Elliot's Trackside Diner, Mark XVII

[pcarrell]

fec153

Philip- Please send this to me so I can forward it to my ABATE [ American Bikers Aimed Toward Education ] brothers. My handle is "TRAINMAN".

You can just copy and paste my post, or you can go to the source: http://www.bacausa.com/ 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Got the rest of the clouds done, changed out a structure light, wiped part of the track down (part I can't reach from the front of the layout) and put some non-proto cars away. No box cars with high ladders, roofwalks or high mounted brake wheels allowed, with the exception of two all-door box cars. I like the way they look.

[fec153]

Philip- Please send this to me so I can forward it to my ABATE [ American Bikers Aimed Toward Education ] brothers. My handle is "TRAINMAN".

Deb was in the womb when she first rode on a Harley.

Flip

 

[Cox 47]

Howdy all...It partly cloudy and 69 here..I'll have a double pork burger,onion rings and a diet Coke please..thank you..Still having trouble with tire on power chair..I went flat last nite..Tire guy came about an hour ago Sallie let me take tire off her chair and he took tire to shop hopefully he is back with it soon..This has been a week I'd sooner forget..LOL..Havn't had much train time but its gotta get better...You all have a great week-end...Jerry

[howmus]

blownout cylinder

PC: YES to that post!!

 

Absolutely!  While driving on the Thruway last weekend on my way out to the museum, there were two bikers ahead of me.  They were occupying both lanes, but every time someone came up to pass, the one in the right lane slowed a bit and pulled over behind the other.  An idiot talking on a cell phone and doing close to 100 mph roared passed me and I thought for sure was going to drive right between the two bikers.  I slowed up to put some space between me and the disaster i was sure would happen.  the truck following me did the same.  The bikers didn't know what to do.  Finally with the car hot on his heels the one in the left lane hit the throttle and roared ahead and over into the right lane. 

For a while my sister and her husband (now her ex) had his and hers Hondas that they rode all over the country.  She loved the bike!  BTW, PC this is what bikers look like if they reach 95.... (my FIL a year ago.)  I'll have to find a family photo of him on his bike back in the 1930s.

So Sawyer, first you tell us you are from the "wrong" side of the tracks........  Then you be "chillin' wit your babe"......  (nudge nudge)   Sounds like more fun than playing football even.

73

[wcu boy]

 Good morning all,

          Today was a bittersweet day. My wife and I are having to move to Virginia within the next month to take care of her ailing mother. I resigned my minister of music position this past Sunday. The church was totally surprised. They are still dealing with the shock. However, if they were true to themselves they should not be surprised knowing the continuing saga and trauma in the life of the church.

          However, here we are today. My wife's car had to have its funeral yesterday. Two years ago, her Ford escort was rear-ended by a Chevrolet truck. The 1993 escort was deemed of no value by the insurance company, even though it was only the bumper that was damaged. The car had 174,00 miles on it and it still "ran like a top." The car broke down on the road when a suspension bar broke on the rear tire on the passenger side. The cost of repair estimate from the Ford dealership to where the car was towed would be $ 450.00. My wife and I decided that since the car had no value and that we would wonder if the other suspension bars on the three other remaining tires would not be rusted and also break soon, the funeral was in order. A very nice junk car dealer allowed us to sign the registration and tags over to him. He would send us any money for a friend that he thought would be interested in purchasing the parts of the car. He would send a check later. We are not hoping for much.

         Since we are having to make a move, I decided yesterday to clear the inventory of my model train collection. I called Don Black in New Bern, NC to see if he would be interested. He was a gracious gentleman beyond belief. He send to me a quick check for what cars and engines that I desired to depart with. He also provided Federal Express shipping labels to aid quick shipping. As I went through my collection to prepare to send to him, I saw many years of happy collecting of precious cars and the precious memories of those cars. I thought of why I purchased them and the happy interest they brought to me. I kept a few cars and engines for my 2 X 8 modular layout that I have procrastinated to even get started on while I have lived at my present home. The cars were mailed at the Mail Boxes store yesterday afternoon. I came home and reviewed my Excel spreadsheet of what cars and engines that I had left over and kept for my layout that I with start when I moved to new home at my mother-in-law's in Virginia. I had mixed emotions about my sacrifice with my vast collection of cars and engines that had suddenly being micromanaged to accommodate this new move in my life.

