New York NYC Journal

Devil Dan,

That shot reminded me of the good old days working in research labs. Always jam packed with expensive equipment. What a playground.

When will you ever grow up? LOL.

Cal
 
One side effect of giving up caffeine is that I eat more. Didn’t realize how much caffeine curbed my appetite.

I compensate by snacking and having two breakfasts, generally eggs, then granola. Both are oversized portions.

I also snack on protein bars…

Shop Rite had a sale on Bone-In Prime Rib Roast. We bought the Angus beef one and got it for $7.99 a pound.

I kinda have a German Knife arsenal, so I cut out the ribs and made thick steaks.

Had carmelized onions, cooked some brown rice. While I was at it I also grilled half a chicken.

Only worked on the She-Shed a little. Had to run to Home Cheapo for more caulking, as I am trying weatherproof the shed AMAP. Caulking use to be in the $4.00-$8.00 range now starts at $8.00 and runs to $13.00. Kinda crazy.

One thing is that in Woodstock it seemed like a ghetto for old hippies. We blended right in.

The “Creature” (“Maggie’s” daughter) is thinking of moving south to another state. The main reason we moved to Peekskill was to be close by, but when and if they move, perhaps Maggie and I would move further up the Hudson Valley, but still downstate, meaning south of Albany.

Pretty much the entire Hudson Valley area all the way to Madhattan is being developed into an industrial tech corridor like a wanna be Silicone Valley. Upstate is likely to remain rural.

For me New Palz would be great for biking. I like Woodstock. A bit more land, perhaps a smallish farm, still a tiny house, but more private.

Let’s see…

Seems there is a grouping of writers in Rhinebeck. Saugerties has a village of old Victorian houses. Pretty much Kingston would be interesting.

Life has funny twists.

Cal
 
Seems like not only do I have an increased appetite, but I also sleep 8 hours. Like clockwork bedtime is 10:00 and I wake at 6:00 AM just before sunrise. My energy level is smoother.

I feel like I’m stressing my body less, so I’m going to stay caffeine free.

I want to get ahead today with my tasks, because tomorrow will be mild and a good day for a long ride.

Also Tuesday the Cabronita body will be delivered. Don’t tell Maggie.

Cal
 
Cal, we have friends in Saugerties that have an amazing river front property. It may be going up for sale at some point, as he is a house flipper/architect. They totally rebuilt the house, which is up the hill, adding decks and a pool with views over the tree line across the Hudson. There is a field that rolls down the hill to a wooded area next to the water. There they made a small room using the salvaged windows from the old house. I can send you pictures. It would make a great place to write. How big is Lyn's advance?
 
The advance was pretty big, but not that big.

Truth be told is that I still love my Baby-Victorian. Built in 1912, basically in its prior life it was a rental and the kitchen and bathrooms were only updated in 1975 or so acording to the date on my “squatty-pottie” in the now powder room that use to be a 3/4 bath.

I rescued the heart pine floor under a ceramic tile floor and two layers of linoleum. I updated the garage to a 100 amp service and had the Ariel cable submerged underground. Then there was the war with knotweed…

The house is much changed since you last saw it. I have a lot of blood, sweat and tears in this house, and perhaps I was premature in saying we would move further north in the Hudson Valley.

Saugerties has a really nice Victorian village.

Also I kinda like living in a small house.

If anything, like if I won the lottery, I would still keep my Baby-Victorian. I’m bonded to the house, but I would buy a vacation home or have a second home.

Cal
 
Somehow UPS further accelerated delivery of the Cabronita body. First it was scheduled for Wednesday initially, then it got rescheduled to Tuesday, and then surprise it was in fact delivered today at 1:50 PM.

Has the economy slowed down?

The relic’ing (ageing) is rather mild suggesting a body from the late 60’s instead of perhaps the 50’s. Also the Olympic White is not yellowed, but some sun will change that.

I’ll take a number 2 lead pencil and color in the places that display chips in the paint along the edges of the body to add “player’s dirt.”

On the 6th my milled stainless steel bridge will be delivered. Last time I order one it got lost by Fed Ex, even though it came from upstate New York.

The She-Shed is now officially built, all I have to do is install the wrap around workspace, but “Maggie” might want to make two smaller workspaces.

I spent extra time caulking the snot out of every joint. It was cold earlier in the day, so I brought in the window box kits and built them in the basement while waiting for the day to warm up.

Trimmed out the 6 windows, finished the roof. The 8x8 shed is mighty cute, and Maggie thinks it is the best birthday present ever.

Sunday I assemble some Acadia wood bar stools, that I think are a bit big for such a small space. I also paid up for a three shelf upgrade, so she has grand ideas of decorating and furnishing the shed that is already kinda full with the shelves and the two bar stools that resemble a lifeguard chair that you would find at an ocean beach.

