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.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good night. Be back sometime tomorrow.

[KRM]

Good evening,

 Not much going on here in the great north plains of Fargo ND, they say they have also had a mild winter so not much white stuff. Bad for the slops but good for no river flooding. They are already golfing here, something unheard of for this time of year.

I can see why they brought me back from retirement. They just don’t have anyone to work these jobs. A 35 year old, a 46 year old stump jumper from Greenville SC who can’t keep his mouth shut for 10 seconds, mostly talking about himself, and me. Some team. I can’t see how anything can get done when all everyone does is mess with their smart phones all day. The Greenville dude must have every picture he has ever taken on the thing and would you know we gust got to see them all. Think I will eat alone tomorrow.

Only 2.7% unemployment here and those people just don’t want to work or are in jail.

Won a Thomas the tank engine for $39.99 on e-bay and I hope I did not pay too much. I think the granddaughter will like so why not?

DougM I think is the house expert on these engines so If I have any issues I will be asking.

 Tardis crew I can’t get there from this laptop. Sorry.

Well prayers to all in need.

Time to hit the hay.

Later,

Kev

[MichRR714]

Hard to believe that York has snuck up on us again.  SJ and I will be driving down Tuesday with our friend George.  We will be picking Brutus up in Harrisburg on our way through.  Shaping up to be a great York already!

[dougdagrump]

Doug M. Check your e-mail acct., think it might have been hacked.

[ChiefEagles]

Good night.  Tired.  Town Board went fast.  Hired new Town Clerk.  Went to sleep after eating popcorn and watching MoJo on TV [DVR'd].

Poor ND.  Will never be the same.

Sleep tight.

[Demay]

Konbanwa,

The weather this morning was fine, but some serious monsoon-type storms rolled in this afternoon.  The wind is very strong and the rain is coming down sideways.  There are many items blowing across the yards.  I was supposed to grill some chicken tonight but the storm prevented that.  We decided to have sandwiches instead and I had PBJ.  We will relax the rest of the night and enjoy the storm. 

Jeffrey – I hope you are feeling better.

Congratulations Bob Keller!

SJ – I hope your check up goes well.

Kev – I think that is a good price for Thomas.  I have not seen one that low before.

Sayonara,

Joe

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 66° and cloudy, 20% rain chance for morning, 30% afternoon. High 82° mostly cloudy.

Doctor appointment 9 am. Nothing else going on.

[laz 57]

Hi GUYZ,

  31 here and frosty, to get to 64.  Gotta cut grass either today or tomorrow.

Stay frosty,

laz57

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Partly sunny today with a 40% chance of showers and those ol' t'underin'boomers this afternoon/evening...

Got some of the yardwork done yesterday, hopefully will finish it off today....

Friend is home from hospital yesterday. We had a wonderful evening at his place ....

Have a good day people!!

[dwiemer]

Good morning everyone.  Time for a quick cup, then heading to the train room to do some painting on the layout.  I will head in a bit later today.  Wife and I (mostly wife), picked out some paint colors to paint dining room, another color for the formal living room, and still have to pick a paint for the foyer.  Sounds like SWMBO will be keeping me busy soon.  We are also getting the rooms ready for the new additions.  All this keeps me on the run.

Kev, I have someone like that at the hospital.  Talks the ears off a bunny, but doesn't say anything worth listening to.  I have heard complaints from other departments and will have to address this issue after some more pressing matters are done.  

Better get going.  Praying that y'all have a blessed day

Dennis

[Blueberryhill RR]

Good Morning from Blueberryhill RR....

It is a cold and sunny 40 degrees. Going up to 70 today with sunshine.

Today is an easy day. I have a small errand to run and the usual chores to do. Then, I can relax and enjoy the day. Need to spend some time in train room, dusting.

Dining car is here with Cheerios for breakfast.

Y'all have a great Tuesday.

Chuck

[sir james I]

41 now with storms headed this way, looks like about the time I leave for the docs. My morning coffee is rumbling around in my belly, getting to be annoying. A good chat last night with York looming closer...S.J.

[cnw1995]

Aloha. Sunny and Hot today. Then temps supposed to crash. Glad you didn't open it, SJ. Of course my mother did -- Very sorry to have spammed many of you through my email address. Interesting though it looks like some place on ATT where an old list was synced was hacked instead. Anyway, thanks for the heads-up.  After battling ATT to change my password (you'd think it would be straight-forward), I looked for the Tardis and ran a few trains last night.  Geez, and now I'm posting to March.  Sigh.