         After the trip to the Mail Boxes facility, I came home to dismantle the Peco turnouts and Atlas flex track off of my 2 X 8 layout that I had put together almost seven years ago. I need to do this to clear the lauan plywood on top of the 3/4 birch plywood for purposes of moving. Yes, I am a David Barrow fan and disciple of his domino approach. It works for those of us that have to make frequent moves in our lives because of our careers. I needed to do this to get a fresh start to my life and my model railroading journey. As I remove every Atlas Track nail, Caboose Industries ground throws and Peco turnout,  my mind returned to my father-in-law who had spend countless hours in helping me build the framework for my two, 2 X 4 modules. He passed away in 1999. I miss him so much. My heart was sad, but so thankful that the dream could be revisited when I inhabit my new home. I could envision completion of something that had been suddenly stopped in my life. By this hope of recreation I knew that new joy could be obtained as it was meant to be with this wonderful hobby that we call model railroading. After I had removed the track, turnouts and the nails, the top of the table is now completely barren. But I hold on to the hope, that new vigor for modeling shall return to me since it has been stifled way too long.

          Yes, the day was traumatic and bittersweet, but my prayer is that life and the precious hobby shall return to me with a new vigor in a different place, in a different day and with a different hope and aspiration.

SBM

[Packers#1]

JimRCGMO

Sawyer - so is 'chillin' a new term for what our generation used to call 'necking' under/behind the stands? (Just razzing you)

 

hahaha, nice. Nope, we were walking all over the stadium.

[blownout cylinder]

PC: YES to that post!!

[pcarrell]

OK, I know this is a train forum, not a bikers forum, but I thought this was very well written, and it's written to car and truck drivers (known to bikers as "cagers"). If it gets posted on a bike forum, no cagers are going to read it and it defeats the purpose, right? Please, give it a read and consider it carefully. It's called...........

The Biker

When you see us moving past you quickly:

Don't take offense or think we're trying to "show off". Ninety five percent of the time, we're trying to get out of your blind spot or taking ourselves out of a potential dangerous situation that has evolved around us. Distancing ourselves from you does not mean we want to race, but that we're giving ourselves the edge we need at the moment.

When you hear our horn:

Don't take offense or think we're trying to aggravate you. All we're doing is letting you know where we are in relation to you on the road, and we're more than likely aware of your inattentiveness to us while you're talking on a cell phone, eating, reading or involved in some other distracting aspect to your driving. It's important to us, and you, that you know we're there.

When you hear our loud pipes:

Don't become angry and hostile toward us. Yes, some are quite loud, but for some, there's a purpose behind being loud. It's about letting you know we're close by and we're constantly hoping that our investment in this accessory will help save our lives. Our pipes are really not about our ego...it's a pride and personalization to our form of transportation.

When you see us in our clothes:

Don't become fearful of us or think us weird. Our leather jackets, chaps, gloves and boots are the barriers between loosing massive amounts of flesh should something cause us to go down...nothing more, nothing less. Safety gear is paramount to our riding. We wear patches on our jackets, and pins on our vests. These are symbols of pride and honor within our group(s), individuals giving back to those who gave. These things bond us as a brotherhood and sisterhood among bikers. Not that we're better than anyone else, but that we have the same kind of nobility and pride in our accomplishments as you may have in the various aspects of your life. I guess one could say; our patches and pins are the decals and the bumper stickers of our involvement with society and the general public, of which we are very pleased to be a part of in our own little way.

When you see us in a restaurant:

You don't have to shield your child or feel intimidated. We have family, wives, husbands, children and loved ones too, just like you. We smile; we laugh and enjoy the moments we have. We are approachable, and would befriend you, if given the opportunity.

When you see us in a parking lot:

Don't convince yourself that we're there to "get you". More than likely, we just finished a long ride and are taking a break. Or, we may be meeting up with other riders for a charity run for young children, or another very worthy cause. We may just be admiring one another's bikes, sharing our pride with other brothers and sisters, just like you do with your personal vehicle. It's what we do...it's a part of our lives, and we'd be more than welcome to share with you what riding a bike is all about...if you'd only ask.