Looks like I will need more gravel, perhaps another 2 cubic yards or maybe three to make a gravel yard between the She-Shed and my cedar garden shed that is only a 4x8 (no windows But had a double door).

Cal
 
Seems like Fed-Ex is accelerating delivery, and I take this as being less busy and choked with orders. I use these delivery services as an early warning of a slowing economy. Analysts use the DOW transportation index, but I use UPS and Fed Ex.

Jerome Powell and the FED are loosing credibility. I kinda knew that the FED fell seriously behind “the curve” in its fight against inflation, and now with an OPEC cut in oil production, certainly higher oil prices will make any recession deeper. At this point the FED is loosing credibility with other central banks.

It is at a point where the dollar is down and gold is north of $2K and is about to set a new record high. Once $2.1K is exceeded things could “breakout” for gold.

I will repeat that 4 out of 5 recessions are caused by energy prices, but now the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has been drawn down and will not be replenished. Oh-well…

Yesterday bought more pressure treated 2x8’s to further terrace the slope. I built 2x2 foot squares and filled them with surplus gravel, and today I will introduce rectangles to create a landing. Creature Junior (the grand daughter) has a hideout/fort that is shrouded by a dead tree that has vines forming a cave of foliage that resembles a hunter’s blind. The steps I created leads down to her hideout.

In the She-Shed/writer’s retreat I simplified the desk space to one 8 foot continuous section instead of a wrap arounf “L” shape to conserve space. The lifeguard chair like barstools are well suited and have the height to panoramically see through all six windows.

Loews has a sale on mulch for $2.00 a bag. Also I see going to Loews more because of better quality and prices. I loaded up the Audi with 12 bags to replenish my beds. In the future I’ll avoid Home Cheapo.

Then with DSW I had a card giving me $30.00 off any purchase over $49.00, so I had to take advantage. I soon discovered that they had a huge clearance sale going on, so I went bonkers. Bought two pairs of Merrell’s, a loud pair of Sherrie Topsiders, and a type of slipper I am known to wear a lot that “Maggie” calls “Slides.” All these shoes were at blowout pricing, and then I got $5.00 rewards on top of the $30.00 off. Lastly I got a $20.00 off coupon that is good through April 20th-April 30th.

A manager engaged with me and told me somehow Wolverine approached DSW about getting rid of surplus. I also take this as a sign of a slowdown and impending recession.

Then I had $10.00 off at CVS and loaded up again. I stocked up and loaded up on toilet paper, razors and consumerables.

So the moral of this rant is the economy for sure is slowing, spend your money wisely, and save money wherever you can In anticipation of a recession. Know that this is the best clearance sale ever at DSW. Kinda huge and somehow I walked into the first week.

BTW Maggie thinks the She-Shed is the best birthday present ever…

Installing the cedar fence is the next priority for privacy.

Cal
 
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Calzone said:
Devil Dan,

That shot reminded me of the good old days working in research labs. Always jam packed with expensive equipment. What a playground.

When will you ever grow up? LOL.

Cal
Click to expand...
1000mm F16 Apo Ronar1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Turns out I have enough spare parts to build this prototype. It's held together by tight adjustment, and it's very solid. WOW it's heavy I mean a real brute. I used Gaffer Tape from B&H cut with razor blade to specific widths, and the lens is not going anywhere and it's solidly supported at this point. Light cracks and leaks around the lensboard holes are pretty much plugged up, so the lens appears to be light tight at this point. I prefer to protype with various types of tape, before making (or have something made) as far as rotating this into the equipment usuage. This was fun to build.

Having too much fun to grow up
 
Devil Dan,

“Brutal,” I say. Mighty manly.

BTW how much might that rig weigh?

There is a weapon in the U.S. Arsonel called a “bunker buster.” A B-52 drops this bomb from high altitude so gravity, fins and GPS so like a gigantic dart it accelerates and has ground penetrating force. The bomb has a delayed fuse. Kaa-Boom.

It is said that a length of sewer pipe is used as the body of the bomb.

How scary is that? Anyways than camera reminds me of the Bunker-Buster.

Cal
 
A cloudy day. I started painting the cedar fence by priming it.

I likely overdid the primer a bit to seal the wood. Two 8 foot sections with a nice decorative “topper” set me back $1.2K. Used a gallon of primer to seal half of the fence, and I still have to do the other side, so I need another gallon of primer. This ensures the one gallon of white paint will be enough also.

The paint was costly also, Benjamin Moore, no Home Cheapo paint for me.

Anyways I want this fence to last a long time. I’m one and done, and really I love this old house. I’m bonded with it now. Lots of sweat equity.

