Running Bear's March 2022 Coffee Shop

[Jaz avalley]

Afternoon all,

Well after opening about a million boxes (most still sealed), we eliminated another shelving unit in the garage. Sadly, they all left and I'm still flattening boxes and cleaning the garage so I can get the cars back in. Surprisingly, I found the box of computer games I knew I still had. Been 8 years since I saw them last. Now to see how many work under Windows 10\11. I'm betting maybe a couple. Well back to it.

But they sell well I think, people get nostalgia and want to play them

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Good afternoon Everyone in Model Railroad Land. Over cast and periods of much needed rain.

Spending the afternoon just cruising the web for model railroad topics.

I sure like the Athearn rolling stock that has been weathered. A little more weathering to the trucks and wheel-sets and some weathering to the body of the car(s) and out they go. Nice catch on that SP Desert Storm locomotive.

Riley was outside and she captured a field mouse. We're over run this year and well as our neighbors. Maybe time for an exterminator to step in and take care of the problem.

Received my "Drooping Pilot" repair washers from Scale Trains yesterday. Small washers...one for each end of the locomotive(s).

I have to remark about the great packaging that the Scale Trains SDL 39's came in. Well packed in a vinyl housing in a presentation box. Nice touch.

I need to find a web retailer for Scenic Express landscape materials. Walthers is out of stock for most items.

D&J: Cathy and I traveled the United States and Canada on our 1500 Honda Gold Wing. The worst bike trip was to a Wing Ding in Missouri and we had rain all the way there and most of the time at the event. One late afternoon we had a tornado that came through the bike parking areas. Some bikes were damaged, but most were not. A severe accident caused Cathy to be afraid to ride the bike so it was sold. The bike was equipped with all the goodies and a matching trailer from California Sidecar.

Time to move on......

Greg

########################

 

[Jaz avalley]

I retired once, I did not like it!

For some retirement is being left out to slowly gather dust, and makes you feel useless, and sone wives who have had their days full doing stuff with their mates can resent your sudden stay at home, luckily for all of us we have a hobby - at least one which gives us an interest, and is a practical hobby, often using home decor itemss, I came from the. Other direction as I varnish my windowsills, paint my walls, paint my doors, I paint murals on my walls, I draw and paint and can do technical drawing, so hobby modelling takes advantage, for some you do this hobby then have a go at these things then save money decorating the home. Although I am old school and prefer a drawing board or freehand

 

[Jaz avalley]

Good evening, ladies & gents. Thank you for the well wishes. They discharged me this afternoon & want me to follow up with a general cardiologist. I have an appointment with the pacemaker clinic on Monday for them to to s download from my pacer.

Are you still feeling ok

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Morning, gang. Flo, bacon omelette w/ rye toast, oj & s black cuppa, please.
Pacermaker didn’t record an event on Friday, so new have to see what cardiology PA has to say next week. Seems like a 24 hour waste of time this weekend. The pacemaker appointment on Monday was one of the angles I was using to try & avoid getting admitted Friday night. That & I didn’t have my CPAP machine with me. Respiratory didn’t show up in my room until after 4 am & even then, she didn’t to to make sure I had a properly fitted mask(it was leaking air bad around the sides of the nose). Hospital admission ended up just being a waste of time & money(since it’s only March, haven’t hit deductible yet).

 

[NYC_George]

Sometimes I really think it would be a good time to retire...

If you haven't got any big outstanding loans out, Then go. If your ok on the loan thing the next biggest expense will be your medical payments. I said this before in another thread my wife's and I pay around $13K and year for our medical. We have the best plan though. I've been retired for 13 years and haven't missed being at work for one second. Doing the hi rise construction thing, hot in the summer freezing cold in the winter. You have to worry about dying before you receive your first retirement check. When I worked on the RR, how many engineers I worked with died before they retired. I think that's why the RR retirement fund has so much money in it. Lots of them. Both my wife and I put money away in a annuity & retirement plan while we were working. That plus my RR retirement and my wife's SS is how we survive the inflation rate taking over the county.
George

 

[Jaz avalley]

Games... I love games!
The most recent games I have played, over a year ago, "Madden" and "MLB the Show", both for PS4.
As I mentioned to Chad we do occasionally play family boards games.

