Coffee Pot #4 April 2012 8 years [April 1 is Anniv.] and going strong and its for all to chat. Plenty of coffee and sweet ice tea for all. Come and join us and chat. GRITS for the Yankees.

[laz 57]

Hi GUYZ,

  46 and cool, going to 62.  But Thursday and Friday low 70s for YORK.

ROY if you need a ride let me know.  See you on Friday morning. 

MITCH, SIR JAMES and BRUTUS WECOME to PA.  Have a good day today!

Stay frosty,

laz57

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

We be getting sun and about 60F today..going to go downtown with Audrey to see what is going on down there...seems there is a downtown festival of sorts being set up...that is right..a festival...in the middle of April..hey, if the weather is good, why not?

So, what you got going this fine Hump Day?

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

IIABSDISEI with temps near 70.  Lousy night last night.  Old John Deere is leaking gas.  PT Cruiser engine light came on AFTER I got gas for it.  Scrapped my hand removing an apple tree branch.  Two plus hours mowing the yard.  At least Glee and Ringer were good.  If Ringer is cancelled, at least it had some situations resolved with enough items open to start the next season with.  I had a bran muffin on the dining car for breakfast.  TBIL and I will be driving.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[rtraincollector]

Morning all. Hope the yorkers hae a great time. time to figure out whats for breakfast today. Talk with you all later

[RockIsland52]

dwiemer

Good morning everyone.  Up and ready to head in.  The other senior guy is out trying to kill big chickens in the woods, so I have early cases through the week.  My son is up and ready to go also.  He has the CRCT starting this morning.  He does real well, he consistently scores in the 11th plus grade level (he's in fourth).  Finally finished putting the last layers of paint on the window sill.  Had to make sure it had plenty as dog likes to go nuts when looking out at deer, people, and that is his favorite spot to watch.

Have to go and write some letters to get donated medicines, etc for the orphanage and healing home for our trip to China.  We will have a fair number of suitcases to fill here, as when we come back, we bring all our purchases with us.

Joe, we seriously considered home schooling our kids, but wife didn't think she would be up to it.  We are blessed with a great school system, so that works for us.  One big benefit to the home school route is that you can take some great field trips and they count.  I am sure Japan has plenty of adventure for the kids to get into.

Hope everyone has a blessed day,

Dennis.  

Dennis.......what we want to know is what YOU do when your 4th grade boy has to continually correct you when you are "helping" him with his homework.    You are blessed and about to be blessed again very soon.  Congratulations!!!!  

My problem when the wife and I travel is that she fills up all the suitcases with her stuff, no room in them for stuff we pick up on our trips.  That becomes expensive now when we have to pay $25 per checked bag when we travel by air.    The plane fare starts looking like the lower cost travel expense.

Re the window sills, we found out early on that our house, built in 1987, had pine window sills.  They looked pretty gouged up from the dogs' nails, like something from a horror or slasher movie.  Had to replace with oak.

Jack

[Anonymous]

Mornin' Fellas.

Well The Princess has started with seperation anxiety. While it makes Daddy happy that she doesn't want him to leave, it is also troubling because Daddy has to work! She has also started to form words, or her version of words. Just absolutely LOVE watching infants grow, learn, and develop.

Today is my last in office day... so I guess I should try to get something accomplished...

TTYL

OH - Welcome Back Ole Timer.

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill RR....

It is a cool 50 degrees. Going up to 68 today with sunshine.

Today is an easy day. I have a few chores to do and some paperwork. Should be able to relax and do some reading. Trains mag was a good buy. I hope they have an article about the new electric engines coming out.

Dining car is here with Cheerios for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Wednesday.

Chuck

[rtraincollector]

Okay breakfast is done ( not your most healthy but hey it was good ) corned beef hash with 2 eggs fried and 4 slices of toast. been a long time so splurged a little this am so now have to watch what I eat the rest of the day.

Did have a chat last night with old timer, john, and Kevin last night on the messenger and also talked for a little to Brutus, SJ and Charlie on the phone they all seem to be excited about being in York.

