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!
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.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
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
(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
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
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
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I invested so much in this track in my DC days I just couldn't let it go.
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
Yorkshire Puddings with gravy as the main course, and with jam as dessert.
Hot English Mustard
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.
(by Barry) Ray: love how the scenery is coming along.
I'll have a bowl of Pumpkin soup
if anyone reads it it, I will be surprised.
It´s Petra´s birthday today!
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.
(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.
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.
"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.
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
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.
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
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.
Chris.
Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.
Sit back and enjoy your track...
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!
-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.
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!!
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/
try composting one of the local city inspectors
Der - Trying to understand the drill and driver photo ? How does that thing work ?
Why do you have a phone number for a tag ?
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!
yougottawantaCuda - 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
I hate Rust
YGW- The name is BOWSER . Good quality, roll nicely, stay on the rails.
Phil
Good Evening
Had a pretty productive low-key kind of day here. With Valentine's day being a bitter ccold day tomorrow Audrey and I decided that we will do our Valentine's on Tuesday...so that way we can go out to the special little restaurant and enjoy the day then. Oh, and another 10" got dumped on us...neighbour plowed our driveway out.
So, with that I think I will be heading off to ...g'night!
yougottawantaMr 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 ?
That's kind of an extreme thing.
But, in my younger days I did some radar work in Thule, Greenland. It was a requirement to plug cars in from September through April. If you didn't, the car might not start until the next morning. And the next morning was several months away.
[quote user="YGW"
yougottawanta
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
Good Morning!
Did not sleep well last night, but that´s nothing new. I woke up early, only to find the world around me having received a dusting of some funny white stuff over the night. Looks like WS snow powder to me!
As it is Sunday, I´ll go for my big Sunday breakfast, with gallons of coffee to keep my eyes open. An IV bag would come in handy, Janie.
I am still mad at my son. He lives 80 mile away from us and is now down to seeing us not more than 2 times a year? We cannot go to see him, as his GF is allergic to us - well, not us as people, but any scent our cloths may have from any regular detergent, any deodorant we might use, whatever. I am sick and tired of this situation, but Petra is way too forgiving.
Even when my parents lived over 500 miles away from my place I managed to go there minimum 4 times a year!
Ken - so you are a little less than half a year older than I am...
I´ll be staying in that corner booth, watching the switcher switch or is ist the shunter shunt? Never mind, I ´ll be just staring out of the window, maintaining my bad mood!
Brunhilda, I just need some tea and toast please - it's getting late. Okay, maybe a beer if that's okay.
So my wife and I are off to Disneyworld (again) to Ride the Steam Train and buy a lot of Disney STUFF we don't need.
However I was amazed (as a Brit) at the water towers around the Disney Theme parks that I had to add one to my layout.
P.S. It took me about 26 years to create this MR water tower but well worth the wait.
Take care everyone.
Hi guysAnother hot one for us.
So I think a chocolate milk shake with malt and ice cream in a propper milk shake glass.
All right who's got the yorkshire pud I can smell it from here.
If its the main course variety I might grab some with a nice onion gravy please
Train guy
Only 26 years for a water tower well they say quality takes time
No point going to Disney world and not doing it properly and coming back with a load of stuff you don't want or need.
Got to go and give a friend a valantine white panda so better go before I am in trouble for not handing over the panda on the right day.
WEll, It is -17 F Ambient temp and -34 Windchill here where I am! It MUST be colder for Bro Elias and our Canadian Friends!!
Cuppa Boston's BEst Vanilla Hazelnut coffee, the ham, scrambled, breakfast potatoes and cinnamon toast special please!
Fortunately, both vehicles started this morning! I have a little shopping to do and had to go pick up the Pennysaver. The Pennysaver came first, and it is gas sale day at teh gas station I pick it up at, but I declined to add another 1/4 tank to make it full as it is just, did I mention it's C-C-C-COOOOLD here?
I hope to get some things done today, if the bones and body are willing... hang the Disney cells and pin collections, and finish the other cabinet for the bath. Then when MOH comes home we tackle the lawyer bookcase glass doors and get them reinstalled. Then stain glass it and unpack the boxes of books, they have to be gone through to see which ones we really wnat in there, as it was overlaoded before and now we can store extras in the basement.
I DO feel better, and am doing things, so the antibiotics and steroids are doing their jobs. But I bet when they run out I will be back to hacking my fool head off again, as I still am doing that now, Can't get through a conversation without coughing now!
well, hope everyone is safe and WARM.
Chris: love the Disny WOrld water tower, I LOVE DIsney World and have been there multiple times-enough I cna give the tours!-, but doubt I will be there again,as I can no longer walk it and competition for the wheelchairs are fierce.dunno, i have been and so I am happy. TOok MOH forr the first time in 2003 and enjoyed it, and MOH would love to go again, I said go alone then, but MOH is getting to where walking it is not on the list so much any more either. neither is climbing another volcano!
So have/make it a great day all!
Hi to all.
Thought I'd stop by after returning from the South China Sea. Took a 13 hour non-stop flight from Beijing to Washington yesterday arriving just in time for more snow tomorrow in Northern Virginia; there goes my 2 week thaw. Good to be back though. Now to do some track inspection after the 2 week inactivity.
All the best.
Reinhard
Joe F
Good morning all; Flo, a cup of coffee with two creams, and a jelly doughnut, please.