My problem is time.
I would enjoy spending more time with my trains, games, baseball and football cards.
Since I finally convinced my wife to resign her high paying job, low salary high bonuses I should say. I have been working as much as possible to keep her busy. In just a little over a year she has learned so much about what we do. Soon she will be able to operate independently. But I'm never going to let her have all the fun!

Not only has my wife made us even more successful, she has enabled us to expand what we do. We have even bigger plans on the horizon.
I love working every day with my wife. My wife is an amazing person. She is the most productive person I have ever known.

The trade off was my free time to enabled us to be completely self-employed.
As a bonus my chronic health problems have been improving. Working seven days a week, at my own pace has been great for me in every way.

I don't want to give the impression I am a greedy person. I don't do this to get rich, I have more than enough. I have always lived a modest lifestyle, regardless of income. It's a good thing I have been conservative with money. I spent a fortune on my health care over the years.

I started this seven days a week schedule to keep my wife from missing her former pay and wanting to return to work. It has turned out to be good for me as well. I'm enjoying being busy and productive. Best of all my wife is happy and working less then before, with very little stress. Although she worries too much about me. My steadily improving lab results reassure her all is well with me.

Today is one of the days I have a little free time. I get to take my grandson to school! My wife is taking this time to sleep late. Leaving me on the couch with my beagles and my train buddies. Thank God for the little things in life, they mean so much to me.

The advantage is you get to spend time with someone you love ( both of you) and as you get older if you are off colour that other person has a good chance of noticing and perhaps doing something, just recently my doctor advises me to put my asthma. Breather in the car - a spare one - just in case when I go out I forget, as such I carry his and mine, and I gave added aspirin, because they say if you are having a heart attack that aspirin can help until you get to a hospital

 

[Patrick]

Well,

Actually going to have to wait on the retirement for a while. House needs to be paid off (our biggest expense) as does the truck. Don't owe any other outstanding bills. Couple of my funds won't pay out until I'm 65 (4 more years) and I really want to hold out for maximum social security. By payments we've got 7 more years on the house, by amount due, we have just under 4. Looking forward to finally paying off a house we own BEFORE we sell it and move.

Got the wife's new computer this morning and I may be in trouble, No touch screen. on the plus side, it has a usbc port that will also charge the computer, so when the power connector has a problem, we can still charge it. Already blew all the McAfee and manufacturers monitoring software off the unit. Surprising how much faster the machine runs without that crap.

 

[Alcomotive]

Good afternoon Everyone in Model Railroad Land. Over cast and periods of much needed rain.

Spending the afternoon just cruising the web for model railroad topics.

I sure like the Athearn rolling stock that has been weathered. A little more weathering to the trucks and wheel-sets and some weathering to the body of the car(s) and out they go. Nice catch on that SP Desert Storm locomotive.

Riley was outside and she captured a field mouse. We're over run this year and well as our neighbors. Maybe time for an exterminator to step in and take care of the problem.

Received my "Drooping Pilot" repair washers from Scale Trains yesterday. Small washers...one for each end of the locomotive(s).

I have to remark about the great packaging that the Scale Trains SDL 39's came in. Well packed in a vinyl housing in a presentation box. Nice touch.

I need to find a web retailer for Scenic Express landscape materials. Walthers is out of stock for most items.

D&J: Cathy and I traveled the United States and Canada on our 1500 Honda Gold Wing. The worst bike trip was to a Wing Ding in Missouri and we had rain all the way there and most of the time at the event. One late afternoon we had a tornado that came through the bike parking areas. Some bikes were damaged, but most were not. A severe accident caused Cathy to be afraid to ride the bike so it was sold. The bike was equipped with all the goodies and a matching trailer from California Sidecar.