[RockIsland52]

cheapclassics

Good morning all,

........... PT Cruiser engine light came on AFTER I got gas for it.  Keep on training........

Mike C. from Indiana

MikeC........you probably already know this.  Unless there is something else wrong, the two main reasons to throw the check engine light after gassing up are:  (1) the gas cap didn't seat properly when it was tightened back down and/or (2) the light may come on when you try to squeeze more gas into the tank after the gas pump has shut off.

Make sure your motor oil level is full as well as your coolant level, just to be on the safe side.  After you drive about 15 miles (to get the tank fuel level down a tad), reseat the gas cap and the check engine light should go off by itself after a couple of start up/shut down cycles.

Where is Rich when you need him?!?  

Jack

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 50° and sunny. The high will be 78°. Northeast wind at 5 to 10 mph.

Not much planned for today. Just whatever comes up I guess. I still have to get the north engine house off the layout and make that short stretch of track look abandoned. Rained again yesterday which turned the ground from damp to soggy. Heard someone up the road having fun in a ditch this morning. One of the neighbors went up there with her 4x4 to yank him out. No need to worry about her. She's a big farm girl. If a guy tries something with her she'll very quickly rearrange his body parts, including some he might think are important!

[RockIsland52]

jeffrey-wimberly

Good morning. It's 50° and sunny. The high will be 78°. Northeast wind at 5 to 10 mph.

Not much planned for today. Just whatever comes up I guess. I still have to get the north engine house off the layout and make that short stretch of track look abandoned.

Jeffrey..........the Jolly Green Giant left his A/C on top of your mountain!!!!!

Jack

[jeffrey-wimberly]

RockIsland52

 

Jeffrey..........the Jolly Green Giant left his A/C on top of your mountain!!!!!

Yes, he has a bad habit of doing that. Sure cools down the summer days though.

[Demay]

Konbanwa,

The kids and I had a great first day without mom – well, as great as it could be without her here.  The weather was wonderful so we took advantage of it once the schoolwork and chores were completed.  We had to make a quick commissary (grocery store) run so I pushed the youngest in the jogging stroller while the older two rode their bikes.  It was about a five-mile roundtrip excursion which qualified as PE for the kids.  I also went for a quick two-mile run with just the youngest in the stroller while the older two had some downtime.  We also played and exercised some more outside before the sun went down.  I made a healthy and nutritious dinner for us: kefta (Lebanese meat dish), gluten-free pasta, and broccoli. The older son who is picky only had a few bites but everyone else enjoyed it – even the 21-month-old.  The kids have been in bed and I just finished some schoolwork of my own and will be asleep soon.

Dennis – The homeschooling is working out great.  It even makes more sense for us since the Air Force moves us around so much and the kids would frequently change schools.  We could be in a great school district one assignment and a weak one the next.  My wife felt somewhat inadequate at first as well, but she has done very well and the kids are very responsive to her instruction.  We are having fun homeschooling the kids and yes, it does have some great perks and flexibility.  The upcoming trip to the local train museum will count for sure.

Jeffrey – I enjoyed the video especially that former US Air Force loco leading the way.

Sayonara,

Joe

[Stourbridge Lion]

Good Morning CTTFans!

It's 40F & Sunny heading for 71F.  Our Window Replacement project is nearly completed with the Stain / Patch / Paint of the window area itself now done.  We will do some other Patch / Paint work around the house by the weekend now that the paint can has been opened just to spruce up the place a bit.  Then there is the task of putting the house back in order after moving a lot of stuff out of the way.  This was one of the major project the wife said was ahead of having a Model Train layout room so I'm a step closer!  Hoping to get in some Railfanning next month as it seem like it's been forever since we have taken a trip significantly outside of town.

[KRM]

RockIsland52

cheapclassics:

Good morning all,

........... PT Cruiser engine light came on AFTER I got gas for it.  Keep on training........

Mike C. from Indiana

 

MikeC........you probably already know this.  Unless there is something else wrong, the two main reasons to throw the check engine light after gassing up are:  (1) the gas cap didn't seat properly when it was tightened back down and/or (2) the light may come on when you try to squeeze more gas into the tank after the gas pump has shut off.

