Elliot´s Trackside Diner April 2011

[yougottawanta]

Hey all

No flow dont want any thing thanks though.

No storms here. We do have some clouds and it is rather breezy. But the storm the weatherman predicted has not materialized.???

Mike - yes much better thank you. Cheese burger and fries ? Mike sorry I have got to sit a couple of tables away. This salad diet I am on , that cheesburger is not safe .Sure looks and smells good ....

John Boy - did the doctor/sawbones give you any thoughts on what may have happened ?

Jeff - your ankle condition makes me wince for you , ouch !!! I understand about the spine thing. The reason I put the operation off for three years is because the list of possible outcomes started off with - Death, paralized,loss of voice (they go through the front to get to the vertabrae ) , loss of nerve .. that was just the stuff at the top of the list. There was an entire page of possible bad outcomes !!!  When I read that, I said no thanks and walked out of the doctors office. Three years later , I literaly crawled back in the office and begged for the operation. By that time the consequences seemed better than all of the issues that had developed due to the injuries. They were bad. Pain in my arms, spasms, migraines 24/7, loss of muscle mass in right arm, nerve damage from neck to right arm, loss of sleep .... The next day after the surgery 95% of the problems were gone. Of course I asked doctors if they had to have the surgery who they would have do the surgery , one name came up time and time again. And believe it or not his name is "Dr. Hope" sounds like a buisness name for MRR rail road. But he performed the surgery in thirty minutes! He gave me my qaulity of life back and my life back.

Hope every one came through the storms. Have said a prayer .

Gotta go.

Jerry

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Hi Gang,

Just wondering if any of you have heard from Rob  or  Bama ?  Sure hope they came through those twisters unscathed.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those in Al, Tenn, Georgia, WV, & Virginia and others there in their losses, especially those losing family and friends.  

Jeff, take it easy old boy, you seem to be pretty hard on yourself.          Hope you are doing well.

Johnboy out......................................back to work and .......waiting for test results.......................

[jeffrey-wimberly]

yougottawanta

Jeff - is surgery an option on the spine ? I had c4, c5 , c6 removed and some spacers inserted and then a plate screwed in place (from a car accident four or five years ago ) I put off the operation as long as I could , then went in had the operation. Should have had the operation three years earlier. Vast improvment

It is but only if there's danger of paralysis or it becomes life threatening. My only insurance is Medicaid and it only goes so far. At this point they're more interested in my ankle. There's talk of trying to straighten it and put in a pin or two. But there's a problem there as the Charcot condition makes the bone soft and the pin(s) may not hold. Plus my other health problems present an obstacle. There's also talk of having a California brace made to support what's left of the joint. So I have a bunch of docs running around in little circles wondering what to do.

[Mike Kieran]

Bacon Cheeseburger with fries and an egg cream.

Yougottawanta,

I'm glad to see that you appear cheered up from last week.

[yougottawanta]

Floe , I will have a sweet ice tee with a slice of lemon and a veggie salad , dang doctor scales ! It appears that we have a short period of calm before the next ban of storms is due to arrive, I think the latest prsediction is around 3pm. Its going to be interesting driving home .

Jeff - is surgery an option on the spine ? I had c4, c5 , c6 removed and some spacers inserted and then a plate screwed in place (from a car accident four or five years ago ) I put off the operation as long as I could , then went in had the operation. Should have had the operation three years earlier. Vast improvment

Todd - Flo what did you put in his drink? Williamsville? Leesville ? Maybe you had some sensory overload from having to pay for a permit to sell hotdogs ! Still cant believe it. Why that is just unamerican!

Barry - sorry for your friends house, glad his family survived that. Wow on the direct hit on your home. Did you suffer any electronic damage ?

Ulrich - hope the ballasting therapy worked. It will be nice to see the pictures when you post them. I am sure the work will be outstanding.

Ray - Congrats on the MRR without derailments

Lee - No trash to model? There was plenty of trash. People believe it or not used to throw those coke bottles away , along with food wrappers, cigarette packs (empty ) , beer bottles (schlitz & pabst  blue ribbon ) .... heck once when I needed to buy some comics (sgt fury) and BBs for the ole daisy (shoot your eye out kid ) I picked up soda bottles on our country road. When I finished I had $32 worth of coke bottles at 5 cents each. Thats a lot of BBs and comics with some fireballs thrown in

Gotta get back to w**k

Jerry aka YGW or UGW

 

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!

