1:30am Yikes, it IS morning.
Chamomile tea, please.
Rob ps: just heard a gunshot in the valley. Seems like an odd time for that. Hmmmm!
Good Morning!! Coffee and Eggs Benedict please. WAIT! Um, is that an egg on a piece of Canadian bacon on an English muffin half covered in Hollandaise sauce? If not, well, that’s what I want. The egg on Canadian bacon on an English muffin…. covered….in …Hollandaise sauce…..thing……Thanks.
What? Oh this? (ha ha) I’m sorry I didn’t realize I had it with me. (ahem) I AM the Cham-peen Chili cooker in the ennn-tire village of Williamsville, surrounding areas, neighboring towns, Township, shoot, County I guess, and since anyone could enter…..very well could say the entire WORLD! That makes it officially a 2 time Championship Chili. Aaaand NOT from the same place either.
Rob- Yes. Terminal strips are the best way to go if you are powering many different things off of one wire. Remember you can have as many of those as you need. You can also make switched sub districts if needed depending on what you need. Great little things. Glad you asked , I had never seen the things Ray showed you. I agree, great idea. Much simpler and easier than the way I/you/we do it.
Today for me will be…...first I must go out to Mom’s house and check the basement for water and do something about that if there is (and I’m just sure there is with the downpour we had Thursday night ). Lucky me the timing of the rainstorm, work schedule, events of yesterday and eve, and the Open House today. With not being able to get out there, like I said, I’m sure there’s water in the basement. (sigh) Anyway, I have to get that squared away before noon I guess, then I said I would go up and tend bar for an hour or two at the restaurant so the girl can take her time getting back from shopping in St Louis with her daughter. I don’t mind, they’re longtime friends and the sister of the guy who owns the bar part. That don't happen until 4:30 and besides, Brenda is having a few of her friends from the Foundation over for a, part go through and price Mom’s junk we’re donating for the all town garage sale, part cackle fest. Oo! I wonder if they'll have cupcakes. Doubt it.
Depending on how long it takes me to get the house ready, I may not have much time for train stuff today, though I would like to attach the last piece of track. I could be in the train room when Brenda and the other “Man Problems” are going through stuff, but that would keep me in the next room. Close enough for the constant “honey would you come here a minute”. A sound as irritating and as scary as the look in a cows eye when you stick a Q-tip in their ear. Don’t ask me how I know. Bored youth I guess.
So I don’t know what today has in store. A lot of trouble can happen to the old Toddster in just those few unscheduled hours.
Ya’ll 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.
Good Morning
We had the proverbial downpour yesterday...came up short of 3" of rain, then we ended the day with 4" of snow...this morning we are sitting at 23F going to a high of 34F...in the clearing skies..
I've got a few things to do at the office today..as well as any...ahern...things that come along to mess the day up...
Todd: Hopefully the house sells well...and, yes, I know about what could happen with a few spare hours here...I'll not say what it is either...
Galaxy: You're back!!! I was wondering where you were....whew
Flo, I'll have a coffee and a breakfast bagel please..I'll be at the RC 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/
Howdy
I'm still driving back and forth between KY and AL to help Mom. The intense emotional stuff continues. Layout still idle. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Best wishes and prayers to those who need it.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Strong coffee in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please.
(small rant) My new prescription glasses are not as sharp/clear as my old ones. What a waste of money. For what little it is worth, think I'll write that Doc a letter. Only reason I went to him in the first place was he is covered by my wife's insurance. It's still a waste of $50 for something I will never wear.
Have a good day y'all.
Rob
Afternoon folks!
Zoe a cup of hot cocoa would be great right now!
The storm is here! Coming down in little white flakes pretty good at the moment. We have a few inches on the ground already and the weather guessers say 8 to 14" of the stuff by tomorrow morning. My sister is supposed to heading out to Mexico today, leaving from Rochester, NY. She had an old 80+ year old friend of hers who was supposed to drive her to the airport..... I'm waiting for the call. I ain't driving a 100 miles plus in this stuff! She will probably get one of her neighbors to drive her there.
Rob, I'd just give the Docs office a call and explain what the problem is and see what they will do for you. Most places will do what is right. Good luck with it!
Ushered at church today... Not a big crowd. I was just getting my Usher tag when the little kids Sunday School class came around the corner at the back of the church. Leading the way was Granddaughter #1, who saw me and ran over to get a big hug! I was assigned the parking lot (back entrance) door. First two in after i got there was my son and Granddaughter #2 who was in a much better mood today).
I think it is time to head down cellar and see if it is still dry.......
Later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Rob- Take them back. He should check to see if the lenses were ground correctly. The lab might be at fault.
