Yes LBL is nice and not too far from me. I may go camping in a few weeks. It depends, I have to go back to E-Town in a couple of weeks.
I just watched Jeopardy (well, final Jeopardy still has not happened), as I do almost every day. I do not remember ever doing this badly. I only knew two answers in Double Jeopardy. All three contestants did great, and I completely blew it.
Feeling pretty dumb right now.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
What a quiet night in the diner.
Chloe, please get me a chocolate milkshake.
There is an advertisement on television down here that is really bothing me.
There is a KIA dealership in Cape Coral that recently changed its name.
The ad goes like this:
Come on down to the ALL-NEW KIA of Cape Coral. Same Location, Same Great People, Same Great Cars, Same Showroom, Same Experience... All at the ALL-NEW KIA of Cape Coral.
What do they think "ALL-NEW" means?
Oh well...
The World Is A Beautiful Place.
Is anyone willing to move the Diner tomorrow? Ed has done it several times recently, and obviously he is most welcome to do it again if he wishes, but I am a strong believer in sharing the work load.
I think that we are agreed that the Diner will move to the Reading Railroad in order to honour Randy Rinker.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
SeeYou190What do they think "ALL-NEW" means?
Reminds me of a fellow I w**ked with.
Once I got to know him I discovered that he and his wife had been separated for several years. After a while he was mentioning her by name and I said, What a coincidence, you married another woman with the same name as your first wife.
Oh, no, I married the same woman a second time. Same personality, same tastes, same wardrobe and same irritating habits but an "all new" wife.
The second divorce really put a hurt on him (Financially and emotionally). Sometimes I don't know why people set themselves up for such failure.
Speaking of car ads — Why is it that just about every ad from every manufacturer promotes nothing but aggressive driving? It has been this way for at least the past twenty years.
I recall one years ago for Chevy where the driver turned into the Tazmanian Devil character as soon as he sat behind the wheel of a ... something, another one a few years back had two women each in their own cars eying one available parking space. The "lady" in the Cadillac SUV dropped 'er into all-terrain mode and climbed over plantings and curbs and screeched into the formerly open spon, then sneered at the other woman who "lost out" because she didn't have a Cadillac SUV.
I guess the marketing people are in-tune to what the driving public's attitude is.
Happy Birthday Amtrak
Skimming along Barr Lake by Mike Danneman, on Flickr
Chief at Cosnino by Mike Danneman, on Flickr
Approaching Plainview by Mike Danneman, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Good morning Diners. The usual toast and tea, Flo, thanks.
Aggressive car ads. Why do they make them? One of the best ads (imo) was by Ford. They made it many years ago. In fact I did not drive then (and I cannot remember the type of car). Anyway, it showed a young couple in the car. As they went around the UK they went thru all 'the toys' the car had. No talking, just eight minutes of sheer amazement.
Today we are in the Highlands, on the Strathspey Railway.
Perth to the Strathspey Railway
One for TF.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good morning all,
Chloe, a large coffee and and a blueberry muffin please. Just raising my head up from w*rk enough to say hello. Hope everyone's Thursday is good.
I think most car commercials show aggresive driving as a way to show off how capable the vehicle is. Exceptions to that would be Jeep commercials and most pick-up commercials as they are trying to sell different capabilities. Not much aggression behind watching a truck back a boat into the water for you.
NFL draft starts tonight. I always watch as much of the first round as I can stay awake for. Not really sure why as it's usually not terribly exciting. Just a thing I do I guess.
Later fellas,
Mike
A Railway Walk along Speyside with Julia Bradbury
Good morning
On the way back we drove through Kentucky Garry. That was that one year we took a 10-day trip for Christmas and my birthday I called the tour of the south. That state was beautiful! I recall I wished we had more time to spend there. I don't think you gave too much up, if anything as far as scenery goes, moving from the beautiful state of Michigan to there.
Florida is quite a beautiful state Kevin. I visited frequently when I was younger. We usually stayed in Orlando I remember was such a Clean city that it looked like something out of a picture book. We did Disney and Epcot Center a few times. You certainly have the perfect weather in the winter. But the tropical humid heat in the summer I would imagine is something you would have to acclimate to when you're younger. Being used to Minnesota winters, that heat wears me thin rather quickly.
