Running Bear's April 2021 Coffee Shop


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Herbert "Palm Tree Herby" Meyer, was a switchman for the Terminal Railroad Association in St. Louis. He drew his creation on an estimated 70 thousand on the sides of freight cars from the 1950s until his death. It is believed that he was the first well known "graffiti" artist.

One of his original works, rescued from a car that was being scrapped, is on display at the National Hobo Museum in Massillon, Ohio.

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Good Morning!
I was up early today, so I could send the wife off to work. Noticed the outdoor thermometer was reading 42°F, and that the sky is blue to the north, and very dark to the south. All in all, it looks like it will be a fine day.

I'm going to run the lawn sprinkler for a-bit this morning, and water in the fertilizer I applied yesterday. I fear it might warm up enough to burn the grass, as it's supposed to go above 60. It's gonna be a one day warm-up.

Yesterday I punched out the porthole rings for the little boats cabin windows. I'll paint the rings brass, and use blister-pack clear plastic for lenses.
Today, I'll build a cabin top hatch and an entrance door, and I suppose I might build an engine box to the rear; or is that called 'aft' by a real sailor.
In any event, I'm getting very close to the 'add paint' part. - For that, I can't decide if I want the wood look, or if it should be a painted boat.

Here is the state of the project as it sits this morning:
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And, since I'm going to be decanting primer for it anyway, I thought I might decant enough primer to catch another project to work on. I've had these figures for a long time and they need to be finished and a small diorama built. I know they are not railway related, but they are still modeling; which is what I enjoy doing. This small battle scene deserves to be finished, and painting these will be very good practice:
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Actually, I enjoy figure modeling very much. Here is a 1/4 scale Verlinden figure that I built and painted some years back:
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You might be able to recognize who that fellow is, if I did a good enough job of it. It's nearly all done in oils due to the rich depth of oil paint.
Any type of modeling is good to do to hone you're skills and keep practiced up. I enjoy it all.

That's all I have for today! Expect the usual thanks a heap for the likes on my past posts.
Please, everyone have a pleasant, fruitful day, and let us know how things are going in your modeling adventures!
Have a good one!
 
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM, err MODELERS!
The Temp reached a 93 high yesterday! Today is expected 92 and clear with windy.

FLO, Must have a large coffee this morning, maybe two? If you would ask MEL for one of his garbage omelets with lots of bacon and sourdough toast ..PATY!

Willie was bragging about his rainfall yesterday - feast your eyes on these totals!

Date
High
Low
Ave.
Prec.
April 2993°F50°F71°F0.00"
April 2881°F45°F63°F0.00"
April 2766°F46°F55°F0.01"
April 2663°F49°F55°F0.06"
April 2570°F55°F60°F0.00"
April 2470°F51°F60°F0.00"
April 2369°F54°F59°F0.00"

BBL ......
 
Sherrel, your opening is showing your age which is fine. Thank god I didn’t end up over there after High School. Had 3 in my graduating class not come back. College thankfully kept me out of that jungle. I lost on the draft lottery but won with the student deferment.

Good morning Modelers, sorry about memory lane in the opening. Helped the daughter yesterday start the remodel on her bathroom. Took out a non load bearing wall and a tube enclosure. She is doing cleanup today and going to HomeDepot for metal studs. I can do pretty much but will not touch electricity or tiling. Kait will do those herself. Back to help on Saturday.

Trees, I maybe back to making some. Got an email asking for 100. I have 45 ready but replied back asking for a timeline. I like to spend time out on the decks when the weather is nice. I could work on them out there. I did check into my layout last night, it’s still there! The mojo is there, now I need to do something.