When you see aggressive riding bikers:

Don't put us all in the same stereotypical category as those whose behavior and actions would cause you to react in d!sgust and intolerance. Many of us do not agree with this style of riding either, and we know and understand that human nature tends to blend us all together as the "same group". Most of us don't want that title...and don't deserve it.

When you see a group of bikers on the roadways:

Give us the courtesy of sharing the road with you. Please don't "move in" between several bikers in formation. This gets us very excited and nervous, especially when it's done with no due regard for our safety. Provide us with your awareness of the fact that we are much more vulnerable than you. We don't want to challenge you, for all of us are wise enough to know...we'd lose that battle.

When you are turning left,right or entering a roadway/highway:

Look, then look again...and then one more time. For we can be easily hidden, and appear to be invisible by such things as a telephone pole, another vehicle, bright lights or the glare of the sun...or possibly, the beads hanging from your rearview mirror, among numerous other items that are displayed there. If you see us flashing our lights at you or blowing our horn, we're only trying to ensure that you will see us before tragedy changes both our lives.

When you are behind us:

Please give us the room we need and don't tailgate us. If you hit us, we're going down...HARD! We don't want to play games with you, we just want to enjoy the ride and the fresh air, and experience that which many of you have never lived for. If we accelerate away from you, don't interpret this action as though we want to drag race you. We're only trying to take ourselves out of a bad situation if you insist on being too close.

When, and if, you experience road rage:

Don't take it out on us just because we're smaller than you and more vulnerable. Think about what you're doing and the end result that may become a reality. The consequences of your actions and choices could be very detrimental to our well being, our families, our children and our loved ones. Yes, there are those that can tend to p!ss you off, however, rage towards them will not solve the issues, but accentuate them. Nine out of ten bikers will do everything they can to take themselves out of that situation without causing you or them harm.

When you have an opportunity to talk to us:

You'll discover, outside any influenced or stereotypical mindset you may have, that we are just as human as you are, just with different interests and toys. Many of us would give you the shirt off our back if it would tend to brighten your day or console you in some way. We're really no different... and we drive cars, trucks and vans too. So, meet us and greet us...I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that you'll be met with open arms.

Thank You for attempting to understand!




Published with permission from Bikers Against Child Abuse

[Robby P.]

 Good late morning.  Got some light rain coming.  That makes for a perfect day .

 I guess the wife and I will go out today.  I finally got some money in my wallet .  Maybe even go by a LHS.  

 Hope everybody has a good day. 

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe I'll have a couple Bavarian Creme donuts and a cup of dark roast in a FGLK mug.  Please and thank you.  I'll goe sit at the rivet counter and see what folks are talking about this morning.

Barry, I see you sent on the "Dull" to NYS.  'Tis a very dreary 71°F here in the Finger Lakes this morning with more if the same for most of the day.  Only good thing is the air conditioners are shut off.... 3rd. day in a row.

Jeffrey your new background makes such a good difference on your layout.  Very nice addition!

Duke, I see you woke up yesterday when that Berk roared by!  Gotta love those machines.

Ulrich I sure hope that life will get better for you and that you can pop in here from time to time.  Just want you to know we are thinking about you sir.

Hope all of you have a great day and stay dry.

73

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

 Good morning...

I was fixin' to have Ulrich's strudel today, but evident'y he is not here. I will settle for a donut.

Cal Tom said: "Garry:  Prayers that Little Kitty will continue to thrive.  As a Franciscan Catholic, I am a firm believer that all of God's creatures are put here for a purpose." ...... Tom, thank you......... Little Kitten is our last surviving pet. She was born when we lived near Ann Arbor, MI. Her Mom, Skeekie, liked the outdoors and .......er....well.....she got pregnant. (darn Tom cat)..... Prior to that, we had 3 dogs and 1 cat. Skeekie's litter of 4 changed the odds. .. The dogs were mine and the cats were Shelley's.  ... We moved to KY with just two cats, Skeekie and Little Kitten..... Skeekie adopted me as her human and stayed close to me all of the time. She was put to sleep last year, I am sad to say.......That's the short version of our pet story.

Shelley and I are coordinating a concert at the church this evening, and we're busy with that all day to day. Regret to say I will not have time to wake up Duke. Somebody else needs to handle that chore.

