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THE FLAT WHEEL CAFE/DINER JULY VERSION

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 9, 2009 8:34 PM

 Another 104 degree day here in Alamo City.  Currently 97 at 8:30 pm.

We have a nice crunchy brown lawn here......

 

 

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Posted by Modelcar on Thursday, July 9, 2009 9:40 PM

.....I know, people do things different at many places....But not washing coffee cups is a new one on me....Mine goes in the dish washer each morning.

Quentin

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, July 9, 2009 9:45 PM

Well, I thought I would finish with the roller this afternoon (only a little left for it). When I went to the store where I bought the paint, I discovered that the first associate had used the wrong base for the main color--and I was not about to get a gallon of paint made with the correct base--and it was impossible to get another gallon made with the wrong base. The associate who was trying to help me was no better than the conductor who did not know what to do when a mule kicked a slat off the stock car, and could only say that he could not mix me paint to match the almost seven gallons I had already put on. After a while, an associate who knew how to handle a loose slat came up, and she explained to me the problem to me. She then told me what could be done--I had to come back home, get a stick I had used to stir the paint this morning, take it to the store so she could see what shade I had been using, and she then added pigment to what today's first associate had mixed into the correct base (incidentally, he had added the amount of pigment to tint a quart to a gallon of base), and produced a match to what I had already bought. This back and forth and such used so much time that I will finish with the roller another day. Oh, well; summer's not over yet.

Johnny

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Posted by cherokee woman on Friday, July 10, 2009 6:20 AM

Good Friday morning, everyone.  Nice and warm here this morning, with a temp about 73 degrees.  Heading to somewhere in the 90s today. 

Johnny, sorry to hear about your troubles with the paint.  When I worked at KMart, and wasn't on the Front Check Outs, I would have to mix paint for customers.  If it didn't match the sample they brought in, we did it over until we got it right, before they left the store.  

Coffee, juices, lemonade, Gatorade, iced teas and hot water for tea are ready.  And on the warmer bar this morning:  bagels, bear claws, several different varieties of doughnuts, danish, and muffins. 

Everyone have a good morning, keep cool, and take care.

Angel cherokee woman "O'Toole's law: Murphy was an optimist."
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Posted by grampaw pettibone on Friday, July 10, 2009 7:20 AM

Hello Americans, it's Friday! 69 and sunny in Carolina, headed for another hottun. hopefully without lightning. I haven't felt too well the past few days and have sent a right smart of time in the rack, but at present, feel very good. Johnny, I know about the customer service problems. At one time in my young life, I was assistant manager of a Radio Shack. Our manager gave very confusing instructions sometimes when he was out, and it caused confusion untold.... Everyone take care

Tom

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, July 10, 2009 7:28 AM

good morning

well the customer is right(even if they are wrong).worked in retail for years.People still ask me where things are at.One year we bought thomas for a discount because they had the wrong tag on the shelf.Could have some rain tonight as the muggies return.cw thanks for breakfast.as for dishes its time to do chores now.

stay safe

joe

Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").

 

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, July 10, 2009 11:11 AM

bubbajustin
[snip] 1 week till' vacation!!! 

 Hi, Justin -

Wow, that got here quick.  Here's few more last-minute [sorry about that] suggestions you and your family memebers for the Amtrak overnight portions of your trip, in case you haven't thought of them already [I can't remember if I mentioned them to you before or not] - in addition to my previous suggestions about carry-on food and drinks and the dining car, etc.

1.  Get/ take earplugs [or headphones of some kind, etc.] to muffle the noise from elsewhere in the car while you're trying to sleep.  Everything from train noise, to noise from people getting on and off at the various stops through the night, to door noise of people coming and going through the end doors, to the bathroom and its door noise, to cell phones ringing, and people talking loudly on the cell phone, etc.  This varies greatly from train to train - some crews are pretty good at getting all the overnight stop people on just 1 or 2 cars so they don't disrupt the others, and enforcing 'quiet hours' - others, not so much.  Also, depends on how sound of a sleeper you and your family are, and whether you want to nap during the day on some of the less-scenic portions of the trip.

2.  Get/ take a sleep mask - one of those cloth or fabric things with an elastic band to go around your head - to keep the light out of your eyes while you're trying to sleep.  Again, there's lots of different sources of that at night - and it comes in handy for naps during the day, too.

