Running Bear's October 2022 Coffee Shop

[troyphoto]

Welp: Drumroll please

Is

Troy

still

positive

???

T means yes.

However, according to the CDC guidelines, I'm still able to go out masked. May make a target run in a bit. Then a grocery run. Don't want to infect anyone, though.

All in all, it's been very, very mild. I panic if anything hits my lungs, and I had two days of pressure there. Being asthmatic means I really worry about breathing. Breathing is good.

The thing to remember about the Keystone pipeline, and may more informed people from the oil industry correct my understanding if this is off base: Canadian oil that would have come through the extension (yes, it would just be adding another leg, not a totally new pipeline) is tar sand heavy crude. Most of our refineries are not set to handle heavy. They make more $$ refining light sweet crude.

that means oil companies spending more to upgrade refineries. More Price$$ passed on to end users. Then, more expense in refining the heavy crude. Even more Price$$ passed on to end users.

And, I noticed that US oil companies seem to parallel the international oil market. They seem to like high oil prices. Make it more profitable to pull oil out of the ground. If they go increasing supply, they eventually cut into their profits when the supply starts to equalize with demand and prices drop.

Oh, well. Got almost a 1,000 words in today. Need another 1500 or so to call it good. And I need to go mask up and enter the wife's section of the condo to flip the laundry.

 

[ctclibby]

Good Morning All. Partly cloudy and 62° here on the SFW ranch. No real changes in the weather here, highs still in the 80's, lows in the 60's for a while.
Another ho-hum day here yesterday. The grocery trek went off without any issues, nothing broke at home and leftovers for supper.
Today I am going to try something different that I hadn't done in about 20 years, I am going to an estate sale where there is purportedly a large train collection. It's in a pretty prestigious part of Denton TX, but the picture look like it's exactly that, a train collection. Why not? I have to go back to town anyway to pick up a new chair for the train shed that wouldn't fit in the car yesterday.

I have a few comments regarding cryptocurrency, but not enough time to post them. I don't indulge though.

I managed to get some work completed out in the train shed yesterday, however I had to do some jury-rigging to accomplish what I set out to do.
First the easy part, I made, painted and added a full length sidewalk alongside the road on the right of the vacant lot.
View attachment 153102
Then painted a parking lot. Here it is with the structure in place.
View attachment 153103
I used a different concrete color this time to add some variety.
Then the tedious part of the day as I attempted to rehab the signs for this building.
View attachment 153104
These are just standard Walther's signs that they provided in a number of kits in the 90's. I had partial duplicates and I was intending to just make new ones. The Sparky's Auto Parts worked out as planned. But part of the Newman's sign was missing.
View attachment 153105
That meant reworking the old one instead of making a new one. One mounting pin is missing but that can be fixed, the upper one is short as well.
View attachment 153106
Then disaster struck, the first decal disintegrated on me.
View attachment 153107
OK, that's the far side and is not readily visible. So to avoid a similar situation on the visible side, I simply cut out the decal and glued it and the backing paper on the other side.
View attachment 153108
Then I added a mounting peg on the wall.
View attachment 153109
Looks OK from the closest viewpoint.
View attachment 153110

Jerry - Welcome back you ole lost soul. Looking forward to seeing your progress on the layout.
IBKen - Interesting dinner. Congratulations again.
Patrick - I guess that your wife is older than I thought if she's applying for SS. The new deal actually sounds like it might be a good one if she takes it, despite the need for another car.
George - At least you can do some layout tasks after the surgery.
Todd - Quite a list. It should keep you occupied for a while.

Gotta go now. Everybody have a great day.

Willie: Ya, busy for awhile - Watch out for those 'Estate Sales' as the family considers all the stuff as brand new and worth every penny. In other words, they want gold for it.

Like the Newman's sign!

Later

 

[troyphoto]

As usual I built (or rebuilt - Only God knows) a small H0 pizza layout (diameter:43").