Speaking of good milkshakes Rick, I just seen a new Baskin-Robbins in Lakeville driving the other day. I thought Baskin-Robbins was a thing of the past and I'm looking forward to bringing Judy down there for a treat. Whatever you added to that Cannon of yours looks like it's doing quite a good job for you. That camera must have an incredible shutter speed to freeze frame the rotors on that helicopter
You stated Delaware where you live seldom gets below 30 degrees Mr. B. That could work as I call under 30 degrees in Minnesota a tropical heatwave in the winter time. I guess I wouldn't have to worry about the sub-par school systems having all the kids raised now. That's the most beautiful thing about being a grandparent. You can thoroughly enjoy the kids for a day, then be done and go home. It's kind of like renting a puppy for a few hours and never having to clean up the mess
That area you live in is beautiful as well Sheldon. I've always wanted to go to the Virginia area to see the Chesapeake and Ohio RR. I want to hike back to the ghost town of Sewell that existed during the mining boom to see what's left of the town and all the beehive coke ovens. Maybe camp out for the night back there and find out if there's any RR ghosts?
Enjoyed watching the video of the restoration replacing the span of that old railroad bridge David. Thanks for that. Quite different than our girder plate spans over here. I wonder if hauling weight to the site of construction is a consideration why they're different. I would have stayed tuned for the whole construction on that bridge if permitted by the video
I didn't know it's Amtrak's birthday today Ed. 50 is it? I guess Amtrak is a young buck then Yes, I think those aggressive driving car commercials are in poor taste. They say on an average commute that an aggressive driver only gets to his destination 2 minutes earlier. The idiots sure could save other drivers a lot of unnecessary stress by leaving their house 2 minutes earlier
I don't know if it's aired in other parts of the country but the police department or DMV has a commercial up here. This kid is pushing a shopping cart really fast through the grocery store yelling get out of the way, move over!!! Then someone says, You wouldn't behave like this would you?, Then why would you behave like this on the road? That commercial is a hoot and makes too much sense.
My son is way into the NFL draft picks Mike. He knows everything about every player. Makes sense that he does, having my grandson's actively involved in sports I guess. I really enjoy watching a good football game but it doesn't go too much further than that. I must say it's harder to watch the Vikings up here as the owner is too cheap and keeps letting our good players go.
Have a great day everyone
TF
Good morning, everybody. I'll have coffee and a pecan roll, please.
TF .... I remember when you took the trip. I was hoping to ask you to stop and visit, but it was Christmas time. We were going out of town then to visit some of our family. You should consider returning when leaves are on trees.
David UK .... Thanks again for posting the interesting videos.
Everybody ..... Have a good day.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good Morning,
Another cool day here, only 50F with a strong north wind. I won't be doing any outdoor work today. We are expecting one day of 70F on Saturday before it cools off again.
Not good news on Robbie. He is back at the vet for the day. This will be the 4th day on antibiotics. He hasn't eaten for 2 days now. The infection is a little better but now he has a low grade of pancreatitis. If he doesn't turn around today tomorrow could be a very bad day. I'm just sitting with the TV on. My wife is in a bad way but she is a very pessimistic person. She is upstairs and I won't see her for the day.
I'm following an ebay auction for a brass K5a like the one I have. It is less than $100 now but looking at the bids I see you can do programme bidding up to a limit you set. Not sure I agree with that system. I expect the price will shoot up in the next couple of days.
We had planned on moving to Vancouver Island after retirement and I was all set to go, even built the N scale layout on a door for the move. Then when my wife retired I couldn't get her to start a big clear out and take action on selling the harpsicord to pepare. So here we remain and will stay even though she has always hated Winnipeg.
We should decide on a fence contractor but right now I could care less.
CN Charlie
Good morning everybody.
Chloe, canI get a bowl of unsalted almonds to go with my coffee? I know that is a weird request, but it sounds good to me this morning.
gmpullmanSpeaking of car ads — Why is it that just about every ad from every manufacturer promotes nothing but aggressive driving? It has been this way for at least the past twenty years.
I think that since cars are all pretty much bumper-to-bumper wonderful now, it is harder to find something that sets your vehicle apart from the rest.
I have never bought a car based on advertising. I am 6' 7" tall, and I am a legroom shopper. Advertising does not work on me.
Good morning. Flo, it's almost lunchtime here, so I'll have a patty melt with fries.
Not much traffic on the Interstate yesterday. I was able to set the cruise control at 80mph and didn't have to adjust it much.
CNCharlie, I've been thinking about you today. I know that you are having more than your share of issues with home life. I wish I had something encouraging to say. I guess there is always hope for something better, but often that doesn't work out. You have a lot of friends in the diner.
On the prairie where I live, most car commercials don't really apply. Now if you see an ad for a pickup that can pull a fully-loaded coal train, it will get attention. At my Friday morning men's meeting, the parking lot has a bunch of dirty, rugged pickups. On Sunday morning, the church has beautiful, clean, luxury pickups. I'm odd man out, driving an SUV. In flyover country, SUVs are what the women use to drive to Walmart.
It's a great time to hit the open road. Have a good day, diners!
