NYC Journal

[Calzone]

Taking care of the grandson today. The pediatrician says his head size is in the 99 percentile. Know that this kid is smart, but he is speech delayed. Learning disabilities seem to coincide with high intelligence…

A side effect is a loss of focus or concentration. No hot flashes, but it seems I’m either too cold or too warm. Pretty uncomfortable and annoying. If I catch a chill, which is easy to do, I’ll put on a sweater or light jacket and in about a minute will start overheating.

I just got a call from the pharmacist to do a 17 minute check in to see how I’m doing. Next week blood gets drawn to monitor me, then two weeks from then my blood gets drawn again, and then an appointment with my radiation oncologist.

Lots of seeds germinating. I already can see that this year we will have a lush garden.

Cal

 

[Nokton48]

Afternoon Devil Cal,

New to Me Daylight Studio by Nokton48, on Flickr


I built this with stuff from Home Depot. Years ago I took a Tim Layton course on Floral Photography. Tim used this daylight studio, and I'm impressed enough with it to make one for myself. It's outside in complete shadow in the early morning, great fun ahead. I had this in storage for years, now it's been outside for about a month. Ready for me to use it, just need to spray the dirt off with a hose. Tim supplied digital files, I printed out about a dozen colored beautiful backgrounds which exactly fit inside the daylight studio. So glad this is finally up and out of the way, ready to use. I use plastic boxes piled up to where I want them, they are filled with equipment to enhance this type of daylight photography.

 

[Calzone]

Devil Dan,

Is your house full yet? Is that why you are moving outside?

Cal

 

[Nokton48]

Not at all. I love going out in the back with a selected camera in the early morning. A wonderful time. Mostly I work inside.

 

[Calzone]

While the grandson napped I went into weed mode and pulled Knotweed. This is the 5th year, and the Knotweed is weakened badly, and pretty much most of it pulls out root and stem.

Not a lot of it, but it still pops up. Just got to keep up and stay on top of it. I’m bit OCD so I find it relaxing. Today I headed into the marsh.

The marsh grass is creeping up the hill and is taking over the “shelf,” which is a raised flat that is about 20 inches above the marsh proper.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

“Maggie’s” brother is staying with us for a nephew’s graduation party from collage.

Knotweed still has to be culled from part of the dead end.

If I get a break in the weather I’ll cut some wood and do some gel staining to move forward with the dining room molding.

Also have to move some shoes to the attic about 60 gallons worth of all new shoes, boots and sneakers. I also have another $10.00 coupon for DSW to exploit.

The heat and cold body regulation is worsening…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Had to take “Maggie” to the ER. She somehow fell mailing some letters, no broken bones, but she tore some muscles in her groin. She is on pain killers and muscle relaxers.

The easy chill and then overheating is getting more annoying. It is harder to concentrate, and by dinner time I’m kinda spent.

I am feeling old.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Recycling the dining room floor to wall moldings is a challenge. Plaster and lath was replaced with sheet rock, and the room has different dimensions.

I figured out how to extend the lengths of moldings by adding a 2x2 corner piece as an ornamentation that give me some wiggle room.

Proud to say that the moldings are looking great, but it takes a lot of time. I do trial fittings and trim the angles in.

The walkout has odd angles to replicate, and pretty much it was an afternoon of brain teasing that was a challenge until “Maggie” appeared at our kitchen door crying in pain.

At this point we don’t know if we will attend the graduation party Saturday.

We will have the grandkids sleeping over.

There was a storm of heavy rain that really soaked the ground. During the emergency I just moved my DeWalt radial arm saw into the garage, and I left my other tools out. We got home just in time to avoid the rain, but I still had to go to CVS for the drugs during the beginning of the downpour.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yesterday heavy rain, and today looks like more. April was kinda dry.

One reason not to move to North Carolina is that Trader Joe’s requires a long journey to Wilmington, and a reason to live in Peekskill is that Trader Joe’s is nearby in Yorktown.

Last night’s last post displayed the tiredness that is the result of drug side effects. Pretty much my days are shortened, and this effects my guitar practice. The guitar relaxes me so much that I end up dozing off. I’m not putting in the time I want to…

“Maggie” is a hot mess. Walking is a problem with her strained groin, and for some reason her mouth is swollen where implants were exposed. The Periodontist says the swelling can’t be because of infection because of the short amount of time.

The implants should of been exposed months ago, so I think it is because of that. Hope I don’t have to drive to Long Island…

The dozen guitar hangers were delivered yesterday. They are a cool design that has a cover made of cherry. The mounting shows no screw holes and the actual hanger screws into a hidden metal base that gets covered by the cover in a sandwich like manner.

