Tin Can IIIt was claimed by one of my siblings when they downsized to an adult retirement duplex a couple of years ago.
If I had endless counter space. I would be looking for one.
My entire kitchen is full now.
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
That is the sandwich I made for dinner last night. Sometimes you just need to go "Full Decadent Dagwood" with these things and make an already great day end with a perfectly tasty treat.
I made the bacon, then pan fried the breaded chicken cutlet in the bacon grease. I butter-browned the flat surfaces of the bun. Then I assembled the sandwich with pickles, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonaise.
It is like a BLT married to a Southern Chicken Sandwich. It was AMAZING!
Dig in and have one for yourself.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Good afternoon, diners. Errands are done, I'll have one of Kevin's sandwiches in the diner, take a nap, and then it's off to work on the layout.
up831Someday, I want to grab the wife and go on a limo tour of Napa. On limo tours you can do a lot of tasting, get comfortably wrecked, and not have to worry about the CHP getting you before you get back to wherever you're staying.
Jim, I've never been there, but my kids have taken one of these tours several times. They love going out there, taking the tours, and finding wines they like.
A while back, someone in the diner mentioned going to ride the Skunk Train in California. I can't remember who it was. I haven't been there, but I found some pictures of it. If you've ever ridden it, can you find some pictures for the rest of us diners? I'd love to see them.
Skunk train:
It's time! My LazyBoy rocker-recliner is calling. I'll try to start a movie on TV and sleep through most of it. Have a great Hump Day.
York1 John
Good afternoon.
It is so quiet around here with no wife or daughter and only two dogs that did not go to the show with my wife. I did something called vacuuming, which certainly is an interesting process. Kind of like cutting the grass but inside, John, you would hate it I'm sure.
With my wife not being too well I have had to take over the gardening end of things. I detest gardening though I am slowly coming around, I must be getting old as I find it sort of relaxing. I had no idea we had so many roses on the property, I am not kidding when I say I have enough rose trimmings to fill a boxcar.....or two. It has been a while since the wife has touched them, she use to never stop trimming them, they get away fast. I am a bloody mess as I have not got my head around the thorn thing yet.
My daughter's first day on the job at the new facility and she spent all morning learning security procedures. They gave her a fancy phone that encrypts both text and voice communication. I am getting a funny feeling that they are going to try and get her to take time off from University to work past the six-week contract she has. I hope she doesn't bite, though her Mom took a year off to travel all over Europe and elsewhere between University and Vet school, so who knows.
If Kevin is not too mad at me that sandwich looks like good eating, I bet they are a thousand calories each so I'll have three or four. I eat a ton when I am working out a lot. I have a bet on with my kid on knocking a couple more years off my fitness age which is 48 right now, I'm 65. I told him he was trying to kill me off to get his inheritance sooner. He said, you got it! I think I'll throw some eggs on those sandwiches as well. He said if I hit 45 he will buy me a whole case of rum or scotch, my choice. It would be nice to get it before hockey season to stock the bar for Saturday nights when the gang shows up.
I had to send my Rapido FP7B in as the decoder or motherboard is bad. I have been talking to ESU and Rapido and they say there is something not right with what is going on. ESU is back-ordered but Rapido has some all programmed and ready to go. I think for those on a budget when buying a loco you need to add a percentage for returning them for warranty work. It seems most brands have issues these days and it is a given that you will be sending at least some of them back for repairs. I still love'em over what I had as a kid.
I have another 12oz rib steak in the fridge and I am going to cook it up with some eggs, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. Then, in three hours I'll cook dinner for my daughter and me when she gets home. I have not eaten yet today.
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."
gmpullmanMy grandkids might like Slurpees when they're out and about but when they come to grandpa's house they get malted milk shakes with a scoop or two of old fashioned malt powder ... Then they watch as this (older than me) Hamilton Beach mixer makes it into one tasty treat!
Ed, while it's not an exact match, it is a Hamilton Beach. I think Douglas would know this place. In a town near me, there's a pretty neat little diner called Coney Island. It has been there at least since I was a kid. They have the best chili hot dogs.
This is on the shelf behind the counter. This looks like their heavy duty model; it has three mixers. Same green color, too!
Pretty neat.
'Evening guys. I just read the news on RR_Mel. Since the diner is in California already, here's one for Mel. A Southern Pacific AC-9 class. I think it was his favorite.
