Coffee Shop Twenty is now open fer business

[blownoutcylinder]

Isn't that SSDD fer U any ways? U had worst as I can recall!

Terry I had a week like that once --except mine took place both at work AND here!! I had all three computers--including the one at work-- and one of my monoblock amps as well as a decoder all take a crap in the course of a two day period.

-------------------------------------------

Good Morning--

We're going back up to 1C for a high in the sunshine today--- However tomorrow sounds wet--lotsa rain--

Got more runnin' 'roun' to do for Xmas shopping, work, seminar stuff---oh frabjious joy--

I MIGHT get a wee bit of a chance to do some MRR'ing over the weekend---maybe-

Have a good one people!!

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 44, cloudy and wet. The high will be in the mid 50's and there's a chance of rain.

I'm still a bit stiff from the ordeal with the kitchen drain yesterday. I'll be taking it easy today as long as Murphy keeps his distance. The Charcot condition in my right foot has definitely moved up into the ankle. It feels like the bones are grinding against each other. My next appointment with the foot doc is on Tuesday. It's gonna be an interesting few days.

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv186/Running-Bear/PC100267.jpg

 

[CBCNSfan]

Good morning all, beautiful day here in Central Nova. Temp dropped last night to 20F and it's about 27F here at noon. A little cooler than what Jeffery is reporting but IMHO better than rain we had enough of that since the last spring thaw.
Jeffery, are you haveing more problems with your feet than usual? Darn shame they can't find something to at least relieve some of the symptoms. Guess it's like everything else medical, they're too interested in making $$ on the drugs to find a cure.
Banting and Best discovered insulin many decades ago, they've collected a fortune canvassing for diabetes and all they've come up with so far is better ways of pumping the insulin into you, not to mention the cost of the test strips. Bright side to it is you can usually get the glucose meter free, go figure.
Y'all have a great day

Cheers
Willis

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I've been using the same meter for the last 5 years. As long as I can get strips for it why change. On the insulin, I wish they could come up with a permanent solution for that. I'm on a 100 units per day plus pills and don't even get me started on everything else they have me on.

 

[RexHea]

Very rainy and cold day at 40 degs in T-town. Great day for modeling!
I am having a very exciting time watching my plaster dry...very interesting.

About plaster:
Are any of you plaster-er-er-ers, house painters, or something related...maybe just know how to use it? Every time I work with this stuff, I have a real problem with it trying to set too fast...really fast. I have tried to retard it some with a jigger of vinegar and different temps of water, but only with minor improvement. I have the wife mix, hand the tray to me, dump, spread it out, all in less than a couple of minutes. I am using plaster-of-paris which may be a mistake, but it says about 30 minutes set time. Well...it is unworkable in about three minutes. Should I get a different plaster or what??? How in the world does a professional have time to get it on a wall and smooth it out?

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

About plaster:
Are any of you plaster-er-er-ers, house painters, or something related...maybe just know how to use it? Every time I work with this stuff, I have a real problem with it trying to set too fast...really fast. I have tried to retard it some with a jigger of vinegar and different temps of water, but only with minor improvement. I have the wife mix, hand the tray to me, dump, spread it out, all in less than a couple of minutes. I am using plaster-of-paris which may be a mistake, but it says about 30 minutes set time. Well...it is unworkable in about three minutes. Should I get a different plaster or what??? How in the world does a professional have time to get it on a wall and smooth it out?

Plaster of Paris! That's your mistake right there! It's not made to be a patching plaster or anything like that. It's made for molding. You need something like Dura-Bond. There will always be a number after it, like 15,30, 45, 90. The number refers to the drying time. Dura-Bond 90 dries in 90 minutes while Dura-Bond 15 dries in 15 minutes. You have to be real quick with it. I've used it in the past on some layouts.

 

[RexHea]

Thanks Jeffery! That's a big help. Don't know why I started using plaster of paris. All I need is about 5 or so minutes of mix/spread time, but I sure AIN'T getting that now. I guess Lowes or Hodo has it, right? Just a note: P of P does work good for rock molds and a lot cheaper than Hydrocal.

