Elliot's Trackside Diner, October 2012

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Gonna be a dribbly kinda day for us'uns with temperatures around the low 60's...lotsa drizzle and showers still to be had here..

Yesterdays Oncologists visit turned out to be a ????? kind of day...something turned up on an XRay he had me doing a week ago...sigh...I hope it is not back to that...ermmmm...stuff again...sigh...  

Today is a mall day for us..we need groceries as well as a  few indoor gardening supplies....

Have a good one peoples!!!

[LSWrr]

Good Morning all,

64F, Hi today 75F, Low 64F

Chochowillie, be careful using those 4-letter words in your posts there are moderators all over the place in the diner.  I can’t believe you got away with: S**W continues over most of southern Alberta…..  LOL.

Actually I’m looking forward to a good dumping of S**W so I can focus on train stuff.  All this fair weather is keeping me from the basement and MR projects are piling up….

Ray, I see in your “local TV news” the Hojack is coming down.

I’m also impressed people are still complaining about the switch in forums.  My only issue is its not very reverse compatible with older versions of Internet Explorer.   As you can see in yesterdays post it ran everything together on me.

[JohnReid]

Bonjour y'all !  Lara just loves all the attention she's getting.All my dogs have been wonderful companions throughout  my life but this one is truly special.We rescued her from a car accident a couple of years ago when she was only a pup.No coffee today thanks , have a nice day    Cheers !

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

Coffee and a piece of cherry PIE please. Make that two thank you. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Careful there. Don’t touch me Flo, after four days of cabbage soup, I’ve got a hair trigger.

Wife will either make enough food for a snack for one and feed it to two (similar to if she’s on a diet so am I but it’s she’s not that hungry), or she’ll make enough for twenty and we eat it, or should I say I eat it daily because she juuust doesn’t care to eat the same thing more than once a week. Of course this is the same woman who can’t stand the taste of coconut or dark chocolate, but her favorite candy bar is, get this, a Mounds.  “It’s not the same”.

Well, gonna watch Ziva then do some more things around here. If the grass is dry enough (read leaves) I’ll mow, but last night at w**k I was asked to w**k for someone tonight and I said I would so…...  I’m not complaining, there are people all over the world who’d love to have even the part time job I have.

(picks up chain saw and walks to the door) Huh? What’s that Flo? Uhhhh…, oh nothing. I just like carrying a chainsaw around. Say um, by the waaaay, just out of curiousity, where’s this Finger Lakes place?

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[wetidlerjr]

Good Morning! from Tipton IN.

It's Wednesday, October 24, 2012

TIPTON IN

[galaxy]

GOOD MORNING!!!

It's not worth a plugged nickel or the paper it's written on...

Origin and meaning for nickel:

Plugs are the holes made in coins, which is then filled with a cheaper metal. Coins so tampered with are no longer legal tender and are thus worthless if spotted. The phrase is, of course, American. Before 'plugged nickels' there were 'plugged quarters' and 'plugged dimes'. The various versions of the phrase appear in the 1880s. The nickel, being a lower denomination coin, lends itself better than quarters and dimes to a phrase expressing worthlessness. Oddly though, the lowest denomination coin is the cent and the phrase 'not worth a plugged cent' doesn't appear until later. The earliest I've found for that is 1908.

The earliest of any version of the phrase that  can be found is from The Daily Nebraska State Journal, 14th September 1883. This indicates the illegitimate nature of plugged coins:

"No," said a Philadelphia conductor, "I never attempt to pass a plugged quarter on a man unless he's got his Sunday girl with him. Then he's afraid she'll think him mean if he get's mad.

PAPER:

It's not worth the paper it's written on. Worthless. "In 1861, Johann Bernhard, Graf von Rechberg (1806-99), in a dispatch concerning the recognition of Italy, wrote: 'Guarantees which are not worth the paper they are written on.' 'Printed' is often substituted for written...'"

"Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). Page 189.

 

Special Thoughts and Prayers for those in need

Have a GREAT DAY!!!

[Burlington Northern #24]

The very reason I am into model trains is here until nov. 9th, saw my uncle gary today, told me about his new layout he's working on, whilst sharing some tips and tricks plus next week on my days off we're gonna go check out some hobby shops.

