NYC Journal

[Calzone]

Devil Dan,

I love it. Too bad you have to send it back.

If it was working/operational I would call it a “B-52.” LOL.

You know me well. Pretty much a guy who loves his F3P rigged with a motor-drive…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Austin,

I am far from a “shredder” like Steve Vai.

It was interesting seeing the footage with Frank Zappa.

My gear tough is very much vintage and old school. The approach with heavy strings I use and the lack of signal processing by plugging a guitar just into an amp is just so different…

Steve speaks of the struggle with old gear. You kinda have to “pull” the sound out of a standard Strat or Tele guitar.

Those GEM guitars are set up with thin strings, straight necks, and pretty much promote brightness and treble.

My old school is very different. I likely could not play Steve’s guitars, and he likely could not play mine.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yesterday, 6 pull-ups.

Pretty much now is the time to do some serious strength training to trim the micro gut I have of perhaps 5 pounds to get into my skinny bitch mode. Science has proven that the “after-burn” from strength training promotes weight loss and increases metabolism.

Then science says aerobic exercise promotes blood flow enough to reduce the risk of “Old-Timer’s” disease (Alzheimer’s) by 50%.

In today’s world it pays to look not vulnerable and be capable of ending a street fight quickly even if a 67 year old man.

We drove over 40 miles north on Route 9 and stayed on the east side of the Hudson River. Hyde Park was our first layover, where we visited Val-Kill a vast country estate of Eleanor Roosevelt to hike around.

Then we went to Rhinebeck which is an affluent town just across the river from the Catskills to walk around and shop. I didn’t buy anything, and “Maggie” bought a scarf.

Going to Village Pizza in Rhinebeck is worth the drive because the pizza is that great. I always get at least one slice of their Sicilian because of the crust, then there is a medley of topped slices, all great.

Then we went to Rhinecliff for the wonder and beauty of the Hudson.

The drive is a relaxing one that is no parkway, no Interstate, and no expressway. There is a stretch that begins in Fishkill that kinda reminds me of sections Route 17 down south of the coastal rural route that we take to North Carolina: endless sections of strip malls.

On the way we stopped at Adam’s Fair Acres to buy unground coffee beans.

Across the street from Adam’s is a Tractor Supply, so we went there to investigate. I forgot I bought a cheap belt made in Vietnam that pretty much would get converted into a guitar strap for a Tele. Cost only $14.99 and I don’t think I was charged tax.

The vibe at Tractor Supply was kinda hill-billy and red-neck. There also was a gun vibe and a rather bold gun safe section. Some of the gun safes were larger than a clothing closet.

So Snarky Joe’s comment about the further north you go, the more things resemble the south became evident, and this was not far from Peekskill.

So we enjoyed the spring weather, got in our steps, and got out into the world to avoid the suburban isolation. An outcome is that Maggie’s unhappiness about having a sense of place kinda got resolved. Finally she says she can be content with what we have and where we live.

We live in a working class city. The idea is/was to live modestly, and pretty much we own a modest home, have low taxes, and luckily own a great property.

But Peekskill is not an affluent community, it is a city that has limits and is kinda stuck and is just kinda going sideways. The reality is it might go sideways for sometime. The arts here are kinda dated, and are not fresh. Perhaps I’m being harsh by calling the art scene here out as kitch or decorative, except for a very few artists that I can say I admire and can take seriously.

Moving forward will involve kinda doing what we already do, drive around exploring, and perhaps renting or paying for lodging to make vacation get aways. Finally she sees the Baby-Victorian as our home.

I think we surely have a bargain that also is a gem. I accept it is not a farm, that is does not have acreage, that it is only a 40x200, that it is not in a rich affluent town, but it has enough for me.

I think that HGTV show “Home Town Takeover” influenced Maggie to a degree.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Kinda made the decision to drive to Austin for the road trip adventure. Flying is no fun at all, and it seems like there are no direct flights anyways.

Our new lifestyle is going to take into account of saving for an Audi A4 replacement, so we have the cash on hand for a purchase. Currently the 2015 A4 almost has 52K on the odometer.

Next time we head up to Adam’s I’ll load up on those belts. Pretty much almost free guitar straps, and the decorative metal riveted onto the strap is kinda retro vibe. Mucho style.

