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Chatterbox Spring 2020

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 7:49 PM

I was inside the house this afternoon after a grocery (and other errands) run.  All of the sudden I hear the rather loud sound of something hitting the house.  Turns out it was graupel (snow pellets), coming down like gangbusters.  Made getting the rest of the groceries out of the truck an adventure.   

Didn't last long, though.  a little while later the sun was back out...

I'll probably mow the lawn tomorrow...

LarryWhistling
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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 12:44 PM

Mowing today (right now...can't you tell?); rain and thunder due tomorrow.

We had a marvelous anniversary trip yesterday, visiting (at a distance) with some longtime friends in Indiana, having our car surrounded by police vehicles, and seeing so many good trains that I'll ve busy for days between lawn mowings.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 1:52 PM

One of the disadvantages of working from home.  I can see that the weather is terrific and I'm stuck inside working.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by JoeKoh on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 3:18 PM

afternoon

Ns was clear after work.Came home and checked along the awnings with the rain coming up.Ruffled some feathers but it all got cleaned out.Chores to do inside.

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 rvos1979 on Thursday, May 14, 2020 4:00 AM

Well, the Wisconsin Supreme court has reopened the entire state, so I guess we get to be the canary in the coal mine. I quit caring about this a few weeks ago, just don't have time for stupidity anymore. I do what little errands I need done and stay home........

Just getting ready to fire up the truck in Joplin and head to Muskogee, then take parent rolls of paper back to the home yard..........

Randy Vos

"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings

"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, May 14, 2020 7:55 AM

rvos1979
Well, the Wisconsin Supreme court has reopened the entire state, so I guess we get to be the canary in the coal mine.

Nope - Florida and Georgia are a week ahead of you.  So far, the measures in both states are down.

We get to open in stages starting this weekend.  Our last hang-up was testing, which is curious, because the more testing that is done, the more cases are likely to turn up.  Given that we've only had 62 confirmed cases in this county (population 110,000), I don't think we'll have a problem.

On the other hand, one county legislator mentioned the other day that we currently have over 200 active cases of the flu...

I suspect that masks will always be a part of our environment from now on - at least for those who feel most at risk.  And some people are paranoid about it.  

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by JoeKoh on Thursday, May 14, 2020 2:31 PM

afternoon

Ns was clear after work.Mother nature sending some spring showers.Matt's work called and said he might start doing dishes again after next week.Matt reminded work he has graduation and college things to do.Eye doctor going to see Matt and I on Saturday morning.Chores to do.

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 mudchicken on Thursday, May 14, 2020 6:39 PM

OK - Who's hogging all the rain?

 

Promised rain 3 times - all we get is virga.StormStormStorm...Finally get a road trip to western CO and outa da house tomorrow. Watch it rain while I'm gone.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Thursday, May 14, 2020 6:50 PM

tree68
Given that we've only had 62 confirmed cases in this county (population 110,000), I don't think we'll have a problem.

How many unused ICU beds & ventilators are there in your county? That could be relevant

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, May 14, 2020 6:53 PM

mudchicken

OK - Who's hogging all the rain?

 

Promised rain 3 times - all we get is virga.StormStormStorm...Finally get a road trip to western CO and outa da house tomorrow. Watch it rain while I'm gone.

 

Who knows? Perhaps you will need a bushhog to cut your grass when you get back? We don't have noteceable rain promised here.

Johnny

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, May 14, 2020 7:10 PM

Electroliner 1935
How many unused ICU beds & ventilators are there in your county? That could be relevant

Last I heard, 60% of the ICU beds in the region are available.  And the governor didn't steal any of our ventilators, so we should be OK there, too.

Now they're finding that home isolation isn't helping.  Two thirds of recent COVID hospital admissions were isolating at home.  

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, May 14, 2020 10:12 PM

No rain, but we had an interesting 30-plane formation go over the house this afternoon, mostly prop planes, but also one ancient jet (P-80?).... Won't see that often.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Paul of Covington on Thursday, May 14, 2020 10:37 PM

mudchicken
OK - Who's hogging all the rain?

