One last coffee refill, please.
***Ray, you're entirely correct about angles. The overviews were on purpose, just to show overall progress. My problem with street level pics is focus. With my old lenses on a new digital camera, it's a challenge to get close without macro capability. Will need to sell a painting before buying a proper digital lens. Am also having issues with capturing proper colors in the train room...they aren't even close to correct. Perhaps I should dig out the tripod, switch to a telephoto lens and try a long open exposure during daylight hours?
Barely got the tractor out of the middle pasture this evening with all the slush & deep mud out there. Long day and kinda tuckered out. Have a good one, y'all.
Rob
Cederstrand One last coffee refill, please. ***Ray, you're entirely correct about angles. The overviews were on purpose, just to show overall progress. My problem with street level pics is focus. With my old lenses on a new digital camera, it's a challenge to get close without macro capability. Will need to sell a painting before buying a proper digital lens. Am also having issues with capturing proper colors in the train room...they aren't even close to correct. Perhaps I should dig out the tripod, switch to a telephoto lens and try a long open exposure during daylight hours? Rob
I hear you on that! I spent $800 on a 10mm - 22mm so I could get photos like this one.......
For most people that would be........ A lot of groceries! For me it was postponing getting a lot of hobby stuff for the RR in order to get something for the "other" hobby. You may have to start saving for a lens that will give those perfect shots. (I like the ones you have posted a lot BTW!)
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Jeffrey- I have to say TSK TSK TSk. I warned you back a few months ago when you got the van that you needed to do something aobut at least a defroster and a heater in that van. I warned that all it takes is a chilly rainy day to get foggy windows, and that temps in your area HAVE indeed and WILL indeed again drop into the frigid zones and you would need defroster/heater action. A good defroster would have eventually cleared or helped to clear your windshield. I have little doubt you will warm up quickly to deforst "naturally" in yoru area, but suppose you had a Dr.s appt. or a parental or self emergency?
RE: THe Credit card call. Back when I had NO CC at all, I used to get fake calls looking for info offering me "to lower the rate I was paying on my CC". I would ask where/how they got my phone number adn the usual answer was "from your CC records". I would tersely/politely inform them that they were liars as I HAD NO CC so they were CERTAINLY MISTAKEN. Then, If they didn't hang up on me first, I would hang up on them. I would aslo get bogus calls for my phantom CC offering additional services provided I "just verified some information to them". I would give them the same terse/polite type of answer. Now taht I DO have CC I politely tell them if their offer is real, then I should have no problem contacting my CC co. myself at my liesure and changing my rate to proffered "lower rate" and hang up. Only one scary call actaully came form my CC CO. when my card was really comprimised, but they asked for no identifying ifo, just repeated the recetn "purchases" made with my card and asked me to verify if true or not, whne I verified that I had NOT for instance Charged Airline tickects to London that day, they referred me to teh fraud dept to call, who immediately cancelled my card and issued a new one.
Oy OY oy The MIL front is not getting better. we shall loose her soon. She slipped into a coma today fora short time but came back around. SHe has pneumonia and another infection they can not identify, or treat till they know what it is. They were going to move her in coma state to ICU, but since she came back around, they moved her to private wing instead. MOH is taking it hard, very hard. MOH takes death of family members seriously and re-affects MOH every year on anniversaries of dates of death. NOt looking ofrward to the support I will have to give. WHne My mother passed, she went quickly after a 30 year battel with Multiple Sclerosis and it was a blessing in disguise and expected, just not when to expect it. SO it was differnet when my mother died.
WEll, I have bored you enough
TTYALLL8R
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
galaxy Jeffrey- I have to say TSK TSK TSk. I warned you back a few months ago when you got the van that you needed to do something aobut at least a defroster and a heater in that van. I warned that all it takes is a chilly rainy day to get foggy windows, and that temps in your area HAVE indeed and WILL indeed again drop into the frigid zones and you would need defroster/heater action. A good defroster would have eventually cleared or helped to clear your windshield. I have little doubt you will warm up quickly to deforst "naturally" in yoru area, but suppose you had a Dr.s appt. or a parental or self emergency?
I hope your MIL gets better but in the event she doesn't may she go peacefully.
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
***Ray, OK, now you're just showing off. That's a wicked shot. I got thinking of how to take some ground level pics and couldn't get anything of the hospital, do to buildings in the way from every direction. OOPS! However, just for you, I wheeled the shopvac around the layout with a couple shims of styro and took a couple for your amusement. (Pardon all the un-weathered plastics) Still not the best color or focus, but perhaps the best I can get presently. Will try this again during daytime hours. Just refresh that page and go to the bottom of it. http://cederstrand.homestead.com/Mods.html ps: How can I post a pic in the Diner here? Use to be able to do so, but nothing seems to work now???