Cheers everybody.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

JimRCGMO

Jeff, that background looks good - is that a further back view of your A/C in there, or what's the small-looking white vented thing (to the left of the elevator)? Looking good, whatever is there.

The vented thing you refer to is a transformer on a depressed center flat car.

[JimRCGMO]

Good Morning, Janie - just a cup of coffee in a 'go' cup, please 'n' thank you. (Would you set back some of those ribs for me that Bama brought in, too? Great!)

Jeff, that background looks good - is that a further back view of your A/C in there, or what's the small-looking white vented thing (to the left of the elevator)? Looking good, whatever is there.

Sawyer - so is 'chillin' a new term for what our generation used to call 'necking' under/behind the stands? (Just razzing you)

Todd - I figured that the main thing with sending the charger bill to your son would be just one more nudge (in hopes that all of them might accumulate into him learning something. Nah, you might be right about that... I've seen some of the digital SLR's, but I don't have the need for all the bells and whistles, plus I don't have that much spare change lying around. For those who can use 'em and have the change, great for them! There's a reason Pelle Soeberg's pics in last month's MR looked so good, y'know? (Besides the fact that he's a great artist and model railroader, that is)

Paul, good that you got to watch your granddaughter's color guard. Hope you get the email problem w**ked out - maybe you could go with a web-based one like Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail in the meantime?

Looks like that storm front has been moving its way east (and north), from the Diners' reports overnight and this morning. The national weatherguesser map this morning showed rain up most of the eastern coastline, into the Appalachians, even.

I'll join the bunch at the RC for now. No pager calls yet, and I'm fine with that!

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[TMarsh]

Good morning, Just coffee please I had a couple of chocolate Zingers and some milk at home.

Chicken fry went well and the wet stuff stayed away. Now it's cold. Only 62F and supposed to only hit 72 today. I'll have to admit it's great sleeping weather! The perfect wife is trying it out as we speak.

Jim- Baseball bat maybe, presenting with a bill....definite waste of time. I guess I could look into buying my own camera. But doggone if the stores don't want paid for them. What I'd really like is one of them SLR's. Nikon makes a neat one and reasonable for the type, but still a bit pricey for me yet.

I see Garry woke Duke up. ( it was pretty clever)

Why is it whenever a good home cooked meal is brought in here, I'm otherwise occupied?!

Ulrich- I wish you the best. I'm sure you will get yourself out off this pinch. It may take time, but it'll happen. Please do keep in touch through public accesses if you are forced to discontinue your own for a while. You and your wonderful wife are at the top of my prayer list. Thinks will get better.

The dew point is 60F and the humidity is 91%. Why do I hear lawn mowers? Anyway, I have to get to the Village/Township garage to clean up this morn then we'll see what the yard feels like and maybe some MRRing. Hopefully tomorrow too. To cold to be outside anyway.

Have a Great Day!!!

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning from biglakesville

We got barrels of rain last night and we also had a couple of those t'underin'boomers with the attached monsoons---so lotsa big lakes have formed. Got about a 70% chance of more rain today and a bit less chance tomorrow---we're still hoping for the neighbourhood BBQ

Today is picking up my meds day and doing some HD things---tomorrow will be my MR day--with BBQ attached!!

Flo, I'll just have a coffee for now please----I'll have it by the RC

[LSWrr]

Good morning, we were under a tornado warning here in northern Ohio yesterday.  New refrigerator is being delivered this morning and a couple of the guys from the MRR club want to stop by and have a look at my layout progress.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Good morning.

It's 72 and partly cloudy. The high will be around 90 and there's a chance of rain.

