Mornin'!
Zoe, dark roast coffee to go...
On my way out the door to go to the R&GV RR Museum to do Docent Duty today.
Catch you all later....
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Morning. Cup of that Dark Roast please.
I did get to spend some time in the train room yesterday instead of outside doing what I really should be doing. Mainly I put the pedestal where the Bed and Breakfast will go and got most of the cardboard lattice work done for that side of the hill and tunnel. 'Twas a good day at least until I had to quit to go to work.
Garry- "Stucco" eh? I shall keep that in my journal of things to try. Realizing the colors from brand to brand will vary, that at least gives me an idea of what "type" of colors to check out on the color chips. WHICH, by the way, with all the talk of paints other than hobby paints, it never dawned on me until just now to cruise the paint chips in the stores. DOH!
Rob- I'm still thinking dynamite.
Barry- You have GOT to be kidding! You must have the best swap meets and garage sales of any place I've heard of. A modelers PARADISE I say. I'm gonna start looking for a place up there.
Ulrich-Hey! You BBQ out in Germany too. By golly there just isn't much difference between us is there. Well except we like cold beer. Anyway, real glad you had a good time. You needed it. Like they say, good food and good friends can get you through most anything, but it sure is nice to have a comfortable commode.
Don't know what I'll do today. Brenda found a spot on the kitchen ceiling and It may be under where the sewer vent goes up through the roof, I think it is. I hope it's just the elbow like it was a couple years ago in a different local. Mom's open house is also today, so I suppose I have to stay away from there. I do need to get some things done and this is a good day. But I also need to get some things done HERE also. AND, I must go see Mom. Then maybe if I'm a good boy Brenda will let me take her to the Golden Corral. I like their ribs and pretty much everything else. Boy I hope she let's me pay.
Have a Great Day!!!
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Ra*n at last!
Has not cooled down much, though, temperatures are still in the 90´s F.
Flo, I´ll have a RBF to cool me down a little! Thank you!
No, Todd - there is not much difference, we also like cold beer! Each supermarket stocks maybe 30 - 40 different kinds of beer. The key difference is only language, currency and we are more into soccer than football. We call soccer "Fussball" - football. Ah, ja - one more difference - we have more trains and the German counterpart of the NMRA has about 2 million members, not only 19,000, as I have recently read about the NMRA membership figures.
Sir Madogwe also like cold beer! Each supermarket stocks maybe 30 - 40 different kinds of beer.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Sir MadogAh, ja - one more difference - we have more trains and the German counterpart of the NMRA has about 2 million members, not only 19,000, as I have recently read about the NMRA membership figures.
But didn't you know? It's very expensive to be a member here---------- at least, that is the reason usually tossed at us'uns. Now, Ray, Ray!! Put that book down--sheeesh almost got clobbered for that-------Whew
I'll have a RBF as well---I'll be at the corner booth with the table at the ready
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Jeff - I have only a "light" memory on the beer I had while living in the US. I was under age, but my US foster parents allowed me to have an occasional beer. It was more like lemonade to me
I'll have a Paducah apple turnover with coffee please.
Zandoz ... Do you have time to watch trains on the Ohio River bridges at Cincinnati? It seems like there is a train on them most times I pass through on I-75.
Todd ... when you do get the paint, you can experiment with it. Add white to lighten, or add black to darken. While you experiment, try weathering with washes of diluted acrylic paints.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good morning but almost afternoon, folks.
Upper 80s and mostly sunny here today. I may be paranoid, but I think I'm being set up as a water balloon target. Uncharaistically, wife is tying to convince me to go out on the patio later...and the 6yo walking energy bomb keeps walking by with a container of water balloons, and giggling maniaclly. <shrug>
Chris: Thanks for the welcome. I think I may have heard of your friend's blog...sounds familiar. Actually, I'm a transplant here to. I'm originally from northern Ohio. Wife is originally from here, so we moved back here when I was downsized out of a job about 7 years ago.
