Running Bear's June 2022 Coffee Shop


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Gas prices just went up again to $5.19 a couple days ago. Most stations have crept down to $5.18 or $5.17 by now though will jump up again soon.

It went up to $5.09 a week ago. A few weeks ago it was $4.79. It goes up to $x.x9 and slowly drops a penny or two or so over a few days and then jumps up to a higher $y.y9 price, usually adding in 10 or 20 cents.

Frustrating. My son puts plain old regular in his Honda fit (my dad's former car). However, I put mid grade ethanol-free in our VW Jetta and the Audi A3. Both the VW and Audi have a variation of the VW Group 1.4 TSi turbo 4 cylinder engine. (In addition the Audi has a EV motor built into the 6 speed automatic manual transmission as it is a PHEV). The VW specs regular gas and the Audi premium, but at our high altitude the mid grade works fine and the ethanol-free gives better gas mileage (gasoline has more energy than alcohol by volume) and is better for your engine as alcohol is corrosive (even if modern engines are built to endure it). The mid grade ethanol free has about the same cost to it as premium, approximately 30 cents above regular. Some of that is compensated for with higher gas mileage.

If I can't get ethanol free I'll use regular in the VW and mid or premium in the Audi (plenty of stations around here have it but not all locations we travel to have it easily available), depending on if we are still high altitude or have gone down to Vegas or Arizona or somewhere lower.

Where we are at the regular is 85, mid is 87 (though ethanol free is rated 88), and premium is 91.

Down in St George or Vegas the regular jusmp up to the normal 87 and mid to 89 and premium still 91 (though some stations have 92 or a range of 91+ grades to take your money).
Suck it up boys (sorry actually it is hurting people A LOT especially if you travel for a low pay job but your fuel bill is going up at rocket speed) but suck it up boys, sunny sunny sunny freeeeeeee solar into my Tesla, oh yeah….dances
 
I love VWs remember the Jetta
Besides the beetles, we owned a variant, and a big orange Passat (that thing saved my life in an accident)
 

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1st sandwich I ever had that used olive oil instead of Mayo on some sub sandwiches.
Tom O': Mayo and / or Mustard on a Sub or Hoagie is disgusting. Olive Oil & Vinegar please. ;) Just as bad as a "Chicken" Cheese Steak or Cheese Curds :rolleyes:.

The Portillos hot dog, at first glance, resembled an "Italian" Hot Dog, available in Trenton and Newark, which is a Italian Sausage and Pepper on an Italian Roll, but substituting a hot dog for the sausage.

Many of the franchises that are common in other parts of the country don't take hold here.

Louis, I also am watching the Stanley Cup finals. Sound is off during intermission as I wait for overtime to begin. I want the Av’s
Tom O': I wasn't in a sports mood, so I didn't watch...my loss...From the highlights, it was a good game. How 'bout Kadri? That was definitely a strange goal...Tampa's Jon Cooper is coming across as a sore loser, ranting about goals resulting from no-calls, the salary cap and everything else that usually benefits his own team...Karma!
 
Good morning all!
57F in Libby and partly - should hit the 90's again later.
Dogs were out barking at a deer - geesh that never happens ..right? Anyway the dang deer was standing real close to the fence and stomping at the dogs. Ok, thought I lets go and take a look. Momma stashed her baby pretty near the fence so that is was all the crap was!
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Off to Kalispell in a bit for USFoods, WalMart and CostCo run. There goes another $1000 - we are stocking freezers with meat and veggies for the impending doom.
 
I usually ask a neighbor if I can redirect a sig required package if I won't be home. No sense in using a whole day of leave for that.
I've seen those lock boxes. They don't require the mail delivery person to have a key. Just close the lid and it's locked.
My neighbors aren't able to help, for the reasons listed. Only shipping to my official home address, also for the reasons listed.
As for requiring a signature, there have been many cases recently of delivery drivers simply tossing stuff into a vacant lot, or in the woods somewhere. It's been on the news repeatedly, some local, some in other parts of the country.
 
I love VWs remember the Jetta
Besides the beetles, we owned a variant, and a big orange Passat (that thing saved my life in an accident)
Over the years, my mother had a 1968 Beetle, it was very reliable. She only got rid of it when it got so rusty it wouldn't pass state inspection anymore.
Both my parents and I had the Passat platform cars. Mine was a 100LS, theirs was a Dasher. I got rid of mine when the head gasket blew for the second time in a year, they got rid of theirs the second time the transaxle went out. The Dasher was the last Volkswagen they owned, and I, being a glutton for punishment, tried again with an Audi 5000. That also didn't end well. I'll never own another VW product again.
 
