TLOC
Well-Known Member
Yep, I agree on the logo but that can be done with a projector and tracing. The stencils at 4” and 3” I am hoping fit her machine.
Running Bear's March 2026 Coffee Shop
- Thread starter bnsf971
- Start date
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Just heard the news myself.
RIP Chuck. You had a great run.
"Chuck Norris didn't die, the Grim Reaper is retiring and need help to cross over."
Texted (with the left) my niece at Penn med school a few hours later, thinking I'd had a TIA or mini-stroke and she said I needed to get to the ER ASAP--my nephew at Columbia med agreed--which I did. A battery of tests ($30K) determined it was not a stroke but some sort of neurological issue in the arm, or a torn muscle or ligament. They equipped me with a forearm/hand splint when they released me later that day, and I never did connect with the neurologist they referred me to. Couldn't even find WHERE her practice was, let alone if she accepted new patients. So I'm just plodding along. I was filling a 20 yd. Dumpster (which is probably how I tweaked it) and I managed to get it done using the left, aided by the right. But it was a struggle.
The hand has, over the course of six months, regained about half it's former grip strength, but there are tremors, and, being a N-scaler (such as it is), I fear my modeling days might have come to an end. Except for scenery. I could still manage some of that, and I can still use modern tools like 3D printers, etching machines, CAM/CAD, CNC to get things done, but maybe not much any more with the actual hands.
So you really do have my sympathies. Unfortunately, I get it all too well.
We're down-sizing, too. We are re-homing our two greyhounds, with one going to a new home last Saturday before the Big Snow. Greyhounds and toddlers can be a bad mix, and we love having our Granddaughter around. Looking to the summer, It would be hard on the boys not to be outside and playing when she is. But they are durn fast and strong.
After that - - no dogs ever. The two cats are nearing their run, too, with one 19 and the other 16+, again, with no plan for new recruits.
We met with our financial planner. Wifeykins, who makes all the money, is always in a sweat, "We'll never be able to retire! I'll have to work until I'm 75!!" He showed us that we are at 98% of target with our goals inputted. Dat ain't bad. Fund withdrawals of less than 2% per year. We're 99+% if we can both bring in $15K per year.
I'm going to meet with my congregational president and propose I stay until age 69. I'm 66 now. And I will show them that they have much to prepare for their next pastor. Our district guidelines show that I am at $18K below, given my experience. And I am about $12K below a guy with 10 years experience. Plus, they may have to pony up for spouse and children insurance. Plus, with wifeykins income, we are healthy givers that a new guy most likely cannot match. So if I switch to free health care with VA and drop medical insurance, that will save them $10K per year. They will need to bank that for a cushion.
Well, enough babbling. We are spring cleaning this week and I'm beginning to sense some less-than-approving looks
Steve J
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RhB Michael
RhB Lokführer
Another beautiful morning at 53°F and sunny. On its way to 85°F today. I have some bier brats I might throw on the grill afterwhile. Going to mount the new 407C-X2 GR today after it arrives and hopefully get to the range tomorrow to zero it and see where the iron sights line up. I might have to replace the current sights with suppressor-height sights to get a co-witness.
Enjoy this great weather while it lasts on this first day of Spring. Servus!
Enjoy this great weather while it lasts on this first day of Spring. Servus!
troyphoto
Snarky Old Fart (in training)
Well howdy there internet peeps and those stencilling their way through life.
It's Troy again
Got the big delivery yesterday:
Since I can create special names for each battery in the Anker app on my phone, meet Shaggy and Scooby. Their partner in crime and bigger sister, Velma is coming in next week.
These are the Anker Solex C1000 (Gen 1 on Right, Gen 2 on Left)
Velma is a C2000 Gen 2 (there was no Gen 1 of it, but they discontinued another product, and its upgrade was engineered to more closely resemble these units.)
In case of power outage each can run a kitchen fridge for 3/4 of a day with normal use. The C2000, according to one Youtuber doing the test, got 28+ hours out of one full charge on the Velma model.
I really wanted to invest in the Anker Solex E10 whole home system... but, since we can't have solar in our condos (not enough to actually charge something like the E10 batteries), and our Elect provider makes it incredibly difficult to get on a plan with reduced off peak usage rates. We typically pay 10-15¢ per kwh depending on what they purchase it for, but the usage cost is averaged across the month.
