Coffee Shop Part VIII

[leghome]

Usually my Christmas shopping takes anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes. I only buy for my wife and I never know what I am going to buy until I get in the store. This year it took 4 and 1/2 hours. I walked into four or five store before I found something that I think she will like. I have never bought her a Christmas present she did not like. Damn I must be good or something. I bought her a gray plaid skirt with a little red running through it, a red blouse/sweater combo and a light gray sweater. My oldest daughter really liked it so it will be a fine present for the better half.

 

[Secondhandmodeler]

I was the idiot in Walmart tonight. I didn't realize the item I was looking for is only available online. Well, off to Target. They had the same item, only it was out of stock. During this shopping adventure my sister, wife, mother, wife, sister, sister, mother called me! I was informed that I had a faulty shopping list. I was suppose to start over, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars! We weren't going to give gifts this year, then changed our minds. I think I may change my mind again! Merry Christmas!

 

[Cjcrescent]

...During this shopping adventure my sister, wife, mother, wife, sister, sister, mother called me! ...Merry Christmas!

Corey;

See, things like this points out the beauty of my shopping "system".
I doubt any relatives would be awake to call me at 0100!

Merry Christmas to you as well!

 

[UP2CSX]

Howdy, y'all. I'm hanging around the front of Flo's waiting for her to open up shop so I can get some good, strong coffee. I spent most of the day on the phone with Social Security. I'd rather have a root canal than talk to those people. Whatever you do, don't let your wife die before you do when neither of you are collecting SS. I turn 62 in February so I applied of my benefits. Ah, not so fast. I was really eligible for my late wife's benefits since I've been 60. No one ever told me about that and I never heard of it before. In addition, my current wife is on long-term disability. I talked to six different people and got six different answers about how much I would get, from who's account, if it would affect my wife's disability, what it would do to my stepdaughter's dependent child amount, what the total allowed family amount is....and no one gave the same answer twice. I think I have some of it pieced together but the big supervisor is supposed to call me back today - like that will ever happen. As it turns out, I was very lucky, without knowing it, that I remarried four months after I turned 60. If I had remarried before 60, I would have lost any claim as a widower to my late wife's Social Security and it would have disappeared into a black hole where everyone else's money ends up when they don't get it. Never heard of that rule either.

I usually try to avoid political issues but am I the only one that feels the government basically stole money from me my whole working life and is now telling me I can't have it back, even though I never earned a dime of interest on it, unless I meet some byzantine set of rules? If people can win the lottery and get a lump sum payment, why can't I? Of course I can't, because the feds are counting on actuarial rules that I'll die before I ever collect everything I put in so they'll have more money to keep the system afloat. I fear for what our children are going to have to go through.

Sorry for the rant. I'm sure I'll feel better after some donuts and coffee. I wonder if Flo hired that new waitress yet? That would really make me feel better.

 

[Bill Tidler Jr.]

12-21-2007

Good Morning from Tipton IN !

 

[Alcomotive]

Morning all! Enjoy your day!
Friday! Whooo Hoooo!

 

[OldGettysk]

Good Morning Jim & Bill ! Bill love the new waitresses but I think Flo is a little jealous. Hey guys I solve that running around stuff , I shop online or have my daughters run around for me. I can remember getting up at 3 in the morning to go stand inline for Cabbage Patch Dolls for them and then they woudn't have any when I get in the door. So it would be acrosss the border to Cananda looking for them. Jim I can sympathize with you about Social Security. I was on SS for awhile with a permanent disability when some clerk decided that I wasn't disabled any longer . So they sent me to this quack doctor who held my hands an then told me I could go back to work. So off I have to get a lawyer . Well $1,000 later and upteen doctor visits later I had my benefits back. It happened again about two years ago . But this time They backed off before I had to get another lawyer . But It was a pain in my A%%. Good luck anyhow . You all have a nice shopping day guys !!! Mornin' Alco

 

[IronBeltKen]

Mornin' coffee clubbers,

Who was it that coined the phrase, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" - well I can sorta see what they mean by that, since last night was the first time in ~5 months that I did any actual operating on my layout. Just being able to see my 89-footers make the entire length of the main without de-coupling was a major treat! Of course my Athearn RTRs are not the smoothest runners of the lot, so when my guests are watching on Sunday I'll have to make sure I only run Kato or Atlas locos. At least then I'll finally discover all those little track flaws that keep themselves hidden when I'm running trains by myself...!