Time to move on......

Greg

########################

Get yourself an outdoor barn cat.....problem solved. They do a heck of a job!

 

[TLOC]

Retirement is such a personal and subjective thing.

Terry retired at 56 after 35 years in the Wisconsin State Retirement fund. She absolutely loved her job as an administrator but State of Wisconsin politics proved to be her turning point. She could see the tide turning away from “our Educators are loved” to they and their Union are the source of all Wisconsins monetary woes.
Thank the heavens she read those tea leaves correctly.

I retired in 2014 and I knew 2 years before that I was ready to end it. I worked for my brother and felt I owed him, not the company, but him to stay. But, those final 2 years were an absolute hell and a job that I could not wait to get at everyday changed. Finally, after training the 3rd person designated to replace me, all male, I had enough. I went in and said hire a replacement who will do the job you have gotten out of me all these years. That went over big! My assistant, a female who worked with me for the final 20 years could have done the job in her sleep, but they offered her 1/3 the pay I was getting. I told her to find another job and use me as a reference. She did and a month after she left I turned in my notice of 90 days of which I had 180 days of comp time and could have left that day but didn’t. Lots more to the story but when I left, not one of the new directors hired the 2 years before I retired thanked me for my time at the company.

When the company had their “me to” implosion, my brother asked me (begged) to come back and over see the place and get it back to what it was. I had a couple conditions one of which was to hire a replacement for the 2 replacements they hired for my job and amazingly it was my former assistant that I hired at 60% of what I left at. She was thrilled and 6.5 years later is still there. The other is I was working remotely from home 3 days a week and 1 night in Marshfield. Almost a year later I hired an overseer for the place that the brother finally approved of. I was not really prepared to go back but at the same time family is very important to us.

So for those thinking of retiring…

Know your debts and monthly bills.
Try to figure out the insurance issues before you retire.
Have an idea if you plan to travel how much in a year you can and not have to rely on the credit card to finance the trips
check housing where you want to move to or stay at
check medical, people ask why we stayed in Wisconsin. The grandkids are here and our medical both in Central Wisconsin at the Marshfield Health Systems was excellent and our current medical in So Central Wisconsin is second to none at UW Healthsystems.

If you have to plan to continue working part time at another employer do a deep dive on what it might be to work there. Lots of fellas I know have had issues with where they ended up working. Most of these guys were managers who thought it would be easy to drop down in work status.

but, don’t let others push you unless it’s the spouse and then push back until you both agree the time is right

TomO

 

[Jaz avalley]

We are under a tornado WARNING for the next 45 minutes or so. Current projections put it passing maybe 3-5 miles west of me, but these things are quite unpredictable.

View attachment 143328
Safe room is ready.

Did you get off Scott free ?

 

[PRR Modeler]

Afternoon All,

Spent several hours on the road picking up the pool motor and seal. After that we made a stop at ALDI so I have milk for cereal in the morning. After getting home I straightened up the train room from the frenzy yesterday. Speaking of turntables I bit the bullet and ordered a TT from Walthers. One of my buddy's gets a 40% discount from them. I'm hoping that I can leave the pit in place (no track tear out) and unscrew the bottom plate (with the electronics on it) and screw the new plate on, then use the new bridge and controller box.

After the cleanup I looked at the parts of the ALTO tower kit. It comes with 2 different style walls (I'll be using the early set). As practice I tried putting together the newer walls and they are very fragile. I'm glad I have a second set to work with...just saying.

I retired at 59 after the wife convinced me that there was no financial reason to stay. We're not rich by any means but we're comfortable with some discretionary funds. Immediately after retirement we finished paying off the house which was a load off our backs.

Thank you for the likes yesterday on my photos.

