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.

[SPMan]

Congratulations to Buckeye and Chief.  5000 and 9000 post! Wow! I thought I was doing good just getting past my first 100.  I am not new to CTT.  I have every issue since day one but I am fairly new at posting on the forum compared to you old heads.  Love the pictures which give me a better idea of what you guys look like compared with the thumbnails.  I assume those pictures were taken at York or someplace where you all went at the same time.  Waiting for our rain to end so I can do something outside again.  My train layout is in a detached garage and I have'nt been out there for a couple of days account too cold and rainy.  We do have snow here in Southern California too.  It's on top of the mountains.  Nice to look at from down below and you don't have to shovel it.  I do miss seeing the snow fall but glad I don't have to live in it anymore.  Have a good day y'all and don't eat too many grits.

 

Ray

[GregM]

Here is the info on the IE patch.

 

Security Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP (KB960714)
Date last published: 12/17/2008
Download size: 2.4 MB 
Security issues have been identified that could allow an attacker to compromise a system running Microsoft Internet Explorer and gain control over it. You can help protect your system by installing this update from Microsoft. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

[dwiemer]

Well, it has been a crazy day.  Heart case was moved back a little so we could "tune 'em up" with some meds.  While waiting for that, had a trauma come in with a fractured liver...that is a bad thing to have.  Anyway, took care of all that and a bunch of other things am I tired!  Meanwhile, a nurse who used to work here had one of her friends bring in a American Flyer set for me to work on and try to get running again.  It was her father's and she'd like to have it for Christmas...may next.  The locomotive is a 300 AC.  Doesn't look too bad, I will lube it and check it out.  May be a easy fix.

Well, gotta run.  Hope everyone has a great day and Buckeye, even though you are from the North, I will say this with all sincerity.  "Congratulations on 5000 posts, it has been a lot of fun reading your posts and your contribution here has made this a better place", now can we resume the hostilities between north/south, (snow/sunshine and 80)?

God Bless,

dennis

[anjdevil2]

I live here, but I remain a Northern sympathiser.....I just like the weather here is all

[dougdagrump]

Normally I don't reference another site as I am doing here but since I know that all you guys try to put up a gruff irasible facid are actually just a marshmellow when it comes to kids. So check it out, send your card then come back and raise caine with me.

http://modeltrainjournal.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7390 

My apologies to the CTT staff, but what was said above also applies to me.

[fifedog]

Evenin' boys.  Evenin' English.  Thank you English.  

Chief - After such a milestone, let's have a Bawbwa Wawa moment...If you had to choose between the Coffee Pot, or GRITS, which would you decide...?

[ChiefEagles]

fifedog

Evenin' boys.  Evenin' English.  Thank you English.  

Chief - After such a milestone, let's have a Bawbwa Wawa moment...If you had to choose between the Coffee Pot, or GRITS, which would you decide...?

Wow, that is a hard one to make.  Now I started the "Pot" but had help from some still here and some that are not.  Grits date back from my tiny childhood.  The substance of the "Pot" and the substrance of GRITS are the same.  Both very healthy and thick.  Both warms your body.  Both are will make you feel as if you are in a great state of mind.  Now I leave you with that.

[as a great politician, I have talked all around the subject without giving a direct answer.  I am a typical two face politician as Mr. Apitz said.]

Wife and I are off to a free dinner at a new Italian restaurant up the street.  Something good about being a typical two faced politician, free meals. 

[cheapclassics]

Good evening all,

It was cloudy in SE Indiana all day today.  Depending on your point of view, my luck either ran out or held last night and today.  The roads were slicker than snot all the way home last night.  Did not get abouve 40 MPH at any point along the way home.  Saw several slide-offs and considered staying at some motel along the way.  Finally crawled into town after 6 PM (normally home at 5).   Did make it home in one piece.  Slept in a little later thinking the roads might be better after sunrise.  Saw that local school was closed.  This is a rare event and last occurred when I had my wreck earlier this year.  While debating whether to try to go in, my intestines voiced their opinion several times.  Decided to call in sick and slept past noon.  Congrats to Buckeye and the Chief on their post counts!  I did have the usual fare on the dining car.  I hope everyone has a good day.  No Tardis tonight (too many White Castles!)

