Jeffrey's Trackside Diner - February 2016

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners

 Flo, Beer's, wheel over a keg please and a straw.

 I know you folks are tired of my about the idiots I work with, but Jerry is driving me nuts! I am about ready to but a bug in Nancy ear about bring back Drunk Dave!

 Ulrich tell Petra from my family as well. Sue is this coming Monday 2-15 and she would kill me if I posted her age. Mine is 2-24-1956 and I will be 60. She is 5 years older than me, but I did not say it!

 

yougottawanta

Cuda - Can you get me some info on the coal cars I would be interested.

 YGW Remind me here at the dinner this coming Thursday morning or call my home number. I think they are Browers (Spell check) and are in green boxes.

 Well Jerry sucked the life out of me.

 Later Ken

 

[der5997]

Good Late but still chilly Afternoon Diners!

Train Front: Got one of the door sections completed. With the poor quality of the wood available (see rant below), almost nothing fit exactly, so it was a matter of forcing things square and using longer screws than I had planned. (Small Rant: It seems the hardware stores get supplied with second grade lumber as a matter of course – and it’s “kiln dried” aka still moist and will warp if you so much as look at it. I think that all our decent lumber is shipped south – especially as our $ is doing a nose dive thanks to the price of oil doing the same. So, like the famed Canadian Back Bacon – if you want it, you have to go south to get it.  sorry about that!)

 

YGW:

try composting one of the local city inspectors

– couldn’t really concentrate on what you were saying after that! 

Der - Trying to understand the drill and driver photo ? How does that thing work ?

The blue ring is a retainer. Pull it down (towards the operator) and that clears the “unused” portion to be able to swivel up to be used, once the retainer ring has been slid back in place. So, with the drill bit in the “use” position, drill an easement hole for the screw. Release retainer ring, swing up the driver to “use” position. Replace the retainer ring and drive that screw. Repeat. This saves a great deal of messing about with exchanging  drill bits and drivers in the chuck. Since it’s long, it won’t  w*rk for tight spaces, but on jobs where there is room to maneuver, it’s a real help – as I discovered today. Of course, if one doesn't mind screws splitting the wood when they are driven home, don't bother with this at all.

Why do you have a phone number for a tag ?

  It’s a number I remember – as it was our home number in the 1950s – and looks sort of railroady.

[blownout cylinder]

Petra!!

Good Afternoon.

Well, got another 16" down with about 6-8" more coming...

I have actually started ballasting the Anson spur line...but only in a few spots. Grass and other things will be hiding crooked tracks otherwise...

Anyhow...having a nice day cuddled up in the house with the fireplace going and Lucy with her belly facing the warmth ... and me reading a few MRR magazines here

Have a good afternoon!!

[galaxy]

well, it is -4f ambient at the airport and -27 windchill. Laater will go out bravely to start teh vehicles to be sure they will start tomorrow morning after teh cold.

Checked on my father and FIl, they say "check on your elderly"..so I did. Everyhting fine, they are warm adn for now anyway their respective furnaces are working, probably running 50 minutes out of each 60!

I got one of the bath cabinets doen, and the other one cna jsut wait. Maybe should have spent the extr $50 per cabintet to get premade,but nah, I saved it. MAYbe later get some 12'x30' wall cabintets form Lowes to match the kithcen pantry cabinets. They are about $70 each, lookign for aobut 3. I got 2 of the $30 put together one,s and probably get a third. Tehy will stack on top each other next to the sink. That is all I got done besides dishes and eating, THe steroids sure give me appetite!

The lithium Ion battery is chargign...should be done I guess now. let me checek:

Yup.

FOund my lost hammer in the bag with the charger. I bought a new cheapy to substitue, so now have only  about 5 hammers around, but do you think I can find one when I need it???? NO.

Well, I tooka  nap earlier,but I think another one is in order.

Well, I AM tired you know.

29th to Petra! {who said "58"????} Ulrich: the boy Might very well be busy, you know how young folks are,besides he has totrain ride ti to you rihgt? so he has travel tiem too. Let it go and don't stress over it, it will cause anoteher heart attack. de-stress!

nap time, beddypoos is caling my name nad my back agrees!