 

[UP2CSX]

Afternoon, everyone.

Been real busy the last couple of days. We went up to Callaway Gardens in Georgia to see the Fantasy in Lights show. It was pretty amazing. Something like 8 million light bulbs and LED's with about 12 different display areas over about 5 miles of road. We rode around in an open tram with our parkas and three blankets and it was still cold. . Actually, it was only about 30, but it felt really cold. I think my blood is thinning out or something. Does anyone know anything about that area? There's a railroad line that runs past Callaway Gardens and Pine Mountain. The line had just been ripped up and it's being made into a recreation trails. By the grade and ballast left, it must have been a pretty busy line at one time. Darned shame, since it seems like the perfect place for a scenic railroad line.

Rex, I had exactly the same problems with plaster of paris until a drywall guy told me about Dura-bond, so Jeffrey's right on that one. Lots easier to work with if you use Dura-bond 30.

Willis, nice to see you. Not only has it been warmer than usual this year up there but it's the first time in history that two tropical storms made landfall in Nova Scotia. Has to do with the normal climatic fluctuation of the Gulf Stream, which meanders to the far north about once a century or so. It's been doing this for the past several thousand years at least, so I don't think we're to blame for this one.

Terry, sounds like you and electronics are just not a good combination this week. Seems like a conspiracy sometimes.

Barry, I'm still amazed you are avoiding most of the snow. It's been pretty tough north of you for a week now.

David, nice that you're among the living again. If you don't have AVG for your computer, get it. Norton and all the rest of those bloated antivirus programs don't work worth a crap compared to AVG...and it's free. I've never had a virus problem since I started using AVG. Spybot is another good program to help keep your computer clean.

Jeffrey, sorry the foot is still acting up but you sure found a creative way to fix that sink. Like Mikey said, not many people know how to take pieces and cobble them together now. It's out to the trash and buy a new one.

Ken, sounds like my two girls. I usually know about something a couple of days later when one of them tells me about something the other other one said on Facebook. It think that's called "communications" today. I hate Facebook. I'm glad she got back to the USA safe, at any rate. Good luck getting here back to Maryland. I'd send her a Greyhound ticket...then she could have some time to remember to call dad next time

It's a nice, cold, rainy day here in the sunny Southland. Up to 46 degrees though, which is better than out high of 41 degrees yesterday. Got a little sleet last night befoire it warmed up a bit. Now we expect rain today, more rain tomorrow, and rising temperatures until we are in the mid-70's Monday with another severe weather threat. Unfortunately, Dianna's Aunt Louise dies yesterday at 79 from complications of lupus. We have to make the trek down to Greenville, about 100 miles south of here, for the funeral on Monday. I'm hoping the severe weather problems don't get too bad by then.

 

[vato loco]

Well finally done! Ryan and myself mowed 7 yards and picked up a load 440# of tree trimmings and hauled that off to the dump then came home and I then proceeded to make a big huge pot of chile! My day is done...........

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeffrey, sorry the foot is still acting up but you sure found a creative way to fix that sink. Like Mikey said, not many people know how to take pieces and cobble them together now. It's out to the trash and buy a new one.

I owe my creativity to my father. No, he's not that creative. It's just that when some project of his requires an ingenious solution he gets me to look at it with him. He's not much good at figuring the angles and he found out early on that I am, so he did everything he could to help sharpen my skills in that department. So naturally when some project gives me lemons I figure out a way to make lemonade. Many times this involves using things that weren't made to work together and making them work together. I have a few locomotives that are evidence of that. Their drives are the results of 'shotgun weddings' but they work well.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I got a letter from Social Security yesterday that gave me a real laugh. In fact I went into a hysterical laughing fit that led to a coughing fit and my mother was very concerned about my health. OK, we've all seen the way the cost of living and inflation have risen over the past year, right? Well, Social Security says they won't be making a Cost Of Living Allowance increase this year because the CPI (Consumer Price Index) shows NO increase in the cost of living and NO rise in inflation for the past year. I wonder which CPI report they're looking at. In the last year my cost for water went up, the cost of my electricity went up by 40%, gasoline went up, the cost of food went up, the cost for my cable went up (naturally the service decreased at the same time) and the price of my satellite TV servive went up. Please tell me which of these things don't impact the cost of living. By the way, the cost of dying went up too, so there's no escape that way either.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