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana 

[Anonymous]

Evenin' Fellas.

Well I hop onto the board for a few minutes and what do I find to my amazement?  Buckeye's wonderful 5,000th post... SusieQ is looking over my shoulder just as her pic appears... Then comes her 'favorite' non-family related picture and the obligatory 'Ahhhhh'.

Really need to get into the train room to paint some tunnel portals... and work on some foam rock formations... Fife I really could use some help/advice on the foam to rock transformation... my foam doesn't look much like rocks...

Found out that I have a big decision to make... seems my trigs are high as well as my cholestoral <sp> and I either have to modify my diet or go on meds... this really sucks. No more eating anything and everything I want. Also need to start an exercise program. I have 3 months to bring this all under control or its on the med route... wish me luck!

[cnw1995]

I'm there with you, Brent. Diet is so much easier to adjust if only trying something like Benifiber and cutting down on the 'bad but so good' stuff. Doc says diet could adjust your choles. 10-15%.

Wish I could talk like the Chief when it comes to crucial issues of the day like Pot verus Grits.

[jefelectric]

lionroar88

Found out that I have a big decision to make... seems my trigs are high as well as my cholestoral <sp> and I either have to modify my diet or go on meds... this really sucks. No more eating anything and everything I want. Also need to start an exercise program. I have 3 months to bring this all under control or its on the med route... wish me luck!

 

Brent, Your are to young for all that.   I have been on Cholestoral meds for about 25 years, have taken just about everything ever made.  Of course it didn't keep me from having bypass surgery 4 years ago.  Now on a combination of Tricor, Crestor, Fish Oil and Metamucil.  It seems to be working as Cholestoral is now down to low 200s, started out over 400 and also high triglycerides. They keep lowering the bar.  When I first started on meds they said if you get down to 300 that was OK, then 250, now they want you below 200.  I'll never make that.  Spending some time in the train room might bring it down as much as meds. 

[sir james I]

Good Evening All

I enjoy visiting the "POT", but the grits you can keep till spring, thats when we will need them for filling potholes. Weather stayed calm today at 27. But tomorrow nite the mess is expected to return, maybe worse than this morning. Shoot just snapped a candy cane in half and the pieces went everywhere.

Charlie how you doin?  better I hope.

Brutus banilla and christmas cookies are waiting...S.J.

[ChiefEagles]

lionroar88

Evenin' Fellas.


Found out that I have a big decision to make... seems my trigs are high as well as my cholestoral <sp> and I either have to modify my diet or go on meds... this really sucks. No more eating anything and everything I want. Also need to start an exercise program. I have 3 months to bring this all under control or its on the med route... wish me luck!

88, this is NO joke.  Eat grits without real butter but some butter substitute.  Will drop that bad  cholesterol. [Who tought you how to spell?  Been waiting for that.  Owed you one from way back when you cut me on my spelling]   I do not eat grits much in the summer and my bad cholesterol goes up.  When winter comes, it is a good warm breakfast and my bad cholesterol drops.  Now I have added a 1 1/2 mile walk per day [not a stroll but a good fast walk].  Went to Dr. yesterday and my BP was way low.  Can't seem to lose weight though [too many free meals].  Dr. said it takes about 3 months of steady exercise to make the weight start dropping off.  Interesting.