York1 John
I just opened my new Model Railroader Magazine email newsletter, and there is a link to the Kickstarter for these awesome game pieces for Ticket To Ride.
The F units are YELLOW! I am in.
Only 5 hours left. If you want them, better act quick.
Poor Flo. Give her some time off. She has been on duty all day (U.K. time.)
Janie, a malt whisky please.
Cheesy Chicken with trimmings.
Strawberry Fruit Surprise
NorthBritJanie, a malt whisky please. Cheesy Chicken with trimmings. Strawberry Fruit Surprise
After months of reading your menu, don't be surprised if someday I take a trip to the UK and drop in to your house around supper time.
Good morning from the West Coast where it is nice and warm and sunny.
We have Alexa in the kitchen and play Jeopardy every night eating dinner, she asks six questions and keeps a running total of how we are doing compared to the rest of the world. We actually look forward to it. We do quite well as our interest in life covers a vast array of topics.
Ed, funny story about the guy and his two wives, same woman. It took me 40 years to find someone I wanted to marry, glad I waited.
Charlie, sorry to hear about Robbie. Sometimes prolonging the inevitable is not the best course of action for the pet or owner. My wife would often see pets in pain and/or real discomfort and it took some convincing for people to let go. I feel your pain for what these days are bringing.
The wife and I still want to move to Vancouver Island. The cost of moving belongings is so high with two ferry trips for the giant moving truck that we will junk most of our stuff and buy all new furniture, beds, and some of the other big stuff when we get there. We know quite a few that have moved over to the Island and that is what they did.
I went to put the Bi-fold doors all back on yesterday and as expected they were too big after the new thicker plywood underlay and tile went down. I managed to get them all cut down and they look good, wife is happy. The idiots that built the house used different brands of hardware on each door, which drives me crazy. I was able to standardize it all to some extent.
Both my kids are finished University for the year, both honors students and my son is taking time off to work for a while. He has been going to University and working full time since last February when the pandemic hit. He is going to go to 20 hours a week at his job with a national firm, they are paying him $85000.00 a year for 20 hours a week. He wants to get back to work in the movie industry as he enjoyed it so much, he is looking to work on the business side of the camera this time. He made such a good impression he has lots of good connections so we will see what happens. He has job offers coming out of his ears from the major sports media franchises as well. When he was writing covering the Canucks, the rereads of his articles were third-highest nationally and that means lots of revenue for the company. He is still getting residuals from those.
John, I like my old beater P/U truck. It is 21 years old and does a lot of work for us. I was at the landscape shop getting a load of lava rock in the back and there was a guy there with a brand new P/U getting the same. As the loader was bringing his load over to drop in the back of his truck, I said to him, "this is going to hurt". He said, "yes it is".
I love our new Highlander on the highway as the cruise control adjusts itself, soooo nice to have that feature, plus it steers itself. It really reduces the fatigue factor like they tell you it does.
I just did an hour on the bike and burned 1500 calories. I was feeling so good going flat out with the classic rock station providing the tunes, I forgot to stop. Full of bad arthritis but feeling great.
Need to hop on the Deere now I've stopped sweating.
All the best to all.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Brent,
I do not appreciate your implication that we might keep Robbie around if he were in any pain for our own selfish interests.
Good evening.
I'll throw caution to the wind and have a Scottish square sausage on a morning roll with fried onions and HP sauce x 2 and a mug of tea please.
Heres a link to some info and pics on North British Locomotive Company. Scotland's equivalent to ALCO, Baldwin or Lima. Similar story staggered along with the 1st gen diesels then went under in the mid 1960s. I toured round the plant with my father in 1970ish before it was demolished.
You may notice that the builder's plate is very similar to Lima.
Other obscure fact. One of the engineering directors from here was enticed by the Van Swergen bros over to the mechanical advisory committee and was part of the team who delivered the Allegheny.
https://libcat.csglasgow.org/web/arena/nbl
CNCharlie Brent, I do not appreciate your implication that we might keep Robbie around if he were in any pain for our own selfish interests. CN Charlie
Charlie, I re-read what I wrote and I can see how you thought that's what I was saying, my apologies it was not what I intended. It is obvious by the fact that you have cared for him so well over the years and spared no expense that his well-being is in good hands.
I have accompanied my wife on many end-of-life situations at the hospital and in people's homes and I am very aware of how heart-wrenching it is. I have lost count of the animals that have lived with us their entire lives that we have had to say goodbye to.
Again, my apologies.
Brent, apology accepted. I guess I'm a little short fused right now.
Anyway the vet just called and thinks we should repeat the treatment tomrrow. We trust her as we have known her for 20 years and think she is an excellent vet.
CNCharlieI do not appreciate your implication that we might keep Robbie around if he were in any pain for our own selfish interests.
