazz. The 7th extension really opens things up musically.
Now in my riffing and improv I see how Charlie Christian added a 6th to do what he did.
I discovered this tiny boutique pickup winder that makes a set of three Strat pickups that would make that Candy Apple Red Strat body a convincing Jazz-Box. These pickups have the warmth and clarity for a very “woody” sound. Pretty much would be killer with my amp collection.
Remember that I’m a plug and play player…
So this has me dreaming. Price is nearly $500.00 for the set, a stiff premium over the Lollar 65’s I was interested in.
Also I’m interested in another set of pickups from this tiny boutique: a humbucking P.A.F. neck with a Tele Broadcaster bridge. This would be for the guitar known as “Korina” that currently is set up as an Esquire. This guitar has a Gibson vibe and a lot of warmth and midrange. The Korina body has a tone very much like mahogany, and the neck is a solid one piece rosewood neck that weighs a lot.
This combination is naturally woody. The Gibson vibe is no lie.
It is nice to have the time to daydream and for ideas to distill, especially if you live on impulse like me.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
A 6-10 week lead time on a Jazz pickup order.
I was wondering if the “Blues” specific set would be better suited. This set offers the best dynamics. Hmmm
The Jazz set has the warmth a plenty and mucho clarity. In the end it has the bigger tonal range.
Dynamics and tonal range are two different things… Understand that with effects, distortion, and high gain dynamics and tonal range get compressed. This is why I pursue the plug and play way…
On “Korina” she can be set up with Harmonic Design S-90 and Z-90, pickups modeled after Gibson P-90’s I have on hand. I want to try these out again with the new Callahan bridge. Should be a world of difference. In the past Korina with the old bridge was not a bad guitar, and out of all the iterations this one I loved the best.
“Things come home to roost,” said the Chicken.
This improv with 7th chord runs is kinda beautiful and mucho interesting. I enjoy a fresh style that is emerging being self taught. Not trying to emulate anyone. The guys I admire I could never be: Jeff Beck; Charlie Christian; Mick Ronson (David Bowie’s guitarist from the Ziggy Stardust era); Roy Buchanan; and my friend Tim.
The above I mention because the unique genius and feel is not able to be replicated.
So at this point all I’m trying to do is be myself and see where it goes. With a lot of work, practice, and discipline I hope to gain some destination of my own.
I am a loner. I want to be a solo player. Me, a guitar with or without an amp: a complete universe I can safely get lost in.
Cal
I was wondering if the “Blues” specific set would be better suited. This set offers the best dynamics. Hmmm
The Jazz set has the warmth a plenty and mucho clarity. In the end it has the bigger tonal range.
Dynamics and tonal range are two different things… Understand that with effects, distortion, and high gain dynamics and tonal range get compressed. This is why I pursue the plug and play way…
On “Korina” she can be set up with Harmonic Design S-90 and Z-90, pickups modeled after Gibson P-90’s I have on hand. I want to try these out again with the new Callahan bridge. Should be a world of difference. In the past Korina with the old bridge was not a bad guitar, and out of all the iterations this one I loved the best.
“Things come home to roost,” said the Chicken.
This improv with 7th chord runs is kinda beautiful and mucho interesting. I enjoy a fresh style that is emerging being self taught. Not trying to emulate anyone. The guys I admire I could never be: Jeff Beck; Charlie Christian; Mick Ronson (David Bowie’s guitarist from the Ziggy Stardust era); Roy Buchanan; and my friend Tim.
The above I mention because the unique genius and feel is not able to be replicated.
So at this point all I’m trying to do is be myself and see where it goes. With a lot of work, practice, and discipline I hope to gain some destination of my own.
I am a loner. I want to be a solo player. Me, a guitar with or without an amp: a complete universe I can safely get lost in.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The pre-market suggested a sell-off and already there is a 600 point drop on the DOW. Let’s see how ugly this gets…
Separately Natural Gas spiked higher taking oil higher. Hmmm…
I looked at the Lollar videos and the Tone Specific videos, a kinda revisit to do the comparisons. Most pickup makers make and create pickups that kinda match era’s. With Fender in particular pickups evolved that followed Fender amp development from the 50’s, early transitional 50-60’s that was short and brief, and then the later 60’s.
Fender started out with a distinct brightness in their amps and guitars, then they got louder with a darker tone, and eventually in the later 60’s they got louder with a scooped midrange where they pursued “clean-headroom.”
Then there was a lot of exploration in the 60’s with gain and distortion…
So I’m guilty of being stuck in a time warp. I like and enjoy the old gear, the past, and I am mucho old school. Kinda vintage everything, but not really for the sake of status or collecting. I kinda do what I can to afford and pursue the old-school sound sensibly within a budget. Still this can get expensive…
So pretty much the Lollar got crushed by the Tone Specific. The sound was much more open, dynamic, and lively. I think I will place an order for a set of Strat pickups and wait the 6-10 weeks lead-time. Ouch for the price, but it kinda is clear that this could be a “one-and-done,” no fooling around here, and this Strat will be a trophy guitar that will promote mucho “you-suck” factor to annoy people.