Pam and I went buying for the needy family of 4 kids with single Mom.  We took the boy who likes trains and race cars.  Pam bought a battery operated train.  Just looked at it and it seems to be O gauge [trucks look like Lionel or MTH plastic trucks].  Called my expert buddy, Doug M, in Chicago.  He said battery operated trains were pretty good.  It is a CAT train with flat with CAT front end loader and other cars.  I was going to buy him a Pensy Flier or Santa Fe set.  Pam thought 9 was too young to put it together and maintain an electric train.  She did not know my Uncle showed me how to put my Lionel set together when I was 6.  Did it all buy myself when I got home.  Remebered what he said and how he did it.  Then I studied orange book that came with it to maintain and lube it.  Then picked him up a RC race car [not a high $$ one] and a pack of 6 Hot Wheels.  We seem to be getting a good response from all the folks Pam and I have asked. 

No popcorn as we had LOTS of food tonight.  I had stuffed mushroom for starters.  Then salad.  Then a big bowl/plate of seafood portofcini [now I can't spell and neither can spell check].  Lots of SWEET ICE TEA.  

Dennis, you are excused from making good comments to Buckeye.  I did not on the "Pot".  sent him an email so I would not be on CTT record of being nice to a Yankee.

Good night  Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite. 

 

PS: Kurt, I think Becca and Trish might be getting a message from Santa on the answering machine tomorrow.  Keep and ear out.

[Brutus]

Yummy, I love that banilla!  Brent - good luck, hope the diet works!  So far my bad's have been good but they always want me to increase my good lipids.  Watching dvr of the new train show - Amtrak Empire Builder.  So far, he's a little lower key, I think?

 Also won a couple prewar cars for the new locomotive - a gon and a hopper.  I'm gonna do what someone else did (Doug or John or both?) and put candy in them :)

I need a brake for the hopper, it looks like.  I wonder if Jeff has them?

[Brutus]

Chief - you do know that Santa is from up NORTH, right? 

Beacons on the screen, so I'm headed out - ttfn!

[dougdagrump]

Brent, 

If you can start bringing it down with diet AND exercise that is the way to do it. Mine were way up and the doc put me on pills to bring 'em down, but after about three weeks of sleeping very late then falling asleep b4 dinner I declined further use of the pills. Instead I started eating grilled boneless skinless chicken, no red meats and no more half&half in the coffee now I use fat free half&half. The only place where I drew the line was real Italian sausage, none of that turkey stuff. The turkey is lower in the bad stuffs but higher in fat content. And as Chief said lots of walking, I was doing about 7and1/2 miles a day three days a week. Over about a month I took off a little over 100 . 

[kpolak]

Morning all!

Brent:  I'm on the meds too...

Chief:  Thanks!

Found a system of paints that get me to the track weathering I was looking for.  I'm using a variety of Floquil base colors, Grimy Black, Rail Brown, Red Oxide, applied randomly around the tracks, and top coating liberally with Rust.  The paint running down the sides of the rails gives a nice varied effect.  I'll post some pics later today.  I'll go back thru with some additional ink/alcohol washes, and weathering powders after I finish painting the rest of the track.  I'm planning for the sidings to get a Rust base and a topcoat of Red Oxide, to make it look less used.

Well had baby sitter in place so I could get to final dress rehersal, with plenty of time to get things ironed out!  Oh...so you want the band over there now...uh, ok...more instruments....k.  So you moved the snake, and the band half of the board needs to be redone...ok.  Hey, the risers are in a different location...ya, I guess lights will need to move...Hey the snake for the band isn't working...(I'm down front, trying to get the band to work, and the music is starting...)  I guess I better leave the rest of the band unplugged, and get to the board...whattanight.  I need to go back Thursday and early Friday to get things settled.  Sorry for the rant.

Kurt

 

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

It is cold again in SE Indiana, but the roads were dry.  Not sure how tonight will be.  Feeling some better, but then I did not eat much yesterday.  I had the usual fare on the dining car this morning.  I hope everyone has a good day.  Congrats to Dennis on 3,000 posts as well.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[cnw1995]

Morning all. Bitter cold here again. Supposed to be terrible weather tonight. Hope they're wrong. Jeff should have the part, Brutus. You're finding the most awesome things lately. Cat doesn't mess around with their licensing, Chief, that set should be fine. Probably takes D batteries.  Kurt, I feel your pain - but in the video world seemingly every week I work at church.  Made up some Union Jack flags for Sir Hatt last evening. Forgot to make the mirror images for the reverse side of the flag. Hope to work track around for the engine house. Need to figure out a good 'lead' from where I want to fit it in.