 

[LOCO_GUY]

Flo, let me have a coffee and a glazed donut please.

YGW,

Yes my stuff is pennsy - 2 T1's, 1 F7A, 1 GG1 all PRR (the GG1 and F7A are tuscan red with the five stripes) all are DCC/Sound. Passenger cars are all Bachmann Spectrum heavyweights PRR pre/post war.

Gubbins means "bits and pieces of stuff or Gadgets". It's an English term.

  

[yougottawanta]

Hey all. Sorry I didnt respond yesterday. At w**k the area senior inspector requested that my site host a bunch of newby county inspectors to walk our houses to get some hands on inspection. So I agreed and hosted that event. Then still dealing with that STUPID HOME inspectors report - what an idiot ! That moron has caused me to waste about 8 hours of precious time. I tell you how stupid he is ...One of the fireplaces has a slate surround, there are ripples in the slate from whatever process God put it through when he made the slate. SOOOO this idiot inspectors states IN WRITING that the gas fireplace has gotten so hot that it caused the slate to "ripple" NO KIDDING he actually said this and put it in writing with a PICTURE pointing to the God made ripples and this was part of his report - AND HE GOT PAID $800 FOR THIS - UNBELIEVABLE !

Howmus Oh excuse me I didnt see you making for the heat. Let me move over make way. Did you know down here in Va it is supposed to be colder than it is up there with all you yankee people are today ! 

Mr B. Wow that would never have thought to bring batteries in. I thought folks up north have special plug sytems they have that can warm the engine so it starts in cold weather ?

V8 - Yea! Nachos where is your church ?

CN Charlie - I do not get the whole shoe thing either. But MOH doesnt get the locomative thing either. BUT I give her gift certificates to shoe stores ( she is thrilled by that! ) she buys me train stuff - it works !!!

Ulrich - Happy birthday to Petra sorry about the son thing.

John - Do you compost any of the vegetables left over from food prep or dinner ? Egg shells are supposed to be packed with minerals ...

Henry - try composting one of the local city inspectors has this amazing garden. You would be amazed at teh qaulity of his vegetables just from composting !!

Galaxy - LOL all we all need is a little money !

Loco - What is Gubbins ?Are you modeling Pennsy ?

Cuda - Can you get me some info on the coal cars I would be interested.

Jim - You would not believe how bad it is, the Goverenment has gone nuts !! this is one of the reason after having to deal with local, state and federal gov. I am ABSOLUETLY opposed to just about anything run by gov.

Johnboy - Has anyone eaten that whole sandwich ? I am still amzed at the size of it. In a town not to far from here they had a steak place with a steak SO BIG that if you were able to eat it at one sitting you got it FREE - Not many people won the free steak !

Der - Trying to understand the drill and driver photo ? How does that thing work ? Why do you have a phone number for a tag ?

Garry, UP831, Lion ( roar ) Angel - Hello guys hope your weekend is good.

Been a busy day here. Had an electrician, plumber and an HVAC guy in the house today. Roughing in the bsmt bath, adding a supply line for a future humidifier, installing UC lights, pendent lights in the kithcen and running a new dryer vent...phew . Gotta get back to remodeling.

TTYL

YGW

 

[MisterBeasley]

We're at 19-feels-like-2 right now.  I will need a hat and gloves to go to the gym later on.  I'm still debating whether or not to go out and listen to music tonight.

Many years ago, I remember going skiing in Maine when it was 40 below at night.  The innkeeper told us to take the batteries out of our cars and bring them inside for the night.  Most scoffed at the idea, but I took his advice and my British MGB was the only car in the lot that would start.  So, there I was driving around and jump-starting all the big pickup trucks.

[CNCharlie]

Good Morning,

It's chilly here too with a windchill of -36C. There is a cold warning issued by the weather office for today which means the potential of -40 windchill. I was just outside with Robbie and it didn' t seem that bad to me. Mind you our yard is quite protected from the wind with a lot of trees. The chickadees and nuthatches were very busy at the feeders. We may or may not go out today but it is supposed to snow tonight so I'd rather go with clear roads and sunshine even if it is cold. The car does warm up nicely and the seats are heated so today might be the day.