View attachment 153123

You know, HOExplorer Jim has a pizza layout completed and for sale. Exquisite craftsmanship. It's only $1000 US plus shipping. Check out the last few pages of his Pinnacle creek thread:

Building the Pinnacle Creek Mining & Timber Co. RR

First 'after' photo featuring an 18 foot boxcar.-

modelrailroadforums.com

 

[logandsawman]

Good morning all, a chilly 34° was supposed to be 28 but no frost so I am happy

Almost hit a big skunk, he ran off the road just in time, we are both glad of that, hope it scares him to stay off the road!

Setting up new health insurance as I am reaching 65 in Feb.

Alan - I am putting of retirement as well, fortunately I like my job just hope the commute does not kill me, BTW I do not think the stock market is done falling, I know the experts have called a bottom several times, also called "peak inflation" many times. We are just entering the woods I think, just when they think we are walking out of it already!

Remember, the experts also said inflation was transitory. Even our Nobel prize NPR man Paul Krugman is chronically wrong.

Curt - Plexiglass by the bridge would keep your elbows off, maybe what you were thinking, layout is looking Great!

TomO - thanks for the layout photos, I forget about your paper mill which is famous!

Gary - my one Bowser loco was a great runner. However, I dropped it and a couple small parts on the truck suffered minor damage and I was unable to buy just the parts I needed. I did some glueing and WB welding got it back together but never happy with it cause so fragile

James - nice pics, I like the last photo cause of the gondola featured

Jerry - I missed you too glad to see you post

Willie - I like the painted window on the second floor, with the colorful flowers, I saw lots of stuff like that in Minneapolis. Just to be contrary, I think the faded, worn sign looked fine.

Guy - layout is really taking shape, NICE

Troy - bummer with the covid but glad to hear your writing is going well

Photo is from the old layout but sawmill is the same one I have today

more later, Dave LASM

 

[bigfoot13]

Haven't been able to run the train lately. To many projects. So I've been doing more "For Sale" experiments. These dumpsters were made from a styrene sign from Lowes.

 

[Alcomotive]

So I didn't post last night like I said I would in regards to my 'loot' I got from my LHS that's going out of business. Here is a preview of some of the items. Lots of building materials. I got 6 sheets of the corrugated Evergreen siding 18x24! More I-beam materials and piping materials. Tools. Another sand paper pen with more sand paper belts. I bought every last one! Some paints.
More Xuron cutters....

Another Cornerstone building too.

 

[ctclibby]

Good Morning All!
40F in Libby

Figured out what was wrong with the pellet stove. The igniter would get hot from the rear forward and leave the front 1/2" or so cold. Hence, would not get the pellets hot enough to start. Off to Kalispell for a new one. Wife wants to go there anyway - CostCo and Target. I need Harbor Freight as I want a couple sets of knee pads. Probably stop at the chineese place for lunch and eat to much. There is also a backhoe nearby that we probably will check out.

I got some of the PITA stuff done not on the list. Pretty much W10 machines - needed to do all the updates and stuff like that. Supposed to be automagic - right! Easy to do, but takes time running between them and pushing buttons.

Later

 

[bnsf971]

Christian—
STOP CREATING NEW ACCOUNTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bnsf971]

 

[ctclibby]

Good Morning!

The rumor around here is that it's supposed to hit 70F in the sunshine. This is my favorite time of year!

Question - Are computers stupid? Or are the people who program them using the Hillbilly Pocket Dictionary to get them to know how to spell?
They always want a 'u' after an 'o' in a word. Like, 'rumor', 'favorite', and 'color'. According to my spelling catcher, I've just spelled all those words wrong, and they require a 'u' after the 'o'.
I know it's mindless conversation, but, I thought a computer might want to spell the way words are spelled in long in print dictionaries.

Back to the regular rail discussion programming.