I went on a cloud making spree yesterday so I now have white clouds halfway around the layout. Getting to the east half of the layout is a little more difficult as the access hole is a bit smaller and the panel (Shell station) comes out from underneath (held in place by three barrel locks) whereas the panel (park) for the west half comes out from above and is simply lifted out. Yesterday morning I shut my computer down as thunderstorms were coming through. When I turned it back on a couple of hours later I found that I had no internet service. Went down to my parent's place and quickly discovered they had no internet or cable TV service. I called Suddenlink and they weren't even aware there was a problem out here. I went into town later and saw cable crews working along the roadside and found that a number of boosters had been knocked out by the storm. In all, the service was out for about ten hours. The outage area (as far as I know) effected Vernon Lake road, Ruby Haymon road, Brentwood Drive, Huckleberry Lane, Vernon Park road, Lakeview Landing road, Brookins road, Schultz Drive, Driftwood Drive, Surfside Drive, Oak Ridge Lane and Sandy Ridge road. Overall a distance of around ten miles. That's a lot of customers without service. I can understand them not knowing about it as many people were out to work/school at the time and the only ones home were those who are retired or can't work for various reasons. I still have cable service for the internet but I get my TV channels via satellite. I get 250+ channels for the same price as I was paying for 70-80 channels on cable.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA  71446-6114      8/29/2009

Heat Index:  77°F
Humidity:  98%
Dew Point:  71°F

So Far Today
High:  73°F
Low:  72°F
Rain:  0.00"
Rain Rate:  0.00"/h
Gust:  0mph NNE

Today  High: 90    Partly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then a 40 percent chance in the afternoon. Highs around 90. Northwest winds around 5 mph.

Tonight  Low: 70    Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows around 70. South winds around 5 mph in the evening becoming west after midnight.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Paul ...It's good to see you!!... I'm glad you could see your granddaughter at half time. ... Perhaps you need to change to another email provider...... Cheers!

[Paul W. Beverung]

Evening Gang; We just got back from the Aledo High School opening football game. They won. The only reason we went was to see our granddaughter in the half time. She is a member of the color gaurd flag group. They are pretty good.

I'm still having trouble sending E-mails. They get sent and received but without the text. I've sent Duke several and no luck.

It's late and tomorrow is an early get up.

Take care All

[BamaCSX83]

*strolls in with a tray of grilled pork chops, sweet peas, potato salad, and fried eggplant and squash*  Hey guys, I've got plenty left over!

Well, I now have all the information memorized for the rare possibility that a my friend's Cessna 172 decides to quit flying and we have to bring it in in less-than-ideal-conditions.  I even got onto MSFS and did a few simulated runs. 

Y'all eat up what's left over, less I've got to put into the fridge and eat tomorrow!

[Packers#1]

Cederstrand

***Sawyer, which side is in control of that track and the trains? Will go far towards which side eventually prevails.

The tracks are closest to Aiken High.

And we won, 27-17. I watched pretty much zero of the game b/c I was chillin w/ my girlfriend.

[blownout cylinder]

JimRCGMO

You fellas up north of me - Todd, Inch, Jerry (and later, you all in Ohio and Indiana) - watch out, I saw the track of this cold front that's coming slowly east (and quickly running north up the front) with some rain. We got our turn about mid-day today, so it's probably reaching you now, and will reach the Ohio Valley tonight or in the morning.

Another particular piece of misery is here---lotsa rain and lightning. BLAGH! And also these two fronts have started to combine----sheeesh!

JimRCGMO

Cederstrand

***Jim, after finding out their charges, looks like my wife will continue to make regular trips down there to oversee her folks. Oh well.

Well, poo(p), Rob!

Cederstrand

Now our Medical Insurance Co. is saying our regular Doctor (who we've had and used with this same Insurance Co for years) isn't on their list of Doctors so they will not pay for our visits, etc... Time to go on a letter writing tirade to every applicable entity we can think of. Going to fight this one.

And double... Sounds just like an insurance company, mutter, mutter... Yeah, and talke to your senator, congressman/woman, and your state's board for insurance and attorney general, too! Don't know, but it could be that your doctor got fed up with dealing with the company's red tape and underpayment for services, as well.

----I could get into a about that too. Talk about aggravating!!

[JimRCGMO]

G'dEvening, Chloe, just a Santa Fe mug of decaf, please. Thanks.

Cederstrand

***Jim, after finding out their charges, looks like my wife will continue to make regular trips down there to oversee her folks. Oh well.

Well, poo(p), Rob!

Cederstrand

Now our Medical Insurance Co. is saying our regular Doctor (who we've had and used with this same Insurance Co for years) isn't on their list of Doctors so they will not pay for our visits, etc... Time to go on a letter writing tirade to every applicable entity we can think of. Going to fight this one.