Flip
Cederstrand Strong coffee in a UNION PACIFIC mug, please. (small rant) My new prescription glasses are not as sharp/clear as my old ones. What a waste of money. For what little it is worth, think I'll write that Doc a letter. Only reason I went to him in the first place was he is covered by my wife's insurance. It's still a waste of $50 for something I will never wear. Have a good day y'all. Rob
Take them back and have him give you another examination. My last pair of new glasses were worse than the old ones, I told the Dr. they should be closer to what they were for distance, it was the bifocal that was more off. He re-did the exam and found what I said to be true, so the first exam did not go so well. Things like your blood sugar, your BP, etc can cause "false readings" of what should be correct for your eyes, believe it or not. SO take them back and be sure he re-examines your eyes.
They also could be the wrong script for your script. They may. as said above, could have been could have been ground wrong, or filled wrong.
Also it can take some time for your eyes to adjust to the new script, if it is correct. I always hate the adjustment period for the new script, I sometimes feel like my eyes are being pulled out of my skull.
-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.
Coffee refill, please.
OK guys, will take them back and see what they offer to do. First, I'll run by the previous place and get a copy of that script (which works well), for comparison. All I know is my one good eye with no glass sees better than with the new script, so something isn't right there. My old glasses still work fine.
Another suggestion on connecting wires was a busbar like these: http://www.affordable-solar.com/outback.ground.bus.bar.htm Looks like they would work well, but they cost way more than barrier strips with jumpers. Anyone know where I can find something similar to these busbars for less $$$ online?
Tuckered out from yanking hay off 2 round bales then transporting to critters in other paddocks. Need to find some hay tomorrow, even if it's a load of square bales. It's a challenge to keep this up. Need the sun to return and grow some grass ASAP.
Cheers! Rob
Hello Fellow Dinners, hum places is all most empty? Oh, they must be at the Train Museum checking out the Big Boy.
Flo, a Big Boy Sub, Tender of fries and you know what I want to drink.
Work Front Had a good but odd Sunday. $2910.00 in new business. Got slammed when I opened the store, then I had a Wells Fargo Finances deal that slowed me down big time. Then after 1:00 to 4:00 I only had one customer. 15 minutes before I closed had one last simple deal.
Rob Found one Jumper Strip so far and a empty box so far. Op's would you believe I found another one as I was typing this? Will 2 do, or do you need more. All so remind me to send it Wednesday, as Jeffery knows I forget things. All so think the optometrist will fix the problem for nothing.
Train Front You all should be lucky enough to have train friend like Simon! When I got home, my wife handed me the DT402 Duplex Radio Throttle Simon had dropped off. Thank You Simon! I am all so looking forward to seeing the video from K-10 Crispy made today.
While my DT 400 is taking another in Florida I am going to talk to Digitrax about up grading mine to Duplex Radio. Cost is $65.00, if they don't charge for the repair I am going to do it. Radio Receiver will have to wait for a while at $120.00 plus.
See you all later.
Ken
Galaxy Glad you are feeling better and back in the dinner.
I hate Rust
Ken, I'd like to go check out the Big Boy :) Although now having access to a car and some free time I can go check out the PA Railroad Museum and Strasburg railroad :)
Cup of milk and slice of peach pie please?
My weekend had been an intense and extremely informative weekend now having learned much of what I'll need to know in order to help foster change in my community over the next several years :)
Alvie
Good, I suppose, evening... I'll have what CUDA KEN is drinking. NO! I don't want his mug, I'll take my own thankyou very little. Sheesh.
*grumble grumble grumble*
Well (full of sediment and iron oxide), I'm in a grumpy mood. Multiple reasons. The wife's renovation of the former bedroom into her new studio is one of them. After removing layers of wallpaper and some homemade crap the previous owner applied (brown paper grocery bags torn and applied with glue then sponge painted), she discovered a plethora of cracks in the plaster (plaster and lathe construction). She patched 'em real good, now is sanding them. She bought a hand-held orbital sander, and has mostly done a good job of confining the dust bowl condition to her studio.
Until today.
She decided she needed to do something about the 1/8th inch thick layer of patching plaster dust. She said she was going to use the vacumn vaccum the electric-powered carpet dirt sucking machine. I said "don't do THAT, you'll create a dust cloud bigger than you can well imagine!"
She used the vaccumm, vacum, the household cleaning machine.
There is dust...EVERYWHERE.
"It didn't work like I thought it would" she says... Rerun is looking a bit...dusty...this evening. I'm hiding in my office (upstairs) waiting for the cloud to settle.
Beer me again Flo...
