New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #32

I have been to Southern California and the north east and could not live in either place. One has too many people and the other is way too humid and too many bugs. 

Alan Rubinwrote:

Nick, while the folks in SoCal do live in a different world from you up in the NEK, it is worth noting that there, while the Home Depot may only be a few miles away, it still might take them an hour to get there because of the traffic!!!

Depends upon where you live.

Jan likely lives outside the city based upon his response.   

Walking the dog in Gillette, Wyoming, is a bit of a change from last year in southern CA. Today was a balmy 38° with no wind. A nice break from temps in the teens with gusts to 35. 

The house is shaping up. This pic is of the back side a week ago. The rest of the steel roof is on now, next week we move on to stonework and the fireplace, interior and exterior insulation on the stick built parts (garage, shop, gym) and HVAC. It will be a very tight, modern, high performance structure with ERV and all the good stuff. 

I trust y'all had a great Thanksgiving. Our plans here kinda went in the toilet, but we made the best of it as we always do. I cannot believe my good fortune to have met a person with such a great temperament and intellect as Barbara Taylor, and then talked her into marrying me! One of these days I'll post up the story, which involves Jan, his wife Rachel, a cousin of hers, and match.com. Crazy stuff.

Kris, the house is looking good and I'm enjoying watching the progress.

If I'm not mistaken, you work/ed in the recording industry,  is the new house going to have a dedicated sound studio?

I'm a musician and once our daughter flew the nest I converted her bedroom into a small rudimentary DAW studio.

Nice National resonator!  Do you know what year it is?  What's the neck material?  (Mine has identical paint job and has the original Bakelite neck, which makes it impossible to keep in tune.)

Nice, T Hocking!  Kris is some kind of music tech genius… not sure about all that he has done before, but I can say he took a relic recording from World War II that I discovered in storage box and restored for me a clip of my mother‘s voice. Apparently they could lay down a message onto something that looks like vinyl and send it to a loved one?  All I had was this deeply scratched chipped disc that felt like cement and Kris did some magic with it.

Kris, I hope you will tell that story about meeting Barbara.

I spent a lot of time driving in traffic in my life and sometimes it was wonderful. When KLOS was a thing it offered great morning listening, especially Mark and Brian. I played for Tony some old shows of theirs and they are still hysterical.  It was a sad day when Howard Stern came to LA to destroy Mark and Brian. He held a huge parade on Wilshire Boulevard (I think it was) and made a big event of taking them down.  Does anyone remember?

However, when trying to decide whether to move from northern Cal to Joshua Tree, it was the trip from my house to Costco that settled it– – about a mile, and I could routinely sit in traffic 30 minutes to get there. I just didn’t want to do it anymore.

I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with Tony… Something has changed. He has been on his back for 30 days alone in that room. He’s lost close to 30 pounds and nearly lost his life. But those huge wounds have healed enough that he can start standing and walking and he may be able to come home next Saturday.  But it seems he’s used this time to think about life and about us – – he’s like born again.  I mean, he is full of resolutions and hopes, new plans, stars in his eyes.  He has asked me not to contact the nursing home with any complaints, but here was last night’s dinner.  230 pound grown man trying to heal…

PTRwrote:

Nice National resonator!  Do you know what year it is?  What's the neck material?  (Mine has identical paint job and has the original Bakelite neck, which makes it impossible to keep in tune.)

Thanks, it's been authenticated by National as a 1930 Triolian, serial number is 46W.

Not a bakelite neck. 

Tad,

I'm not sure what a resonator is, but that setup looks like a dream fulfilled.

Kris,

I'm curious why the leash for the dog in such wide open spaces? Maybe it's the dog you're concerned about and not the spaces?

And Lori,

I think we're all just happy that Tony is making progress.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

WOW! you folks live in a different world.  Its an hr drive to NH from my place just to go to Home Depot... 

Home Depot, Costco, etc. are a 2-2.5 hour drive for me.  There is always Amazon for most of what I can't buy locally.  Can walk or ride my bike to local stores.  Do have to go to Boise for hardwoods for furniture building.  But, when I lived in Connecticut did have to drive 4.5 hours to Killington every weekend.  Now my ski area is just 15 minutes away. 

Lori Milaswrote:

I spent a lot of time driving in traffic in my life and sometimes it was wonderful. When KLOS was a thing it offered great morning listening, especially Mark and Brian. I played for Tony some old shows of theirs and they are still hysterical.  It was a sad day when Howard Stern came to LA to destroy Mark and Brian. He held a huge parade on Wilshire Boulevard (I think it was) and made a big event of taking them down.  Does anyone remember?

First time I lived in LA.

I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with Tony… Something has changed. He has been on his back for 30 days alone in that room. He’s lost close to 30 pounds and nearly lost his life. But those huge wounds have healed enough that he can start standing and walking and he may be able to come home next Saturday.  But it seems he’s used this time to think about life and about us – – he’s like born again.  I mean, he is full of resolutions and hopes, new plans, stars in his eyes.  He has asked me not to contact the nursing home with any complaints, but here was last night’s dinner.  230 pound grown man trying to heal…

Having been a 230 pound man 3 years ago, that looks like horrid “lose some weight food” to me.   