Here's a picture of a locomotive that not only has a women engineer driving, but, a very, very pretty women. As it passed, I must have looked twice, because the wife noticed. To bad, I couldn't get a better photo of her.
View attachment 153111

She parked those engines down it the yard, and went into the bunkhouse for coffee, I suppose. I actually got out of the truck to take this photo:
View attachment 153122

James - Thanks for posting those great photos. It's gonna take someone with more experience to answer the question about the centre-beam flats. I did notice the bridge, though. Dosen't seem like a-lot of paint was wasted on such a nice bridge. Can't say I've ever seen an unpainted bridge before.

Yesterday, I was messing around with a road and sidewalks for a-bit. Primed and painted the drywall mud road, then let it dry overnight.
I'm going to give the road another coat of paint this morning, and try to make some curved sidewalks.
I'm just playing in this photo, trying to see how it's all going to look:
View attachment 153125
I'll be white-striping the road and weathering the sidewalks. All in due time.

Enough blabber. Time to get on with the show.
Have a wonderful day!

Guy: I remember one painted bridge on the BNSF near Startup, Wa, They painted it lite blue! Think the one we have here across Libby Creek might be painted. Both bridges over the Mississippi between Memphis and East Memphis are that 'rust' paint and I think 2 of them across the Ohio in Louisville are rust also. Guess that they could have been painted at some time or another - don't know. Makes me wonder if those now rusted bridges will ever be painted again. Without taking the rust off, paint ain't gonna stick so it would be an exercise in frustration. Geesh, what am I thinking - get some Navy guys with their jelly to take care of the rust!

Later

 

[JeffH]

My thoughts on the economy, and length of recession...

I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

I predict some sort of global conflict, as countries like China begin to collapse upon themselves, and find their only solution is to "war" their way out of financial ruin.

I fear a global military conflict a LOT more than I fear an economic depression.

History has shown that winning wars can eliminate international debt while fueling local economies as the Gov't procures necessities.

 

[Smudge617]

Question - Are computers stupid? Or are the people who program them using the Hillbilly Pocket Dictionary to get them to know how to spell?
They always want a 'u' after an 'o' in a word. Like, 'rumor', 'favorite', and 'color'. According to my spelling catcher, I've just spelled all those words wrong, and they require a 'u' after the 'o'.
I know it's mindless conversation, but, I thought a computer might want to spell the way words are spelled in long in print dictionaries.Switch your spell checker from UK English to US English

Check which version of English your spell checkers using, UK English or US English

 

[chadbag]

Well, it shouldn’t be. Said pipeline was only about 8% complete at cancellation. If it hadn’t been cancelled it was schedued to go online in late 2023, so it’s effect on prices at the pump here and now is exactly zero

No. This is wrong. Not the facts about the pipeline, but about the effects on its cancellation.

Oil trades on sentiment* short and medium term. On the economics of it medium and long term. By canceling the pipeline, he who shall not be named emphasized the "war on fossil fuels" and their desire to make them more expensive to make them go away. This emphasized and underscored the opposition to petroleum which greatly affects sentiment. Also, oil prices are based on future costs and supply (this is the medium and long term thing I mention above) so the knowledge that it is canceled forces people to have to find other options or pay the price since they cannot plan on and count on it being there.

The cancelation has had no direct consequence on oil prices since it wouldn't have been operational yet. But it had a HUGE effect on sentiment and also on future capacity/supply pricing.


* trading on sentiment: For example, a war breaks out in the Middle East, even if it is in a country not one of the major suppliers (not gifted with black gold -- not all of them are), oil prices will tend to jump immediately, even though the countries involved are not suppliers and there has been ZERO effect on oil supply. There are a lot of other examples of sentiment based trading on the short and medium term where sentiment affects the price, not supply or demand or anything.

 

[chadbag]

Ah free market Capitalism. It comes with ups and downs. They’re a feature, not a bug. . We’ve had an unprecedented stint of low rates and “free money“. It wasn’t going to last forever. I’m down 20% in the 401k. It’ll come back, it always does, and it’s not as big a hit as I took in 2008, but it stings. For now, I’ve put off retirement for an additional year. At least business is booming.