Well I finally got that Kato PA working so the next step is to hook it up with the other unit for a consist to pull the 3 passsenger cars I have for them. These locos are in the D&H scheme which I think is one of the most attractive ever put on a loco. I also think that the PAs were amoung the best looking diesels.  

As far as shoes go I am with most guys as I have at most 5 pairs plus a couple of new in box pairs I bought on sale. It is hard to find my size so I buy them when I can. No it isn't because they are large it is the opposite as size 7 are now hard to find. My wife won't tell me how many pairs she has but it is well over 30. I think 75 might be closer to the right number. Many she hasn't worn for years so I suppose she is a sort of collector. 

Well time to get going here. I have to change the water in the heated birdbath and check the feeders. Those Redpoles are eating a lot in this weather. 

Jerry Moon, congrats on getting the Airedale. There is nothing like a terrier! We have had West Highlands for over 30 years. 

CN Charlie

 

[der5997]

Good Chilly Afternoon Diners!

Train Front: Caught sight of a head and tail consist of Cape Breton and Central Nova locos (couldn’t identify but probably GP 38s of some kind) on the overpass in New Glasgow – not a heavily travelled line, so I was pleased. Layout didn’t get progressed as I had hoped – well, there is today…

Chris: I agree with you – your Yorkshire Puddings look more like the ones I’d prefer – I just grabbed the most convenient photo on the Google search. However, while the fat has to be very hot, I’d be looking for the beef dripping pan to supply it.

I invested so much in this track in my DC days I just couldn't let it go. 

– which is exactly why I’ve remained in N for this next layout rather than going back to HO to aid my failing eyes and fingers!  Layout looks grand, BTY, no need for apologies. “Gubbins” – haven’t heard that in years! 

Its a challenge - that's what I think MR is all about. I know that what keeps me interested in my MR layout. No relaxation, nothing works as it should, track gets dirty, lighted coaches mysteriously go out, loco's die for no reason - I am sure you are all aware of this

Solving problems – some do Sudoku, my wife mahjong on her computer , me? Mrr

 

JaBear:  That lamb looks wonderful! No surprise really as you folks should be somewhat proficient!

Yorkshire Puddings with gravy as the main course, and with jam as dessert.

I understand from my time in the North East of England that the original idea of YPs was to fill up the “working man” with something other than the expensive and hard to obtain meat. The time-frame would considerably pre-date wartime rationing.

Hot English Mustard

– you wouldn’t believe the insipid muck which is passed as mustard here!  NZ was where we were headed before the best man at our wedding (see earlier reference to Newcastle Brown Ale) emigrated to Canada and made his first contact with us as a postcard reading “You’ve got to come, I’ve got you a job!” The rest, as they say, is history…had we known about the scarcity of decent mustard….

BTW, any thoughts on your new flag?  I understand March 16 is the submissions deadline. Canada changed its flag in 1965 (I think) choosing a very simple but effective heraldic device. 

Of the choices we’ve seen for yours, my wife and I both like the look of 

 

Ray:

Bear, I'll have to try that recipe for mint sauce.  I have a large clump growing right at the corner of my house at the end of my main driveway.  Have to get some lamb chops this Spring... I do love leg of lamb but the rest of the family doesn't. 

When you make it Ray, be sure to use Malt Vinegar, not he insipid white. 

(by Barry) Ray: love how the scenery is coming along.  

The one patch of finished scenery which I had on my A&W layout was where a trestle was going to be – it stayed the only finished piece for some considerable time while the rest of the layout grew around it!

 

 

MisterBeasley : Thanks for the Grass Tech info. It’s a thought indeed – but then in N Scale? Maybe for pastures… I agree aboutt he mixing of colours for ground cover.

Barry:

I'll have a bowl of Pumpkin soup

  with ginger, yes?

 

Galaxy:

if anyone reads it it, I will be surprised.

  Having “camped” around moving boxes, can relate!  Let us know how the glass door wars resolve.  Hope the meds regimen is effective. Train nut’s wife isn’t making the grieving choices many might see as wise. The ring sounds like a much better idea.

