Running Bear's November 2023 Coffee Shop


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Good morning all. A sunny day with a shower or three.
Not a lot going on today. A good time to see the train room this afternoon.


Bamburgh Castle.


Castle at night.jpg
 
Well, howdy there internet peeps and those who drink coffee,

It's Troy again.

Went and did the mom thing. Forget if I posted the story. If so, forgive. It was a mom-day and I got to be the problem solver in the midst of her meltdown.

She's been dealing with AFIB on her heart, and they can't do the electro inversion, so she's operating at about 80% mental and memory state.

Well, she had a heart doc handshake & "How are you doing?" visit yesterday.

So I drove the 1.5 hour to get there. She didn't answer the phone to meet me at the door nearest her apt and swipe me in through the security lock. So I walked around the front doors that are open during the day. And Mom is sitting outside the laundry room in the front lounge reading.

"Did you forget your doctor appt?"

She looks up, and says something like "I just got a past due notice for something I don't remember...."

Oh, boy... I've got 15min to get her to the doc (I'm a "If I ain't early, I'm late" person) and we were already cutting it close.

So, we go back, get the letter/past due ... yep it's from HER bank, to her.

"Doctor first, then we'll deal with this..."

Doc shook her hand, asked how she was doing. Listened to her heart and lungs, and changed up some meds to get her ankle swelling to go down.

Then we went to the bank.

Mind you, Mom worked as a teller for this chain 20+ years ago. And she was about two baby steps away from having an emotional meltdown since she's on a very fixed income.

Seems that in 2008 she opened a line of credit as an overdraft protection. She's used it occasionally, but it's been paid off for a few years at least.

But it has an annual fee. And the fee dropped in Sept. And tripped the overdraft because she had a low balance. And she isn't fine-toothing her bank statements like old due to failing eyesight. She'd been relying on balance checks whenever she got cash. So she didn't realize she had a line of credit balance, and didn't pay it. So late fees.

OK, I made the current overdraft payment with cash to get her caught up. BUT I'm with a different bank, and didn't want to do cash advance fees to get money from my accounts to put in her account. And I don't carry a checkbook. Who needs them now?

If you need to get money into a bank on the spot, you do a cash advance on credit card.... or pay cash, but I don't carry more than about $60 at any time.

So Friday, she has another doctor's appointment. This time we'll stop by the bank, and I'll deposit enough cash$$ in her account to get the stupid overdraft line of credit paid off (it's less than $200), and drop a couple hundred in to build her cushion back up.

Then I'll see if we can get the online banking reset. Sis had been doing it, but her family situation is very rocky right now. And she's very dyslexic, so... yeah, I'm taking that over. I had maths and numbers, but I can watch Mom's account and make sure she stays above zero.
 
troyphoto said:
Well, howdy there internet peeps and those who drink coffee,

It's Troy again.

Went and did the mom thing. Forget if I posted the story. If so, forgive. It was a mom-day and I got to be the problem solver in the midst of her meltdown.

She's been dealing with AFIB on her heart, and they can't do the electro inversion, so she's operating at about 80% mental and memory state.

Well, she had a heart doc handshake & "How are you doing?" visit yesterday.

So I drove the 1.5 hour to get there. She didn't answer the phone to meet me at the door nearest her apt and swipe me in through the security lock. So I walked around the front doors that are open during the day. And Mom is sitting outside the laundry room in the front lounge reading.

"Did you forget your doctor appt?"

She looks up, and says something like "I just got a past due notice for something I don't remember...."

Oh, boy... I've got 15min to get her to the doc (I'm a "If I ain't early, I'm late" person) and we were already cutting it close.

So, we go back, get the letter/past due ... yep it's from HER bank, to her.

"Doctor first, then we'll deal with this..."

Doc shook her hand, asked how she was doing. Listened to her heart and lungs, and changed up some meds to get her ankle swelling to go down.

Then we went to the bank.

Mind you, Mom worked as a teller for this chain 20+ years ago. And she was about two baby steps away from having an emotional meltdown since she's on a very fixed income.

Seems that in 2008 she opened a line of credit as an overdraft protection. She's used it occasionally, but it's been paid off for a few years at least.

But it has an annual fee. And the fee dropped in Sept. And tripped the overdraft because she had a low balance. And she isn't fine-toothing her bank statements like old due to failing eyesight. She'd been relying on balance checks whenever she got cash. So she didn't realize she had a line of credit balance, and didn't pay it. So late fees.

OK, I made the current overdraft payment with cash to get her caught up. BUT I'm with a different bank, and didn't want to do cash advance fees to get money from my accounts to put in her account. And I don't carry a checkbook. Who needs them now?

If you need to get money into a bank on the spot, you do a cash advance on credit card.... or pay cash, but I don't carry more than about $60 at any time.

So Friday, she has another doctor's appointment. This time we'll stop by the bank, and I'll deposit enough cash$$ in her account to get the stupid overdraft line of credit paid off (it's less than $200), and drop a couple hundred in to build her cushion back up.

Then I'll see if we can get the online banking reset. Sis had been doing it, but her family situation is very rocky right now. And she's very dyslexic, so... yeah, I'm taking that over. I had maths and numbers, but I can watch Mom's account and make sure she stays above zero.
Click to expand...
This "line of credit" is a scam. I'd get rid of it ASAP. I also learned the hard way not to trust women with finances.
 
