Running Bear's July 2026 Coffee Shop

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Do you play any PC war games?

Before I was able to go back to work, I played many hours of Hearts of Iron II. I have III and IV but i have not played either one to completion. My grandson has taken over my steam account so I doubt I ever will.
Nope. I don't enjoy computer gaming. For me, gaming is a social activity tied to a hobby of modelling.
 
@Texas Hobo How about those Astros? A 5-game winning streak, going for a sweep of the AL Central's first place White Sox today! I knew the Astros were too good to remian under 500 for long. Today's game will be tough one, but the Astros head to Anaheim Monday for a 3-game series against the Angels.
They had some early season injuries that slowed them down. Yordon is having a great season, I believe he has 30 homers.
 


It's a little-known fact that John Ratzenburger, the actor who played Cliff, went on to host a series called "Made in America" that ran for several years.
It’s also a little known fact that Cliff Clavin, ah, John Ratzenburger, was in every Pixar movie (at least until recently — I’ve stopped caring about Pixar movies recently). Whether a bit part or a main part, they made sure he had a role. He was their “good luck.”

Also a little known fact that John Ratzenburger was in the movie “A Bridge Too Far”
 
Yordon is having a great season,
That he is! An MVP candidate season!
Also a little known fact that John Ratzenburger was in the movie “A Bridge Too Far”
I'm trying to think of which character he may have played, I love that movie and i have seen it countless times!

Copilot tells me -
John Ratzenberger was in A Bridge Too Far.
He appears in the film as a U.S. Lieutenant, confirmed in multiple cast listings.

Ratzenberger actually had a whole string of small roles in major films before Cheers made him famous — The Empire Strikes Back, Superman, Gandhi, and yes, A Bridge Too Far.
 


Good afternoon folks, 99 here, down from 101. Heat advisories for the next several days. Felt better from a mild bug, so made it to Church today. Played sheepdog at the door, sad that we have reached a point in society where we have to worry about safety at churches. Listening to the Cards/Reds game, tied in the 9th. May try to work on the modules later tonight. Hope you guys have a good evening.
 
Best of the Cliff Clavin quotes:
How beer makes you smarter

Well, you see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it’s the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.

Ratzenberger's character in A Bridge Too Far takes a bullet to the head or face during the boat crossing led by Robert Redford.
 
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It’s also a little known fact that Cliff Clavin, ah, John Ratzenburger, was in every Pixar movie (at least until recently — I’ve stopped caring about Pixar movies recently). Whether a bit part or a main part, they made sure he had a role. He was their “good luck.”

Also a little known fact that John Ratzenburger was in the movie “A Bridge Too Far”
And Jimmy Fallon was in "Band of Brothers". ;)
 
Good evening all!

Still rather warm out there at 86F and 94% humidity. Spent a little while this afternoon doing some weeding in the north side of the house that had become overgrown. Weeds are the only thing growing with the lack of rain the last several weeks. I was only able to spend a half hour at a time out there. The rest can wait till the end of the week when its back in the 70s. I did enjoy an afternoon dip in the pool after I was done. Didn't even change into swim gear, just went in in with the shorts I was wearing.

Wife mad ham and cheese sliders with seasoned curly fries for dinner tonight. They were really good. Now its time to enjoy the recliner and the A/C for the rest of the evening.

Have a great rest of your evening!
 
Good evening gang!

I did get a little something done the weekend. Facia boards were cut and installed down 16 feet of the peninsula, from the laundry room door lift bridge ti within a bout 2 feet from the end of the peninsula. I also mounted an NCE UTP panel near the throat of the small yard. It has an added LED in the front so it can be found easier especially when "night running".
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The facia is 1/8 Masonite® hardboard painted Rustoleum painters touch Canyon black Satin. I also was able to put up the fascia board on the 10 ft long fiddle yard on the other side of the layout. It is still clamped in placed with construction adhesive drying.

The struff seen under the layout are my old FCSME display modules. They have been in the basement for close to 10 years. Once more of the layout is completed they will get stripped and re-purposed on the layout. The only scenery I have done so far is the small section by the laundry room door, just to have a place to photograph new stuff. I'll get too the rest of it sometime. I just keep remembering, 1 year, 6 months and 1 day til retirement!

Goodnight fellas!
 


Morning! It's 21C or 69F here in the Fort.

Got up at 3a for a pee run and didn't fall back asleep. So up at 4a for breakfast.

MEL! wake up and get the bacon going.
Screenshot 2026-07-27 at 4.23.25 AM.png

Waiting to see what the "storms" bring today.

I checked the Wundermap on Weather Underground. We're on the line between the 60s to the east, and 70+s to the west. So we may be volatile... or not. Fort Wayne is raised elevation in this area, so storms tend to break around us. But not always.

Not sure what today is going to bring. I need to do some writing work. Just a few more characters to pull together for the book in progress, then the writing can begin. Technically, I've written the first scene, but stalled when I needed to start adding suspects and the victim.

Had a bit of an interesting discussion yesterday at lunch. Wife said she's anxious to tell our Vegas/California friends, who we've vacationed with on our 30th and 35th anniversaries, that next year is our 40th anniversary. And instead of an Alaskan cruise like the last two times we vacationed together, we're planning a big anniversary trip to ....

🥁🥁🥁

Saskatchewan!

She said if we're going to look for condos we might check out Edmonton too. (That's in Alberta)

Wife said it tongue in cheek, but it was her way of telling me she's at least thinking about the Canadian move as plausible.

And, my half-joking idea of a trip to see Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw, and then go visit Saskatoon sounds like it's actually heading into the planning stages.

Whether our Vegas friends come with us is still to be determined.

On the citizenship front???? Hoping to get a document review with the attorney this week and find out where the holes are. And if I need to hire a genealogist in the Ontario area to do some legwork on tracking down some old mennonite church records.

I hope.

So far I've learned in this quest that law firms have a speed that is a LOT slower than lay-people expect.
 
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