And double... Sounds just like an insurance company, mutter, mutter... Yeah, and talke to your senator, congressman/woman, and your state's board for insurance and attorney general, too! Don't know, but it could be that your doctor got fed up with dealing with the company's red tape and underpayment for services, as well.

And Rob - would that ROTFLMBO be "... Laughing My BACK Off"?

Todd - have you thought that another use for that baseball bat might be to...uh,... encourage your son to bring the charger back? (Did I just say that out loud? Oh no! ). Just kidding (I think..) If you have the model number needed to get a replacement one, you could do that and send him a copy of the bill (not that you'd expect to see payment any sooner than the charger has been in coming back...). Ah, kids, right?

Robby, sounds like the weathering is worthwhile for you (in spite of the 'Bay's fees...). How's your layout's progress coming along, by the way?

Ulrich - please do NOT stop coming in here for fear that you might drag us down. We'd rather be able to encourage you some, pray for you and know how you're doing (and what else to include in our prayers), rather than just wonder how you are. You're our friend, and we ain't gonna lock you out of the Diner - no way, no how, no time! (And I doubt that I am only speaking for myself there)

Ryan, good to hear that the posts are helpful for you, and sounds like Kitty had a long and great life with the Boudreaux family.

I see that Garry is up to his usual 'tricks' again, eh? And what model of loco would that perchance be, Duke?

Hey, Calif.Tom - pace yourself, you don't want to wear out before Christmas! Your Jock sounds like a fun one to have in class.

Now, Bama, no fair - stopping by long enough to tantalize our appetites with the yummy stuff you're gonna have for dinner and leaving! Didn't your teachers tell you that you have to bring enough for everybody? Oh yeah - happy flying tomorrow!

You fellas up north of me - Todd, Inch, Jerry (and later, you all in Ohio and Indiana) - watch out, I saw the track of this cold front that's coming slowly east (and quickly running north up the front) with some rain. We got our turn about mid-day today, so it's probably reaching you now, and will reach the Ohio Valley tonight or in the morning.

Got laundry done and I'm ready for on-call tomorrow. High spot of the day was getting emails from two dear female friends of mine. One I've known for 40+ years, and she may be swinging by here over Labor Day weekend (she's visiting a friend in the prison at Ina (?) and figured while she was down part way near Cape G....). The other email was from my friend Linda (dealing with some health problems), and it sounded like she may not have quite as many as she/her doctors first thought she did. She got back from visiting her first grandbaby in the middle of Texas (really little town). I'll have to see about calling her Sunday afternoon, I think and catch up. She has carpal tunnel, among other things, so typing emails is a major issue for her, so I was pleasantly amazed at how much she wrote(!).

I'll have a refill on my coffee, please, Chloe, and then I'll be heading home. Tomorrow, I hope to get some more re-w**king of the track on my layout started (maybe even done), depending on how busy my on-call does(n't?) keep me.

Prayers for all of you Diners (I noticed that my prayer list is getting fairly long, between all of you and my church friends and other friends), and especially for those needing healing of body, mind and/or spirit, for yourself/loved ones. Know that you're all special to me (no, Garry, that's not Special K...).

 

Blessings for you and yours,

Jim in Cape Girardeau

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Finally got a chance to do some work on the layout. Moved a couple of structures around and added some clouds.

[BamaCSX83]

*comes in, eyes the cake catapult and shakes his head* 

C'mon guys!  I'm sure that our wonderful diner staff would rather us NOT throw cakes around.  I'll have a RBF over here in the window booth, gotta little studying to do.  Got a friend of mine who is going to be taking me up tomorrow (yes, up, flying), and I know that I'm a little rusty on the emergency procedures for the Cessna 172, so I'm brushing up tonight.  My friend is the type that isn't afraid to be flying along fat and happy and then pull the mixture out on you and make you practice loosing your engine in flight and making an "improvised field landing".  Oh well, beats what I was going to do, which was nothing. 

Well, sounds like dinner is just about ready on my side of the world, so I'll be off and enjoy some pork chops on the grill, fresh peas (from mom and dad's garden), little bit of friend eggplant and squash, with some potato salad.  Yum!  Yum!  I'll be back in later y'all.