TomO: I was headhunted and the position sounded interesting. We do have a lot of aircraft\aviation in the area, but since the major employers got bought out by bigger companies, there's a lot of outsourced IT in the area anymore. Also the "entrepreneurial" nature of the area keeps IT wages down. I could move to Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Omaha and a bit further away is Dallas and Denver and make about 50% higher wages with a cost of living not that much higher than Wichita. Get tired of businesses in the area complaining about the lack of IT workers, but barely paying them anything. IT is always an expense, but we need it. Been that way for at least the last 30 years.
 
Tom O': Mayo and / or Mustard on a Sub or Hoagie is disgusting. Olive Oil & Vinegar please. ;) Just as bad as a "Chicken" Cheese Steak or Cheese Curds :rolleyes:.

The Portillos hot dog, at first glance, resembled an "Italian" Hot Dog, available in Trenton and Newark, which is a Italian Sausage and Pepper on an Italian Roll, but substituting a hot dog for the sausage.

Many of the franchises that are common in other parts of the country don't take hold here.


Tom O': I wasn't in a sports mood, so I didn't watch...my loss...From the highlights, it was a good game. How 'bout Kadri? That was definitely a strange goal...Tampa's Jon Cooper is coming across as a sore loser, ranting about goals resulting from no-calls, the salary cap and everything else that usually benefits his own team...Karma!
I saw Coopers comments this morning and my1st thought was sore loser. Too bad bad or missed calls are part of the game. Tampa over the years have had more then their share of good luck. I never thought he was a whiner though. True side of people come out when adversity hits. I am hoping for Colorado to win but now I would like to see Tampa crushed.

The defense kid Makar from Colorado is good but he couldn’t hold Bobby Orr’s shoes let alone be as good as Orr. The hype is getting to be too much. I saw Orr and other then “the Great One”, Wayne Gretzky no one was better IMO
 
TomO: I was headhunted and the position sounded interesting. We do have a lot of aircraft\aviation in the area, but since the major employers got bought out by bigger companies, there's a lot of outsourced IT in the area anymore. Also the "entrepreneurial" nature of the area keeps IT wages down. I could move to Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Omaha and a bit further away is Dallas and Denver and make about 50% higher wages with a cost of living not that much higher than Wichita. Get tired of businesses in the area complaining about the lack of IT workers, but barely paying them anything. IT is always an expense, but we need it. Been that way for at least the last 30 years.
Driving through and searching Google Earth on I35 always amazes me with the industry there. Best to you.

I could have left No. central Wisconsin and my brothers company a few times for more then double. My brother’s attitude was no one was irreplaceable and don’t let the door hit you in the ass. One of the reasons Terry and I started a Property Management company. That worked out very well for us, that and we were aggressively bold in our decisions
 
Over the years, my mother had a 1968 Beetle, it was very reliable. She only got rid of it when it got so rusty it wouldn't pass state inspection anymore.
Both my parents and I had the Passat platform cars. Mine was a 100LS, theirs was a Dasher. I got rid of mine when the head gasket blew for the second time in a year, they got rid of theirs the second time the transaxle went out. The Dasher was the last Volkswagen they owned, and I, being a glutton for punishment, tried again with an Audi 5000. That also didn't end well. I'll never own another VW product again.
I had a diesel golf in the early 80’s and Jettas, Passatts and Golfs in the 2000’s. I have also had a Bentley, a couple Porsches and Audi Q3. Other then the diesel freezing up in -20f degree weather I have had no issues with VW. During the 90’s I was driving the Ford Taurus as I was a road warrior. Decent cars the kids hated as they got the hand me downs. Purchased with 15,000 miles from the local car rental Ford dealer. Changed them out at 100,000miles or 18 months, whatever came 1st.

I hate the car buying experience. My brother and daughter revel in it.
 
Do any of you have gutter guards installed.? Opinions , pros, cons.?

I had the Leaf Filters installed over my existing gutters several years ago. No real pros or cons except one.

If I had to do it over again I was would select Leaf Guard since the gutters get replaced during the process instead of the Leaf Filter being installed over my older gutters which have a short life expectancy.

Greg
 
Cineplex, (in Can) has now implemented a $1.50 fee per ticket if ordered on line or thru an app.
I will use self checkout if I only have 1 or 2 small items.
just had an inch of rain in an hr.
Do any of you have gutter guards installed.? Opinions , pros, cons.?