Make sure your motor oil level is full as well as your coolant level, just to be on the safe side.  After you drive about 15 miles (to get the tank fuel level down a tad), reseat the gas cap and the check engine light should go off by itself after a couple of start up/shut down cycles.

Where is Rich when you need him?!?  

Jack

 

 Mike I agree it is a loose gas cap or a bad gas cap.

 To be sure just go to AutoZone or one of those parts places and they will read the code for you and then you will Know. They will not remove the code but if it is a "soft" code it will go away on it's own.

 If it is something worse then it will need to be fixed and they can remove the code then.

 I have a friend with a SnapOn reader and he can clear codes. But they will just come back if the problem is not fixed.

 Hope this helps,

 Kev

[RockIsland52]

Good Mornin" Ya'll From Crystal Clear But Chilly Taxachusetts

And greetings to the Yorkies Amongst Us

Got down into the high 40s last night, 60 on tap for today.  No significant precipitation expected until Sunday, and I can't wait, have to start watering the lawn before a watering ban goes into effect.  The grass is browning out and is not growing.  Four months in a row of near record low precipitation.  Never thought I'd be saying this because we usually have too much precipitation and a lot of melting mountain snow run-off this time of year.  Red zone brush fire alerts remain throughout the entire State.

Chief.........have you figured out logistically how you are going to bail out the POT Yorkies when they get arrested?

OleTimer and Traindood............good to hear from both of you.  Long time, no post.

Jeffrey.........what?  No lawn mower repairs on tap this week?   

RT........can't wait to see pictures of your completed ceiling loop.  Will you have to wear a helmet in case of a pileup and a derailment? 

Brent............Dennis is right.  Invest in a soil test and just add (lime) what is needed to get the ph where it belongs.  You can add whatever nutrients are needed/suggested to get the soil up to snuff. 

Usually when they build new homes in my neck of the woods, the developers skim off the rich topsoil and sell it off.  When they finish a home, they bury the bigger rocks in a hole,  grade the yard, and plant grass (or sod the lawn in).  The Lord only knows what construction debris got buried in the yards in the process. 

Once you get the yard rototilled you should have enough loose dirt available to fill in those ditches and depressions you mentioned.  When I did my back yard over (after moving in here), it was a solid and highly compressed patch of weeds and rock.  Consistency of concrete. 

I rented a rototiller with plans to do it myself.  One curious neighbor guy became a half dozen.  In short order my wife came out and was shaking her head in disbelief.  It was about 11AM.  We were all drinking beer and taking turns with the rototiller.  I barely got a turn, but I did have to make a major beer run!!!   

DougDG.......I just watched the video and read the MTH awards page.  You must be very proud of what you and your fellow club members have built and have provided to the benefit of others, especially the kids.   BTW, when they suck out that cataract tomorrow, make sure they don't take any brains with it!!!   Finally,  for a perfect outcome.  Don't forget to bring your with you.

DonB.........I am convinced that my energy level and stamina is directly proportional to the amount of sleep I get.  And I am not sleeping nearly as soundly as I used to.  7 hours now isn't the same as it used to be.  

JoeyD...........your wifey should know better than to jet off to Hawaii and leave you in charge of the kiddies.  After all, you are a Yankees fan which is proof enough that you make terrible choices.

Blownout........the same is going on in my neck of the woods. Folks around here are running around in shorts and short-sleeved shirts like it was 80 degrees, even in the evenings when the temps are down in the 40s and  50s with a stiff breeze accompanying.

ROY.......are you going to serve as the POT police in York?

JimmyT........enjoy the V8 in your Mustang GT.  It wont be too many years before we won't be able to hear that "taken-for-granted" V8 thunder as the passenger cars won't be sporting anything larger than a V6.  More and more I am already hearing from acquaintances that they wish they had more guts under the hood while they ask me about the 4.0L Northstar V8 under the hood of my SRX.  320hp.  315lb. ft of torque..