I'll have a fruit smoothie To Go, please. Rob
Cederstrand ***Ray, OK, now you're just showing off. That's a wicked shot. I got thinking of how to take some ground level pics and couldn't get anything of the hospital, do to buildings in the way from every direction. OOPS! However, just for you, I wheeled the shopvac around the layout with a couple shims of styro and took a couple for your amusement. (Pardon all the un-weathered plastics) Still not the best color or focus, but perhaps the best I can get presently. Will try this again during daytime hours. Just refresh that page and go to the bottom of it. http://cederstrand.homestead.com/Mods.html ps: How can I post a pic in the Diner here? Use to be able to do so, but nothing seems to work now??? Rob
Thanks Rob! You caught me......... I am rather proud of THAT shot though. I love the modeling you are doing there. Really, really nice work! Shutterbug Magazine had an article reviewing some point and shoot cameras that are being carried around by Pros these days... Had some interesting ideas and pointers. My next acquisition may be a Canon Powershot G series. It would be used to get those shots that are not ever possible with a large DSLR. Also useful for grabbing the shot that would otherwise get way because you don't have a camera with you....... My sister has a Powershot G10, I may see if I can borrow it for a day to see if it does what I want.
Posting a pic has not changed that I know of. Put the photo at a photo site (Photobucket, etc) and use the [img ] tags......
Awesome shot Ray! Good evening Folks:
Jeff: Very sensible not trying to go anywhere in that van just now. Scraping that ¼ inch of ice is no fun when you're steady on your feet - let alone with the challenges you face. Glad the salt worked out. Those spray cans may not take well to freezing, depends what's in them. I discovered a rattle can of white paint in the shed the other day - thawed out it still works and so it's now in the basement by the spray booth!
That Phishing call is like the emails I keep getting with authentic looking "letterhead" from credit card companies or banks asking about account details (usually they are institutions I don't have accounts with). They always address me as "Dear Customer" Regular banks etc. ALWAYS use your name. In January this year I get such an email supposedly from an on-line trading service of a bank where I do have such an account, calling me "Dear Customer". I phoned that company's Customer Service to see where I could report this Phishing attempt. Imagine my surprise when they said it was indeed from them (about converting a RRSP - Canadian version of 401K - to a version that forces a paydown because I'm now 71, called a RRIF ) I told them that I had very nearly deleted the thing because it called me "Dear Customer" and was therefore a Phishing attempt; and the only reason I hadn't was because I needed it to refer to for this call to them! I asked the "Representative" to pass that up the chain of command.
Garry: That scrap yard is one effective scene! It 's difficult to make curves in the tracks like that, which we are forced into, to look convincing when there are two separate lines following the same general curve. The scrap yard distracts the eye from all that. Terrific!
Rob: Thanks for posting those "General idea" photos...are the silos going to be viewed from that angle? Wish I'd known, 'cos that's their worst side, (most goof-ups) and the logos don't even show. I'd be inclined to take off the discharge line and turn them around.
Kris has gone to bed, so I think I'll do the same. Goodnight all, and God Bless. Prayers for all in need of Healing, Comfort, Prosperity and Peace. Warm now Todd?
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
***Der, that is one nasty looking fire. Do you happen to know the story behind it? As for the silo position, they are just sitting there in that pic. They will most likely be located at the front of the chicken house where a truck would have access to them. That pic is from the backside of the farm anyway.
Wife now wants a school bus (painted white) for a baby chicks delivery scene, like one sees around here. This means the doors cracked open, numerous people working in and around the front of the chicken house, and perhaps a bunch of tiny yellow chicks seen just inside. Could make for an interesting scene.
Evening Folks
Flo, just a beer please in a frosted Monon Mug.
Boy the dinner sure has been busy!
Work Lets just say I am not going to get rich if I have many days like today.
Lee Cannot tell you a lot about the motors except they have 2 mm shafts. If you look through my posting look for the one where I am asking about a motor for a PK 1000 F 3. Darth Santa Fe said there not as good as Mashima Motors but should work for PK engines just fine. There is all so a link there for the E Bay seller. For $5.70 each it would be hard to go wrong regardless.
Galaxy and the House Front. Some very sound advices Galaxy. But, the problem is I never get the same answer 2 times in a row from the idiots that work there! Few examples.
1 Told I was in a advances state off collections and may go into foreclosure.
2 Next call was told they seldom foreclose on VA loan and I can send in partial payments.
3 Next call they will not take partial payments and they will send them back.
4 Next call told them I was working and was told "Great, let us know when you are full time so we can find a refinances plan that will work for you". Made me feel a lot better.
