Good Morning! from Tipton IN.
TIPTON
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!
We are in the middle of a few more days of stick and gum....93F feeling like 109F today...staying at home with the AC on..and cold water at my side...and getting some work done on the layout...
Take care ....
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/
Happy Fourth of July
Morning guys
Just a quick stop in before I head off to work. No real plans for today. I can't stay out to late because I have to work the next morning
I may have to get gas today, the needle on my car is starting to approach the E. I'll just get 5-10 bucks worth and get "special" gas thursday. Special meaning ethanol-free premium, as I'm going racing on sunday (I don't know anywhere where I can get higher than premium fuel). The girl I went out with on sunday wants to ride shotgun while I race.
Ken, Good to have you back!!! What's a picking block?
Tom, I love that bridge! Did you build it, and if so from what? Good luck with the track work.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
Gidday All, I'd like a nice cup of tea please but none of that stuff fished of the Boston Harbour though.
On that note I'll wish all you Good Folks in the States a good 4th of July. Not that I'd normally wish this on anybody, but I hope it rains on Colorados' parade. First time the fires haven't been on the evening TV news down here since they started, had a piece on a highway buckling with the heat somewhere else in The States, so keep .
Just got home from a meeting at the local model railway club, amazing, a healthy discussion over the proposals I put forward, and, I still can't believe it, decisions where made !! Hooray,we're going to start actual model railroading again. .
As its now 1055 July 4th and 38F its time for me to .
Have a Good One where ever you are, thoughts and best wishes to those that need them,
Cheers,the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good Morning All:
Happy 4th of July!
BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
Hello again
Will do grocery shopping early as I normally do Wednesday mornings.
KEN- TOM {twhite}- I have had asthma problems since about age 10. I started slipping cigarettes form my mother's pack by 12 and by 18 was a regular smoker. I quit 7 years ago when Decided it was STUPID to smoke and have machines to help me breathe!!! {nebulizer for Albuterol and other Albuterol mixes and O2 machine} So I quit..but I had tried cold turkey before and didn't last. I tried the patch the way it is supposed to work several times but didn't take. How I finally did it? I used the patch 1 for 60 days instead of 30, did patch 2 for 60 days instead of 30, and by the time I got to 30 days of patch 3, I had Zero desire to smoke!!! I think you also have to have the mind set to quit as well!!! Even After quitting, I had pneumonia 4 years ago and spent 2.5 weeks in the hospital. I had a viral infection, opportunistic bacterial and opportunistic fungal infections and could serioously BARELY BREATHE. I experienced ozygen deprivation many many times and even passed out form coughing so hard. I decide then that no matter how bad I wanted one, I would never smoke again! Just giving you suggestions to help you quit. I also had more money when we quit! Lots of it!! So..give it a serious shot...
TOM- good to see you did decide to quit. KEN- I hope you make the decision to quit as well.
Prayers for those needed...
WEll, need to get my coupons in order to go to the grocery store...should be a short trip this week, adn hopefully not spend over $50. COuld almost get away with not going at all, but we will need stuff by Saturay then, adn I want to go on WEd. it is my favorite day. Everything is restocked and such. I go early to avoid the crowds.
-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.
Refill?
twhite Jeff: I hope that paintball incident left you okay--I actually went Paintballing with a few of my students a couple of years ago (the "Nerd Herd" as they called themselves) and even with the proper equipment, those things HURT! Obviously those idiots that paintballed you either have no idea of how dangerous they are, or are just too bloody dumb to care. I hope you're OK.
Jeff: I hope that paintball incident left you okay--I actually went Paintballing with a few of my students a couple of years ago (the "Nerd Herd" as they called themselves) and even with the proper equipment, those things HURT! Obviously those idiots that paintballed you either have no idea of how dangerous they are, or are just too bloody dumb to care. I hope you're OK.
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
Good morning, Diners. Today the weather should climb into the low 70's. It usually rains on our 3 big holidays. Larry is working today because Canada took Monday off for Canada Day. If all goes well, he will be home by noon with only a 10 hour day.
