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Steve, firefighters and power utility men never make enough moula this time of the year. Stay dry! Stay warm!
 
anyone who works outdoors in the winter is grossly underpaid.

I remember one day at work. YEARS ago. it was a particularly bitterly cold winter, so I was bundled up as warm as possible. I always made it a habit to carry an old wool blanket in my work truck, just in case.

so, there I was, working at a JWI. {jumper wire interface, for those of you who aren't initiated. one of those big metal "boxes" that stand by sidewalks, on corrners, or other various random places. theyr'e full of thousands of wires, which connect underground phone cable to aerial phone cable.}
anyway. I was at one of these, with warm clothes, scarf, hat, mits, and a cup of coffee to help me work.

It happened to be overlooking a large park, with LOTS of open space.
The wind was howling, there was lots of snow, bitterly cold.

and there, trudging across the open space of the park, was some old {or probably he just LOOKED old} homeless guy. wasn't dressed nearly well enough for the weather. no hat, no gloves, just jeans, worn out running shoes, sweater, and jean jacket.
he was carrying a sandwich.

and he just sat down in the middle of that open space, unwrapped his sandwich, and started eating.

I ran over with my wool blanket, and gave it to him, along with the coffee. he needed them more than I did.


funny how I didn't feel QUITE so cold, in spite of having problems to solve outside for a couple of hours.

I've never forgotten that day. talk about lasting impressions.
 


LTF- that was a very nice thing you did for that man

Steve B- try and stay clear of any spray off the hose, stuff is cold is best of conditions! Oh and you mentioned it was icy, try and keep the apparatus between the paint :D, it never ceases to amaze me the power of those trucks.

Well i have a meet tommorow and have to leave around 5pm to make it in time :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: im running two varsity events so im extremely nervous, i ran 6000m in practice this past week, in 1000m increments, times varying between 3:22 and 4:37 so thats about the only comfort i have at this moment in time. This will probably be my last post until i get home, wishing everyone a nice evening and a good saturday morning
 
Well the car definitely needs to go to the shop for repair. The low pressure power steering line is so badly mangled I can't fix it. The rubber part is shredded and the steel part is twisted and flat as a dime. Problem is, the low pressure line is the more expensive of the two and getting an intact one from a scrap yard is next to impossible as they usually just chop them. It's also known as the cool down line as the fluid cools off as it comes back to the reservoir.
 
Oh man is it going to be cold with the Boy Scouts tomorrow and tomorrow night at Winter Survival. High tomorrow 26 F, low 16 F. Winds 10 to 20 mph. The little bit of snow we had this morning has frozen solid and is more ice than snow. Pitching a tent will be a treat.
 
Hiya Gang
1st off , I want to thank all of you for the words of concern and comfort, and for the prayers.
I just got back from Dad's Hospice room. Yes, he is on a diuretic, along with morphine and adavan. He is resting comfortably, but as the last 3 days have passed, he is sleeping more and more. The Hospice nurses have explained that Dad is beginning "the transition", and may not be able to speak to anyone at all come tomorrow. My oldest sibling made it in from North Carolina last night,and spent the day with him. I took the night shift. Tomorrow we will work out the weekend watch schedule, and go from there. We are trying to keep at least one of us there all the time, so that when he passes, he wont be alone.
Its funny, he had the most peaceful look on his face tonight. I think he is ready. I just hope I'm ready to let him go.

BTW, its 17 degrees outside right now and the road are a flippin skating rink. Tomorrow were looking for sunny and 30. Yahoo, heat wave!
 
Karl, it does sound like he's getting ready to cross the river. It will be very peaceful and his face will look better than it has in 10 years. CJ did an excellent job of explaining why there's only so much medicine can do when the basic systems being to fail. That's what's happening with your dad. He will go into a deep coma by tomorrow and then just sleep and not wake up. Although even thinking about death is difficult, having someone with him is really important. He knows you are there, even if he can't express it terms we humans understand. I was with my mom and dad when they died and, of course, with my late wife. In all three cases, it was very peaceful, and made me feel better that I could see all the pain and worries of the world had left them. I'll keep you, him and the family in my prayers that God makes it an uplifting experience for you all.

Tom, I had to do a five day winter survival training for search and rescue. Up in the Sierra's, in January, with five feet of snow on the ground and an actual air temperature of 5 degrees. We had to snowshoe in five miles, build our own snow shelters (AKA, igloo), and then get a fire started so we could eat part of our three days worth of MRE's that we had to make last five days. It was surprisingly warm in the snow shelter when we had the fire up on a platform. BY warm, I mean it was about 30, but being out of the wind made it tolerable. Hunting for firewood was the worst part. Thank goodness for some dead branches we could reach because the snow was so deep. We picked up another two feet of snow while we there so digging out become a regular process, so we didn't die from CO poisoning. We had to snowshoe back out but at least most of it was downhill. We were about 40 miles from the nearest town but, at the first McDonald's we came to, I think I ate four Big Macs and three huge things of fries, plus a gallon of coffee. I was then able to feel my feet again. :) I hope the kids and you have it a little easier.