IF we GIVE them access to control our AC and Furnace through a Smart Thermostat, we can get a credit. Or IF we want to charge an EV overnight, and give them access to the charger panel then we can get credits on the bill. NO! Big Brother does NOT get access to my system!
Why is Indiana so backwards? When we were in Calif, we could have added a whole home system, ran off the batteries during peak hours, and recharged them off peak or with solar and would have had good tracking and off peak rates.
Grrrrrr! Rant over for now.
Wife and I put the whole-home system on "perhaps some day" if the system changes.
Today is Laundry Day, with bedding. Weather is cloudy with high maybe touching 70F.
I'll clean the grill out from the ham, and maybe talk to ClaudeAI about my book. I still need to get some character profiles assembled for him.
In other news, I have no idea what colors to paint my dragons. One might be in the blue range... but I don't have an idea for the Orcs in the desert. Perhaps a rust color? with some dusty yellow green accents?
It's Troy again
Got the big delivery yesterday:
Since I can create special names for each battery in the Anker app on my phone, meet Shaggy and Scooby. Their partner in crime and bigger sister, Velma is coming in next week.
These are the Anker Solex C1000 (Gen 1 on Right, Gen 2 on Left)
Velma is a C2000 Gen 2 (there was no Gen 1 of it, but they discontinued another product, and its upgrade was engineered to more closely resemble these units.)
In case of power outage each can run a kitchen fridge for 3/4 of a day with normal use. The C2000, according to one Youtuber doing the test, got 28+ hours out of one full charge on the Velma model.
I really wanted to invest in the Anker Solex E10 whole home system... but, since we can't have solar in our condos (not enough to actually charge something like the E10 batteries), and our Elect provider makes it incredibly difficult to get on a plan with reduced off peak usage rates. We typically pay 10-15¢ per kwh depending on what they purchase it for, but the usage cost is averaged across the month.
IF we GIVE them access to control our AC and Furnace through a Smart Thermostat, we can get a credit. Or IF we want to charge an EV overnight, and give them access to the charger panel then we can get credits on the bill. NO! Big Brother does NOT get access to my system!
Why is Indiana so backwards? When we were in Calif, we could have added a whole home system, ran off the batteries during peak hours, and recharged them off peak or with solar and would have had good tracking and off peak rates.
Grrrrrr! Rant over for now.
Wife and I put the whole-home system on "perhaps some day" if the system changes.
Today is Laundry Day, with bedding. Weather is cloudy with high maybe touching 70F.
I'll clean the grill out from the ham, and maybe talk to ClaudeAI about my book. I still need to get some character profiles assembled for him.
In other news, I have no idea what colors to paint my dragons. One might be in the blue range... but I don't have an idea for the Orcs in the desert. Perhaps a rust color? with some dusty yellow green accents?
DeaconKC
Well-Known Member
Attachments
kbkchooch
Verified Human
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
Good Morning All. Clear and 56°, headed for 93° later on. Spring officially starts here at 9:46 am CDT with our first 90°+ day of the year. Five more forecast in the next ten days before returning to more seasonal temperatures. Yesterday was 87°. Slept not only with the windows open, but with the fan on all night. May have to test the A/C's early this season.
Grocery trek went OK yesterday, no sticker shock there; gas about town was $3.69/gal, up over a dollar a gallon in less than 3 weeks. Stopped by HD for a gallon of paint, that was a shock, $32 plus tax! Seems like I remember the last one about 7 or 8 years ago was under $20. After some household chores, I straightened out the wood stack a bit and worked in the garden. I normally do not heat this late into the season, so it is time to re-stack it all. Topped off the day grilling burgers, although I do grill all winter anyway.
No real plans for today except fish tacos for supper. That will be a shared experience with me thinly slicing a red onion to brine, and grating the cheese later. Wife does the fish and tarter sauce.
Granddog doing what he does best.
Out in the train shed yesterday, I painted the backdrop. Not very well, I understand why my wife won't let me do any painting in the house.
Pictures also show the earth color that I painted Tuesday. Touch up of both is next. I should really look around for some molding for that corner where I didn't quite measure the plywood correctly for the walls.
Todd - I understand what you mean when you pointed out that some posts take a while to write and post. It generally takes me up to an hour to do my first one in the morning, since I review the ones made the previous 24 hours that I didn't comment on when posted.