Zoe, I'll have a breakfast bagel w/ cheese and a few cups of dark roast coffee in my FGLK Mug please.

Wow!!!  The news from down South is really something today!  My heart felt sympathy and prayers to all who were in harm's way from the line of storms that devastated Alabama and several other states yesterday. 

Today is partly sunny with a strong wind herein the Finger Lakes...  I think it is about time to sharpen the blade on the lawn mower, and do some outdoor type yard w*rk....

A couple days ago i switched out the wheelsets on the Rivarossi coaches to Kadees.  Only place there was any problem was on the  Baggage car where the new wheelsets bind a bit.  I say "a bit"  the loco couldn't pull the train with the baggage car in the consist...  I had, as a matter of policy, hit the trucks with a goodly amount of powdered graphite, but they were quite tight.  Got out the Micro-Mark truck tuner, cutter thingie and used it, but still the trucks were tight.  Yesterday early afternoon (before the airport run) I put a polishing tool in the Dremel and ran the wheelsets for a minute or so at about 20,000 rpm....  THAT seems to have helped a bit, and the loco can once again pull the train up the 2% grade to the quarry on Bare Mountain....  I think I shall hit the wheels in the coaches with the same tool and see if performance improves.......  Oh, BTW, no derailments!  YES!

Catch you all layer, and hope all the missing from down South will check in soon and let us know they are OK!!! 

73

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon,

Zoe, I think I deserve a strong coffee and a slice of that apple pie, topped with vanilla ice cream, please.

I tried my hand at ballasting the Kato Unitrack. First, I spray painted the rail with a dark brown color, using the good old rattle can - worked nicely. After that had dried, I started the ballasting job. Boy, what a tedious task! Took me 35 minutes to spread the ballast, get it off the ties, shape it properly - for only 12" of track! I then sprayed it with 70 %-isopropyl alcohol and applied the good old white glue, diluted with water, added with a drop of detergent. My desk is a big mess now, but I wait until the whole lot has dried properly to clean the place. Petra is not really amused, but ballasting will be about the messiest job I do inside the house. Will post a picture tomorrow.

Jeff - I hope you are feeling better. A dislocated disc should not be taken lightly, not only for the pain. Take care, buddy!

We keep getting more news on the devastating storm and the damage it has caused. Our blessings go to the families who lost a loved one or their home!

CUL!

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Curt Webb

Jeff- Sorry you are in pain. Would a Chiropractor help? The one I go to significantly helps my  Lumbar pain (degeneration of Disc's).

Tried that. Didn't help. Only thing that helps if I can't push it back in is traction. I have a traction rig just for that.

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

At w**k again today. It is only suppposed to get to 93 today. Still no rain, maybe today, we have 40% chance. Nothing to report on modeling front.

Amana Medic-  It seems any news has turned into a 15 second sound bite. I am not sure when it happened but it seems to me that  instead of making people knowledgable we just end up dumbing down the population. I commend your efforts.

Howmus-   Sounds like a typical flight expierence these days. Back in the 80's my family and I flew from Honolulu to Dulles for vacation (on Delta) and we actually arrived 30 minutes early and my parents were not there yet. I gave them grief for us flying across the country and they couldn't even pick us up. Just  joking of  course.

LSWrr- You are right that they nice, but I model the 1940-50 time frame and the SD7 did not show up on the PRR until 1953. Just as well with all the money I am spending on the layout.

Ulrich- Hope you are doing OK with everything happening in your liferight now.

Jeff- Sorry you are in pain. Would a Chiropractor help? The one I go to significantly helps my  Lumbar pain (degeneration of Disc's).

Hope everyone made it thru the storms OK.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 51° and sunny. The high will be 78° and it will be sunny and pleasant. What do we have to do to get some rain? Louisiana is starting to look like New Mexico.

Not in a real good mood today. Lost my balance in the hall yesterday and ended up against the wall. That shifted a compressed disk in my neck and now I'm having to put up with intermittent nerve pain from my neck down to my knees. I can tell you that it's not pleasant. Watched 'Tron Legacy' last night and found it entertaining. I tried Firefox 4 and Yahoo Mail beta. Went back to Firefox 3.6.16 and my regular Yahoo mail. The new Firefox looked too gaudy for my taste. Today I'll be taking it easy and try to get that disk back where it belongs.