Tomorrow rain is expected, but very warm weather. It would be great to have a mild day and no rain to finish painting. One of the cedar posts requires breaking through concrete. Also I discovered that someone laid a layer of asphalt over concrete in my drivewat. Not so hard to remove. Hmmm…

I love a mystery, also I have a sense of adventure. The black top is ugly.

I recycled a Ring motion detector light from my front entrance. I had thought it went south because one night it did not work anymore. Then my contractor removed it and put it on the side, and I discovered that it needed 4 “D” cells to operate again. So simple and uncomplicated. No longer made, but still mighty cool. I installed the now spare motion detector light on the She-Shed.

Know that our new Ring motion detector light has video function for added security, but it is nice to have a battery powered retro version, especially since the She-Shed has no electric.

A contractor for Con Ed came by and marked and surveyed all the gas lines on our street. This suggests that I likely can expect Con Ed to upgrade and install a new external smart gas meter on my house. Know that our gas line is 1924 “vintage.”

Thankfully the main gas line is on the other side of the street, so excavation near my house will be somewhat minimized.

How cool is that? Also getting the upgraded meter for free would be cool, this way I don’t have to call Con Ed and pay for them to do it.

Getting an 18 Kilowatt generator is about $12K.

”Maggie” with her Northern European blood is prone to heat stroke. Besides that this June she will be officially 70. For her air conditioning is life support. Meanwhile I can tolerate dangerous heat indexes and can even exert myself, because I am a skinny bitch made for a tropical climate and high humidity. I sweat a lot though…

Also now my sleep has tapered to 7 hours a night. I find myself getting up at 5:00 AM if I go to bed at 10:00 PM. Still some adjustment…

I built out the rectangular gravel pad that also serves as a landing and a step. Part of my yard is terraced. Don’t tell the building department because they like to control any retaining wall, but technically these are a series of steps and too low to be called a retaining wall. Know that these stairs work like “water-bars” to slow down the velocity of water to prevent erosion. The pitch of my neighbor’s yard drains into mine, and there is a gorge/valley that I have been working to stabilize.

Global warming causes these torrents and storms that are kinda crazy.

Anyways the steps and the L-shaped path they make are very pretty. Most of the half yard of gravel is now gone, and all I have left is a large galvanized wash tub full of gravel leftover. I might use some of this gravel to build a Trials obstacle to practice on.

Practice, practice, practice…

Cal
 
The lens by itself weighs eleven pounds according to my bathroom scale. BTW that is just the very front of the camera and a lens shade. Behind the Norma shutter go two or three sets of square 4x5 Norma Bellows, then an 8x10 bellows, then finally the rear standard.

BTW this is the duplication of the camera shown in the back of Reinhart Wolfe's coffee table book CASTLES IN SPAIN. Two heavy tripods are required.
 
Cal, the bunker busters in past years have been repurposed Mk. 8 Armor Piercing shells, the kind that the Iowa class battleships shoot. A glide bomb pack is fitted to the back of the shell and guidance controller stuck on the front. The recent GBU-28 is a purpose-made steel casing, but the first batch used artillery barrels as the casing. These and other guided munitions are one of the reasons why Navy weather guessers have clearances.

Phil Forrest
 
Phil,

I don’t remember the era when the sewer pipe version was used, but it was effective. I penetrated deep into the ground, and because of the delayed detonation mucho effective. In effect since it used GPS just a guided bomb.

Likely though over 25 years ago in a time I worked at Grumman. I had a secrete clearance, and of course Grumman hads a very high military preference in its hiring. I heard a lot of stuff…

Those glide bombs we are suppling to the Ukraine are pretty awesome. They use old ordinance, and update it into a great weapon.

I’ll dig in and look up GBU-28.

Cal
 
Dan,

I see the two tripod mounts. My guess is 3/8 inch screws and not 1/4-20.

What a workout, and what a beast.

I love it. Mucho crazy, and insane.

Cal
 
I'll set it up in the studio next. I imagine five to six feet of bellows (at least) and then the rear 8x10" rear standard. I'll need an assistant and one other if I take this outside, which I eventually will. Reinhart Wolfe set this camera up all over NYC. One of my faves in NEW YORK are the Twin Towers in beautiful light, and the Flatiron Building shot is pretty famous. Must have drawn a crowd, the camera is six or seven feet long fully set up
 
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Phil,

I looked up GBU-28. Pretty cool how that weapon was made in two weeks.

No mention anywhere of the sewer pipe in any of the sites, but there was mention of the repurposed artillery barrel.

The weapon I speak of was so big, long and heavy that a B-52 had to drop it.

Still it is impressive that a GBU-28 can penetrate 164 feet of earth, or 16 feet of reinforced concrete. Kaa-boom with a delay.

Cal
 
Expected 80 degrees tomorrow. Thundershowers at night.

Right now it is misty.

If I start early the paint will have time to dry.

Great.

Cal
 
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