Garry: I've not done much formal railfanning in several years. Even before the recent health issues, the combination of Degenerative Joint Disease and being a 1 car family made it difficult getting out for that kind of thing. Years ago though, I do remember taking the MIL over to Cincy to buy lottery tickets at a place that was almost under the end of that bridge. You are right, the traffic over it is pretty heavy. In the past, when we lived up along Sandusky bay, I spent a lot of time on my favorite rock on the shore, watching the Conrail and Amtrak trains crossing the bay bridge. I miss that rock.
Reality...an interesting concept with no successful applications, that should always be accompanied by a "Do not try this at home" warning.
Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.
"Oooh...ahhhh...that's how this all starts...but then there's running...and screaming..."
Italian roast coffee in a SUNNY SOUTHERN mug, please.
Have a good day y'all.
Rob
If you can read this... thank a teacher. If you are reading this in english... thank a veteran
When in doubt. grab a hammer.
If it moves and isn't supposed to, get a hammer
If it doesn't move and is supposed to, get a hammer
If it's broken, get a hammer
If it can't be fixed with a hammer... DUCK TAPE!
Just a quick stop.
Worked on my new building for a bit, changed the MIL oil (no pun intended), and added some rain deflectors to her car, oh and I watered the garden. UGH!!! I'm done.
Here's what I've done so far with the farm/country house. I still need to add some detail work.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Evenin' Folks!
Flo just a Butterscotch Sundae and a cup of decaf for me....
Barry! I heard THAT!
Had a great day out at the museum with a steady supply of visitors. Had a lot of people ask questions about railroads and how they operated. We had a big interest in the refrigerator car on display. These led to how they were iced, where did the ice come from, etc. Must have been because of the hot week last week...... Mid afternoon we had a group of very active "going into 3rd. graders"... A birthday party I think. They were fun and very interested in how things like the telegraph worked. Several wanted to take it apart to see, but let me explain it instead.
Got home and decided after a light supper to hook onto the wood splitter with the truck and pull it around to the other driveway where I have a small pile of wood. No sooner got THAT done and go back in the house than I look outside and there is a car sitting right at the corner with flashing blue lights, THAT was followed by a Fire Truck, and a good bunch of other Volunteer Fireman's vehicles. Twenty or so fireman start putting on all kinds of fire gear and then stand around in the road for a few minutes. One of them comes back out of the house across the street. Several go over and stand around talking for a bit more. The elderly lady who lives there hobbles out of the house and talks with one of them.... She goes back inside, and they all put away the fire gear and drive off..... She probably was boiling water on the stove and it set her alarm off... Life is back to normal (whatever THAT is).
THAT is all the excitement for the evening from here in the Finger Lakes, so, what's up with you guys?
Coffee refill, please.
***Robby, neat scene with the ranch house. They obviously weed their garden.
***Ray, sounds like a great day at the museum. And some "alomost exciting" entertainment back at home.
Uploaded some poor quality pics of recent progress on the wife's layout here: http://mods.homestead.com/TrainRoom5.html I'll add 2 below for your amusement. The hospital foundation made from foam & joint compound. The wee little folks are characters from Trailer Park Boys the wife got me to paint. (well, 3 of them...the others were already good as is) Thank goodness for the new magnifier. Would you believe she asked me to put a glass in one of their hands? Is she nuts?
Cheers! Rob
Oh oh. ... We may be going healthy. Robby's growing veggies. (Nice scene, Robby).
Zandoz ... Did the 6 year old get you with the water balloon arsenal?
Rob ... The Horse Pistol is looking terrific! Ready for ambulances now?
Ray .... Must have been a fire drill. Sounds like Barry's full of himself today.
I think we have several MIA's. Suggest diners check up on folks with emails if you can.
Heartland Division CB&QRay .... Must have been a fire drill. Sounds like Barry's full of himself today.
I did not raise any gas attacks here------I only made a mention of summat----
I'd be thinking the same thing with a fire drill-----hopefully that was all it was----
Looking at the pictures here and in WPF all I can say to you guys is
Prayers for those in need.
Bowl of mixed nuts, please.
