Running Bear's December 2021 Coffee Shop

[OBTC 1909]

Good morning all! A frosty 29 degrees here this morning heading for mostly sunny and 39. It's supposed to be 55 on Christmas.

Had the last 2 days off, work today and then off again tomorrow thanks to the bizarre schedule we have. It does seem the company is starting to notice how many people are quitting over the schedule as they are making a few changes. Probably not enough changes to keep a lot of those people, but they are improving it slightly. We used to only be guaranteed one weekend off every 8 weeks but starting next month they're changing it to one weekend every 4 weeks. Our store alone has lost a lot of people due to the schedule, mostly supervisor and management people.

Had a somewhat productive day off yesterday. As I've mentioned before, we've been doing some remodeling around here. My wife picked up some really nice blinds for the front room windows to replace the cheap ugly ones we had. I got the new ones put up yesterday and it's amazing how much nicer they look. My wife is really happy with them and so am I.

I watched part of the the NMRAx live on YouTube yesterday. There were some interesting presentations. Had to miss one, but will go back and watch it later. I haven't been an NMRA member for a few years, but it seems like some positive changes are going on with them and I'm considering signing up again.

That's about all I've got. Hope you all have a great day!

 

[Jaz avalley]

We are except for the definition if pint, as I understand it. The US fluid pint is 16 fluid ounces. The UK one is 20 fluid ounces. So 8 pints to the Gallon gives 128 fluid ounces in the US and 160 fluid ounces in the UK. There may be other minor differences.

The US units are based on those English units from the time when the US were colonies and that whole story... The UK adopted the "imperial system" in 1824 with the "Weights and Measures Act 1824" and since the US was by then independent, was not affected by the changes in that act.

(No I don't have the details memorized except the pint being 20 fluid ounces, which affects the quart and gallon)

Imperial units - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I never knew that either, thank you

 

[Jaz avalley]

I am on a fairly quiet forum elsewhere, it derived from technical back up for their products, I moderate and have met the owner and met and interacted with several of the staff before they worked for him, DCC Concepts makes product, you may have seen or bought their stuff, it does not have much in the way of US input and a number of you guys have excellent layout and stock,could I ask if any of you have an odd 30 minutes (including logging in and then posting in layouts) to join and just dump some of your work to improve the site, do not be tempted by their coffee shop as I do not want to water this one down,they do have an active jokes area that you might wish to steal…I mean copy from. BB and his Lincolnshire Loop are worth a view he does superb weathering and has a top notch layout,not large but very classy.
Anyway if I have tempted any of you to take a look here is the front page.

Please do not feel obliged, I know lots of you struggle to keep up here, and I am not trying to sell this as any more than an off, a one off even, of course anyone who then looks around will be very welcome

The Focus Forum

About Us “About us” always seems a throw-away title for anything, but we’ll do the best we can to tell you about DCCconcepts – who we are, what we do and how we think, because first and foremost, good relationships are at the core of everything that we do. The Company: DCCconcepts itself...

www.dccconceptsforum.com

 

[PNKFLOYD]

(No I don't have the details memorized except the pint being 20 fluid ounces, which affects the quart and gallon)

Jaz- no wonder a pint is so popular in a pub!

 

[santafewillie]

Jaz- no wonder a pint is so popular in a pub!

Never thought of that aspect!

 

[CambriaArea51]

Good morning.... A crunchy 27 due to the ground being warm and the air cold froze what little snow we got. Coffee Flo and wake up Mel.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Yes

JAZ - Is that 1.40 a British Pound per ltr?

and I know it has gone higher but may have fallen

 

[bnsf971]

The reason we are complaining about our $3.30/gallon gas is because a year ago it was $1.85.
I'm sure people in other countries would complain if their $1.40/L gas suddenly became $2.49/L.

 

[bnsf971]

Anyway, good morning. It's raining and 54.

 

[troyphoto]

Well, howdy there internet MRR people and those who want to head to Middle Earth for a pint

It's Troy again

Short update today.

Bathroom remodel: It's painted! Now comes the fun part. Running the water lines.

Unfortunately, the wall the vanity will reside against long-wise, is the one between my unit and the next unit over in our building. That wall takes an act of the HOA for me to mess with.

And the plumping comes out of the side wall. If I put the shut-offs and connectors there for the braided lines off the faucet, I end up about 10-inches short of the longest braided lines I can connect.