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

Janie, I'll have a cup of decaf with cream and Stevia.  Thank you Ma'am.

Other than a few minutes of putting down some grass and such on the mountain project, I didn't see the train rooms today.  We got 1.09 inches of rain here today.  I am pleased to tell all of you we didn't get any snow in the last 24 hours according to the weather channel...  I do wish the tree next door would give up and drop its leaves so a bit more sun when it decides to shine would hit my roof.  Leaves are getting very yellow so it should be soon.  The one across the street is just starting to turn so it should take a bit longer.

Spent most of the day cleaning my bedroom.  The dust dinosaurs were very large and menacing.  I removed and threw away old bedspreads and clothing I haven't used in a decade or so that were piled on the floor, picked up and moved a couple huge boxes of old Boy Scout patches, programs, and other stuff I saved ..... Ah, just because I guess.  Those items are now taking up space in another room so when I clean that one I can move it back to sitting in the corner of my bedroom I guess.  Still have to clean off the dresser so I can find the nice wood finish it used to have, and dust a lot of the tops of stuff off.  But....  I feel like I made progress.  Whatever that is.

I have been following the comments in the, ah, thread out in the main forum.  You know the one.  The one about why we all don't like the forums but still come here anyway and stuff...  I keep having that wonderful old 1932 Groucho Marks song going on in my head.  "Whatever it is, I'm against it!" 

I guess I will call it a night.  Prayers for all in need!

73

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Another hard day. Shanghaied  again! My father called this morning to have me come down to help him test the saw. One board told us the one rip fence wasn't going to be enough as the area of table top isn't very big. So we put on a second fence on the opposite side of the blade to act as a guide. We cut another board. That worked much better! Then he wanted to make sure that wasn't just a lucky shot. A third board was cut then three boards turned into two dozen boards! That's not even half! I have to hold these big long boards up and feed them to the blade. It's only when they're six or seven feet across the table that I get a break. At that point the table is supporting the weight then my father is supporting the weight as he pulls it from the other side. My balance isn't all that great so I have a hard time with it so naturally it tires me out rather quickly. I had to remind him that it's a bit more than a quarter century since I was twenty-five and he may enjoy these kid games but I don't. I can't be on my feet for very long. If he wants help with cutting six or eight boards that's fine. But a dozen or more is too much. Another job was taking an old B&D circular saw apart and fixing it. It runs now but I have no idea for how long. It could go down after a few minutes or it could work for another ten years. He has to work tomorrow so it looks like I'll get a break. Brother, do I need it! My knees and back are screaming.

Well, time to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow, if I bother to get out of bed.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

saronaterry

Jeff, what's the progress report on the Grain Mill? Life gettin' in the way, sounds like.

Dead stop! Life's getting in the way big time.

[kbkchooch]

Evening gang 

Chloe, Just some apple pie and coffee for me tonight sweetie!

Just went through another 12 hour day! I hear 1, if not both of my co-workers may be back tomorrow. Boy I hope so, I need a rest! Plus tomorrow night is our New Owner Clinic, conducted this month by......me!  I really can't wait til the new department head is fully up to speed, so that HE can start doing these things! It's cutting into my modeling time! 

Prayer candles lit for Sam's Dad, Grandpa, and cow, Ulrich, Barry, Paul's Barbara, and anyone else I may have missed. Don't worry, the fire extinguisher is ready!

Todd, The wife's prayer is a hoot, gonna show the Mrs.

BN24, Great news!

Chochowillie,,,,,,,Snow? Feel free to keep it all to yourself!

Lee, Jeffrey We got big choices here for TV, rabbit ears, Dish Network, Direct TV, or Xfinity.  Internet is only dial up or Xfinity. Actually, the Comcast Xfinity has been really reliable and fast, considering there is no real competition. 

I'll take my pie to the corner booth,,,,,,,if I fall asleep, wake me gently!

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners!

 Flo, Beer pleases, and will you throw this at Ray? Good F Thunk Flo!

 Man I am beat! Getting up at 5:15 PM sucks, then a hour drive really sucked. And that was the best part of the day! While it was slow, I have never got yelled at so much for something I had no control over and had no knowledge of about in my life!

 Have the same schedule Wednesday, so short visit.

 

TMarsh

If a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman around to hear him…., is he still wrong?