Hughie- Nice looking build.

Willie- Glad you were missed. I think that's the same general store I have for my coal village.

Joe- Thank you. Neat story. The cleaning sounds like our pre-Thanksgiving cleaning frenzy. An open secret about modern subs (nuclear) is that they are underwater probably 90-95 percent of the time underway and with a rounded hull they ride rough on the surface. Based on this Seasickness is more prevalent than for our sailors on "targets".

Troy-The walls turned out well.

Tom- Great looking load.

Terry- It sounds like Marie is making positive progress.

Patrick- The news was warning of a Russian cyber attack on the US last night.

Guy- Thank you. That is a neat gas station.

Dave- Nice photo perspective.

Lee- Nice layout scene.

I hope everyone has a good night.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Get yourself an outdoor barn cat.....problem solved. They do a heck of a job!

we took in a cat turned out to be pregnant, one young mum and four babies, they are not the greatest mousers, although mice offerings and occasion dead rats particularly young ones do happen, one time tiger (my favourite) appeared at the patio doors yowling offering a baby pheasant, which we definitely did not want, it was half brown, tiger yowled a few times then decided suit yourself, I looked out to check what was going on and there was two feet sticjking out of his mouth ….then gone……he was the best mouser, long gone now….but missed, unfortunately the mother had a cyst on her kidneys,and two of the kids had this issue, none have been long lived. when they are gone I won’t replace them though. the last boy cannot cone in the house, he was vanished as he started marking peeing and pooping, which just was not on. a over the years I learnt not to leave widows too far open as he was in, and would mark asap, when I go out gardening he appears and gets a cuddle,

 

[NYC_George]

I'm retired but the real retirement is seven hundred miles away in Myrtle Beach SC. Where you drive your golf cart to the store, bar, beach etc.
That's really retiring. If only I could convince my wife to let's get really retired and stop this semi-retirement stuff.
George

 

[logandsawman]

we took in a cat turned out to be pregnant, one young mum and four babies, they are not the greatest mousers, although mice offerings and occasion dead rats particularly young ones do happen, one time tiger (my favourite) appeared at the patio doors yowling offering a baby pheasant, which we definitely did not want, it was half brown, tiger yowled a few times then decided suit yourself, I looked out to check what was going on and there was two feet sticjking out of his mouth ….then gone……he was the best mouser, long gone now….but missed, unfortunately the mother had a cyst on her kidneys,and two of the kids had this issue, none have been long lived. when they are gone I won’t replace them though. the last boy cannot cone in the house, he was vanished as he started marking peeing and pooping, which just was not on. a over the years I learnt not to leave widows too far open as he was in, and would mark asap, when I go out gardening he appears and gets a cuddle,

I....am a cat LOVER!


Dave LASM

 

[MilwRoader_Steve]

Cat lover here too. We have two indoor only cats. Real people-friendly cats. One has gotten a tad bit monstrous - probably 18+ pounds. And of course, that's the one who loves to sleep on my legs and feet. We had to make sure the greyhounds were cat-safe, which they are. Very rarely play chase.

Speaking of which, wife and I were talking Sunday about the blasted squirrels. How, we mused, in a yard frequented by not one but two greyhounds, could there be squirrels? Well, apparently, the conversation was noted. Yesterday a fat squirrel decided to make a run for it from the lilacs to the maple ... and didn't time it well. The older grey caught him - but somehow let him go!! Squirrel scurried up the tree where I hope he enjoyed a slow and pain-wrought death whilst the grey (Fritz) trotted up looking quite full of himself. Then spit out a large chunk of squirrel fur. He got mighty loves!!

Trains:

 

[TLOC]

Patrick, speaking of retirement and my own experience, I retired in June of 2012 and never looked back. We took a long weekend driving up to Hayward, Wisconsin and while Cathy went shopping I visited the Moccasin Bar which is a tourist attraction in Hayward.