5 Last call was told not to send in a payment, it would not help?
Only thing I know for sure is I stop sending money, they will foreclose! But, I don't know if I do send in funds if it will help either?
I sent in $750.00 that they should have received on the 31st. I have another $1,000.00 I can send now and can send another $900.00 before the end of the month. That would be a total of $2650.00 in 27 days. House payment is $877.00 and change so that is 3 payments. But no idea if it would help or not?
Does anyone know if there is free legal help for Vets? I really starting to feel I need a lawyer to help with this mess!
Time to sleep and hope I have a good Saturday.
Ken
I hate Rust
Evening all.
T...
G...
I...
F!
Even though we had a day and a half off, it was still a long week...
I got that huge English assignment done tonight, so that's off my back. Tomorrow, I have to revise a short essay, catch up on some physics homework (although I have until Thursday to do it), and start a 3 paragraph "newspaper article" for history that is due on Friday. Then if time allows, I'll do some work on the paper.On Sunday, I'll have to do whatever I don't get done tomorrow. And write a letter so I can finally send my genset's board to Atlas for replacement...
This week, we were assigned a research paper in history. Our topics are due next week, and it can be anything in US History from Reconstruction-Present. I am seriously considering doing something train related, maybe either railroading's role in US history, or the rise, fall, and rise again of American railroading. I figure it would be fun to do since I've never written a paper on trains before (unless you count my Theology paper, which was sortakindanotexactly about trains), plus it would be easy to get a good 5-6 page paper out ot it. Any thoughts?
Well, it's getting very late, so I better head on home. I'll catch up once I get back here sometime tomorrow.
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
Evening folks!!...Just thought I would drop in and offer up some homemade beer I have been brewing!!...Jolly good stuff that came out of a Mr.Beer kit my SIL got me for Xmas. 2 gallons of beer for about 15 bucks!!...My brother says it reminds him of Blue Moon minus the orange. Next batch I will get creative and add some hops and fermentabels in it to boost the alcohol %. Quiet night here in Upstate N.Y for a change...the sun actually was out most of the day! Got some more work done on one of the yards I was ballasting the other day. Added the bumping posts and some grass tufts from Scenic Express. Tomorrow I will play around with the yard buildings and switch tower and sand facilities. I lost the flip of the coin this year and will be hosting a Superbowl party. My loving wife had bought me a 40" flat screen for the train room..(yes I was spoiled). So the boys and I will be doing a mini ops session while watching the game and eating wings and homemade beer!! The kids will most likely be jammed in the toy room and the women will be trying to empty my wine rack one bottle at a time. At least it's the good Finger Lakes wine!!! I can see it now...wing sauce on my string of Pacemakers...and pepperoni for manhole covers.
Ray...Love the pictures!!...Your work inspires me!!...Hope you can make it over my way in a few weeks for our club show/division meet. Would love to see you.
Robby...I hate to say it being a Dolphins fan...but I have to be a Packers fan this Sunday..I like Aaron Rodgers more than the Steelers...man...you guys need a shave...That guy Keisel is it??...he could pass for a pirate or a viking...lol
Cederstrand...You have some great looking stuff there. One of these days I will get a better camera for myself to get the shots Ray gets. I can just hear my wife now..."You want to spend how much for a camera"?
ns3010..You could do a great paper on how the railroads and the Industrial revolution went hand in hand..or how trains played a huge part in the war effort. Or the rise and fall of great class 1 railroads like NYC and the Pennsy...the rise...decline...merger..and failure of them. Just a thought.
Everyone have a good evening!!!....Tim
A true friend will not bail you out of jail...he will be sitting next to you saying "that was friggin awesome dude!" Tim...Modeling the NYC...is there any other?
Hey Everone, Just thought I would drop in and say Hello. Zoe I will have a coffee for now.
Well after some deep personal thinking I have come to the conclusion that I am a hoarder. Not the piles of trash through out the house kind of hoarder, but a hoarder none the less. While going through my studio/workshop I have found boxes of nails, nuts, bolts, misc. hardware, and such that I have toted around the country for the last 20 years. I most have 30 pairs of pliers that are rusted shut, 10 hacksaw frames, 40 or 50 screwdrivers half of which are stripped or chipped, and yet I can not throw them away. Boxes of wire and two boxes of electronic parts that I can not remember where they came from. I have promised the better half that I would get rid of some of this stuff, but the throw away pile is still looking small.
