-Photograph by Kevin Parson
Today I feel like having a grilled Reuban Sandwich for lunch. Please feel free to join in and grab one for yourself.
York1That's too bad she's moving that far away again. It's just a good excuse for another road trip, and you can take more great pictures of the countryside.
My wife ia already planning the next trip!
DoughlessMy oldest daughter is graduating PA school and then is moving to Seattle.
What is it with Daughters moving to Tacoma/Seattle/Olympia from the South? I know many people whose daughters have done the same thing. Two of my three are doing it.
Fortunately, they come back.
She is making the trip with just herself and her dog. The trip will take a month. Along the way she is spending a week with her sister in Illinois and five days with a friend in Denver.
My only concern is her driving that exotic little sports car she bought. It is certainly not a road tripping car. I offered to ship it for her and pay half the rental of an SUV, but she would have none of it. She wants to make the trip in something that is fun to drive.
Driving an SUV one way from Florida to Seattle in July is very inexpensive, relatively.
DoughlessSorry, I won't be able to chronicle the trip for the forum like you did, but I might have some of the same experiences. Maybe see some hobby shops along the way, or interesting right-of-ways.
I love visiting old hobby shops, but they are getting to be very few and very far between.
Happy travels!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
My condolences to you and your wife on the loss of your cherished Daisy, John.
Never an easy thing to say goodbye to a close companion.
Regards, Ed
Our condolences, John.
Been there and all that.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
SeeYou190 What is it with Daughters moving ---- -Kevin
What is it with Daughters moving ----
Sorry to hear that, John. You've had a lot of years with Daisy. I sadly remember when our cat Emily crossed the Rainbow Bridge a couple of years ago. We went out and got another cat very shortly. We also have another cat and a dog, so those issues with travel didn't change. With all the Covid restrictions and the inability of the airlines to provide a decent level of service, we haven't traveled much other than by car in years.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
SeeYou190What is it with Daughters moving to Tacoma/Seattle/Olympia from the South? I know many people whose daughters have done the same thing. Two of my three are doing it.
The motivation is the boyfriend/fiance. They went to college together and he has a job is Seattle, patiently waiting for her to graduate PA school.
- Douglas
Kevin, the Reuben looks good. I love them if they're made correctly.
Doughless SeeYou190 What is it with Daughters moving to Tacoma/Seattle/Olympia from the South? I know many people whose daughters have done the same thing. Two of my three are doing it. The motivation is the boyfriend/fiance. They went to college together and he has a job is Seattle, patiently waiting for her to graduate PA school.
SeeYou190 What is it with Daughters moving to Tacoma/Seattle/Olympia from the South? I know many people whose daughters have done the same thing. Two of my three are doing it.
Traveling from Georgia to Washington, a straight line takes you through Nebraska. About forty miles off Interstate 80 is Spring Creek Model Railroad store. It takes time because the store is off the beaten path, but it is worth stopping there if you are not in a hurry.
Seattle is a beautiful city, but the traffic is horrible. Three years ago I got caught on Interstate 5 going south after visiting the Space Needle. It was terrible traffic. Of course, I live in a town where the most traffic encountered is two cars at a stoplight, so Seattle may not be as bad as I remember.
York1 John
Hello again diners. Kevin, thanks for the Reuben! I love a good Reuben.
Just got back from a little vacation with the family. Rented a cabin on a lake up north for a few nights, hit the area tourist traps, did some kayaking and fishing. Great family time. Had a lot of fun.
York John, so sorry to hear about Daisy. I feel for you.
Lots of catching up to do, so I better get to reading everyone's posts.
Mike
It is still morning out West, so good morning.
John, sorry to hear about Daisy, it is never easy to lose a pet. I have accompanied my wife many times to help when she has been asked to put a pet down at people's homes. Lots of heartbreak to be sure.
Ed, great video, thanks for posting. I love the pride those guys take in looking after that monster.
Shipping cars across the country is pretty easy. One of my in-laws was doing contract work at the Pentagon and had bought a 196.... Corvette while he was there. When it was time to come home he did not have time to drive all the way back to Vancouver so he asked me to drive it home. He would fly me to Washington and pay all my expenses. I wish I could have done it but I was too busy at the time, it would have been a blast. I can't remember what year it was but it has a split rear window. I suggested he put the car on a train and ship it to Vancouver. He had not thought of doing that, he looked into it and that's how the car got home. It did so in very little time and he said it only cost him the equivalent of four tanks of gas. What a deal he said.