Enjoy the day
TomO
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Good Morning All. Cloudy and 60° here, the rain may over until tomorrow night and Sunday. I have somewhat lost track of how much has fallen, but there has been none since sunset last night but a tad over 6" in the last five days. That puts me at 8" for the YTD; our yearly average is 32" and May is usually our wettest month.
I noted that the cars going up and down the county road out front were slowing down quite a bit yesterday as they passed by. I knew that it was most likely due to the overfilled and poorly maintained drainage ditches spilling out over the road.
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Water here is about 2.5" deep.
The narrow one in the distance is a dangerous one and is about 3.5" deep.
Our easement road wasn't much better and will have a new rut in it now.
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Grocery/beer trek went well yesterday, no stock-outs and 98% mask compliance at Kroger. Only about 90% compliance at Home Depot where my wife got some painting supplies and I stocked up on pool chemicals for the upcoming season. Since making the switch to liquid chlorine (concentrated Clorox bleach), my maintenance costs are now about $60/yr versus the previous cost of about $250/yr. Too bad that the rain came while the cover was still on the pool, as that 6" would have amounted to over 1600 gallons to help top it off. In order to keep water out of the plastic filtering system during freezing weather, I have to lower the water level by about 3000 gallons each fall.
Got a sad phone call yesterday from my youngest brother, 10.5 years younger than me. He has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It hasn't been fully explored, so we do not know the extent or severity yet. He is on a liquid diet right now and further tests are upcoming. He has never married so one of our sisters is accompanying him on his medical visits. He has had an involuntary speech impediment since birth, so she is along to help communicate. Other than the speech impediment, he is quite all right by himself. He has a college degree, works a full time job in finance and is a regular volunteer at our childhood church. Interesting fact is that except for a few years in a college dorm, he has lived his entire 58 years in the same house that we all grew up in. From what I read, that type of cancer is easily and successfully treated by surgery.

A couple of spicy breakfast burritos for me this morning Flo. And a bowl of spicy salsa to smooth the trip through the system.

Thanks for the likes and comments yesterday; Rick, Guy, Karl, Tom O, Sherrel, Garry, Chad, Patrick, Tom, Justin, Gary, Hughie, Phil.

While the rest of the world turned, I did practically nothing out in the train shed yesterday. I did add more ground cover around the house, but it isn't worthy of a picture yet.
So for Tom O's wife, here are a few more close-ups of the horse farm on that sliver of layout that I posted yesterday.
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Karl/Mikey - After seeing the picture that Karl posted yesterday, the house kit was definitely the Model Power kit. I made no alterations as that was early in my modeling career. Here is a close-up of the front showing the slot and tabs for any added stuff.
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It got me to thinking that I also had one of the Walther's variations of the kit with a different base, different porches and an add-on annex to the side instead of the back. It was sold as a rooming house which is what I use it for.
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Guy -
She's been bugging me for a new storm door and insulated entrance for a very long time. I've been holding off, as I don't see anything wrong with the existing doors.
I am a believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I just don't understand wives who believe otherwise, unless of course they don't have to do the work! I now own TWO new bathrooms when we really only needed to remodel one of them, just because! Both also have new vanities that are 4" taller than the old ones, thus making it harder for me to lean over to spit out the toothpaste! I spent a day re-configuring the drain pipe for one of them.
Campbell kits are eccentric at best. You have to fabricate a lot of stuff yourself, but I like the only one that I have.
Tom O - We have friends who raise and breed horses. They haven't made any money in over 20 years.
I dropped my student deferment after drawing a 264 in the lottery.
Sherrel - While I am not going to post a picture of it this morning, I paid 59¢ for identical bell peppers yesterday at Kroger.
Pitiful rainfall amounts, I pee more than that on the yard in a day.
George - I applaud your retirement decision. I planned on retiring earlier than I did, but the economic downturn in the early Obama years hurt my retirement savings by six figures, and I had to wait until 63.5 in 2015. Been enjoying it ever since. Actually since I took over self-management of my retirement account, it has gone up 25%. :)

Everybody have a great day. It's National Arbor Day. Go plant a tree. I planted twelve new ones about six weeks ago.
 
While I am not going to post a picture of it this morning, I paid 59¢ for identical bell peppers yesterday at Kroger.
AH YES , I have seen them at 69 cents, but not quite as nice! You have to consider that Sprouts, close by, is a very "yuppy" store and usually has an abundance of younger women fresh from the rather large gym next door ... it takes me longer there to survey the merchandise!
 