Jeffery, I have the same problem with my van, its a 90 GMC conversion that we use to pull are trailer to art shows. The heater core started leaking under the dash and I was being cheap and thought that I could fix it with some stop leak, well that just made it worse. Now I am just going to bypass ithe heater core and we will just have to bundle up if we use it before spring.
Well I better get off of here its late and there is a storage auction in the morning, never been to one so I think I will check it out.
Night All
Ron
I refuse to grow up!!!
Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Good Morning,
we are right in the midst of a quite serious storm, which brought us temperatures of 15 ° C, but also lots of rain. Gust of wind exceed speeds of 160 mph, better to stay in the house. I had planned to get some more lumber to build some corner modules, but will postpone this.
Zoe, coffee in a JNR mug and a breakfasr bagel, please. I´ll stay here at the RC to wait for one of you folks to show up!
Stay safe!
Ulrich: 160 MPH? Is there a house left??!?! .....if you meant 160 KPH...still is a stiff wind!!!
Good Morning
We are supposed to get all the way up to 28F today!! We're having a heatwave...a tropical heatwave!!...
Today is the first day of on-call...going to see how that goes by hiding in my trainroom...have a few loose ends to contend with here...
Flo, I'll have a coffee and a breakfast croisant please...I'll be at the RC with Ulrich for a bit..
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/
Good morning.
I'm off to sign some papers, and tax papers at Wal-Mart. Then who knows what we will do today. Got some snow is the forecast but not much.
Ray.........I also like the shot, very nice!!
Tim........I think the game will be a good one, but its just the Steelers have to many injuries. The Packers won't be able to run the ball, but the Steelers secondary is not very good (pass wise). That will be the weakness. Yeah Keisel does have a nice beard. They even have shirts made for it..."Fear the Beard!!". I do think he would make a good "viking" thou.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Good morning. It's 22° and clear. The high today will be 50° and sunny. There's no ice or snow in sight.Cold this morning but no ice or snow on anything that I can see. Everything here is dry as a tinderbox. A hard freeze warning remains in effect until 10 am today. Am I going to do anything today that pertains to the layout? Probably not. But who knows?
Good Morning!! Coffe and a stack of those buttermilk pancakes.Today: A 30 percent chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. West southwest wind between 3 and 9 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. South southwest wind between 5 and 7 mph. Garry- Very nice job on the scrap yard! Rob- You’re coming along real well! I deal with no one who calls me on the phone. I will call them on the numbers listed on their statements or bills the known company sends me. If I do answer and it does merit a look see (like the house refinance we just completed) any info is exchanged on a call that is returned to a number I know is theirs. Personal info is never exchanged over the phone and a legit outfit never asks. E-mail? Again nope. Nothing is responded to from an e-mail. If someone sends me an offer, an it rarely happens, I check it out by going to their website myself. Not through a link provided. They are very good about subtle spelling changes in the address line and I find it easier to just go to a site myself than see if I’m going to Chasecard.com or Chaseccard.com. No, I have no card with Chase. You couldn’t force me to carry one either. Speaking of Credit Cards, I think they could afford to lower interest rates if the just cut back to HALF of the mailings they send out. I could fill a trash can a week on these silly things. And you’d think by now, my actual credit card company would figure out I will NOT use those outRAGEously interest rated and fee’d checks they send every other week. Really, eh-vury uh-ther week! Ken- My opinion. Do not stop sending in money. Will it help? Depends. As you say you keep getting different answers. That usually means the people are answering based on what they think. Not necessarily what they know.If you stop sending money, you will lose the house for sure. If you do not stop sending, and there is a chance to keep the house, that will act in your favor. Sometimes diligence shows well on the loan people. You aren’t willing to give up and will fight to keep your house, they figure maybe you’re worth the risk. No guarantees of course, but then it depends on the fees and loan balances and what the bank gets for the house etc, if you will owe them anything after the house sells from the bank anyway. Also, Brenda found out that late payments and all that that show up on credit reports when you go to get another loan, if payed in full, get brushed off if when asked to explain you say, “loss of job” of in her case “divorce”. HIs response was the underwriters said, in spite of it all the bottom line was she paid her creditors in full. Just my two cents. Others could probably speak well for saving the cash for something else. Joe- How about a paper on how the public ceased to ride the trains in favor of cars forcing the passenger service to all but disappear only to start griping about the traffic snarls theycreated and somehow manage to blame it on President Bush or Global Warming. Ron- I too am a hoarder. I hate to admit. (model railroading stuff doesn’t count. That’s useful stuff) Well THAT was longer than I expected, but I best get going. I’ve taken too long as it is. Sister did show up yesterday (yeah) and took a carload (yeaher). She and BIL are supposed to come back today around 10 am with a Ryder truck to haul some big stuff and more small stuff to help with the disposal (even yeaher). With any luck at all, I should be able to vacate the apartment by the end of the month thereby saving another 900 United Statsian dollars. We’ll see. Today isn’t over yet. And like the weather, you don’t know what she’ll do until she’s done it. No matter what she says. Ya’ll have a Great Day!!! Crap. It's snowing. Sister will probably use that as an excuse.