Sue
Happy 4th of July, Independence Day
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Good Morning All,
Thanks for the refill Bill - and the good advice G. I am doing my patriotic duty on the 4th as I am in the shop trying to keep the economy going. Two cars left to assemble for Pocono (wish it were Pomona - haven't been there in decades - like since we moved east). Spentmost of yesterday sanding and polishing the aluminum alloy body of the '23 Amilcar so I can put it together today. My arms really feel it this morning.
Ken - great that you're home and all in one piece. Please make the changes the doc recommends (I know it's hard) and stay with us a while.
Vincent - does the car have more grunt with the alcohol mixed gas? I would think the cooling effect in the inlet of the alcohol would allow a denser mixture than straight gas. And the slower burn rate might allow more advance and a bit of extra power as well. I suppose it all depends on the map for the ECU, eh?
Ray - Be careful tossing all that stuff out. Might have been what has kept your house on the foundation through all the wind and storms LOL.
Tom - I know that bridge is long but I had no idea it streched from Ct to Ca ! I thought about single tracking mine but couldn't resist the thought of having meets on the bridge. Did you make the walkway in wood ? And I'm glad you tossed the butts. I quit over thirty years ago and don't miss it.
Time to wander back into the shop and pick up tools. CUL, J.R.
Good Morning and Happy Independence Day!!!
Coffee and a fruit plate please. Thanks.
Sunny and hot, with a high near 101. Heat index values as high as 106.
Figured something out. The keyboard on this new computer is smaller than the old one. THAT’s why I keep getting all these wrong key strikes. I certainly don’t need that kind of help with my typing skills I tell you what.
DerJohn- Good thinking on the house. Brenda and I, well I did, thought of that when we bought this house back in ’96. Juuuuust big enough for four, but not too big for two to take care of. We have a basement and the laundry is down there now but only because that’s where we relocated it. The house originally had an upstairs laundry, the hopefully former but looking like it’s going to return to the oh look there’s and empty space let’s put it there room, and the hookups are still there so if it comes to that the machines just need to be brought up. Then everything but the mechanicals will be upstairs.
Though I agree with all who say file a report with the police, fact is Jeffrey’s right. Preeeeetty much a waste of his time. Though the police probably care, his report to them is basically saying I got hit with a paintball at the same time I heard loud pipes from a vehicle. Unless he left something out in his recanting of the event, he really can’t say legally the loud pipes occupants had anything to do with it. Could have been layin amongst the trees. With the dust and all and the fact he didn’t know he had to be on sniper or drive by shooting watch…..as far as the po-po are concerned they can’t do much. Last I heard ballistics on an exploded paintball are a bit shaky in court.
WHOA!! J.R.- AWESOME!!!
Glad you got sprung Ken!!
In- cousins are gone and boy could I give you an ear full rant. BUT I won’t. Brought two little Taco dogs with them. Unknownst to us until their arrival. Walter and Chewy. Turns out Walter or Wally as they call him…..is a pee monster. Wasn’t there2 minutes and he nailed the couch. He liked that couch as is evident by the ring around the collar appearance. Brenda has since sprayed down and steam cleaned the couch. He got I think everything, The kitchen cabinets, the back door/window things curtains even a plastic jug we put the Walmart bags in. But his favorite target was the couch. Their response, or should I say his, was like “oh well, that’s what they do. He’s just marking his territory. HIS territory!! She’d get mad, but really didn’t do much (almost just as bad). Yelled at him for not watching his dog, but that’s about it. But he just didn’t seem to care the dog was using our house as a bathroom. I was NOT a happy camper. Missy? Well let’s say she was a good hostess. No, GREAT hostess. You could tell she was reeeeeally holding back and reeeeally being patient. She lost it once kinda, and sent the dogs flying using her big dog voice accompanied by showing them her teeth are as big as they are. Another time I could see the upper lip flicker up before turning away when the mad pee’er, barking in her face, lunged ad took a snap at her nose. Tom just laughed and Mary said he needs to do something because a dog will only take so much and it won’t be her fault. Ole Wally the squirter was a real tuffey and would snip at her several times. Missy'd just turn and look at him like “little man…..oh what I could do to you before you even knew what was happening” And the looks that dog(Missy) would give me when Wally would give something a blast…..precious. Almost funny if it was. She’d watch him pee, then watch him as he walked away as if to say “REALLY!!??” Then turn and look at me as if to say “ There the little shitake goes again.”