Jeffery, that sucks, since you can usually cobble together something by yourself. I hope the bill isn't too painful.

Matt, I hope you did well in your track events. Whatever happened, I'm sure you gave it your best shot, and that's all anyone can expect.

LTF, every time I hear the song Just Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins, I think of some of the homeless folks I did my best to help in San Francisco. Things are always a lot better for us than many people in this world. You have a big heart.

Steve, I'm been looking at the weather in the UK and thinking about how miserable it must be for you. It's cold here too, but at least no snow. Just the thought of having to turn a hose on something in that weather makes my toes curl. :eek: You should get combat pay.

Bob, our high here was 31, and that was with the sun out all day! For us, that's amazing. I think that kid was just having fun with your snowblower. He probably would have kept on going to the neighbor's lawns if you didn't stop him. :cool: Three bucks a piece for BB kits? Sounds like an instant profit to me. I picked up 20 ice reefers two years ago for five bucks a piece, and that included Kadee's and metal wheels. I've now got enough for a pretty decent fruit block. I don't think I'll see any more deals like that in the future.

Rex, I can't wait to see what my Alabama power bill is going to be this month. :eek: So when do you think you'll have enough done for an operating session? I'm looking forward to seeing all your changes.

Chris, even in Florida, you have to get a few bad days. You'll be back up in the 70's by Sunday, unlike us.

Barry, I guess your good luck with snow earlier in the winter is catching up with you know. I talked to my sister in Cleveland and she said it's been snowing for five straight days...and it's still coming down. She doesn't even live in a lake effect area and he has 18 inches of snow in the backyard. I'd hate to be up toward Erie tonight.

CJ, I was watching the radar this morning and wondering if any of those "scattered flurries" were reaching the ground. It was clear all day here but it's clouded over now and temperature is up to 21 from 19 in the last hour. I wouldn't be surprised if we had enough cold air advection to squeeze out a few flakes here by morning. Had a first today. got up, opened up the weather station on the computer, and noticed my high wind gust overnight was 2 mph. The wind was blowing pretty good at the time so I know something must have been wrong. Got on my parka and, sure enough, the anemometer was just sitting there, although the wind vane was still moving. Got out the ladder and a long pole. Gave it a few good whacks on the bottom and, sure enough, a couple of pieces of ice fell out, and the cups started spinning again. I haven't had to unfreeze an anemometer since I lived in Cleveland. :confused: My weather station is an old Oregon Scientific that's now approaching 25 years old. I'm amazed that it's all still holding together. I was looking at some new ones tonight on the web and, boy, prices have gone up since I paid my $199 for this station. Almost the exact same station, with a few cosmetic changes, in now almost $500. The really nice ones are approaching a grand now. :eek: Since I'm an official observer, it sure would be nice if the NWS would kick in a few bucks for a new station. I'm not holding my breath though. :)

Sandy, have you tried the old truckers trick? Just get some cardboard, cut it to shape, and stick it on the front of the radiator. It should get the engine hot enough to at least give you a little heat.

Phillip, good to see you. I hope all the music comes together. And what the heck is cosmogony? Sounds very esoteric.

Just literally freezing cold and windy today. It's still windy tonight and, with an air temperature of 21, we are averaging a 7 degree wind chill. Man, I'm glad my days of being called out at 0300 are behind me. Finally broke down and went to the doctor today. I have arthritis in my neck and it has really flared up in the last month. I don't know if it's the cold or me just getting old but it was getting to the point I couldn't even turn my neck enough to see if traffic was coming before I pulled out into an intersection. Heat helps but I can't wear and heating pad around my neck all day. I've tried all the OTC NSAID's and ibuprofen is the only one that touches it. I've been taking about 2,500 mgs a day, which I can't do for very long before I get a hole in stomach. I've got a good doc who actually listens to me and doesn't treat me like an idiot. Celebrex works but he won't prescribe for more than a 10 day burst dose because it has some pretty serious cardiac side effects, especially in the "elderly", a group I've apparently joined, much against my will. :mad: We talked it over and decided to try Vicoprofin, which has worked when the arthritis flares up in my shoulder. It's 200 mg of ibuprofen and 7.5 mg of hydrocodone. The ibuprofen will have some anti-inflammatory effect and the hydrocodone is just enough narcotics to keep the edge off the pain. He was willing to give me something stronger but I'm fairly tolerant of pain as long as it's not interfering with my range of motion. I took two tonight and, combined with the heating pad, I feel better than I have for a month. Maybe I can actually bend down enough to get some work done on the layout now. I really hate getting old...but I guess it beats the alternative. :(
 
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Good Morning everyone,
It's about 36* out so it a bit nippy in the foothills here and I've stayed up way too late again. Oh well, I have no one to answer to so I guess, why not. I also got a bit more done on the layout too, a lot of thought and planning to get things to turn out right the first time. so it's a bit of a slow go for now.