Good Morning!! Coffe and a stack of those buttermilk pancakes.Today: A 30 percent chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. West southwest wind between 3 and 9 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. South southwest wind between 5 and 7 mph.
Garry- Very nice job on the scrap yard!
Rob- You’re coming along real well!
I deal with no one who calls me on the phone. I will call them on the numbers listed on their statements or bills the known company sends me. If I do answer and it does merit a look see (like the house refinance we just completed) any info is exchanged on a call that is returned to a number I know is theirs. Personal info is never exchanged over the phone and a legit outfit never asks. E-mail? Again nope. Nothing is responded to from an e-mail. If someone sends me an offer, an it rarely happens, I check it out by going to their website myself. Not through a link provided. They are very good about subtle spelling changes in the address line and I find it easier to just go to a site myself than see if I’m going to Chasecard.com or Chaseccard.com. No, I have no card with Chase. You couldn’t force me to carry one either.
Speaking of Credit Cards, I think they could afford to lower interest rates if the just cut back to HALF of the mailings they send out. I could fill a trash can a week on these silly things. And you’d think by now, my actual credit card company would figure out I will NOT use those outRAGEously interest rated and fee’d checks they send every other week. Really, eh-vury uh-ther week!
Ken- My opinion. Do not stop sending in money. Will it help? Depends. As you say you keep getting different answers. That usually means the people are answering based on what they think. Not necessarily what they know.If you stop sending money, you will lose the house for sure. If you do not stop sending, and there is a chance to keep the house, that will act in your favor. Sometimes diligence shows well on the loan people. You aren’t willing to give up and will fight to keep your house, they figure maybe you’re worth the risk. No guarantees of course, but then it depends on the fees and loan balances and what the bank gets for the house etc, if you will owe them anything after the house sells from the bank anyway. Also, Brenda found out that late payments and all that that show up on credit reports when you go to get another loan, if payed in full, get brushed off if when asked to explain you say, “loss of job” of in her case “divorce”. HIs response was the underwriters said, in spite of it all the bottom line was she paid her creditors in full. Just my two cents. Others could probably speak well for saving the cash for something else.
Joe- How about a paper on how the public ceased to ride the trains in favor of cars forcing the passenger service to all but disappear only to start griping about the traffic snarls theycreated and somehow manage to blame it on President Bush or Global Warming.
Ron- I too am a hoarder. I hate to admit. (model railroading stuff doesn’t count. That’s useful stuff)
Well THAT was longer than I expected, but I best get going. I’ve taken too long as it is. Sister did show up yesterday (yeah) and took a carload (yeaher). She and BIL are supposed to come back today around 10 am with a Ryder truck to haul some big stuff and more small stuff to help with the disposal (even yeaher). With any luck at all, I should be able to vacate the apartment by the end of the month thereby saving another 900 United Statsian dollars. We’ll see. Today isn’t over yet. And like the weather, you don’t know what she’ll do until she’s done it. No matter what she says.
Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!
Crap. It's snowing. Sister will probably use that as an excuse.
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.
Good Morning All,
23F and snowing this morning. We're at the shop to get some stuff done - another big batch of magnafluxing and hopefully make some progress on a couple of other projects. My flyin mechanic is stranded in Atlanta this morning - his flight was delayed and missed his connection due to mechanicals on the first leg. Better to miss a flight I think than have the plane develop issues enroute, no?
Rob - love the progress pics. I still think the road gang is spot on even without the weathering on the truck. I suppose you could put the CFOs' backdrop behind the iNvisible scale part of the layout. Seems unfair to totally block yours out. on the camera front, if you jhave one of the newer DSLRs, you should have a color balance section on the menu. You probably are already there, but I keep the flash off as well.
Ray - I'm green with envy. That is one honkin' good lense. The scene is not so bad either. Your construction has a great degree of believability to it.
Der - that was the CSX "I have a hot box and need to stop the train right now - what do you mean I've stopped the bad truck on the last wooden trestle on earth and it's on fire" incident wasn't it? Gets railroadings Darwin award I think.
Jeff - I'm sure with your skills you can get the motor and flaps positioned for defrost once you get a heater core and uncrisp motor in place. I hear the no funds part. Nest you'll get to do another extensive seach for a core that fits. How did the steering column/ turn signal/ key interlock ever finish up?