At least he seems cheerful, and recovering.   

Idaho Bob, that sounds more my style.. 

Li Huwrote:

First time I lived in LA.

Having been a 230 pound man 3 years ago, that looks like horrid “lose some weight food” to me.   

At least he seems cheerful, and recovering.   

It would be interesting to know what the goal is with the dietician.

Glad he seems to be doing better.

T Hockingwrote:

Kris, the house is looking good and I'm enjoying watching the progress.

If I'm not mistaken, you work/ed in the recording industry,  is the new house going to have a dedicated sound studio?

I'm a musician and once our daughter flew the nest I converted her bedroom into a small rudimentary DAW studio.

Those are some fine instruments there!

I retired from any serious work in 2007, largely due to a neurological crisis that also shut down my climbing. All of that is much better now. I have some editing software on my computer and do an occasional editing job for old clients, and I've done a few consulting gigs for people building studios, but mostly I'm out of it. Here are a couple pics from my old office at FutureDisc Mastering...

@Brad Young, He's on a leash because there's a small herd of a dozen or so pronghorn antelopes across the lake, and if let loose he'd tear ass after them and run 'till he dropped. He's nuts like that, it's a terrier thing.

K Mwrote:

It would be interesting to know what the goal is with the dietician.

Having known some hospital nutritionists, guessing tortuous weight loss…  

Lori- happy to know Tony is improving, some.

Is one of his decisions to take up climbing?
If so this thread is going to get really exciting.

Kris… house is really shaping up.

TAD …. Didn’t know you played. I can sort of but I quit- for the good of music.

We all live somewhere- I personally think Moorpark is perfect, except it’s in California.
But that’s just Me.

I went and watched the Motels the other evening. Normally I have no interest is seeing “old bands” - I prefer to have great memories of young rockstars being juveniles.
I last saw Martha Davis at some club in LA, she was wearing a thong and whipped cream! Made quite an impression on me. I am happy to say she was impressive Saturday night. No thong, but she still has pipes, moves around with grace and because she is 16 years sober is pretty clear headed. She delivered a short monologue between each song. They were very insightful and interesting.

Later all.

Kristian Solemwrote:

Those are some fine instruments there!

I retired from any serious work in 2007, largely due to a neurological crisis that also shut down my climbing. All of that is much better now. I have some editing software on my computer and do an occasional editing job for old clients, and I've done a few consulting gigs for people building studios, but mostly I'm out of it. Here are a couple pics from my old office at FutureDisc Mastering...

Thanks Kris,

 So, you did editing and mastering for FutureDisc, Nice!

One of the bands I was in made a self-recorded/produced album then had it mastered and duplicated at Disc Makers in 2008.

 The studio looks cool and was probably state of the art at the time, you using Pro Tools then? now?

I'm using and still learning Waveform version12 DAW, and at times it gives me fits.   

You play any instruments yourself?

Guy,

 Yeah, I'm primarily a bassist, did the weekend warrior thing for 20+ years playing in rock and blues bands on the NorCal club circuit.

Too old for that lifestyle now but I still get together with old bandmate friends to jam and have fun.  

Play guitar and 5 string banjo some also.

My advice to you is to keep playing as long as it FUN!      

I had the most wonderful day climbing today. Went out for the third time on the new route. I have most of the first half worked out but for 3 or 4 feet of difficulty that I cannot yet do.  

I was paying close attention as I got higher up, trying to figure out why it got so difficult – – were the moves beyond me or was I feeling fearful? Actually, both. It feels unsettling to not have my feet underneath me, a and I want to protect my knees and my groin. Also, it takes so much concentration to keep pressure on both walls at all times.  If I am distracted for a moment, I lose my footing.

I am enchanted by this route. It takes a lot of soul to move on this particular rock. Bob has been an incredible coach. Diabetes and a very painful right knee have added to this challenge. I just feel so lucky to be able to be out here doing something I love.

The chimney part goes well

The wider this stem got the more wonky it felt. It made me nervous.

I was in enough pain afterwards that I got right over to the chiropractor. He explained that it is “something something fibula” and “Lori if you’re going to do this crazy stuff you have to think like an athlete, be willing to do Rehab and specific strength training..“ He drafted a plan for me. Very exciting.

—-

The diet prescribed for Tony by his doctor was “unrestricted high protein, high calorie“. He was also to have a dairy free protein shake with two meals per day. That has never happened. Tony has lost a great deal of muscle. I can understand why he does not want to make waves, but there are very old and feeble people being fed the same thing. There are rigorous state mandates for feeding patients in a nursing home. This doesn’t come close. 

On our way out, Bob pointed out this rock and mentioned the fact that our dear Kris Solem did the first ascent. The closer we got the more baffling it was how anyone could climb this rock.

KRIS, i’m really hoping you have a story to tell about this and maybe even some pictures?

Lori Milaswrote:

Nice photos of you on your route!

I'll share this one from today:

I was very proud of my color coordination before going for a walk with my husband.  It was another spectacular SoCal day - 75 and sunny!