Sorry rio.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
The nursing home arranged a Zoom call with my mother, who relented and let them give her a shower. She didn't quite know how it worked and we spent most of the time looking at her left ear.
The social ramifications of people not being able to be with their dying loved ones or hold funerals or marriages or visit their premies in the newborn nursery still seems incomprehensible to me.
This mandated cabin fever leads people to talk about even iguanas.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Back on topic.
So, how has this virus affected me?
I had planned to finish my new layout and then sell it to the highest bidder with a starting bid of $1 million.
But, now, with social distancing and stay at home restrictions, I can no longer conduct a live auction for a planned group of at least 1,000 bidders.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrainBut, now, with social distancing and stay at home restrictions, I can no longer conduct a live auction
I'll bid 23¢ sight unseen. That's all I can afford until I get my gov't check.
York1 John
I'm moving, I would like to have a charity pick up some furniture, but they are not picking up.
I am not allowed to have a garage sale.
Charity shops are closed. I wasn't counting on much money from a garage sale, but I hate to throw stuff away that someone who has no money could us for free or low cost.
It's been more of an inconvenience for me; I can't visit hobby stores and can't go to train shows. My worst nightmare.
BigDaddyI wasn't counting on much money from a garage sale, but I hate to throw stuff away that someone who has no money could us for free or low cost.
Set it out by the street. Don't put a sign on it that says something like, "Free", or, "Take it".
There are some people who will steal something, but won't take it if it is given away.
riogrande5761 Ninety-eight is a pretty ripe age. My mothers father lived to 97 and my dads mother lived to just shy of 92. My dad turned 90 last March but has been in declining health since he fell and hit his head on the pavement going out to the mailbox fall 2018. His memory had been getting not so good by summer of 2018 but he was still driving. The result of the fall was TBI and accelerating dimentia since then; I saw him last Wednesday and he basically was sleeping and when his eyes opened, he didn't seem to know me but I couldn't tell. My sister called last night to report he had passed away while in the hospital. Tested negative for Corona but just passed away natural causes. I was sad that he passed away but his quality of life was no good so in a way, a release. Complicating matters, my mother has been very difficult for a long time and never has accepted any of the spouses her adult children married. Two of us, myself and my youngest sister are married and have the worst relationship with my mother. The other two sisters are divorced and no-conindicence have a better relationship. In fact my mother has never met my wife - we've been married 10 years. So yeah, fun times, not. Not sure how the funeral will go down with COVID19 and all that rot.
Ninety-eight is a pretty ripe age. My mothers father lived to 97 and my dads mother lived to just shy of 92. My dad turned 90 last March but has been in declining health since he fell and hit his head on the pavement going out to the mailbox fall 2018. His memory had been getting not so good by summer of 2018 but he was still driving. The result of the fall was TBI and accelerating dimentia since then; I saw him last Wednesday and he basically was sleeping and when his eyes opened, he didn't seem to know me but I couldn't tell. My sister called last night to report he had passed away while in the hospital. Tested negative for Corona but just passed away natural causes. I was sad that he passed away but his quality of life was no good so in a way, a release.
Complicating matters, my mother has been very difficult for a long time and never has accepted any of the spouses her adult children married. Two of us, myself and my youngest sister are married and have the worst relationship with my mother. The other two sisters are divorced and no-conindicence have a better relationship. In fact my mother has never met my wife - we've been married 10 years. So yeah, fun times, not. Not sure how the funeral will go down with COVID19 and all that rot.
Sorry for your loss. And I can understand your frustration with your mother.
I lost my father many years ago, he was only 60, I was only 32. Looking back I 'm glad I had children young, he greatly enjoyed his grandchildren. I owe him for much of my mechanical and personal knowledge.
My mother never approved of my first wife, felt she was below my "station" in life. I learned years later my mother said some really cruel things to my first wife early in our marriage.
Mother is more excepting of the second wife, who is not someone who will take any BS from anyone anyway.
Family can be a challenge, I could tell some stories........
My mother and I get along ok now, from about 1,000 miles from each other most of the time.......that helps.