On the phone solicitation thing (and unwanted E-mails too) I simply don't speak with them. I agree with Todd that the clever crooks have set up all sorts of snares for the honest and it's better to just not take the chance. As it is, every couple of years, someone gets a company credit card number and we have to go through the cancel/reissue thing. Worst are the gas stations that still don't have pay at the pump so one of the urchins they hire can actually handle the card and get the info off it. By urchin I specifically do not refer to any of the upstanding younger citizens who visit the diner.
Got the train room painted a teal sky color (more like the northeast/industrial area I model than bright OZ blue) Might need more dirty grey added but I'll cut that in later along with the light wash for the lower sky and perhaps some cloouds.
Time to grab my New Haven mug and skedaddle. Catch y'all later, J.R.
blownout cylinder Ulrich: 160 MPH? Is there a house left??!?! .....if you meant 160 KPH...still is a stiff wind!!!
Not kph, but real mph, Barry. Our local gas station needs a new roof, but that´s all the damage so far. We build our houses a little sturdier over here, you know
The wind is down to a stiff breeze now and clean up work has started. There are many trees down in our neighborhood - fortunately, no one got hurt.
Zoe, a mug of hot chocolate, please -I need to get my daily dose of serotonin to make me feel happy.
Joe - how about the role of railroads during the Civil War? To my knowledge, railroads played an important part - for the first time in world history.
Ray - envy! What a great shot! Bringing that camera down to "eye level" makes such a big difference!
Garry - that scrap yard scene -
Ken - there used to be a time when a person working in a bank was a well educated, knowledgeable person. These times are long gone, today they are run by (expletive, deleted) and (even more expletive, also deleted).
Jeff - a few days ago, my car was covered with an inch of ice - I could not even open a door. Just stayed home - no sense of going anywhere.
Alvie - . Good to see a new face again. You´ll find this place a nice one - lots of friends!
TTFN
Morning all
Requesting extra special thoughts and prayers for my MIL. She faded into a coma yesterday and they were going to put her into ICU. But she came back around, so they moved her to a special care wing instead. If she faded into a coma once, then it can happen again. I do believe we are getting closer to loosing her, and I hope it's rather short and peaceful. SHe has pneumonia, that they know, but she also has another infection they can't pin-point, so they don't know how to treat it. My theory is taht an opportunistic infection settled in right with the pneumonia comprimising her immune system. I had two opportunistic infections settle in the last time I had a very bad case of Pneumonia 3 years ago. She is also 83, and is very tired, perhaps ready to pass.
MOH is off to hyperactively run errands today, both with purpose and to keep mind off MIL somewhat. Errands including stopping by work to tell all the important people that MIL is most likely going to wind up in ICU and if the call comes {from me} to work, that an event has happened, regardless of what is going on, MOH is leaving work immediately to go to her. The adreaneline {sp?} hyperactivity rush may not be good for MOH, but If it keeps the mind occupied and the tears from flowing...then I shall not stand in the way UNLESS MOH starts to get exhausted from hyperactivity, and crying uncontrollably over the thought of losing MIL. MOH is very sensiive to close family deaths and keeps a vigil on the anniversaries of deaths, and on Birthdays points out how old Grandmother, for example, would have been had she lived {I think it's 110 y/o now. I gently pointed out this year that it doesn't do much good to carry on so and depress oneself, as most likely grandmother would have passed before reaching 110 anyway. I did it gently and I think it had a possitive effect as MOH said "you are right, I guess"}
I know my MIL's passing will hit MOH very hard and will long be remembered, whether it happens now or in the near future, or even the future. I just hope it doesn't happen Valentines Day, as then that holiday will forever be scarred for MOH. Of course if it happens this close to V day, it can still have an inpact everytime V day rolls around. MOH got the wish of not having it happen at the holidays times, but as I again gently pointed out, the way MOH is about the anniversaries of deaths, it won't matter when it happens, MOH will still morn and grieve at each passing year.
It's funny that FIL is no PITA at all when MIL is in the hospital, though MOH has stepped up efforts to help out at their house "for mother". FIL drives and walks all over teh hospital wiht his cast and walking shoe and walker without one complaint about his fractured ankle, but when MIL is at home, he is still a big baby aobut it. I think this time, though, MIL will not come home from the hospital. If she does leave teh hospital, I think she will go to a nursing home instead of home. It is her "dying wish" to die at home, but not all dying wishes can be fulfilled. Even with hospice care, if she slips into a coma, I doubt she will be sent home from ICU for hospice care alone. Even when she has been awake, she slips back off to sleep in about 10 minutes. If she goes into ICU, I shall never see her again, as though part of the family,not a direct member and so won't be allowed in. MOH was not allowed into ICU when My mother went in before passing.