Welp, gotta go to the evil twin’s party this afternoon and sit in the sweltering sun by the pool of which I don’t give two shakes about. They think is the best thing since cake soap. It really is pretty, but there is no shade and it’s all concrete. Oh sure they have a band, but to me it’s not that fun. Too many people too. Why do I go? Same reason I didn’t send the In-Cousins packing. Her family.
Ya’ll have a good 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 Afternoon,
got the package from the post office and what a surprise! It contained this:
It´s a thank you from my Swiss friend for all the help I gave him in planning his new layout. There is a big fat smile on my face today!
While visiting my MIL in hospital last weekend, we also met our nieces and nephew, which we had not seen for nearly five years. Why do children grow so much in such a short time?
Good morning. It's 78° and sunny. The high will be 95° and it'll be partly cloudy. Anyone caught out in the open will feel like they're being slow roasted at 108°.Gonna be a bit too warm outside for my taste today, besides I have nowhere to go. I might go outside tonight and watch some fireworks displays. Other than that it's just another day for me.
Well, well,
I went to the grocery store. Didn't get much for the $75 I spent..although $29 of that was meat of all sorts.
On the way home it dawned on me...I had a migraine yesterday and went to lay down as it makes me sleepy at 3:00, and dind't wake up till 9pm. What I forgot was I was supposed to see my PSYCHIATRIST at 6:30 Pm {I know evening hours}. MOH even forgot or would have woken me. Now Friday I ahve to go and call and see if I cna get a reschedule wihtout penalty. They don't like no call no shows.
Well, nothing really planned as my back is acting up...weather came through last night didn't do much, but rained anyway. COuld barely move this morning till the pain meds kicked in.
Will do the nromal dishes, and maybe throw a load of laundry in.
TOnight is fireworks night. If we can stay awake past 9 pm {our usual be time} we will watch whoever is having tem televised.
well, off for a nap already I rthink...have to still sleep of the migraine script.
Why do you guys get up so early?
Sir Madog: Nice tram(?)
Thanks for all the welcome everyone!
Have a good Fourth!
Samuel A. Kelly
I can draw pictures with my keyboard!
-------- ( It's a worm)
sakel Why do you guys get up so early?
sakel Ugh!
Ugh!
I always get up early...best time to get walks in....
sakel - I am also up in the small hours of the day. Seems to be an issue with old men
You are right about the tram. It´s a model of the Enoshima Dentetsu (Railway) class 1500 railcar. This line links the central Shonan area, Kamakura and Fujisawa, a distance of approximately 10 kilometers and runs partly along the shore, but also in the street, just like a tram.
Here is a video of a cab ride down this line:
watch?list=PL2087C4DB93802DF0&v=ixYCiIP7Edc&feature=playerdetailpage
I am using part of this line as the prototype for my own little Japanese-style layout.
Sakel
I get up early because I can.. But it's ok, you young'uns need more sleep than us old geezers. My youngest often gets in from w..k around middnight and then will put a solid 12 hours of rack time in before rolling out to face the day (or at least the afternoon).
Ulrich - yeh nice link. It's just as I remember it on the more rural runs. The entire system was impressive to me. Neat, tidy, clean as a whistle and not a speck of graffiti anywhere - even in Tokyo. J.R.
Where did my post go? I can't see it.
Edit: Those trams have strange throtles.(spell check does not work)
Mornin' everyone and a Happy 4th. of July, Independence Day here in the USofA!
Zoe, I'll just do the special buffet I see you have out in honor of the day. If you would bring me my dark roast coffee is a FGLK Mug, I would be most pleased!
Sakel, why do we get up so early??? I dunno. Early for me means sometime before Noon! Personally, I sleep in because I can. The year I retired from School teaching, it really didn't hit me until the first day of school that Fall. I heard something outside, a screech of brakes and a bit of rumble...... I rolled over in bed where I could see through the hallway and out the large window in the dinning room. Saw a big Yellow Thing outside on the road! I smiled to myself, then rolled back over and went to sleep for another hour.... YES! I'm retired!