Should be impressive a wall display of electric guitars. Along the floor will be a line of amps to kinda frame things in. I have two of these promotional items that are no longer made by Fender. These are tweed guitar cases that convert into guitar stands.

I assume that these two guitar-stand/cases are collectible and are rare.

For the most part the weekends have been rainy, but this weekend looks to be an odd sunny weekend. Also know that the rain at times is pelting and heavy. Flooding of roads happens, and pretty much it is mountain moody weather. We get our share of severe storms here.

On the big networks the weather often says snow north and west of the city, and Peekskill being the Gateway to the Hudson Highlands is right on that fringe. Across the river and north of Peekskill the mountains make the Hudson River a gorge, but know that our 1912 Baby-Victorian is two blocks from Blue Mountain Preserve.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Question for all:
How feasible do you think it is to use a lens cap as a shutter on one particular camera?
Phil

 

[Calzone]

The FED is caught in a standstill, Powell, the lawyer, can’t really lower or raise interest rates without compounding consequences of making any slowdown worse, or worsening inflation.

Consumer sentiment is down, productivity for the first quarter of 2025 is down (first time since 2022), the housing market has slowed, and overall the economy is showing and indicating a slowdown.

Some are saying a possible recession by the summer, but this of course would not be confirmed until the fall at the earliest, and perhaps likely the winter. Recessions are sneaky in that way, and the verification has a delay.

Gold has dipped below $3.3K, but recovers again and a again above $3.3K, the basing and sideways action of consolidating is underway.

I got permission by the owner of the abandoned house across the dead end to cut the Knotweed on his property. A research study taught me to use “cut-cut-cut” as a means to deplete Knotweed to expend it’s stored energy into growth to propagate.

Takes about 5 years to wear down the knotweed, and pretty much on my property it is winding down, but like Cancer one Poland can cause a thicket to form again.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Phil on long bulb exposures using a lens cap can work well. The thing to avoid though is camera shake. Best on long-long exposures.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Just got back from Long Island. No infection as stated earlier, but some bone growth was scrapped off the exposed implant. A special prescription rinse was issued.

“Maggie” has difficulty walking and especially stairs. She presently is in bed resting. She is kinda exhausted.

The trip was an ordeal, and the heavy morning rain did not help. Pretty much I am a care giver/caretaker. Maggie is very vulnerable. Very unlikely we will attend the graduation party tomorrow.

No big deal for me, I don’t drink, and neither does Maggie.

I got a response from the Commisioner of Jurors for Westchester County. Pretty much I was sent a form that has to get filled out by my doctor, likely my radiation onocoligist.

I’m generally still energetic in the afternoon, but after dinner I’m kinda used up and spent. I guess this is what people call fatigue is this lowered capacity. Not really fatigue, but having a lowered capacity…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Had a 5 gallon glass water jug that I was filling with pennies, nickels, and dimes. I use the word had because in my moving around stuff the bottom fell out because it was stressed from the weight. It was not like I dropped it.

So the contents spilled on top a concrete floor. So I cleverly used an orange Home Cheapo 5 gallon bucket to collect the coins. Filled the bucket about 3/4’erts of the way, and then I tried to move it and the handle gave way. My guess is that the contents weighs about 70-75 pounds.

Oh-well…

I discovered today that a bird is nesting inside my garage. Know that my garage doors are going south, and one has a big opening. Something to show the grand kids…

So now I have a tenant. “Live and let live,” I say.

The temps dropped so now I have closed widows and turned on the heat. Cool mountain weather.

The Nasdaq held into the green by a fingernail, otherwise a mild red screen. Gold closed above $3.3K, but what I find interesting is that oil is trading around $61.00. Why?

Across the dead end Joe has been by every weekday. Today though two guys and two pickup trucks came by. On is a tile guy laying out a new floor for the kitchen and bath. This is a tiny house of perhaps 1000-1200 square feet, but I was told separately that when the house gets a C.O. (Certificate of Occupancy) it will easily be a $500K house.

This tile contractors says last year was crazy busy, he is still busy, but not like last year…

I was told this by two of my neighbors that are contractors that it will be a $500K house. Kinda crazy…

I’m handling things…

Got a letter today that my out of pocket cost is not zero dollars, but $30.25. That’s a lot better than $206.00 a month.

The letter from my radiation oncologist did not get me off jury duty. They sent a form for him to fill out. BTW I followed the instructions on the summons, and I called but only got a long recorded message.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I don’t like the shortened days where my energy level tapers off sharply after dinner. Pretty much a hard limit that I have to get use to. At night I feel I fade out too early.