 

Ulrich:

It´s Petra´s birthday today!

Please give her our very best wishes. 

 

 

Henry:

(by OzJohn) Yup probably the sandy soil say's the dreaded black thumb gardener at who's passing plants shake in shear terror. All the good gardening TV shows say add lots of organic matter to sandy soils to improve them. I always thought the idea of growing ye olde fruit's and vegies was to get real food a sort of quality over quantity thing.Rather than the plastic packaged manipulated stuff from the super market and thats the suposedly fresh stuff.

  We have a sheep farmer friend from whom we got a load of manure last year – made the world of difference in our clay/stones mix. But we know that it will take several years of this to bring the soil up to snuff.

Lunch time, so I’ll have some whole wheat toast to accompany Barry’s Pumpkin Soup. A mug of hot Bovril should go well with that.

 

 

 

[BroadwayLion]

Is -7 in Richardton. A bit o wind, Lion not go outside to see it. Sometimes we grill steaks outside in this weather. Or rather, we send our cook outside to grill the steaks. I mean, once in a wild, steaks *are* required, thought the LION would rather go to the Longhorn in Bismarck and get a good steak.

ROAR

[howmus]

(Comes in, slams door shut due to the wind, stomps the sn*w off his boots, and hangs up the 3 layers of outerwear.  Heads directly to the stove in the back of the diner....)

Mornin'!  Cold out there!  Winter has arrived in the Finger Lakes Region of NYS.  Zoe, I'll have a double heaping hot bowl of of oatmeal w/ brown suger and a large pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast Coffee for my R&GV RR Mug please.  Can we turn up the stove, my dear?

Currently -1°F outside with a wind chill of -22°F with a steady 25mph wind.  Got a bit of "white stuff" last night but it is busy blowing around rather than sitting on the ground.  That could make my trip to Canandaigua today, ah, interesting....  salt trucks have been out and when it is this cold they add some chemical (fracking compound?) to the salt to get it to work on the roads.  I will be putting a blanket in the PiP just in case.  The ICE will fire up by the time I get to the end of my 80' driveway.

I will have to go to the store sometime today as I have not gotten Valenines Day cards for the Granddaughters.  Should have time get more done in the Train room as well (I hope).

 Galaxy, glad to hear the new treatment seems to be helping.  Keeping you in my prayers...

Happy Birthday PETRA!!!

Best get moving!

73

[John Busby]

Hi BigDaddy

Yup probably the sandy soil say's the dreaded black thumb gardener at who's passing plants shake in shear terror.

All the good gardening TV shows say add lots of organic matter to sandy soils to improve them.

I always thought the idea of growing ye olde fruit's and vegies was to get real food a sort of quality over quantity thing.

Rather than the plastic packaged manipulated stuff from the super market and thats the suposedly fresh stuff.

Any way time for a flat white I think.

regards John

[MisterBeasley]

I'm sure the wife has more than 30 pairs of shoes of her own.  They're everywhere.  Mud room, basement, living room by the door, living room by the stairs, laundry room and bathroom.  I've got a pair of black loafers, a pair of brown loafers, a pair of "running" shoes and a pair of boots for bad weather.

It's very cold here, 20 and feels like 7.  Tonight and tomorrow night we'll have sub-zero real temperatures.  That will be the real test of last summer's plumbing work, when we had the pipes to the kitchen sink re-routed to get them away from that cold north wall where they were always freezing.

Ray, I've become a "sound man" too.  I noticed while listening to some of our local groups in bars that the sound was not always well-balanced, and often a vocalist could not be heard.  So, I suggested changes to their levels.  They appreciate this, and now I make it a practice to "walk the floor" at the start of the first set.  I never touch their equipment.

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon!

It´s Petra´s birthday today! The gal turned 29 (times 2 ) but hasn´t changed much in those 32 years we are married. Still keeps her weight of 123.5 lbs. at 5´6"!

I took her out for lunch/dinner in our favorite Chinese restaurant, where we enjoyed a real good meal! As we can´t afford to go out, it was a real treat!