TERRY - Comments about Your employer yesterday reminded me of my father who worked for a small oil company for 42 years. Shortly after receiving his 40 year pin, the company was bought out by another firm and his retirement account of 1,600 dollars was paid to him in cash and he was told that he could join the "new" company's retirement. He continued to work for the next two years and received a pension of $66.00 a month. He collected that paltry sum for 23 years - a total of $18k +.
He did manage to score a small victory -- he put the $1,600 into the new company's stock and sold that after he retired for $16,000 - ten times his investment.
 
TERRY - Comments about Your employer yesterday reminded me of my father who worked for a small oil company for 42 years. Shortly after receiving his 40 year pin, the company was bought out by another firm and his retirement account of 1,600 dollars was paid to him in cash and he was told that he could join the "new" company's retirement. He continued to work for the next two years and received a pension of $66.00 a month. He collected that paltry sum for 23 years - a total of $18k +.
He did manage to score a small victory -- he put the $1,600 into the new company's stock and sold that after he retired for $16,000 - ten times his investment.

I think this is why RR retirement is separate from SS. Railroads all ready had a retirement system in place when SS was started. Because I had more then 10 years working for the Railroad all the money I paid in from others employments ended up in my RR retirement fund. Also because I was married for more then 10 years before I retired all my wife's SS fund earning ended up in the RR retirement fund. The government tired to join the two many times but the RR unions said, no way so it's still two separate retirement funds.
George
 
Morning again,

Or at least it isn't noon yet. I am at work on what would otherwise be a beautiful day. Wish we also go some of Willie's rain. We received about 1/2" on Wednesday.

I weeded out what will be the garden spot this morning, but didn't plant the peppers and tomatoes. The cucumber plants I believe are dead as I've tried to keep them watered in the house. I finally have some grass growing in some areas that I had some issues with last year. I had to put some peat moss over the seed to help keep it in place. I had one good pair of jeans I could wear, but tore those here at work last week. They're ok for around the house, but not jeans day at the office. I have 3 "new" pairs I can't wear as they are too small in the waste, but on the wife's since I've lost a little she insisted I try them on...I'm down 4" in waste size since Thanksgiving, down 30# in 6 months.

Willie: I'll add some prayers for your brother. He's about the same age as my younger brother.
 
Patrick, I can’t believe how your area can be dry. It seems like every other area around you has weather warnings and heavy rains. Just so strange how Mother Nature acts. Hope you catch some rain soon.

Weather in So. Central Wisconsin per the SIL the last month has been dry. Mother Nature has pretty much gone around us too

Willie, best to your brother and I am throat cancer survivor, stay positive. Terry, is not in the horsey business to make money but boy does it get spent. She is a rescue horse destination and a foster mom to horses in need. We had stables for hire and it can be profitable if you get enough horses to board. When the daughter sold her 5 day care centers to a national chain her and the SIL purchased the stables from us. They kept them 3 years and got a good profit in the exchange. Not worth the hassles of snobby over indulgement bored trophy wives. Thanks for the additional pictures for a better reference for me.

My brother called from Austin and asked if our entire family, meaning Terry, me the daughter and the son, love to garden. I asked why? Said Brian has 24’ of raised bed gardens started and has the same sail clothes and white muezzin Terry has in Paradise. I told him mom tried but always failed, but Terry’s dad had monster size gardens and it was nothing for him to plant 100 tomatoe plants. You name it I think he had 3 rows 10’ long of stuff that grows in Wisconsin. After he died no one in the immediate family wanted anything to do with it. I worked like 5, 8 hour days rototilling the plot. I planted grass seed over it, best lawn I have ever done because for 30 years he had worked that soil. I also think he had over 100 rhubarb plants and when in season was always giving them away. He had a 5 acre lot and rhubarb was all over.