Already 84°F out there with a high close to 90° they say. May get some thunderboomers mid afternoon. We could sure use the rain. Lawn is dead! Of course THAT means I won't have to mow it........
Last night as I was using up the last of the fog fluid, I decided to pick up and dispose of a couple things on the deck. One such item is a plastic downspout extender thingy... It was leaning against the wall of the house and I reached in in the back to pick it up... Right into a wasps nest built there. I realized what I had done immediately and yanked my hand away just as a wasp landed on my finger. I was so quick the wasp didn't even get me. I did have about a dozen very ticked off wasps hovering around. Since it was near where I was cooking supper on the grill, I grabbed a can of wasp spray and got them in mid flight!!! I got very lucky I guess!
J.R., Nah, just stuff taking up space because I figured there might be a reason I might need it... For instance I will be recycling a DAT recorder/player.... I deep sixed all the old DAT tapes a few years ago, but kept the DAT player because... I don't know either. There is an old Peavey 2/3 octave graphic equalizer. The the decent Ashley 1/3 Octave equalizer got given to a school to be used, but the junk Peavey??? Just sitting on the shelf. My old and no longer usable scanner has been sitting in the storeroom for a year and a half now mainly because I forgot to take the last two times I took a truckload of junk over to the recycling place. BTW, this place shreds all hard drives they get in to recycle and is a very honest place. Hard drives I take there are cleaned by me anyway if they can still be accessed at all.
I plan to start disposing of an entire closet worth of STUFF from my parents house THAT got stored by me to please others in the family (MY crazy sister). Some may go to the yard sale when my DIL has one in a few weeks, much will just fill my dumpster....
Havce a safe and enjoyable 4th. out there!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
blownout cylinder Actual English Subtitles Used in Hong Kong Films :-) I am *** unsatisfied to be killed in this way. Fatty, you with your thick face have hurt my instep. Gun wounds again? Same old rules: no eyes, no groin. A normal person wouldn't steal pituitaries. ***, I'll burn you into a BBQ chicken! Take my advice, or I'll spank you without pants. Who gave you the nerve to get killed here? Quiet or I'll blow your throat up. You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice chicken. I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out! You daring lousy guy. Beat him out of recognizable shape! I got knife scars more than the number of your leg's hair! Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected. How can you use my intestines as a gift? This will be of fine service for you, you bag of the scum. I am sure you will not mind that I remove your manhoods and leave them out on the dessert flour for your aunts to eat. Yah-hah, evil spider woman! I have captured you by the short rabbits and can now deliver you violently to your gynecologist for a thorough extermination. Greetings, large black person. Let us not forget to form a team up together and go into the country to inflict the pain of our karate feets on some$1***$2of the giant lizard person.
Howdy ....
Happy 4th to everybody. Thanks to our international friends for the greetings!
We continue enjoying the grandkids. Yesterday, 8-year old caught 5 1/2 pound catfish about 24" long. That was one of about 8 catfish caught. She is left-handed and used the left-handed rod and reel.Meanwhile, the 11 year old grand daughter says she only wants to do catch-and-release fishing because she does not want to kill any animal including fish. .... We are doing more lake stuff today. Tomorrow we take them to Mammoth Cave.
Tom in CA ..... Sorry to learn about your emergency and your COPD. Prayers for you.
Herrinchoker .... Welcome to the DIner.
KEN! ..... Glad you are improving! ... Prayers for you.
Ulrich ... Colorful train! .... Nice family picture!
Good to see so many diners, today. ...... Cheers!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Sakel:
MOH {My Other HAlf} generally works in the Early AM {7:30 AM}. SO we get up between 4-5 AM so as to get ready for the day. I like to get up that early {even though i am "retired"} so as to get my errands done. Wally World is open 24 hours, so is our grocery store so I can get in get out before the crowds hit, and hit other stores and the pharmacy/bank as soon as they open at 8-8:30-9 AM.
Subsequently to getting up early, we are usually in bed by 9pm! WE go to bed EARLY too! Whether we {me in particular} sleep through the night is another matter. Older people tend to sleep less.
There is an old phrase you may not have heard: "The EARLY BIRD catches the worm"! As worms are usually easy pickens inthe early dawn for birds to get!
