Running Bear's July 2023 Coffee Shop

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Good morning. It's clear and 79.
Since I now have the trucks for the conversion, I replaced the Atlas and Intermountain trucks on three cars, so they roll reliably and stay coupled. I also have an Atlas GP9 that's been giving me problems losing contact momentarily while running. I removed, disassembled, and cleaned the trucks on it. They didn't seem dirty, thought it does seem to run better, now. One of the challenges of N scale is microscopic dirt particles causing bad running.
 
Good morning all. Eighth day of almost contnuous rain and more to come. Will we need one of these? 🤣

Costa Pacifica arriving Muscat, Oman


Costa Pacifica approaching Muscat Nov 2022.JPG



David
 
Well, howdy there internet peeps, and those with dollars to invest, yards to mow, or memories of such,

It's Troy again.

Been up since 4:30

Also stumbling around the kitchen making my coffee fresh each morning to see if I can head off the pink slime issue in the coffee maker. So far, no sign of it returning.

Mother-in-law is out of quarantine, but still weak from her bout with the coof-19. She got light-headed and toppled in the hallway of the complex yesterday evening. Wife ran over with an icepack, and sat with her for a while. Blood pressure was fine, and her blood sugar has been on the high side for a few days. Seems to take a while to come down whenever it gets too high.

For you diabetics, she's "fragile" on her type1. Yes, she has a new insulin pump, and they're switching her over to the Medtronic sensors. But, Medicare hasn't approved the new sensors. She's about to put the last of her old brand of sensors on, and the old company says Medtronic needs to ship sensors. Medtronic doesn't have Medicare approval, so they won't ship.

MIL is in a tizzy worrying.... which wears my wife out.

I just cook the food and listen to the wife vent.

Wife said we could go get Mexican for lunch, so I don't have to cook.
 


Morning from the West! I have no idea why I am up at 3:30 am - just lay there tossing and turning - seems like I cannot go 15 min without needing relief; it's a real drag and wearing me out.

Not a lot of anything to post this morn. Perhaps I will be more alert once MEL and FRANCINE open up today for some fresh coffee and eats!

Mostly sunny and hot today with a high approaching 97 - yesterday was 98 and the next three days are forecast for 98. WALDO does not seem to mind the "hot"; every morning around 8-9 he appears on the patio looking for a handout. After he munches on some cucumber, lettuce, grape leaves, and watermelon he wanders out in the grass and I water him down for a couple min with the hose.

my life has degenerated to almost nothing!
Wife, on the other hand is looking at a nice single story home about 2 miles away; gawd, I hate to think about trying to move again, but I may have too?
Have to keep those RE people in chips - EH?
 
KriegslokBR52 said:
Local railfans called them "Turds" when they came out in 2000. Amtrak engineers (at least guys who frequented Philadelphia enginehouse) called them "Armadillos". I like them a lot better than Sprinters ACS64. They packed 8000 hp but the electronics was their downfall. Since GG1s these were the first trully streamlined electric locomotives on former Pennsy. Here's "coming at you" shot:

View attachment 171925
Click to expand...
We referred to the beasts as Hippos. AM7s were Meatballs, and E60s, were simply Es. The HHPs had excellent acceleration, but to be honest, they were orphans on Amtrak...Not for nothing, if it wasn't for David Gunn, the original Acela train sets would still be in "Test" status. (The issue with the new Acelas). The Hippos had problems, but under the hood, they were the same as an Acela Power car. All focus was on keeping the Acelas running, not the Hippos. They were just expected to run out of the box. When Amtrak saw a shiny new toy, (the Siemens engines), the Hippos became justification.
 
Good morning fellow modeling folks and the continue missing JazA. I did email her last week, says she fine, just busy.

Weather, it’s cloudy, Terry says chances of rain, mid 80’s and we need to do something today out because the heat wave is coming to Wisconsin. Tough night sleeping. Hit the pillow at 12:15 and I think I was sleeping immediately. Woke later and felt pretty good until I looked at the clock, 1:25am. Tossed and turned until 4:15 when I had to get up. Slept after that to 7:45. The exercise walk and swim today are not happening! That’s my rebellion for the day.
 


Sirfoldalot said:
Morning from the West! I have no idea why I am up at 3:30 am - just lay there tossing and turning - seems like I cannot go 15 min without needing relief; it's a real drag and wearing me out.