***Garry, horse pistol? Think I missed something!
My wife checked out the Diner from work tonight. She hadn't seen the little characters yet. She reminded me that Julian (the figure in black) needs a goatee. Guess it's tine to grab the "nail" again and add one. My smallest paint brush is too large for such details.
Need to go do a nightly critter check. Have a good night y'all.
Rob ... Horse Pistol .......... Hospital ..... Guess you never heard that one before.
***Garry, ah ha, I get it now. I was wondering what my little 357 had to do with anything.
Went down to the train room and added that goatee to the one figure. The things we do for our loved ones....sheesh!
Good Morning Everyone,
yet another hot and humid night - there are comfortable 82 F in our bedroom - too warm to get a decent sleep!
Zoe, a big mug of coffee and a bucket of ice water to put my feet in, please.
I am through with my morning chores - searching the web for job openings. Found three of them and turned in my application. Our economy is supposed to pick up, but I don´t see that arriving at the job market, yet.
The Soccer World Cup is over, with Spain finishing of The Netherlands 1:0 in a rough and unfair game. Public life will now go back to normal, meaning the nights will be less noisy . The weather guessers are predicting another set of thunderstorms heading our way - hopefully, it´ll cool down a little.
The MIA list is getting longer and longer - John, Keith, Bama, Sam, Jim (well, he does occasionally drop by), Calif. Tom has not shown up for quite some time now, Jerry is missing also. Is it just nsummer holidays?
You all have a good day!
Horse pistol----sounds like a variation of horse spittal----version I hear up here---lol
Good morning people!!
How are we this fine morning?
We are kinda dull today with our high going all the way to 22C. But we are very damp as we are expecting showers all day today----
I'm up and all piculous this morning, think I'll head out for a walk around--see what's up in the neighbourhood
Chloe, I'll have a giant tub of rawcaffeine please--I'll be at the corner booth for now
Good morning. Its not as hot but got some rain coming.
Almost time for work, and maybe later I can get some MRR done. Other than that, not much planned for me today.
Hope everybody has a good day.
Zoe, glass of Mountain Dew please. It will be my first Dew in 3 days, been sick as a Dog. Last 3 days I have been running a fever between 100.1 and 102.3. I am hopping it just a kidney infection, lower back hurt, hard time doing number 1and when I do, it was very clouded. So 3 days of nothing fun to drink. This morning I woke up and my side of the bed was soaked, I hoping the the fever broke while I was a sleep.
Will be calling my Doc today to find out about getting my Prostate checked out, I am at that age. Dad fought Prostate cancer for 5 years. He did win because they found it early on. Getting old sucks!
Ulrich, how long have you been looking for work? You live in Germany right? One of the reasons I asked is a guy I worked with just came back from the Germany after living there for 21 years. Mark keeps telling me how the US sucks, and Germany is the land of Milk and Honey compared to the US.
Guess I will not be talking with Mark any more due to the fact I was let go 07-07-2010, thank God. I have been in some sort of sales all my life. I have sold everything from dogs (Pet Shop) to $5000.00 Mattress sets! This was my first go a round with selling cars, it is the only time I have felt dirty about sales! Hours where long 55 hours, commission was low, no overtime in IL and it was hotter than heck on the lot. Cars thermometer typically read between 95 to 101 when I moved them. But, I did learn a new job skill, blowing up balloons!
Couple tips for anyone thinking about buying a new car.
1 Sell your trade in out right. Even if they offer you what the blue book value, they are making it up in mark up on the new car.
2 Have your own financing, if you don't they will try to make extra money in the back end of the deal.
Well, I must be feeling better, I took the time to write this post.
Zoe, another Dew for the road if you be so kind.
Don't feel sorry for me being out of work, my unemployment is $300.00 more a month clear than I was making at the car lot.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Morning , the Brakeman's Special, over easy with sausage please. Yup and some coffee too. Oh could I get a glass of Ed's OJ. Thanks. I see people are taking pity on my wallet. TOP and no ones ordering anything. Just may have enough after the page for some Hydrocal for the hill side.