[ChiefEagles]

Brutus

Chief - you do know that Santa is from up NORTH, right? 

Beacons on the screen, so I'm headed out - ttfn!

Not this Santa.  Ask Kurt's Becca and Trish.   This Santa had a SOUTHERN accent.

Morning from my laptop.  Think the mouse I bought a year ago has gone crazy.  Probably a Yankee invasion during the night.   click it once and it clicks 5 times.  Foggy and chilly.  Got to run.  Haircut apt.  Later

[fifedog]

Mornin' boys.  Mornin' English (thanks again, mate).   Frosty here in the Mid-Atlantic region.  On vacation 'til the 29th.  Started my Christmas shopping.

88 - With styrofoam, you gotta think stacking your sheets, then making vertical cuts with a hot knife.  I don't have much styrofoam on my layout, but find it handy for basic "filler" forms, and then I put scenery (plaster cloth, brick paper) over it.  I would check out Perry's SPF photos from the past, as he works some real magic with styrofoam.  You have a vast amount of scenery to produce, and I would use cardboard strips and a hot glue gun to shape the scene first.  From there, you'll have a pretty good "skeleton" to "flesh" over.  And if you don't like a spot, it's easy to remove, or add over, to fix.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Good Morning from overcast Southern Ohio,

The weather is to turn for the worst so I’m going to church and get some outside decorating done.  We have a large Nativity set and stable we put up and best done in decent weather.  Then home to clean house.  The house is a wreck from decorating boxes and the like needs cleaned up.  To complete the annual physical I had a psa blood test taken yesterday, other part, checked out OK.  My brother had his prostrate removed earlier this year.

 Brent – bummer about the chlostral but finding it early is better than not finding it till damage was done.  Defiantly give the diet and exercise a real try before the meds route.  If nothing else, it’s cheaper!  At my physical last month my level was 200, and so the doc said to start paying more attention to fatty foods.  Jim F – The lure of pre-war has bitten!  I love to look of pre-war; it has a real nostalgic feel to it. 

Got to go.  May God bless

Jim

 

[sir james I]

Good Morning All

It's gloomy and twenty something, everyone is waiting to see what tonites predicted storm will bring. As for food and meds. I do have a couple meds but a little bite once in a while is the way I go. It takes care of wanting to eat something , but not enough or often enough to hurt you.It works good except: chips & ice cream, like those who smoke I cannot give up my two habits and my santa belly shows it. I'm not sure about trains today, I guess I could run something. Have a great day....S.J.

[laz 57]

HI GYZ,

  34 and gray here, waiting for big bad weather tomorrow?  Snow freezing rain, and rain?  We'll see?

FYI  Yesterday was the 105th anniversery of the WRIGHT BROTHERS from OHIO who went to NARTH Carolina to try out there new plane.  They made 3 flights that day back in 1903.  Saw it last nite on DA NEWS.

BRENT, start jogging great for all that stuff.  I cut my running back in winter to about 20 miles a week.  I get 3 miles aday in on treadmill and then take dog for 3 walks a day to add up to another 2 miles.

Hope to get to BARRYs tomorrow to pick up my Rotary Coal Tipple?  Gotta wait to see what weather brings.