3.  Get/ take and keep handy a sweater, sweatshirt, light jacket, etc. to keep warm enough overnight.  The air conditioning in the cars usually does a fine job during the day, when the sun is shining brightly on the top and through the windows - and it sometimes keeps right on pumping out the cold air at night, too.  Some trains may have balnkets to hand out - but you never know if they'll have enough for eveyone.  Since you're going to Colorado where it can get cool at night anyway [not to Florida or the hotter parts of a SouthWestern U.S. state], you'll probably be packing something like this anyway.  But even if it's warm to hot when and where you leave, take one of these as a carry-on or in one of the outer compartments of the suitcase, etc., so it's easy to get to if and when you might need it. 

4.  Also, pillows of some kind, in case you want more support or thickness behind you head or under your neck, etc.  Since you wouldn't need pillows otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to take a real pillow.  Do you have small inflatable air pillows from camping [Q]  Or, just use a rolled-up sweatshirt or casual sweater, etc. [not a good one], which you'll need anyway, as above.

Finally - I know you'll be nice to the train crew, but remember they also have a big train and a lot of work to do with all the other passengers, so their time may be a scarce item on occasion.

Hope this is helpful.  Best wishes for a safe and fun trip.

- Paul North.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by blhanel on Friday, July 10, 2009 1:27 PM

Quentin, if the MONSOON we had here this morning holds together, you're about to get a whole lot wetter...

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Posted by Modelcar on Friday, July 10, 2009 2:30 PM

blhanel
Quentin, if the MONSOON we had here this morning holds together, you're about to get a whole lot wetter

 

Well...Brian, we can sure use some of it....Still very dry...!

Quentin

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Friday, July 10, 2009 4:02 PM

Send a little up this way too, if you could.  Only do it after I get the lawn done tonight...Smile,Wink, & Grin

Dan

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Posted by cherokee woman on Friday, July 10, 2009 4:42 PM

Brian, it looks like we might get some rain in a little bit, all the way down here in Louisville.  But we haven't seen anything yet.  

Dan, welcome back in here!  How are Misty and Baby A?  I hope all three of you are doing well.

I've got our Friday Fish Fry on the warmer bar.  All the usual list of various kinds of fish, along with all the regular side dishes.  

Desserts tonight:  your choice of chocolate or yellow cake and ice cream. 

Angel cherokee woman "O'Toole's law: Murphy was an optimist."
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Posted by bubbajustin on Friday, July 10, 2009 6:05 PM

Evening!

Well tommrow we board Amtrak Train #50 (The Cardnial) to Chicago. Then we get on the Train 5 Calafornia Zeypher! Denver bound we will be! Well, CW, thank you for this last meal! I hope the next week will be great for all of you. Keep us in your thoughts and prarys!

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Posted by Willy2 on Friday, July 10, 2009 6:22 PM

Paul_D_North_Jr

bubbajustin
[snip] 1 week till' vacation!!! 

3.  Get/ take and keep handy a sweater, sweatshirt, light jacket, etc. to keep warm enough overnight.  The air conditioning in the cars usually does a fine job during the day, when the sun is shining brightly on the top and through the windows - and it sometimes keeps right on pumping out the cold air at night, too.  Some trains may have balnkets to hand out - but you never know if they'll have enough for eveyone.  Since you're going to Colorado where it can get cool at night anyway [not to Florida or the hotter parts of a SouthWestern U.S. state], you'll probably be packing something like this anyway.  But even if it's warm to hot when and where you leave, take one of these as a carry-on or in one of the outer compartments of the suitcase, etc., so it's easy to get to if and when you might need it. 

- Paul North.

Absolutely. I can't agree with this enough. When we went to Glenwood Springs last month, I failed to bring along a jacket and ended up freezing on the train all the way to Colorado and also on the way back to Omaha. The weather in Glenwood Springs was actually quite pleasant though.

Willy

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Posted by blhanel on Friday, July 10, 2009 9:17 PM

Well, we ended up with 1.5" of rain between 5 AM and Noon today.  By the looks of the radar, though, it must've dried up before it got to Ohio, as there's nothing left anywhere.  Did you get any, Quentin?

