Running Bear's December 2023 Coffee Shop

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The Ice Bowl is one of the greatest games in NFL history. Any one little thing different could have resulted in a Dallas victory.

The Buffalo game is only one game, forget it. It all comes down to how a team is playing come the playoffs. Dallas has the "horses" to play with any of the elite teams.

The playoffs are going to be fun to watch!
They may have the “horses” but they don’t have a playoff coach. Mike McCarthy is a great guy, a super regular season coach but look at his playoff record.

My prediction: the heavily favored Cowboys go down to whoever is the 1st team they play in the playoffs. No matter even if they somehow overcome their coaching staff, they will be destroyed by the 49ers on the Left Coast

Remember he coached my wife’s team GB and with some great players and one of the “best ever” QB’s he lost every time except once and everyone in Wisconsin knows it was a fluke defense that won that game
 
Good morning from a green/brown but no white showing in So. Central Wisconsin. It’s 14f degrees now, feels like 7 and is heading to mid 30’s. Like Mike noted in his note, brown Christmas coming to Northern Illinois. We are about 120 miles away but my area has the same prediction for the big day, dry and in our case, maybe 50’s.

The road trip to Hiawatha Hobbies was great. Sitting in the back seat while another of 2 buddies drove. We had planned another hobby stop in the Milwaukee area but the cell phone showed they are closed on Mondays. So after Hiawatha, lunch basically was a discussion if we should hit up Lombard Hobby in the Chicago suburbs. Where we were basically put us about 90 minutes from Lombard but then the discussion of the ride home was, Proviso Yards near Lombard or the Rochelle, Illinois RR park where the BNSF crosses the UP.

THEN, then do we head a few miles away and get pictures of UP’ Global 3 intermodal facility. Finally with about 10 minutes driving time to the turn for home or Lombard Hobby, the driver said, we can’t go on the Illinois Tollway as he left the electronic IPASS in the other car at home. No way was I telling him if the car is registered in the IPASS system you don’t get charged triple the tolls. It still was a super day.

I have 5 weathering commission clients that pushed my weathering year way beyond anything I ever could have dreamed of. Before I left for California golfing last Monday I mailed out gifts to each of them thanking them along with Xmas greetings to all my other clients of 2023. 2 day priority shipping and the final one to Torrance, California was delivered last night at 7:50 west coast time. Every other package of the 5 shipped were delivered in the 2 day prediction tracking the USPS has, including the package sent to LA just a few miles from Torrance. Crazy…

enjoy the day
 
Morning RR fans!
Water is flowing pretty fast under the bridge this day. The Spousal Unit and I Spent almost 7 hours yesterday counting driving time to see a couple surgeons concerning my latest health concerns at the Kaiser facility in Riverside. On the way home we had dinner at the new Longhorn Steakhouse where we "split" a 24 ounce Porterhouse, medium rare - neither of us can devor a large dinner anymore especially each with a couple of "double" Whisky Sours- and we still had some to pack home.

I'll have to go back in a few days for another (I think the DR. called it a PET scan) and then look forward to a biopsy on the mass on my liver that the MRI showed up a month or so ago. Whatever it is - was not there at the time of my Cat Scan on 7-22-22 - and it is as large as a tangerine today.

I'm not thinking too clear this morning after a restless night and I Need to do a little Christmas shopping this morning. FLO, a large cup this morning please!
Kate does not want to say anything to any friends, family, nor kids at this time - and my only reason for mentioning is I will probably not be spending very much time here until we know for certain the results of the coming up tests.

PLEASE - NO SYMPATHIES, NOR COMMENTS!
THIS IS JUST AN ADVISEMENT TO HELP ME COPE WITH MY THOUGHTS.

I HAVE LOVED BEING A PART OF THIS FORUM;
EVEN IF I DON'T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT COMPUTERS AND AS A STAFF MEMBER?
 


Morning RR fans!
snip
PLEASE - NO SYMPATHIES, NOR COMMENTS!
THIS IS JUST AN ADVISEMENT TO HELP ME COPE WITH MY THOUGHTS.

I HAVE LOVED BEING A PART OF THIS FORUM;
EVEN IF I DON'T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT COMPUTERS AND AS A STAFF MEMBER?
OK, you can't drop a bomb like that and say "No comments". That's not how this works. Having been there done that, I'll say: It's a one day at a time thing. Spousal support, prayer, and your medical team will get you through this. Good luck and Merrry Christmas!
 