Also pretty much where I’m heading is kinda Be-Bop Jazz as well as the old school melodic classics. This is the universe I want to get lost in.
So there are these things called “inversions” where in 7th chords the order of the 4 notes gets shuffled top to bottom. There are chord scales which are somewhat internalized where I did the work for major diatonics, but I need to do the various minors.
A lot of overlap and pattern recognition is going on and this crossover if integration along with muscle memory where thinking and consciousness is eliminated. Pretty much a primal state of just reflex, devoid of thinking. Kinda like internalizing a deadly Kung-Fu move where things are automatic.
So all the intelligence and aptitude testing I had growing up placed me in the top 5% at the very end of the bell-curve for math, pattern recognition, and abstract and mechanical reasoning. My reading ability though was kinda in the middle, and my spelling and vocabulary was only in the 40 percentile, meaning below average.
So on one hand I’m gifted and it is suggested by other tests I have a high IQ. Of course this is on standardized tests, and my background not only is unusual, had a disturbed and traumatized life that by no means fit any standard.
My primary language initially was Chinese, and I grew up initially bi-lingual. Then I guess I was removed and placed into Foster Care for a decade. As a child I suffered depression, I disassociated frequently, so this certainly had a set of negative impacts on my development.
Yet I got a full scholarship when I was 16-17 to the U.S Coast Guard Academy because of my PSAT scores. Pretty much I knew I might not do so well in a military like environment, but I knew I was smart and gifted.
So now here I am at a point where my gift can be exploited, and I’m seeing that I’m evolving at a rather rapid pace. The same aptitude to be a great engineer or scientist, day-trader, or money manager is being harnessed to play guitar.
Back at the end of the Cold War, as part of a retraining program for “displaced workers” being laid-off from the defense industry I took a Briggs-Meyer test. Pretty much this test/exam was really a personality test to help in selecting a new occupation. Pretty much it said I should be a musician as the top choice.
The arts was also heavily represented in my profile, as well as the clergy. Worse was prison guard and law enforcement. Pretty much the red line for me was rigid structure.
So here I am becoming what I was really meant to be…
Happy-happy.
I also pay tribute to my deceased mentor Dr Ken MacIntire who changed my life, I was perhaps 20 years old when he suggested only doing things seriously and never halfway or partially.
His words I live by. His example was Louis Armstrong who dedicated 2 years of his life concentrating on how to just blow his horn. He was the son of a prostitute who did not know his father.
Cal
Separately Natural Gas spiked higher taking oil higher. Hmmm…
I looked at the Lollar videos and the Tone Specific videos, a kinda revisit to do the comparisons. Most pickup makers make and create pickups that kinda match era’s. With Fender in particular pickups evolved that followed Fender amp development from the 50’s, early transitional 50-60’s that was short and brief, and then the later 60’s.
Fender started out with a distinct brightness in their amps and guitars, then they got louder with a darker tone, and eventually in the later 60’s they got louder with a scooped midrange where they pursued “clean-headroom.”
Then there was a lot of exploration in the 60’s with gain and distortion…
So I’m guilty of being stuck in a time warp. I like and enjoy the old gear, the past, and I am mucho old school. Kinda vintage everything, but not really for the sake of status or collecting. I kinda do what I can to afford and pursue the old-school sound sensibly within a budget. Still this can get expensive…
So pretty much the Lollar got crushed by the Tone Specific. The sound was much more open, dynamic, and lively. I think I will place an order for a set of Strat pickups and wait the 6-10 weeks lead-time. Ouch for the price, but it kinda is clear that this could be a “one-and-done,” no fooling around here, and this Strat will be a trophy guitar that will promote mucho “you-suck” factor to annoy people.
Also pretty much where I’m heading is kinda Be-Bop Jazz as well as the old school melodic classics. This is the universe I want to get lost in.
So there are these things called “inversions” where in 7th chords the order of the 4 notes gets shuffled top to bottom. There are chord scales which are somewhat internalized where I did the work for major diatonics, but I need to do the various minors.
A lot of overlap and pattern recognition is going on and this crossover if integration along with muscle memory where thinking and consciousness is eliminated. Pretty much a primal state of just reflex, devoid of thinking. Kinda like internalizing a deadly Kung-Fu move where things are automatic.
So all the intelligence and aptitude testing I had growing up placed me in the top 5% at the very end of the bell-curve for math, pattern recognition, and abstract and mechanical reasoning. My reading ability though was kinda in the middle, and my spelling and vocabulary was only in the 40 percentile, meaning below average.
