Running Bear's July 2023 Coffee Shop

[KriegslokBR52]

View attachment 171582

Is this for real? I thought "Night Owl" was gone for years.

 

[KriegslokBR52]

My youngest Grandson Kristian and me. June 2023
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You look terrified, i don't think that kid has bad intentions

 

[TLOC]

Tom I read that whole blog and they have more negative to say then positive about water softener salt
quote from that blog

" If you have a saltwater pool, you should use pool salt. It is because water softener salt can damage the cells in your pool’s filtration system.

So, if you’re not sure which type of salt crystal to use, go with pool salt. It’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s the safer option for your swimming pool. "

Also you say you add salt once a month I think you said 50# or so why is that ?? Salt does not evaporate unless you dump a lot of water out
Once the salt is at about 3,000ppm it's good for maybe a year or more And what's the purpose of a salt holding tank salt dissolves in the water very quickly or should
any way here's a site with some more info https://www.swimuniversity.com/how-much-pool-salt/

I found out pool salt is the same as used in salt water aquariums and you would never use softener salt in fish tank

The solar pellets dissolve eventually

 

[NYC_George]

George -- You could probably get by with several layers of duct tape and a small can of "rubber" electrical tape!

92 degrees and 30% humidity - beautiful out!

How long would that last Sherrel a few months. I tried a 4 X 4 rubber boot, but it just caught the edge of the pipes. I'm going to order and 4 X 8 rubber connector that should do it.
Swal

 

[kbkchooch]

View attachment 171582

One way, cuz nobody wants to go back to Baltimore!

 

[Boris]

I think that issues with the "good" knee is causing me to shift how I walk, causing issues with the replaced knee.

Patrick: Interesting. I have noticed a similar situation. Not only does this affect the "good" knee and leg, but it affects my balance and gait. I will be interested in what your Dr. has to say.

 

[Boris]

T-Mobile has a few holes between Baltimore, Fredrick, and the surrounding areas.

Louis, Karl: Yeah, they all have holes in their coverage, and they all lie...Just business as usual. The name of my first cell carrier escapes me, but it was a car phone. Reception was fine in the Ramapo Mountains, (Yes, Jersey has mountains), and also here at the shore. When in Newark, however, the roaming fees were killers, with my signal pinging off a tower in the Bronx.
When I went to Amtrak, I chose a carrier that was a predecessor of T-Mobile. Signal worked from home to Trenton, and on the train, or driving, as far as Aberdeen, MD, but no further.
Verizon sucked in North Myrtle Beach, but works fine in the Northeast Corridor. Here at home, not so great. Front of the house, off a 5G tower, rear of the house 4GLTE, from a tower in Ocean County. 5G Ultra, is not available here just yet, that's why I didn't get the modem for my internet service.

Willie: it's good that you're home, and on the mend. Sherrel is right though. I would be concerned as to how you got to where you were. Those conditions don't just appear and disappear for no reason. Something caused them, even if the tests were inconclusive.

Today was a warm one. 91° for a high. Now down to 81°. Friday will be in the upper 80s with rain probable after 1400.

Revised my PRR power assignments today, Replaced the Baldwins and other visitors with a Walthers SW-1, a P2K Alco S-3, an Atlas S-2, and a P-2-K GP-7. All will get pre-merger numbers, and radio.

Baseball resumes Friday.
MSG Network, yesterday, announced it's new MSG+ Streaming service . Pricey, at $310 / year, $30 / month, and $10 / individual game. All regional broadcasts of the Devils, Islanders, Rags, and Sabers, plus Regional Knicks games. Occasional AHL games, College games and other MSG Features.

 

[Bruette]

Is this for real? I thought "Night Owl" was gone for years.

I keep getting these offers from Amtrak in emails.

 

[Bruette]

One way, cuz nobody wants to go back to Baltimore!

I wondered the same thing when I first saw it!

 

[Bruette]

Good morning, Everybody!
Maryland and Pennsylvania RR

 

[ctclibby]

Morning from LA-LA land! 68 to start - looking for 92 later, but the "experts" missed at 96 yesterday!

The drive to San Marcos was uneventful for the SIL's Birthday bash. Dinner and cake was at a "expensive" seafood place where the cheapest entree' was 30.00 resulting in an overall bill of $119.32. I would have been just as happy with 'In and Out' hamburgers, fries, plus a milkshake.
Long story short - I had grilled catfish, the Spousal Unit had grilled calamari. The very nice homemade rolls and butter resulted in each of us eating too much and summing up : All was very nice.

WILLIE : Happy to see that you are up and around; however, I am concerned for you. Definitely something caused those events - be careful?