Our son was supposed to come and see us, but he called in last night and cancelled his visit, leaving one sad mother and a rather gruff dad. He is too busy to see his mom on her birthday??? On a weekend??? Whatever I may say now can be used as evidence against me

We´ll be enjoying his share of the cheese cake Petra made especially for him!

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Dull, snowsqualls, winds and bitter ccold out there. Sitting at -6F right now going for a high of....tadaa!!...0F. Windchills of around -16 to -22F expected.

So, no going out anywhere today. I got lots of traintime this weekend, hah!!! Oh, provided a honey do does not show up.

Chloe, I'll just have a coffee for now, please...I'll be at the RC catching up on some readinig here.

[BigDaddy]

My dad was in the clothing business and I have a lot of clothes by anyone's standards other than Oprah, but I never had 30 pair of shoes.  These days I am down to sneakers, hiking boots, two pair of dress shoes and hunting boots.

For heirloom seeds check out Tomato Bob  https://www.tomatobob.co/

  My gardening skill have diminished or its the crappy sandy soil we have but I never got very much quantity out of the heirloom tomatos.  The Green Zebras are dynamite though.

Got a new battery for my old B&D cordless screwdriver from Amazon, the only place that had one.  It is 0.01" bigger in several dimensions, but works fine in the screwdriver.  The charger is a separate piece and the charging lights won't come on with it. hrmph. 

Sunny 23° wind 18 mph, no outside airbrush for me today.  The 3 month old grand daughter is being dropped off for a few hours, so nothing is going to get done today.  I did get the legs attached to my first piece of benchwork last night and I came up with a track plan that isn't terrible, but that could change when I look at it again.

[galaxy]

GM, MEN!

still contemplating life as I know it.

The antibiotics and steroids seem to be working, and the acidophilus helps the run-through-you syndrome.

The problem is, whne the antibiotics run out nad the steroids runout, will I be healed or NOT?

The trian nuts wifey is going to tattoo herself with CHristian's name and bday and the symbol for suicide on her forearm. I comprehend, but I think is excessive. We are thinking of gettting them boht a "mother's family" ring with Christian and RIP 2016 engraved insde it for each of them. At least taht they cna take off if it is offensive to anyone, like WORK. I am afraid she will have to cover it up, OR someone will continually ask her about it, and will conjur up bad memories of finding him hanging there. She went back to work this week, but found it exhausting.TN friedn will seem to be coping well with the death.

Well, I am pleased that it was just a spot on hte Xray. TG. 

I have found most of the LR in the house, got teh boxes in the middle of the LR cleared out, and the hangings MAY go on the walls today. I got the two new shoe racks put togthere, it is  a cubby hole affair, wiht a cubby for up to 15 shoes/pairs in each unit, though a pair doesn't really fit in one cubby. so we have space for 30 shoes/pairs, sounds excessive,b ut we seem to have accumulated so many pairs of shoes! They stack with pegs for the locking in thing. Above the cubbes, there will be three of those stretchable wooden peg hook racks to hang hats/caps on. I had that by the door in the trailer,and works well! Gotta find htem,and then drill the pilot holes nad hang those too. AFTER i find hte charger for the Ryobi drill/driver! The Lithium Ion battery finally ran down on it. Lasted a looooong time, boht unused nad while in use. The disny cells nad pin art works, may also get hung todya if I feel like it. There is about 8 boxes of bookcase stuff OT unack too and that is all the boxes in the LR. The helpers who moved us tipped the bookcase ont eh side BAD MOVE  i told htem, as the lawyer type glass doors for each shelf fell out. The problem is they go IN WHILE you ASSEMBLE the sides to the top/bottom, so either the whole thing need to come apart or with help If I am lucky I can unscrew/rescrew the "holders' of the doors back on/in so it will be together again. THEN the LR swill be finished! SO aobut 1/2 doen, but now we cna walk aroudn the LR and not odge boxes all over!

Then there is the 'puter room, and the kitchen to roganize. WHew! still SO much to do.