Not a lot of anything to post this morn. Perhaps I will be more alert once MEL and FRANCINE open up today for some fresh coffee and eats!

Mostly sunny and hot today with a high approaching 97 - yesterday was 98 and the next three days are forecast for 98. WALDO does not seem to mind the "hot"; every morning around 8-9 he appears on the patio looking for a handout. After he munches on some cucumber, lettuce, grape leaves, and watermelon he wanders out in the grass and I water him down for a couple min with the hose.

my life has degenerated to almost nothing!
Wife, on the other hand is looking at a nice single story home about 2 miles away; gawd, I hate to think about trying to move again, but I may have too?
Have to keep those RE people in chips - EH?
Click to expand...
Sherrel, think of the possible move as a ploy to keep you young. How is your local California real estate market?
 
troyphoto said:
, Medicare hasn't approved the new sensors. She's about to put the last of her old brand of sensors on, and the old company says Medtronic needs to ship sensors. Medtronic doesn't have Medicare approval, so they won't ship.
Click to expand...
Is this a ploy by the "home" to get her, (you), to "self pay" for the Medtronic Sensors? Not for nothing, if Medicare hasn't approved a product yet, it should not be considered, within a facility whose clientele is mostly Medicare recipients.
 
Boris said:
Is this a ploy by the "home" to get her, (you), to "self pay" for the Medtronic Sensors? Not for nothing, if Medicare hasn't approved a product yet, it should not be considered, within a facility whose clientele is mostly Medicare recipients.
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Nope. She's in an assisted living community, but they don't manage her meds. MIL and the kids take care of that. My wife is a medical lab tech (past lab manager), and her sis is a nurse. There is plenty of experience behind MIL. She just needs on-site emergency help in case of a fall, or the line set for the pump isn't working right. And most of the pump/diabetes stuff the daughters handle.

Edit: and this isn't a nursing home. It's the step before that. Independent living, but with staff there incase you need them. Some residents do need them, but aren't ready for a nursing home.
 
Boris said:
We referred to the beasts as Hippos. AM7s were Meatballs, and E60s, were simply Es. The HHPs had excellent acceleration, but to be honest, they were orphans on Amtrak...Not for nothing, if it wasn't for David Gunn, the original Acela train sets would still be in "Test" status. (The issue with the new Acelas). The Hippos had problems, but under the hood, they were the same as an Acela Power car. All focus was on keeping the Acelas running, not the Hippos. They were just expected to run out of the box. When Amtrak saw a shiny new toy, (the Siemens engines), the Hippos became justification.
Click to expand...
Sounds like David Gunn wanted to get things done, but he was being blocked by politics and basically lazy people in power. Wasn't he the one who told secretary of transportation that "Secretary didn't know what he was doing"? I guess that's why they got rid of him. I remember when Acelas and Hippos were new, it was a exciting time. One could see five different classes of electric locomotives on former Pennsy, which was fenominal.
 
Good Morning All. Clear and an incredibly low 63° on the back porch. Upper 90's today after just 92° yesterday. The Weather Underground station around the corner is still on the fritz this morning.
1690111477422.png

It got fixed about mid-morning yesterday, but has returned to Arctic conditions.

Great visit yesterday with my #1 daughter, SIL, and granddaughter. It does amaze me though, that they have an in-ground swimming pool, but one reason that they came (besides the tomatoes) was to use ours? SIL explained that theirs was 94°, while ours didn't get above 86° yesterday. Granddaughter has learned to play chess and I beat her, but just barely. I'm a bit rusty as I haven't played in close to 30 years. I do use it as an opportunity to explain looking ahead and other strategies to her. She was being helped by her Mom, giving her an unfair advantage. 🤣Afterwards, we dined at our favorite Italian place, which at 12 miles away is the closest non-Mexican place to us. Fortunately they are great and a few steps above the other Italian place in town .
One of the highlights for my granddaughter and SIL was when we were leaving for supper, the resident armadillo was standing less than 10' from them in the yard. Neither had ever seen one in person before. Took the armadillo a few seconds before realizing that they were there, they're actually quite blind; before it scooted away at a rapid pace.