Jim, for a second there I thought you were talking about the IRS - they're about as consistent with their answers as the SSA people! At least you lucked into being eligible for benefits [from your late wife's estate]. Since I was born at the tail-end of the Baby Boomers generation, I doubt I'll ever collect a cent of Social Security - the fund will be bankrupt by then.

Ryan - those wood stoves are great aren't they! I have one too, gives me real peace of mind whenever I hear predictions of weather-related power outages in wintertime.

 

[Secondhandmodeler]

Good morning folks.

Carey, I don't usually run with the rest of the idiots. This year, I didn't really have a choice. Last year, I bought most of my gifts online. Next year I'll do the same. I try to avoid crowds as well. I've worked in retail for thirteen years now, and I have a unique hatred for the mall.

Jim, sorry you have to jump through hoops like that. I'm guessing that the retirement age for me will be somewhere in the mid to late seventies. There will be NO social security for our generation. If I don't have any money by then, I can't say that no one told me. Good luck dealing with the red tape.

They are now predicting 4 to 9 inches of white stuff for our trip back to Minnesota. I don't mind driving in snow. It's trying to see where you're going in southern Minnesota that sucks. It's basically flat fields with hardly any windbreaks. The winds are consistently 20 to 30 mph blowing sideways over the highway. Over the river and through the woods!

I hope everyone has a good day!

 

[tompm]

Good morning folks

As I rolled out of the driveway it was 35 F. High will be 44 F. It looks like rain for through the weekend.

No modeling last night. We had to rake the leaves in the front yard before all the rain this weekend. I can’t remember a year where we had to rake leaves around the Christmas decorations. This is the fourth time since Thanksgiving. Usually by this time of year the trees have lost their leaves.

We would have liked to hunker down and avoid the malls but my son informed me that he must see Santa Claus this weekend. A few weeks ago he and his sister did not want to go and see Santa saying they were too big to see Santa. Now that we are down to the last weekend they changed their minds.

On the work bench I would like to weather the coil cars. I also would like to finish weathering the decks on the flatcars and perhaps begin weathering the trailers and flatcar bodies. On the layout there are details on the Farm House Area. My son has commandeered the power pack for his HO set up that he built under the Christmas tree. Actually it is his power pack. The one we had for the layout in the basement broke a few years ago and we have been using his power pack since on a “temporary” basis.

I hope everybody has a good day.

 

[Maxitrains]

Good Morning - Afternoon - Evening,(depending on what part of the world you are )

 

[NickB]

Morning everyone!! Man Max that's an awesome picture.

 

[pcarrell]

Mornin' all!

 

[rhoward]

Mornin' Folks!

Jim, that is very interesting about your "fun and games" with the SS office. I have been the lucky guy in my family who had to deal with all that stuff when my parents died. It was actually fairly straight forward with my mom getting my Dad's amount when he died as it was higher. And then producing a death certificate for them when my Mom died. I lost my wife to cancer 20 years ago and have just turned 61..... Hmmmm??? I remember getting a small check (Enough to take the immediate family out to lunch in a cheap restaurant) and that was all I would get. I think I should do some research maybe. Hopefully this will all turn out to be an advantage for you and your family.

Got my Night Lighting finished last night. Looks really cool... Well "Cool Blue"......... I also managed to cure the shorting problem on the Decapod. Bachmann parts dept. is supposedly sending a replacement for the power pickup on the loco which was causing the problem but I tried a quick and easy solution. I bought a can of Liquid Wire Insulation and painted the Flat pickup wire where it was shorting out. It was back up running like a champ!

Hope you all have finished your annual sacrifice to the God of Commercialism (ie: have finished your shopping). And if you haven't, you better get going before those 20 or so Santas clean off all the shelves at Mall-Wart!

 

[RexHea]

Jingle-Bells, Jingle-Bells, hmmm, hmmm, all the way! Oh, what fun ...

