Running Bear's December 2025 Coffee Shop

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Good morning from Wisconsin. I didn’t really drink beer in college and we were only a few miles from the Pabst and Schlitz breweries in Milwaukee. I think I remember though bottles of red, white and blue beer or something like that at any party. Heck freshman year was a blur.

I was back yesterday working on the power plant walls. Today at 10 I will be at the door opening at the LHS. He said my supplies ordered yesterday afternoon will be ready. Not totally cleaning him out as I ordered no styrene sheet, just structural parts.

I’ve been communicating with a seemingly nice guy on building a bridge for him. I quoted my standard pricing for putting a kit together at the start. He said go ahead. Part of my fee is you supply the kit or I can buy it and charge Walther’s suggested retail plus $10.00. Almost everyone sends what they want built in. He said buy the kit. So I did and billed him per agreement and he paid it. Put it together, painted and weathered it. Now my prices are too high when I billed him Saturday. I billed him the minimum which was part of the agreement hourly or the minimum. I have a kit I don’t own but is paid for but the labor and materials to finish it are being contested. I’m tempted to buy another kit and return it unbuilt to him.

I placed a paint order online last week before Christmas. I already had my online gift certificate from Terry. Saturday I got notice the label was created and was waiting for pickup. Today I got a copy of the packing list. About 1/2 is back ordered even though I made sure it was available when I ordered it. I’m ticked because the shipping is high but if you spend enough it amortizes nicely across the order where they still are the least expensive. USPS says it’s not picked up yet. I will call at 9 Eastern time to make sure they pay for the next shipment. I dislike being played like this.

The weather outside is frightful. Maybe 2” of blowing snow on top of a bed of 1/4”+ of rain turned to ice before the snows yesterday and overnight. Took the garbage bin to the curb and it’s not nice out. The window is blowing at 23mph with gusts into the high 40’s. It 19f degrees feeling like 3, 19 is the high temperature for the day.

The son started assembling the newly created slot track in Wimberly, Texas yesterday in his shop/office/hangar/toy room. Said it took almost 2 hours with help from his girlfriend. Said he’s very happy we added levelers on the legs. Seems his new floor has a few dips!

Enjoy your day
 
santafewillie said:
During high school in the mid to late-60's, it was Old Milwaukee, 3 quarts for $1.
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Our cheap high school beer was Old Style. We called it Dog Style! It was terrible but readily available

From good old Lacrosse Wisconsin.

1767017594662.png
 
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Good morning all!

A bone Chilling morning. I had to run my daughter to basketball practice, and what a contrast from last weeks above average temps. We received about a 1/2' of snow overnight, so its blowing around. I have a drift across a small section of the driveway I will take care of when the wind dies down some.


Currently:

1767018476441.png



We ended up taking everything Christmas down yesterday which I figured once my wife got in the groove she wasn't going to stop. All totes are now back downstairs and the living room is put back to normal. I didn't decorate any outside so there wasn't that to contend with. There was enough in the house to deal with and it took us a few hours to get it all cleaned up. Just when we thought we were done we would find something else we had forgotten.

Not much else going on today. Wife is back to work so usual household routine can somewhat resume.

We had roast for when my parents came over for Christmas get together. I bought 2 of them and we used the leftover beef to make beef barley soup last night. It turned out excellant. There was enough to freeze half of it and we can pull it out and have another quick meal out of it.

Have a safe day everyone!
 


Good Morning All!
25F @ 78% overcast

Guessers said we would have 2 days of below 20F. Yesterday was 17F and did not get much over 24F. Warm inside so that was good.

Winding down from the holiday, I should have time to play with the benchwork. As I said the other day, need to design and build some sort of exhaust system for the laser cutters which should be pretty easy. Then I can start cutting 'gussets' for the benchwork framework.

@TLOC - Sounds like 'buyers remorse'. If it is a good enough kit, I agree - keep it. You may think about giving him a Walther's gift cert for the kit price, probably cheaper than sending a new one back to him. You may even be able to do that using eMail? Heck, Walther's might even send it to him.