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Morning all! Happy Monday (if what day it is matters). I'm close to finishing up the last two diners. I decided to install interiors because, well, as previously stated, self abuse, masochism, etc. 🤷‍♂️ It would seem there are limits to my masochism! Using the "three foot rule", it looks good to me!
I wish i had that rule, because it's torture sometimes, torture i tell you😵‍💫🤣
 


I wish i had that rule, because it's torture sometimes, torture i tell you😵‍💫🤣
Being faithful the prototype is like booze. You can have some and get a pleasant buzz, or you can party 'til you puke. Having devoted considerable time and effort (and dollars) to prototypical accuracy I am sometimes forced to admit that some projects are just not practical or worth the time and effort. And if I hadn't told you you'd never have known! 🤣
 
Past sunday decided to check out the TCA train show in Pittsburgh. Actually right near the huge Bessemer and Lake Erie bridge across Allegheny River. Not that interesting for me at least. One item which cought my eye was an old (Lobaugh?) Two rail 4-6-2 in 0 gauge, but cooler head prevailed. Local train club was running all steam:
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After that it was time to head home...on scenic way. A few shots on old Baltimore and Ohio in Connelsville:
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But the best was yet to come. Driving into downtown Cumberland, MD, the WMS mallet was being readied for another Santa special;
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Good Morning All. Clear and 35°. Not as warm today, only going to be 54°. Back into the 60's tomorrow. Rain still in the forecast from Thursday through Christmas Eve, the NWS has once again removed it from the Christmas Day forecast. Temperatures near 70° though.

Just the usual stuff around here yesterday, mowed some ragged areas, raked some leaves and stacked firewood for next season. I also wrapped some Christmas gifts, not many since I usually just hand out Ben Franklins.
It's time to start getting ready for the holiday marathons coming up. Saturday is my family's annual gathering. It's no longer a giant sit-down meal, but just a gathering with sandwiches and desserts. I am hosting but it will be at my #1 daughters home, so the 47 attendees don't all have to drive 70 miles to my house. Another gathering Christmas Day with the immediate family and a Wednesday get-together with my wife's family. Throw in the grocery trek Thursday and I will be busy. The drives alone will total 370 miles! I need Terry's helicopter.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I didn't do much except run trains for a while. It's been about a week since my last runs. Other than some minor stuff, I most likely won't be revisiting any projects again until Thursday after Christmas; there's just too many other things going on. The tombstones came out better than expected. The paint application didn't work out as planned, but the result is better and I will keep them as is.
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I had used Badger light gray paint which was made for airbrushing, over the primer coat of Krylon Gray, so the coverage wasn't too good, but the effect was perfect. The one on the right was another paint which I don't remember off-hand.
I also set the scene for the Beverly Hillbillies and the truck. Sorry that the overview shot is too blurred to post, but here are some other shots.
I added a mailbox and a dog to the truck.
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Here are the Clampitts meeting Mr. Drysdale and Miss Hathaway at their initial arrival at the bank.
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Karl - Sorry to read that Sharon is still dealing with the kidney stone. I did find that lots of water seemed to make them pass more rapidly.
Steve - Greetings to you as well. That is unfortunate about your daughter and her vision. May the Good Lord be with her.
Louis - Happy Anniversary.
Bob - Good luck with the flood cleanup.
Tom O -
They may have the “horses” but they don’t have a playoff coach. Mike McCarthy is a great guy, a super regular season coach but look at his playoff record.

My prediction: the heavily favored Cowboys go down to whoever is the 1st team they play in the playoffs. No matter even if they somehow overcome their coaching staff, they will be destroyed by the 49ers on the Left Coast
That has been the usual pattern ever since Jimmy Johnson left. Well Barry Switzer won a Super Bowl, but it was with Jimmy's team. Tom Landry won them with skill and finesse; Jimmy won his with excitement and exceptional players.

Everyone have a wonderful day.
 
Morning folks,

I didn't get my firewood piles relocated yesterday so that is left for the day's plate. My diversion yesterday was moving most of the antique Globe-Wernicke cabinet down from 3rd floor. I'm putting that in the "train" room. I still need to move the base unit but that is going to require recruiting some help. All sorts of small drawers in that unit-perfect for train parts/tools.
 


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