Your family will be in my prayers,
Sheldon
riogrande5761...My sister called last night to report he had passed away while in the hospital. Tested negative for Corona but just passed away natural causes. I was sad that he passed away but his quality of life was no good so in a way, a release. Complicating matters, my mother has been very difficult for a long time and never has accepted any of the spouses her adult children married. Two of us, myself and my youngest sister are married and have the worst relationship with my mother....
Very sorry to hear of your loss, Jim, and equally sorry about the state of affairs as far as your mother is concerned.
I lost my mother quite a few years ago, only one day before her 60th birthday, due to complications from Alzheimers disease.
As for the Covid 19 stuff, not too much of an adverse effect on our extended family at all, as both the provincial and federal governments have stepped-up support for those out-of-work (one son and one son-in-law), while us fogies get nuthin' (and need even less). The other adult kids work from home, and all of the grandchildren have on-line schooling.
As a plus, I'm getting more done on my layout than I've accomplished in months.
Wayne
Got very little done today train wize, helping relatives with a remodel though. Got my MTH hoppers today, fantastic detailing. We arev about to find out who was right and who was wrong about the virus as areas open up again. Drapers veiws are similar to mine for those who follow the finantials. Sorry for the loss, remember when my dad went, even though we were not close, it bothered me for some reason (I always wanted to be Spock).
riogrande5761My sister called last night to report he had passed away while in the hospital.
Riogrande5761,
I'm sorry for your loss.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Jim.
Condolences for your loss, and your family situation---
herrinchoker
Thanks all. Sad times but also thankful he lived a long and fulfilling life.
He was born in 1930 in the very small town of Lorimar Iowa and came from a family of 10 kids. After the tenth kid was born, his father left them and his mother raised all ten on her own during the Great Depression; times were hard but they managed. My dad told me the kitchen in the early days had a dirt floor and they had a big bath tub that would be filled with hot water, and all ten kids would go through it - I imagine the water was getting dirty and cold for the last ones through!
When my dad turned 18, the Korean war was on and the story goes, my dad went down to the post office and there was a letter in the mail slot. He asked the post master "is that what I think it is?" and he confirmed, it was his draft notice. He never picked it up from the box, and immediately, along with another friend, went and he enlisted in the US Air Force. It was either that, or become, as he called it "cannon fodder". For a time after joining as an enlisted man, he drove trucks and also worked as a survey rodman for a while. Back in those days you could become an commissioned officer in the Air Force without a college degree or having gone to the Air Force academy. There was a program, apparently due to demand at that time; they were called 90 day wonders. He has a couple of opportunities, one was a program to become a pilot, but it would have meant a 9 month wait, so instead he was able to get much more quickly into a program to become a navigator.
My dads first flying assignment as navigator was on propeller driven KC-97 tanker planes. In the early 1960's, during the cold-war, he moved to KC-135's which refueled B-58 Hustlers and B-52 Stratofortress bombers. The B-52's orbited outside Soviet air space with nuclear weapons should they be called upon. The could maintaine an extended presense with a relief crew and being refuled. That was SAC in those days, Strategic Air Command.
Even though my dad joined the Air Force to avoid being "cannon fodder", there was still risk and some did die while serving due to various incidents. One such incident is one my dad was almost a victim of. He was assigned to a mission on the KC-135 tanker but due to being sick, the flight surgeon removed him from the mission and he was replaced. The KC-135 collided with another KC-135 and went down in the Burmuda Triangle. All were killed in the crash. When my father related the story many years ago, he said all that was found were the crash helmets. The the incident is listed in the Bermuda Triangle wiki:
On August 28, 1963, a pair of US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft collided and crashed into the Atlantic 300 miles west of Bermuda.[48][49]
He switched in 1967 to Korat Thailand aboard electronics surveilance C-121 airplanes for a year and then moved to MAC (military airlift command) mission which included cargo transport. He served aboard the C-133 (nicknamed the Weeny Wagon, due to it's long fuselage which protruded forward of the wing, which had 4 turboprop engines. As a kid, I didn't know it was called the "Widow Maker" because so many of them crashed. In fact, my dad "dodged the bullet" when the C-133 Cargomaster he was aboard landed on the west coast from an overseas flight. Another crew took over and took off east across the continental US and due to a stress fracture, the plan broke apart just forward of the main wing and the plane went down - all aboard were killed in the crash. The incident he spoke of is listed in the C-133 wiki:
6 February 1970AF Serial No. 59-0530, 60 MAW — Destroyed 6 February 1970, disintegrated in flight over southwestern Nebraska, due to catastrophic propagation of old 11 in (280 mm) skin crack hidden under paint to a total length of 17 ft (5.2 m); large sections of skin peeled off and the aircraft came apart at 23,000 ft (7,000 m).