So on one hand I’m gifted and it is suggested by other tests I have a high IQ. Of course this is on standardized tests, and my background not only is unusual, had a disturbed and traumatized life that by no means fit any standard.
My primary language initially was Chinese, and I grew up initially bi-lingual. Then I guess I was removed and placed into Foster Care for a decade. As a child I suffered depression, I disassociated frequently, so this certainly had a set of negative impacts on my development.
Yet I got a full scholarship when I was 16-17 to the U.S Coast Guard Academy because of my PSAT scores. Pretty much I knew I might not do so well in a military like environment, but I knew I was smart and gifted.
So now here I am at a point where my gift can be exploited, and I’m seeing that I’m evolving at a rather rapid pace. The same aptitude to be a great engineer or scientist, day-trader, or money manager is being harnessed to play guitar.
Back at the end of the Cold War, as part of a retraining program for “displaced workers” being laid-off from the defense industry I took a Briggs-Meyer test. Pretty much this test/exam was really a personality test to help in selecting a new occupation. Pretty much it said I should be a musician as the top choice.
The arts was also heavily represented in my profile, as well as the clergy. Worse was prison guard and law enforcement. Pretty much the red line for me was rigid structure.
So here I am becoming what I was really meant to be…
Happy-happy.
I also pay tribute to my deceased mentor Dr Ken MacIntire who changed my life, I was perhaps 20 years old when he suggested only doing things seriously and never halfway or partially.
His words I live by. His example was Louis Armstrong who dedicated 2 years of his life concentrating on how to just blow his horn. He was the son of a prostitute who did not know his father.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
A surprise in this week’s weigh-in: 157.5 pounds. Have not weighed this little since August. I keep a journal to log my exercise and monitor my weight.
So I did a half hour on the elliptical and only 10 minutes on the bike.
My session with “Maggie’s” personal trainer was more of a professional consult. I learned some pelvic floor exercises, got some advice, and also devised a plan to maintain strength. Melanie has another client with a prostate surgery recovery.
I learned that strength training can increase your testosterone levels, and pretty much the MD’s are trying to zero those levels.
We went over the equipment I have at hand. The chinning bar is great to do leg raises for the pelvic floor. Also when I pee I should try to stop and start the flow to help build control.
Since I have a TRX suspension trainer we reviewed pull ups and push ups using the TRX, and because I have a pair of 30 pound dumbbells doing “Burpees” with the dumbbells. Burpees are a combination squat thrust and pushup, but we also added a dumbbell press to the mix.
We tried it with 25 pounds, but I wanted to see how it would be with 30 pounders. Kinda tough, but like pull-ups they build up strength muy rapido.
I think Melanie was surprised I could handle the 30 pounders, but they were tough. She asked me if I did strength training, and it seemed she assumed I did because of my build.
Regardless of the Cancer and the Fem-Out the Burpees with the additional dumbbell press is good for me. It will develop lots of power.
Three sets of Burpees with the additional dumbbell press won’t take much time. It seems using my body weight for push-ups and pull-ups is not the same as with weight training according to Melanie. It was good to get informed, and pretty much Maggie paid for the session.
So I’m 2.5 pounds from being at or under 155 pounds, where I can call myself a skinny bitch.
A healthy prostate is the size of a walnut, but mine is about the size of a lemon. Not good.
I was down to a quarter tank of gas, so I decided to gas up. Mobil Premium is still $3.63 9/10’s. Cost me $42.00 for the 3/4 tank of gas.
The markets recovered a lot, but are still in the red. They say January will be shaky. There is a choice: inflation or a recession in 2025. In a selfish manner, and because I’m retired my vote goes to a recession. For me inflation is the bigger problem. I hope the FED realizes that.
Cal
So I did a half hour on the elliptical and only 10 minutes on the bike.
My session with “Maggie’s” personal trainer was more of a professional consult. I learned some pelvic floor exercises, got some advice, and also devised a plan to maintain strength. Melanie has another client with a prostate surgery recovery.
I learned that strength training can increase your testosterone levels, and pretty much the MD’s are trying to zero those levels.
We went over the equipment I have at hand. The chinning bar is great to do leg raises for the pelvic floor. Also when I pee I should try to stop and start the flow to help build control.
Since I have a TRX suspension trainer we reviewed pull ups and push ups using the TRX, and because I have a pair of 30 pound dumbbells doing “Burpees” with the dumbbells. Burpees are a combination squat thrust and pushup, but we also added a dumbbell press to the mix.
We tried it with 25 pounds, but I wanted to see how it would be with 30 pounders. Kinda tough, but like pull-ups they build up strength muy rapido.
I think Melanie was surprised I could handle the 30 pounders, but they were tough. She asked me if I did strength training, and it seemed she assumed I did because of my build.