Stourbridge.....that Ann Barnhardt in your neck of the woods is a pistol!!!!

Later, gang.

Jack

[Ole Timer]

 Just heard about york tuesday night darn it .... would have loved to see the guys .... but that's what I get for not stopping by often enough . SHAME ON ME .... lol

[KRM]

Good morning guys, Well those of you not at York. 

Bright and sunny in the low 60s right now going up to 70.

Had a short chat with RT and the guys last night, we are trying to hold down the fort for the guys out of town.

For you Yorkers, Have fun.    Be sure to buy your friends on the Pot something before you come back. I will take any Miller High Life cars you can find.

Joe, sounds like you are enjoying raising the kids. We never did home schooling but sounds like a great way to bond with them as well as put them on the right track. Even more so moving as much as you do. Keep up the good work. 

Darren Nice pictures keep them coming.

RIJack, I have been thinking hard on the things you said but I am fighting with this. I think after being off 39 months and learning how to survive on pension payments I may have to look away from the money and take care of Sandra and the things around the house and kids. I am a good cook. I will decide on Friday when I see if the pay came through. They will wait. 

DougDG

I will be thinking of you while your cataract is getting sucked out today.   

 

Best of luck with that.

Roy, Have a good time at York, Unwind and relax some, work is overrated.

Blownout Cyl, Oh yeah, Hump day, I almost forgot what that was.

OldTimer, nice to see you back.

Guess my day will be like Jeffrey’s.  "Just whatever comes up I guess"

Well got to do something even if it is wrong,

Have a great day guys,

Where is the Chief????

Kev

 

 

[Stourbridge Lion]

RockIsland52

Stourbridge.....that Ann Barnhardt in your neck of the woods is a pistol!!!!

Jack - Lets just say there is a reason Colorado is a "Battle Ground" state in close federal elections as we as a state are very heavy independent even amongst those of us that are registered to a party often don't vote party lines.  We also have those that are hard-liners on both sides.  As for Ann, lets just say she is not packing a pistol...

[ChiefEagles]

Morning.  Cloudy and warm.  Rain????  As promised?????  Could have worked on flooring in box but suppose to be raining.  Not until tonight and then a maybe.   Sowed grass seeds around open area of box and fertilized front lawn.

Good to have Dood and Olde back on the Pot.

Relief.  They don't have to stay continously in the vehicle with SJ.

Brent, always said that would be the most spoiled child in the world.  Keep it up.

Got call from Edgecombe Co. [where farms are].  Sending me a nice check for taxes they overbilled for sevearl years.   Flooring for the box.  Thank you Lord.

Wifey and I are off to State Farmers' Market in Raleigh.  Then back later for a Regional Transportation meeting.

Yorkies, safe and dry times this week.

Later.

[ChiefEagles]

Stourbridge Lion

RockIsland52:

Stourbridge.....that Ann Barnhardt in your neck of the woods is a pistol!!!!

 

Jack - Lets just say there is a reason Colorado is a "Battle Ground" state in close federal elections as we as a state are very heavy independent even amongst those of us that are registered to a party often don't vote party lines.  We also have those that are hard-liners on both sides.  As for Ann, lets just say she is not packing a pistol...

As a big NRA member [and contributor], I love it.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

RockIsland52

Jeffrey.........what?  No lawn mower repairs on tap this week? 

Nope. Been a slow week in that department. Murphy must be on vacation.

 

An idea I'm toying with for the abandoned spur.





Or instead of the old steamer I have a somewhat newer 4-8-4 I could use or maybe a beat-up F unit.