His last assignment was aboard C-141 Starlifter cargo planes while stationed at Travis Air Force Base in northern California 1969-1971 - and my first real exposure Southern Pacific trains which passed near the base. He moved the family to Davis California in 1971 and had a desk job the final 2 years of his 22 year service. From then he worked as a Real Estate agent. The Real Estate market seemed to be stagnating during the 70's so eventually my father moved in search of better areas, starting with Dallas TX, then Worcester MA, then Chicago IL and finally the Washington DC area in the early 1990's where he has lived ever since until passing away Sunday night of natural causes.
I will always remember my father as a good provider who gave his family many great experiences visiting many interesting places as we moved around the country, from Texas, to Indiana to Massachusetts to S. California to N. California. We fished a bit, camped a lot and had many good times. I will remember my father as a caring man who lived a rich life.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
rrebellWe arev about to find out who was right and who was wrong about the virus as areas open up again. Drapers veiws are similar to mine for those who follow the finantials.
Before I agree or agree to disagree, which Draper are you speaking of?
Got up early so that boss and I could get to the local Ak-A-Me for the senior people shopping hour. Still no TP on the shelves. You would think that the TP companies could make that stuff as fast as they print money to pay for it. Only good thing about getting up early is that Tuesdays are 5% off for old people days.
I never thought that I would be happy to be old, but these days I'm grateful for my social security, my pension, and Medicare.
Yesterday I got all the plastic pieces I need to make the plate loads I sell stuck to paint sticks (all 75 of them) so I can paint the first side. I might start to paint them today if I have enough energy left after pulling weeds.
Today I went to the hardware store and thanks to gubernatorial goober-ism, I had to wear a mask. I quickly discovered that my glasses fog up when I wear a mask. I had to ask for help, even reading the spec numbers on the light bulb I needed.
Suppose they get the idea to require masks while driving. Am I supposed to be a hazard to everyone on the road because I can't see?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley Today I went to the hardware store and thanks to gubernatorial goober-ism, I had to wear a mask. I quickly discovered that my glasses fog up when I wear a mask. I had to ask for help, even reading the spec numbers on the light bulb I needed. Suppose they get the idea to require masks while driving. Am I supposed to be a hazard to everyone on the road because I can't see?
3/4" wide adhesive tape. About 1.5 inches on the upper edge either side of your nose will take care of the gap that causes the problem. If your face is clean you should be able to get at least a couple uses out of each application. Don't worry about what you look like. We all look strange these days.
John
I would suggest paper or plastic 1" (more common) tape instead of old fashioned white adhesive if you like the skin on your nose. If it's a real medical mask, there should be a thin metal bar over the nose. It is meant to be shaped to your nose.
You don't need a lot of tape on you nose, just enough to seal.
MisterBeasley I quickly discovered that my glasses fog up when I wear a mask.
Exactly! When I was working, while grinding concete walls, we had to wear mask and safety glass, which I understand, and is good, BUT the glasses were always fogging up, so I ended up getting a respirator mask, which ended the fogging.
It WILL be interesting how this all comes back to "normal".
Mike.
My You Tube
riogrande5761 The B-52's orbited outside Soviet air space with nuclear weapons should they be called upon. The could maintaine an extended presense with a relief crew and being refuled. That was SAC in those days, Strategic Air Command.
Rio,
If you ever travel through Nebraska, about 10 miles west of Omaha on I-80, the SAC Museum is a great place to visit. It's all indoors, and they have many of the planes SAC used during the Cold War. Lots of displays and information.
Jim, sorry for the loss of your Dad. Sounds like he had an interesting full life.
I came very close to going in the Airforce, I had three interviews and they phoned me for two or three years after to see if I had reconsidered. I think I would have had a happy life had I gone that route. I have had a great life regardless.