We are being dive bombed here today, and yesterday also. Seriously. Crop dusting on the fields next to us. Now That's a job that looks like fun but you can leave me out of it. A Farmer I know does it and he says it's a blast. Offered to take me up, but I've seen his plane and I don't see where I'd sit. Oh well, I'm quite happy sitting here on the ground.
I've heard "Horse-piddle" myself. But, I guess people say it slightly different based on where they're from and what they grew up hearing. Ever heard how many ways people pronounce Peony? Pee-uh-nee, pee-oh-nee, piney, pie-uh-nee, penny, pee-nee. Don't try to correct any one, my wife gets made if it happens to be her. Her family are "piney" people.
Ulrich- Yes our economy is on the mend also. Of course, I'll have to admit. Personally I have not noticed a change myself. In fact living so deep into the country I haven't noticed the "hard times" much anyway. I'm retired from the government and work locally, the wife, also retired from the government, is Asst Manager at the local grain elevator and with corn and soybeans to ADM and the ethanol industry, agriculture has shown no slowdown, and Springfield, the nearby big city is primarily State government and health care. So there is not much that I see other than talk of hard times.
It seems construction in Williamsville might have slowed, but then again they're running out of places to build. They're still putting up $200,000 plus houses though, gotta get paid pretty darn good to afford that and drive that big ole truck that's never been in the dirt. "Wait honey! We more than likely will have to park in the grass at the Park. We had better take the truck. Careful with the lawn chairs junior, you‘ll scratch the inside of the bed."
Ken- Hope you feel better, I've had a kidney infection before. Don't wanna sound like a mother, but this kinda weather, lay off the Dew my friend, water water, water. Maybe a Gatorade or it's equivelant if you're sweating a whole lot. Anyway, you are so right on the car sales tips. Also add, don't fall for the what they give for the car shpeel, even if they show you the authentic documents. They aren't showing you what the manufacturer pays them upon the sale of the car. 20 years ago it was average of about $2000. Did you play the "gotta talk to my manager on this aweful low offer you made." Then head down the hall and chit chat or grab a coffee, kill some time then grab the manager, come out and have him say, " only if you take this car today can we go for it." I never could understand why it had to be right now or they couldn't take it. "Why not tomorrow?" I ask, "Will the car explode? Will it hurt the cars feelings it's being sold so cheap, but today it's in a good mood and the insult probably won't bother it?" They never really answer that question. Though the salesman did admit once he did get a cup of coffee.
Today, I must do the quarterly taxes for the Church and of course the weekly bookwork. Then I think I will remove the neighbors tree limbs from the eave of my garage. He said I could a couple of years ago if they bothered me, he didn't care. Pretty nice of him I thought. Been nicer if he'd trim his own &%@! tree off my garage roof. But..... nice young couple so.....Then climb in the attic to see if I can locate this leak in the kitchen and fix before it rains again. I may end up having to wait until it rains to find something up there wet. I hope not.
Then, I hope to head to the trainroom like Robby and maybe lay some plaster cloth. See? I'm trying to get some messy sloppy stuff on the back of the layout behind Gold Creek done before cleaning up a mess and moving structures is a real PIA. IIIIIII'm a learnin'. Ooops, seems I've put my socks on over my boots. I thought they were a bit hard to put on this morn.
"Hey Todd, what's that hanging there under the bottom of your truck?" " Corn stalk" " (gasp) you take that thing into (gulp) cornfields? It's not 4 wheel drive!" "Haven't needed it yet. Have you?" " Oh yeah, I use it all the time, even after they plow the snow there's still usually a good eighth to a quarter of an inch of snow on the ground. You better trade that thing in on a 4wd" "I'll keep that in mind. I have been thinking about going back to a 4wd. I could pull more in the fields. And I didn't have to watch where I drove as much when it's muddy." "Muddy!" (he passes out)
Good morning. It's 74 and mostly sunny. It will be partly cloudy at best today and the high will be 95.I don't believe I'll be going out for much today. The old ankle was screaming at me the instant my foot touched the floor this morning. Best thing will be to stay inside and move around as little as possible. That being said old man Murphy will probably see to it that 50 people just have to come around banging on the door.It'll probably be politicians and bible salesmen who won't take 'NO' and 'GET LOST' for an answer. On the flip side I'll have some time to work on the layout.