So I’m bridging into T-Bone Walker and that old blues sound. I learned that pretty much his approach to the guitar is as if a horn. He kinda plays scales to the 9th, which kinda builds on the diatonic chord scales I have been working on.

Things are building and coming together. Mucho progress…

This settling down in “Maggie” is great because having a home has a profound meaning for me. Maggie’s unhappiness and unsettled feelings have been difficult. Hard to move forward with toting excess baggage, especially when it was pretty much nonsense.

That “Home Town Takeover” show is helping promote my 1966 C-10 and also the studio above the garage. Maggie misses our loft we had in Williamsburg…

Cal

 

[Nokton48]

Morning Devil Cal,

You might like this, it's olde. My Internet Friend Geoff told me he has FIFTEEN HUNDRED large format lenses. And 1500 Speed Graphics. I asked him if that is enough? I'd like to contact him again, we were Plaubel Makiflex Buds for a time. How many Plaubel Makiflexes do you see in this clip?

 

[Calzone]

Devil Dan,

Thanks for the link.

The talk about individualism spoke a truth about analog photography.

Dunstan and Andre and I shot in Blissville, a kinda forgotten part of NYC that I think is Queens. Later that day we developed the film in my kitchen in Long Island City using a changing bag: all the same film (either Acros or Tri-X); 4 rolls at a time; all with the same developer.

Likely ID-11, pre-slackerbrew days.

Pretty much the same light and location, but the differences were startling.

Geoff makes a point how digital is more homogenized without using that word…

Anyways the original purpose was to teach Dunstan how to develop film. Andre has just going along for the ride as they say…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

WOW. 7 pull-ups today. Did 6 yesterday.

I’m impressed by my genes, my muscle memory, and my physiology.

I seem to be built like a cat, lean muscle, fast and agile.

I am mighty pleased with the guitar strap I made from the cheap belt from Tractor Supply. I love the vibe and the price.

Cal

 

[Austintatious]

Kinda made the decision to drive to Austin for the road trip adventure. Flying is no fun at all, and it seems like there are no direct flights anyways.

With ya 100% on this. We go to Austin twice a year to see our identical twin granddaughters. Rented a vehicle last summer to save ware and tare on our Honda. Really enjoyed it. You could get a hybrid and save a lot on fuel as driving recharges the car.

 

[Calzone]

“Maggie’s” book got AI’ed. Oh-well.

Walked to the downtown to pump some blood, and to exceed 12K steps to try and prevent old-timer’s disease.

Did you know that women have twice the chance of contracting old-timer’s disease. Understand though that men tend to die young and earlier of other things…

A space that use to be a hipster boutique of a friend is now a showroom/gallery for Bantam Tools. This is a start-up that uses CNC for drafting, 3-D printing, and etching of circuit boards.

They had some art displayed by a University of Vermont professor. I talked with the hipster manning the space and inquired about what they are trying to do. Enzo is a photographer, so we geeked out a bit, and then I mentioned my forays into Piezography.

Left my contact information to try and meet Brea the venture capitalist who owns Bantam Tools. Pretty much want to see if he would be interested in developing a printer.

BTW I know George, a developer for Epson and Canon printers. The horse stable that was his studio by Blue Mountain Preserve was sold for something like $900K. Perhaps George likely retired or he moved into another space.

I guess I could call Joe the guy who is known for The Hudson River School of photography. Joe is a notable landscape photographer. Joe would know what’s the smut with George.

The Peekskill Herald, that before my Cancer diagnosis I use to shoot for, recently received some award for being a great local paper.

So her I am jus minding my own business, and remarkable chance things are happening.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Austin,

I figure Peekskill to Austin is likely about 2K miles. We don’t do that much driving, perhaps 5K-7K miles a year. No big deal highway miles.

Also you get to see some parts of the real America.

Our country is kinda big.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

“Maggie” saw the Northern Harrier swooping/gliding over the marsh just beyond our back-backyard. The white undersides under the wings makes it easy to distinguish from a red-tail hawk.

Because of our bird feeders, we had a herd of hubby-fat squirrels, but no trace of annoying squirrels lately. I think the Harrier or Marsh Hawk, has been feasting on them.