Needless to say, I did not spend any time in the train shed. Hope to remedy that after church today.
Hell! I don't know what to post today, so here's a couple more pictures of my Longhorn neighbors.
IMG_0886.JPG

IMG_1046 (2).JPG


Louis - Many anti-virus programs will tell you that a site is unsafe if the site has not upgraded to "https", even if there is nothing wrong with the site. At least that's my observation. Maybe Patrick can chime-in.
David - Is there any passenger ship that you don't have a picture of? Keep them coming; I enjoy them.
Tom O - Your gold and silver friend is correct that it doesn't really ever lose value, but in my observation, it doesn't gain in value as well as stocks or even treasuries. I do not own any precious metals except aluminum cans for recycling!:cool:
I am quite surprised that you and Terry didn't already have an IRA, although if the 401k was going well, it's nearly the same. Far less restrictions though with any IRA, one of several reasons that I rolled over. To reiterate what Vince posted, make sure that the rollover is from one custodian to the other custodian, and that it doesn't touch your hands in between. One of my brothers learned this the hard way when our Dad died in 2005.
One unfortunate sidebar is that starting this year and increasing in the next two years, I will have to take RMD's that will put me into a higher tax bracket than I was ever in while working! :( After paying the taxes, I will most likely invest heavily in treasuries. Tax-free and guaranteed.
Sherrel - Quite a difference in different governmental agencies and their response to the citizens. PBGC obviously is run by people more incompetent than Social Security. When our bank account was compromised and we had to open a new one, SS re-routed the direct deposits in less than 15 days. Might have actually been sooner, but that was where we were in the cycle.
Good Luck.
BTW Has the ranch been sold yet?
Troy - Good to read that your MIL is doing better.

Everyone have a great day.
 
Good morning. Happy Sunday! (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 11). Overnight, the temperature dropped to 58° currently it's 80° and sunny, and the prediction is a sunny Sunday, with a high of 87°.

PC 6974 + PC 362760 07_22_23.jpg

Yesterday's USPS delivery from MB Klein. The Baldwin AS - 616, represents an engine #6974 that finished it's days at Edgemoor (DE) Yard, along with the #6966, flat switching at the flattened South Bound Hump, in 1972. I used to operate these units. The RBL was a impulse buy.
 
troyphoto said:
She's in an assisted living community, but they don't manage her meds.
Click to expand...
I'm familiar with Assisted Living Facilities, (that's where the MIL currently resides), they are just as sleazy as Nursing Homes. Always trying to bleed more money out of their clients. If your wife and her siblings are able to manage your MIL's meds that's great. Here they manage them and sub contract with proprietary vendors, that provide the meds at the highest cost dosage they can gt away with. I have no use for these pretend non - profit facilities.
 
KriegslokBR52 said:
Sounds like David Gunn wanted to get things done, but he was being blocked by politics and basically lazy people in power. Wasn't he the one who told secretary of transportation that "Secretary didn't know what he was doing"? I guess that's why they got rid of him. I remember when Acelas and Hippos were new, it was a exciting time. One could see five different classes of electric locomotives on former Pennsy, which was fenominal.
Click to expand...
Gunn had his faults, but he was the last Professional Railroad man to head Amtrak. Since then, they have ranged from Professional
Transit Authority Administrators, a former bus driver, and several former airline execs. Amtrak has always been dominated by Civil Engineers, and Mechanical people who are reluctant to sign off on anything that might come back to haunt them. Good example, the excessively long time it took to clear up a minor...apparently track cause derailment...in the First Street tunnel, last week.
 
Boris said:
Yesterday's USPS delivery from MB Klein. The Baldwin AS - 616, represents an engine #6974 that finished it's days at Edgemoor (DE) Yard, along with the #6966, flat switching at the flattened South Bound Hump, in 1972. I used to operate these units. The RBL was a impulse buy.
Click to expand...
Joe, does that AS616 have a good-sized dimple on top of the long hood near the exhaust stack? It's been noted on another forum (with photos), but I don't know how widespread the phenomenon is.
 


TLOC said:
Sherrel, think of the possible move as a ploy to keep you young. How is your local California real estate market?
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That's one way to look at it - however, it may be my demise as well?

Real estate locally is mostly very near the peak - within say 5% range. This town is half-way between LA and San Diego so things are at a premium for those who cannot be in the "high rent area".

The single story ones have not gone down any that I can see, and most will be bid over the asking price as there are not many to begin with. I'm guessing There are not more than 10 within the 3-400 houses surrounding us and none within our HOA of 120.
 
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