Mike
York1 gmpullman My grandkids might like Slurpees when they're out and about but when they come to grandpa's house they get malted milk shakes with a scoop or two of old fashioned malt powder ... Then they watch as this (older than me) Hamilton Beach mixer makes it into one tasty treat! Ed, while it's not an exact match, it is a Hamilton Beach. I think Douglas would know this place. In a town near me, there's a pretty neat little diner called Coney Island. It has been there at least since I was a kid. They have the best chili hot dogs. This is on the shelf behind the counter. This looks like their heavy duty model; it has three mixers. Same green color, too! Pretty neat.
gmpullman My grandkids might like Slurpees when they're out and about but when they come to grandpa's house they get malted milk shakes with a scoop or two of old fashioned malt powder ... Then they watch as this (older than me) Hamilton Beach mixer makes it into one tasty treat!
Yep. The Coney Island Lunch Room has been a fixture for 80 years and is still run by the same family (well, last I checked 4 years ago). No secret its the Katrouzous family (Greek heritage). I went to school with the owner's kids, the daughter being in the same grade and known since 7th grade, and George, the brother one year younger. I think he took over the business from his father. He must be about 58 years old so I assume he still runs it.
It's a popular place. Good food. Authentic and traditional.
Not to bother others with our common memories too much, but another staple, Ruff's Bar (aka Netties) is still popular and in the same downtown location for decades (Facebook says 1952), albeit a different owner. It was always the warm-up bar before we hit the others later. Nettie closed down early to go home. She was a grandmotherly figure and would blow a refs whistle when all of us early 20 somethings got to loud and rowdy...told us to quiet down. Its been decades now, and she's gone, but the sign still says Ruff's and the place is still called Nettie's (or Ed & Nets).
Edit: Coney Island Lunch Room is so popular it gets its own Q&A string on a Google search. LOL. Look like ol' Gus still owns the place at age 96, and George runs it. Its been there for 90 years.
John, you always spark memories and further inquiries. George has his own Youtube interview from the local paper, for those interested in the history of a 90 year old family business:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dip9TFeWWL8
- Douglas
Double post Again!!
Happened to me yesterday, too. The forum is making up for eating my reply from two days ago
Well, I'll use the space to post Douglas' YouTube video...
York1Pretty neat.
Pretty Neat is right! Glad that a simple photo of a milkshake mixer can "stir-up" so many fond memories. I think H-B called that color Jadite Green. Seems like Fiesta Ware had a similar color.
It is a shame that the general trend is toward "Big-Box" fast food and not the mom & pop eateries. My wife rolls her eyes when I bring up George's Corner Lunch where I used to hang out in the early '70s. George Papadimitriou was Greek, too.
My memories of milk shakes came from dining at the Marion,Ohio, Union Station where there was a beanery that sold the BEST pies and shakes. OK, best might have a tinge of bias in it but that lunch counter was known far and wide in the railroad community.
ERIE_829_Marion-OH by Edmund, on Flickr
Union Station and the diner is on the right in the above photo.
C&O, Marion, Ohio, 1969 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Doughless The Coney Island Lunch Room has been a fixture for 80 years and is still run by the same family (well, last I checked 4 years ago). No secret its the Katrouzous family (Greek heritage).
There used to be a diner in Arcadia, Florida run by a Greek family. It was called The Paradise Diner, and it had been there for decades.
When they widened Highway 17 through Arcadia, the Diner was torn down to make room. It did not reopen in a new location. It was a loss.
Evening all.
I use to be a milkshake junkie all through high school and I remember those machines. Every day on the way home from school we got our shakes. They gave you it in a tall glass along with the metal container for the refill.
My daughter was giddy when she got home after her first day on the job. The first day was all about security and meeting her co-workers. Her top-of-the-heap boss took her out for a get-to-know-you lunch. Tomorrow she is introduced to some higher security areas. She came home with a wack of keys and pass cards and a proximity tag. So many she has two lanyards. They did thumb, hand, facial and retinal scans on her. I was surprised they still used old fashion keys.
I remember going through my security screenings some 40 years ago, no computers back then, it was two three-hour sessions of questions on everything you could imagine. I think in the end they were just making sure you answered the questions the same way every time they were asked. One day it was two guys and the next it was three. I remember being pretty relaxed about the whole thing as they had asked me to take the position as a favour on a temporary basis and I didn't really care if I got the job or not. I ended up never leaving and I can't imagine having a better job ever. Technology was not what it is today, I had a proximity tag I had to wear 24/7, and it worked well, but they tried the retinal access technology and that was a dismal failure as was the hand scan. Keys and pass cards were it.