Blownout;
Foreign phrases and words can be misleading, add in cloquilisms and you are off to the races... often foreign phrases may be different from our own, so even when translated exactly as should be into our language, may seem funny to us. "You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice chicken." really sounds plausibe...You are always violent, I shouldn't have eaten, I'm gonna throw up". So does the phrase "I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out"...it is straight to the point. We might say "come out or I'll shoot". "Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected" could be our "I'll tear you apart limb from limb".
well, MOH has to go run an errand before work for the FIL...and get into their part of town early and get out quickly as it will be/soon/get clogged with 4th celebraters to the park and the fireworks setup there!
Fun fun fun..I used to go, but now, pain in the butt and a long day and no easy way in or out when fireworks done. Biggest show in the county I think.
Good Morning Flo - you got to w**k today, eh? Well, I'll have two waffles with Maine maple syrup and one pat of butter, couple-three strips of bacon, glass of OJ (in Ed's honor), a glass of milk and a Santa Fe mugfull of coffee, please. Thank you (and I'll tip extra since you came in on the holiday).
Yesterday's reprieve and rain (not that much) appears to be over - already at 90 F (32 C) and headed for 102 F (39 C) by the afternoon. And more the rest of the week until maybe Sunday. Yep, summer!
Yesterday I ordered some detail parts (shelves and stuff for store interiors, w**kshop benches, etc.). Will need to see about painting them once they arrive. Nothing major on the MRR'ing docket planned for today. I may check my P.O box and see if the new MR issue has arrived - THAT, I can get without them being open.
JR, I forgot to mention - really liked those buildings you posted pics of in here.
Darren, it was good to hear that they're getting the fires out there confined. It was sad to hear about those National Guard folks on the C-130, though.
Simon, thank you for the update on Ken, and good to hear that the antibiotics are making some headway for him. It may be tough for him to give up the tobacco & beer, but it's worth it for his health.
'(Far...)Western-Chris', you get down to -2 C? I wouldn't have guessed that it got that cool (by comparison to winters where my Dad's family is from - Nebraska) in the Tropic of Capricorn. I had forgotten how close (relatively) to the Equator that Australia is. And I've heard of people watching paint dry, but haven't heard of watching fences & waiting for them to fall over...?
Sakel - have you dropped your hints for MRR birthday presents yet with your folks? (Like leaving the Walthers catalog out with certain items circled...?) Hey, you should see some of the unique diesel 'kitbashes' that Jeff's Sundown Shops comes up with!
Vincent, those cab shells look good (and much simpler, yes?) - are those from Cannon, or somebody else? They do look nice. Now ya just need to find the brushes (or more likely, go buy replacements).
Curt, that Pennsy tower looks nice - maybe add a vine or two on a corner or the back side?
Ken, great to see you back in the Diner, and do take care of yourself (like your doctors tell you)! Now's a good time to quit those cigarettes, since I heard that your governor added a dollar a pack onto their price, right? (Save that money for MRR stuff) We'd like to have you around for a while longer, okay? And if you need to take a nap, I think there's room back there next to Duke, and you probably won't even wake him when you sit down. And as for well wishes... will continue.
Looks like Johnboy had to w**k today (well, guess it isn't a holiday for him, NOTB, but..). And Johnboy, keep in mind that our definition of 'normal' here in the Diner has a lot of leeway (nope, not referring to THAT Lee...). Hey, that slogan about the mountains might be one you could use for the LM&E. Stay safe up there, with those twisty-wind thingees and all!
BridgeTom, I don't blame you for this weather; heck, I figure at least you can get out to your train room a little more often. And I figured you'd like JR's/your bridge, though I didn't remember that I'd seen yours before (probably had just been too long for my short memory span...). And thanks for posting photos of a couple of your lovely articulateds. Always a pleasure to see them. Good to hear the outcome of (though not that you had to go) your ER trip. Maybe you and Ken can be "Quittin' buddies" and keep each other on-track (so to speak...) How's Chester coming along with getting ready to meet Uff-Dah & Spooky? Or have they been able to meet face-to-face yet (without the door in the way)?
