2008 [PART 2] and the Coffee Pot is still on and now 4 years old. Here we gather as friends with trains. Sweet ice tea too.

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill....

It is a sunny 65 degrees. Going up to 90 today, wih sunshine.

Today, I am busy. Need to mow the back grass and do some trimming. Grass is growing slower now, with the dry spell. Garden is growing like crazy. I'll be glad when we can get veggies from it. No train time today.

Dining car is here and ready for breakfast. Later.

Y'all have a great Thursday.

Chuck

[Anonymous]

Mornin' Fellas.

Had to go fill out employment paperwork last night afterwork. By the time I got home I was beat. Checked the mail and found an 'invoice' from DirecTV. They are attempting to blackmail me for $96.95. All charges AFTER my service was disconnected. What a bunch of bottom feeding, scum sucking, low life non-oxygen breathing, no intelligence having, emotionless, borg-like, idiots! Spent ANOTHER hour on the phone with their B R I L L I A N T service reps, they are so friggin cheep they don't have one single supervisor who knows how to talk on a phone (they are all walking the floor - yeah right! their 'floor' is probably 10 - 20 cubicles, probably getting it on in the janitor's closet). Anyway I told them since they decided to charge my account AFTER it was closed, that constituted BLACKMAIL and told them they would be hearing from my lawyer. 'Sorry for the confusion Mr L, we'll send this over to 'Advanced Customer Care' to have the charges reversed... 20 minutes later... 'Hello Mr L, how can we help you?' 20 minutes later 'We are sorry for the inconvenience, you should receive a final notice in 10 - 14 days indicating that your account has a zero balance.' That dish on top of my house is coming down this weekend, going into the back woods, and getting blasted!!!!!

Got the crown molding painted last night. Ready to hang tonight. Then I guess I'll get the wood filler sanded so Susie-Q can paint the trim. Then I guess while she is doing that, I'll stain the deck. Get all that done tonight, then tomorrow I can move the 4 ton picnic table back onto the correct side of the deck, move the 'shrine' back (aka gas grill), and that will be 1 project off the 'list'. Then tomorrow night I'll move the electrical for the toilet room fan and light. This weekend I'll get the wall patched and painted in the toilet room, touch up the walls in the bathroom, and then help Susie-Q paint the master bedroom (for the second time). Then next week after work I'll try and get the kitchen and family room ceilings and trim painted.

Almost forgot - IT'S FRIDAY EVE!!!! Tomorrow = Friday AND 'The Dark Knight' opens... have to attend the viewing before going home and doing any work.

[fifedog]

Mornin' boys.  Mornin' English.  Sunny & 72 here in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Lots to do, lots to do...

88 - Be sure to stop and smell the PROTO-SMOKE, my friend.  And stop postin' your honey-do list on the COFFEE POT...fifey's-wifey peeps in from time-to-time.

RockIsland - His ROYAL HIGHNESS may have lost 20lbs, but judging from his menu , it found him... Oh, and heating my house shall be just as painfull this year thanks to oil speculators and BGE deregulation.

Dougnottagrump - I was once one of those NMRA rivet-counters until my son was born.

Oh, and on the topic of BIG "L" returning stateside, I wunder if they will invite all the UAW workers that they "divested" themselves from, to return to the fold.  Or will the trains be "foreign" made...hmmm...? 

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

IIABSDISEI with temps and humidity in the 90s.  Yesterday was almost as good as it gets.  First off, Sarah Fisher, the "real" female racer in the IRL, announced a two race Dollar General sponsorship for Kentucky and Chicago (we will be at the Kentucky race).  I arrive home and the last Lionel Classics car I needed for my collection was waiting for me.  I ask if anybody checked the regular mail and no one had.  I get it and see a letter for Lucas from the IU foundation.  It was thin so I thought it was a rejection letter on the scholarship, but it is not!  With that piece of the puzzle in place, Lucas basically has all of his first year costs covered!  Woo-hoo!  Of course, as Lucas phrased it, he had to give up his left ---------- to pay for college :-)  And we had a soccer game.  We lost 3-1 on some questionable officiating, but we had a good time and I was still standing at the end of the game.  Work was busy but went well yesterday so it was a very good day.  I had the usual fare on the dining car this morning.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[kpolak]

  What a bunch of bottom feeding, scum sucking, low life non-oxygen breathing, no intelligence having, emotionless, borg-like, idiots!