Sports cars are the best for road trips. I bought this 1990 in 1989 and owned it for fifteen years. Best road trip car ever. We went all over Western Canada and the U.S. in it.
David, what part of the country is your daughter thinking of moving to? Tell her to check housing costs before she takes the plunge. Our nieces and nephews are leaving the greater Vancouver area as they will never be able to buy a home here. They are all out of University and have good jobs but still can't afford a home here.
I have a big project going on here but I won't bore you with the details, I was just taking a break.
All the best to all.
Name the model railroader.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
York1 It was terrible traffic. Of course, I live in a town where the most traffic encountered is two cars at a stoplight, so Seattle may not be as bad as I remember.
It was as bad as you remember.
Mass transit is the best way to get around Seattle. My daughter knew the system very well when she lived there, and we had no problems using the buses and monorail.
Water Level Route Kevin, thanks for the Reuben! I love a good Reuben.
I agree completely. A well made Reuben is wonderful.
Brent. No idea where our daughter and family would be going. It depends where the SiL's company send him (if at all).
The last time they went away, the daughter and SiL went to New York.
BATMAN David, what part of the country is your daughter thinking of moving to? Tell her to check housing costs before she takes the plunge. Our nieces and nephews are leaving the greater Vancouver area as they will never be able to buy a home here. They are all out of University and have good jobs but still can't afford a home here.
My daughter is going to move from Pasadena to the Vancouver area of Washington, even though they make good money, they cannot afford to buy a house in Pasadena area. She moved out there while going to graduate school and we knew with the weather there she would never come back.
My son went to Colorado and although he has changed jobs 5 times he is still there and I am sure if anything happens to his job again, he will get a new one. Both my other son and myself get contacted via e-mail and phone calls looking for Brian as a lot of companies are looking for his skills.
I would never move south of Bowling Green, and that is Ohio not Kentucky, like the change of seasons and storms here are not as destructive as other areas.
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!
dti406 BATMAN David, what part of the country is your daughter thinking of moving to? Tell her to check housing costs before she takes the plunge. Our nieces and nephews are leaving the greater Vancouver area as they will never be able to buy a home here. They are all out of University and have good jobs but still can't afford a home here. My daughter is going to move from Pasadena to the Vancouver area of Washington, even though they make good money, they cannot afford to buy a house in Pasadena area. She moved out there while going to graduate school and we knew with the weather there she would never come back. My son went to Colorado and although he has changed jobs 5 times he is still there and I am sure if anything happens to his job again, he will get a new one. Both my other son and myself get contacted via e-mail and phone calls looking for Brian as a lot of companies are looking for his skills. I would never move south of Bowling Green, and that is Ohio not Kentucky, like the change of seasons and storms here are not as destructive as other areas. Rick Jesionowski
I graduated high school in 1976 and decided to work hard and smart as I wanted to stay in the Vancouver area, but even back then it owning a house was beyond whatever I could afford on just my Government wage. Today a real dump in Vancouver proper will cost well over $2,000,000.00. Fortunately, there are lots of beautiful affordable places to live elsewhere in the country. I would like to move to New Zealand but I think I am getting a little long in the tooth for that kind of move.
My friend I grew up with went to work on oil rigs in the North Sea right out of high school, made enough to put down payments on one or two houses every year and they were rented out. The street we grew up on had 14 houses on it and his goal was to buy them all, so when one came up for sale he bought it. He bought quite a few of them (eight I think) He also bought others. He worked the North Sea rigs for 22 years and retired at 40. He still has most of the same houses he bought though is starting to sell them off as he is getting long in the tooth, like me he is 66. He has a beautiful wife, and no kids, and lives very modestly. His houses are worth about $68,000,000.00 now. It is amazing what a high school education can get you.
BATMANa 196.... Corvette
Pretty sure the only year a split window was produced was 1963. My sister owned one for years. All matching numbers and correct. I was able to drive it numerous times. What a car!
Terry
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
York1 Kevin, the Reuben looks good. I love them if they're made correctly. Doughless SeeYou190 What is it with Daughters moving to Tacoma/Seattle/Olympia from the South? I know many people whose daughters have done the same thing. Two of my three are doing it. The motivation is the boyfriend/fiance. They went to college together and he has a job is Seattle, patiently waiting for her to graduate PA school. Traveling from Georgia to Washington, a straight line takes you through Nebraska. About forty miles off Interstate 80 is Spring Creek Model Railroad store. It takes time because the store is off the beaten path, but it is worth stopping there if you are not in a hurry. Seattle is a beautiful city, but the traffic is horrible. Three years ago I got caught on Interstate 5 going south after visiting the Space Needle. It was terrible traffic. Of course, I live in a town where the most traffic encountered is two cars at a stoplight, so Seattle may not be as bad as I remember.