Ray, a while back I had bought some of that Homabed (or similar type), originally for roadbed, but then after I decided to go with cork, I realized that in the Boys' Life HO MRR, they used the Homabed/Homasote (partially cut and then broken for rough edges) to make chunks to stack for rock formations. If you want, I can e you a copy of the article part about how they did that. You're making good progress with getting cleaned out/re-organized there.
Barry - cold water and a cool place sounds good; all you need now is a MR issue to read! On those 'subtitles' - !!!
JaBear (and our other Diners from N/S/E/WOTB ) - if it's the same one, I think I saw that video. Was that the one of the 'airborne' SUV? (Wild) Last summer, our city here had some parts of the road (not quite THAT bad) which they had to re-do because of bucklin joints. Have had a couple of spots on my way from my apartment over here that have a small bump in the joint, and it's possible that if our hot spell keeps up, the city may have some more re-do's for this summer as well. Hey, congratulations on your MRR club coming together to decide stuff! Hopefully they'll continue on that track.
Galaxy, you had determination to quit, it just took you a bit longer. Good that you did give that up, though. The way my Dad (back when he was living) quit smoking was, (and it wasn't totally intentionally) he was in ICU for a while (got T-boned by a (foolish) teenage driver). He didn't have any choice about quitting, and once he quit (much like you), he didn't start back up. He too, though, did have respiratory problems the rest of his life. You made a wise choice, G. Hope you can get a reschedule of your appointment without too much grief.
Jeff - anthill and a jar of honey, eh? Yep, those guys sure better hope that the sheriff's people catch them first...
So Todd - it's the new keyboard that's the problem, eh? I just though you were filling in for Ken while he was gone, so we didn't miss him too badly... But I would agree about the keyboard size does matter - the laptop that the office got me is way smaller than I'm used to on my MBP or the iMac, and I sometimes mutter as I'm typing stuff (or trying to...). Good Great to hear that the out-law cousins and the TB dogs are gone (for Missy's sake, as well as for yours & Brenda's). Do give Missy a treat to reward her for her self-restraint. Now, will Brenda remember that episode, the next time they want to stay there? (Hey, you can hope...)
Ulrich, very cool tram cars there! Your Swiss friend is a friend indeed. And I'm sure (once the shock wore off of how much they'd grown) it was great to see your nieces and nephew again. (They don't have any small dogs, though, do they?...)
Garry, are you sure your 11-year old granddaughter's not just wanting to avoid cleaning the fish she catches? Just checkin'... Hey, did you get any rain the other day, like we did here? And, have you indoctrinated your granddaughters on MRR'ing?
Hmm, with this talk about getting up early... I used to be (even in my 40's or early 50's) one who would - if I didn't have to get up the next morning for something (like classes...) - stay up fairly late (midnight, one-ish in the morning). That was particularly true in my 30's, when I got a computer (and the internet was very, very young - think GEnie, CompuServe, early AOL) and wanted the cheaper phone rates later at night. Of course, I still might stay up later than I should now, if I had high-speed internet at home (and my internet wasn't at local WiFi spots, which tend to close down before/when the late news comes on). Ah, grasshopper...
Now, WHY am I feeling like taking a nap? Must be an attack of geezer-itis coming on.
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape G.
We hope everyone will have a safe and enjoyable Independance Day. It's near 90 here in the "Burgh" and with high humidy. Even so, I'm going to throw a couple of steaks on the grill later this afternoon for dinner along with potato salad. We are going to stay home this year. The wife has a nasty summer cold, and with her bad leg/ankle, it's just easie than going out. We are about finished with the lymphedema clinic. They have reduced the swelling by using only a compression wrap. In less than two weeks, they reduced the fluid by nearly 750 ml. That's about the capacity of an average wine bottle. We are still waiting for the custom brace to be made and fitted.
I found all the various comments about quitting smoking to be very interesting. It seems to me that different methods work with different people. I start smoking when I was about 14. Over the years I tried to quit on my own, but not only failed, I ended up smoking more. Then I had a major heart attack in 1993 at the age of 53. The cardiologist said I would have to quit. When I told him I didn't think I could, he said he had a plan. It didn't involve patches, prescriptions, hypnosis or anything else except for me. He called it "Behavioral Modification". When I got home from the hospital, everytime I got the urge to smoke, I simply got up and did something I would not otherwise be doing. Like walk down to the corner, or go up to the attic and back, wash my hands, etc. Anything but eat or drink. In two weeks I had lost the urge. Not to say that from time to time in the ensuing years, it wouldn't return with a vengance. But it's been many years since that's happened. It was so simple I couldn't belive it. Anyway, that's my two cents on the subject.