Dishwasher has become a pain. After very close inspection, seems the rubber seal around the door has failed. The bottom two edges that rest on the dishwasher bottom have ...um... bent away from the door. What a poorly engineered seal; why they did not run the seal all the away round the door is beyond me. Kenmore is now Nomore. Anyway, got some Dap Rapid Fuse superglue, cleaned the parts involved and glued those two bottom parts. Only had to hold it for 30 seconds, complete bond in 4 hours and it survives water. Did that last night without getting my fingers stuck and will run the thing later this am. Did not really push on it hard last night, but it seemed to be pretty 'stuck'. We will see.

L8r
 
TLOC said:
I’ve been communicating with a seemingly nice guy on building a bridge for him. I quoted my standard pricing for putting a kit together at the start. He said go ahead. Part of my fee is you supply the kit or I can buy it and charge Walther’s suggested retail plus $10.00. Almost everyone sends what they want built in. He said buy the kit. So I did and billed him per agreement and he paid it. Put it together, painted and weathered it. Now my prices are too high when I billed him Saturday. I billed him the minimum which was part of the agreement hourly or the minimum. I have a kit I don’t own but is paid for but the labor and materials to finish it are being contested. I’m tempted to buy another kit and return it unbuilt to him.



Enjoy your day
Click to expand...
I had a somewhat similar incident with an estate I had appraised. We agreed to purchase his firearms by safe. He had 5. He agreed to the price and we said that we would contact him when we were ready for another. We called back when we were ready to pay for the next safe load and he said that he needed to think about which one he would sell us next. He said we didn't rip him off on the first one, but he thought he should have gotten a couple thousand more for it.🧐 Why did he agree to the price on the first safe then? He still hasn't returned a call.

Send the guy an unbuilt kit back. Just my opinion.
 
Good Morning All. Clear and 23°, about 6° colder than the forecast predicted. Wind chill of 17°. Mid-40's for a high today and another cold night. Upper-60's return Wednesday. There's actually rain in the forecast for 1-7.

Got to head out early this morning for the 2 week checkup on the heart ablation surgery. Two weeks was actually Christmas Day, but the doc's office was closed and they wouldn't see me! Later I have to resume the task of bringing in firewood which I haven't had to do since 12-16. Been a nice break, but I need to start exercising again. I hope to be cleared for lifting more than 10#. Today is also the first day to start discussing reductions in some of the excessive (I think) BP medications. The NP I am seeing today thinks that I am on too many but I don't know if he is authorized to make any changes. I see my PCP on Friday and he will make those decisions, possibly based on what the NP says today. The electrocardiologist that the NP works for also thinks that I am being over-medicated. He had that discussion with my wife after the surgery two weeks ago, but I don't actually see him again for 6 more weeks.

Christmas decorations: including the tree stay up here until January 6, Epiphany. Although they are very minimal this year, they will still stay up.

Other than the doc appointment and firewood duty, no real plans for today. Yesterday was also quite slow after church until I shelled and de-veined a pound of jumbo shrimp for Cajun Shrimp Alfredo for supper. Tasted great. I was once again reminded that we're not actually de-veining the shrimp, but disemboweling them. This batch was quite modest though.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I repaired my granddaughter's "Disc Launcher" toy. She had broken off a plug-in wire and a solder joint inside had failed for other reasons. I cut off the plug/receptacle and spliced the wires and added a piece of heat-shrink tubing and was successful in making the solder connection, so it now works again.
I have turned my attention to making a pipe load for one of the bulkhead flatcars I unveiled last week. I started by cutting 16 soda straws (courtesy RaceTrac's soda dispensary) into scale 60' lengths. I also prepared all of the dunnage blocks from some wooden tie material. I didn't take any pictures yet. Something to do today!

David (Marlin) - As I might have already posted, I have always had troubles with Walther's decals. Some of the larger ones, I now simply cut out and mount decal and backer on to a piece of styrene and go from there.
Louis - Yes, I saw the Christmas dual mugshot! But my manners kept me quiet.
Terry - It does sound like another Murphy thing, but I don't use E-Bay, so I really don't know.

Everyone have a marvelous Monday.
 
When I was working at Memorial Stadium as the foreman of the crew that did draft beer service (service, not sales) I had the honor of meeting and talking to a Brewmaster from Anheuser-Busch. Not some mickey mouse guy with an online certificate working at a microbrewer. The real deal! At the time, only three Brewmasters were working for Anheuser-Busch. The job of being a true Brewmaster is rare and prestigious.