At this time of year I think back to a bus trip that was a life changing trip for a man I'd never met before that day. I was on my way home from Missouri for the Christmas holidays. The bus I was on (a Greyhound) was the last one out until the next day and I wasn't going to wait. Heck, I was 19, I wasn't going to waste time waiting around for a bus that was going directly to my destination. The one that was leaving was an indirect run via Memphis Tennessee. Yeah, I could stand a little longer trip. The bus left on time and the driver made it a point to outrun several Amtrak trains enroute in open defiance of the 55 mph speed limit. I didn't mind. That cut that much more time off the trip. I didn't pay much attention to those around me with the exception of a retired army sergeant. The closer we got to Memphis the more nervous he became. I finally asked him what the problem was. He told me that he was going back home to Memphis and he had written his parents that he was coming. He hadn't received any reply from them. This seemed normal to him considering the fact that he and his father had had a really big fight when he decided to go into the army many years before. His father had been in the army and it hadn't worked out for him and very nearly ruined his life. He wasn't going to have anything to do with his son any longer and kicked him out and told him not to come back. He had written them many times over the years but the letters went unanswered. Every time he managed to get their phone number the number was changed to a new unlisted number after his first call. Well, he finally made up his mind that he was going to go home. He had a hotel room reserved just in case. In his letter he had told them that if they wanted him to come home they had to tie a white ribbon around the apple tree at the bottom of their orchard next to the highway. If he didn't see it he would go on to the hotel and move on with his life. Well, the closer we got the harder it was for him to look and he was getting really upset so I told him I would look for him. By this time everybody on the bus knew what was up. As we came up to the area where his parent's orchard fronted the highway he couldn't bear to look. Everybody else did though. He was almost scared out of socks when a sudden load cheer went up. He looked up and asked 'Did they have a ribbon tied around the tree?'. I told him exactly what I had seen. There were ribbons tied around every tree in that orchard and there was an elderly couple standing outside the fence with a sign that said 'We love you son, come home'. I guess 20 years had made a difference.

 

[WCWBrassHat]

Good evening everyone! Hope everyone is staying dry as it is raining with thunder and lightning in Mobile tonight.

Rex: Plaster of Paris works only is small batches for rock molds and carving. Molding Plaster, Casting Plaster, Hydrocal will work better. Hydrocal is the stongest. Molding plaster takes color better. Casting plaster is in between. Molding Plaster and Hydrocal can be purchased in 50# bags in B'ham. I believe the company's name is Fitzpatricks. They also sell cement and are located across the tracks from were Terminal station was located. Don't remember the exact address, but they are in the B'ham phone book. I bought from them about 3 years ago.

Glenn

 

[Trussrod]

Hi to all, [for a second time today]

The last night & today were pretty rainy and wouldn't know it but the roof developed a leak in the same area I had sealed up prior and it didn't leak during some very rains I had a few weeks back in the amount of 3.5" over three days so I was real pleased with my roofing, shake with tarpaper under layment, repair job. Actually I helped put the roof on so I know how it was done. My Dad and his father built summer cottages in Mass so he taught me quite alot.

Well somehow the repair job didn't last as the leak is in the same area and that happens to be right above where I sit at the computer. So not wanting to be out in the rain trying to effect another repair I rigged up a scaffolding and put a couple of plastic basins on the boards to catch the dripping. Everything was working pretty well until I turned the baisins sideways, trying to another spot that developed, and one slipoed off the boards and spilled about a quarter cup of water on the monitor top and shortly there after the image got progressivly dimmer and then was no more! Damn, guess I killed it??