We finally got some rain last night. I think we are getting close to being 4" below normal rain fall here. I have been putting the sprinklers on the new sod in the front yard everyday. I have the only green yard in the neighborhood, but I'm really dreading when my water and sewerage bill come in. But it wasn't cheap having the new sod installed, and I don't want to lose it the first year.
Best wishes to all those having some health issues. I've also been enjoying the photos. Speaking of photos, I was thinking that the Broadway Lion hadn't posted in some time, but I see where he put up a bunch of new photos in another thread. so he is okay. Just missing in action. Miss his sense of humor.
Have a nice holiday. Tom
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Saw something funny just a bit ago. I heard one of the neighbors setting off rockets so I went out to watch. It was the usual thing. He'd light them one at a time, drop them down a pipe and it would be launched like a missile, shoot high into the sky and explode. Well I guess he decided it was time to see what a pack of them would do all at once. They're like six to a pack. He set it up so he could light all the fuses at once then lit them. Small problem. Only half of them lit. They were still wrapped in a pack. They still had enough power to take off. The pack then arced over and went over the fence and went into land shark mode bouncing and skimming along the ground and seemingly locked in on the next door neighbors rooster. That's right, a rooster! Feathered fowl, goes cocka-doodle-doo? Well the poor thing, not knowing any better ran off in the opposite direction cackling for all the world like a bunch of scared hens with the pack of rockets skimming and bouncing along behind it. Every time they hit the ground they changed direction a bit and the rooster had the bad luck to keep turning in the same direction. About this time the rest of the rockets lit off and the rocket pack shot upward then arced back over, bounced a couple of times and went back to chasing the poultry. Now there was a new and very serious problem. The rockets started exploding and commenced to setting the yard on fire. Some of the spectators jumped the fence and grabbed a couple of water hoses and dealt with the fires in short order. The rocket pack meanwhile endured several explosions then broke apart. Two rockets arced over into the lake and the remaining one was stuck against a tree root where it exploded. It was quickly doused with water. I think the rooster lost a couple of pounds from all the running. A little while later it went over and started attacking one of the burned out rockets. The neighbor decided lighting them a pack at a time was a bad idea and went back to using the pipe to shoot them off one by one.
Afternoon guys
Didn't mention last night I traded my Stewart ATSF F9 shells for some other shells. I got an Amtrak F7 (Phase 1 early) and an undec F3B (Phase 3). The amtrak one was the only F7 he had, and I picked the B unit because it was the only B-unit he had. I'm hoping someone here has a stewart F7B or F9B shell they would want to swap; lest I go to the bay for some stewart shells.
Work was crazy busy for a bit, but for most of the day it was steady. What bites is that I don't get holiday pay for working on the 4th.
Sakel, I wake up early because I had to go to work. Even when I'm off I'm usually up before 7:30 just because I'm used to waking up early. I wish I could sleep in till 9 something lol.
Jim, I wish cannon made early GP cabs. They'd cost less and be easier to make than these things. They are modified Atlas SD24 low-nose cabs with Des Plaines inserts for the split windshield. Atlas has been out of SD26 cabs (SD26 cabs have the split windshield) for a while so I improvised and made my own. I'll probably pick up some new brushes tomorrow after work.
JR, I read that the 10% ethanol gas produces 15% less energy than straight gas, and E85 produces 30% less energy than straight gas. The extra energy produced by the non-ethanoled gas more than likely outweighs the cooling effect and burn rate. I haven't dynoed my car to see how much of a difference the non-ethanoled gas makes, and it's been a while since I raced using ethanoled gas. IIRC, my car when it was stock ('94 mustang GT), picked up a couple tenths of a second and a couple of MPH in the 1/8 mile. I perfer the straight gas because my mileage picks up between 2 and 6 mpg, and it's better for the fuel lines.