Running Bear's May 2026 Coffee Shop

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Kusojiji said:
Does it have to be that specific model?
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That's a new generic keyboard. A new genuine replacement is probably around $100, I didn't bother checking, for obvious reasons. I can get used keyboards for less, and have more problems than I have now.
A standard, wired, 102 key keyboard is cheap, and will technically work, but the computer doesn't like them, and complains about it. Plus, having to remember what the special keys for the computer are without the special markings.
 


Marlin39 said:
Went to another MMR clinic this morning. "O scale structures". He showed how he built jigs to cut scale cedar shingles, scribe plastic for individual bricks, roof stringers, windows, etc. Truly a Master Model Builder. He used Gatorfoam ( https://gatorfoam.net/ ), for the core of the structure. He completely scratch builds his structures. Amazing work, but waaaay more than I would ever want to do. He cuts window glass from slide covers and builds the windows on the glass, in a jig.

I'm going back later this afternoon for clinic on acrylic weathering, then the banquet.
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Acrylic weathering! David who was/is the clinician?
 
RhB Michael said:
Finally, a peaceful night's sleep. No dogs, no trucks, no yelling, etc. Woke up at 0600 which is my favorite time to get up. Hot coffee in hand, and watching the news. High is supposed to be 90°F today, and it is 70°F currently.

Chance of storms tomorrow and Tuesday.

Have a great Sunday! Servus!
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Thirty years ago, a friend in an apartment complex had a similar situation.... claimed he thought the Transformers were having a battle outside his place.

He wondered if the boss would let him bring home a welder. He just wanted to hook it up to the frame, and touch the wand to another part of the frame. Wondered if it would fry the guy's computer in the truck?
 
westtexjohn said:
Good afternoon to all........

The Forum seems a bit sluggish today.

My ROKU remote arrived today. It works OK, but you have to have it on a straight and level shot to the box for it to operate. Well what should I expect for $6.95. At least I can navigate through all stuff on my ROKU again. I'll probably spring for a new box with an improved remote in a couple of months.......too many other expenses right now.

I also received a LaserKit from e-bay, the "All American Service Station", kit #723. The kit is based on a real station in Harlingen Texas from the 1950s.
It reminded me of an old friend ( who was from Harlingen ) that I shared an apartment with back in my college days.

I have several projects to choose from today. Just hope to get something accomplished.

Everyone take care....John
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We have 2 monitors set up using ROKU. When we 1st got them including the remote Both had to be pointed directly at the red dot on the monitors. The only reason I purchased better universal remotes was the granddaughter who has Down Syndrome using the cheap remotes ROKU provided she would get very frustrated. Now she just turns ours on with her phone or one of our IPads
 
Well, howdy there internet peeps and those old enough to remember what Pepperidge Farms remembers.

It's Troy again.

I got home from the game store yesterday and the wife almost immediately asked if "We have an Old People Grabber?"

I resisted the urge to make a joke about how I'd be happy to grab her, she doesn't need a mechanical claw to do it herself.

But, after being married almost 39 years, I knew that would be death sentence. So I simply said "NO, what old person do you need to grab?"

Seems she dropped the container of Lysol Wipes, the big round plastic "can" of them, behind the washer.

Since I don't feel like pulling the washer and/or dryer out just to get them, and the kid lives 2+ hours away (no grandkids)... I'm heading out in a bit to see if the hardware has the "Old People Grabber".

Might as well get one. I can chase the cat with it.

With my sciatica issues, it does hurt to bend that low. :eek:

Screenshot 2026-05-17 at 7.43.20 AM.png


Supposed to hit 85 F-degrees today, then rain moves in and stays hot. On Tuesday, when we won't have electric to run the AC, that will be a real test of how well the condo is insulated.
 
When I bought my new Lenovo T16 a few years ago, I had to order this from the Netherlands from a Lenovo parts supplier. I could not get this direct from Lenovo here in the States. They thought I was asking for their first born. I think it was around €60, plus a few dollars to ship. This was before prices spiraled out of sight, and before tariffs.

My Lenovo T510 and T520 also have these keyboards, but they were so old at the time I found those on e-Bay.

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Good morning Crew. Today’s weather in Wisconsin so far is just a complete miss on the future. It’s supposed to be raining and heavy! The media funkies on the nightly local news definitely said the needed rain will be here between 5 and 7. I just looked at the WeatherChannel’s radar app and if we get rain before 10am we will be lucky. If we get more than a 1/4” we will be happy but no way are the guessers from 2 networks going to be close to right. What a job! It’s now a humid 59f degrees and yesterday for the 2nd time this year the AC kicked in maybe for 30 minutes. Somewhere around 7:30 during the 1st period of the Montréal/Buffalo NHL playoff game #6. The Nest thermostat is set for 76 for the high and 68 for the low on the main level. I get weekly reports from the Nest and then suggestions how to improve.

I have a LED bulb out in a corner lamp in the great room on the main level this morning. Replaced it and the new LED is out. Took the new bulb to another working lamp and the new bulb doesn’t work. Took the moved bulb and it doesn’t work in the corner lamp. Put it back in the original table lamp and it doesn’t work! When Terry’s awake we will play test the bulbs before I tear the corner lamp apart. So much for 10 year or lifetime LED bulbs by Cree or whatever they call themselves this year, Wolfspeed or something else silly sounding.

