Happy birthday Big Boy!

[Anonymous]

Elliot:

A very happy birthday to you! Keep on truckin'! [:)][:D][8D]

Tony

[Anonymous]

Happy Birthday Elliot!!!!

[Big_Boy_4005]

Thanks guys. On Tuesday morning I will have completed my 43rd trip around the Sun.

My mother told me that for my first Thanksgiving she had dressed me in an outfit with a train on it, and things were never the same after that. [swg]

[Anonymous]

May all your birthdays be joyous! Eat some cake for me!

[spankybird]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIOT

[bday] [bday] [bday] [bday] [bday] [bday] [bday]

I wish I was so young.

God Speed

tom

[Jim Duda]

Hey Professor - How 'bout giving US a birthday present and finishing that damn colossus in your basement on your 44th birthday??? Man, that would be the Mutha of all B-day presents!!!

dooodaaah

[cnw1995]

Happy Birthday to a great forum buddy - btw, my 41st birthday was the 14th.

[FJ and G]

Jim Duda has the right idea; keep us posted on your layout work. Any other famous people born today besides yourself?

dav

[daan]

Happy birthday! What did you get as birthday presents? Something trainy? Have a nice ride through your next year.

[ChiefEagles]

Happy Birthday and thanks for all your help. [bday][bday][bday]

[Big_Boy_4005]

Thanks again guys.

For all of you Pope fans out there, today is also John Paul II's birthday, but he's a little older, and perhaps not as big a train lover as I am. Also this day in history, Mount St Helen's erupted, back in 1980.

As for presents and cake, both are doubtful, but my kids made me a nice poster, and woke me up just to show it to me. Then I let them make me breakfast. We had burnt cinnamon rolls.[dinner][sigh][swg] It's the thought that counts!

I think I have finally recovered from turning 40, and it only took 3 years and a divorce, not bad all things considered. Yes, I need to get my butt back in gear on that layout. Next year may be rushing things a bit. Perhaps finishing the benchwork and making a few trains go would be more realistc for this year.

I've said this a few times before, but everyone is welcome to visit anytime, just let me know if you are coming to town. Of course there is no guarentee as to what condition the layout will be in on any given day.[swg]

[Buckeye Riveter]

From all of the gang in Roger's Corners, Ohio - Elev. 936 feet

[:)][8D][:I][:p][}:)][;)][:o)][B)][8][:(][8)][:0][:(!][xx(][|)][:X][^][V][:(][:O][8)][|)][:)][:P][;)][alien]
[angel][*^_^*][banghead][X-)][bow][4:-)][censored][C=:-)][%-)][C):-)][dinner][D)][|(]
[bday][bday][bday][bday]
[{(-_-)}][(-D][:-,][2c][oops][oX)][sigh][#ditto][#dots]
[#offtopic][#oops][#welcome][#wstupid][swg][soapbox][tdn][tup][:-^][wow][yeah][zzz]


Happy 43rd Birthday !!!

[Anonymous]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY did you get anything you want to share with us

[bday]

[Anonymous]

A Music City Happy Birthday to you, Elliott. Hope the burnt cinnamon rolls went down OK [C=:-)]. I know all the forum posters enjoy the layout insights you share. Keep it up.

And Doug Murphy, sorry we missed yours. Hope it was a happy one [:)].

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scratch b rules

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY did you get anything you want to share with us

[bday]

As a matter of fact I did. I don't have a job these days, this is by choice, not because I can't find one. Normally I spend most of my time at home, but today I decided to treat my self to a couple of hours down by the tracks, at my favorite hot spot. Of course I took my camera. The weather was perfect!!!

What an interesting bunch of things I saw.

First of all, there was a track crew building a switch. This is the third of four that will soon be installed. The first two are stacked at the left of the photo. It is really cool to see the way they build a switch these days. Spikes are a thing of the past. By the way, this crew works for the CP.



While I was watching these guys scratch their heads over the switch construction, along came this rather strange looking arrangement. It took me a minute to see what they were doing. Yes, they are spreading ballast. Later a special piece of equipment will come along and lift and shake the track, allowing the ballast to get under the ties. This crew works for the BNSF.



While all of this was going on, regular freight traffic was going by on the middle tracks which are the two mains. For the longest time, there was a UP freight waiting to enter the yard. It just sat about a half mile up the track waiting. Finally it pulled up, and stopped. One small problem, it sat there on the yard lead blocking my view of the mains while 3 other trains went by.[}:)][:p]



This area will be a part of my railroad. What a fun way to spend a couple of hours, doing "research", on such a nice day. I just hope I didn't burn my scalp standing in the sun. It feels kind of "toasty".[swg]

[eZAK]

Happy Happy

[bday]

Keep a hat on Elliot! [:)]
And (as Yogie once said) "If the phone rings once, it's me"

[Anonymous]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope it was a good one!!!!!!!!!!!

[Big_Boy_4005]

Yes it was, thank you Sask. Big Girl and I went out to dinner late last night at a local Mexican restaurant. I only had one drink, but it was the biggest one I've ever had in my life. About a one liter Raspberry Margarita. I wanted strawberry, but the women at the next table drank them all.

As I sat there wondering if I would finish it, or it would finish me, I realized that the last time I had had that much to drink was 25 years ago on my 18th birthday. I guess I'm not much of a drinker.

Driving home after that was probably a less than responsible thing to do. We had discussed the possibility of a cab over dinner, but when I stood up, and the room didn't spin I figured I could make the short trip along the back roads. Actually, given all of the specifics including my body size and dinner, I suspect I was still under the legal limit in spite of the amount of cheap booze in the drink.

Every once in a while we get away with doing something we shouldn't do. I haven't exercised that too many times in 43 years, so the law of averages will just have to wait to catch up with me. The secret is I don't give it any opportunities under "normal" circumstances.

As long as I'm confessing stupidity, I actually had a hat in the truck, and almost put it on, twice. My scalp isn't too bad, my remaining hair gave me some protection, but now I'm a "RED NECK".[swg]

P.S. This is my 1900th post.

[Anonymous]

Elliot:

As a student of math & science, and someone who actually did his fair share of statistical analyses while working for a consulting company 20 years ago, I just have one thing to say: There is no such thing as "the law of averages."

That's why most people who play the lottery regularly for years never win, and why someone who plays for the first time can win. It's all just random luck.

At any rate, glad you had a good time & didn't get into trouble.

Tony