Don't hold back Brent....let it all out.  Hey wait a minute.... borg-like....I think that may be complimentary.

[Anonymous]

88 - Be sure to stop and smell the PROTO-SMOKE, my friend.  And stop postin' your honey-do list on the COFFEE POT...fifey's-wifey peeps in from time-to-time.

Oh, and on the topic of BIG "L" returning stateside, I wunder if they will invite all the UAW workers that they "divested" themselves from, to return to the fold.  Or will the trains be "foreign" made...hmmm...?

I certainly hope not. While I respect the Unions for breaking up the sweatshops and increasing worker safety, etc. They have become a burden on our society as of late, and whether they admit it or not they are part of the reason why companies are offshoring much of the labor in this country. But I'm digressing into the nebulous political realm here, so I'll end it.

As for the Honey-Do-List. These are the last remaining items that we wanted to get done before her sorority sisters and their spouses come over in a couple weeks. The last remaining item to get done before winter is completing the shed... yeah the shed... Not like there is much left to do on it, just need to 'motivate' myself to get it done.

And yes I do need to get into the trainroom to get things organized before the afore mentioned people show up.

  What a bunch of bottom feeding, scum sucking, low life non-oxygen breathing, no intelligence having, emotionless, borg-like, idiots!

Don't hold back Brent....let it all out.  Hey wait a minute.... borg-like....I think that may be complimentary.

[laz 57]

Hi GIZ,

  Was a nice 65 at 545 this morning and got my 3 miler in.  Now gotta go mow grass before big heat sets in.  To get to 93?  Maybe GOLF against BROTHER?  But if to hot we'll bag it today and just go out and drink beer and have wings tonite.  Oh yea, today is first day o British Open or as the Brits call it THE OPEN.  Watch it later today.  Also got my first tomatoes and beans and kolorhibis today out of the yarden.  Good eats!  Got done with my two in service classes yesterday.  At least it was in the AC.

  Watched a good special on ESPN about Yankee Stadium.  Pretty good.

  BRUTUS, YOU DA MAN with DA TARDISstop by at WAYNEs tonite and I'll buy all aboard a frosty YUENGLING BEER.

  HAPPY FRIDAY EVE!

  B good or B gone,

laz57

[sir james I]

GOOD MORNING

Storms went through here last nite but the worst missed us. My Maxwell House rain gage showed about 1/2 inch. Morning news says about 20,000 without power. Thats why I dropped the mower blade one notch(keeps raining)but thats ok. Usually set at three inches for hot weather. No trains will run here today, other activitys planned. Everyone stay cool man.  S.J.

[cnw1995]

Morning all. Hot and sunny here in Crystal Lake like elsewhere I guess. Jack, that elec. plan sounds amusing. I can see the rationale for encouraging non-peak use - it's the caveat that allows Com-Ed to turn off the a/c at 3 pm on the hottest day of the year that I wouldn't like. LOL. I am in a blissful season of life where I have enough teens for them to cut the grass... though they cut it too short and do a half-baked job of it, at least I don't have to do it.

I think John Baker's Honda is called the Fit here in the US - but with a bigger engine. I'm happy with our squirrel-powered Yaris - just got to keep feeding them nuts.

[anjdevil2]

Mornin' Boys, here &'cross the pond!

 Brent - Good luck on the new employ..sounds good, bennies must've been ok

Watched the WeatherScan this AM, saw an interesting circular pattern off the coast...Rain & sun all day today 87F 97% Humidity today  again....

Monday when to Waycross, GA and on the way back, stopped the Folkston Funnel.  Nice place, got a couple of pictures, spent an hour there for lunch.  I'll try to post on SPF!!

My wife dosen't see this, so Brent, just go right on...I'll live vicarioulsy through you By the By, I just bought an Oreck XL and the SuperDuper portible vacs...the portible lifts the electrons right outta the socket!! Neat stuff (yes, I and I alone vacuum the house.  If you want it done right...)  Dish---a small nuclear device works well

Picked up a Gold Members 100th anniversary Lionel Box car in a nice case with catalogs and LRRC  flyer from year 2000.  THAT'll never see track time...(a first for moi!)