We'll be stopping in KCMO to visit family, and Deshler could definitely be a stop also, along with seeing the old stomping grounds of GI NE for the first time in 15 years. Google says that the shortest route from KC to SEA is via I-29 along the Missouri River, but I'm also intrigued by the idea of taking NE Highway 2 through the sandhills.
We lost our Golden Doodle of 14 years last month. Mixed feelings actually. We loved her, but the last few months were difficult for her and us, so her passing came as something of a relief.
BATMANMy friend I grew up with went to work on oil rigs in the North Sea right out of high school, made enough to put down payments on one or two houses every year and they were rented out. The street we grew up on had 14 houses on it and his goal was to buy them all, so when one came up for sale he bought it. He bought quite a few of them (eight I think) He also bought others. He worked the North Sea rigs for 22 years and retired at 40. He still has most of the same houses he bought though is starting to sell them off as he is getting long in the tooth, like me he is 66. He has a beautiful wife, and no kids, and lives very modestly. His houses are worth about $68,000,000.00 now. It is amazing what a high school education can get you
Of course, the tradeoff for all of that wealth is spending hours of life over 22 years on an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea. Did he wear a lined raincoat 24/7 for 22 years? LOL.
He managed properties from the middle of the North Sea? Normally, managing any rental house is a PITA. I can't imagine the hassle of managing 8 of them from an oil rig in the North Sea, when I wasn't wearing my raincoat.
Sounds like he earned most of that $68M, if that's how he wanted to spend his time.
I've always thought that college degrees got you an easier job...physically...and more job security in practice...not necessarily more wealth. That comes from motivation, IMO.
Doughless BATMAN My friend I grew up with went to work on oil rigs in the North Sea right out of high school, made enough to put down payments on one or two houses every year and they were rented out. The street we grew up on had 14 houses on it and his goal was to buy them all, so when one came up for sale he bought it. He bought quite a few of them (eight I think) He also bought others. He worked the North Sea rigs for 22 years and retired at 40. He still has most of the same houses he bought though is starting to sell them off as he is getting long in the tooth, like me he is 66. He has a beautiful wife, and no kids, and lives very modestly. His houses are worth about $68,000,000.00 now. It is amazing what a high school education can get you Of course, the tradeoff for all of that wealth is spending hours of life over 22 years on an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea. Did he wear a lined raincoat 24/7 for 22 years? LOL. He managed properties from the middle of the North Sea? Normally, managing any rental house is a PITA. I can't imagine the hassle of managing 8 of them from an oil rig in the North Sea, when I wasn't wearing my raincoat. Sounds like he earned most of that $68M, if that's how he wanted to spend his time. I've always thought that college degrees got you an easier job...physically...and more job security in practice...not necessarily more wealth. That comes from motivation, IMO.
BATMAN My friend I grew up with went to work on oil rigs in the North Sea right out of high school, made enough to put down payments on one or two houses every year and they were rented out. The street we grew up on had 14 houses on it and his goal was to buy them all, so when one came up for sale he bought it. He bought quite a few of them (eight I think) He also bought others. He worked the North Sea rigs for 22 years and retired at 40. He still has most of the same houses he bought though is starting to sell them off as he is getting long in the tooth, like me he is 66. He has a beautiful wife, and no kids, and lives very modestly. His houses are worth about $68,000,000.00 now. It is amazing what a high school education can get you
He had a management company look after them. He had as many as 23 houses at one time, he has fewer now. The eight houses apply to owning eight out of the possible 14 houses that were on our old street.
The usual rotation was 9 weeks on, and 9 weeks off, however, he did 3 months on, and 3 months off. We did a lot of hiking when he was home. Both he and I could never sit at a desk, it had to be physical work outside for our sanity, though mine involved a lot of driving. Then and now at 66, we are both in excellent shape.
The last time we got together we were discussing what he wanted to do with it all when he and his wife were gone. There will be some happy charities and a lot of new scholarships being created as he has no close family.
You are right about managing rental properties, I had six at one time and it was like babysitting, I finally let the rental management arm of Remax manage them to maintain my sanity. The final straw for me was overhearing two teenage girls saying they could not wait until they were 16 so they could get their own welfare cheques. I do not handle dysfunctional people well.