[ChiefEagles]

Morning all.  Sunny and warm.  Taking it easy this AM.  May do some garden planting this PM.  Garden plowed with bottom plow and then disked smooth.  Wifey wants beds framed with timbers.  I normally do them and no timbers.  More work.   May take photos and post Wifey's flowers and shrubs all around the house.

Hope all have a safe trip to York.  We have the big Rec Parade that Sat.  Told everyone last night in Town Board, if I go to York next spring, will not be in parade.  Too much trying to get home through DC.

Later. 

[cheapclassics]

Good afternoon all,

IIABSDISEI with temps in the 70s.  Mowed the lawn last night.  Another "interesting" evening with Lucas and his sister.  For now, Lucas is happy.  Not sure everything else is sunshine and roses, but then what is in life.  Someone (maybe the parents) has been cleaning up the mess in the trees.  Still needs a lot of work, but effort is appreciated.  One of these days I will have a quiet weekend.  Maybe I will finish taxes tonight.  I had the regular fare on the dining car before sending it on to "Points East".  TBIL and I can drive.  No loop-de-loops.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[RockIsland52]

Good Mornin' Y'all From Crystal Clear Taxachusetts,

I've been MIA here.  I'm a good 15 pages behind on the POT, will catch up later.

Sounds like DougM and I were like two ships passing in the night during the past week.  He hit the Northeast by car while my family hit Chi-Town by air Thursday anf Friday for my niece's wedding.  Douggie......you must have been hauling to make that 1,100 mile trip in 17 hours with stops!!!!  

When the Wifey, Son, and I landed in Chicago and hit the car rental place, both my wife and I were duly informed our driver's licenses had expired in February and January, respectively.   We were not permitted to rent a car.  It seems Taxachusetts decided some time last year to stop sending out via U.S. mail the DL renewal reminders in order to save money, except if you signed up for an email reminders......news to us.  

Son had to rent the car and serve as our chauffer the whole weekend because we could not be drivers on the rental car.   Did I mention the son had dropped his own auto coverage (while he is carless, yet again);  so he had no auto insurance of his own.  He had to take out the rental car company's rip-off ($80 for three days) coverage........which of course I was paying for along with the rental car neither my wife or I could drive.  

Then it dawned on Wifey and I  that we both had gotten through the TSA security screening in Boston without a hitch using expired photo IDs (drivers licenses).  Werealized we might not be so lucky checking in at Chicago O'Hare on our way back home.  The drivers' licenses were the only picture ID (required) we had on us.  Had to read up on such snafus on the TSA website in order to plan how we could get home.  It seems that the TSA matter is somewhat discretionary, whether to let us on the return flight, but that generally speaking the local agents' might let us pass security if the expiration dates are, in the local agent's discretion, not a security concern.  Hmmmmmmmm!!!      

Then we got the bright idea to mitigate the TSA issue by renewing our drivers' licenses on-line.  We got all the way on the application to page 3 near end of the questionnaire where we were stopped cold, told we both had to renew in person because it was time for new photos and an eye test.    Our State could have put those tidbits on the top of page 1 where you enter your DL #.     Then I hit the phones to see if we could get an "exception" and temporary licenses until we got back.  BUT there is no such thing as reaching or speaking to a "real live " person by phone at our Registry of Motor Vehicles where the drivers licenses are renewed.  Nothing but menus and recordings no matter which phone numbers we tried..     

Then I called my auto insurance carrier MetLife to get a situational exception on our auto coverage, now suspended.  I was informed by a live person that my wonderful State of Taxachusetts had passed legislation prohibiting the auto insurance carriers from providing any driver-related auto insurance coverage until the drivers' licenses had been renewed (coverage suspended unbeknownst to us).  Technically, my wife and I have been driving "naked" the past couple of months with no notification from MetLife.  So we had no insurance coverage.   Of course, said insurance carrier had gladly continued to accept/retain our quarterly premium payments while providing only comprehensive fire, theft, etc. with no coverage beyond that. 

Did I mention we then received an email alert from our bank that my wife's Visa card number was used for some alleged purchase in the UK?    We had to cancel her card and order a new one while the bogus $40 charge was credited and bounced back to the "vendor."  This after my card number had been part of the National hack job last week that was in the national news.   Wife now needed to go shopping but had no "card."  Between the two of us, mine was the only one that would work, had to go shopping with her Saturday morning.   I then made a pre-emptive strike, took out a large cash advance anticipating the next snafu.  

For our return to Boston, we also had to plan out how Pam and I could get home from the airport along with our car that was parked at one of those off-airport lower cost "Park and Fly" places.  Remember?  We didn't have auto insurance and no valid drivers' licenses; and our son (living in our home) son was specifically NOT COVERED by our carrier so we could get a lower annual premium benefit.  The three of us had to wait at the airport until the daughter and SIL landed (different airline and flight time) so my daughter could drive us and our car home while SIL drove theirs.  While we waited, Wifey and son decided I should treat them to lunch at Legal Seafoods restaurant at the airport, another $50 out the window.