[nik .n]

blownout cylinder

Chloe, I'll have a Cherry Cheesecake and a RBF please----mmm--what's this? A Cake Catapault?

 

Oy Ve.....

[twhite]

Afternoon all from HotCloudyHumidCal: 

Yup.  Humid.  As in YECCH!    We don't get humid very much out here in the PollenValley, but when we do, it's a Doozer!  This has been caused by those yearly southern rainstorms coming UP from Mexico through Arizona and Nevada and heading west, thank you very much.   No rain, but just clouds hanging over the valley trapping the high pressure.  It's that time of year when we get to feel like Louisiana, LOL!  (sorry 'bout that, Jeff ). 

Anyway, it's supposed to go away this weekend so we can just be hot and dry again.  Whoopee!

Well, the first two days of instruction are over at Jesuit.  Got to meet and re-meet the four choirs I'll be working with.  Hug-time and back-slapping with 'my guys', and introductions to the new (and scared) freshmen.  Leah and I took stock, I think it's going to be a good year.  It's great to be back.  But after two days, I'm EXHAUSTED!!   Have to get back into the swing of things, so to speak. 

We instituted a 'new' rule, no IPODS or Blackberry's in the classroom--they go in the backpacks BEFORE you enter and stay there until after class.  I told the class that any that I discover are MINE forever, and that Doc White is really HOT to get a free collection this year.   One of my favorite Jocks --and a terrific student named Ryan Werking--just stared at me and said, "Are you Bad Cop this year, Doc?"  "You betcha, Ryan."  "Is this negotiable?" he asked.   "No.  Why?  Are you planning trouble?"  I grinned.  He grinned back, "It's in my Contract, Doc."   We both laughed like crazy.  It's gonna be a GOOD year!!  He's actually a sweetheart, and one Heckuva baritone.  I hope he runs for President when he's old enough. 

Ryan:  I'm so sorry to hear about your cat.  As a lifelong cat lover and current owner of two big furry felines, I know what a jolt losing one is.  They're a member of the family.  If you don't mind a bit of advice, spend a little time mourning, then get another one.  It's what I did when I lost my big furry
Maine Coon buddy Lowell, last year from kidney failure.  I waited a little, got another big furry fellah from a rescue society, and "Uff-Dah" (he's a Norwegian Forest Cat) has turned out to be his own type of unique furry goofball.  Cats are like that.  I've never met two the same.  But do yourself a favor, wait a little while and then go down to the local ASPCA.  You'll end up rescuing a cat that's just waiting to come and run your household, believe me. 

Garry:  Prayers that Little Kitty will continue to thrive.  As a Franciscan Catholic, I am a firm believer that all of God's creatures are put here for a purpose. 

Well, I got Deer Creek Yard re-laid completely (finally!).  Been doing some switching there with my new Peco's, and they work just fine.  However the yard itself looks like the aftermath of a WWII bombing run.  I had to scrape and vacuum all of the ballast and scrape and clean all of the track that I pulled up.   Right now it looks nice and shiny and raw.  Hopefully this weekend I'll do some re-ballasting.   But the next time I lay out a railyard, will SOMEONE remind me to use sheet cork instead of the WS foam pads?  They're great on the mainline, but hoo boy, when it comes to yard-work, we're talking SPONGY, LOL! 

Well, got to get the music ready for tomorrow's Vesper Mass--still to muggy to venture out into the garage and work on the trains.  Hopefully later tonight.  Supposed to be a Delta Breeze (yah, SURE!). 

Best to all, prayers to those in need. 

Tom

 

 

 

   

[Cederstrand]

Broiled Seafood Platter, please.

***Ulrich, hope you get things worked out and return for a visit in the near future. Good luck! 

***Sawyer, which side is in control of that track and the trains? Will go far towards which side eventually prevails.

***Garry, (Aikin Back)...ROTFLMBO

Have a good night all.

Rob

 

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening from getting all wetville

Yes, it is rainy and somewhat boomy here. I've got a little 'Spring' between my arms purring away and it be quiet in the house---aside from the fridge that is

Eric's layout is about done--at least in the bridge section---just have it ready for the thing by next week---

Chloe, I'll have a Cherry Cheesecake and a RBF please----mmm--what's this? A Cake Catapault?