I go across the hall to the bedroom, to take Rerun (who is now hiding upstairs in an attempt to escape the cloud) a slice of pizza. The bedroom...stinks. At first I think it's Rerun. Nope! It's some Chinese eggroll/dinner thing the wife heated up. Smells like a rotten sauerkraut festival in there!
I did manage to get a pair of Bowser 70 ton, 14-panel coal hoppers painted, assembled, and decals applied for the CRANDIC. I used a pre-weathering technique on them: painted them faded boxcar red and applied rusty splotches per photographs. Now, once the decals are firmly set, I'll dab some rust color here and there over them, wait for my next batch of Dullcote to arrive...and two more hoppers will go collect dust (maybe the wife's dust will have settled by then...) on my shelves, waiting for the day when they'll represent the CRANDIC's crosstown drags delivering coal to Iowa Electric Light and Power Company's 6th St. Generating Station.
I also made my selection for a "boom stick," or "homeowner's insurance of the 12-gauge variety. "Mr. Remington" is an 870 Express Tactical shotgun. The cops call his brothers a "street howitzer." Synthetic stock, black, 18-1/2" barrel, 7-shot capacity. One of the many "pluses" of the 870: A distinctive sound when racking a round into the chamber which even a meth-head should take note of. One of the "perks" of researching Iowa's new gun laws for THAT EDITOR is the chance to look into what people are buying for home and self-defense. Based on research, I've determined a shotgun is a better bet for home defense. Also, it appears I am legally OK to blast an intruder if they pose a threat and I have no other option. I can still be sued by the thug or his survivors however. Thankfully, Republicans in the state legislature are working to change THAT.
Mr. Remington's services will hopefully never be needed, but I'll feel a lot better having him around.
Beer me Flo...
Congratulations to the Chili-cooking King of Toddland
I think I've held the floor long enough...I'll just have myself a seat at the RC for a bit.
Thoughts and best wishes continue for those in need...
Chris
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
Glass of warm milk for me. It's been one of those BLAH days for me. Achy muscles, itching behind the eyes, irritated sinuses. I hope I feel better in the morning. See y'all tomorrow.
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
Bowl of mixed nuts, please.
***Ken, 2 sounds great. Don't knock yourself out looking though.
***Chris, Congrats on the new boom boom. Sounds like an excellent choice.
Took another hit selling a MRRing item off on the-bay. This was the original DC loco I bought for the wife which has since been replaced with a DCC version. Need the money more than an idle train loco. Oh well.
Found something cheaper that could work for wiring under wife's layout, a "grounding bar". Might need to make little wire bundles to use it, as the holes are for larger gauge wires. http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Breakers-Distribution-Load-Centers-Accessories/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbm0y/R-202046208/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
Flo? Yup...another please 'n thank-you. What? No, don't worry...RERUN will get me home. He is a dog of many talents.
ROB: Thanks, it took quite a bit of research and pondering, but I think I picked a winner. I've been following your terminal strip thought process with great interest. When I get THAT far into the layout construction, I'm sure it will help me tremendously. THAT's a great thing about the Diner, I get to see what works or doesn't for the rest of you lot before I try something myself!
Update on the dust bowl: The cloud seems to have settled. The wife isn't in a very good mood now either. Think I'll just give her some space for the rest of the night...
Update on self defense in Iowa: the house majority leader lives in Cedar County also and has been providing me with information on the "Stand Your Ground" bill the Repubs are trying to get passed. IF passed (he's all but sure the Dems in the senate will kill it) it should make it even easier to defend yourself AND remove the threat of civil litigation by the criminal element when they reap what they sow. He's putting me in touch with the guy who wrote the bill...should provide a good rebuttal to the Johnson County Sheriff, who sees the return of Dodge City. As I told both men, my goal is to clearly define both sides of the issue...and let the reader decide for themselves. I'm trying very hard to keep my polly ticks out of it, and to just report what both sides are saying. THAT EDITOR already has praised me for the previous gun law articles, seeming to be impressed with "so many really good sources" in the articles. All I can say, is she told me to "be thorough," so I am!
Not too shabby for a goofy photographer who once had a head injury 'eh???
So far this looks to be a largely work-from-home week as THAT EDITOR is taking The Intern with her to Des Moines on Wednesday for the first round of the Boys State Basketball Tournament. Iowa City West will be there. We do not expect them to make it past the second (semifinal) round. The West High girls were defeated last night in the Class 4A Championship by the top-ranked team in the state. With gas prices still climbing, I'm not opposed to a rather stationary week!