Terry, thanks for telling me the year of the Corvette I wasn't sure. It is beautiful having been fully restored. When he asked I wasn't sure about him wanting me to drive it home for him and putting all that wear and tear on it.
I think a couple of Rum and Pepsi are in order as happy hour on the West Coast has arrived. Can't behave all the time.
The rails have yet to be put down at the far end. See the tiny people?
York1 Kevin, the Reuben looks good. I love them if they're made correctly. . . . . Seattle is a beautiful city, but the traffic is horrible. Three years ago I got caught on Interstate 5 going south after visiting the Space Needle. It was terrible traffic. Of course, I live in a town where the most traffic encountered is two cars at a stoplight, so Seattle may not be as bad as I remember.
. . . .
Good morning everyone. Chloe, please bring me a large cup of black coffee, and an apple turnover from the pastry case. Thank you.
Things are getting back to more-and-more back to normal down here still since Hurricane Ian.
Roofing companies are advertising on television again. The work is no longer looking for them it seems. I have not seen a roofing company advertise for work in almost a year.
There are a lot less roofs going on in my neighborhood. I heard one getting nailed down yesterday, and I realized it had been a long time since hearing that noise.
Also, the out-of-state roofers are packing up and leaving town. This has been eye-opening for several reasons.
There are customers that they had taken deposits from, but it is no longer cost-effective for them to stick around for one or two more roofing jobs. These customers are getting refunds. I have not heard anything about these roofers keeping the deposits, but it would not surprise me if it does happen here and there.
Now these people that were expecting roof installations need to get new quotes, hire another contractor, and get back in line.
Also... a lot of them are returning excess material where I work. This is worrysome. Some of them are returning material bought from stores in South Georgia that do not meet building codes for Florida. We do not sell these items in Florida stores.
Code inspectors have caught a few of them using Non-Dade approved materials. I feel bad for the people that will end up owning these houses. The next storm will be a problem for them.
BATMANHe had a management company look after them. He had as many as 23 houses at one time, he has fewer now. The eight houses apply to owning eight out of the possible 14 houses that were on our old street. The usual rotation was 9 weeks on, and 9 weeks off, however, he did 3 months on, and 3 months off. We did a lot of hiking when he was home. Both he and I could never sit at a desk, it had to be physical work outside for our sanity, though mine involved a lot of driving. Then and now at 66, we are both in excellent shape. The last time we got together we were discussing what he wanted to do with it all when he and his wife were gone. There will be some happy charities and a lot of new scholarships being created as he has no close family. You are right about managing rental properties, I had six at one time and it was like babysitting, I finally let the rental management arm of Remax manage them to maintain my sanity. The final straw for me was overhearing two teenage girls saying they could not wait until they were 16 so they could get their own welfare cheques. I do not handle dysfunctional people well.
Yeah, he would have to do it that way, even if he lived locally.
I have found that life's choices are governed by motivation, in that unless a person doesn't have the basic IQ to be a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist, anybody can become anything they want to become. It comes down to how you want to spend your time and the rewards earned for how its spent.
Almost everybody has a unique/personal reward system, and that's what dictates life's choices for the most part.
Its great that your friend spent his time earning tremendous wealth and physical conditioning. Its probably very important to him. Since those are things that don't come at a person but that they generally must go out and get, he's probably very happy and proud of where he's at now, and others who are motivated by the same things probably look up to him. Thanks for sharing.
Good morning, diners. Bacon, eggs, and black coffee, please.
I won't jinx myself by saying that I have a clear day with nothing planned, but ...
On another thread the discussion turned to The Diner. I have posted a lot here, but I enjoy reading everyone's posts each morning. I tend to drone on here.
DoughlessGoogle says that the shortest route from KC to SEA is via I-29 along the Missouri River, but I'm also intrigued by the idea of taking NE Highway 2 through the sandhills.
Highway 2 is a beautiful stretch of road, especially if you don't like crowds!
SeeYou190There are a lot less roofs going on in my neighborhood. I heard one getting nailed down yesterday, and I realized it had been a long time since hearing that noise.
It's the same here. Just yesterday a house behind me got a new roof, but that was the first in quite a while. The thing not getting done here is the siding replacement. There are still a lot of houses that look like they were hit by machine gun fire. The storm was last June. There is a lot of blame going around -- they are claiming they cannot get certain brands and styles of siding because of nationwide demand.
Hope everyone has a great day.