Well call it the luck of the Irish or whatever but for a long time I couldn't get any image to display so I waited for about 15 minutes hoping the heat from the prior use would dry the water out and sure enough it did as everything is back to normal, Thank God! Also now everything is covered individually with plastic bags, at least on top including the keyboard.

So that's my frustration for the day on top of the fact I just got my new compouter running the way it suppose too last night as the hard drive was infested with viruses and I finally got them all removed using, [Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware] it"s a Free download with free updates as well as to use and will delete all the viruses & Malware it finds. This was especially true after I was able to update it and scanned my computer again. It's pretty fast and through, made a big difference in operating speed!

Well it was really pouring again so it looks like it may be a long night but fortunately I got the drips controlled & contained so I'm staying dry untill I can fix the problem Hope this doesn't keep up all night though, I'd like to get some sleep.
>

I did get a bit more done on the layout yesterday and found out that my Old time Climax
was climbing the wing rails at the frog on one of the switches so after checking rail spacing and then wheel spacing I had to pull the wheel out a bit and that solved the problem. Also the Climax had a bit of a problem negotiating some of the newly laid curves and I determined that the drive couplings of the center drive didn't allow enough
free pivoting so I relieved them a bit to allow a bit more and that solved that problem. I also found that the Old Time 2-8-0 Consolidation handled these same curves very well as well as negotiating the switches.

I also gave some more thought as to how I want my blocks set up. Things evolve a bit differently as you start to operate I find.
>

Say Willis, sure sounds like things get pretty cold up in NS, I know the East Coast in the Mass area gets extremely cold and I've even seen areas along the shore where the Sea water freezes in good size chuncks.


Hey Ken, glad you finally got in contact with your daughter as I'm sure that was a bit of a concern for you and your wife. Some times I feel like you when everything seems to get in the way of my doing what I'd like to do. It's like today, it was my intention to get out in the garage and do some work on the layout as the florescent lights have been on all day and yet I'm at the other end of the house playinmg drip catcher and trying to get a post off to you guys.


Well Jeffery, It's really unfortunate all the problems your having and almost seems uncalled for although there maybe a lot more to your difficulties than it appears. It seems to me I say something about neurapoathy and a natural cure for it? You might want to check out the, Health Science Institute and see what they say about that and Diabeties, they may be of some help to you?

The event you recounted sure was touching to say the least. Thanks for sharing it, life can be very interesting and rewarding at times, that's for sure.

Jeffery, there also something else I'd like to ask you, how is it that I have 456posts credited to me when I don't think I've even posted a 100??



Hi Rex, Glad your getting your plaster situatrion straightened around. Like Glenn said the different types of materials have different applications and tensel strengths. I've always used Hydrocal and found it to work very well with very good tensel strength espoecially for thin shell type of work which I mostly do. I cruimple up the heavy brown paper shopping bags to th desired effec and lay paper towels dipped in the creamy hydrocal mixture and lay it over th rough texture and work it into the cracks and crevises as I want and the effect is very nice and rugged looking and adding rock castings using the same material just as easy and they dry to a very hard fock formatikon that conforms to whatever hill side or shape you have.


Say Jim, Thanks for the welcome and yes it good to be back. While I like AVG as a scanner for general protection it lacks a lot as far as actual malicious virus removal and in many cases doesn't even find them. As I said above, Malewarebytes detects and removes stuff AVG doesn't even seem to see. But I do think AVG is a good all around scanner but with some of the new more sophistocated viruses a person really needs both. Seems to me I tried Spybot but that, if I remember correctly, wound up being just like a virus. My buddy had as virus called PC Mighty Max and it wouldn't allow him to get rid of the icons that even replicated themselves on the lower trask bar with AVG but Malwarebytes cleaned them off!! Was he ever thrilled about that.


Barry & Terry, I see you guys also have had your share of problems too, it sure feels good when things are going right.


Take care and keep building the RR!