SO, Please, special thoughts and prayers for MIL.
SPecial thoughts and prayers for our train Nut friend's wife too, please. Our train nut friend's wife is back in hospital agian and had another surgery to remove a lesion on her small intestine and is in grave pain. Her episode started when they found a large ovarian cyst on her ovary the size of a soccer ball. The first surgeon at another hospital {she works for the organization behind it} butchered the job and her insides in the process, and didn't completely remove teh cyst or the ovary {to complete a hysterectomy}, severed her ureter to the bladder, and generally made a mess of things. SHe swtiched to our favorite hospital and when the new surgeon went in to finish the job, he said that the other hospital would have had to close her up again as they have no bowel resection specialiast there adn there was a kink in her large intestine as well, adn he got all the cyst, found and removed the remaining ovary, and reconnected the ureter, and called in {my } surgeon to do the resection for her bowel. The new surgeon said once that was all found at the old hospital, they would have just opened her up, looked in adn found all wrong and closed her up to send her to Lourdes anyway to get everything corrected as they had no surgeon specializing in correcting those things, so she would have wasted her time and energy at hte other hospital. They did surgery again on her yesterday to remove the lesion and to clear a bowel blockage she had. She said she is in more pain now than she has every been with all the surgeries she has been through.
SHe is trying ot complete her nursing degree, and if the teacher has any questions about her medical excuses for missing classes, all he has to do to confirm is to show up with her nursing classmates on hospital rounds, as she is magically on the floor they do rounds, so all her teachers and fellow students know her medical history as well. Hopefully she has nto missed too much time that they make her repeat this semster again, but with graduation supposedly in MAy, she may have to repeat if she can't make up all the work adn the tests, or if they stop being willing to work with her. WOrk is giving her a hassle also, They filled her position already on her adn promised when she is Dr. ordered 100% able to go back to work and not a % less, they will find her another position in the company. She's not liking that at all as she loved her job and the nursing degeree would have meant a promotion adn of course a great pay increase. {she is currently nurses assistant}.
Well, enough depressing thoughts on "paper". I am sure you all have better things to do than to read my ramblings aobut the inevitable with teh MIL nad the woes of a friends wife.
Specail thoughts and prayers all around, please! .
Galaxy - special are being sent your way!
My mother´s surgery has now been scheduled for March 2nd, it leaves us a little time to take a deep breath and get prepared ...
GMTRacing Jeff - I'm sure with your skills you can get the motor and flaps positioned for defrost once you get a heater core and uncrisp motor in place. I hear the no funds part. Nest you'll get to do another extensive seach for a core that fits. How did the steering column/ turn signal/ key interlock ever finish up?
Jeff, So just like my trucks, if you go off and leave the turnsignal on you'll be able to find the van easily in a parking lot. Like I said, once you locate a heater core, the rest will be easy. J.R.
Good One!!
To each of you who commented on my scrap yard. Thanks!... It has been a very fun project, and it fills a scenic void I had on the layout.
Galaxy... Prayers for your MIL and for Train Nut's wife. Prayers for you too, and I hope the back is improving.
Ulrich ... Prayers for your Mom.
Our family is faced with some events. Our daughter in Detroit area will bring us a new grandchild next week. That's the good news. Shelley will travel to MI for that.
I will instead travel south to Alabama to help my sister there with our 91 year-old Mom. There are some major problems with Mom, and I will be there a while. Some of this stuff with Mom is rather sad, and it could be a tough trip.
Mom has been blessed with a male companion who lost his wife several years ago. (My Dad passed away 20 years ago). The relationship undoubtedly prolonged each of their lives. Mom's companion is now gravely ill and has been on a resperator for two weeks in ICU. His family (seeing no hope for his survival) is now abiding by lerms of his living will. Last night, he was take off the machine. At this moment he is still alive. I will be packing a suit for my traveling which might be needed to attend a funeral.
Since my Dad's passing, Mom has lived by herself. My sisters and I now agree Mom should not be living by herself. Mom will be going through a difficult transition.
So. I'm delighted about getting a new grandchild and sad about my Mom's situation.
Our bags are packed, and we leave on our trips tomorrow.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a large waffle (w/ Maple Syrup of course) side order of sausage, home fries, and a cup of dark roast coffee in a FGLK Mug (w/ lots of refills). I'll sit in the front booth watching for the latest Winter Advisory for the Finger Lakes to kick in....