 

 Tod, as tired as I am, that but a smile on my faces!

 Lee, not sure what you meant by what I put in the engine?

 Jerry, Shaddy says Hi!

 

 

 See you all Wednesday

 Beat up Ken

[saronaterry]

Hello, Diners!

47f and rainy/misty.

Good job on the test, BN!

Nice guitar, Ray. Used to play a Rickenbacher bass in a blues band , myself. Loved it! Started out on a Fender guitar, but there were too many strings!

PFC Son called his wife( DIL) last night, so far so good.  He was "promoted " to SAW gunner. Still says "It'll be the most boring  in the history of  boring missions"!! Hope so.

Not much on the MRR front, been trying to get the new roof on the remodel I'm doing. Almost there, if the rain will hold off 1 more day.

 I've been following the "thread" ( wink, wink, nudge, nudge) out on the forum. Interesting. Why some open ,then read  something they have no interest in is beyond me. If it's not up your alley, don't open it.

Jeff, what's the progress report on the Grain Mill? Life gettin' in the way, sounds like.

 

That's about it from here. Sure hope we don't get the white stuff our NOTB diners are talkin' about. Too soon!!

 

Prayers for those that need'em.

 

Gotta tone down the shiney street.

 

 

 

Terry in NW Wisconsin

 

 

 

[chochowillie]

howmus

Hi Bill,

I live about 20 minutes North of Penn Yan (You might be from Upstate4 NY if you measure distance by time...) in Geneva.

I used to have mostly Yamaha and Roland keyboards.  They would be considered stone age now although I still have my old Roland keyboard controller that hooks to a rack mount synth via MIDI.  I really need to get out the axe and get some stuff back in my fingers...

Spent a small fortune on it (Cordoba) and so far it has mostly just sat in the case...  Somehow being deaf has its drawbacks.

Later!

73

My daughter bought herself a BRAND NEW Yahama Pro trumpet a couple of years ago to replace her aging Bach one that she pretty much played out. Anyway, I think she's played it once or twice since she bought it. This is the woman who has a BMus and played from the time she was in grade 5 right through University. Now she doesn't seem to want to play... even with the new horn. 

I wonder what I paid for all those private lessons for and 4 years of University. Durned kids.

[Packer]

Afternoon guys

I cleaned my car up in the event one of the girls from work wants me to go with me to a car meet downtown. I found a problem while it was sitting. It was leaking antifreeze, and I found out where. Looks like the old (read: original 20 year-old hose) hose has a small hole in it. I guess that's normal for them to wear out after that long.

I did some more work on the trains. I think I got the last bits of paint off of that LV F3A. Of course it's gonna be a BN F3A. I bought 1k resistors last night for the mini-bulbs for beacons. I just need to buy more beacons and bring my SD45s home so they can lead (I have F45s on both ends at the club)

Ken, I'd say on that SD7 of yours something is binding somehwhere. IDK if this is right or not, but every time I rebuild the trucks on a loco I take it our and remove the worm gear. If it roolls fairly well I'll use if, but if it doesn't I start tinkering till it does. But if you disconnected the driveshafts, maybe it's rubbing on the frame... Are you still using the factory light board in it? Those things have some bad ju-ju about them.

BN #24: Good job on the test

Lee, IDK about the P2K E7. I don't have one. Maybe check the axles to see if they are touching

[Burlington Northern #24]

aced it, 20/20 100%!

[LSWrr]

Jeff, it’s not bad, internet is nice and fast, the TV box came with a free DVR that will record 4 TV shows at once and you can still watch TV.  I’m not a big TV person but there are a few shows I like to watch and I can record them and watch them when I get around to it.  I have to police Dorothy; she has filled a DVR before.  She saves everything, even shows she has watched and doesn’t plan to watch again. If it wasn’t for me the house would look like an episode from hoarders and the DVR would be filled….

 

Curt, I had combined billing for IPhone, basic home phone without long distance, Internet DSL 1.5Mbs up, and Dish Everything package (2-TVs).  When I switched to: IPhone, Home Phone with unlimited Long distance, Internet Fiber Optic, and U-Verse everything (3-TVs) I saved $2/month.  The IPhone service didn’t change, but the Internet went from pretty good to my emails having little burn marks on the edges because it uploaded so fast, and my TV’s have wireless boxes on them instead of a RF remote and an IR remote.