I just walked in the door from a 6.44km walk through the forest. It was getting pretty dark under the canopy towards the end. I came upon a movie set that was still fully intact. They had given notice for two days of 18-hour shoots Monday and Tuesday. There was not a soul to be found anywhere as it was getting pretty dark in there. It looked like some sort of fantasy set, it covered a large area.
There were flowers everywhere, some real some plastic. There were also hundreds of these lanterns all over the place still lit. They had flickering LEDs in them. I went to take photos and my phone died, but I got two.
Time to pick a few tunes and then hit the rack.
SeeYou190That is the sandwich I made for dinner last night. Sometimes you just need to go "Full Decadent Dagwood" with these things and make an already great day end with a perfectly tasty treat. I made the bacon, then pan fried the breaded chicken cutlet in the bacon grease. I butter-browned the flat surfaces of the bun. Then I assembled the sandwich with pickles, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonaise. It is like a BLT married to a Southern Chicken Sandwich. It was AMAZING!
Hi Kevin,
I didn't have anything to eat all day Wednesday, but I was doing fine until you posted that sandwich! Now I am starving!!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
BATMANTechnology was not what it is today, I had a proximity tag I had to wear 24/7,
I'm amazed at how many people at GE would show up late and "forget" to log in at the Kronos time keeper then claim they weren't late.
Boss would point out "You used your card to open the employee lot gate, then used the card again to open the guardhouse door, all with the exact (late) times recorded, but once you got to the time clock you 'forgot' your card?"
This is what makes engineer's hair turn gray:
YES! That sandwich looks scrumptious! Don't mind if I do
In remembrance of Mel, this is a picture I took near Bakersfield, California:
California Is A Beautiful Place
I love the mountains way off in the background. It seems that I did not take a single picture while I actually was in Bakersfield.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good morning, everyone. Bacon, eggs, and a black coffee, please, Chloe.
Retirement means having lots of leisure time to do what we want, right? Why am I so busy doing things I don't want to do? Marriage plays a big part of it! I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'll check back in to the diner later when I get home.
The California Zephyr near Donner Pass, California:
Mornin' folks!
Ed and Tin Can, I remember those mixers well. Only place I ever saw them was at County and State Fairs though. Only place I ever got to sneak a few of those.... LOL That may have been why I generally gained a few pounds every summer doing the fair circuit with our Guernsey Show Herd.
The Tesla Owners Club New York State is sponsoring what could be a fun day at an airport. It is the ADK Region Autocross - Tesla Vs. Corvette.
"Push your Tesla to the test on Saturday, July 23rd (rain or shine), with check-in from 8am to 9am, for our first ever autocross event. To make things event better, this will be a battle of the best of American ICE vs. the best of American EV, with Southern Tier Corvette Club meeting us there to see who can get the best time around the track."
If somebody shows up with a new Tesla Model S Plaid, it will be a "no contest". 0 to 60 in 1.99 seconds with the quarter mile at 9.23 seconds (Fastest Qualified run was actually 8.83 seconds but that car had some mods) and finished with 155 mph... HP rated conservatively at 1020! Top speed 216mph! Handling is excellent as well. Might be an interesting match up though.... Don't think my wimpy Model 3 (2 wheel drive) would come close but it might be fun to see what I would do in the quarter mile. Top speed of mine is a paltry 130mph.....
Have a good one out there!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
BATMANMy daughter was giddy when she got home after her first day on the job. The first day was all about security and meeting her co-workers. Her top-of-the-heap boss took her out for a get-to-know-you lunch. Tomorrow she is introduced to some higher security areas. She came home with a wack of keys and pass cards and a proximity tag. So many she has two lanyards. They did thumb, hand, facial and retinal scans on her.
Possibly it's just me and my paranoia, but if one of my offspring were involved in something that is possibly government and involves that much security, I think I would be reluctant to advertise that fact to anyone outside of my immediate family no matter how proud I might be of them. Just too many nefarious characters out there these days.
maxman Possibly it's just me and my paranoia, but if one of my offspring were involved in something that is possibly government and involves that much security, I think I would be reluctant to advertise that fact to anyone outside of my immediate family no matter how proud I might be of them. Just too many nefarious characters out there these days.