Regardless of the Cancer and the Fem-Out the Burpees with the additional dumbbell press is good for me. It will develop lots of power.
Three sets of Burpees with the additional dumbbell press won’t take much time. It seems using my body weight for push-ups and pull-ups is not the same as with weight training according to Melanie. It was good to get informed, and pretty much Maggie paid for the session.
So I’m 2.5 pounds from being at or under 155 pounds, where I can call myself a skinny bitch.
A healthy prostate is the size of a walnut, but mine is about the size of a lemon. Not good.
I was down to a quarter tank of gas, so I decided to gas up. Mobil Premium is still $3.63 9/10’s. Cost me $42.00 for the 3/4 tank of gas.
The markets recovered a lot, but are still in the red. They say January will be shaky. There is a choice: inflation or a recession in 2025. In a selfish manner, and because I’m retired my vote goes to a recession. For me inflation is the bigger problem. I hope the FED realizes that.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The 6-10 week countdown starts. I ordered a Jazz set.
Figure mid February to mid March is the envelope for delivery.
Meanwhile I need a neck, tuners, knobs, and the Callahan hardware.
This stuff adds up fast.
I have to decide if I want to maintain the retro look of a vintage Strat, or do I go with a roller nut and locking tuners like Sperzels.
Hmmm…
Had a chance to plug in after “Maggie” got picked up by the kid’s. The guitars I plugged in to evaluate all sounded might great. Pretty much only small tweaks needed. She is still not home, so I plug in again.
Cal
Figure mid February to mid March is the envelope for delivery.
Meanwhile I need a neck, tuners, knobs, and the Callahan hardware.
This stuff adds up fast.
I have to decide if I want to maintain the retro look of a vintage Strat, or do I go with a roller nut and locking tuners like Sperzels.
Hmmm…
Had a chance to plug in after “Maggie” got picked up by the kid’s. The guitars I plugged in to evaluate all sounded might great. Pretty much only small tweaks needed. She is still not home, so I plug in again.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Adjusting pickups happens in stages. Some pickups have adjustable pole pieces and there is a good degree of interaction between these two adjustments. It also helps to have fresh ears.
So another stage of two adjustments today. Certainly more tweaking ahead.
I’m a Tele man, but this Jazz Strat might change things. It will be an interesting guitar. If I go with the vintage look it will kinda be stunning, but a roller nut and locking nut to exploit the vibrato could be of great utility.
Hmmm…
I don’t feel hammered from the strength training, but I also understand that for me the Burpees with a dumbbell press is kinda tough right now. It certainly requires strength that pretty much I no longer have. Then there are the pull-ups. Faded again…
So not so hard to do every day. The time required is not so bad, The hard part is doing the exercise in a disciplined manner every day. Pretty much making it routine.
I kinda got a housing market report. Small homes like ours seem rubber stamped with $500K prices, even smaller homes that are less than 1200 square feet and have only 2 bedrooms are $500K. Yards about half the size of ours built on a 40x100. Taxes are not as low as ours either.
This is in Yorktown and Carmel. Here in Peekskill it is even more expensive because we have Metro North for the easier commute into NYC. People who live in Yorktown and Carmel likely drive into NYC if they work there.
Some of these homes have lake frontage, or water rights. Pretty much originally built as summer homes.
I discovered that Martha Stewart owns a farm in Katona.
So buying back into the housing market is involving a bit of downsizing. Homes are costly, even if small. Taxes are no bargain either.
Looks like “Maggie” is going to gift the Trek she bought for herself to her daughter. Oh-well.
The Empire State Trailway is in Carmel and Yorktown, so that is a good thing. The 10 year old grand daughter got a bike for Christmas, and she learned how to ride. She was a scooter gal.
Cal
So another stage of two adjustments today. Certainly more tweaking ahead.
I’m a Tele man, but this Jazz Strat might change things. It will be an interesting guitar. If I go with the vintage look it will kinda be stunning, but a roller nut and locking nut to exploit the vibrato could be of great utility.
Hmmm…
I don’t feel hammered from the strength training, but I also understand that for me the Burpees with a dumbbell press is kinda tough right now. It certainly requires strength that pretty much I no longer have. Then there are the pull-ups. Faded again…
So not so hard to do every day. The time required is not so bad, The hard part is doing the exercise in a disciplined manner every day. Pretty much making it routine.
I kinda got a housing market report. Small homes like ours seem rubber stamped with $500K prices, even smaller homes that are less than 1200 square feet and have only 2 bedrooms are $500K. Yards about half the size of ours built on a 40x100. Taxes are not as low as ours either.
This is in Yorktown and Carmel. Here in Peekskill it is even more expensive because we have Metro North for the easier commute into NYC. People who live in Yorktown and Carmel likely drive into NYC if they work there.
Some of these homes have lake frontage, or water rights. Pretty much originally built as summer homes.