Yes, I am getting into the spirit and good morning to all!
Our Christmas festivities will begin today with the arrival of our daughter and family from Houston. We haven't seen them for two years, so it will be wonderful. Their ETA is early evening and they will be with us until Christmas day.

You guys that shop on-line, don't go for the wrapping. I did that one year at Penny's and the presents came in fancy BAGS!

Max, that is an outstanding photo. (wonder if there is any flex-track on board )

KenL, I knew you would get the fever again. Glad to have you back with the other addicts.

Jim, I feel for you having to deal with anything that is ".gov". You sometimes have to wonder, "Are the rules/laws so old that no one can find them, so they make them up as they go!" Only a couple of months ago in Alabama, it was announced that there is (and has been for ages) a law giving those over 60 a discount on their property tax. No one knew this and the state never informed anyone about it. If you didn't ask about it, you didn't get it. Now, there is a heck of an argument going on with local government and the state about if they are suppose to give a refund.

Have a Good'un Everyone!

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning.

Today's Weather for:
Sundown, LA 71446-6114 12/21/2007

Wind Chill: 63°F
Humidity: 71%
Dew Point: 53°F

So Far Today
High: 63°F
Low: 46°F
Rain: 0.00"
Rain Rate: 0.00"/h
Gust: 7mph NNW

Today High: 75 Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds.

Tonight Low: 55 Partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows in the mid 50s. Southeast winds around 10 mph.

 

[pcarrell]

Hey, I got my daughters Christmas present last night! Want a peek?

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/NewToy.jpg

It's an acoustic electric guitar. You can play it with or without an amp.

 

[NickB]

What a great present Philip! Nice looking too.

 

[rhoward]

Ho, Ho, Ho! I've got all my Christmas presents bought now. Even have all of them wrapped. Had just enough paper and bows left over from the last several years to (just) get everything done. Even got the package to my son and his partner in Chicago down to the UPS office yesterday and it is now somewhere in Ohio with a delivery date of Christmas Eve. Can't do much better than that!

Only thing I am still working on is a present for my sister in South Bend. When her husband passed away last spring, I was the recipient of quite a few woodworking tools and since I had some beautiful Black Walnut heartwood I kept from my Father in Laws huge tree that was taken down (It is still heating my house right now), I decided to make a hand finished Cross for her this Christmas. I have it cut and basically assembled but still need to do some finish sanding and put on a coat of EnviroTex finish. Good thing Christmas goes for 12 days. She may actually get this Christmas.........

OK, so I still have to do some major house cleaning in case people decide to visit, but...................

BTW, nice photo Maxi! How did you get it? And, Philip, I bet your Daughter will love the Axe! Was it tuned at the Factory? (Sorry, old musicians joke.)

And hey, where did everybody go? No posts here in 7 hours and 45 minutes????

 

[Cjcrescent]

Howdy, y'all...

I usually try to avoid political issues but am I the only one that feels the government basically stole money from me my whole working life and is now telling me I can't have it back, even though I never earned a dime of interest on it, unless I meet some byzantine set of rules? If people can win the lottery and get a lump sum payment, why can't I? Of course I can't, because the feds are counting on actuarial rules that I'll die before I ever collect everything I put in so they'll have more money to keep the system afloat. I fear for what our children are going to have to go through.

Sorry for the rant. I'm sure I'll feel better after some donuts and coffee. I wonder if Flo hired that new waitress yet? That would really make me feel better.

Jim;

No you're not the only one. I applied, on Dr's advice, for disability late last spring/early summer. I got notified that I was turned down, because 1. I could still do substantial work, ie according to them, telephone solicitation. 2. Plus by their criteria, I supposedly wasn't disabled.

By their own website, I have one of the listed conditions that would supossedly qualify me for disability! I have had it all my life and its gotten worse every year. Whats even stranger, the MD thats managing the condition, never got a request from the SSA for my records! Even thou I only had 5 Drs listed and turned in 12 "record requests".

So we got a lawyer. According to him, the appeal process is such that we get to basically start all over again. Because he now gets to request copies from the Drs. Except this time, it can take up to 20 months, (per the lawyer), for a decision from the SSA Judge!

I think I better go build sumpin.....