Running Bear's August 2023 Coffee Shop

[santafewillie]

Good Morning, Folks!

It's only about 52F this morning in the sun. This type of weather is easy to get along with, though. I shall neither sweat, freeze, or get soaked when I walk the dog.


No. Once that bridge is closed, there is no fire truck or ambulance access to the west side of town. The nearest emergency services would come from Fox Creek which is one hour distant. Helicopters would be used if warranted. Mind you, with that bridge closed, access to the airport is also cut-off to folks on the east side of the river.
Believe me, people have been whining about that problem for decades now. - I think the fact that two rivers meet at that location creates all sorts of engineering issues and cost considerations preventing the construction of an overpass.
I note today, people are complaining because their cars are on the west side of the river, and they are on the east side. But, I believe they are starting to let vehicles squeeze through.

Well, I don't have any new rail photos to share. So, I suppose I'll make tracks walking the dog, and drop down a rare photo deprived post.
Have a great day!

Oooops! That's a real drag. Glad to read that they are letting some traffic squeeze through.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Newest CSX heritage unit C&O.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Good Morning: 65 degrees going up to 85 later with clear and sunny!

FLO - Throat is less sore this morning, but still have pretty swollen glands; how about another bowl of grits with eggs up on top. That was good yesterday!

WILLIE - How were the chops?

GUY - What was the cause of the fire? Did I miss some-tin?

 

[CambriaArea51]

Throat is less sore this morning, but still have pretty swollen glands; how about another bowl of grits with eggs up on top

Somehow grits and a sore throat don't go together, maybe it's me.
Anyway hope you feel better soon.

 

[chadbag]

Todd

The procedure I always found was rather easy. But the prep the night before was miserable. Hope everything is fine

There is a home test you can do now that is quite accurate and only if it shows anomalies do you go in for the real thing. Both the wife and I got letters from the local hospital system/insurance system (my wife works for the hospital system and they also own an insurance system and I won't remember exactly who the letter was from). I knew before I even opened it that it was an invitation to come in and get the old butt exam (since there were two letters that looked identical I knew it wasn't a "woman" thing or a bill or test result or anything else that comes in envelopes with the health systems name on the return address part). But the letter also said the at-home test was available and talked about the differences etc.

 

[chadbag]

GUY - What was the cause of the fire? Did I miss some-tin?

Not Guy but he mentioned something about CN and stupid trucker encounter...

 

[chadbag]

Latest house pics and news.

I mentioned having put one window in myself a week or two ago. I need to take it out and reset it as I guess my eyes were playing tricks on me when we put it in and it is sticking out 1/8 or 1/4" instead of recessed. The people who will install my windows came out a few days ago after work and did one window as a test since these are windows they don't see often -- insert with bracket Euro style tilt and turn windows vs traditional nail flange American windows. They wanted me to see how they would do it and if I approved. They did a good job and will be back next Saturday. They were booked out during the normal work week for quite awhile but to get their best people they asked if they could do it on a Saturday. They are also giving me a good deal. They do windows for the house builder who has been helping me run the job (they basically send me their subs if I need them and also run the money for the bank and scheduled inspections -- friends of the family for 25 years) so they are a known entity. They also were easy to talk to and deal with. Their install is on the right.



The plumber finally came last Monday and got the vent in the roof. We just have one. Everything they can get to hit that vent they will. Everything else will vent through the inside-the-cabinet type vents. Now the roof guys can get started 9which they are doing Monday). You can see the vent sticking out of the roof.



The electricians have not been here for almost 3 weeks but they did work a couple days each week for a few weeks at the beginning of July and they are coming back Monday. Plumbers have also been in this whole week doing things.


Several weeks ago we installed doors from the basement into the basement under the garage. Now we can leave stuff and it is locked up. I don't know if I ever posted pics so here are some.