I discovered that Martha Stewart owns a farm in Katona.
So buying back into the housing market is involving a bit of downsizing. Homes are costly, even if small. Taxes are no bargain either.
Looks like “Maggie” is going to gift the Trek she bought for herself to her daughter. Oh-well.
The Empire State Trailway is in Carmel and Yorktown, so that is a good thing. The 10 year old grand daughter got a bike for Christmas, and she learned how to ride. She was a scooter gal.
Cal
Austintatious
Well-known
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Austin,
I read the article, but the video did not work for me. This is reassuring, and confirms I have advanced care.
From what I’m told the surgery is involves two small incisions, and I will have scars. I assume the conversation piece, meaning scars, would be below my waistline.
Cal
I read the article, but the video did not work for me. This is reassuring, and confirms I have advanced care.
From what I’m told the surgery is involves two small incisions, and I will have scars. I assume the conversation piece, meaning scars, would be below my waistline.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I am sore, yesterday’s strength instruction pretty much tore some muscle. Shame on me laying off from strength workouts and being lazy.
Pretty much strength fades fast at my age. I need to remember that.
Went to bed early.
Later today we get the grandson, and he will be doing an over nighter. Seems like he is growing by the day. His sister is short, but he looks to be turning into a big boy.
I kinda like “Korina” as an Esquire, don’t know if it needs any reconfigure. I adjusted the pickup a tad to sweeten it up.
Next week the Sonic Blue Thinline will get delivered. Closet Classic is the amount of relic’ing, meaning other than some fade to the paint, as if a new or almost new guitar. I’ll have two pick guards that are gold anodized that would look too cool on the Thinline which is a semi-hollow guitar.
One pickguard though would require the body to be routed/modded to house a bigger Humbucker sized pickup.
From here it cold mean just build it out as a standard Tele Thinline and be happy, just keep the other guard as a spare for other ideas.
Cal
Pretty much strength fades fast at my age. I need to remember that.
Went to bed early.
Later today we get the grandson, and he will be doing an over nighter. Seems like he is growing by the day. His sister is short, but he looks to be turning into a big boy.
I kinda like “Korina” as an Esquire, don’t know if it needs any reconfigure. I adjusted the pickup a tad to sweeten it up.
Next week the Sonic Blue Thinline will get delivered. Closet Classic is the amount of relic’ing, meaning other than some fade to the paint, as if a new or almost new guitar. I’ll have two pick guards that are gold anodized that would look too cool on the Thinline which is a semi-hollow guitar.
One pickguard though would require the body to be routed/modded to house a bigger Humbucker sized pickup.
From here it cold mean just build it out as a standard Tele Thinline and be happy, just keep the other guard as a spare for other ideas.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Looks like a Happy New Year lays ahead.
The kids had a daydream of buying a two family home with the purpose of us living nearby.
They pretty much are beginning looking at homes in Carmel, a once summer community with lake houses and a substantial man made lake. Kinda big, and nested in hilly terrain just a bit north and east of Peekskill, but in Putnam County.
So pretty much an Ex-Urb about 45 miles from NYC, but a lot more rural. The Empire State Trailway is nearby. So the idea of moving kinda is attractive to me for many bonuses. The Empire State Trailway being kinda in my backyard is a big incentive.
Then there is a high likelihood of a Hobie pedal kayak in the future. Pretty much the Hudson River has too much tide and current to be safe or practical. On Lake Carmel no motorized boating allowed. Lake Mahopac allows motorized boats.
Then there is harnessing our equity and pretty much huge financial savings by reducing our mortgage if we fit our budget and downsize.
The upsize would be studio space and perhaps a full basement or attic to develop. More privacy. No more Snoopy and JJ intrusions…
Also kinda getting ahead into a newer home that requires less future maintenance and upkeep, meaning a bit newer home and one that is tighter, better insulated, and more efficient.
One floor living to future proof it decades out. Closer to a village that is within walking distance.
So my intent s not only reduce the amount we owe on the mortgage, but because of the near 7% interest rate on a new mortgage, granted at a low amount of principle, pay off the entire tiny mortgage perhaps in 4-5 years with my pop-up pension and when I collect Social Security 3 years from now.
Pretty much own a home outright, and have zero debt. After the mortgage is paid off, just save money.
I looked at the real estate listings already and found two suitable homes. One home is on nearly an acre, and is only 1400 square feet, but 600 feet of that is a full basement that is finished with a bath for me as a studio. Has a 2-car garage that is detatched.
The ugly is slightly higher taxes, no sewers, and perhaps the liability of leaves to rake and a lawn that would take more than an hour to mow.
This house “Maggie” deems as too big, and I say just don’t go into my basement and it is just a 2-bedroom house with one floor level of living. No reason to go into the basement unless you need to do the laundry. The basement has windows and an outside exit. Pretty much this is a cape cod that has the living room and kitchen and the first floor bathroom with cathedral ceilings. Kinda modern like a HGTV ren-O.