He said there’s only a few cents difference between one American lager and another. The flavors can vary a lot, but the quality is pretty much the same, at least from the major breweries.

Bottom line: there’s no such thing as cheap American lager beer. Price differences come down to marketing, packaging, shipping/distribution, taxes, and what the market will tolerate. Skip the beer snobbery and drink whatever you prefer.

German beer: that’s a whole different story. Our Lokführer @RhB Michael knows exactly what I mean. I understand completely why he doesn't like American beer. There is no comparison between a German lager that adheres to the old-world traditions and an American Lager from a large American brewery. Personally, I love the light crisp taste of American lagers, some more than others. Pilsners are my favorites!

Becoming a Brewmaster is nothing like today’s world of craft‑beer schools, online courses, and homebrewing culture. It is an old‑school, industrial, apprenticeship‑driven profession, especially at places like Anheuser‑Busch, Miller, Coors, etc.

True Brewmasters come up through long apprenticeships, often starting as:
  • cellarmen
  • mash operators
  • filtration workers
  • lab techs
  • assistant brewers
You didn’t walk in as a brewmaster; you earned it over 10–20 years. It is a trade, not a hobby.

A typical path looked like:
  1. Start in the brewhouse or cellar
  2. Learn every station: mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, filtering
  3. Move into quality control
  4. Assist the Brewmaster
  5. Eventually take over a brewhouse or shift
In the 1970s, there were only a few serious brewing schools in the world:

United States​

  • Siebel Institute of Technology (Chicago)
  • University of California (UC Davis) school of brewing science

Europe​

  • Weihenstephan in Munich
  • Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin
  • Doemens Academy in Munich
  • Several British brewing schools tied to the big ale breweries
A brewer who studied in Germany is considered elite. Brewmasters from Anheuser-Busch studied in Germany.

Even in the 1970s, large breweries were extremely science‑driven.

A Brewmaster needed to understand:
  • yeast biology
  • fermentation chemistry
  • sanitation and microbiology
  • water chemistry
  • sensory analysis
  • stability and shelf‑life
Many Brewmasters have degrees in:
  • chemistry
  • microbiology
  • food science
  • engineering
Even if they didn’t, they learned the science through years in the brewery lab.

In the 1970s, American breweries already using:
  • automated mash tuns
  • massive stainless‑steel fermenters
  • centrifuges
  • pasteurizers
  • advanced filtration
  • in‑house labs
A brewmaster had to know every valve, pump, pipe, and tank.

This isn't craft brewing; it is industrial precision.
 
troyphoto said:
Which beer was "artesian Spring water" and wasn't their a commercial about fish peeing in those artisian pools? Something about you want good filtered water, not fish pee?
Click to expand...
You’re remembering two different beer brands. Otherwise, your memory is spot‑on. Impressive for a man who doesn't drink beer!

G. Heileman Brewing Company-Old Style’s whole identity in the 70s–80s was built around:
“Pure Brewed”
“Artesian Spring Water”
Olympia Beer's ads from the 70s–80s often joked about:
mysterious artesian springs
magical water sources
“The artisans” (little creatures in the springs) and yes, humor about what else might be in the water
 
Bruette said:
Impressive for a man who doesn't drink beer!
Click to expand...
I remember stuff from beer commercials, and also respect the Budweiser Clydesdales no matter what is in the wagon, but frankly I can drink more than 2 beers without getting an upset stomach. I can have 1 and be fine, but after 2 I get woozy and it doesn't take much to make me barf.
My oldest son is actually allergic to Hops, 1 beer and he vomits and his throat starts to close up. He likes wine and so does his body. HE and I do like Twisted tea and similar drinks. The old man (me) will drink almost anything harder. This time of year it is spiked egg nog and/or bourbon.
 


Bruette said:
You’re remembering two different beer brands. Otherwise, your memory is spot‑on. Impressive for a man who doesn't drink beer!

G. Heileman Brewing Company-Old Style’s whole identity in the 70s–80s was built around:
“Pure Brewed”
“Artesian Spring Water”
Olympia Beer's ads from the 70s–80s often joked about:
mysterious artesian springs
magical water sources
“The artisans” (little creatures in the springs) and yes, humor about what else might be in the water
Click to expand...
Remember the Hamm's commercials and slogan: "From The Land of Sky Blue Waters"

They were all over The Tv when I was growing up. Never actually tried it, but it was another low budget beer.