I was the only person sitting at the bar drinking a Mt Dew when two "Old Timers" in their late 80's walked in and sat several stools away from me. They both ordered Brandy Manhattans, with olives. I listened to the guys talk and they were on a mission to get some steaks and refreshments for their cabin and their friends who were fishing. It sounded like there were six of them and they all retired form the same company within weeks of each other. This was an annual outing for them and they will spend a week in the woods enjoying themselves and fishing.

I learn that they were best friends for at least 50 years and if still working they couldn't all leave work together for their annual outings. Certain changes at work made their decision to retire a reality and now they pick a weekend in May and all meet for a week at the cabin. Weekly they had card games at each other's homes.

One guy said that retiring early was the best decision he ever made in his life.

I started talking to them and they were really happy fellows and enjoyed retirement even if their incomes were lower, but they had more fun together and not having the stress of the their jobs.

The more I listened to them the more I wanted to retire.

It was May 15th and right there and then I decided to retire. I told the two guys of my decision to retire after listening to them talk and how happy they seemed to be with life and they brought me a Brandy Manhattan to celebrate. The bar tender hearing my news brought the three of us a round of drinks. June 15th was my target date to retire.

I drove home and knew I was making the right decision.

When I went back to work, I announced to the GM when he came into my office that I was planning to retire in the near future, but I didn't give him a date. I think he thought I was kidding until two weeks later I gave him my written "Letter of Resignation" effective on Friday, June 15th. It took six months to find my replacement and he lasted only three years due to the stress of the job.

I had saved over four weeks of vacation and some personal days that would finance the start of my retirement.

That next Saturday, we left for a week at the cabin and no more 3:00 AM or telephone calls on Christmas Eve for me.

Patrick, you'll know when the time is right to retire. I had planned as much as six months in advance of the start of retirement to know exactly how much my living expenses would be right down to the cost for oil changes for our three vehicles. I was ready.

Retirement is great!

Greg

I sent you a message. But

sceneryexpress.com

direct for Scenic Express

TomO

 

[Texas Hobo]

Good afternoon, all! Well after a couple of hours under tornado watches and warnings the sun popped out. It has been a simply beautiful day from about 10:30 AM on.
Retirement - I retired twice. The first time wasn't exactly my idea, but after a company merger the new company made an offer, I couldn't refuse.
It was 2001, I was retired. I made 11 months before I realized we were not ready, and we were not going to survive at our present status. I spent a few years as a contractor, which paid pretty good. Then an offer from a company for a fulltime position. Things went well, I was in the 6 figure category. I have been doing project management for maybe 15 years at this point, no sheepskin. I covered the managers position during transitions, up to 6 months. They hired a new manager, a guy that knew all the words, but had absolutely no practical, working knowledge, but a degree. I retired in 2012, before our first project under his leadership. He was fired after his 2nd project. I did go back for 6 weeks as a favor to an old supervisor, but realized I liked retirement more than working.

Trains - Got a little more done on the T J Reilly structure. The individual sections are still not glued together.

STAY SAFE
LATER

 

[TLOC]

Do you need a laugh? READ THE FOLLOWING

TOMO

 

[McLeod]

I retired at 54. The house was paid for anyway; so was my truck. I got sick and tired of oil-sands and open pit mines.
Since then I've had a long line of folks asking me to do work for them, as I am a certified tradesman. I do that work, and make a few dollars. Mostly, though, it's just a pain in the rump. I do it to be neighbourly.

Both the wife and I live within our means and don't need a-lot. Someone else can have the sports cars and fancy women. I like nobody telling me what to do, and intend on staying retired. Just me, the wife and the dog.

A couple of SD40's are back in town again, to take care of switching duties. I got a few poor photos from across the road from the staging yard. Here's one of them:

Now that I know the 40's are back, I'll need to go down with my good camera and try to get better photo's. Hope to do that within the week sometime, probably when the wife goes back to work.