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, July 10, 2009 9:32 PM

Willy2
Absolutely. I can't agree with this enough. When we went to Glenwood Springs last month, I failed to bring along a jacket and ended up freezing on the train all the way to Colorado and also on the way back to Omaha. The weather in Glenwood Springs was actually quite pleasant though.

Good advice.

Give me enough time, and I will add up the number of nights I spent riding coach before 4/30/71. I do not remember how it was in January of 1938 or August of 1941, but in all of the twenty years from July of 1951 on that I spent the night coach, I remember very few that I wanted more covering, and these were because there was a problem with the heating. Since 4/30/71, I remember one night (going from Memphis to St. Louis) that I was able to sleep without some covering.

This spring, we spent a very cold night in a bedroom on the Coast Starlight; there was a severe problem with the system at the bedroom end of the car, and the roomette end was comfortable. We used all the blankets in the room and thus stayed warm--but when we had to get up in the night it was different.

Johnny

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, July 10, 2009 9:39 PM

Paul_D_North_Jr
1.  Get/ take earplugs [or headphones of some kind, etc.] to muffle the noise from elsewhere in the car while you're trying to sleep.  Everything from train noise, to noise from people getting on and off at the various stops through the night, to door noise of people coming and going through the end doors, to the bathroom and its door noise, to cell phones ringing, and people talking loudly on the cell phone, etc.  This varies greatly from train to train - some crews are pretty good at getting all the overnight stop people on just 1 or 2 cars so they don't disrupt the others, and enforcing 'quiet hours' - others, not so much.  Also, depends on how sound of a sleeper you and your family are, and whether you want to nap during the day on some of the less-scenic portions of the trip.

 

I don't know about traveling coach overnight on VIA, but sleeper passengers are given earplugs; we do not need them.

As to noise in coaches, I have, on occasion, asked other passengers who have just boarded to quiet down so that the passengers already on board could sleep.

And, one night I wondered why hat checks were provided (a porter or trainman could look at the hat checks to see where a passenger was getting off) because each station was announced loudly.

Johnny

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Friday, July 10, 2009 9:43 PM

Thanks for the WB CW.  We are all doing well.  I kept Aedan (AJ) with me for most of this evening so Misty could catch up on her sleep and tomorrow AM I'll probably repeat that since she tends to get up more at night (I sleep pretty soundly...sorry hon!) when I don't wake up to his cries.  He was a bit fussy...but at only 10 days old that is not entirely unexpected.  He definately knows the sound of my voice even when the room is busy.  We had some company yesterday and I came in from outside with him awake and being held by my wife's Aunt.  I said "Hey AJ" and he turned his head in my direction.  We'll see how much he sleeps tonight.  If you see me posting between 11 PM and 8 AM...odds are I'm up on diaper duty.

Dan

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Posted by rvos1979 on Friday, July 10, 2009 9:45 PM

And it looks like the rain is going to stay in Wisconsin tonight, unless something changes between now and tomorrow morning.  Was hoping to get a free truck wash, now will have to use the one wash I get a month from the company.....

Just came back from the MR page, hearing the review for the new Athern F45s, if it wasn't for the price, I'd buy the DCC version, but will settle on the DC version, and buy decoders when I finally get a layout built (which may happen soon, I'm gettin' an itch to do some modeling when I will be home at the end of the month).  I guess it would be nice to hear sounds I heard when I was younger, on a good night we could hear the SD45s of Wisconsin Central throttle up as they pulled out of the 20mph speed restriction in Burlington, there's something about those 20-cylinder engines that stays with me.....

Well, off to bed, then to West Allis in the morning, then figure out where the crazies on weekend dispatch will send me next..... 

Randy Vos

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Friday, July 10, 2009 10:07 PM

rvos1979
I guess it would be nice to hear sounds I heard when I was younger, on a good night we could hear the SD45s of Wisconsin Central throttle up as they pulled out of the 20mph speed restriction in Burlington, there's something about those 20-cylinder engines that stays with me.....

Just my My 2 cents on sound units...a little generally goes a long way.  When our group operates (Oshkosh MR Club) a bunch of us had sound units.  It got a bit annoying to have all these units sounding off constantly.  Don't get me wrong, I like them...but the 'mute' button is nice too.