 

[blownoutcylinder]

Good Morning--

Jeff Love that story.

David Leaks seem to find the most sensitive areas to develop---I'm always looking at the ceiling in our kitchen--I had one there for a while until I found that it was from a small area under the eavestrough of all things

I woke up all energetic at 4am this morning--have church stuff to do then seminar stuff to do then shopping for relatives to do( some are coming for Xmas--after we haven't seen them for about 15 YEARS!!) then see about some other stuff--

Found out Audrey had sprained her ankle after she fell on some dang black ice on a sidewalk---she spent all day yesterday with her leg up and an icebag on it. I'll see how that goes today---she seemed able to step lightly on it but---

Well I's be best getting on with the stuff doing---

Have a good one!!

 

[kbkchooch]

Morning Gang!
Oh yesterday was a fun one! Had to replace the front brakes on the wife's car, only to find out that both the outer CV joints were leaking grease. Off to the parts store for 2 new front axle assemblies! It didn't make sense to replace the boots. Boots were 25 bucks each. Axles were just a hair over 50 each. By the time you consider the disassembly of 2 joints to fit new boots, and the likelyhood that the other 2 could split at any time (the car has 131k on it) it was easier, and in the long run cheaper to just replace the axles.
Then it was time to remove the mower deck and install the plow and chains on the big Deere, another manly task. Thank goodness my 21 year old stepson was here to help!
Then it was off to the mall to shop for the wife's b-day present (today) and do a little Christmas shopping, with my 13 year old son in tow. The look on his face when I picked up a perfume/cologne/lotion set that the Mrs. likes.
He kept saying " Dad, thats 62 bucks, and it comes from a Beaver's butt!!! I did a report in school about perfume and it comes from a Beaver's butt!"
Needless to say, I got him out of that department of the store PDQ!
Finally off to the assisted living facility to visit my Dad. Mom's dementia issues had come to a head yesterday and the staff had her removed and taken to the hospital. They caught her trying to choke my Dad. She's been a little goofy lately, but now she has gotten to be a danger to herself and others, and extremely beligerent to the nursing staff. They can't fix the dementia so the plan is now to medicate her mood to a point where she's tolorable.
Today it's the clubs holiday display. DJ and I are scheduled for 3 hours of running trains but its sleeting outside right now. Hopefully it will warm up a few degrees and just be rain.
Jeffrey Damn you! Your little story made my eyes leak!!
Jim My experience with AVG was one of aggrevation and rejection. And McAffee is free for me as a Comcast user, I just use that with Malwarebytes. Works great, even when JR goes to sites that get him in trouble with me, the puter stays clean!
Rex Plaster,,,really? How old school. Oooops, I forgot,,,,,you are old school!! Seriously, I only use it for rock castings & such. All my scenery bases are foam. Just seems like an awful messy way to build a railroad to me.
Ken Put a leash on that girl! I'd tell her, if you want me to keep paying for your school and such, then you ARE going to keep me appraised of your itinerary, otherwise the checkbook closes. Facebook aint it. There is this thing called a phone. It sure put my college boy on the straight and narrow!!
David My you are lucky, Had that been my monitor, I could envision smoke, flames, and broken glass!!
BOC Sorry to hear the wife took a spill! Hope she's better soon. Getting up at 4 a.m.?? Careful you dont run outta gas before supper!!
Catch y'all later. Hopefully I can post some pics later of the run session!

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeffery, there also something else I'd like to ask you, how is it that I have 456posts credited to me when I don't think I've even posted a 100??

I don't know. It shows 4,184 for me. I didn't think I had that many posts here.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 54 and partly cloudy here in the Sportsman's Paradise. The high will be in the mid 60's and it will be partly cloudy.

I'm a bit out of sorts today as my right ankle is giving me a lot trouble. I believe most of the pain in it is due to nerve pain sort of like what you get when you have a severe cramp except amplified several dozen times. I took some lyrica last night and it seems to have tamed it somewhat. I can at least get around the trailer somewhat better this morning. I don't have anything on the schedule today except to get what rest I can.