LTF, that was a very warm hearted gesture and it does make you feel good.
I did something similiar for a Brother & Sister who are homeless that I felt sorry for when the weather started to turn a bit cooler. I first bought them each a ground pad to keep them off the cold ground as well as a roll of plastic to help keep moisture off them. Then I got to thinking about the cold weather during the winter time like now that they would have to go through and bought them a pretty nice dome tent with a full rain fly to it. It was only a three season tent but I told them how to make it a lot warmer for themselves during the very cold weather as I have a lot of experience in backpacking and wilderness camping. Well it cost me a fair bit but did make me feel very good too, I only hope they are using the tent and did what I told them to do to make it warmer for themselves.

Oh, say Rex, can I get in on your next session too?? LoL How big was the new section anyway? From the picture I saw it looked like about 5' by 20'?

Take care all and have a very good day.
 
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Good Morning Gang!

temp outside is 40* slightly overcast, It should warm up some I hope! The wife and boy want to go flea=ing down in Tampa at th Big Top Flea Market.....I'm up for that!:D


Karl, sorry to hear about your DAD.:( My wife use to work for Hospice, Like jim says they can make the crossing real peaceful. That was one of the most stressful yet most rewarding places to work at! She hated to leave but had no choice. Either way Karl, we'll pray for you and your whole family!

Jim, Got to get bad weather once and a while?:confused: Isn,t that what June to October is for????:confused:;):D

Hey Rex, Your not still wearing your girl friends thong are ya? ;):p And Landscape people never get payed enough either!:D:p:D
 
Good morning folks.

This place sure has been busy lately. I've been stopping in to read but haven't had much to say. I guess I still don't have much to say!:) Progress continues on my CNW depot. It's almost finished.

I sure hope everyone has the peace and support to deal with life's ups and downs. There have been quite a few in here that's for sure. Karl, I'm sorry to here about your father. It's hard to say, but hopefully the end comes sooner than later.

I've recently sold my first item on EBay. I had originally planned to use two Walthers station kits to kitbash into one. Well, I chickened out and decided to sell the second kit and just build the one. Even with the fees associated with the transaction I'm still happy. If not for there, I would have just stacked the second kit under the table and gotten no money. I will have to consider selling more stuff online.

We've been busy at work with booking tuxedos for a winter formal dance. It's like prom, but the girls ask the guys and pay for everything. They should call it the 'Dream On Dance'! The high school kids remind me of how much older I'm getting.

It's -19 degrees outside, so I suppose I should get going and warm the car up.

Have a great day everyone!
 
OH @#$%! we have sleat falling from the sky here in spring hill and it ain't hail! we went from 40* must of droped some.........good grif! North of crystal river it is SNOWING! http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/ Yes, Matt it does snow in florida!
 
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Good morning. It's 17 and sunny. The high is projected to be a balmy 41. That seems somewhat optimistic considering it never got above freezing yesterday.

It seems pretty much a certainty that the car will be going to the shop Monday though I still have to get with the money man (my father) about that. While he's usually accommodating about things like that there are times that he makes Scrooge at his most miserly look like a drunk sailor and it takes some serious bargaining to get the work done. I'm sure you've all had such times in your lives. As for my day today it looks like the high point will be when the Home Health nurse comes to change the dressing for the wound vacuum. That thing is uncomfortable for me but as long as it works I'll put up with it. It's been a real wonder so far and I wish I'd known about it sooner. The only ones I'd heard of before were big clunky bedside affairs that allowed very little freedom. With this unit I can at least get around a little but it's still heavy enough that it shifts my center of balance which was already precarious in the first place. There's no walking a straight white line with it on. lol. I've really enjoyed the responses I've gotten from the people I recently sent items to. Going to the post office to send such things out is painful but knowing that I'm bringing happiness to others makes it worth it.

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv186/Running-Bear/PB220221.jpg
 
Good luck littlefoot, doint the 20m bleep test is good running practice, i recon if you can get to level 10 your onto a winner.

Chris Thats not snow it's dust mate
No Snow today, it's been sunny with blue sky's but it's still WAY below freezing.
Arctic Tundra, no it's north West England
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jollytarlane.jpg
 
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Steve B- boy you guys have some different looking apparatus, it looks like a rescue truck to me, but why does it have 3 side veiw mirrors?
 


One of those mirrors would be a regular side view, another would be a concave 'blind spot' mirror and I'm guessing that the third (furthest out) would be have a better view of objects closer behind. Trucks like that have huge blind spot to the rear and a far flung mirror would help the drive to see a vehicle or object close behind.
 
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