The in-wall toilet in the master bath had an issue with the wall. The toilet tank frame sits inside the wall and that wall happened to be right above a joist and so we couldn't put a drain pipe in. So I built a 2x4 wall "extension" inside the toilet room so that that wall is now a ' 10" ' wall and the toilet can be installed and the drain pipe will miss the joist.



And a general view of the fornt as it was yesterday



I was also trying to get the tub for the Ofuro (Japanese style bathing room) ordered this week -- guy promised to send me an invoice I could pay on so they'd start the week long custom build but I have not seen it yet. Need it to get done so the plumbers can do their thing and line up the drains etc.

Also was trying to get the guy who is supposed to drill our geothermal shafts scheduled. I had started talking to him again several months ago but that conversation kind of petered out as I was busy and now he is scheduled through the end of the Fall. . He did say he'd see if he could squeeze me in somewhere. Hopefully he'll get back to me.

Also been working with the guy who is supposed to build all the control and water distribution panels (the plumbing part -- I have the controllers here to hook up) for the snow melt system and the house radiant...

And also been working to get the water treatment pieces ordered as well. (salt less water conditionser, various filters, anti flouride, anti heavy metal, etc system).

I asked my boss last Monday evening through a Slack message for Thursdays and Fridays off through mid November as the bank has laid down that as a final deadline. He never responded to my Slack so I assume it is ok. I did say I'd go to morning meetings and if any high priority escalations happened I'd work those etc. I'm not going to be in Hawaii with the phone and network turned off. I did get 1/2 of Thursday taken and 3/4 of Friday. (We had some big direction changes at work Thursday so there were some important meetings and stuff to attend to).

 

[santafewillie]

There is a home test you can do now that is quite accurate and only if it shows anomalies do you go in for the real thing. Both the wife and I got letters from the local hospital system/insurance system (my wife works for the hospital system and they also own an insurance system and I won't remember exactly who the letter was from). I knew before I even opened it that it was an invitation to come in and get the old butt exam (since there were two letters that looked identical I knew it wasn't a "woman" thing or a bill or test result or anything else that comes in envelopes with the health systems name on the return address part). But the letter also said the at-home test was available and talked about the differences etc.

Cologuard is what it is called. Your doctor will order/prescribe it and the company sends you everything that you need except the TP. From what I understood, the doctor has to place the order or your insurance will not pay.
You set a collection device up on your toilet and push one out. Then you dismantle the device, screw the lid on the collection can, I think you seal that, put that into a Ziploc type bag and put it all in the provided box that seals shut. Then you take it to your nearest UPS Store and hand it off. It already has a label and you pay nothing.
I asked the UPS Store manager who waited on me, if they knew that these were boxes full of shit??? He said that the managers and some supervisors at bigger stores knew what was in them, but that they didn't tell any employees!
My doctor told me that it shows anomalies for about 1/3 of women and 1/2 of men over age 60. Not as accurate as the colonoscopy itself, but it can rule out a lot of unnecessary procedures. Mine showed anomalies that were determined to be benign polyps after the actual colonoscopy and biopsy. I don't know what percentage of the anomalies eventually turn out as malignant.

 

[McLeod]

Good afternoon!

mentioned something about CN and stupid trucker encounter...

That's right. It was a Seaboard tanker truck partly loaded with diesel fuel.
I don't know if the driver was asleep, impaired, or just maybe quit school in grade 4. There are a-lot of bells, flashing lights, and down-arm's at that crossing. They were all working. - I think that truck driver is in a-bit of a poo pile.

And as far as the colonoscopy goes; The procedure was completely harmless and non-painful. The part that hurt was not being able to eat the day before, and getting up at 2:00am to drink the Peglyte and clean myself out. Also, it wasn't fair they failed to let me know about the 3 beautiful student nurses viewing the procedure. Made me feel kinda like one of those fella's opening his overcoat. Always glad to help out, though!