David - Do you miss your layout when you are traveling for this long???
Tom O - I haven't used the "Ignore" button on this forum, although there is one human that I sometimes think about using it on.
I like the second logo more.
Sometime model railroader Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was born on this day in 1928.
Everybody have a fine Friday.
Grocery trek went OK yesterday, no sticker shock there; gas about town was $3.69/gal, up over a dollar a gallon in less than 3 weeks. Stopped by HD for a gallon of paint, that was a shock, $32 plus tax! Seems like I remember the last one about 7 or 8 years ago was under $20. After some household chores, I straightened out the wood stack a bit and worked in the garden. I normally do not heat this late into the season, so it is time to re-stack it all. Topped off the day grilling burgers, although I do grill all winter anyway.
No real plans for today except fish tacos for supper. That will be a shared experience with me thinly slicing a red onion to brine, and grating the cheese later. Wife does the fish and tarter sauce.
Granddog doing what he does best.
Out in the train shed yesterday, I painted the backdrop. Not very well, I understand why my wife won't let me do any painting in the house.
Pictures also show the earth color that I painted Tuesday. Touch up of both is next. I should really look around for some molding for that corner where I didn't quite measure the plywood correctly for the walls.
Todd - I understand what you mean when you pointed out that some posts take a while to write and post. It generally takes me up to an hour to do my first one in the morning, since I review the ones made the previous 24 hours that I didn't comment on when posted.
David - Do you miss your layout when you are traveling for this long???
Tom O - I haven't used the "Ignore" button on this forum, although there is one human that I sometimes think about using it on.
I like the second logo more.
Sometime model railroader Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was born on this day in 1928.
Everybody have a fine Friday.
I tie my Japanese cucumbers up in small tomato cages. I usually plant 3 seeds in a 3" circle, then place a cage on top tying the vines as they grow. They still attach to the cage, but with the added weight the string helps.
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
Karl - I had to check my notes for growing potatoes. I can grow them, but not very well. My soil is too alkaline for them. But here's what I have from my research from years ago. Yes, they can be grown in a 5-gal bucket. Light colored buckets do best to reduce the heat absorption to the roots. Poke 1/2" holes in the bottom for drainage and add about 4"-6" of soil in them. Use a loose mixture of potting soil, garden soil, compost if you have any and some Perlite. That's that white-looking stuff in garden centers used to loosen soil. Put in 2-3 seed potatoes, eyes up, in and add another 3" to 4" of soil on top of them. Once the stems reach 6", add more soil so just the tips are exposed. Continue to do this until you can't add any more. Full sun and always moist but not waterlogged soil until after they flower and the tops turn yellow and die. Let the soil dry and invert bucket to harvest.
Potatoes aren't really roots, but are swollen stems that are continually buried. If they are exposed to sunlight, they develop a green color known as solanine which can be toxic. When I grew them in the garden, I used a very dilute vinegar solution to raise my acidity level, but it still didn't work well. My potatoes never got bigger than small Roma Tomatoes. Higher temperatures will decrease yields.
Cucumbers: I once planted them in the flower bed alongside the house, actually about 3' from the foundation. I strung some "hog-wire" fencing from the ground to the house eave. Worked great. They climbed up that and I could walk underneath in the shade and pick them.
Good luck.
Potatoes aren't really roots, but are swollen stems that are continually buried. If they are exposed to sunlight, they develop a green color known as solanine which can be toxic. When I grew them in the garden, I used a very dilute vinegar solution to raise my acidity level, but it still didn't work well. My potatoes never got bigger than small Roma Tomatoes. Higher temperatures will decrease yields.
Cucumbers: I once planted them in the flower bed alongside the house, actually about 3' from the foundation. I strung some "hog-wire" fencing from the ground to the house eave. Worked great. They climbed up that and I could walk underneath in the shade and pick them.
Good luck.
migalyto
Well-Known Member
All the good ones are slowly leaving us never to be matched again!
RhB Michael
RhB Lokführer
Just heard the news myself.
RIP Chuck. You had a great run.
"Chuck Norris didn't die, the Grim Reaper is retiring and need help to cross over."
Last edited:
migalyto
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised that with where you live and the property you have spending a lot of your time outdoors you dont have a couple of trusty companions to follow you around.