Stay FROSTY,

 laz57

[jonadel]

Good Morning from beautiful Cedar Falls, IA.  I'm the chief kid sitter until late Friday night and we are having a great time, our Grandaughter is  2 1/2 and we truly see eye to eye.  I took her to the Dr. yesterday, long awaited audiologist appt., she does have the tubes and the family Dr. had recommend they see her again so Grandpa had the honor of that duty.  Good guy, about my age and we had fun, only waited maybe 10 minutes---that was a blessing!  Everything is OK, one tube is out and laying in the canal (about 15 months since original install) so the other one will probably fall out soon, see him again in 3-4 months.

We will be heading out soon to Caboose Stop Hobbies to see if that MTH Standard gauge is still there............ I passed on it two weeks ago, not sure how my will power is today.  I did receive my first social security check yesterday........... I had waited a couple of years to start collecting so my payout isn't bad at all.  I remember well how everyone said we would never collect..... hmmmmmm.

Doug--batten down the hatches, the forecast is horrible.  We are either going to get a lot of snow or a lot of ice beginning tonight or maybe both, YES!!  The kids are in Chicago and supposed to start the trip back here tomorrow afternoon, could be interesting.  I'm supposed to head back home Saturday AM, we'll see if they make it back or how i35 is going south, even though I have a brand new 4 x 4 truck I will not chance an accident, 4 x 4 is no advantage on ice.

Enough rambling, I hear the Caboose Stop calling my name 

[laz 57]

Oh yea, watched the tape version of EXTREME TRAINs last nite on the Empire Builder of the GN, pretty good, had some steam stuff and talked about the switch backs over the rockies.

laz57

[MichRR714]

 Hello to all-

 

I'm hanging in there...spent last evening at the funeral home for my friend....only to get called as my wifes grandmother was rushed to the hospital as she had fallen and hit her head.  I got home around 2am from the ER, looks like grandma may get away with just a subdural hematoma.  However if the bleed in head does not resolve within 24 hours.. they will be forced to drill a hole in her head to release the pressure.  If they have to operate she has a 30% chance.

I just a need a break! :(

 

[phillyreading]

Good Morning,

Warm and sunny south Florida today, about 75 right now. Down here we have Sandy Claws instead of Santa Clause, cats get sand in their paws when they go outside.

Watched a couple episodes of Extreme Trains, put it on the DVR so I could watch it when I wanted to, very good show! Seen some interesting stuff about U.S. trains.

Bought some Fastrac, that's right the guy who didn't like it at first. Couldn't sell the straight or uncoupling sections of Fastrac I had sitting around so I went to Target and bought two expansion packs and a couple more pieces at a local hobby shop. Rather interesting to work with, fits together good, only drawback "it is expensive to buy!" Put two half curves in and a half straight(five inch) piece between them and had to buy a short piece almost two inches long as a fitter piece because the curves were acting like they didn't meet correctly.

Still working at the Toll Plaza collecting money.  Don't know for sure about job security as the supporviser keeps mentioning about putting in another SunPass lane. Yesterday there was a work crew installing some new equipment in lane three, who knows what is going to happen.

Going to train show in late January at Deerfield Beach, at the Amtrac Station on Hillsboro Blvd. for those who live in the area near Ft. Lauderdale FL.

Have a safe holiday! Not sure when I will be back on the forum on here.

Lee F.

[ChiefEagles]

laz 57

HI GYZ,

  FYI  Yesterday was the 105th anniversery of the WRIGHT BROTHERS from Ohio who went to NORTH CAROLINA to try out there new plane.  They made 3 flights that day back in 1903.  Saw it last nite on DA NEWS.

Stay FROSTY,

 laz57

Actually they assembled their plane in a little building in NC at Kill Devil Hills.  Been to the museum several times.  Plane actually ran on a wooden track until it lifted off.  December on the Outer Banks is WINDY and COLD.   Like all good Yankees [if you can call a Yankee good], they come to NC for good things.

Ran the Yankee bug out of my mouse.  Working great now.  Off to Town Hall.

[fifedog]

MichRR714 - Geez Louise, Charlie.  Hang in there.  I've had an equally miserable 2008.  I just throw things up on my shoulders and keep movin' forward.