Gutter guards - we put some on a house we owned about 12 years ago. When it rained really hard, the water flowed right over the guards and defeated the whole purpose of having rain gutters.

I think we got them at Menards.
 
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Scotty!
I need!
More!
Power!

I hope you read that in William Shatner's speaking style.

3500 Running watts of power. Dual Fuel (I'll use LP as long as the price doesn't spike - Gasoline in Emergency long term situations, or alternate).

Now I need to get my grill tanks filled, and find some stuff to plug in for the 5 hour break in period.
 
Good afternoon all,

82° and sunny. Supposed to hit 91 in east central Minnesota after a low of 57 this morning.

My final piece of flex track arrived yesterday, now have just enough track to finish with maybe 6" to spare, the way it is shaking up. This new piece is Bachmann which has different characteristics in that it stays curved somewhat when flexed. My other piece which was also ordered as a single is Life-like and I have them side by side for reference:

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The top one is life like, the bottom Bachmann

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Here is the back side, the life like can be curved in any direction, the Bachmann should be curved in one direction only. I am glad there is only one piece of Bachmann to install since this type of track is new to me and will be a learning curve.

The majority of the flex track I have is Atlas or Walthers.

Figured I better check the bridge for level before glueing down track:

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The top of the two tracks to the left of the bridge is the Bachmann which held its bend after I tested it. The bottom, Lifelike, is like the rest of my tracks which goes back straight.

I glued the track in the bridge down with a few drops of Gorilla in two spots, in case I have to take it up again won't be hard to slide a knife under it.

Here is how far I got last night, seeing how much extra track I have (not much, after trimming)

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Patrick - hope the interview goes well

Guy - we do a lot of gravel crushing at our county pits. The machinery around here is generally not that new. I had a gravel operation on my last layout.

Troy - now that you have a generator, prolly wont have power outages

more later, Dave LASM
 
Troy - now that you have a generator, prolly wont have power outages
Exactly. $400 insurance policy. Just like I have a propane heater for keeping us warm if the power goes out in the winter, blizzard, etc. I'll lay in 5 gal of gas, and get a big propane tank (50lb?), and we should be fine for a few years.

Now that the plumber has come and gone, he said that technically, tying the drain into the cleanout is to code, because the p-trap is considered removable and cleanout still accessible. However, he echoed a concern I was leaving unspoken. Time to replace the old pvc supply lines. the shutoff on them were definitely abused, and someone used regular PVC pipe for both hot and cold. (Grrrrr....)

Time to replace, so I'll pay them to do the grunt work too. I'll get the cabinets and counters installed, hole cut for the sink, and let them do all the undercabinet work.

Again, more insurance. Let the pros do it, and it won't be my mistakes that flood the basement.

That happens the day before my birthday in two week. So, tonight I begin electrical work to move outlets and get the GFI installed.
 
Troy - maybe you were a boy scout. My wife thinks I still am, she likes to echo the (my) motto "Be Prepared"

VW - I never owned a beetle, but the first car I purchased with my own money was a 1968 VW squareback. Had the pancake engine, also electronic fuel injection. It was fun to drive. I paid $450 for it and drove it 2 years. I gave it away when it broke down near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as I did not have enough money to fix it. Hitch-hiked then took Greyhound to my destination near Boise, Idaho. That was a long summer. The summer of 1979.
 
I made it all the way to TENDERFOOT in the scouts! They told me we were going to camp in the snow. :eek: I'm a cozy by the fire with big sweaters inside sipping hot cocoa kind of winter person. So...

I told them to take a hike.

😜 :cool:

But, I'm the type of person who thinks about where the exits are. Do we have enough (fill in the blank) in case X happens?
 
Eagle Scout here. I loved camping in the winter. No competition for firewood, and no insects.

After College, for several years, I would meet a friend to tent camp whatever weekend fell closest to New Years day. We always had a blast, and occasionally, a Park Ranger would stop by just to be sure we were still alive.

Yeah, this was in the 80's.. I wouldn't do it now.
 
Have a good night everyone. My poor wife is prepping to be scoped tomorrow. Gonna be a long night

Everything looked OK. A few polyps that were "benign in appearance" were removed and will be put under the microscope just to be sure.

Her dad died of Esophageal cancer, so she gets scoped from both ends more frequently than most.

She used to take Omeprazole to help fight GERD, but has recently been using L-Glutamine with much better results. The scope results confirm that her esophagus looks better now than it did the last time. The only thing that has changed (other than time) is switching from Omeprazole to L-Glutamine for about the past year or so.
 
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