Yes, I worked in a classified environment for years. I didn't make a big deal out of it. I did occasionally say when asked how high my clearance was, was that it was so high even I didn't know what it was. One day I discovered that what I said was true.
I've been retired for 8 years now and I still don't talk about it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good morning, it is another beautiful day.
I played my guitar for a couple of hours until my hands gave out from arthritis, I think I'll pile on the bacon, eggs, steak, onions, tomatoes, and cheese and then head out to finish off the pruning of the roses.
Maxman, thanks for your concern but it is nothing cloak and dagger. My daughter has been studying Anthropology along with medicine/Psychology. She produced a couple of extensive papers on Anthropological Forensics on her own and these caught the attention of people on a national, in fact, international level. She is not working on anything "top secret" that would be of interest to anyone. There are Government installations all over the country with really tight security, I know, I use to go in and out of them myself for 36 years and people knew I did. Anyone wanting to try and breach a facility by finding out who worked there could just park outside the front gate and follow someone home at the end of the day, I don't think they would be stalking out an MRR forum to do it. Even if they stole all her keys and pass cards they still couldn't get in, this is where Hollywood gets it wrong and makes some of us cringe. I don't think she will have a problem ever getting a job if she ever stops going to University, though, she has said on more than one occasion she wants to go to University forever.
Ray, my friend has been building drag race cars out of Chevy Vegas since the seventies. I have had many rides down the local drag strip in them. I think he still has six of them and I have lent a hand many a time helping him put an engine back in a car even though I hate working on cars, but that's what friends are for. He is really put out, though he will never admit it that all his lifelong friends showing up in their electric cars can blow his doors off, on the drag strip.
I think some of the engines he has built over the years were bigger than the car itself. Just for fun I use to race him when I had my RX-7. He would blow my doors off but then when he topped out I would rip by him and leave him in the dust. The RX would do 170mph, I think he topped out at 110mph.
About thirty years ago I was driving along and saw a yellow Vega sitting out in a farmer's field so I stopped and went up to the door and asked about it, the old guy said it is yours, you can have it just take it out of here. This thing was covered in moss and dirt and was just disgusting. It was my friend's birthday the next week so I called a tow truck on his birthday and had it towed and put in his driveway while he was at work and put a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! sign on it. I was not sure how he was going to react but when he came home he was like a kid and was so excited. It turned out the car only had 18000km on it and after he cleaned it all up it looked almost new. It was his best drag build ever and has been featured in many publications. For the cost of a tow truck, it was the best present I could have ever given him, I had meant for it to have been a joke thinking he could at least scrounge a few parts. He married my wife's cousin and tells me that setting them up best thing I ever did for him, the car comes a close second.
Time to eat and prune, maybe I had better get the blood services to send over a couple of units to top me up afterward.
MisterBeasleyI didn't make a big deal out of it. I did occasionally say when asked how high my clearance was, was that it was so high even I didn't know what it was. One day I discovered that what I said was true.
My clearance was not governmental, but I was cleared for access to very sensitive engineering information with my previous employer. I knew a lot about many "secret" products in development that would be released over the next several years. I also knew a lot about products that were designed, tested, but never sent to market.
My middle daughter is a software engineer for a giant worldwide powerful corporation, and her level of clearance and access is amazing. Her husband does product development for the same company, and again, everything is secret.
No reason to make any big deal out of any of this... its just life and jobs.
We are in for a giant thunderstorm down here. There are flood warnings for the two counties south of us. We are receiving massive lightning and 40 MPH wind gusts right now, but no rain yet.
Stand by for a bad day in Florida.
SeeYou190 Doughless The Coney Island Lunch Room has been a fixture for 80 years and is still run by the same family (well, last I checked 4 years ago). No secret its the Katrouzous family (Greek heritage). There used to be a diner in Arcadia, Florida run by a Greek family. It was called The Paradise Diner, and it had been there for decades. When they widened Highway 17 through Arcadia, the Diner was torn down to make room. It did not reopen in a new location. It was a loss. -Kevin
In our last visit to SW Florida, we took one of those touristy air boat rides on the Peace River. Nice time. They put-in up near Arcadia, and we ate lunch there afterwards. It was downtown, but can't remember the name of the restaurant. Arcadia seems like a nice old town with some history.
But speaking of our subject California, I've been there three times, twice to the San Ramon area for work years ago, and to Marina Del Ray to visit the oldest who was working there in 2020.