Chief, glad u r ok...hate to loose ya 'cause the the straw that stirs the drick (Reggie Jackson)

Ok, between work and old age, I forget what else is goin on, so see ya later

[ChiefEagles]

Morning from the Toyota dealership.  Veggies delivered to two Dr.s.  Blood drown. 

Rock, wish I had lost some weight as fasted twice this week.  Think I made up for it as soon as I could get to a food place.  Well, not here as they only give you pasteries and Starbucks.  Internet is wireless and free.

Fifey-wifey, I cooked big meal yesterday and invited In-laws.  Vacumed too.  Put him to work.

Chuck, seaking of mowing, did not get any done yesterday.  Spent too much time at Town Hall.  Will go to Town Hall as soon as I leave here.  Then head home to mow and spray.

Guess Buckeye died as he has not posted lately.

Brent, does Susie-Q = Susie Queen?  Pamy-Q = Pam the Queen.    

Got an hour or so to kill here.  [MS has 9 updates!!!]

Later.   

[Anonymous]

Guess Buckeye died as he has not posted lately.

Brent, does Susie-Q = Susie Queen?  Pamy-Q = Pam the Queen.    

Buckeye - haven't heard from since he returned from San Fransisco... maybe he brought back too much Opus One?

Thanks Chief - now I won't be on the boards at night for at least a week (that way SHE doesn't see this.) 

[RockIsland52]

Good mornin, y'all, over here/over there (WWI song for the youngsters ),

Oppressive heat (low to mid 90s) and high humidity on tap for the next few days.  May split front and back mowing into 2 days though I hate getting overheated twice.  Good beer excuse, though.    That's why Chuck and SirJames are so smart and I listen to them. 

3,000 gallon kiddie pool still slightly cloudy but almost "there" this am, nuked it with Shock again (tests for low chlorine still!  used new test strips.).  Added another dose of clarifier and cleaned filter again.  Don't know how cloudiness is still possible with all I put in....chlorine, stabilizer, and clarifier.  Test strips say water is perfect as to ph, alkalinity, water hardness, and trace metals.  Dogs must be tinkling in pool.   Or you guys have been Tardissing by when I'm asleep and doing the same.  Use the tree if you must.

Been waiting since last Friday for SIL to drop off new pool cartridge type filters (hard to get size) with 4 daily reminders to which the response is "Forgot, forgot, forgot, and forgot."  Have to clean carefully (paper based, fragile) the only and last one I have with running water and a toothbrush. 

JohnBakeer.....good to hear from you again for the "over there" perspective we don't get much of from our media (, too political?).  Why so much beer Americans drink is so bland vs. yours: custom/habit/cost, female demographic, and everyone except the dogs are on diets (light beer).  Re the $5,000 projected average heating bill for the coming winter: "average" house in square feet wasn't defined nor was the heating fuel cost and type (oil, natural gas, electric), though the $5,000 figure sounds about 25% high to me based on heating oil prices, unsure about natural gas or electric heat.  Open floor plans seem to be the current "style" order of the day and vaulted ceilings, so you have a tough time isolating parts of the home you want to heat or cool.  $600 per year in metered water and sewer for me with little outdoor use.  As stated in an earlier post, my monthly electric bill July 8 was $190 due to heavy a/c use....nuclear energy is about 4th on the list of "fuels used in the US to produce electricity.

Brent....started to really annoy wifey last night by reading out loud over her shoulder some of her cheap trashy romance novel.  Sounds like from your DirecTV diatribe you should skip that new job and start writing cheap trashy romance novels.    Your adjectival string was incomparable.  Borrow Laz' SOCOM and ammo on next Tardis trip to remove DirecTV dish from roof, ladders are too dangerous.

MikeC.... on Lucas' scholarship score.  He earned it, and you helped get him there. Tell him not to worry about the left t----cle he thinks is donating to the cause and to start paying attention to the body parts the parents sacrificed to get him to this point, he too may be a parent one day.

DougM....FIL hasn't had his electric "in" reduced during peak time yet, and they give you advanced warning by phone and email of the event.  Somehow they have it hooked up so that only a/c is impacted, don't ask me how.  I'll find out.