   We are.  It's been raining most of the afternoon and night, and some areas nearby are reporting over 12 inches of rain so far, and the forecasters are expecting five inches or more to come.

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, May 14, 2020 11:17 PM

MC, it looks like something that passed you up is going to hit us.  We had an inch and a half of rain last night and this morning, and it's just started up again.  The graphic showed that we could get about three inches overnight, and these are thunderstorms so I'm not surprised by that figure.

Isolation is not good--latest guidance says to get out in the fresh air (but maintain social distance and wear masks).  Sounds like a made-to-order train-watching trip for moi.

Our trip Tuesday is yielding some amazing sightings for me.  I'm finding old cars by the hundreds that hadn't been documented as new.  

Joe, did you know at all about the Grand River Railway?  I saw one of their box cars--GRRY.  They're on an old CSX branch out of Painesville that had been abandoned for 13 years (2002-2015) before the new operation started up!

(Just to show how crazy things get, I encountered a series of cars that started life as coal gondolas.  They were then sold and cut down in height to become more like normal gons.  Then they were sold again...and increased in height to be used for garbage or some such!)

Carl

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CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, May 14, 2020 11:46 PM

tree68
 
rvos1979
Well, the Wisconsin Supreme court has reopened the entire state, so I guess we get to be the canary in the coal mine. 

Nope - Florida and Georgia are a week ahead of you.  So far, the measures in both states are down.

Florida and Georgia still have some restriction - not all that many, but some.  The Wisconsin SC eliminated EVERY restriction that Wisconsin had.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, May 15, 2020 7:51 AM

Paul of Covington

 

 
mudchicken
OK - Who's hogging all the rain?

 

   We are.  It's been raining most of the afternoon and night, and some areas nearby are reporting over 12 inches of rain so far, and the forecasters are expecting five inches or more to come.

 

Paul, I hope your house is up hihgh enough so it won't be flooded.Smile

Johnny

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Friday, May 15, 2020 8:50 AM

Deggesty
Paul, I hope your house is up hihgh enough so it won't be flooded.

   My house is OK.  We've seen worse.  According to the TV weather people we got 8 to 10 inches here yesterday afternoon and night.  One TV weatherman lives about five miles from here right in the worst part of the storms, and has monitoring equipment in his yard.  He said he measured a total of 16½ inches of rain and at one point measured a rate of 7½ inches per hour.

   Some highways and roads are closed, and some houses in the area did get flooded.

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, May 15, 2020 2:56 PM

afternoon

Ns was clear when I left work.Mother Nature did send some more rain today.Messaged sis for her birthday today.Neighbor came with cookies and bad news.Our Barber decided to retire.Can't say I blame him.Tomorrow we go to the eye doctor for a checkup.

Carl didn't notice those gon's but have been seeing plenty more that have higher AIM lettering.Also Matt got his card today thank you.Also got a renewal notice for Trains as well.

Chores to do here.Matt is out with some classmates for some ice cream.Teacher was buying.

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, May 16, 2020 2:04 PM

afternoon

Matt and I went uptown this morning.We then went out to his school and took some pictures.I went out and looked for some trains on Csx and found a few.Also the maintainers were busy as well.Todays q 351 was only 8000 ft compared to yesterdays 14,500 ft monster.Going to update some stuff here at home.

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 Sunday, May 17, 2020 4:09 AM

Good Morning

Was updating some things then Csx sent a brand new Up engine west with q 191.Matt and I followed him to Garrett.Met some new friends at Garrett and kept the distancing rules in place.Took a picture of Grandpa,Dad and son watching csx switch the yard.Was able to go down to New Haven and catch the "Southern" unit bringing a train west.Ns has plenty of Tonka toys out to put new ties in.Going for walk this morning before the rain comes later.

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 Monday, May 18, 2020 3:07 PM

afternoon

Ns was clear after work.Mother nature is filling the ditches today.Neighbor said they will have the driveway redone when it dries out.He is anxious for Matt to be graduated.He wants some cake.Chores to do.