[cnw1995]

Aloha from a sunny and crisp morning in Chicago. Might hit 70 today then crash again tomorrow. Blood draw first thing today. Sounds like a safe arrival by the Yorksters.  
Dennis, that's a good idea about checking with your local extension office about the lawn or odd plants. The U of IL used to have them around here - though a bunch have closed...  We used to bring old suitcases on our adoption trips - full of donated items. We just left them there with the orphanages - it was easier than lugging them back.
Congrats to the San Diegans! Doug, good luck on the cataract surgery. I'll have to delay mine a bit.
Wes (Ole Timer), great to see you! 
Mike C, that same thing with the check engine light happens to my old mini-van. I just adjust the gas cap, try to remember not to overfill and it goes away. 
Joe, we're homeschooling our youngest. We also did the other two up to high school. Nothing wrong with local schools - they just benefited by the one-on-one tutoring. I'm curious - why are the kids studying Italian. It's a nice choice (we did Spanish and French) 

[Hudson#685]

Lunchtime,

3 more hours and I am out of here. Leaving for York tomorrow after my son gets out of class .

Roy, Let me know if you need a ride in York. My cell # is 732-910-9118.

Enjoy the Day.

John

[SPMan]

Good morning all,

Doug DaG, good luck on the cataract surgery.  Had both of mine done already.  I think you will be happy with the results.

Finally was able to see my buddy who is suffering from advance stages of respiratory problems.  Had to prearrange the visit with his wife/caregiver.  When I got there, she brought him out in his wheelchair and sat him at the dinning room table where we all visited.  Well, that only lasted about 10 minutes and she had to put him back to bed.  He is very weak  I completed my visit at his bedside and I said my goodbyes.  I hope it won't be for the last time but you never know.  At least I am grateful that I got to see him before it is too late.  He gets visits from hospice three times a week now and visiting RN comes once.  Also his doctor has agreed to make house calls if he is needed.  My friend is lucky that his wife is an RN herself but this is taking a toll on her.  I think she will get a much needed break soon to visit her relatives.  My friend will be cared for by others while she is gone.

Warm weather is on tap for this week in the high 80's going up to 90 probably by the week end.

Read a report that Union Pacific Steam engine #844 on a tour to celebrate the company's 150th birthday has been sidelined.  Her participation in the tour was cancelled and she is limping back to Cheyene, Wyoming for repairs.  Somewhere in Texas, they were forced to initiate an emergency application of the brakes on the entire train and the driving wheels on the engine were slid badly causing flat spots on the driving wheels.  There are only a couple of places left in the country that can still turn 80 inch driving wheels to true them up or if necessary change the steel tires on the driving wheels.  I would guess the engine will have to be jacked up or the driving wheels dropped over a pit and  removed.  Then they will send them to some place like the shop on the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania for repair which is one of two who can do it.  The remainder of the U.P. Tour will be handled by their vintage E8 diesel units.  Stuff like this is a bad omen for the continued operation of steam engines on class 1 railroads in the U.S.  Kudos to U.P. for having the pride to keep their steam engines operational.  They are the last class 1 with a steam program in the country since N&W bowed out some time ago..

They started to make the first pour on the concrete bridge over the 210 freeway yesterday in Arcadia.  This is one more step in getting the light rail Gold Line headed in my direction.  The bridge is suppose to be done by July I think and the construction of 11 more miles of double track with catenary will commence shortly.  This is all over the former Santa Fe right of way on the Pasadena Subdivision between L.A. and San Bernardino.  The Super Chief used to go over this line near where I live.  Now Amtrak takes a different route via Fullerton, California.  When this segment of the line is done, it will be only about a 5 minute drive from where I live.  I will be able to take either light rail or a commuter train anywhere they go in Southern California after making a connection in L.A.  Really looking forward to that.  The shame of all this is that we used to have this wonderful transportation system here called the Pacific Electric which they got rid of in the late 50's/early 60's.  Now they are just putting it back, unfortunately at a lot higher cost.

Ray

 

 

[dwiemer]

Good afternoon everyone.  Glad folks are making their way into York.  We are expecting thunderstorms on and off over the next few days.  Chief, hope you are able to get the floors done over the next few days.

Jack, thanks, he is smart, but I have the educational advantage....at least till the end of this year!  He does challenge me to go back to things I have long forgotten.  I look over his tests and homework and think, "was I in the fourth grade when I learned this". 

Joe, our two are learning Spanish and Chinese.  It is great for them to learn language skills early as they pick it up so much faster.  It will help when we bring the next two home.