The old sink was set very close to that corner. New vanity sink moves the sink over by about 10 inches.

It's currently PVC out of the side wall. And I don't want to pull up ceramic tile on the floor to run water lines under. So, PEX to the rescue. I'll have to remove a large part of the side of the new vanity, so the Pex out of the wall will be visible from inside the cabinet. And, with Sharkbites, I can use the 99c tool to pop them out if I have to remove the vanity for any reason.

Time for trip #98765 to the hardware store.

Hope to get this room done today so I can get back to writing and painting and working on my layout plans.

 

[Bruette]

 

[BigGRacing]

Seasons Greetings as well everyone,
Great holiday morning here, Cinnamon raisin bagel with crunchy peanut butter and a side of bacon. The coffee and rum cream (Ironworks distillery) washed it down really well.
I will be placing the train around the tree today as my train related activity.

 

[ACL-CSX]

Good morning y'all.

Flo- Coffee and bacon this morning.

It is currently 62 and raining. Yesterday it was 70 and raining. Welcome to the south.

Amazon did not disappoint yesterday. I received the first 2 buildings I ordered with my Christmas money. Walthers Merchant's Row II and DPM's Corner Turret Building. Still waiting on 2 more, DPM's Cricket's Saloon and Corner Apothecary. There are other detail parts that are coming in, but it seems I may be able to start laying out the main part of my downtown district soon.

Y'all have a blessed day.

 

[CHRISTIAΝ]

Hello Happy Fellow Modelers !
Today the sky is grey and it's very cold: 39F
By popular request, more Blues with Gary Moore. I always loved this guy. Play it loud !

 

[Boris]

Good morning y'all. 40° and cloudy, down from 49° at midnight.

So many hockey games were postponed due to covid, last night, that selection was slim. I chose Chicago at Dallas, which was a close game through two periods, before I chose to go to bed.

Not much else going on, the wife was binging on those Dick Van Dyke as a murder solving physician programs from the 80s. Semi serious, semi comical and completely absurd. Same production company as the Andy Griffith as crusading defense attorney programing. Since all the sappy Christmas love stories are in their third re-run cycle, there wasn't much else on except reruns of Law and order in Spanish.

yy
A study in pink...or more correctly fading red, as the 4915 pulls the Southbound Afternoon Congressional through South Newark station. The Red and White PC did not last because of the fade. The South Newark station, did not last much beyond this photo, as manufacturing declined in Brick City.

 

[bnsf971]

Since people are posting photos of their Christmas trees, here's ours. Originally it was a group project between my parents and myself, in 1977. At that time, I had managed to break an ankle, and was pretty much confined to the house, especially when the weather was bad. "Bad" was at least once over 18" of snow.
This originally was (and still is) a ceramic tree, with holes drilled in the tree to accommodate the plastic "lights" seen in the photo. My mother also had my father drill a hole in the base, to illuminate the "manger" in the base. When we finished it, it had Mary, Joseph, Jesus, three wise men, and various critters. Over the years, many critters and all the wise men were broken or lost, and Joseph seems to have run off with one of the sheep. The very tall characters standing to the side of the tree in the photo are stand-ins I found at the dollar store.

 

[McLeod]

Good Morning!
It's -16F outside, and I start this fine Sunday having to go out there and shovel the snow that fell overnight.
Hoping to be back in a couple of hours from now.
I'm not a real happy camper right now, but, perhaps the weather will chill me out, and I'll be happier when the shoveling is done.
So it can snow again! and then again! and again!

See ya later!

 

[BigGRacing]

I'm not a real happy camper right now

I fell your pain….I am heading out shortly myself.

I don't usually do the blues….but you are right, he is pretty darn good! Thank you !

ceramic tree

Everyone had one of these when I grew up…..awesome !

So many hockey games were postponed due to covid, last night, that selection was slim.

Yes , my Leafs//Vancouver game was cancelled……grrrrrrr

anyways, my Xmas train

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. Clear but hazy and 28° on this Fourth Sunday of Advent. At least the wind has died down to 4 mph. Full moon overnight is a small one this month. National Weather Service is still predicting great weather for the Christmas weekend, starting with a high of 82° on Christmas Eve. Upper 70's through Monday, nights in the 50's.

My kind of Christmas weather.
Beautiful sunrise this morning.