Dan

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Posted by Modelcar on Friday, July 10, 2009 10:25 PM

blhanel
Did you get any, Quentin?

3 drops....other than that, sitting here high and dry.....They keep promising we'll be getting some and perhaps tomorrow afternoon we will....I hope.

Quentin

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Posted by JoeKoh on Saturday, July 11, 2009 6:47 AM

good morning

well the weather system didn't provide us much rain either overnight.Cloudy and muggy outside  now.Breakfast is ready to go.Going to do some chores then we can go watch some slideshows at Deshler tonight(and trains too). 2 weeks and counting for michigan.

stay safe

joe

Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").

 

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Posted by JoeKoh on Saturday, July 11, 2009 7:42 AM

well mother nature decided to rain today instead of last night.we'll take what we can get.

stay safe

joe

Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").

 

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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, July 11, 2009 8:03 AM

^~^

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by rvos1979 on Saturday, July 11, 2009 8:20 AM

I tawt I taw a putty tat!!!  I did!  I did taw a putty tat!  And it needs coffee!

Kinda taking my time getting going, have to deliver this load, and the appointment is at 2pm, so have some time.  If anyone is wondering, that was a grab shot I took on Thursday, was on the hood of a Pete 379, sometimes truckers do have a good sense of humor.

Later... 

 

Randy Vos

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Posted by cherokee woman on Saturday, July 11, 2009 8:24 AM

Good Saturday morning, everyone.  

1.  Glad to hear someone got some rain overnight, or this morning.  We haven't gotten anything yet, not even a sprinkle or two like you, Quentin.

2.  Randy, good to see you made it in last night.

3.  Dan, sounds like you and AJ are bonding quite well.  It's hard to believe he's 10 days old!  

4.  Mookie, I've got your coffee cup ready, in case you'd like some morning coffee.  I've been up since 4:50, and I could use all the coffee I can get this morning!

5.  Joe, thanks for getting everything going this morning.  

6.  Will be heading out to the library shortly, then stop at the grocery on the way home.  Need to figure out something to fix for us here at home, to last over the weekend.  Can't really think of anything in particular that I want to eat.  Should have asked Sarah, before she left for her EMT Praticals Final, if she had any suggestions.  And need to ask Walt, if he has any suggestions (other than his usual "Food").  

Just heard on the local news/weather update that we have a 50% chance of rain/t-showers for today/this afternoon.  

Everyone have a great day, and see you all back here tonight for our Saturday Night Pizza Fest.

 

 

Angel cherokee woman "O'Toole's law: Murphy was an optimist."
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 11, 2009 10:44 AM

Good Morning Everybody!

Its 81 degress here in Alamo City and we have the making of another hot one today.  Expected high is 100.  No rain at all in sight through the week.

The good news is that the weather people here said that the La Nina pattern in the Pacific (which causes drought condition in this part of the country) is starting to be replaced with the El Nino pattern.  El Nino is good for us as it steers rain systems toward us.

Enjoy your Saturday

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, July 11, 2009 10:45 AM

cherokee woman

1.  Glad to hear someone got some rain overnight, or this morning.  We haven't gotten anything yet, not even a sprinkle or two like you, Quentin.

Shout it from the housetops....!  Rain, this morning.  Just returned back to Muncie after taking granddaughter back to Indy to parents, and as soon as we left this morning, it started to rain.....Really rain...!  Now being back, I checked our rain gauge here and we've  {so far}, had .35"...Not bad.  Most we've had in weeks.  Just in time, as grass and crops really are needing rain.

Quentin

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, July 11, 2009 11:10 AM

cherokee woman
And need to ask Walt, if he has any suggestions (other than his usual "Food").  

Do you know anything better to eat?Smile

Warm this morning, about 75 already at seven a. m.; possible thundershowers today and tomorrow.

Johnny

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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, July 11, 2009 4:21 PM

CW/Johnny - we eat a lot of "I don't know" and "I don't care" around here.  You would think a professional cook would have at least one or two ideas.  And no, he doesn't cook at home! Banged Head

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, July 11, 2009 4:39 PM

Mookie
You would think a professional cook would have at least one or two ideas.  And no, he doesn't cook at home! Banged Head

Do I perceive a chef in the household.....?

 

 

Quentin

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