I made a Primary DR appointment - first date available is AUG 8th. My BP and HR has been bumping the dangerous low side and a few times below the danger line. I looked at my meds and with the exception of a couple vitiams, the're 5 of them that say they lower BP. A couple days back I started halving some of them and have seen better readings but I thought I should see the DR and let him sort it out with the heart and vascular people?
It is no wonder that I have been fatigued and exhausted even climbing the stairs in the house.

Have some prep to do today for our upcoming Bunco bash this Sat!
BBL

Sherrel: My BP/BS lately has been low in the morning, BS 60 once, BP 109/65. I do want to wake up, so I have pretty much taken control of my meds. I have found that my levels are more consistent. I look at the BS in the morning and around noon and change stuff depending. If I know I am going to be more active for the day, and using my BS readings I will eat a few more carbs to get me through the day without running outa poop. Fasting reading is usually 120 or lower now, before lunch time could be anywhere from 80 and up depending on what I am doing and how much sweat is generated: called work. BP stuff gets cut; again when I know I am going to be more active than usual. I leave the cholesterol stuff alone as there is no way to see that on a daily basis. Went to the Doc with a list - couple of pages of readings and what I did. Of course, I was 'talked to' when she found out I was changing my meds. After studying that list for a bit, she decided what I was doing was best/better than anybody could just because they are not here and are not me. Ozempic cut down to .25mg vs 50mg, Lorsartin in half sometimes/sometimes not. Jardiance in half sometimes/sometimes not. Heck, sometimes I only lick those baby aspirin and put them back in the bottle. The Ozempic is a little harder to deal with as that is weekly. Basically, I look at the overall for the previous week and spin the needle accordingly. I guess that the moral to the story is if you are going to the Doc with what is going on, make sure you have a back up list with readings and reasons. On a side note, I have found that I am getting more dehydrated than I used to. Ya Ya, summer and warmer; but. So I stock up on Gator Aid and gulp some almost every time past the refer - glass of water too.

Later

 

[NorthBrit]

Good afternoon all. A cloudy day with a little sunshine later. A 'ship's wash' to do today.

Meanwhile. The line to Skagen Dock (Denmark) is rather overgrown, but not the turnouts. I guess the line is not used much even though the bushes are cut back. Note that the fencing is in good condition; the different lighting; a caravan against the metal fence.The different shades of long grass protecting the wild flowers. Nothing going on yet the more you see, there is.

David

 

[troyphoto]

Well, howdy there internet peeps, and those with cell phones

it's Troy again.

Not much going on as I await the book from the editor. Now that I've got my 3D printer in, I'm outta things that I need to print.

Weather guessers say rain maybe this evening. So I'm going to try to fire up the kamado and cook some philly cheese steaks for dinner. Need to hit the grocery and get a bell pepper, and onion, and some hoagie rolls.

And, I started painting a second army for Kings of War (miniature game). This is a fantasy tabletop clash of armies game. And I'm leaning into the fantasy aspect. This one is called the Night Stalkers (not the helo force in modern military). The idea is these are beings caught in the rift between worlds, and have become distorted, corrupt shadows of themselves.

I started with some heavy hitters to play with paint schemes. This unit is called "butchers" for fairly obvious reasons.

Where my other army is slow, and ponderous... these creatures are fairly fast and hit hard. But, being made of bad dreams they tend to evaporate quickly during battle.

The painting technique is using the new Army Painter Speed Paints®. I used a deep blue, and a red, wet blending them. I'd start with one color on the legs, rinse the brush, then add the second color. Do the blending as the last step. Speed Paints are more of an ink in a paint base, so they're not opaque as normal acrylics. Glop them on, and they'll run into every nook and cranny. Pooling in the recesses like a wash/filter. But be thinner in the highlights. This gives a

the primer coat started with flat black. I then sprayed a light grey over that, but only from the top or sides. I wanted to keep the dark showing in the shadowed parts.

I then dry-brushed a pure white over the raised areas. Putting the speed paints over that basecoat helps make the highlights pop and the shadows mute down.

Here's an in-progress shot. The two colors of speed paint behind the model

 

[TLOC]

Well, howdy there internet peeps, and those with cell phones

it's Troy again.

Not much going on as I await the book from the editor. Now that I've got my 3D printer in, I'm outta things that I need to print.

Weather guessers say rain maybe this evening. So I'm going to try to fire up the kamado and cook some philly cheese steaks for dinner. Need to hit the grocery and get a bell pepper, and onion, and some hoagie rolls.

And, I started painting a second army for Kings of War (miniature game). This is a fantasy tabletop clash of armies game. And I'm leaning into the fantasy aspect. This one is called the Night Stalkers (not the helo force in modern military). The idea is these are beings caught in the rift between worlds, and have become distorted, corrupt shadows of themselves.