I spent most of the day yesterday tidying up the place, it had been a few days. While Arlene's recovery is going very well, she's still not able to stand for extended periods of time without some residual pain. Best to avoid that as she does not want to take the Hydrocodone again. She only took it for the first six days.
Covid news seems to be a bit overblown, or am just inured to it after two years? It seems that this Omicron variant is not really a big deal to vaccinated folks, and may even help with natural immunity. I'm not changing any plans or behaviors at this time. Mask when I feel that social distancing is not possible or is ineffective, but otherwise proceed as normal. But I don't usually go to crowded events any more either.

Glad to note that there are others that are challenging me to the World's Worst Solderer title! More than I expected.

Good morning Flo. Did Jesse leave any bacon? I'll take a handful and a toasted whole wheat English Muffin only.

Thanks for the likes and comments regarding the latest progress report; Guy, OB Ken, Gary, Sherrel, Karl, Smudge, Christian, Hughie, Troy, Rick, Tom, Curt, Louis, Patrick.

While I spent about 90 minutes out in the train shed yesterday, I did not take any update pictures. I did install about 10' of track and roadbed, and the first two sets of feeders. I also cut and tinned the other two sets of feeders, ready to advance.
Regarding the large blank area, I have come up with a plan for a warehouse or manufacturing plant using DPM modular walls. However I do not have any blank ground level walls. All that I have are window, dock or door/window components. I know that I can start and complete the front wall after I determine the height. That will be determined by the ground throws behind the structure on the main line and the entry into the transload terminal that I built back in August '20.
Since I took no pictures, I'll have to bore you with something from the archives.
Here are a few random shots of railroad.

Christian - I usually don't watch the music videos that are posted here, but you posted two yesterday that I just had to play. Baby Please Don't Go has been one of my favorite songs since it's original release by Big Joe Williams, many years before I was born, and the version by Them is my second favorite after The Amboy Dukes. Trivia: The flip side of the Them single was Gloria. Van Morrison has been hot and cold since his days with Them in my opinion.
The second by Walter Trout I also listened to. Although I never saw him in concert, I first heard him with Canned Heat in the early 80's, but his best years (in my opinion) were the six or so that he played with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers in the later part of the 80's. He has led a tough life in the last decade due to excesses over the years.
Joe - Congress - So much negativism is being written in the media regarding the one or two members of the ruling party not going along with their plan, but very little is being written about the fact that those two are actually in the majority when it comes down to policy. I believe that there are some good parts to the controversial legislation in front of them right now and the whole bill needs to be broken down into individual bills that would allow the good parts to pass. The SALT thing is ridiculous! Anyone paying $80,000 a year in SALT taxes is not middle class.
Tom O - The window company that I worked for also waited until the last day for the Christmas bonuses, although it was always 12/23 or earlier. However if you weren't there, you still got it anyway, but unless you were on vacation, you would miss two paid holidays during the 10-12 day shutdown. Since that was my first serious job, I was shocked that most of the "old-timers" started drinking at work that day. The owner would walk the plant starting around 8:00 am to gauge the inebriation and whether departments were shut down due to it, and then he would decide what time to have the awards ceremony (2-year, 5-year etc) and the bonus giveaway. I saw the ceremony start as early as 9:00 am and as late as 1:00 pm until it was finally discouraged in the early 80's. As a supervisor and later a manager, I hated that day. I had to break up a few fights over the years!
It looks like you had a rather productive day yesterday.
Louis - While I mostly agree with your list, I see a lot of negatives right now, crime, drug overdoses, inflation, supply chain issues, totally ineffective government, southern border issues,
Sherrel - Prayers and good thoughts going out for your son. Hope that your daughter takes note.

Everybody have a great Sunday. Stay safe.

 

[CHRISTIAΝ]

Christian - I usually don't watch the music videos that are posted here, but you posted two yesterday that I just had to play. Baby Please Don't Go has been one of my favorite songs since it's original release by Big Joe Williams, many years before I was born, and the version by Them is my second favorite after The Amboy Dukes. Trivia: The flip side of the Them single was Gloria. Van Morrison has been hot and cold since his days with Them in my opinion.
The second by Walter Trout I also listened to. Although I never saw him in concert, I first heard him with Canned Heat in the early 80's, but his best years (in my opinion) were the six or so that he played with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers in the later part of the 80's. He has led a tough life in the last decade due to excesses over the years.

Willie - Very interesting. Thanks.