[TMarsh]

(sticks head back in door) Hey I just noticed something. Leesville and Williamsville. Funny ain't it? OK switch 'em. Williamsville and Leesville..... Get it? William.....Lee.... (sigh)  BILL.....Lee...... Bill Lee.... Billy?

OK I'll leave now. 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Sir Madog

Jeff - boy, are you up early! Everything OK?

Not really. The compressed disk in my neck has slipped and is causing the sciatic nerve to act up again. Seems like every time I try to go to sleep my left side feels like it's on fire. I finally managed to get a couple of hours.

[yougottawanta]

Good morning all,Flo can I get a cup of Joe to go. Mid west storms are here, heavy winds,lots of rain and tornado warnings.... Hope everyone west of here made it thru the storms okay. Gotta get back to w**k. See ya at Lunch time.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!! Coffee and the Yardman’s breakfast special over easy please. Thank you. Kind of a play on words there you know. Get it? Yardman’s/ yard mans? Yard. As in lawn…. Train yar… Maybe I’ll sit down now.

Beautiful out there this morning. Haven’t checked the weather but it looks like outside stuff for me today.

I did a minor amount of work on the layout yesterday between 4 and 5pm CDT. Applied a little dirt to the hillside in a small area. Other than that, it was a dreary day, kinda damp and chilly so I didn’t get much done anywhere. I did get a few pictures scanned with a whole bunch more to go. Now to get them onto CD before Mr Murphy makes his way from Leesville to Williamsville and I lose all the pictures on the hard drive. Be my luck.

I kinda like the Hobby is Doomed thread now. At first I thought “again?” Now it’s kinda entertaining. Pointless, but good for a chuckle entertaining. Like Pro Wrestling. Oh well, keeps ‘em off the streets.

YGW- Should have hung a mirror over the stove and said to the first wife, “THERE you are. If you need to find yourself, stand here.” Hey, what did you have to lose? She sold your Charger for crying out loud. _ Yup, permits for selling hot dogs. Sanitation permits actually. My argument is it’s a hotdog. If you can survive the hotdog itself…..,(no icon for the expression. A hand, eye, mini headshake kinda thing. You’d just have to see it)

Inch- Glad to see you aren’t living on a boat. Yet. _ Congrats on the soon to be new grandbaby!

Just heard about the Tornadoes down south. My prayers for all involved.

Today I will be spending some time in the yard (grassy type) and I too have a downspout that isn’t living up to it’s name at all. I will.., may...., might...., should be heading into town later to get some pest spray for the foundation. Sugar ant season you know. (like fire ants. Hate em.) Didn’t think of it yesterday and I thought I had some. Wrong. Brenda's already seen them in the bathroom coming up by the shower. I sit there and read magazines, she looks for bugs. Teamwork. That's what it's all about in a marriage. I think I'll keep her.  

Might find my way to the FLHS if I end up in town. You juuuust ne-ver know.

Ya’ll have a Great Day!!!

[LSWrr]

Good Morning,

Chris, either way you need to use the pin striping. You can’t bend tape like you can pin striping.  A roll is only $5 in various widths at your local auto store.

 

Rob, you can cut those junk piles with a hobby saw and sand them to fit odd places.

 

Inch, congratulations you great grandfather!

 

Curt, I see www.trainworld.com has the BLI PRR SD 7/9 on sale this week for $159 with DCC & sound.  I was impressed they had lights for the class lights as well.

 

I planted more of the MRC trees last night on the club layout.

 

High winds this morning (running about 66 mph) trees, roofs, and just anything not nailed down flying across the highways this morning.  I passed several of those 4 cylinder cars on the way into work I guess they just don’t have the horse power to drive into the wind.  Trash bags and branches really get your heart going when it’s dark out; you don’t see them until they fall out of the sky into your headlights.

 

I model the 1950’s and I found some interesting facts about trash: Pop came in glass bottles that you returned to the bottler to be re-filled, stores had paper bags or your groceries were wrapped in butches paper and tied with a string. Milk came in glass bottles like pop bottles they were washed and re-used.  Not much trash for me to model except news papers and scrap metal I guess.

[Wisconsin Railfan]

Good Day Folks!

Mug of coffee please.

Hope all is well, been a little busy lately.

Steven

[blownout cylinder]

Good Wet Morning

We had another big thunderstorm come through earlier dumping a pile of hail upon our heads..now the winds are picking up as temperatures are dropping...

I just heard from a friend of mine about what happened in Tuscaloosa, where he lives...his family is OK but the neighbourhood he is in is toast. About a good 70% of it is now gone...his house has no roof and a part of his garage is now a few blocks away...

Meanwhile, up here, a big t'underin'boomer came through here yesterday and my house took a direct hit from lightning...thankfully we are well grounded but it did leave a nice burn mark down the siding here...

Hope that everyone stays safe from the storms that are peppering everyone, especially you guys in the midwest/south...

[Anonymous]

Good Morning Gang

I hope the storm left you folks unhurt. I have seen some horrible pictures on TV. I hope we hear from Bama soon.

The paperwork for Hazel (Alison´s Mom) to sign when the arrives from Scotland is now finished. It was really a sad task to perform and I am glad I am through with it. Maybe some MRRing in the afternoon will put my mind on some happier issue. I plan to start painting and ballasting the track - just to see how this works. Bought some 70% isopropyl-alcohol to wet the ballast before applying the glue with a pipette.

Jeff - boy, are you up early! Everything OK?

Have a good one.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jim: Send some of that rain this way. Louisiana is getting dryer by the day and it's starting to look like a desert here.

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning ! from Tipton IN.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Rob.... Looks like the big killer tornado was headed your way. no need to chase it. It'll chase you. Be careful. I My family is in Birmingham, and a niece attends U of AL in Tuscaloosa. Dozens were killed today in those cities by the tornadoes. Huntsville was hit badly, too. I have only been able to talk with my mother there. Her assisted living place is using their big generator. There is no electricity in town. 

JimCG ... Glad you are OK. 12" is a lot of rain. 

Ray .. that's quite an adventure with Titanic Airlines. 

In this county they phone everybody each time there is a tornado warning. The phone company repaired the phone service. So, the phone rang several times over the night with tornado warnings. I was already downstairs. 

After two nights of bad storms, I'm tired. Good night. 

 

[howmus]

Evenin'............

Flo, I just gotta have a big slice of THAT Lemon Meringue pie and a cup of decaf.....

Gather around guys.  I have story to tell....  I had to drive to Rochester International Airport this afternoon to pick up my sister...  Her flight was due in from Atlanta at 5PM...  Titanic Airlines...  (well actually Delta, but....)  About 2:45 I check out the flight to make sure it hasn't been delayed, canceled, sunk, or any other such thing.  The Rochester Airport has it listed as "Now at 4:17".......  So I click on Delta and go to their site, type in the flight # and it comes up, "Now at 5:15".  Figuring I have never seen any of Titanic Airline's flights to ever be on time so THAT one should be correct.  Look at the map and see a very bad bunch of Storm Cells headed for NYS but not due to arrive until about the time I should get back home from my sister's house.  So around 3:15 I get in the car and take off for Rochester Airport.  About an hours drive....  through rush hour traffic....

Get there at 4:15, park the car in the short term lot and go check the Arrival Board.  Says her flight is "On Time" and says 5PM...  I walk around a bit, find a semi comfortable seat and proceed to wait.  Check out the board at 4:55....  "On Time, 5PM"....  Sit back down and watch the side show of Humanoids coming and going for a while.  Get back up at 5:15 and check the Arrival Board....  Still says, "On Time, 5PM".  While I'm watching the Board (and the Weather monitor) it changes to "In Flight", still says 5PM.  6:45PM it gets black as night outside and with lightning all around, we have some sideways rain...  coming down at the rate of, oh, 5 or 6 inches an hour.  This lasts for about 15 minutes followed by winds around 70 mph...  The Board still says "5PM and In Flight".  7:15PM, winds have died down to 15 to 20 mph and the board says "Arrived"..........

A lady who works the Chamber of Commerce Stand on the level for baggage pick-up says to me as I pace by, "Still Waiting?"  So I tell her the flight my sister is on and that the board says, "Arrived".  She replies that means the plane is on the ground....  I say, "right, but where?"   I then went and talked to one of the young ladies that help people with luggage and ask her if she knows what is going on...  She pulls out her electronic do-hicky, and proceeds to tell me the plane was very late leaving Atlanta but has arrived, meaning it is now on the ground...  I repeat line from earlier and get "funny look" followed by laughter when I mention Titanic Airlines....

Another 15 minutes my sister appears with glazed eyes saying things like, "Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhggggggggeeeee".  They were boarding the plane in Atlanta when a wind gust over 70mph lifted up the baggage cart and crashed it into the side of the plane...  Of course this means they all have to wait for the "inspectors" to arrive and check out the plane in detail.  An hour later the plane is cleared, but not until the insurance people go through the plane and make sure everyone has signed off on the release that says "we didn't do anything wrong so if you have whiplash we won't cover you..."   Another hour goes by and they finally got into the air.  A few minutes before reaching Rochester (remember I am waiting all this time in Rochester without any idea what is going on) the pilot decided he was not coming down to land in the line of dangerous storms (We were under a tornado watch as well), and flies way up into Canada air space to circle around and come back down in behind the storm (good idea!).  Now there were several announcement over the PA system at the airport.  They sounded like, "Attention Please, gggrriifabpkds aaaarnsgbdj, ksdh kjkjlhjkb, kjjsbdfjghd, at 9:00"  This only tended to make me more nervous as Istill remember falling out of the sky in a 747 from about 150' up and landing quite hard on the runway several years ago (the plane was removed from service, and they closed the airport right after THAT one for the storm - major wind sheer)

Anyway she is home safe (certainly not sound) and I have come back to Geneva to find the electric is still on and not too many tree limbs in the road.....  The Tornado watch was just lifted a few minutes ago.  Looked like Syracuse was getting beat pretty good from the line when I got on the computer.

Later!

73

 

[JimRCGMO]

Evening, Chloe - I'll have a Santa Fe mug and a hot fudge sundae brownie; I feel like eating baaaaaad tonight (heh, heh...). Thanks! (No, Vinnie, not THAT kinda bad! Really!) Heck, since Chris is buying... Lemme take another look at the dessert case there.

AmanaMedic

Silly me, I'm trying to get DETAILS from both sides of the aisle so the taxpayers can see EXACTLY what the poly-ticks in Des Moines are doing.

*sigh*

Back at it goeth I...

Chris

***EDIT*** Dinner time, Supper Time, time to grab yer eats....Rerun and I got the tab.

But Chris, (if your state's are anything like ours over here) the poly-ticks don't WANT you to see (let alone help the taxpayers see) what they're really doing. (They might not get re-elected...) Best wishes on some fine digging! (And may THAT editor decide to put some money behind her fine words, too...)

And Diners, I did NOT order up this weather (speaking here from soggy Cape Girardeau, where - not counting today's downpour - we've had about 12 inches of liquid sunshine since Friday). I'm hoping the forecast of clearing weather tomorrow or Friday (and Saturday) will actually happen. Glad I live a ways from the nearest creek, river or large ditch (and am on the second floor, just in case...). Have been putting in requests for safety for all the rest of you where our lovely fronts have been moving on to visit, including Garry's area - I saw that Land Between the Lakes (near him) has had several of those red outlined boxes on the weather maps. We have been dodging the worst stuff, and I'm thankful for THAT.

Lee, I think the 'dangerous' lightning must be the kind that will knock stuff off your shelves, even if it doesn't actually *hit* your house...

Inch, good to see you were in, and I guess you'll get more practice changin' diapers on those three young'uns. Hope CSX (for your sake and everybody else on your road) gets those crossings done soon!

Jeff, hope you don't get any more spray cans from (you-know-what-hot-place) - Hope that you don't get much of any from one place, or I'd be looking for a new place to get my paint (My , anyway).

As for musical backgrounds, I had taken piano lessons until somewhere in (I think) high school (when I went my last two years to a military school, and Mom & Dad moved to a townhouse - and left the upright in the basement for the  buyers...). I had taken some flute lessons for a while in college (from a music major), but ended up selling off the flute. Have mess(™)-ed with the guitar for some while and once tried learning 5-string banjo, but that's another matter (sold it off too). I also still have an autoharp and my Epiphone (acoustic) 6-string from back in the late 1960's. Very, verrrry rusty now, and I need to get back to practicing (now that I had the guitar worked on (didn't need re-fretting, but I think the guy just lowered the fingerboard some. Okay, I've bored you enough on that score...

Todd, from what I've seen (and experienced when I was married), all the ladies have to do is just stick with their story and get us wondering if we did forget what they CLAIM they told us... And you know there is NO winning an argument about even those times when we DO remember that we said otherwise, right? As for the cars, I guess you didn't see those pre-ordered Walthers RTR's, didja? Few of those would bust most MRR'ers' budgets (unless you're Rod Stewart or such...)(No offense to Mr. Stewart, but I think some manufacturers must think we all have his funds available...) I hear you about the narrowing choices on where to get MRR stuff - I had bought my stuff from a local arts & crafts place and the local Hobby Lobby, as well as the LHS-down-the-road (where the MRR club member will order in whatever he may not have in stock for you). Now, it's just him or the internet, since the folks with the arts & crafts place retired and closed up, and Hobby Lobby doesn't carry the proverbial squat in the way of MRR stuff (a little - VERY little - scenery stuff from Woodland Scenics, mostly what you'd need for a school project). Ah, time to move the  back into its corner, I see...

Johnboy, thanks for posting that Coyote Falls video link. Did I tell you that (since my layout's set in the Southwestern US, anyway) I plan on having Acme Manufacturing as one industry on my layout? (Heh, heh...)

Ulrich, it's good that Allison (and her loved ones) has a friend like you. You've been a blessing for them, and remember that. Also, get the rest that you can and need while you're being helpful and pitching in. Don't want you winding up sick after all of this.

Trainobsessed, have a -to-the-Diner beverage of your choice on me! As the others said, there isn't much of anything that is  in here, with all the ground that we cover.

I'll be at the Rivet Counter, tending to my coffee and dessert. Maybe the rain will stop before I head for home... (Think I'm w**king on a set of webbed feet....)

 

Blessings and prayers,

Jim in (soggy) Cape Girardeau

[AmanaMedic]

GARRY: Awwwwwwww, she's not THAT bad... In fact, I just found this in the in-box:

"Sorry about that.Thanks for not giving up. Just do what you can with it.  I'm not expecting a Pulitzer award winner, but I know you will do a fine job."

Yes guys, she used THAT... She does slip once in awhile...

Part of what is so frustrating, is I don't want to just puke-up a talking point here and a talking point there and call THAT an article. I've been chasing "news stories" about the latest plan from the elephants. Apparently, some AP writer put it out there as every source has the exact same blurb, which consists of one or two talking points and zero details. I see exactly why my favorite talk radio hosts bemoan "the death of journalism." Silly me, I'm trying to get DETAILS from both sides of the aisle so the taxpayers can see EXACTLY what the poly-ticks in Des Moines are doing.

*sigh*

 

Back at it goeth I...

Chris

***EDIT*** Dinner time, Supper Time, time to grab yer eats....Rerun and I got the tab.

[Cederstrand]

A coffee refill, please.

***Garry, I don't remember where your mother and sister live, hope they are safe. That is some massive tornado in AL right now. 

My wife wanted to go tornado chasing in AL, but I talked her out of it. To long a drive and then we would be in the storms trying to make it back home "in the dark". Not worth the risk.

Placed a bunch of junk piles in potential locations on the wife's (HO) layout. More junk than there is room for without adding new real estate. Wouldn't want to encourage that or my own (N) layout could end up outside.

Rob

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Good afternoon. 

This has been quite some storm system. The Weather Channel said we may reach a record for number of tornados in April.

JimCG ... Are you OK? I think your location was hit worse than here.

Storms have been bad enough here. Our power has been reconnected this afternoon. It went out Monday night when tornados came through. We had 100 mph winds Monday night. We had about 8" of rain since Friday.  Some men with chain saws removed some big trees from our road. Our house held together in those winds, but the deck furniture went traveling. Winds broke off the top of one of our trees  It's now  50' tree instead of a 75' tree. We are still having thunder storms today... Weather guessers are saying our weather will be better for next two days. Now, northern Alabama is getting bad tornados. 

Regarding conversations about musicians. Glad to see there is so much talent. I'm not one of those, but I did play the tuba in the high school band. 

Chris ... I'm glad I do not deal with THAT editor. 

 

[cudaken]

YGW I did answer the question about hooking up DC wired track to DCC. Dig back on my posting and you will find the answer.

Chris Well with you not being a MOPAR guy, at lease you know what MOPAR stands for.

Flo, a beer please.

 Just spent 3 hours with Charters version of "Larry the Cable Guy"  Lets just say He Did Not Get Her Done!  Phone still sounds like it is under water, can not get a reading on my up load speed and he thinks it a line problem. Hum, tried to tell that to the woman I got so mad at and cussed on the phone!

 See you all Thursday!

              Ken 

[AmanaMedic]

Good afternoon...

INCH! Good to seeya sir!

LEE: THAT was a great idea you had for track lines on the fascia, I've tucked it away for future use...uh, when I get THAT far, THAT-is. TODD's idea was good too, but I think yours will be my best bet. Someday.

TRAIN OBSESSED: Welcome! I used to try to play the tenor sax...without much success I'm sorry to say. I could play the notes, but couldn't make the music.

CUDAKEN: I've got a 1953 Dodge/Towers fire engine...does THAT make me a "MOPAR guy?"

 

Just passing through, I'm still banging my head against the wall trying to understand property tax legislation by the elephants and the donkeys in the State House in Des Moines. The elephants released a "new plan" today...at first glance, the 30 pages of legalese seem to be a conglomeration of a handful of bills put forth within the past few months. Trying to get a grip on this has proven to be the most frustrating assignment yet from THAT Editor. I used to think I was a reasonably intelligent adult, and a reasonably competent "journalist," until this one. Now...I'm thinking I oughta go back to driving a delivery van.

JEFF: Sounds like fun times with the spray cans. My luck, I woulda ended up WEARING the paint, one way or another.

ULRICH: All of your good deeds must surely come back to you sooner or later. Lining up the "pipes" for Alison? Wow.

TODD: I loved your take on the Easter Egg Hunt...the threat to pick up the bike and toss it into the dumpster....I gave THAT a standing ovation. I usually cover the hunt in Swisher...didn't have to this year. But it sounds a lot like your town's. Most of the kids come from Cedar Rapids, Fairfax, Ely, Iowa City... Two years of shooting pics there and I've yet to get a SWISHER kid.

 

To those ducking twisters the past few days (and for the near future, apparently), keep your eyes to the sky and be SAFE!

Chris

[Cederstrand]

Big slice of Lemon Meringue Pie, please.

Rob

[inch53]

 

Afternoon folks,,, an irish coffee please for a very wet n chilly day, Zoe.

It's a rainy here still, we've gotten bout 3"+ since 8 last night. I figure Little Creek has flooded the bottom in town again. Average rain fall for April is 3.8, so far we're over 11.5", most of it in the last 4 days.

Deb's cousin down by Lawrenceville is flooded and some others a watching the leaves close.

On RR'ing, folks round here aren't happy with CSX. They're replacing ties on the tracks and rebuilding crossing through here. So, most the crossings are closed, including the one we use to go to Marshall. So our road is very busy as it's one of the ways people use to get around it. Which gets interesting, it's an old narrow blacktopped country road, barely wide enough for 2 cars, let alone semis and idiots runnin 60.

MRRing time been short, but have been working on trees and other odds n ends. Picked up a new Athearn NYC RS-3, a 3 pack of Peabody coal hoppers , a few bluebox kits, and some used cars, plus odds n ends of other stuff.

Been getting in some railfanning too and trying to get all the pics uploaded, like this one of TGM's GP38-3 over at their elevator in Casey

[IMG]http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g214/inch53/009-13.jpg[/IMG]

Still got more pics ta go, you can find them in the link below. Won't be too much more train chasing this summer with gas now over $4 and almost $4.20. Also it'll cut down on the number out of town ball games we get to. With 8 kids playing and 5 of those on travelin teams, it would be a bunch.

As far as health every-ones ok other than a 24 hr bug the grandkids keep passing round.

Speaking of kids,, did I mention we're getting a new another great grandkid in July, so I'll have 3 in diapers to baby sit, which I'm not doing as much lately, thankfully.

Well that be enough for now, need to get back on the chores before the bus comes

Thoughts n prayers for all those in need, and hope ya'll has a dry one