I did not read Brent's response that way at all.
In most place in the world, we have no control when a loved one is dying and in horrible pain. We sit, watch, wait and when the end comes, we are relieved that our loved one's suffering is over.
We have total control over our dogs and cats lives. But we don't know their wishes. We don't know their pain.
I expect I will have to make that decision for my Toby, who has shoulder arthritis. We take him for a walk and he pulls like heck for as long as we are willing to walk away from the house, on the return he gets slower and slower. Then he lays down and when he gets up he walks like Walter Brennan in the Real McCoys.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I just saw an advertisement for a salad at Applebee's, and they had AC/DC music on the soundtrack.
That is it folks... AC/DC is now officially old people music.
This will be my last post for some time. I know that most will have mixed emotions, joy, and happiness. There are some, ( 3 I think) that might think otherwise.
I am looking at some rather interesting health challanges in the near future, so the layout is on the back burner. I have a 15 month old Chessie pup to finish training, and this will be taking all of my spare time. This I must do .
During my life I have been blessed to have had some outstanding hunting dogs, good friends all. My life was saved by three Chessies six weeks after my wife passed, I came close to eating my duty weapon--then three brown dogs put their muzzles on my knees---feeding time, crap, if I go out who will take care of the dogs??---You learn to move on.
What we sometimes become guilty of is keeping our friend around, more for ourselves, rather than doing what is best for our friend. I perhaps have shed more tears over one of my hunting companions than I have for a close relative.
I believe that is what Brent was refering to.
The direction the MR has taken has left a sour taste in my mouth, sites that I had paid to use, I can no longer, no explanation, appologies, or attempt to communicate with the membership as to the nature/extent of the changes. I do not like being treated like a mushroom.
Yesterdays Drs. appointment has caused some evaluations of time left, what to do, and what directions to head. These I have made.
I developed a strong faith the night I was washed off the deck of a trawler on George's Bank, I am at rest with Jesus,----at some point I hope to find out --How Did They Really Build The Pyramids??
Some of you would probably be a lot happier in life if you quit worrying about what the guy down the street is/is not building, paint colors, vehicle maintenance issues. But that is just my opinion, I have earned the right to have one--just as you.
I hope my passage "oe'r the Bar" is a smooth one.
Best to all,
from the Island,
herrinchoker
My daughter went to the doctor today.
Due date is December 27th. She is 5 1/2 weeks along. Everything is fine.
herrinchokerYesterdays Drs. appointment has caused some evaluations of time left, what to do, and what directions to head. These I have made. I developed a strong faith the night I was washed off the deck of a trawler on George's Bank, I am at rest with Jesus,----at some point I hope to find out --How Did They Really Build The Pyramids?? ... I hope my passage "oe'r the Bar" is a smooth one. Best to all, from the Island,
It's difficult to say anything after reading your message. I hope you know you have friends here who support you. I know that you have seen a lot of tragedy in your family life, and I'm glad your faith is strong.
Fair winds.
SeeYou190My daughter went to the doctor today. Due date is December 27th. She is 5 1/2 weeks along. Everything is fine.
Congratulations, again. You're going to have a good Christmas this year.
Good evening ...
Herrinchoker (Jan) ....... My emotion upon reading your post is deep sadness. (Tears) I know you have not posted as much as some, but I always thought you were at least lurking. It was good to think you might be looking in even if you did not comment. You certainly have had your share of tragedies. It is good you have dogs who live up to the phrase, man's best friend. I'm glad three saved you that time.
Not sure what MR did to leave a sour taste in your mouth. I'll just let that one go.
Regarding your strong faith, I am inspired at what you said. You are a person, I would like to meet in person. I was trying to figure out how to get to see you during our family trip to Maine a couple of years ago, but other family members filled up my schedule for that trip. As i have metioned a few times, I have congestive heart failure. So I have dealt with my own faith too. My near death experiences have proven to me there is something awaiting us when our bodies have died. Jan, if you read this, feel free to PM me. Blessings to you.
.....
Kevin ..... Congratualtions, again. One of my grandsons has December 27th as his birthday. Also, all of our children had birthdays close to Christmas.
CN Charlie .... I hope Robbie's vet appointment goes well.
Ken .... Where are you?
....
Everybody ..... have a good night.
York1You're going to have a good Christmas this year.
The best Christmas present ever!
Heartland Division CB&QOne of my grandsons has December 27th as his birthday. Also, all of our children had birthdays close to Christmas.
My birthday is less than a week from Christmas. I will share the child's frustration, and never give them a combination birthday/Christmas present.
I still carry the emotional scars from those.
In my 64 years, I have never been without a dog by my side. All the best for you Jan.