A turn-key house, but I would take down the partitions in the basement to have one open space. There is a second bathroom.
So there is another house that I find suitable that is only on an 8300 square foot lot. Another turn-key house, except it has electric baseboard heating. Pretty much I would call Jack HVAC and tell him to mini-split the place, install a wood or pellet stove (Maggie approved) and install some form of humidifier or indoor water feature. Perhaps a reason to have a rather Calzone sized aquarium or indoor Koi pond.
The basement is not built out, and the location is within walking distance to the village.
The kids need to buy a home by mid 2025, and pretty much the Baby-Victorian is not ready to be put on the market.
Understand that Peekskill is 40 miles from NYC, it is a rivertown, it has sewers and city services, but is not so rural.
It kinda makes sense for our family to be nearby.
Cal
The kids had a daydream of buying a two family home with the purpose of us living nearby.
They pretty much are beginning looking at homes in Carmel, a once summer community with lake houses and a substantial man made lake. Kinda big, and nested in hilly terrain just a bit north and east of Peekskill, but in Putnam County.
So pretty much an Ex-Urb about 45 miles from NYC, but a lot more rural. The Empire State Trailway is nearby. So the idea of moving kinda is attractive to me for many bonuses. The Empire State Trailway being kinda in my backyard is a big incentive.
Then there is a high likelihood of a Hobie pedal kayak in the future. Pretty much the Hudson River has too much tide and current to be safe or practical. On Lake Carmel no motorized boating allowed. Lake Mahopac allows motorized boats.
Then there is harnessing our equity and pretty much huge financial savings by reducing our mortgage if we fit our budget and downsize.
The upsize would be studio space and perhaps a full basement or attic to develop. More privacy. No more Snoopy and JJ intrusions…
Also kinda getting ahead into a newer home that requires less future maintenance and upkeep, meaning a bit newer home and one that is tighter, better insulated, and more efficient.
One floor living to future proof it decades out. Closer to a village that is within walking distance.
So my intent s not only reduce the amount we owe on the mortgage, but because of the near 7% interest rate on a new mortgage, granted at a low amount of principle, pay off the entire tiny mortgage perhaps in 4-5 years with my pop-up pension and when I collect Social Security 3 years from now.
Pretty much own a home outright, and have zero debt. After the mortgage is paid off, just save money.
I looked at the real estate listings already and found two suitable homes. One home is on nearly an acre, and is only 1400 square feet, but 600 feet of that is a full basement that is finished with a bath for me as a studio. Has a 2-car garage that is detatched.
The ugly is slightly higher taxes, no sewers, and perhaps the liability of leaves to rake and a lawn that would take more than an hour to mow.
This house “Maggie” deems as too big, and I say just don’t go into my basement and it is just a 2-bedroom house with one floor level of living. No reason to go into the basement unless you need to do the laundry. The basement has windows and an outside exit. Pretty much this is a cape cod that has the living room and kitchen and the first floor bathroom with cathedral ceilings. Kinda modern like a HGTV ren-O.
A turn-key house, but I would take down the partitions in the basement to have one open space. There is a second bathroom.
So there is another house that I find suitable that is only on an 8300 square foot lot. Another turn-key house, except it has electric baseboard heating. Pretty much I would call Jack HVAC and tell him to mini-split the place, install a wood or pellet stove (Maggie approved) and install some form of humidifier or indoor water feature. Perhaps a reason to have a rather Calzone sized aquarium or indoor Koi pond.
The basement is not built out, and the location is within walking distance to the village.
The kids need to buy a home by mid 2025, and pretty much the Baby-Victorian is not ready to be put on the market.
Understand that Peekskill is 40 miles from NYC, it is a rivertown, it has sewers and city services, but is not so rural.
It kinda makes sense for our family to be nearby.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
In re-reading the above post, I confused the two homes. “Maggie’s” home is the one that has cathedral ceilings and is the turn key house except needs Jack HVAC to install a big multi-zoned mini-split. This house is small and has open/modern space. The second bedroom I think is on the second floor. One bedroom is on the first floor though for future proofing. Only one bath.
So kinda small, I see efficiency here, and likely with the remodeling the insulation was brought up to modern code. I would expect a tight house. Built in1953, so still an old house…
So this cape cod used about half the second floor to cathedral out the kitchen and living room, and this made the house small as far as square footage. Has a contemporary look and vibe.
I love my Baby-Victorian, but I think I could be happier in this home in Carmel. Call me a lazy-slacker, but it is less work.
The ugly is only a one car garage, and it cuts into the basement footprint.
Beach rights, private park rights, and lake access is deeded in. Close enough to the village to walk. Low risk of flooding (1/10) and also fire.