York1On another thread the discussion turned to The Diner. I have posted a lot here, but I enjoy reading everyone's posts each morning. I didn't realize the diner would have its critics. If my posts get too much or too long, let me know. I tend to drone on here.
As I said in the other thread, I think your posts are just fine. They are interesting from a personal topical standpoint yet don't ever get too personal, if that makes sense.
What doesn't make sense is the idea that long time/frequent forum members who interact or "see" each other on a frequent basis would not strike up a conversation about things other than railroading. I mean, if you saw somebody in a trackside diner every day, would it be normal to confine a conversation to just railroading?
Maybe the critics just have a hard time conversing about other things, or just don't want to.
I think that sharing experiences and opinions about other things is actually valuable when it comes to approaching the hobby. Broader perspectives can give insight into why certain things are modeled or why certain aspects of the hobby are pursued more than others. No big deal, but it helps to put some color and meaning into some of the hobby related topics we talk about. JMO.
I see you replied while I was adding to my comment. Highway 2 is an amazing stretch of road. The problem is that today most people traveling through the state are in a hurry to pass through the state. Highway 2 is not for people in hurry.
York1 I see you replied while I was adding to my comment. Highway 2 is an amazing stretch of road. The problem is that today most people traveling through the state are in a hurry to pass through the state. Highway 2 is not for people in hurry.
My best friend in HS's family has ranch near Anselmo, NE. He has inherited it. I have been that far up 2 before but never all the way to NW Nebraska. We're looking to spend a few hours at Mt Rushmore, and Google wants me to head up to Valentine to get to I-90 as quickly as possible, LOL.
To keep this comment full circle to the hobby, I think Hiway 2 mirrors the old CB&Q line up to and through Alliance, NE...(or near abouts). That's the current BNSF Powder River line, and also is the subject of forum member Mark Pruitt's Steam era layout in Wyoming.
I could get some decent railfanning in too.
I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong about that.
Good morning from the West Coast where it is 20c and cloudy.
Too much heavy lifting yesterday and I am paying the price today. I am fully mobile and pain-free until I start lifting heavy stuff and then the spine lets me know I am full of arthritis.
My young cousin (43) just got back from an extended deployment on a submarine as a civilian contractor. I could easily work on an oil rig, however, being on a sub does not appeal to me in the least. No going outside on one of those. I can't wait to hear about his adventure.
I went to Mt. Rushmore in 1966, It is well worth a visit. We went across the States that bordered Canada plus Wyoming and South Dakota. Dad had taken 9 weeks off work, it was a great trip.
Taking secondary roads if you have the time, lets you actually see what the country is all about. I remember driving around Europe on small windy roads, it was like stepping back in time.
I was just in the train room and realized I still had not opened three Rapido single-sheathed boxcars I had bought a few weeks back, maybe today.
It's garbage day today, that's the most noise we ever get around here.
Hope they got that track installed.
DoughlessWhat doesn't make sense is the idea that long time/frequent forum members who interact or "see" each other on a frequent basis would not strike up a conversation about things other than railroading. I mean, if you saw somebody in a trackside diner every day, would it be normal to confine a conversation to just railroading? Maybe the critics just have a hard time conversing about other things, or just don't want to.
I think that it would probably not be normal to confine conversations just to railroading. On the other hand when the conversations stray to my health, your health, the number of funerals we need to attend, the pet dying, and other downer things, I could be persuaded to change my mind.
Regarding the critics, if they don't like the "culture" they should probably just stop peeking and refrain from lifting the lid on the petri dish.
I unboxed my Rapido Single -Sheathed boxcars and as I always do gave them the rolling test. I need more parking on the layout.
This cat showed up about three weeks ago and follows me around everywhere I go. No one could get close to it including me. We were concerned about it as no one in the area knew who owned it. Today I sat down on the ground and I guess after scoping me out for three weeks figured I was alright and came and climbed in my lap. My wife scanned it and it has a chip that was made in Germany and the cat is registered in Kuwait. Not on any North American database so the wife is contacting Kuwait to find the owner hopefully.
I just love detective work.
Sorry for the boring post.
I just got back home from taking my grandson to see "the dinosaurs" at the Civic Center.
It was awful. Just awful.
I should have just stayed home and watched Jurassic World again.
Well, thank you for taking care of a little stray. Since it's a calico, it's probably a girl cat, although a few calicos are males.
Good luck finding the cat's owners. Actually, dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
She looks like she's been well taken care of. Her real staff may be just around the corner.
Or, you may have adopted a cat. Congratulations. They're great animals.