When we finally did arrive home, the SIL then had to drive me up to Tewksbury MA. to pick up Maximus the dog at the place we boarded him, about 60 miles round trip, because---you already know---I had bo valid drivers' license and no insurance. 

Yesterday morning said SIL had to pick up and drop off the Wifey and I at the Registry of Motor Vehicles to renew our drivers  licenses.  Daughter and SIL had left our car in the Mall parking lot overnight Sunday, right by the Registry, so we would have transportation back home once the DLs were renewed and our insurance coverage valid again..  Our car was not hit, stolen, vandalized, or towed.....so that was a good thing.    

Oh yeah, did I mention my nieces's wedding in Chicago was a beautiful event and a family reunion of sorts?  DouggieM.......you would have liked it.  The rehearsal dinner was in beautiful downtown Chicago at Benny's Chop House.  The wedding and reception at the Hotel Sax, right next door to the House of Blues, Marina City, the Chicago River and the Riverwalk, and a block from the new Trump Towers.

I have to go clean up the aftermath of the bank card mess.  My wife had gone shopping right after our arrival in Chicago Thursday before we learned of the fraud on her bank card.  All of the charges she made (Macy's, grocery store, pharmacy, etc.) that had not cleared our account were now bouncing because they were made right before we terminated her card.  

Jack

[Hudson#685]

Lunch time,

AF53, Ray, I guess you had a good time.

Dougdagrump, How avout uuting the ears out of a heavy paper and attaching them to the guys.

Jeff, Hang in there.

SJ, Good luck with the tests.

Kev, Want a pair of ear plugs.

Charlie, Thinking York

Everyone, have a great day.

John

[RockIsland52]

V8Vega

Sunney 80 today, 69 tomorrow.

Coffee Pot 7A from mid 09 is on the forum. I'm curous why? I read page 51.

PICTURES OF FIFE'S YATCHET AND CREW FROM 2009 WHEN HE GOT HER.   

JACK.

[Anonymous]

I have decided to never travel with Jack and his wife!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Hudson#685

Jeff, Hang in there.

That's about all can do today, hang around take it easy. Got to change alternator belt on van today or before driving again.

Got doc appointment behind me. General checkup/blood test/urine test. Did grocery shopping after. Got new alternator belt autozone and dropped DVD Final Countdown at library.

 

[SPMan]

Jack, moral of the story is:  Don't depend on the state to notify you of anything.  Of course hindsight is 20/20.  What a nightmare!  Lucky you had someone with you with a license.  Re car rental insurance, I have always depended on my own insurance to cover me in the event of a problem.  My own agent has verified coverage on rental cars.  However those counter people at the rental places always try to intimidate you in to buying their outrageously priced insurance.  Be interesting to hear what others do or if anyone has had  experience making a claim for damage with your own insurance.  The last time I flew, I let my son do the driving so I didn't have to worry about it that time.

Easter week is upon us.  Hope everyone has a blessed Easter season.

I made one last attempt yesterday to get some information about how to fix my MTH E6 proto 2 lighting failure and failure to run in conventional mode on a non DCS layout (not mine).  I talked to a tech at MTH and he suggested I turn up the volumn of the sound on the pot underneath the engine so I could tell if it was starting or not.  I did but that did no good.  I finally sent a long E mail to the service department at MTH.  That is my last hope for resolution.  Sorry to have bored you all with this story but it is frustrating.  I have already sunk a lot of bucks in this engine for the same problem.  I can't justify anymore.  JLC is probably laughing somewhere about these modern trains.  They are wonderful until they go haywire.

Ray

 

 

[LawsonFarmsRR]

Jack, your drivers licenses were expired by 2-3 month. I would have driven another 2-3 days.

Pat

[anjdevil2]

It's Tuesday here in Central NJ...a mere 5 miles from the State Capital....

Bright and Sunny today upwards of 65F....and a breeze.

Slow day at work here....we have 2 cars left to rent and I've only been out once today.

Bob K - - - - -  Happy Anniversary @ CTT. 

Started my day at 0625 for a fire call, sprinkler activation at the Residence Inn......2 hours of looking for running water, nothing found and we headed home.   Showered and got the Princess to college, waited for her class to be over, came home and changed for work.

Jack - YOU of ALL PEOPLE should know not to rely upon the the Imperial Federal Government or the State of Taxechusettes for ANY reminders of any sort... .  I feel for ya, my friend.  Glad it finally worked out for you.....for the most part.