I'll be: doing a "walk-up" on the track and field teams at Clear Creek Amana and Iowa City West, continuing w**k on the self-defense issue, following up on design w**k to rebuild the flood damaged (destroyed in my book) historic bridge at Sutliff; and finishing a business feature on an award winning concrete contractor in North Liberty.
Flo? Yup...one more.
WHOOPS! TOP!
OK boys and girls (has anybody heard from SUE lately???) order up for late supper...
Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Good Morning Folks!
Cup of coffee please!
Have a great day all!
Steven
good morning..well sort of...
It was an ...ern..Interesting weekend here..5 separate emergencies showed up..and in one of them...a ceiling fell on to one of mine clients head......thankfully she has a sense of humour about her...she was telling me that she had a feeling her house wanted to kill her....
Chris: That Gun article sounds like a good one...are you going to keep that in your portfolio when it is done? does that paper have a website?...and, yeah, I understand the need to keep the poly ticks out of it...
Today I have a couple of assignents to get done then evening classes....yeesh...tomorrow i get to go to the vampire's to get the bloodwork done for my fasting bloodsugar...oh joy
Good Morning!! Just coffee this morning please, I want to get a jump on the day as I have but to just do the books at the Church and the maybe a quick trip to the grocery store for just a few things then ……home. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Rob- Can’t remember, are you DC or DCC? I mean the layout. IF DC, don’t forget the “ground buss”, which of course will not separate things like the terminal strip will, will be hot in the reverse direction. So keep that in mind when placing it.
Good Morning!! Just coffee this morning please, I want to get a jump on the day as I have but to just do the books at the Church and the maybe a quick trip to the grocery store for just a few things then ……home.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45.
Rob- Can’t remember, are you DC or DCC? I mean the layout. IF DC, don’t forget the “ground buss”, which of course will not separate things like the terminal strip will, will be hot in the reverse direction. So keep that in mind when placing it.
Yes there was water in the basement at Mom’s house. Of course. Got that cleaned up before the Open House and it went as I figured. Mostly Gawkers and a couple three interested in buying “A” house, but not necessarily “this” house. Spent all the free time I had out there because, as soon as I would start to leave, a car would pull in and I’d be trapped. Guess that’s a good thing, but I’d miss my opportunity to leave because the Realtor would be talking to me and by the time I’d get away, here'd come another one.
Welp, If today works out as planned, bein’s how I’m on call as Barry and Jim say, (only mine is HD call with no pay), I hope to get into the train room today. I’ve been planning this type of day for a while now. A day when I don’t have anything to do. Well, I do have stuff that I could or should do, but nothing that has to be done. Yet. I’d like to lay the last piece of track for the bottom loop, maybe work on the passenger siding, and lay some plaster cloth above the tunnel so I can run a trai…no wait! Gotta ballast and do the visible inside of that tunnel first. Good thing somebody reminded me of that (Johnboy was it?). Maybe work on the second supprt for the bridge......., jsut stuff. At any rate, I hope to get to spend a good bit of time in the land of leisure today.
We’ll see what happens.
Ken, no problem at all, you would do anything for anyone, so my simply lending you a throttle in your darkest hour is not a big deal.
We went to K-10 and here is a short excerpt from the day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb8UsnKN1wg lets just say that the boys were having fun. Once it was discovered that Athearn inter-modal will hook to Hornby Eurostar, you get a new definition of hot freight.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buttermilk pancakes (leave the maple syrup right here by me...), a side order of bacon, and several cups of dark roast coffee in my FGLK mug. Thanks!
Everything is white outside as we got about 7" of the white stuff yesterday. I will have to start up the "MACHINE" later and move it around before heading out to my sister's house to feed her kitties today. Evidently she made it too the airport.........
Built a few more odds & ends for the engine house last night. THAT will continue today hopefully.
Barry.... Her ceiling fell on her head??? Bet there is a good story behind THAT one.
Best get moving!
UHMM, Afternoon Everyone, Cup of coffe Flo, in a GSMR mug Please.
Temps have dropped here after the rain, and it is starting to feel like winter again. Going to be glueing down some roadbed today and finaly start to see some progress on the layout. I still have some work to do on the track plan, but I know the two main lines are what I want and there is a lot of hidden track that I need to get started laying down.
Jeff; Loved the photo of that switcher you had posted earlier, I hope that everything is going better with your Mom and your own health issues.
Rob; good luck with the copper spaghetti, wiring is not one of my strong points and I am not looking forward to it.
Robby P.; Yes I know Shelby, when I was driving the car hauler and needed to be in Charlotte or Gastonia early I would stay there at the Super 8 because they have big truck parking.
