Running Bear's January 2023 Coffee Shop

[Smudge617]

I feel I need to apologise to the members for my outburst yesterday.

And that's all I'm going to say.

 

[kbkchooch]

Good morning gang

37degrees with drizzle, high of 48 later. I wanna stay in bed with the dog and the cat!

 

[santafewillie]

I feel I need to apologise to the members for my outburst yesterday.

And that's all I'm going to say.

??? I must have missed something here!!!

 

[Smudge617]

??? I must have missed something here!!!

That was the posts Terry removed.

 

[kbkchooch]

??? I must have missed something here!!!

Me too Willie

 

[santafewillie]

That was the posts Terry removed.

Must have been in a different thread, where one of mine was also removed.

 

[Smudge617]

R

Must have been in a different thread, where one of mine was also removed.

Really, that's a surprise, mine were in Magilla12's thread

 

[Smudge617]

Terry I hope your package doesn't end up overseas, you'll never see it.

If if ends up over here can I keep it ?

 

[santafewillie]

Really, that's a surprise, mine were in Magilla12' thread

Yep! That's the thread in which the deletions were made. I thought that you were apologizing for something posted in the Coffee Shop. I will not reference any of the offensive (to me) stuff.

 

[Smudge617]

Yep! That's the thread in which the deletions were made. I thought that you were apologizing for something posted in the Coffee Shop. I will not reference any of the offensive (to me) stuff.

I hope I didn't offend, not my intention at all.

 

[Patrick]

Morning all,

Our network outage continues. May be some time next week before we're anywhere close to normal. Local news has already asked some questions that aren't being answered, but the official notice is a network outage.

I'd love to say more but can't.

Have a good day.

 

[santafewillie]

I hope I didn't offend, not my intention at all.

No offense taken by me. I let my feelings be known about what I considered the offensive post, but my response was deleted as it was no longer relevant once the original was deleted.

 

[TLOC]

Well, howdy there internet people, and those wondering where Christian's package is,

It's Troy again.

Wife and I had pizza for dinner from the wood-fired place. It was yum

View attachment 160081

Found a new-to-us place in downtown Fort Wayne that does wood fired, and detroit style. Been a while since we had detroit style. I'll try to take the wife there in the next week or two and give them a test run.

Did some wording, and painted some little dudes to try to clear the workbench today. Didn't get near as far on either as I wanted.

Hopefully Willie has a tooth again.

Catch you tomorrow

Troy the pizza is excellent looking. Not quite sure what Detroit style is.

 

[Smudge617]

Got some work done on the house today. Didn't get out unt9il after lunch time. It rained and snowed yesterday and this afternoon it started to snow (the big clumpy snow when the temp is right above freezing). The boy and I put up a layer of foam omn one wall (about 60'). It is not done as we need to put he extra insulation panels as well as a straightener and the rebar but it's a start. He had to leave as he was working tonight and I had to leave to take my daughter to music practice. So I was out there about 3 1/2 hours and the boy about an hour and a half or two hours. We also got a ton of gravel out from inside the foam at the top of the wall along the porch. When they were throwing gravel for the basement last Fall a lot ended up in there in between the foam where we hadn't poured concrete and someone had also cleaned up a bunch of gravel and dumped it as there was 16" or 24" linear of totally full gravel. I started to scoop it out but that was taking for ever so I braved the mud slide down behind the house into the basement door and got the wet/dry shop vac we bought Saturday to help get the water off and used it to suck up the gravel Worked great and cleared a ton of gravel and debris out along the porch so we can start building up there as well.

Unfortunately the wall we did and the porch form a non standard corner and a corner piece doesn't work so we'll have to build our own corner there by cutting the sraight pieces so that fit together and then bracing it really well. We had to do the same thing on 3 of the corner in the basement where we had 10" to 8" walls so I know how to do it -- just a drag as it is extra work to cut them to fit and then to screw in a bunch of bracing.

I need a week of good weather and above freezing to get the garage slab poured but we'll be working on building up the walls until that happens. Supposed to be precipitation until Thursday then a couple days of cold but clear and then a day of precipitation and then a few more days of clear (per the weather guessers). We'll see how it turns out. Hopefully we get some good weather coming. We usually get a week of warmer weather in January. (As my mom said her uncle always said "I haven't seen a Yanuary yet witout a taw" (use your best Scandinavian accent).

Shows the new wall as well as the sub floor that we've partially covered with tarps and plastic sheeting to try and keep water from draining down...

View attachment 160090View attachment 160088View attachment 160089

How long do you think before it's finished ?

 

[TLOC]

Good morning from still wet South Central Wisconsin but today it shifts from drops falling to white flakes, maybe! It is 37f degrees now feels not to bad at 27 but we are at the high for the day. I had the TV news and weather on at the 1/2 of a lousy football game. TV folks say white stuff this afternoon, the WeatherChannel app says Wednesday afternoon. I will not watch TV today just to see if the weather guessers have changed their minds. Both are probably wrong anyway.

After writing about how great my LHS was in the past I ran into a major disappointment yesterday when he opened. His train inventory is almost non-existence. Overheard the gathering at the counter saying he is looking for investors. I thought he was doing ok but the last 6 months and the price increases and interest on his credit line are getting to be too much. I found zero, zip, nada of the things I went in there for. He also sells and his passion is model cars, trucks and planes. From what I understand and heard yesterday that’s keeping him afloat. He has been buying massive collections and estates including lots of trains. I thought we train guys were different that we buy and not open boxes. Heck we have nothing on the car and truck modelers.