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 diningcar on Monday, May 18, 2020 3:21 PM

Happy day at my house; Diane is getting her hair done for the 1st time in 60 days.Tonight I will take her to the Texas Road House which is now open and soliciting business. Love their 6oz fillet - medium rare.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Monday, May 18, 2020 4:04 PM

diningcar

Happy day at my house; Diane is getting her hair done for the 1st time in 60 days.Tonight I will take her to the Texas Road House which is now open and soliciting business. Love their 6oz fillet - medium rare.

Dropped by my barber's today; still closed, unfortunately. Now at 75 days since last cut; wife is looking online to find me some love beads and a head band. The first Texas Roadhouse in the area was about ready to open when the panic started. Really waiting to sink what's left of my choppers into a Fort Worth Ribeye myself.

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, May 18, 2020 7:50 PM

Our restaurants are supposed to be opening for eat-in in the next week or two.  It'll probably be chaos.

Most have been open for takeout.

I think our barbers and hair stylists got their reopening bumped out another week or so to June 1, and then with restrictions.  I may have to stay shaggy a little longer...

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, May 18, 2020 8:30 PM

tree68
I think our barbers and hair stylists got their reopening bumped out another week or so to June 1, and then with restrictions.  I may have to stay shaggy a little longer...

In as much as I went 16 years between hair cuts at one time, missing my bi-monthly (or so) hair cut is not a big deal.  I'll let all the 'Dapper Dons' have first crack at the sissors.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 2:28 PM

I don't think a headband would be much help for my shaggy hair at this point.  I'm well past due.

The last half-week or so has been a wet time for us, with about eight inches of rain falling in two storms (which necessitated us swabbing the dungeon after each of them).  It's still raining, and expected to rain off and on most of the week (I think those promises of 80-degree weather later this week have disappeared).  

Chicago has alread broken its record for rainfall in May.  Sunday night's rain flooded Chicago's Riverwalk and Lower Wacker Drive.  It also got into the basement of Willis Tower, knocking out a Com Ed substation and killing the transmitters of all radio and TV stations that use the antennas on top of the tower (I had to resort to streaming our favorite FM station...it's back up now, but I'm not sure whether they're using the Willis Tower antennae).

Since it's still wet and rainy out, and we can't do yard work, we're baking cookies!  (Oatmeal raisin for now; oatmeal chocolate-chip are next.)

And I'm still (between batches) attempting to work on the sightings that I got a week ago today.  Surprises in the cars' stories keep coming up, and I'm learning a lot.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by JoeKoh on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 8:18 PM

good evening

Ns was clear when I left work.Had a meeting in Deshler.Some do's and some don'ts.Going to be a tough year this year but we still have projects that need done.Hopefully the next few days we can get rid of the extra resivouirs from the rain.Also hopefully csx finishes up the crossings at Keyser and mulberry streets soon.Also got a donation of Town plot maps and township maps as well.Good reading.

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 CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 10:13 AM

The rain did a number around here over the last few days.  Among flooding in various locations, the Com Ed substation that supplies Sears Tower was knocked out by flooding, about half of the broadcast TV channels were blacked out as a result.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by diningcar on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 10:30 AM

Got my hair cut yesterday - we ate out twice but with care - staring to return to normal but need much more to get there.

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Posted by MikeF90 on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 2:57 PM

Fired up my seldom used, 12 y/o Windows computer and surprisingly it was still working. Win10 updates still took an obscenely long three hours, with 8GB memory no less. Angry Noticed that my old high quality sound card is no long found by the o/s; being PCI (classic) bus based it is time to look for one based on newer tech. 

My barber isn't allowed to open up yet despite my top priority need.Surprise I was able to score a cleaning appointment with my dentist. Big Smile At last in my county we can get free COVID-19 tests within a day if we need it.

Some rural counties are opening up but I still won't go to a restaurant where most people are infected with major stupid (no facial covering!). I've no desire to risk living out my life with COPD-like symptoms, been there, seen that up close. Fear and panic, no. Abundance of caution, yes.

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