I started with some heavy hitters to play with paint schemes. This unit is called "butchers" for fairly obvious reasons.

View attachment 171595
Where my other army is slow, and ponderous... these creatures are fairly fast and hit hard. But, being made of bad dreams they tend to evaporate quickly during battle.

The painting technique is using the new Army Painter Speed Paints®. I used a deep blue, and a red, wet blending them. I'd start with one color on the legs, rinse the brush, then add the second color. Do the blending as the last step. Speed Paints are more of an ink in a paint base, so they're not opaque as normal acrylics. Glop them on, and they'll run into every nook and cranny. Pooling in the recesses like a wash/filter. But be thinner in the highlights. This gives a

the primer coat started with flat black. I then sprayed a light grey over that, but only from the top or sides. I wanted to keep the dark showing in the shadowed parts.

I then dry-brushed a pure white over the raised areas. Putting the speed paints over that basecoat helps make the highlights pop and the shadows mute down.

Here's an in-progress shot. The two colors of speed paint behind the model
View attachment 171596

They look good Troy. I have been pondering the “speed” paints but I figured they are similar to the washes I create.

 

[Patrick]

Morning all,

Ran through a line of thunderstorms on my way to work. Tons of lighting and not enough rain to hardly dampen the windshield.
Currently 80° and mostly cloudy.

On the knee front, I was correct in there are issues with the good knee. I'm going back in September for it, as that was the first opening they had. I do have some bone on bone going on in the left (good) knee. He saw some wear in the knee replacement, but everything is within spec at this point. While I'm not heading back for PT as such, it was suggested that I need to get my flexibility back up, along with spending more time on the bike. So I've restarted my stretching routine in earnest.

I need to get new tubes for my bicycle. Hasn't been used in over 10 years, but should be in good shape otherwise. I think I went through it a couple of years back for some reason, but it will need new tubes. It has been hanging, so fingers crossed. It's a 20 something year old Schwinn 21 speed cross trainer. It had those stupid presta valve tubes when I got it, and they're about 2X the cost of a schrader valve tube, so I drilled the rims to accept the regular tubes.

Got 3 nice tomatoes, another pound of the yellow pear tomatoes and 3 cucumbers.

BBL

 

[JeffH]

Speaking of flexibility, I've been teaching myself how to spin a Jo staff and a cane. It's fun, and keeps me physically and mentally limber.

 

[TLOC]

Good morning. My little world at 3:20AM was shaken but not stirred. Thunder boomers were popping all around, then the rain and as quick as they seemingly arrived they were gone. I will check the beaker that is my rain gauge for the amounts.

Some travels yesterday for a great brunch, a stop at Hiawatha Hobbies and then a stop for an 5” Apple pie in a bag at the Elegant Farmer in Muckwanago, Wi. They have a website. It’s great

Terry is home and today after 4 we attend a wake of a friend of her’s hubby. At their house and more of a party than anything somber.

67f degrees now and high 80’s later with slight chances of T-storms per the app. Checking the radar I don’t see anything coming this way, so those must be pop-ups.

The sounds of “freedom” have flown over the house a few times this morning. We have the F35’s based in Madison now and they have sparked protests and probably more today as they are flying low before 7AM.

Enjoy the day

 

[kbkchooch]

Good morning gang!

Playing hookey today, but no all fun and games. I've already been on weed patrol, gonna grab a bite for breakfast before I whip the yard into shape. Then more fencing to put up for SWMBO's garden. Later I have to go to HD to fashion a gate for said garden and will go searching for the appropriate "she shed" for her.

SWMBO is at work today, so I can get this stuff at my own pace.

BBL

 

[Boris]

I wondered the same thing when I first saw it!

Especially at night

 

[MilwRoader_Steve]

Greetings all!

Still above ground taking nourishment. Sorry to have wandered away - - RL got interesting.

Four weeks ago I fell and broke a rib. Ugh, no injury is fun, but this has been a severe inconvenience. Kept me off the golf course (and golf season ain't that long in Minnesota!). Two weeks ago, after two days resting, I felt good enough to retackle the Yard TO-automation project. Dove under the table about 5 - 6 times before the side began to whisper, "Not a good idea." What can I say - I'm a slow learner!

But since then, I cleared the right-o-ways and have begun running trains. Uff-da, let the tracks and locos sit a few months and aren't they a bit balky going again. Lazy sods.

I had read in recent MR about an op who uses wine corks to clean tracks. ALways have some of those about, so tried it with good results! Recommended! Need to clean loco wheels, but running them a good 20 minutes or so seems to have helped a bunch.

Anyway, I trust that all are well and I will attempt to pop in more frequently. Cheers to all!

Steve J