DougM - thanks for the "work at home" tip.....

Have a viewing tonight - a friend's wife passed Saturday Morning.  Saw him in church Sunday.  Funeral tomorrow.  Have a court apperance for a parking ticket.  I parked in front of my parent's house.  No Parking 9AM-3PM - High School iis right down the street.  Of course, I was up all night at a fire call that morning and overslept.  Princess' friend leaves for FLA 630 PM, so that will wrap up my day.

for those ailing and in need.  Will check back when possible!

[blownout cylinder]

 

Good Afternoon

Got finished with the backyard stuff and started to get some of the yard prepped...of course having to do this with all the daffodils and such peppering the back lawn here...

I'm going to run some trains later on tonight..once I finish the prepping thing here..

Jack:  EEK!!!     We have a good thing about our license...it has an expiry date on it!!

 

 

[Anonymous]

lionroar88

I have decided to never travel with Jack and his wife!

Brent,

            I don't think traveling with any of us would be a good idea.  It would end with some type of issue.

Jeff,

         Hope you feel better.

Ray,

          I agree about the modern stuff.  I haven't dealt with the marker light issue on the MTH Decapod yet.  I know it is frustrating.

Took the Mustang out last night after work to take some current pictures.

Next up is getting rid of the stock mirrors that look like they belong on an F150.  Need to call AM to solve that.

I have also started to study for A+ certification to become eligible for a great job that is available.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

green97probe

Jeff,

         Hope you feel better.

Feeling much better with virus gone. If only could get rid of aphasia but that just wishful thinking. Stuck with it for life. Always settles down after a while and can go months sometimes years without recurrance. Last clear patch was five years then recent high fever from virus it set off again. Sentences come scrambled or chopped incomplete not making sense. Have to think hard what to type, leave out nonsense words. Don't always get stuff right or straight, whatever. Docs looked at problem over many years, can do nothing. Not understanding what people say hard part for me but can figure them out after them having repeat. OK. Gettin headache now.

 

Went to Subway for lunch with parents. They were buying. Had flatbread, roast beef, pepperoni, pepperjack cheese, hot mustard, jalapeno pepper, all type vegetable they had but no tomato. Sour cream onion chips and Dr Pepper. Great meal. Can wait to tomorrow to change alternator belt on van. Rain keeps trying to fall when I go out.

[sir james I]

61 now. Doc visit was in and out today, he'll get me next time though. Everything is A-OK. Talked to Charlie about York tonight as he drove home. He is wanting to go now. I guess I'll have some Banilla and wait for the chat guys..S.J.

[wrmcclellan]

Evening all!

Survived the storms here but a lot of folks lost their homes (Arlington, Lancaster, and Forney TX). We just had rain as the storm split around our part of towm. Got 2.5 inches of rain though. The interesting part was the news guys in a helicoptor filming the tornados - how smart is that - but neat video of 53' tractor trailors flying through the air.

Got the lawn cut last night and finished at lunch in anticipation of the rain today. For once I got it right.

Doug M - uuuhhh - like AnjDevil - "thanks" for the work at home scheme - I will have to stand waaayyy back next time I open one of your e-mails - had to use Task Manager to shut IE down as you could not do it normally...now I get to scan the PC tonight.

Jack - wow - wow

KEV - word wars - ouch.

Looking forward to York and meeting some Potter's I haven't met before!

Have a great evening all!

[Buckeye Riveter]

wrmcclellan

Survived the storms here but a lot of folks lost their homes (Arlington, Lancaster, and Forney TX). We just had rain as the storm split around our part of towm. Got 2.5 inches of rain though. The interesting part was the news guys in a helicopter filming the tornadoes - how smart is that - but neat video of 53' tractor trailers flying through the air.

Those trailers flying through the air gives one an idea why mobile homes are so dangerous during a tornado.  Wow!!!

Jack - wow - wow

They made a movie of this several years ago, Trains, Planes and Automobiles.

 

[cheapclassics]

Good evening all,

IIABSDISEI with temps in the 80s.  Wow.  Lots of news.  Roy, glad you made it thru the storm ok.  Saw some of the video.  Jim (Green97Probe), Sweet Ride there with the Mustang.  All three domestic makers are having some nice rides made anymore, but that is one of the best.  RI 52, thank you for the stories of your events.  Just when you think your own situation is bad, a set of circumstances such as yours puts it all in perspective.  Jeff, again please take care of yourself.  I really enjoy your contributions to the pot and to model railroading in general.  Work was busy today, and semi good as well.  TBIL and I can drive after Ringer.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana