Merry Christmas Eve (Day), Diners! Janie, I'll have a hot chocolate with a sprinkling of cinnamon and some of those mini-marshmallows, in a Santa Fe mug, please. Thanks!
Lee, I definitely hope you can get those stones passed ASAP - not fun at all!
Ken, have you had any signs or clues on possible other jobs so far? Hope you get some improvement in things soon. Hey, just saw your good day and selling up that lady with her (needed) additional repairs! Way to go there! (Can you get TIm transferred to another store?...)
Rob, I'd say aim for erring on the side of caution for your own neck/skin - you don't want a hospital trip, which nowadays could run a bunch more than if you could hire or get someone to help you with it. That does not sound like a one-person job, nosiree! Running trains sounds great. But that tree of yours does look pretty ominous, just a'hanging over the shed like that.
Hey, Jeff, that's some stacks-o'-paint there! Like Galaxy said, thought you were the spray can king? I'd say you're ready for about any painting jobs at the Sundown shops. Excellent job on painting those resin-cast cars. And did you wash the castings before you spray prime them? I've heard that it's good to wash the castings to get the release agent off of them.
(Oh, Jeff, I wouldn't worry too much about Galaxy - or any of us in here - catching up with you anytime soon)
Curt, the hard part this time of year is the waiting (to run the trains), always! Glad the Mogul is running well for you.
And PA Tom, I see that you're a-waitin', also. Nice that your wife gave you the go-ahead to pre-order. Great to hear about her progress with the PT and healing progress!
Ulrich, good to see you back again, and doubly good to hear that Petra's helping you perk up your mood. As for your surviving this year, I do know (including..cough, cough.. from personal experience that we Germans are a pretty hardy lot (and are stubborn enough to pull through[oop]). Nice Rio Grande loco there.
Broadway, I'm with Rob - can that kitty use a chainsaw (or can one of your bigger cats)?
WAIT A MINUTE HERE!! - I saw that Duke got something other than a Berkshire?? Oh, sacrilege! ...
Johnboy, nice pic with your post yesterday! I can't tell from the size, is Santa the engineer?
And speaking of our Canadian Diners, any of the white stuff up your way? (Our weatherguessers down here haven't specified)
Barry, on that Alco car, I couldn't see any tender behind it - or is that a diesel?...
As for the stocking, I have three hung at my place (one little one from when Sarah was little and would visit me around Christmas time (ah, those were the days - this year she, hubby and the grandsons will be going to his folks for Christmas...). I don't have a chimney, so I guess Santa must come in the duct for the bathroom exhaust fan, I suppose... Not sure what Santa might be bringing me, but I don't think it'll be a loco.
It's looking like my planned trip to see my Memphis friend won't happen. A few things got in the way (like personal property taxes, presents, etc....), so will have to put it off until February or so (January will involve car license and whatever changes in my takehome that our lovely Senators and Congressional Reps have left me with...).
Wrapping a few presents, and putting some notes on Christmas cards will be the big thing for my evening. I want to do some 'olde schoole' sketching with a printout of my (future) ideas for a spare-room-sized layout. This time, just general landscaping first, and then see what track arrangements will w**k with that. After church tomorrow morning, I may see about some finishing up on various partially-built structures, and maybe try making some industry signage on the computer.
May your Christmas or Hannukah (or Kwanza, starting Tuesday) be filled with time with family and friends and good food (but not too much...), and may 2012 be better than your best year so far.
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape G.