Ulrich; I hope everything is going Ok with your Mom, I continue to keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Ken; I dont know if you have seen my post over at the "Big Steam" conversation, but the Wife was reading your post over my shoulder and she say,s "Your not planning on spending $300.00 on a train are you" and when I told her that I thought $300.00 was a good deal, all she did was shake her head as she walked away. Later she told me that I could get what ever I wanted, she knows that we have spent thousands on her glass and ceramics equipment and I have not even blinked an eye, one of her torches was $1500.00 so when the time comes I know it will be OK.
WE are going to a big ceramics conferance down in Tampa Fl. the end of the month and I just saw that there is a big train show the week before at the same convention center. I sure wish we could leave a week earlier but its just too expensive down there and the teenage Daughter can not miss that much school.
Thats all for me Flo, I will be back in later.
Ron
I refuse to grow up!!!
DrgnTrappr Jeff; Loved the photo of that switcher you had posted earlier.
Jeff; Loved the photo of that switcher you had posted earlier.
Quick coffee TO GO, please.
***Todd, regarding grounding buss, did you mean "hot" as in heat, or in electricity?
Made trips to pick up 4 hay bales and still need to go put them out for the critters. Also got some diesel fuel for the tractor and shipped a couple items that sold on the-bay, one of which cost way more than I anticipated. Will use UPS next time instead of the USPS. Ouch!
Well, gotta get back to work. Sould be able to finish up by dark.
Bowl of Chili, please.
Mighty quiet in here. Where is everyone, Busy working on their layouts or running trains perhaps?
Didn't finish up with farm chores until well after dark and now I'm tuckered out.
Hope y'all are doing well this evening.
David Parks I am the terror that flaps in the night!
Evenin'
Blubbbbbbbbbb,adab,adbababdd.... Blllllllllllll Slaps himself across the face.... Huh? What? Oh Hi Flo! Ah I'll just have a cup of decaf.... You know I want to be able to sleep...eep,eep,eepp...... No I'm OK, just been concentrating too long on some tools and stuff I've been painting.....
Oh, hi Rob! Looks like it pretty much you and me, and "what's his Name"... You know the new guy over there admiring Jeff's locos....
OK! Yep been painting tools for the workbench. Why? Well they look better when painted properly. Wanna see? Well, here's the Workbench:
You can get a better Idea of how big it is in this photo. Yes I know I have to do some sanding on the rough edges before I put it in the Engine house....
So what was I painting? Well a pipe wrench for one thing...
Oh and a hammer....
No THAT is a hammer, not a little sliver in my finger.....
"They're coming to take me away, Ha,Ha......."
Evening Folks.
Flo, you know what I want.
Work Front Well today sucked. While I did make some money, I was terrorized for a hour by a 1 and half year old little girl. Spare the rod spoil the child. Show room looks like a barroom fight happen in it. Mother kept saying "do you want me to get the belt". But the kid just kept going, and going and going.
Ron Glad I did not get you in trouble with the wife. Just be glad I did not quote the price of my PCM Big Boy it was $720.00. Slowly my wife started catching on to what my steam engines cost. She made a couple to trips to K-10 Model Trains. I am just glad they did not have a PCM Big Boy at that time. By the way, if you want the Big Boy that K-10 has let me know. BLI can no longer make them thanks to the MTH law suite. Personal I would stay away from the Athearn Big Boys. If you want details let me know. And it is not just because of the MRC decoders they use to use. I had 2 of them, and both where returned for a refund.
Here are a few pictures of my SW-900. Crank of dawn pushing some hoppers into K-10 Grain Elevator. (newest section is named after the best LHS K-10)
Toward 2:00 PM dragging them out to the trunk line for pick up.
SD 7 staring on its trek.
See you all Tuesday.
That chili was good. I'll have a second bowl, please.
***Jeffrey, that is a nice pic. Also like the locomotive's lighting.
***Ray, do you have bionic eyes or what? Good lord, those are not only tiny, but very well done. Cool stuff.
***Ken, nice series of pics there.
Haven't made it down to the train room tonight and likely won't. Just resting.
Why are there pictures of peoples fingers?
Rob- Hot as in electricity. I know you know that, just a reminder as to where you may locate it.. Sometimes we don't always think of the obvious things we already know. At least I don't.
Ray- VERY nice workbench! By the way, you have specks of dirt or something on your fingers.
Simon- Good to see you and thanks for the video.
Time to call it a night. Had quite a tussle cutting the dogs finger and toenails.
No I didn't do anything on the Rilroad today or night. No excuses, just lazed around eating Hostess Ho Ho's and watching Werewolf and Vampire movies.
JIM!!!!! You out there!?
PFTIN