We're potato country out here and I'm grown them in buckets, beds, etc. They just grow well in our climate, but if you leave any tiny ones in the ground they will restart another crop. I tried sweet potatoes last year and they were a disaster.
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
We made a conscientious decision a few years ago to no longer have any dependents around. I missed them in the beginning, but I now have the part-timers here quite regularly to keep me(us) company. Works out OK.
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
Two totally different products. Sweet Potatoes are actual roots and need a long hot growing season of at least four months. While Potatoes are tubers and require a much shorter and cooler growing season, typically just over 2.5 months. I was surprised last Spring when you posted that you had planted Sweets! But I also am not familiar with the growing season in Oregon, especially near the coast.
Snowman
Well-Known Member
My sympathies re the tremors. At the end of Sept I was clicking and pasting links about midnight one night...felt a small twinge in the muscle atop my right forearm and at the same moment my hand went numb. Looked over and my hand is hanging straight down from my wrist. Couldn't move any finger or thumb at all. I'm right handed, of course. I didn't regain enough finger strength or control to even pinch and hold a sheet of paper between thumb and forefinger for a week or more.
Texted (with the left) my niece at Penn med school a few hours later, thinking I'd had a TIA or mini-stroke and she said I needed to get to the ER ASAP--my nephew at Columbia med agreed--which I did. A battery of tests ($30K) determined it was not a stroke but some sort of neurological issue in the arm, or a torn muscle or ligament. They equipped me with a forearm/hand splint when they released me later that day, and I never did connect with the neurologist they referred me to. Couldn't even find WHERE her practice was, let alone if she accepted new patients. So I'm just plodding along. I was filling a 20 yd. Dumpster (which is probably how I tweaked it) and I managed to get it done using the left, aided by the right. But it was a struggle.
The hand has, over the course of six months, regained about half it's former grip strength, but there are tremors, and, being a N-scaler (such as it is), I fear my modeling days might have come to an end. Except for scenery. I could still manage some of that, and I can still use modern tools like 3D printers, etching machines, CAM/CAD, CNC to get things done, but maybe not much any more with the actual hands.
So you really do have my sympathies. Unfortunately, I get it all too well.
MilwRoader_Steve
Well-Known Member
Anybody know about a company called GCLaser? Are they still doing business? Are their products good quality?
Thanks!
PS: I am looking for a small footprint, grain elevator Mid 20th C. I'm also looking for a trackside petroleum dealer, again small footprint and same era. Oh, and HO scale. Thanks!!
Steve J
Thanks!
PS: I am looking for a small footprint, grain elevator Mid 20th C. I'm also looking for a trackside petroleum dealer, again small footprint and same era. Oh, and HO scale. Thanks!!
Steve J
I had to try the sweets just to see if it was possible in out climate. The greens vined out, but nothing more than 6" roots about 1/2" in diameter. Yes, it's definitely our climate.
MilwRoader_Steve
Well-Known Member
We're down-sizing, too. We are re-homing our two greyhounds, with one going to a new home last Saturday before the Big Snow. Greyhounds and toddlers can be a bad mix, and we love having our Granddaughter around. Looking to the summer, It would be hard on the boys not to be outside and playing when she is. But they are durn fast and strong.
After that - - no dogs ever. The two cats are nearing their run, too, with one 19 and the other 16+, again, with no plan for new recruits.
We met with our financial planner. Wifeykins, who makes all the money, is always in a sweat, "We'll never be able to retire! I'll have to work until I'm 75!!" He showed us that we are at 98% of target with our goals inputted. Dat ain't bad. Fund withdrawals of less than 2% per year. We're 99+% if we can both bring in $15K per year.
I'm going to meet with my congregational president and propose I stay until age 69. I'm 66 now. And I will show them that they have much to prepare for their next pastor. Our district guidelines show that I am at $18K below, given my experience. And I am about $12K below a guy with 10 years experience. Plus, they may have to pony up for spouse and children insurance. Plus, with wifeykins income, we are healthy givers that a new guy most likely cannot match. So if I switch to free health care with VA and drop medical insurance, that will save them $10K per year. They will need to bank that for a cushion.
Well, enough babbling. We are spring cleaning this week and I'm beginning to sense some less-than-approving looks
Steve J
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