 

If your employer has a AT$T account AT&T will give you a discount on your bill and you get another discount for bundling at least 3 services together and if you go paperless you get a green discount..

 

Jeff, I feel your pain, when I moved in here you could get Adelphia cable or put an antenna on your house.  Service was so bad and so expensive I pulled the plug and used rabbit ears and DVD’s for 3 years.  In Texas we shut off cable and watched VHS tapes and used rabbit ears.  We listened to the radio a lot.

[alfadawg01]

howmus

I live about 20 minutes North of Penn Yan (You might be from Upstate4 NY if you measure distance by time...) in Geneva.

I used to have mostly Yamaha and Roland keyboards.  They would be considered stone age now although I still have my old Roland keyboard controller that hooks to a rack mount synth via MIDI.  I really need to get out the axe and get some stuff back in my fingers...

I've been to Geneva a few times....both NY and Switzerland (if the airport counts).

Very nice guitar.  Stone age is good.  Most of my gear (with the exception of the Ion) is early to mid-1990's vintage.  Built like tanks and sound just fine in a live situation. 

[howmus]

Hi Bill,

I live about 20 minutes North of Penn Yan (You might be from Upstate4 NY if you measure distance by time...) in Geneva.

I used to have mostly Yamaha and Roland keyboards.  They would be considered stone age now although I still have my old Roland keyboard controller that hooks to a rack mount synth via MIDI.  I really need to get out the axe and get some stuff back in my fingers...

Spent a small fortune on it (Cordoba) and so far it has mostly just sat in the case...  Somehow being deaf has its drawbacks.

Later!

73

[alfadawg01]

howmus

Bill, I see you are yet another musician in here.  My joke yesterday about Sigurd Raschér was around way back when I was a Student and a friend of his daughter Carina Raschér, also a great Saxophonist.  She was teaching at Eastman during my Freshman year and I had met her at a summer music camp.  She was also a fine guitarist and was the first person whom I sang with using the guitar for accompaniment...  I took up classic guitar soon after graduating and used for classroom singing during my entire career.  So... What keyboard(s) are you using?

Thanks for your interesting reply.  My main 'board is an elderly Ensoniq SD1 synth workstation.  I use it primarily for organs (B-3 and cathedral), strings, cello and neutral analog pads.  I also have an Alesis Ion virtual analog synth that comes to church with me sometimes.  The home studio also includes Roland JV1080 and E-Mu Vintage Keys rack-mount MIDI modules.

Where in the Finger Lakes are you?  I grew up in New Jersey and had relatives in Penn Yan.  I haven't been there for over 30 years and I miss that part of the world very much.

Bill

[chochowillie]

Morning all, sorry so many you are under the weather. Me, well aside from a hip that isn't working real well and diddo for a shoulder, things are good.

Part of the aches & pains are due to the following:

Snow continues over most of Southern Alberta this morning. A trough of low pressure moving northeastward across Southern Saskatchewan will continue to generate snow over most of Southern Alberta today with event totals of 10 to 20 cm expected by this afternoon.

So.... I intend to pretty much stay inside, work on my other computer, and perhaps finish putting in the last of the insulation in the Sun room. Nothing like 6 inches of snow on the ground and a high wind with a 20F temp to get a person going !!!

[howmus]

Mornin'.......

Zoe, need a big mug of coffee to start with...  I'll be looking over the specials to see what else you might bring me while you do that.  Thanks.

"It's another rainy day, just a rainy, rainy day....." Dark, gray, gloomy, cold, and wet around the Finger Lakes today.  And, I have another stye forming on my left eyelid....  Yuck!  One of the cats got sick on the rug last night.  Just love cleaning up hairballs...  So far, not a great day here in the Finger Lakes.

Bill, I see you are yet another musician in here.  My joke yesterday about Sigurd Raschér was around way back when I was a Student and a friend of his daughter Carina Raschér, also a great Saxophonist.  She was teaching at Eastman during my Freshman year and I had met her at a summer music camp.  She was also a fine guitarist and was the first person whom I sang with using the guitar for accompaniment...  I took up classical guitar soon after graduating and used it for classroom singing during my entire career.  So... What keyboard(s) are you using?