Cal

 

[Retro-Grouch]

I seem to be built like a cat, lean muscle, fast and agile.

And hopefully with nine lives!

 

[Calzone]

Seems like I have had many lives. I’m surprised I live to be an old man

I figure I’m not done yet…

Seems like I’m in a great place with the guitar. Not in over my head and overwhelmed by technical music theory. I know enough and have enough technical background to have a strong foundation to build upon.

I wonder if I’ll get the chance to meet Brea and if anything could happen that could lead to a new B&W printer.

Hmmm…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Got another month’s worth of Eliquis for the blood clot detected in my left leg post surgery.

Seems that as a result to CAD I’m more prone to blood clots and infections.

Oh-well.

Also I forgot to mention that my medical issues also have promoted “Maggie’s” recent decision that Peekskill is the best place for us to roost.

Time for some guitar…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

86.9% of Americans age 65-74 are on some form of medication.

Currently I’m on Eliquis, a blood thinner because of a blood clot detected in my left leg that came after my prostate surgery. I just picked up the prescription for the 3rd month. Generally it is a three month dose and that is it.

In early April I have an appointment with my old geezer hematologist, and I’ll get some blood test to see if I have an active clot still. So maybe then no more meds, at least for the blood clot.

Tuesday I will likely get an injection for chemical castration. Pretty much they will shut down testosterone production, and there likely will be other drugs to also shut down other sources of testosterone.

So for me taking meds is a big deal because usually I take no meds. I like being the rare 13.1% of the population not dependent on drugs.

The hormone treatment could be for up to 2 years.

Anyways a new road for me.

Also “Maggie” age 71 and getting mighty close to 72 uses no meds.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Tesla stock is up about 5% in the pre-markets after a Musk pep talk and suggesting to employees not to sell their stock, but this is after 9 straight weeks of declines.

Tesla as a brand I think imploded. I think the downtrend will continue. Would you fall for the pep talk or sell into this rally? Elon’s brother, and members of the board have sold mucho shares. Why did these insiders sell?

Hmmm…

So now a green screen that’s not so moderate in the pre-markets. DOW up 300 points on news that “Tare-Ifs?” Will be moderated. It will exclude cars and electronic chips.

I kinda knew tariffs would disable the big three automakers.

It seems the U.S. farmers will suffer greatly in a trade war, but U.S. farmers voted for this. In the Trump first term subsidies were increased that bought their vote, now they are being thrown under the bus. Oh-well.

Rain today expected. I should be getting a Strat neck delivered today.

A neighbor who is a landscaper will drop off a load of leaves for me. I think I’ll use this batch to mulch the slope of the dead end. Less work…

On the way to CVS yesterday I was approached about the free clean fill.

I’m thinking that sometime today I’ll get the results from the PET-scan. Tomorrow I see my urologist and I find out about the treatment plan and where I stand. I hope things are contained and I don’t need chemo.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

The PET-scan reveals the prostate Cancer spread to the left Iliac lymph node.

This is a lymph node in the pelvic area, and pretty much everything else looks clear. Thankfully nothing in the bone.

The CT I had for the blood clot and the other PET-scan were used to dig in and compare.

We will find out more Tuesday afternoon after the urologist appointment.

The radiation therapy might include some blanket radiation that covers the general pelvic area, as well as highly targeted radiation at the Cancer identified in the Iliac lymph-node.

“Maggie” reports that at MD Anderson they say if caught in time there is an 80% odds of being Cancer free for a decade or more, even though the Cancer metasticised.

So good news.

BTW radiation by itself is one treatment, and ADT (hormone therapy) is another treatment. With patients that have existing other medical conditions generally ony one treatment is used, but in a health patient like myself with no chronic disease (except CAD) I’m a candidate for the double treatment.

Studies show/indicate that external beam radiation when combined with ADT compliment each other and enhance each other.

Lester, a neighbor who lives about half a block away, a landscaper, dropped off a truckload of leaves in my dead-end. Very cool.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I kinda dodged a bullet. Today there seems to be a sense of certainty that I’m not dealing with a death sentence, and pretty much will be cured.

Its looking like I will also evade chemo.