So, 70 miles away is one of the absolutely best stocked train shops I have ever been in the USA. #3 though on my list of overall great Train shops. Hiawatha Hobbies, but it is so packed it’s hard to find stuff when you are there. It is easier to buy online but his shipping pricing is not IMO competitive so it’s less expensive to actually go there for me. They also take a few days before they ship. But plan for extra time there. Yes, a tough sacrifice.

110 miles away is the second overall best IMO train shop in the USA. Lombard Hobbies. Clean, bright, super organized and it’s a pleasure to be in. Competitive nationwide pricing but again high shipping but sent out next day.

I am planning a trip and that’s why I am confused by the weather guys. After T-giving the spousal unit and I did Lombard, a friend in Racine and Hiawatha in the same day. I am thinking if I go today it’s just Lombard first and then Hiawatha. If I go on Thursday or Friday when the weather forecast is more settled I can add in a stop at Walthers as the showroom is only opened on those days. Walthers is great when what you are looking for is on sale there at better pricing then the discounts I was getting at the LHS.

I wish I was closer to IMO the #1 Train shop in the USA. Midwest Model Railroad in Independence, Mo. just under 500 (7 hours) miles from the house. Best shipping, sent out usually the same day or absolutely the next day. Between the 3 places I mentioned I can find some great prices. The online inventory has been 100% for me the last 8 years I have dealt with them. It’s a huge store, an old grocery store and it is a pleasure to be there plus the staff is great. But that’s a side stop on the drive to Texas trips. Not happening this week

So, besides some weathering projects I am getting used to the house. The downstairs is 75% finished with the remaining 25% for storage, utilities and maybe some trains. 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and too big for my needs but it was our business offices from 2015 to 2020, closed in the Fall of Covid. It then basically was used only by me as staff worked from home. It’s a duplex and the other 1/2 is now rented after the remodeling was completed in October. I own the whole building.

Rambling I am…

enjoy the day

 

[troyphoto]

Troy the pizza is excellent looking. Not quite sure what Detroit style is.

Pics from their website:

Already did 1600 words this morning on the new book.

Time to get a walk in, since where up to 43 degrees, party sunny, with expected high of 50°f

BBL!

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Midwest Model Railroad in Independence, Mo. just under 500 (7 hours) miles from the house.

"Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive" -- But, WAIT, there is more? LOL!

Morning, I think (still dark) but the pups wanted up - and for some reason they were hungry?
It still lightly rained most all of the day - notice, I said lightly. Seriously need a dry day or two's refrain.
Supposed to be 55f degrees and partly cloudy with chance of showers today.

WILLIE - glad the tooth wasn't damaged, and happy that the dentist was open for you? That wouldn't work out here!
CURT - You must have read my mind - just yesterday I thought about calling PHIL - maybe today.

Christian, Smudge, and Jazz ... You guys cracked me up with the driving - Been there, done that - it's fun!
The wine definitely helps; don't forget the"stick bread" and cheese.

Nice looking pizza, TROY! Wht's detroit stylee?

 

[Smudge617]

one of the absolutely best stocked train shops I have ever been in the USA. #3 though on my list of overall great Train shops. Hiawatha Hobbies, but it is so packed it’s hard to find stuff when you are there.

I'm surprised they don't have a system where you can order online for pickup at the store, but with 2 rules, 1) no pay for item, no pick 2)not picked up in 10 days you only get 85% refund, that could work.

 

[Boris]

Good morning everyone. 33° and while somewhat sunny, clouds are increasing. Outlook for moderating temperatures and rain this afternoon...

(How was my audition for TV weather reader?).

All this talk of apology and deleted comments has me perplexed, the coffee shop has been real bland of late...Willie did enlighten us that it was on another forum that I wasn't following.

So the secret of driving in France is to prepare yourself first by consuming two bottles of wine? Christian, MADD would like a word...

I have some early phone calls to make related to next weeks visit to the Heart Surgeon, and little else. So I'm headed to the train room, shortly.

Yo Troy, there is only on really great style of Pizza, the kind ya get in Jersey. Sadly, those shops are few and far in between. Kitchen help, was composed of young people recently immigrated from Italy. Chicago, Detroit and California style are bogus imitators. (Did look good though ).

Covid has reared its ugly head at the MIL's assisted living facility. Place is off limits to visitors again...everyone living in the facility was supposedly vaccinated, including all boosters. of course, they didn't require the hired help to be equally vaccinated. The facility is blaming home visits over the Holidays for the outbreak...yeah, blame the paying customers, not your policies....does make one wonder if: 1. They really vaccinated the patients or 2. if the vaccine works.

After three months of comparison, I have concluded that even though both are liberal leaning publications, the NY Times, is fare more fair and balanced in its reporting than the Washington Post. WAPO's subscription will not be renewed. Beside, NYT sub gives free access to the "Athletic", a paywall sports blog site, (owned by the NYT).

Not much else going on right now...later.

 

[Smudge617]

Christian, Smudge, and Jazz ... You guys cracked me up with the driving - Been there, done that - it's fun!

This is how weird kids are, I did a trip to Eurodisney, followed by a tour of Paris, you know, Eiffel Tower, Louvre Musuem, all the "interesting" places, they were not interested, all very glum, that is until we drove down the Champs-Elysee where a very heated debate/argument began between the kids and the Teachers, the subject would you believe, McDonalds, they couldn't determine if it was, or was not actually McD's. Their reasoning was simple, McD's has an yellow arched m on a red background, this one has a arched m on a white background, so was or wasn't it?

After 4 days, these kids showed more interest in a fast food place than anywhere else we had been.
And people wonder why I gave up tour work.