John, beautiful dog you have there!

Ken, how do you get a trumpet player to play fff?  Mark his music mp.

Prayer go out to Ulrich, Galaxy, and Barry for the moment... 

Best get doing some of the many items needing to get done around here.

Later!

73

[chochowillie]

AHHH, what a sweet doggy John !!!!

[LSWrr]

Jeff, it’s not bad, internet is nice and fast, the TV box came with a free DVR that will record 4 TV shows at once and you can still watch TV. I’m not a big TV person but there are a few shows I like to watch and I can record them and watch them when I get around to it. I have to police Dorothy; she has filled a DVR before. She saves everything, even shows she has watched and doesn’t plan to watch again. If it wasn’t for me the house would look like an episode from hoarders and the DVR would be filled…. Curt, I had combined billing for IPhone, basic home phone without long distance, Internet DSL 1.5Mbs up, and Dish Everything package (2-TVs). When I switched to: IPhone, Home Phone with unlimited Long distance, Internet Fiber Optic, and U-Verse everything (3-TVs) I saved $2/month. The IPhone service didn’t change, but the Internet went from pretty good to my emails having little burn marks on the edges because it uploaded so fast, and my TV’s have wireless boxes on them instead of a RF remote and an IR remote. If your employer has a AT$T account AT&T will give you a discount on your bill and you get another discount for bundling at least 3 services together and if you go paperless you get a green discount.. Jeff, I feel your pain, when I moved in here you could get Adelphia cable or put an antenna on your house. Service was so bad and so expensive I pulled the plug and used rabbit ears and DVD’s for 3 years. We listened to the radio a lot….

[alfadawg01]

Good morning, all.  Ham and cheese omelet, toast and coffee sound real good right about now.  Rain and 65 degrees here, supposed to hit 83 this afternoon....in October?  Cardinals finished the season last night by rolling over and playing dead. 

Good day at work yesterday.  Made the weekly run to DeSoto, MO, to do FCC tests on our sister radio station located there and, on my return, got to record a "one-liner" for use in a promotion spot on the air.  Radio is fun!

However, that job is only part-time, so it's back to job hunting today.  Got a nibble on something on Sunday that I have to pursue today.  There's a house project brewing that will need some attention and some synthesizer programming to do for next Sunday in the worship band.

I'd better go be productive.  Carry on.

Bill

[Burlington Northern #24]

good morning everybody, I hope those who have fallen ill will recover quickly and back into "mainline service" again.

[Curt Webb]

Morning All,

I go back to w**k in a little bit so I will talk to you again on Friday.

Sakel- Hope your family is OK.

Barry- Best wishes at the Doc.

Ulrich- Saying prayers for you.

John- Lara is a nice looking dog.

Lee- I may check out U-Verse. I have Dish now.

Hope everyone has a good week and prayers for those in need.

[TMarsh]

Good Morning!!!

If a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman around to hear him…., is he still wrong?

The weather is there. Or here. There is no sun, but yet there is. It’s wet but not raining. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t

Looks like bleach it will be. Usually a good rinsing or if that doesn’t work, cleaner, does the trick. Not this time.

 Paul- Glad the wife’s better.

Jeffrey- I’m wanting to say glad your Mother is home, but you have yet to say if she should be home. Maybe it’s too soon to tell?

Heard my wife talking in the bedroom last night before going to sleep. She said, “Dear Lord, I pray for the wisdom to understand my husband, the love to forgive him and the patience for his actions. Because, Lord, if I pray for strength…, I’ll just beat him to death.”

Gotta Go!!!!

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!!

[blownout cylinder]

JohnReid

Bonjour y'all ! I'll have a coffee,no sugar and my furry co-pilot Lara would appreciate a nice cold bowl of water.Thanks!

AAAWWWWWW ...she's a cutie!!

Well, as for this one, I've deposited a comment on that other thread..let us see what some make of it....

[jeffrey-wimberly]

LSWrr

I switched to U-Verse; unlimited home phone long distance, 15 Mbs internet down 1.5 Mbs up,  and it was 2 dollars cheaper a month.

That sounds pretty good. Don't have anything like that here. There's Suddenlink cable, Dish Network and Direct TV. So basically we have one that has high rates and few channels, ones a joke and the other is have it our way or no way. Take your pick.