Last night at 11:30 the smoke alarm on the highest spot in the great room beeped, waited a few minutes and beeped. I just changed the 9 volt battery when the clocks switched. Out to the garage and grabbed the 10’ ladder and changed the battery. It beeped again but not the smoke detector 13’ up on the ceiling! It was the carbon monoxide detector on the wall. Pulled it, replaced the AA batteries and a few minutes later it beeped again. Pulled the batteries and recycled the unit. Monday I will head to HOME DEPORTS for a new detector! No way except for a modeling emergency (out of adhesive for modeling) will I go to our local Home Deports on a Sunday, just too busy.

I understand the Long Island Rail Road strike but it reads like both sides are being totally unreasonable. Image that, the serfs and the lords of business not agreeing.

Enjoy the day
 
Good morning all!

Its a cloudy, humid morning out there. Sure feels like rain, but according to the radar there is nothing even close to
my area yet. Its all northwest of us. Currently its a sticky 68F with the high supposed to reach 84. Scattered storms
maybe later today, but who knows. Better chance tomorrow and Tuesday.

With most everything done yesterday, today is pretty wide open. I'm sure my daughter will want to go practice driving
at some point. Seems to be an everyday thing now.

Have a safe day everyone!
 


Good morning gang!

It’s sunny and 74° with an expected high of 82°
Yesterday‘s graduation ceremonies were great, more on that later. I did a great deal of walking, which I paid for later. Wife, son, daughter and granddaughter wanted to do a good bit of tracing around downtown Frederick after the ceremony. I was not in any condition to do that, but fortunately some number three was there and gave me a ride home. I am really glad that I was able to give the Dover tickets to a good home. Even though the medication is making me feel a little better, I still don’t think I could walk the distance I would have had to walk at the racetrack.
BBL
 
I made it through the banquet last night. I felt like the young kid in the room full of elders. ;) All real nice people, but I didn't feel there was a "fit" for me. I did connect with 2 people out of the 108 that attended. One was Greg Baker who I knew from the swap meets I attend and the other was someone a few years younger than me trying to get back into the hobby. He had a full room available, definitely had the money, but couldn't get something started. He showed me his "Rail Empire" plan. Very ambitious and way too busy/congested. I made the suggestion to start small and expand or build it as modules. Focusing on completing way scene before moving on. I think the convention motivated him. Nice guy.

The sawmill I posted a few days ago won the top award. 3 members were presented with their MMR also. I'm glad I attended just so I could see what an NMRA event was like. Would I attend another? Probably not.
 
Good Morning All. Cloudy and 74° according to my thermometer. I think that the Weather Underground fellow around the corner has a glitch in his weather station.
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I'm a little cooler then he is!
NWS is still predicting at least 8 days of rain beginning Tuesday with the ensuing cooler temperatures; with potentially 2"-3" total rainfall. I don't expect any violent weather out of this, as the system is a stalled low pressure system SW of Ft Worth, whose counter-clockwise winds are drawing moisture out of the Gulf and bringing it our way. I think that I have posted before that May is normally our wettest month and it looks like that's finally coming upon us. Average is 5"-6" and we've had only 1.25" so far.

Moving on from the weather, yesterday I mowed with the new 20" electric push mower, finally cleaning up a number of areas. Parts of the yard are still quite raggedy though. This time of year, 3 acres can be a bit overwhelming but it stops growing around July. The other 12 acres of hay looks quite lush right now. Wheat field across the road on the south has been turning into the proverbial "amber waves of grain". Across the road to the east, that guy planted Oats, I originally thought it was Wheat, and that's already ready to cut for hay.

Grandson #2 is coming up this afternoon to earn some money for his car insurance. Hasn't been able to find a job in his area of Dallas. We'll put the A/C into the bedroom window, take the cover off the pool and I have a list of other odd jobs for him. Chief among them is limb removal from some remote parts of the yard that are still leftover from the tornado of '24. I've gotten most of the usable firewood from them, but the brushy parts are still there. They'll hit the already existing stack. Sometime in June, I'll have the local tree-trimming folks out to shred/chip them into mulch. Wife has some other odd jobs around the house that she hasn't revealed to me yet!

Very little time out in the train shed yesterday, so I just ran a few trains. One out and back local with a few manifests and unit trains passing by to complicate switching maneuvers. Today will be the same if I even get out there.

Tom O - It's not just airports where folks walk around with their phones in their faces. It's everywhere. I can't even begin to count how many times I thought someone was talking to me in a public restroom, when they were really on their Bluetooth-enabled or handheld phones!

Everybody have a great Sunday.
 
The veteran officer I spoke about later in the week made the local paper. It's only published on Thursdays, so news around here is delayed somewhat.

He made the front page with a photo, but all the short article said was that in the less than two minute meeting, they voted to terminate him for possible policy violations. That could mean anything.

They would not comment further because of ongoing litigation. Someone is getting sued. He was suspended from duty on 17APR. I was wondering why I hadn't heard him on the radio for weeks. I thought maybe he was on vacation. I guess he really is now.
 
As mentioned before,
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left to right,
Son #3, Daughter, SWMBO hiding behind Granddaughter, Son #4, Some old rail head, and DIL #2, wife of son#3

So this was it, the final kid to finish college til the grandkids start (not counting post graduate work). We've done our jobs as parents. Time for the last one to spread his wings and fly. Of course they all know they can fly back to the nest if necessary, but we hope it wont come to that.
 


Kusojiji said:
My hot water pot also failed two days ago. Turns out that the thermal fuse had blown. Easy fix, just had to order the fuse.View attachment 265816

$7 vice $220. And I have 19 more of these fuses.
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My wife’s hair dryer also doesn’t get hot. Those thermal fuse thingies were also suggested to me. I just haven’t gotten around to taking it apart and figuring it out.

Thanks for the example though. It motivates me to figure it out.
 
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