We don't have "free market capitalism".

 

[chadbag]

Question - Are computers stupid? Or are the people who program them using the Hillbilly Pocket Dictionary to get them to know how to spell?
They always want a 'u' after an 'o' in a word. Like, 'rumor', 'favorite', and 'color'. According to my spelling catcher, I've just spelled all those words wrong, and they require a 'u' after the 'o'.
I know it's mindless conversation, but, I thought a computer might want to spell the way words are spelled in long in print dictionaries.

Your computer thinks it's Canadian (or British or one of those other spelling-incapable places), who are known to misspell stuff by sticking random "u" in words. Some of which you've enumerated.

 

[Smudge617]

Your computer thinks it's Canadian (or British or one of those other spelling-incapable places), who are known to misspell stuff by sticking random "u" in words. Some of which you've enumerated.

Oi! I resemble that remark

 

[TLOC]

Good chilled morning from So. Central Tundra land aka Wisconsin. 36f/2.2c degrees now feeling like 30/-1.1. High today maybe 52/11.1.

401k loses for 2022 I doubt at age 70 I will see a full comeback/recovery. Terry tells me my 401k is down 23% and she wants to let it ride. I have to start withdrawals at 72 unless they recently changed something. Her pension fund considered by the financial wizards as one of the top 3 state retirement plans is doing great. But that doesn’t matter as much as her yearly increases or decreases are done off a 5 year rolling average. However, after personally pulling back earlier in the year from the stock market, she has been buying and will continue to do so. This year is kind of a wash. The commodities markets are a nightmare. She plunged head long into it in August 2021 and made a splash and then the bottom dropped and has sort of recovered. She said the other day she has made maybe a thousand dollars after fees and has gotten out completely. She says she will not be going back either.

Guests came over for a 8PM dinner last night because of scheduling issues for a normal 7pm guest dinner time. Terry and I eat normally together between 6-6:30 every night but Sunday when we are each on our own. I thought it was going to be 8 guests but it ended up being 12. A good time but happy when all left by 11.

alcomotive’s buying spree at his closing up LHS had me looking for some online therapy this morning at 5:15 instead of treadmilling or swimming. While the online therapy for the 1st time in months yielded nothing, I still have to exercise.

the house, Terry had a message from our realtor around 6 last night she was sending over another offer. When Terry checked this morning, the email was blank. She called the realtor who says we will like it and will send it again.

trips, I could not locate over the next 2 weeks any cheap seats on corporate flights to LA or SF. So, I purchased 2 tickets for them from Madison to Denver to Mauii for next week.

contact lists, I was going to work on adding back my contact list. Looking over the names I decided FAMILY only and just a few friends. Most of my contacts were business contacts from when I was working, I dipont need those. My weathering clients generally come from my Facebook sales. So, I no longer am worried about that. My ”Friends” list on FB was over 1000 names, they mysteriously re-appeared this morning with 756 names after I texted Facebook for advice to recover them

 

[TLOC]

My thoughts on the economy, and length of recession...

I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

I predict some sort of global conflict, as countries like China begin to collapse upon themselves, and find their only solution is to "war" their way out of financial ruin.

I fear a global military conflict a LOT more than I fear an economic depression.

History has shown that winning wars can eliminate international debt while fueling local economies as the Gov't procures necessities.

yep totally agree

 

[Christiaη]

Christian—
STOP CREATING NEW ACCOUNTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My fault. I plead guilty ! Just for the record, all other accounts are dead. So I can no longer use them.

 

[troyphoto]

Switch your spell checker from UK English to US.

Then change it to Australian English - almost the same as UK English, but not quite...
Then change it to Canadian English - Sometimes it's like UK, sometimes like Aussie, and kindof like American...

Way back in the era of typsetting by hand (taking each letter out of the box) US people purchasing ads in newspapers learned to drop all of those extra letters like Us and Ls to save a bit of money on the ads. Those spelling changes stuck.