So this lower energy level will be with me for two years as a side effect of the inhibitor and steroid. Then I have the 30% risk that testosterone production will be gone for good after I terminate the drugs. My risk might be higher because I will be using these drugs for the extended period.

The effect is I have the energy level of a much older man…

The body temperature regulation is worsening. The chill and mild sweating gets uncomfortable. Now it has built up to where it effects my sleep. I add and shed layers constantly.

I’m kinda excited with finishing the moldings in the dining room, and looking forward to installing the guitar hangers on the wall in my music room.

I have a nice boring life…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I developed/evolved a new style with using a thumb pick, I use it kinda like a traditional pick, but it allows me to use more flesh and the tone is softer and smoother.

An interesting development that kinda opens things up. It encourages more pick and fingers playing. Will be interesting to try this on my Santa Cruz acoustics.

For me the guitar is a separate universe…

Cal

 

[Nokton48]

Morning Devil Cal

100mm Planar Plus 2 Zeiss Diopter CFV16 EI 50 F22 Four 1600J Strobes by Nokton48, on Flickr


Broncolor Hazylight Overhead Two Boxlite 40's camera right and left eight inches. Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back Black 100mm F3.5 C T* Zeiss Planar with +2 Zeiss Proxar 2 Diopter. EI 50 Broncolor Balloon underneath glass, under four layers Architects Vellum on glass table. Image was shot handheld 1/125 F22. Underlighting and Boxlites help a lot with a white clean background shot.

Fat Pixels and the space between each pixel makes this look. Just bought another Broncolor Power Pack $4850 in olde catalog for Two Hundred Bucks delivered. Should buy the other one they have, no money. Live large for less.

 

[Calzone]

Devil Dan,

You are massing enough power to store enough energy to make a rail gun. LOL.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

“Maggie” is doing better today. She is taking pain killers and a muscle relaxer.

Nurse Calvin is taking good care of her.

I mowed Snoopy and JJ’s front lawn. With all the rain, along with all the fertilizer they use, their lawn was getting overgrown. My lawn needed a trim, so I returned the favor of when we were away in North Carolina and came home to a freshly cut lawn.

So their new retirement home is outside of Austin in a new development, but I get a thank you text on my dumb flip phone. Point is that they are around 2000 miles away surveilling me. No surprise.

Our niece in Austin and her husband just had a baby boy. Pretty much they want to move to the east before their son gets to school age. They are very close to our kids so I expect them relocating into the Hudson Valley. Our niece’s brother lives in Kingston, so this is another reason.

They own a home that is an old cottage that G. Bought before prices got insane, and they likely have a lot of equity. Not far from an Apple work center.

I understand that Austin got too expensive and artists and musicians that did not buy into the housing market got priced out. We will likely have more young family around.

Had a late start this morning. I needed some bread to make some French toast. Maggie’s brother is kinda unfocused, undriven, and perhaps a bit lost in a dysfunctional manner. Took close to a half hour to buy bread and get a card for the graduate at CVS.

He drove, and the strip mall is 2 blocks away…

Meanwhile I want to move forward and I got things to do before the grandson arrives at 3:00-3:30. I ran out of time to work on the molding. I only needed to do some straight cuts after measuring to length. Oh-well…

Instead I spayed the Rode-A-DEN-Drums with a fungicide.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Yesterday at our Trader Joe’s the one dozen egg limit was rescinded. I bought two dozen to replenish.

Oil around $60.00 is about the limit for fracking where the profit margin thins out. The Saudi’s are flooding the oil patch to undermine U.S. oil production. BTW this also undermines Russia’s economy too.

Oil has been as low as $56.XX and is currently around $61.XX. The U.S. is a major oil exporter so this is a big deal. The Saudi’s have mucho leverage here because the cost of oil extraction for them is mucho cheap. We are at their mercy when it comes to oil prices. Pretty much they can bully us and beat us up at at any time.

The juice that ”Maggie’s” brother bought yesterday is in our fridge unopened. Wasted about 15 minutes in a grocery store as he wandered aimlessly around. Like I said a lost soul, marginally functional, who is kinda lost…

What can I do but be patient and kind? I felt sad.

Got a report that my guitar room couch/convertible is the most comfortable couch/bed experienced from Maggie’s brother. He left today for North Carolina.

I kinda get my boring life back.

Maggie is advancing. Best thing she can do is rest, but relaxing is hard for her.

My hot/cold discomfort is getting worse. Chills than a wave of sweating moment to moment. This effects my sleep.

Cal