There is a release of sorts happening, and it kinda reminds me when I had NYPD guns pointed at me (happened twice in the 70’s) where I could of been shot or killed. In the moment you really can’t process the situation, and it is a delayed effect from what happened and what could of happened.

One episode It was during an armed robbery that involved 4 gunmen and back then the NYPD had no swat team. These NYPD were cops with 38 revolvers. The guy that pistol whipped a manager stood behind me with the contents of the safe in a cardboard box, and luckily the gun was also in that box with the cash and not in his hand. Pretty much I would have been ventilated as collateral damage.

The first time I was profiled and mistaken for someone else. I had basically a NYPD gun ready to assassinate me. These were two very scared cops.

With all the life and death experiences I endured I likely have surpassed the nine-lives of a cat.

It feels great to be alive, knowing I have a future. On the other hand though the fear now emerges…

So I also live with a low-grade lymphoma. Lymphoma is a separate Cancer (unregulated growth) that involves the bone marrow.

Even though there still is Cancer in one lymph node it is still considered Prostate Cancer, even though I no longer have a prostate. Pretty much my Cancer is termed “Avid Prostate Cancer” meaning aggressive and fast growing. It was caught just in time.

Like I say, I dodged a bullet. The Gallium 68 that is used for my PET scan is made from a generator as a result of a nuclear breakdown. Here in New York in my hospital they can only do GA-68 scans on either Wednesdays or Fridays. Quantities of this nuclide are limited.

I wonder in North Carolina how available would the availability be. The half-life is only 68 minutes, so in 5 half-life’s or 5 hours it basically is no longer radio-active as it breaks down into a stable isotope. This logistics makes me think that GA-68 might possibly be available, or have very limited availability unless in a major metro-area.

Again, I’m in a place that has the great healthcare I need. Elsewhere my outcome and outlook might not be so positive.

So tomorrow I find out the real deal…

The Strat neck that was suppose to be delivered today, will happen tomorrow. I take this as a sign of a slowing economy, because usually the updates from UPS advance the delivery dates a day earlier. The early deliveries have happened consistently from the same vender on the west coast.

My thinking is cost cutting and saving where full loads on cargo planes are accumulated, and this is the second delay. This Strat neck was initially suppose to be delivered Friday, then today, and now tomorrow. Two delays seem significant to me.

On the guitar front, many different styles are expanding. Finger style, a thumb pick, acoustic verses electric, and baritone verses a standard guitar are happening. Not sure where all this is going, but it is exciting. I love it, and it seems anything can happen.

My friend Tim called yesterday to do a check-in. I found out that Tim is almost 51 and consider I have known him since he was 15. My friends Dave and Cris are even older friends.

Many times friendships don’t endure, but I have perhaps more than my share that endure. Tim and Dave are both Cancer survivors, and Cris’s mom died of Cancer.

I think of Abe, a friend I made at B&H. Abe was a salesman in the used department at B&H. His mother died of Cancer, and this had a profound effect on April his daughter, who wanted to be a doctor. So pretty much I made a call and set her up in an internship at Sloan-Kettering where I worked.

April did so well that she was invited back for a second summer internship. Later she graduated medical school and became a M.D. Unfortunately Abe suffered a fall, and remained in a coma. April contacted me to see if I wanted to say, goodbye. Her dad was on life support.

I was told by April that her dad always spoke fondly of me. I am so proud of April.

Just wanted to let people know that one man can make a difference in the world. I have more to give. I also have learned that in return I get back more than I give. This forum is another example of that.

Many thanks for everyone’s support.

I am greatful for having so many friends…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

April 2d is when reciprocal tariffs begin. Or should I say “Tare-Ifs?” Pretty much not flushed out or defined yet, but the markets kinda rejoiced with a pretty big relief rally.

For me April 2d, about a week away, is just another step in a slowdown.

Pretty much the trade wars begin…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

So the fem-out kinda started. For a while now I graduated from “Depends” a full blown diaper to these pads that are kinda like a Kotex for men.

A funny thing is that the grandson’s reaction when I showed him I was wearing a pull-up diaper like him.

So pretty much a different experience for a man. Not really unpleasant and so far not a big deal. Definately and thankfully more comfortable than a full blown diaper.

Oh-well…

Cal