Chief....as I noted earlier, "PAM" in my house is another name for "Atilless," female for Atilla.    My wife prefers "Princess."  Glad the plumbing accepted reintroduction of food without an issue, though after reading what you ate I cannot see how.

Later, guys

Jack

[fifedog]

Chief - I can't light a fire big enuff under him...

Hey, boys, be sure to check out my photos on TCA CONVENTION photo thread.

Kelly (aka fifey wifey)

[Roger Bielen]

This morning I had been cutting up the trunks of a couple of pine trees I had taken down last week and worked up quite a sweat, since the cover was off the pool I jumped in to cool down and clean up.  As I was swimming laps I happened to look over to the edge of the woods and there are two young deer, twins with the spots, standing there trying to figure out what the noise was and what was that head without a body looking at them.

It must be time for the does to start bringing out the young-uns, this past week we've had two does with twins visiting the front lawn in the early evening.  Mom eats the corn we put down while somebody is always pestering to nurse.

[cnw1995]

Jack, I believe the electric co. installs something outside the A/C unit itself if you agree. We have a pay-monthly plan for heat (NG) - I est. should be $1700 this next year (better than paying the bulk of that over just 4 mo.) Every Hot summer day, I am thankful for A/C, grew up without it - still think it's a luxury. ;)

[RockIsland52]

DougM.....you're right.  His electric provider installed "something" on his central air unit outside.  But FIL isn't sure what, and how they switch his a/c off and then back on.  He thinks that is all he would lose temporarily.  And he's been on the program for nearly a year and it hasn't happened....yet.

Jack

[Brutus]

Jim/Brutus....what's the local skinny on the Anheiser Busch acquisition by a European concern?

Hi Jack, well - it's a done deal.  The board was basically cut out and there will be two member positions on Inbev, including Busch, I heard.  They had a plan in place to cut a bunch of jobs through buy-outs etc, and that will go forward, but it will be expanded a lot.  Local people and union are trying to fight without boycotting, so that's a losing hand anyway.  Apparently $65 a share was a joke, but $70 was a good deal?  I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I think that this will hurt a lot of people while enriching only a relatively few people.  Sometimes, good business isn't good business, and I suspect that this is one of those times.

Mike - congrats on the scholarship!  Laz, I'll take an ice-cold one too!  Kurt - I can't wait to see your work on the scratch-built cars!  Borg-like!  Borg-rejects, maybe?  88 - hope you can get some satisfaction on this deal!  Doug, I don't think my kids will ever cut my yard.  I bought a light-weight trimmer so my son could just do the trim work, and to date he has never used it   Roger, that's cool - does by the pool!  Personally, I think that I read that CA was selling power out of state when they were having those brown-outs a few years back?  Is that right, DougDG or Don?  Time for some algae farms!  Power to the People!    Sir James left a key here so I can get at his banilla, not sure if we will catch him tonight - who's up for a ride?  Maybe we can break the sound barrier on the way to pick up Laz move some more storms over?!

[Buckeye Riveter]

The Buckeye computer meltdown had a major meltdown.  I think it caught something while I was in California.  Three programs removed, hard drives scaned and rescanned, virus protection fixed, updated and ran again and again.  Sometimes email would work, than seconds later it would freeze the whole computer.

Chief, what is or was wrong with you?  Grits and the heat are a bad combination.

TGIF.....but tomorrow I get paid to play golf.  Of course it is to be 93 degrees.

 

A little photo of California

[cheapclassics]

Good evening all,

Fire up the Tardis and bring some brewskis!  No soccer tonight.  Took the granddaughter out to the county fair.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[kpolak]

Brutus:  I'm in!  Probably some Sammies instead of that AB stuff...sounds like AB is going to have a bad taste to it.

Big day of bike riding for the 3-yo.  I was able to ride too, with 1-yo in trailer.  3-yo made it about 1/2 mile!

[dougdagrump]

The Buckeye computer meltdown had a major meltdown.  I think it caught something while I was in California.  

 

 

A little photo of California

Buckeye, I have to wait and post later, after I have gotten rid of all the one-liners that popped into my mind. After all, you were in San Francisco.......