 
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Beer is part of German culture that is inseparable from German identity. It's the same as hot dogs and apple pie in the States.

Beer is sold everywhere in Germany, even from vending machines and McDonalds.

If you want to find out if an American beer is any good taste-wise, let it warm up to about 50°F and try it. Chances are you will not drink it because it tastes like crap at that temperature.

On the opposite end, a German beer's flavor starts improving as it warms out of the fridge. Flavors magnify and improve as it warms. Even the smell improves. Germans do not drink warm beer. They also do not drink it just above the point of freezing either, such as American beer has to be drunk in order to stomach it.
 
RhB Michael said:
Beer is part of German culture that is inseparable from German identity. It's the same as hot dogs and apple pie in the States.

Beer is sold everywhere in Germany, even from vending machines and McDonalds.

If you want to find out if an American beer is any good taste-wise, let it warm up to about 50°F and try it. Chances are you will not drink it because it tastes like crap at that temperature.

On the opposite end, a German beer's flavor starts improving as it warms out of the fridge. Flavors magnify and improve as it warms. Even the smell improves. Germans do not drink warm beer. They also do not drink it just above the point of freezing either, such as American beer has to be drunk in order to stomach it.
Click to expand...
Having just returned from Germany I can vouch for everything you said. The one real interesting thing was when we were in Speyer and they asked if we wanted a "local" Pils or one from the big breweries.
 
There are 3,500+/- breweries in Germany. Many are very local only serving the surrounding Landkreise and not much farther. The majors are the Big Six in München, and then there is Bitburger, Warsteiner (the Budweiser of Deutschland, but much better tasting), Krombacher, and a few others.

Warsteiner is the biggest mass produced beer in Germany, but they still adhere to the Reinheitsgebot.

1200px-Warsteiner_Bahnanbindung.jpg
 
TLOC said:
Good morning from Wisconsin. I didn’t really drink beer in college and we were only a few miles from the Pabst and Schlitz breweries in Milwaukee. I think I remember though bottles of red, white and blue beer or something like that at any party. Heck freshman year was a blur.

I was back yesterday working on the power plant walls. Today at 10 I will be at the door opening at the LHS. He said my supplies ordered yesterday afternoon will be ready. Not totally cleaning him out as I ordered no styrene sheet, just structural parts.

I’ve been communicating with a seemingly nice guy on building a bridge for him. I quoted my standard pricing for putting a kit together at the start. He said go ahead. Part of my fee is you supply the kit or I can buy it and charge Walther’s suggested retail plus $10.00. Almost everyone sends what they want built in. He said buy the kit. So I did and billed him per agreement and he paid it. Put it together, painted and weathered it. Now my prices are too high when I billed him Saturday. I billed him the minimum which was part of the agreement hourly or the minimum. I have a kit I don’t own but is paid for but the labor and materials to finish it are being contested. I’m tempted to buy another kit and return it unbuilt to him.

I placed a paint order online last week before Christmas. I already had my online gift certificate from Terry. Saturday I got notice the label was created and was waiting for pickup. Today I got a copy of the packing list. About 1/2 is back ordered even though I made sure it was available when I ordered it. I’m ticked because the shipping is high but if you spend enough it amortizes nicely across the order where they still are the least expensive. USPS says it’s not picked up yet. I will call at 9 Eastern time to make sure they pay for the next shipment. I dislike being played like this.

The weather outside is frightful. Maybe 2” of blowing snow on top of a bed of 1/4”+ of rain turned to ice before the snows yesterday and overnight. Took the garbage bin to the curb and it’s not nice out. The window is blowing at 23mph with gusts into the high 40’s. It 19f degrees feeling like 3, 19 is the high temperature for the day.

The son started assembling the newly created slot track in Wimberly, Texas yesterday in his shop/office/hangar/toy room. Said it took almost 2 hours with help from his girlfriend. Said he’s very happy we added levelers on the legs. Seems his new floor has a few dips!

Enjoy your day
Click to expand...

I would refund his money for the cost of the kit+$10 and write him off. After agreeing to your terms and his reneging on those terms he doesn't even deserve to have an unbuilt kit returned.
 


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