Went to pick up my FP7s at PWRS today and the streets were deserted as were the stores, very erie feeling, felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Going out in the backyard at night with the dogs, I just can't believe the silence.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
MisterBeasley I quickly discovered that my glasses fog up when I wear a mask
If it is really important your glasses don't fog up, make like a scuba diver and spit on them and rub them with your shirt. I would not do it in front of people especially in these germy times, however ya gotta be able to see what you're doin in a hurry sometimes.
I am out of N-95 masks now. I have been wearing them for their intended purpose, filtering construction dust. I have been taking up the thinset in the bedroom/future closet, and it is a very dusty job.
I need more, but I have no idea where to go to get them. A home-made mask migth be OK for meeting public mask-wearing needs, but for a dusty construction job, an N-95 mask is called for.
The quest begins...
-Kevin
Living the dream.
mbinsewi When I was working, while grinding concete walls, we had to wear mask and safety glass, which I understand, and is good, BUT the glasses were always fogging up
Sea Vision professional mask defogger (available from anywhere that sells SCUBA equipment) is the best I know of.
Safety glasses that come coated with defogger never work well.
The wife use to dive, while stationed in Puerto Rico, serving in the Navy, and she suggested spitting on the inside lense surface, as she used to do when diving.
The respirator worked better, and protected me better. Some times, grinding in tunnels, or concrete pipe, we wore SCBA, like I did in the fire service.
How the virus has affected me is I can't conveniently go to the hobby store for parts I need.
Since when did it ever read in 1776 you have the right to do what ever you want unless you have the chance of catching a flu
I need some scale model sheets of shiplap so I can start building my ore loader. I will have plenty of time the next two weeks as my work delegator has gone on a fishing trip.
The other way this virus has been affecting me lately is I've had too much time being cooped up and too much time to think about things. I think I'm starting to actually get more paranoid about things
I bring my beer home and I just noticed the slots in the top to grab it and wonder how many hands went through there handling it before me? I'm finding myself washing the top of my beer cans with soap before I drink them
Is that messed up or what? This is just one of the few. I don't want to get you guys thinking! I told Judy to wash her hands after she handled the mail because we have no Lysol to spray it with.
Yes. Too much time to think. You actually need to be exposed to small amounts of contaminants of a virus so your body can have a tolerance to fight it off. All this hundred percent antibacterial wash is not anybody's friend and that is why Judy and I have never used that. Mom always said just plain soap and water for a reason.
Well, Judy and I just keep plugging away here. Waiting for the worms and I'm sure it will be alright
Sometimes it's just a spell, I'm sure I'll be back to my normal self by tomorrow morning Thanks for listening! I may have needed to blow off a little steam
TF
Track fiddlerSince when did it ever read in 1776 you have the right to...
Sandjam, ... As quoted in the Ferris Bueller Day Off movie many years ago, ... Your a "righteous dude" Everything you just said makes complete sense!
But the bottles have slots in the top of the Box open to the bottles too and straws just ain't my style.
My dad was a marine sergeant and always said wipe the tops weather beer or pop. I always did but I never washed them before
maxman rrebell We arev about to find out who was right and who was wrong about the virus as areas open up again. Drapers veiws are similar to mine for those who follow the finantials. Before I agree or agree to disagree, which Draper are you speaking of? Got up early so that boss and I could get to the local Ak-A-Me for the senior people shopping hour. Still no TP on the shelves. You would think that the TP companies could make that stuff as fast as they print money to pay for it. Only good thing about getting up early is that Tuesdays are 5% off for old people days. I never thought that I would be happy to be old, but these days I'm grateful for my social security, my pension, and Medicare. Yesterday I got all the plastic pieces I need to make the plate loads I sell stuck to paint sticks (all 75 of them) so I can paint the first side. I might start to paint them today if I have enough energy left after pulling weeds.
rrebell We arev about to find out who was right and who was wrong about the virus as areas open up again. Drapers veiws are similar to mine for those who follow the finantials.
Kevin,
If you haven't already disposed of your N-95 masks, you can try vacuuming them to extend their dust-control life.
Tim
Late to the model railroad party but playing catch-up.....