 

[PRR Modeler]

Afternoon All,

Started out the day trimming hedges early so that I didn't spontaneously combust in the heat. I did two days' worth of chores this morning because tomorrow we are driving out to Patrick AFB to go to the commissary. In the west of us is McDill about the same distance but the traffic is horrendous and take 30-60 extra minutes to get there so we rarely go there unless we're already in Tampa for something.

Guy- Interesting photos. I'm glad no one was hurt.

Troy- Our closest Dennys has been sued twice for that.

Willie- Nice looking fence.

Chad- My Doc had me do the box test then immediately scheduled me for a Colonoscopy. I'm finally back to a 5-year interval. That's a lot of good progress on the house.

I hope everyone has a good night.

 

[santafewillie]

Also, it wasn't fair they failed to let me know about the 3 beautiful student nurses viewing the procedure. Made me feel kinda like one of those fella's opening his overcoat. Always glad to help out, though!

They waited for me to go under the sedative before the nurses were brought in. I was told that they would be there. The anesthesiologist was a looker though.

 

[McLeod]

They waited for me to go under the sedative before the nurses were brought in. I was told that they would be there. The anesthesiologist was a looker though.

Willie - Even if they gave me a sedative, it didn't work. I was never under. I even watched the happenings on the big computer screen. Looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

 

[TLOC]

Willie - Even if they gave me a sedative, it didn't work. I was never under. I even watched the happenings on the big computer screen. Looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

I always fall to sleep. I am now on the 5 year plan.

 

[santafewillie]

Even if they gave me a sedative, it didn't work. I was never under.

Some doctors don't use a sedaive. I am not sure if I care but both of mine were with a sedative.

 

[Bruette]

I'm glad to hear so many of you are taking diligent care of your health. We must do what we can so that the C-word does not sneak up on us.

I did the box three years ago. I just saw my doctor this week and she told me when I come back in a month, she will have set me up for a colonoscopy.

I had to show my old man ass to my doctor. I apologized to the young lady. "I'm sorry, nobody wants to see old man ass"

There was a time you could have bounced a quarter off my ass. Now it's just skin over bones, and gravity has taken its toll.

When I was 15 I ran the forty-yard dash in under 5 seconds. In my full football uniform, including my helmet. Now I can't walk forty yards without sitting down.

Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative!

 

[Boris]

Good evening: 82°, mostly cloudy and humid. So far, 0.16"of rain has fallen. 60% chance of showers / thunder showers through 0300 Sunday morning. low of 70°. Ran a PRR Drill and a Transfer. Changed out an Alco S-2 for an Alco RS-1.

 

[bnsf971]

Joe, I see you've found the official Florida state bird for your new avatar.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Somehow grits and a sore throat don't go together, maybe it's me.
Anyway hope you feel better soon.

Slept a good 4 hours this afternoon - still feel lousy, listless, and blazay. ... and the throat still hurts a fair bit!
If not any better in the morning - I will head out for the clinic.

TOM - Not much difference in cream-of-wheat and grits - about the same consistency - one wheat - one corn.
"Anyway hope you feel better soon." Thanks!

 

[Boris]

Terry: And I thought only that was only Jersey's State Bird. Explains why so many Jersey people move to Florida, Familiarity.

In football, baseball, this afternoon, Atlanta Braves 21, New York Mets 3. Second game this evening, Atlanta 6, Mets 0.... Disgraceful!

Sherrel: Feel Better Soon. Not normal irritation. Get it checked, might be Strep.

 

[Snowman]

Apologies if I overstepped with my post #432. I'll take it down if needed or leave it up as an example of what not to do. Let me know admin(s), and sorry to bother you with it in the first place.

I will say there is a blurring of the line between sports and politics caused by some of the sportsmen and sportswomen themselves, as they often leverage their celebrity from the one to whatever they feel justified focusing it on for some other reason. But that doesn't mean I have to rise to the occasion, and I'm sorry I did here.

I have not mentioned "that" football league until now for a lot of reasons...and they are all still good reasons today. So I won't mention it any more.