[dwiemer]

Good evening everyone!  Hope y'all have been behaving lately.  Fife, great shots on the trip. 

Chief, glad things worked out for you.  Have been especially busy on top of being short staffed.  In all this, I am supposed to work interviews in on candidates for the position.  Did have a nice dinner with family.  We went for some good old Southern Pulled Pork BBQ.  Topped it off with some cheese grits!

Feeling old these days and tired.  Will check in again soon.  Getting ready for trip to New Jersey.  Rich, let me know if you have any plans to head up.  Anyone else in proximity to the Jersey Shore (Manasquan), give me a shout.  Perhaps we can catch up.

God Bless,

Dennis

[anjdevil2]

Dennis,

Love to be there, especially since Pinks All Out is at Englishtown on the 26th, but work has me chained down here.  Miss the shore this time of year.  Seaside's the place to be!!!

Looks like Sunday we'll be heading to the Swap Meet and get rid of some of my car parts.  Need the extra cash to complete the '73 Satellite project (yeah, great, another project I need).  Couldn't sell the cars on e-bay so, I'm forced to build.

See ya tomorrow!

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Evening all from hot Southern Ohio

Just finished dayshift and I am off till next Thursday nightshift.  It looks like it will be a busy time off.  Picking up the truck from the body shop where I had some work done tomorrow and meet with the Deaconate Director for my evaluation.  I received my grades from last quarter, an A in Wisdom literature and a B in Catholic Social teaching.  Yard work chipping up tree branches where I had a few trees cut out at my MIL and daughter's place, and the catch up on grass activity.

I won a Paanache airbrush on ebay.  I am looking forward to getting it and doing some painting with it. 

Anjdevil2- A shelf queen!  What is the world coming to?  What is next, me buying a Lionel?

Fife-Nice pics of your vacation.  If you and Kelly are ever down our way, swing by!

Brent- I can identify with finishing up a project.  I need to get the soffits installed and the garage addition painted.

Congrats on you all getting veggies.  We're still a couple weeks out as we got ours out late.

All take care and may God bless

Jim

[ChiefEagles]

Tomato sandwich [plenty of Dukes mayo and salt and pepper] eaten and then popcorn.  Mowing was done and spraying too.  Watching TV.  Want to wire a switch to my sawmill siding in back room.  Perfect place to park the Big Boy.  Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.

[Brutus]

Thanks Chief - that gave me a little flashback, my Nana (grandma) used to say that every night after prayers.  Sleep tight, man.

[kpolak]

Thanks Chief - that gave me a little flashback, my Nana (grandma) used to say that every night after prayers.  Sleep tight, man.

I used to say that to my 3-yo...now she beats me to it, followed by not the big ones or little ones...

Kurt

[mitchelr]

Morning Folks,

Been a few days (weeks) since I posted.  Our life here has been pretty bizarre. Work on opneing the school is going well but professional development meetings for the staff have been very time consuming. 

Our son had to move out of his apartment, bad timing finding a new plac, no job yet and about 3 weeks until thesis needs to be finished. Made more trips to Baltimore/DC area than I care about.  Good thing we are getting 5% cash back on gasoline when using our Discover card. Last night he called with a major computer problem. Something about installing a Java update messed up the software he was using and how he was going to have to do a complete Windows and software package reinstall, etc.,  taking up to 5 hours to complete. 5 hours he should be working on data analysis.  What a mess. He finished his internship last Friday. During insternship he really did not have much time to work on thesis. Between internship and part-time job he was putting in 14/16 hour days for the last 7 weeks. Now that he has time the computer messes up.  One of the many reasons to hate Windows, one little update of a component (Java) causes the software to be inoperable and of course uninstall and reinstall of the older version of Java doesn't work because the software package he is using had a "special version" of Java or some such thing. UGH! The kid really can't catch a break.

Well enough of my ranting.  Hope everyone has a great day.

Mitch

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill....

It is a foggy 65 degrees. Going up to 90 today, with sunshine.

Today is a less busy day. I have a few errands to run and the usual chores around the house. Then, I will have some time to myself. I want to spend a few hours in the train room. Need to relax.

Buckeye...Have a good time golfing. Don't get sweaty.

Dining car has arrived and it's time for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Friday.

Chuck