Doug, with the international flights allowing a checked bag each, we will have six.  I plan to bring mostly medical supplies and a few toys, over.  Depending on how much stuff we purchase over there, we may leave a few bags as we will have the kids to carry too.  Not having ready access to laundry facilities, I typically wear tropical type clothes that can be washed in a sink and dry quickly.  This allows me to pack three shirts and pants/shorts.

Well, time to go get kids.

Dennis

[Anonymous]

Ken and Wes,

                           Good to see both of you back.

Jack,

           I don't see V8s getting phased out.  People after V8s aren't the treehugger type, and modern V8s are good from an MPG standpoint anyway.  I average 25-30 MPG around town and 35-37 MPG highway with Ford's 4.6L V8.  I am getting more out of the 4.6 with the current mods and ECU reflash than I would stock, so I'm happy.  The new Coyote 5.0 V8 is pushing 420 HP with MPG close to what I get.  Just swapped the gigantic stock  sideviews for some Agent 47 mirrors.

 

[traindood]

Afternoon fellas and gals:     Just enough time for a quickie.  Trying to book extra day at York sos i don't have get up so early, kok a doodle do!    Hey Jim; sweet ride! Hey Joe; i have officially submitted your name for daddy of the year!   Prizes include an all expense paid vacation to Japan!   Rottsa ruck!           later.

[Demay]

Ohayō,

I’m up early again as the youngest likes to wake up before the birds.  He woke up once throughout the night, but I was able to rock him back to sleep pretty quickly.  Today’s high temperature is 62; however, it may rain at times throughout the day.  I’m hoping it doesn’t as the baseball team is supposed to have practice tonight and we need another outside practice before our first game this Saturday.  I cannot adequately cover game scenarios with them in the gym.  We have the usual schoolwork and chores on the agenda for today and the kids have swimming lessons at 1300.  The lessons are part of the homeschooling group here on base and the kids enjoy it.  They have been in lessons for many years now and are very good swimmers.  I hope everyone has a great day (night).

Jack – I have made some good decisions in my life – marrying her was definitely one of the best.  She knows that which is why she trusts me to take care of the kids on my own.  Plus she knows the kids will definitely appreciate her more when she returns home. 

Kev – Thanks Kev.  We are having a great time.  I know we are very blessed to be able to homeschool our kids.  We are extremely happy to have so much time with our kids; we know one day they will grow up, marry, and move out so we have to cherish as much time with them as we can. 

Doug and Dennis – We chose Italian because it’s my heritage and I already have a good understanding of it.  We initially tried Japanese when we moved here, but the wife was having a difficult time with it and the kids weren’t enjoying it.  The Italian is easy for me to do with them when I come home from work and since we may live in Italy again, or retire to Sardinia one day, the kids will benefit from it.  The kids will benefit from learning any foreign language at such a young age; this was just a practical choice for us.  I had French in high school and college and my sister is a French teacher so that would have been our second choice. 

SP Ray – I’ll keep your friend and his wife in my prayers. 

Traindood – Thanks, I appreciate it, but I think my father has won that award every year since I was born.  I hope you have a great time at York. 

Sayonara,

Joe

[rtraincollector]

Evening all well have about all but 8' of the track laid and screwed down. Been running the PA-1 with a boxcar and a passenger car back and forth as I go to test it. all seems good so far. Did have to fix one section on the second curve but knew that last night so was my first job of the morning it was the triangle piece of support wasn't right so the track would get a crimp in it where the 2 pieces joined together. I ended up( as the one passenger car jumped track there) having to replace the bulbs in it and had to replace the K-Line O gauge protection lockon as I burnt that one out hope I don't have to do that again as its a pain to get where it is and do that ( its 8' up ) but thats where the layout is well one loop of it anyway. need to take the car apart and replace the bulbs yet guess that will be next as don't feel like getting up on ladder right now and continuing on the layout.

Hope I have the bulbs I need to replace them. guess the yorker's ( Brutus, SJ, and Charlie ) are having a good day I beliee they went to Strausburg RR today. that ought to be a great time. May meet john there if he was working there today.

Well talk to you all later