Well, it's a bit nippy here, too - only one car of three would start, but I have hopes that once it warms up a bit the others will also fire up. My son borrowed the car that runs so he could get to work.
Happy B-day to Petra, and Ulrich I hope to post some info as I promised regarding neighbors' "Train Night" Marklin layout. With luck, maybe a picture, too!
Good to hear from you again Galaxy, and good to hear things are better.
I dunno, I missed a few days and boy, doesn't a lot happen here in the Diner!
Barbara is calling, I gotta go - Best to all this nippy Valentines day!
galaxyWEll, It is -17 F Ambient temp and -34 Windchill here where I am! It MUST be colder for Bro Elias and our Canadian Friends!!
Eh? Is 32 Degrees in Richardton, North Dakota.
Good Morning
Currently we are sitting at -10F in the sunshine...but the windchill is around -24F But is supposed to get up to 10 later on.
All cuddled up in our house, waiting for better temperatures...and I am heading off to get some honey do's done before running the choo choos
Have a great day!!
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe, I'll have the #2 Special, over easy on the eggs, couple sausage links, homefries (yes I need the ketchup), and a double order of Sour Dough Toast and some Grape Jam... A large pot of Seneca Lake Blend Dark Roast Organic, Fair Traded, coffee for my R&GV RR Mug would be good as well!
Sun is out here in the Finger Lakes Region of NYS at the moment. May be enough to melt the sn*w on the Solar Panels by noontime.... Current temperature is 1°F here. Feels like -17°F they say. I have to drive over to a Scouter friend's house to pick up a Leader Application we have to get signed and into the Office. That will be a 40mile round trip on icky roads....
All the talk about vehicles not starting reminds me of when I was first married and in college. We lived across the road from my Father's house on the farm. One winter Sunday morning I went out start my old VW Bug to drive to Pittsford where I was a Paid Soloist at a church. The temperature outside was about -15°F. I see my Father standing just the other side of the road yelling at me not to even bother to try to start the VW (that old girl, a 1960, still had a 6v battery in it). He had already tried all three of his vehicles including our old Ford 861 Powermaster tractor. He had two old American Motors cars. One he kept on a battery trickle charger all winter so he would at least have something to start and run. He said that car rolled over about twice and died completely. Deader than a doornail! Got in the older old station wagon, turned the key and it rolled over the first cylinder and that was that. Even went out to the barn where the tractor was kept in the old calf barn area under cover. He said the tractor (6v) just went "click". He told me to hang tight and he would walk up to the "Corner" (Don Howard's Farm Machinery") and get the welding truck that was kept in a heated building to start everything. I told him, "Nah, give me a minute and I can give you a ride up there." I was told that was a Complete idiot!!! (well those aren't his exact words.) Got in the Bug, turned the key and it went... Rrrrrrrrrroowwww rrrrrroowwwww rrrrrrowPhut! RrrroowwwPhut! RrrrrooowwwPhut Phut Phut Phut, putt, putt, putt, putt........ Third cylinder over fired, but had to crank it a few more times to get it run on it's own. I got out to see my Father kicking the snowbank and using a string of words I didn't even know he knew!!! His next vehicle was a VW.... LOL That was back when they made a decent running car.
My Pip should start up, or rather go into ready mode with no problem. I then have 4.4kW of electricity to start the ICE.. I'm sure it will start up all by itself within a couple of seconds of going into ready mode. (Ready mode just means the computer is on and the car will work.) It is getting close to the time when the little tiny (motorcycle sized) 12v battery probably should get changed as a pre-emptive strike.)
Bext get myself moving! Have a great day out there and stay warm if you live anywhere around these parts...
Ray, that reminds me of the scene from the old Woody Allen movie, "Sleeper." After being cryogenically frozen, he is re-animated 200 years later. During a chase scene, he is in the desert and uncovers an old VW bug from his own era. Of course, it starts right up.
And speaking of success, the water to the kitchen sink was running fine this morning after "the coldest night in decades." So, I guess the pipe re-routing project from last summer was a success.
howmusHis next vehicle was a VW.... LOL That was back when they made a decent running car.
Tempi passati, Ray!
Those Volkswagens of today are a far cry from what used to be a people´s car. Over-sophisticated, over-priced, over-rated! Unfortunately, the making of the one and only honest and real car of our days was stopped last year - the good old Landrover Defender. Basic stuff, but you could still give it a roadside repair with a wrench and a screwdriver!
To improve my still bad mood, I orderd a sound module for my layout. It costs only a few bucks of my cigarette money saved by non-smoking, but will add a lot of fun to nthe layout. It´ll be loaded with that typical Swiss loco whistle.
well, with the sunshine out it has "warmed UP" to a whole -4 F ambient. Windchil still down there.
Went to Dollar Tree to stock up on some food and other things. THE food USEd to be out of date, near out of date,etc, but the AG of NY passed laws prohibiting such and that all food must be at least 6 month from the expiring date. SO picked up some good stuff. Prices @$1 are decent, though some quantities are what you get for a dollar out of a larger box at 2, 3 4 times the price. Picked up some household stuff that really doens't need to be hgiher than $1 at the bog box stores or grocery stores. Bleach is bleach, I don't need to pay the price for Clorox brand, or even the double price of Dollar Tree for Wally's brand. Toilet tabs are also cheaper there. that kind of household stuff.
so now home and soom MOh will be home then we nap. Then I tackel the cabinet for the bath.
later