We are contemplating a slidnign glass door for the bonus {formerly the 3 season room, now 4 season as the 8 foot electic heat run actually keeps it toasty in htere} to go to the back yard. ANd to replace the triple track storm windows wiht real double pane windows. The afternoon sun really wanrms it up too,s o we can get some tropical plats like the palms i wnat to get. but for now, it will remain a half shed stuff and half room. We will also capet it eventually. so Still LOTs to do for thehosue, then we will have an open house! Gifts of cash only please, we have enough chatskies {?}.

Then there is getting a shed out back and the garden started, but that may wiat til next growing season. I will build up a raised bed wiht cedar sides, 2 2x10s on top each edges, nad put a 2x10 cedar "seat' for a border,about 4x 8 or 4x10 spaces aobut 3 side by side. I cna plant some tomato, yellow& spaghetti squashes, some zucchini, eggplant, some herbs {HERbs or ERbs depending on your pronouncing}, try some sweet corn {maybe three sisters}, some oh i don't know what all i got,  Trying to find all organic heirloom type veggies for all growing, but hard to find. But alas htat will have to wiat til next year I think. there is a small raised bed plastic planters aobut 4xr4' but it is smack dab in the middle of where the slider doors will go, assuming the carpenter can find a 6'6" door height or was it 5'6" ?/i t is  alower roof. the carpenter wants to raise the roof, but that is $$$$ amd may be int eh cards later, we could raise ti tothe height of the garage, both have fairly flat roofs. well the garage is flat, the porch room is slight angle with rubber roof membrane on it.

whew, now all we need is $$$.

well, iahve rambeld enough, if anyone reads it it, I will be surprised.

alter

Make it a great day!

[cudaken]

 Evening Dinners

 Flo,a Warm Please, it is cold in the Train Room / Garage Tonight.

 Work Front Sort of boring today, was not busy and not slow. Wost news I got today was with it being a Hoilday Monday I am stuck with Jerry 3 days in a row!

 

MisterBeasley

Galaxy, this may sound weird, particularly coming from a Vulcan like me, but have you tried "alternative" medications?

 Galaxy that is something to think about. While I am not a die hard beliver I do think there is some merit. Jerry belives in it, and I swear he is so dumb that is the only reason his heat is still beating! OK, that was was a joke but I have seen some proof it works.

 

[blownout cylinder]

Ray: We still have the fireplace but it is a little bigger now.  River rock/ fieldstone with a solid oak mantle. A friend of Audrey's family put it together for us over last summer.

Anyhoo...getting a little sleepy here so I better go home to ...g'night.

[howmus]

Evenin' folks!

I need a large mug of very hot decaf please Janie!

Currently 19°F and going down to 4° overnight.  That will be the high for Saturday and Saturday's low will be -3°F.  Winter has finally arrived!  Looking at a couple inches of white stuff on the ground by tomorrow morning.  Since I have to drive to Canandaigua to feed and take care of her kitties tomorrow, I may get to see how the new tires handle on snow and icy slush.  At the low temps salt doesn't really do much except make the roads icy....

V8Vega

Howmus I hope you weren't doing that 45 MPH driving in southern Calif.

Not hardly!!!  I take the back route on a country road from Canandaigua to Geneva.  Depending on the time of day there may be a lot of traffic, or almost nothing.  I try to time my trips to feed the cats during those times without much traffic.  If it gets busy, I don't slow down the traffic...  Heck the PiP can do 112mph if needed (limited by the computer) LOL

 Barry, right about now, I miss the wood stove.....  Good couple of day to hunker down here and work on the railroad I think!

 Galaxy, sure hope the new meds clear things up for you, and so glad the spot was just a spot on the film and not something bad in you!

 Henry, Thank you sir!

Basically got my taxes done today.  Decided to do that rather than play in the train rooms.  I did get another coat of plaster wash on the new plaster cloth for the other side of the track.  This is the first year in 25 years or so I won't be getting a refund back.  In fact I owe $1...  That's what it says...  My medical costs were way down from last year...  I will be going back over the figures to see if I missed anything, but.