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv186/Running-Bear/PC100268.jpg

 

[vato loco]

Morning Gang!
Oh yesterday was a fun one! Had to replace the front brakes on the wife's car, only to find out that both the outer CV joints were leaking grease. Off to the parts store for 2 new front axle assemblies! It didn't make sense to replace the boots. Boots were 25 bucks each. Axles were just a hair over 50 each. By the time you consider the disassembly of 2 joints to fit new boots, and the likelyhood that the other 2 could split at any time (the car has 131k on it) it was easier, and in the long run cheaper to just replace the axles.
Then it was time to remove the mower deck and install the plow and chains on the big Deere, another manly task. Thank goodness my 21 year old stepson was here to help!
Then it was off to the mall to shop for the wife's b-day present (today) and do a little Christmas shopping, with my 13 year old son in tow. The look on his face when I picked up a perfume/cologne/lotion set that the Mrs. likes.
He kept saying " Dad, thats 62 bucks, and it comes from a Beaver's butt!!! I did a report in school about perfume and it comes from a Beaver's butt!"
Needless to say, I got him out of that department of the store PDQ!
Finally off to the assisted living facility to visit my Dad. Mom's dementia issues had come to a head yesterday and the staff had her removed and taken to the hospital. They caught her trying to choke my Dad. She's been a little goofy lately, but now she has gotten to be a danger to herself and others, and extremely beligerent to the nursing staff. They can't fix the dementia so the plan is now to medicate her mood to a point where she's tolorable.
Today it's the clubs holiday display. DJ and I are scheduled for 3 hours of running trains but its sleeting outside right now. Hopefully it will warm up a few degrees and just be rain.
Jeffrey Damn you! Your little story made my eyes leak!!
Jim My experience with AVG was one of aggrevation and rejection. And McAffee is free for me as a Comcast user, I just use that with Malwarebytes. Works great, even when JR goes to sites that get him in trouble with me, the puter stays clean!
Rex Plaster,,,really? How old school. Oooops, I forgot,,,,,you are old school!! Seriously, I only use it for rock castings & such. All my scenery bases are foam. Just seems like an awful messy way to build a railroad to me.
Ken Put a leash on that girl! I'd tell her, if you want me to keep paying for your school and such, then you ARE going to keep me appraised of your itinerary, otherwise the checkbook closes. Facebook aint it. There is this thing called a phone. It sure put my college boy on the straight and narrow!!
David My you are lucky, Had that been my monitor, I could envision smoke, flames, and broken glass!!
BOC Sorry to hear the wife took a spill! Hope she's better soon. Getting up at 4 a.m.?? Careful you dont run outta gas before supper!!
Catch y'all later. Hopefully I can post some pics later of the run session!

Karl, I took my 12year old son shopping last week and I made him carry the Victoria secrets and Bath and body works bags! Man you could have sworn that his arms were being riped right out of their sockets!

As for your Mom and Dad...My wife was a CNA and I could tell when one of her clients had dementia, she would come home with scratches and black and blue brusies! She took a beating with that job! I'm glad she doesn't do that no more!


Well got to go to the In-laws for dinner! All of us are just not in the mood for them right now!

 

[leghome]

My FIL called my oldest daughter yesterday and asked her to take him to the ER. He was dehydrated and they immediately put a liter of fluids in him. We went to a Star Wars Musical extravaganza yesterday evening. As we were headed to INDY for the concert Val called us and said Papaw wanted to go to the ER. We made a detour to check on him as they were getting to leave the house. He told us to go ahead with our plans and Val called us at 6PM to tell us they were keeping him at least overnite. He also has not been able to keep any food down of the last 2 weeks so today they were running the scope in him to see if they can find the problem. Glendia and Val are still at the hospital as of now. I went by there around 11AM and the nurse on the floor said they were in ER waiting room. I could not find them so I came on home. Hopefully everything will be OK and he can get back home to his two ankle bitters.