Good Afternoon Folks,
we had a little rain, but the temperatures are still in the high 90´s.
Zoe - a tub filled with RBF to bathe in, please - I need to cool off!
Ken - the grass is always greener on the other side. Without going into politics, Germany is certainly not the land of milk and honey. Our laws and regulations kill just about any private initiative. Were are moving quickly ahead on the path of socialism, without its benefit for the poorer. Our industry is being terrorized by what I call Eco-*** and our government is looking for new ways to increase taxation. That´s why so many young people say good-bye to Germany and try their luck elsewhere. Being an old fart of 54, it seems as if I am stuck here until I draw my terminal breath. Germany´s only advantage is the beautiful countryside, the good beer and that there are more trains!
CUL
Edit: I just see, that my post underwent automatic "editing". The *** stands for the people being in power from 1933 until 1945
TMarshDid you play the "gotta talk to my manager on this aweful low offer you made." Then head down the hall and chit chat or grab a coffee, kill some time then grab the manager, come out and have him say, " only if you take this car today can we go for it."
God, I hated that part the most! It made me feel like a total idiot! This could go on as long as a hour if the customer did not get PO and walk.
What is really happening is I find out what there monthly budget is and tell the sales manger. Lets say it is $350.00, he will write down $490 to $510.00 for 48 month or $410 to $430 for 60 months. Then I would go back to my customer and ask which would work better for you? This could go on and on. I am not told at what kind of interest rate the payments are based on, so when the customer ask all I could say is I don't know.
The interest rate is based on your credit score. Lets say they said the $490 to $510 would work for them and it is based on 7% interest. But, your credit score should get you 4%. The dealership will sell your contract to a Finances company for the 7% and get 3% as a commission? That just did not sit well with me.
Then off to the Finances Officer to be bent over again! They sale extended warranty and gap insurances. Gap insurances is encase your car gets total. At the time your car is worth $18,000 but you owe $25,000, Gap covers the differences. Sound good right? You will have full coverage on the car because there is a loan on it. Your insurances company should total your car, and give you sufficient funds minuses the deductible to buy like vehicle. Now if you have something stupid like $2500 deductible why do you need GAP? They pitch it like you have to pay the differences between what you owe and what it is worth.
Extended Warranty, not a bad idea but why buy when the car is new? I had a customer that bought her extended warranty when her car was new. She found out after the fact the warranty was costing her $6000.00 over the life of the loan? She was thinking about buying a car from me and her car was still under factory warranty after 4 years! Yet she had been paying interest on the extra warranty for 4 years and it had not even kicked in yet! Talk about a waste of money.
Far as the Dew Tmash, yea you are right and the one to go is the last one today.
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, a couple slices of French Toast with NYS Maple Syrup to go along with the Dark roast Coffee in a FGLK mug this morning. Please and Thank You! I'll be over in the booth listening to Barry Explain.......
Currently 79°F here in the Finger lakes. The high will reach 86° later this afternoon under partly cloudy skies. Low overnight is predicted to be 68°. It is THAT time of year.
Slept in late this morning. Must have needed the rest. Six hours on my feet out at the museum yesterday wore me out. Lucky it was a reasonably nice day with the temps only in the low 80's. I'm going to clean up the back porch where I stack the fuel supply for Winter sometime today. If the temperature goes down to below 80 early this evening, I may even spit some of the wood piled in my other driveway.
I plan to spend the rest of the time down cellar where it is cool and there are trains.......
Later!
Sir MadogKen - the grass is always greener on the other side. Without going into politics, Germany is certainly not the land of milk and honey. Our laws and regulations kill just about any private initiative. Were are moving quickly ahead on the path of socialism
That explains why Mark like it there! He thinks Obama is a right winger.
Sir Madog Germany´s only advantage is the beautiful countryside, the good beer
So you do drink Cold Beer?
Ken
Ken - oh yes, we do! Germany is a beer country, although I have to admit, that I´d rather go for a good wine, but that must be age. My doctors allow me to have a glass of whine, now and then