Went over to the fieldhouse to walk this morning...  You know I really do enjoy the... ah... Scenery.  Yep the scenery, that's a good word for it.  One very attractive red head was stretching and doing some exercizes as I started to walk.  I caught her eye and she did a double take and realized who I was.  She was one of my students back about 18 years ago and I am good friends with her family.  I used to do live sound for her dad with his band at times.  I walked over and got a hug from her!   There are a whole bunch of other retired teachers that walk over there so I have some good company.  Today I did....  1 whole mile!  Well it's a start.  I will work up to doing 2 miles 3 or 4 times a week.  And then get the time down a bit.  I am feeling better already!

Have a great night.  Prayers going out for those in need!

73

[blownout cylinder]

Good Evening

Well, everything that needed done is now done and I am busheded. So now that I done my bit I can enjoy the next couple of days working around my trainroom.

Tonight though I am currently cuddling Lucy and being headbunted by her..

Since we are getting socked in tonight with those ol' snowsqualls I'll have a bowl of Pumpkin soup and a coffee please...I'll be at the fireplace warming up.

[BigDaddy]

Flo coffee, extra hot. I'm frozen.  29 degrees F, the wind finally stopped and I got outside to try Tru Scale paint for the first time.  I checked out an old thread, and all kinds of people who never used it and knew nothing about, were quite opinionated on how it should be mixed and thinned. 

So much for the wisdom of the Internet.  I was weathering and I did not thin it and it worked OK, but quantity of paint was less than I would have wanted it I was painting a car body.

Galaxy, good news about the spot

Ray nice stonework.

 

[blownout cylinder]

Good Afternoon.

Just got back home from driving around--and I mean around--the city. Two items are now set up on a "weird and bizarre quest" list. The both of us decided that I was not going out there tomorrow or Sunday/Monday because it is going to be bone-crackingly cccold out there!!

Got a few more gotta do's before I am done for the day so I better get at them.

Have a good afternoon!!

[galaxy]

well

I saw the pulmonologist. 

First the spot on the Xray is anything but just a spot on an Xray. Nothing serious according ot  the CT scan. SO in the clear there. 

He started on me on SPiriva inhaler and restarted another antibiotic and steroids again. He siad if I don;t show improvement in aobut 3 days, back to the ER I go to be readmitted.

so thtat is where things stand.

Train nut seems to be coping with Cristians death, but wifey is not so coping, though she is back to work. Mnay gave them donaations to help with bills. 

ANd so, once agian, we will see what we will see.....

[MisterBeasley]

Galaxy, this may sound weird, particularly coming from a Vulcan like me, but have you tried "alternative" medications?

I treat pretty much anything with Benadryl or Delsym cough medicine, but these don't work at all for my wife.  She got something from her acupuncturist a few weeks back and she swears by it.  I'll have to admit that it worked for her.

The medical establishment is not really getting to the root of your problem, sad to say, and perhaps you should explore another option.

[MisterBeasley]

This is a Grass Tech static grass applicator.

The bowl is about 3 inches across.  The handle holds 2 D-cell batteries, which generate a static charge.  I've been using this for 3 or 4 years now, and I'm stil on the original batteries.  First, you paint the surface and let that dry.  I brush on dilute white glue just before adding the grass.  You have to put a pin or something metallic into the surface to get the "opposite charge" thing, and then you clip the wire from the applicator to the pin.  You put the static grass in the bowl and shake it over the prepared surface.  The charge holds the "grass" upright.

I like to mix multiple colors of static grass to get a more natural effect.

[howmus]

Mornin' everyone!  (And a great afternoon to you Ulrich!)

Zoe, I'll have a short stack of buckwheat pancakes with real NYS Maple Syrup and a pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast Coffee to keep my R&GV RR Museum Mug full and warm for a while.

Today is cold and will be getting much colder by nightfall...  Currently 21°F outside (feels like 7°) under partly cloudy skies.  Tonight will get down to 4°F and the high on Saturday will be 3°F  with wind chills down to -35°F or more below 0!  Camping Weather!!!  Yes!  I actually have been camping in a tent out in the middle of a frozen lake in Cuba, NY with a wind chill that hit -70F a couple times overnight.  I survived to tell about it....  Only had two Scouts and one other leader on that campout (all the others said Mommy wouldn't let them go!) and I can tell you inside the canvas tent in a double sleeping bag you could get warm.  It is amazing how long ytou can wait to have to visit the little building up on the shore when it is that cold out!!!