I was asked yesterday to be an usher on Sunday, and since I planned on being there anyway for our Assoc. Pastors last sermon at our church, and the fsact that I enjoy being an usher, I said yes. This morning we have a local weather alert calling for 3" to 5" of heavy wet white stuff to be on the ground when I get up tomorrow..... Of course all THAT means is I will need to be out of bed about an hour and half earlier to run the snowblower, but..... I don't like to get up an hour and a half early. Currently 34°F here in the Finger Lakes. Hopefully the white stuff on the roof will melt off today making safe room for the new white stuff predicted for tonight.
J. R., Ulrich and many others, Thanks for the kind words on the photo. I think it is probably the best I have taken of the layout so far.
Garry, my prayers to you and the family both for a safe delivery of the grandchild, and strength for the other stuff.......!
Ulrich, Galaxy, and others, know you are in my prayers as well. May He give you strength!
Other than doing the treasurers report for the MLK Committee meeting on Monday, I have today pretty much to myself. Think I will head for the basement where the trains are.......
Later!
OK, I love snow, but it is getting a little carried away here in Maryville! Woke up to a fresh 6 to 8 inches of the white stuff!
Only bright side is it going to be around 33 today.
I was all so surprised how busy the store was this morining, have $1500.00 before 11:30.
See you all later
We had ice falling again today under clear skies. It was falling from the trees as it melted off. It's peaceful once again as there's no ice crashing down on my roof. It was kind of weird to look out and see what looked like steam vapor billowing off the top of my van.
Good afternoon:
Update on MIL. SHe has congestive heart failure as well as pneumonia and an unidentified other infection. The CHF is what's causing her to loose conscience and drift into the coma as it is not providing enough blood to her brain, which is why a week ago she couldn't effectively talk coherently. The Doctors who have all been treating her have not been communicating with each other, nor have her records all been properly blended to reflect all the different findings. That is strange as Lourdes hospital has now all gone to electronic record keeping, but I know myself that all the records fo things don't get put into one patient file and kept. Each ER visit, for instance requires new electronics entries of everything from symptoms, tests, diagnosis, medications taken etc, medical history as though they had never seen the person ever before. I found that out from myself being there, with a following visit 2 weeks later, they didn't maintian the ER visit records, nor were they linked to my "patient permenant file". Unless a DR. knows what test tehy are looking for, for instance, they won't find it in the records. STUPID if you ask me! Electronic record keeping was supposed to simplify things, not make them as complicated or more complicated that paper records.
MOH came home in a tirade of anger and lashed out at me for the Dr.s failures to communicate with each other over MIL's care. Said if FIL wasn't there, MOH would have made a scene with the Drs., but didn't want to upset FIL, I said well then, don't come home and $#*(%^% start on ME cause you are *** at the DR.S! THEY are the ones you need to $&^#&* AT, NOT me! I said you need to calm down and MOH said "don't &(%$^ tell me what to do!" and I said then stop $&^# taking it out on me! DOn't come home and cop a 'tude at me like this, it's NOT my fault, I am NOT the Drs. and I can do NOTHING about it! I said you also need to face the fact that your mother is going to die, probably sooner than later and you need to start facing it and DEAL. AND I said you SHOULD have, FIL upset or not, gone off on the Drs. who are screwing up your mohter's care. Going off on me isn't gonna help and won't keep peace in our house either.
Whew! sorry for the $&^# 's but trust me, there were a LOT MORE of those exchanged than the few I represented here! I hope I don't get suspended for the squiggles representing unprintable words.
I can see til MIL's passing that living with MOH is going to be a bit of sheer hell on me if this 'tude keeps up, which it undoubtedly will, as MOH is mad at the world that MIL is dying! AS I said, you need to start facing the fact that it's going to happen, hopefully quickly and peacefully for HER, and not that she just hangs on forever for your sake. MOH had a dog once insisting on putting hte dog through six cancer surgeries and 2 other surgeries to keep the dog alive {who probably suffered greatly} for 4 months only cause MOH couldn't let teh dog go peacefully, only to have the dog finally die what was probably an agonizing and long 3 day death for the dog.
With my mother, we had no problem "pulling the plug" to take mother {who had no longer any brain activity} out of her agony, and it was a complete family decision. BUt we had 30 years of her affected by the dreaded MS disease to prepare for my mother's passing. MOH has not had so long, but the last two months MIL has been through too much. MOH thinks the Blood thinners will help ease the congestive heart failure and prolong her life, but again, I ask, for who? MOH? with MIL in agony and uncomfortable and in and out of conscience, further deteriorating her brain by lack of proper blood flow? WHY? Why NOT let her last days be comfortable and let her pass peacefully, than any heroic eforts" to prolong her agony?
Sorry, I rambled again for those who actually read this stuff.
Prayers, please.