Did the Napa Valley wine tasting route years ago. Its a good time, nice thing to do. Bought some dessert wine and learned about the vineyards.
Was bummed though. I never could find the ThunderBird Vineyard.
DoughlessWas bummed though. I never could find the ThunderBird Vineyard.
About three months before every shuttle flight I would have to pick up a truckload of equipment from a local aerospace company, my understanding was it was the computer systems for the flight that had been programmed. We used a variety of methods to get it to Florida. I was tasked with this job for years. I would tell people about it sometimes and they would go, "should you be telling people about this, shouldn't it be secret"? I would inform them that the local TV news had covered it a couple of times and it is also mentioned in the corporate communications. It was considered important and a sensitive move, but was hardly a secret.
I was sent to Airforce One three times over the years when it was in Vancouver, I would have to pick things up and deliver them somewhere. I have been on the aircraft of more leaders including the Queens than I can count. I was dispatched to them on an open radio or on a non-encrypted cell phone, yet there are people that say I should not be telling anyone even 20 years later.
There are many things I have never and never will tell anyone from my working days, I am well aware of what is and is not okay for public consumption. Industrial espionage is a real threat that was heavily guarded against.
I was a glorified moving man or mailman entrusted with some sensitive stuff over the years. Hollywood might be able to stretch it into a blockbuster but the reality is there is not much secret or exciting about what I did or where I went.
When I went to a leaders plane to pick something up I arrived in a dirty pick-up truck wearing dirty coveralls and a parka if it was winter. Yep, I looked just like the bad guy in a James Bond movie.
My son at 19 years of age went to work at the CIA for his coop job while attending Kettering University. He received a top clearance and we know the FBI interviewed our neighbors and the teachers at his high school. His clearance has lapsed but some of his latest jobs have required him to reapply. He was at the CIA for six years and we don't know what he did there and if you ask he and his friends just ignore you and talk about something else. Another thing he mentions is in all the TV shows and movies they show people with cell phones, but my son said all cell phones had to be left in your car, they were not allowed on the Langley campus.
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Good evening, everyone.
I'm feeling a little left out in the diner today.
The only time I've ever been given clearance is going through the TSA checkpoint at the airport. Being a school principal didn't require clearance, only a thick skin.
Another California Amtrak photo:
Have a good evening, gentlemen. Tomorrow's Friday!
York1A while back, someone in the diner mentioned going to ride the Skunk Train in California. I can't remember who it was. I haven't been there, but I found some pictures of it. If you've ever ridden it, can you find some pictures for the rest of us diners? I'd love to see them.
Hi John, I remember that discussion, maybe it was Space Mouse? I rode it a few years ago. The only pictures I have are of the "family vacationy" type (sorry!), and for some reason I didn't get any of the ride when we were deep in the redwoods
The train had an awesome open car, more like just a moving deck, and it even had a bar on one end. This pic is shortly after leaving the station, heading towards the redwoods:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52216027567_51da7b35bc.jpg
A fine looking amateur model railroader enjoying a pina colada (or two):
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52217518805_397474603c.jpg
There was a guitar/harmonica playing wondering conductor on the train. At the camp at the turn around point my kid mooched his guitar to play some Pink Floyd for him (Wish you were here, I think). This has become one of my favorite kid pictures:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52217308324_71139b8ef5_z.jpg
We were in California to visit some of the wife's family, and rode the train as a last minute idea during a down day. So glad we did, it was a great day.
-Tom
Dang it. Another try at the pics:
My wife went to the doctor today. We received some very excellent news.
All of her "numbers" are finally back in the good range. A1C, Sugar, Cholesterol, Blood Oxygen Level, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, are all good. The only minor problem is bile in her liver.
I haven't talked about her health issues in here. Three and a half years ago, she was given six months to live. She immediately quit her job, and we spent as much time together as we possibly could. She barely was hanging on for a while.
Then Covid came, and we both knew if she caught it, that would be all for her. I took the early retirement my employer offered, and we lived like hermits together for almost two years. Those were some of the best times to be imagined.
Now she has improved more than anyone could ever expect or predict. "Miraculous" is the word she heard a lot today.
I hope we are blessed with a lot more time together.
This is truly the best news I have ever received.
Great news, Kevin!! Live long and prosper - the both of you.
John
SeeYou190My wife went to the doctor today. We received some very excellent news.
I'm very glad to hear that your wife is back in good health! You will have to do something special to celebrate.