Remember that an incinerator exists near Indian Point, in Peekskill, so the air quality is compromised.
This home has been on the market a very long time. I think likely because of the electric heat, and also because of it’s small size. Kinda right sized for me though.
Another ugly is no sewers, but we are within the NYC watershed, even though Carmel Lake feeds into the Croton River, it is not considered part of the watershed, even though it is. I figure it will be just a matter of time…
So in the end I like Maggie’s house a lot. My hope is that it continues to languish. Also note that home prices were way inflated and there has been mucho price cutting.
Cal
So kinda small, I see efficiency here, and likely with the remodeling the insulation was brought up to modern code. I would expect a tight house. Built in1953, so still an old house…
So this cape cod used about half the second floor to cathedral out the kitchen and living room, and this made the house small as far as square footage. Has a contemporary look and vibe.
I love my Baby-Victorian, but I think I could be happier in this home in Carmel. Call me a lazy-slacker, but it is less work.
The ugly is only a one car garage, and it cuts into the basement footprint.
Beach rights, private park rights, and lake access is deeded in. Close enough to the village to walk. Low risk of flooding (1/10) and also fire.
Remember that an incinerator exists near Indian Point, in Peekskill, so the air quality is compromised.
This home has been on the market a very long time. I think likely because of the electric heat, and also because of it’s small size. Kinda right sized for me though.
Another ugly is no sewers, but we are within the NYC watershed, even though Carmel Lake feeds into the Croton River, it is not considered part of the watershed, even though it is. I figure it will be just a matter of time…
So in the end I like Maggie’s house a lot. My hope is that it continues to languish. Also note that home prices were way inflated and there has been mucho price cutting.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Started the new year right with using the $6.51 credit left on my insurance plan. Stocked up at CVS. I think the girl gave me a two for one, when the sale was 50% off the second one.
Oh-well. I stocked up on a man’s multi-vitamin. I also compared the multi-vitamin with the same “Nature Made” “50+” and the only difference was a boost in B6 and B12. I take a separate complex of “B” vitamins and I saved some money.
Seems like the shelves were dominated with “Gummies.” Most had sugar, but a few were sugarless, meaning artificial sweeteners. What are consumers thinking?
Mighty dumb.
So the boss-baby is sleeping in my bed with “Maggie.” For the past 4 nights she has not been sleeping well. She is working out some of her past.
Don’t think I’m skitzing out and thinking I’m unstable. Pretty much we are just evolving. I love Peekskill, but I see a gentler, simpler, more peaceful life ahead in a less crowded space. Also it would be great to unload the mortgage and have zero debt.
I have 4 different rooflines on my second story, plus two hip roof sections on the first floor. The roof was new 7 years before we bought the house, and we lived here so far for 4 years, so 11 years on the not so new roof. Say I have another decade, or 15 years, then comes a very costly new roof.
The Baby-Victorian only has insulation in the walls of the kitchen, dining room, and the two bathrooms. Back in the day there was no code or use of insulation. The walls that have insulation are only because we tore down walls and remodeled.
I looked at the “Maggie” house photos closely. It was a small cape cod with I think two additions added. The layout suggests the basement is small and is only the size of the original cape cod footprint. The addition actually is a cathedraled kitchen and living room that was added to a 1953 cottage that was just a summer home back in the day.
I’d like to see the house. The new parts were HGTV’ed, and the old not revealed.
I saw another cool house, but it ended up being in a major flood zone. Oh-well, not for me…
The original home I liked seemed to need some updating, so I have now reservations. The almost 1 acre property though borders on state land. The 2-car garage has an attic. This home also has a partially finished basement that looks to have 8 foot ceilings.
I’m in no rush. Maggie’s pick though I find the most appealing.
I haven’t found anything ugly other than the electric baseboard heating… Could it be that mini-splits and some industrial humidifier is all it needs? Well maybe a generator to make it our bunker. Bonus of mini-splits is A/C that makes no noise and is efficient.
This weekend certainly we will drive around Carmel. I have some of the addresses noted down. Something to keep us daydreaming.
Who would think buy a house and save more money?
Cal
Oh-well. I stocked up on a man’s multi-vitamin. I also compared the multi-vitamin with the same “Nature Made” “50+” and the only difference was a boost in B6 and B12. I take a separate complex of “B” vitamins and I saved some money.
Seems like the shelves were dominated with “Gummies.” Most had sugar, but a few were sugarless, meaning artificial sweeteners. What are consumers thinking?
Mighty dumb.
So the boss-baby is sleeping in my bed with “Maggie.” For the past 4 nights she has not been sleeping well. She is working out some of her past.
Don’t think I’m skitzing out and thinking I’m unstable. Pretty much we are just evolving. I love Peekskill, but I see a gentler, simpler, more peaceful life ahead in a less crowded space. Also it would be great to unload the mortgage and have zero debt.