 CNCharlie, thanks!  It gets to be a game with a lot of EV and PHEV owners to see just how much efficiency we can get on the cars and I just like to see what I can get from the things I do. One of my hobbies, I guess. My best trip from my sister's house to my house was 310mpg!  That was the day everything was perfect to get that.  No traffic (I could get away with driving 45mph), temperature in the 70's (low wind resistance), and was able to switch from HV to EV mode in all the right places.  I drive with traffic and try to be a carefull but courteous driver at all times, so getting milage like that is a rarety.  I do use several hypermiling practices and have done that for years with all my vehicles (I had a lifetime average of 38mpg on my Yaris.).  When I bought the PiP, the salesman (an older gent), rolled his eyes, waved his hand at me and told me all that does is send all the polution down the road to the coal fired electric plant (now closed, BTW)!  I replied that I intended to get most of the power off the roof of my house!  His jaw dropped and his attitude changed.  Here in the Finger Lakes Region at the moment less than 9% of our electric comes from coal and a little over half is from Hydro, wind, and a little bit of solar (the rest is natural gas, and biomass).  70% of my electric comes from the roof of my house....  I best shut up before Vinnie comes over. 

 Bear, I'll have to try that recipe for mint sauce.  I have a large clump growing right at the corner of my house at the end of my main driveway.  Have to get some lamb chops this Spring... I do love leg of lamb but the rest of the family doesn't.  Usually have that at the expensive hotel restaurant my sister insists we go to on Easter.  Then an hour later we have another huge meal done my my son's MIL at his house.  Then we have sandwiches and leftovers a couple hours after that.  Gotten so I don't look forward to all the nonsense (mostly from my sister) on Easter.

Best get moving!  Want to get my walk in this morning!  Later...

73

[blownout cylinder]

Good Morning

Another dul dull day for our viewing pleasure this fine morning. Currently sitting at 9F going to a high of 20F later on.

A Honey-do list showed up just as I sat down here...and I see some gotta buys are on the list. Oh, and some of them are clear across town as well from each other...oh joy. Well, it appears my traintime will be very short....le sigh.

Chloe, I'll just have a coffee for now, I'll be at the corner booth to do some moping...le sigh.

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon!

It´s past lunchtime, so all I´ll be having is a mug-load of coffee, served in my Furka-Oberalpbahn (FO) mug and a slice of that deliciously looking cherry crumble pie, please!

Today, I´ll be enjoying just running a train (or two) - no w*rk on the scenery. It´s Petra´s birthday tomorrow and I´d like to keep her happy by not making a mess of this place today.

Bear - my only encounter with mint sauce dates back about 25 years. It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences and I don´t really miss not having another opportunity to taste it.

Winter has come back for a spell. No sn*w, though, but temperatures below zero and icy fog - highly unpleasant!

Galaxy - you should be on meds expelling whatever is congesting your lung. Oh, btw, I am not agreeing to your last statement - life is what you make of it!

 

["JaBear"]

Gidday Chris, The traditional roast here is the leg roast, though the fore quarter or shoulder can also be used.

It rather depends on what you call “Proper” mint sauce. The recipe I use which I got from my grandmother is the one from the Edmonds Cookbook, a New Zealand icon which was first published in 1908 and is still in print, much revised, today.

The recipe is this: Put into a jug 3 or 4 tablespoons of finely-chopped mint; cover with boiling water. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and about ½ cup of vinegar. Add salt to taste.

The mint I use is originally from a cutting I took 30 years ago from the house paddock on my Grandfathers and Grandmothers farm.

As far as Yorkshire Puds of course now-a-days they’re an essential to go with roast beef, gravy and Hot English Mustard. However my Dad talks of being a young teenager in England just at the end of WW2 while rationing was still on and having Yorkshire Puddings with gravy as the main course, and with jam as dessert.

Thoughts and Best Wishes to All that need them.

Cheers, the Bear.