Retirement, savings, 401k, and whatever. I retired 3 weeks before my 62nd birthday only because Terrry wanted a few years free as she retired at 55, 7 years before me. We had started a side business in 1990 that really took off a few years before she retired in 2007. I took SS immediately and Terry waited till 66. I have a 401k that for the 21 years I was eligible I pour3d max in every year. Still have not touched it. Terry had a full pension from the Wisconsin State Retirement board as teachers in Wisconsin and administrators are eligible. It has been a great pension for us. Everyone in retirement is so different with different needs and the difficulty in putting.g money into savings and retirement accounts. My wife is excellent at 5he stock market game and that’s where my pay checks went every month for 20 some years. I keep stressing to my kids to save save save. I also told them if they wanted to have financial freedom and choices be your own boss.nThe son thinks he will be a financial mogul but finally at the beginning of 2021 he learned a few hard and fast lessons. Retirement is enjoyable because like many of you we have no real worries. However, before 2000 we worried about everything financial.

a rant, Not having good national healthcare system and no retirement from employers who can pay a CEO many millions in bonus during a pandemic year is a travesty that this country will be regretting. I have said for years a flat equitable tax will turn this country back to greater greatness no matter what party is in charge. if you feel this is political statement I separated the paragraph and I can delete it Or the moderators can. Sorry if you decide to. Let me know. I have a good idea how to do the taxes but no clue on the healthcare.

TomO
 
I know this might seem daft to you but I assume you know that
1 acid reflux is the acid coming back up
2 that counter intuitively eating acids like pickles actually help
because it is alkaline food that you body reacts to causing excessive acid
short term fixes such as milk that smooth for about five minutes actually make it far worst long run
some people, find eating pasta with tomato sauces not milk sauces helps soak up,
but different people have different reactions usually because of combination foods,
if you know the foods that stabilise, then try adding a small amount of foods to see what sets it off,
as you are seeing a specialist one hopes that you have been given advice to help,
some people find chewing gum,particularly peppermint or drinking peppermint tea helps,
but if you can monitor your food intake you can find the triggers,and then try to avoid them,
I understand Dino hold me to this but sone people with acid reflux turn out to be lactose intolerant
co wider checking out goats milk,goats yogurt,feta cheese these are all much lower lactose and may prove of help,
and trying this for a week or so unless doctors orders are directly opposing anything I said are not expensive, do not require drugs, and can easily be ruled at as stupid advice...grins
sorry about the GERDS husband suffers from time to time, he dies use chewing gum,and drinks wads of tea, no longer with cow milk or sugar but honey and goats milk which appears to have improved his issues
Hi Jaz! I already know what the prime "offenders" are and if I eat those in moderation I don't have problems. It's when I either (1) over-indulge in those foods or (2) get myself into contorted positions that squeeze-up the acid [similar to a water balloon] into the esophagus after eating corrosive foods. I did something similar to (2) after swallowing 81mg aspirin without food (a habit I've abruptly changed), triggering to these bouts of heartburn [which thankfully have begun easing up]. My GI doc already tried putting me on a no-dairy diet 8 years ago for a different GI problem and luckily, that turned out NOT to be the culprit.
 
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One word: Prilosec! Take it from a long time sufferer. If I get stupid with red sauce or hot salsa (as in eating stupidly large amounts of it) I'll still have issues, but for a normal diet it works great and is over the counter.
Allan, thanks for the tip! I actually was taking that ~5 years ago until my wife read a report in one of her journals about the long-term use of it, where it interferes with absorption of calcium into the bones - leading to osteoporosis; so I quit taking it. Then a few years later when I started having periodic reflux attacks once again, my GI doc put me on something called Protonix which keeps it under control 95% of the time. Periods of abnormal stress [like I recently experienced prior to this recent attack] often give me reflux regardless of the meds I'm taking to prevent it.
 
I think this is why RR retirement is separate from SS

A lot of heavy industries had seperate retirement funds . My father retired from Dow and they paid his entire retirement including his SS until SS kicked in which was about 2-3 years down the road (they had a mass retirement buyout) . But he also complained that my mother earned half as much working for the school district and her retirement checks were almost as big as his.
 
A lot of heavy industries had seperate retirement funds . My father retired from Dow and they paid his entire retirement including his SS until SS kicked in which was about 2-3 years down the road (they had a mass retirement buyout) . But he also complained that my mother earned half as much working for the school district and her retirement checks were almost as big as his.

If you worked for the RR more then 10 years you don't get SS. You don't even get Medicare. You get RR Medicare which always seem to confuse our doctors who seem to charge Medicare and then don't get paid. It all goes back to the 1937 social security and railroad retirement act. I don't think there were any other industry retirement funds around at the time. That came later on.
George
 
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