I have 4 different rooflines on my second story, plus two hip roof sections on the first floor. The roof was new 7 years before we bought the house, and we lived here so far for 4 years, so 11 years on the not so new roof. Say I have another decade, or 15 years, then comes a very costly new roof.
The Baby-Victorian only has insulation in the walls of the kitchen, dining room, and the two bathrooms. Back in the day there was no code or use of insulation. The walls that have insulation are only because we tore down walls and remodeled.
I looked at the “Maggie” house photos closely. It was a small cape cod with I think two additions added. The layout suggests the basement is small and is only the size of the original cape cod footprint. The addition actually is a cathedraled kitchen and living room that was added to a 1953 cottage that was just a summer home back in the day.
I’d like to see the house. The new parts were HGTV’ed, and the old not revealed.
I saw another cool house, but it ended up being in a major flood zone. Oh-well, not for me…
The original home I liked seemed to need some updating, so I have now reservations. The almost 1 acre property though borders on state land. The 2-car garage has an attic. This home also has a partially finished basement that looks to have 8 foot ceilings.
I’m in no rush. Maggie’s pick though I find the most appealing.
I haven’t found anything ugly other than the electric baseboard heating… Could it be that mini-splits and some industrial humidifier is all it needs? Well maybe a generator to make it our bunker. Bonus of mini-splits is A/C that makes no noise and is efficient.
This weekend certainly we will drive around Carmel. I have some of the addresses noted down. Something to keep us daydreaming.
Who would think buy a house and save more money?
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I’m going to wash up.
Happy New Years in about 10 minutes.
Cal
Happy New Years in about 10 minutes.
Cal
ASA 32
Well-known
Happy New Year to you too, Calvin. Let's meet the challenges of 2025!
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
My attitude towards the Baby-Victorian is as a short-timer. So much looking forward to moving on and doing the follow through.
The safety of the Empire State Trailway and Lake Carmel will be assets to my lifesatyle and be kinda my backyard. Seems like there is a good amount of wilderness nearby.
Another thought is instead of working on the Baby-Victorian, I could move onto doing up the 1966 C-10 that requires both time and money. I can do fishing and kayaking.
This is not so different than when I was winding down at my job.
First I have to recover my health, and then I need to get the Baby-Victorian ready for sale.
A realistic amont of time for a full recovery is about 3 months. I’m anxious to book the surgery pronto.
The big tasks are the garage roof and building garage doors. Only the rooms that have been remodeled have fresh paint, so the rest of the interior needs painting. Glad I didn’t do anything “gonzo” that would of been a waste of time, money or an expenditure of vast amounts of energy.
Taking down a drop ceiling, (a Home Cheapo special) in the front porch and putting up a bead board ceiling that I will likely paint blue in the southern tradition to help ghosts ascend into heaven.
Pretty much I see it pretty easy to sell our house and gaining a nice windfall if we get the right buyer(s). Our house is not suited to a family of four. Better suited to a professional couple, people who work from home, or at best a married coupe that only have one kid.
There is a lot of appeal to anyone who favors old houses, because we didn’t cheap out on the remodeling. Very evident that this is not a flipped house because of the upgrades and the way things were done. Clearly we did not “cheap-out.”
So I kinda see a reward for the hard work I did, and for the work we had done. The next house won’t be such a big fixer-upper.
Cal
The safety of the Empire State Trailway and Lake Carmel will be assets to my lifesatyle and be kinda my backyard. Seems like there is a good amount of wilderness nearby.
Another thought is instead of working on the Baby-Victorian, I could move onto doing up the 1966 C-10 that requires both time and money. I can do fishing and kayaking.
This is not so different than when I was winding down at my job.
First I have to recover my health, and then I need to get the Baby-Victorian ready for sale.
A realistic amont of time for a full recovery is about 3 months. I’m anxious to book the surgery pronto.
The big tasks are the garage roof and building garage doors. Only the rooms that have been remodeled have fresh paint, so the rest of the interior needs painting. Glad I didn’t do anything “gonzo” that would of been a waste of time, money or an expenditure of vast amounts of energy.
Taking down a drop ceiling, (a Home Cheapo special) in the front porch and putting up a bead board ceiling that I will likely paint blue in the southern tradition to help ghosts ascend into heaven.
Pretty much I see it pretty easy to sell our house and gaining a nice windfall if we get the right buyer(s). Our house is not suited to a family of four. Better suited to a professional couple, people who work from home, or at best a married coupe that only have one kid.
There is a lot of appeal to anyone who favors old houses, because we didn’t cheap out on the remodeling. Very evident that this is not a flipped house because of the upgrades and the way things were done. Clearly we did not “cheap-out.”
So I kinda see a reward for the hard work I did, and for the work we had done. The next house won’t be such a big fixer-upper.
Cal