Good morning from a little part of So. Central Wisconsin. 41f degrees now heading to the mid 60ā€™s. From inside the house it looks very nice and calm out there. I donā€™t see the trees swaying like the last few days.

At 9 I will pick the daughter up from her SUV tire change operation. She was given as a birthday present 2 years ago a stupidly expense SUV from my brother. He at the time was making up for being the very wealthy but cheap uncle who wouldnā€™t gift his 2 nieces or nephew anything. Then one day he woke up to, he only has family who care about him. Anyway she needs tires, $2600 at the dealership but they come to the car. $1400 and 2 weeks waiting for the tires at the local Farm and Fleet or is it the Fleet Farm, I get them mixed up. So, I will pick her up, then drop her at her home and when she calls later we will pick up the newly booted SUV. Dealers just feel the need to gouge.

Women and finances! My wife since about 2 months after we got married (1976) has handled everything with my limited input. Sheā€™s been great and has helped both kids understand bookkeeping of the checkbook and paying bills. She is also the investment counselor for the family. She has done very well and has definitely helped the family.

I have a list of things to pick up on my, lets visit the non local hobby shops in Wisconsin for tomorrowā€™s day trip. 1st up will be Enginehouse Services that is 2.5 hours away in Green Bay. Walthers is open in Milwaukee on Thursday and Fridays and sometimes has a nice discount table in the showroom but some track is needed. Summerfeld Trains & Hobbies are near the UP Butler yards and before my final stop at Hiawatha Hobbies. I will let the maps app figure the route when I finish a late breakfast in Green Bay. My own list was pitiful but I notified some weathering clients and now have a decent amount of things to acquire. I feel the need to get out and move about, this is my solution.

enjoy the day
 
Good Morning All. It's clear and 49Ā° here this morning.

The roofer brought out the color samples for the shingles for my wife to look at yesterday. He only brought two, so it wasn't a hard choice. He'll pick them up today and leave them here and his crew will be over at the crack of dawn tomorrow to start the process. Wife has doubts that they will finish in one day as he promised. As I posted yesterday, me and a buddy put the current roof on in two days. So I asked him in her presence "How big is your crew?"; he responded that it would be 11-12. That should do it. That big a crew should finish in 8 hours or less, but I am sure that they will stretch it a bit for the overtime. Doesn't matter to me as I am paying a fixed price anyway.
I'll be working in the yard most of the day, not so much to keep an eye on them, but just to see how efficient they are. My manufacturing management background has not diminished since retirement.

A couple of outdoor projects yesterday since the weather is so nice here. I shredded brush for a while in the morning, and I spent 45 minutes with the chainsaw in the afternoon on that large pile of trees that I have posted about. 45 minutes is one tank of chain lubricating oil and that's my timer so I can pace myself. The yield was one week's worth of firewood, mixed kindling and logs. More of the same today as I continue to catch up from the summer of inactivity due to the heat.

Another slow (it seems) day out in the train shed yesterday,, although I did run a few trains around. Did a few small tasks but they don't warrant pictures.
So here are a few more from the archives. This is Earl's Oil, a kit from Bar Mills.
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Joe - Yuengling is the favorite of both of my SIL's, as they are both from the Pennsylvania/Jersey area. They both celebrated when Yuengling finally became available in Texas in August 2021. I used to bring it back for them on my trips to Gulf Shores AL, since it was available in Shreveport LA, on the way home.
Mac -
KriegslokBR52 said:
I also learned the hard way not to trust women with finances.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily always the case. We always shared money management until my wife decided to take over in the mid-90's. She does very well and while I can manage to do it, I welcomed the relief. I still manage the investment portfolio and major expenses, but she manages the day to day activities like credit card (only one), checking, moving money between accounts, bill paying, as well as the money market and CD activity. My only complaints are Christmas shopping and Amazon.

I just received a text message from Joe Biden, asking me to donate money, and enter a drawing to "Have a cup of joe with Joe and Kamala"; including flights and hotel. Of course it's directed to Tina, who had my cell phone number over ten years ago. It's from the same phone number that Beto O'Rourke used to use.

Everybody have a wonderful Wednesday.
 
WILLIE - I would take a 12 ga. shotgun to that phone - -

I like EARL's OIL. Little details like the cement blocks add much to a scene!

Supposed to be 71 here today with showers, but looking out the upstairs window - I see nothing - just very high clouds.
The HOA meeting yesterday was cut short (thankfully) due to the manager having over scheduled his calendar!
Still having problems with the two neighbors fighting over the fence. I could bore you for an hour with details, but I will not!

BILL T. -- That diner photo brings back some distant memories of yesterday - nice!

My Spousal Unit is great with finances; she manages to spend to "ZERO" and beyond every month!

Better run - I have an MRI today for that liver spot and I don't want to miss the 6 o'clock news?
 
One side of one car decaled . Finding the right color for Conrail hopper cars, especially these ā€œrapid discharge gondolasā€ was rather frustrating. I eventually settled on Model flex light tuscan oxide red. Hereā€™s where Iā€™m at. (Obviously not dull coated and/or weathered yet)
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