Running Bear's November 2025 Coffee Shop

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santafewillie said:
Good Morning All. Clear and 49°, expecting 80° today thru Saturday. Then a 2 day cold snap before returning to the 70's on Tuesday. There's a 6% chance of precipitation on Thursday for 2 hours! I predict that it won't happen.

Indoor stuff yesterday morning, before splitting some firewood just before lunch, kind of a warm-up to PT at 2:00. The physical therapist really worked me over yesterday. Not enough to use any pain reliever, but enough to wear me out. But that's the purpose, to rebuild my stamina.
Today's choices of outdoor tasks include cutting and stacking firewood, mowing which I didn't get to yesterday, dusting off the weedeater and using it somewhere, or hauling wood chips to the garden to till in.

Election day today in Texas. We're voting on 17 Constitutional amendments, 10 of which are for extending tax exemptions. A couple of examples:
Proposition 2
Ban the state from ever creating a capital gains tax on investment profits.
Proposition 5
Exempt animal feed inventories held by retailers from property taxes.
Proposition 8
Constitutionally ban any inheritance or estate tax (which Texas currently does not levy).
Proposition 11
Increase school property tax exemptions for seniors and Texans with disabilities.
I'm not sure how #11 is going to work, as school property taxes for anyone over 65 are frozen anyway.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I mainly just continued painting the Hydrocal structure.
The mortar line between the structures was delicate.View attachment 246748
View attachment 246749
Inside the window openings took some time. I tried painting some of the brickwork a little darker color also. Not sure what caused that shadow in the bottom of the picture!
View attachment 246750
Did some other concrete trim and mortar lines as well. I'm looking forward to starting on the rockwork next.

Tom O - I've tried for 10 years since retirement to get up later than 4:00-4:30, unsuccessfully. The time change in Spring only lasts for a day or two before I revert to the old habit! Used to turn off the alarm about 30 minutes before the "drop dead time" when I was working! Doesn't matter if I go to bed at 9:00 or after midnight
Kusojiji - I never have had the opportunity to eat bear either. They're not native to my region, although a few have been sighted about 50 miles east of me, probably (according to the Texas Wildlife people), coming from Oklahoma's southeastern forests.
Louis - Off-topic. Since I can't read the Baltimore Sun any more, due to the paywall, I haven't kept up with your always interesting, mostly female politicians. However I did read on another source about your Baltimore City State Senator, Dalya Attar, and her recent indictments. Kind of an amusing backstory.

Everyone have a terrific Tuesday. I'm hoping that the Stock Market has as good a November as it had in October.
Click to expand...
Willie My Local 235 pension is the only stock related money I have left in the market. I sold all the stocks over the last 2 years. All that money is going into the house at the moment. My golf friend carpenter is coming down today to finish up some project he started a year ago. My model train projects will have to hold off for a month or so until he's finished. Swal
 
santafewillie said:
Good Morning All. Clear and 49°, expecting 80° today thru Saturday. Then a 2 day cold snap before returning to the 70's on Tuesday. There's a 6% chance of precipitation on Thursday for 2 hours! I predict that it won't happen.

Indoor stuff yesterday morning, before splitting some firewood just before lunch, kind of a warm-up to PT at 2:00. The physical therapist really worked me over yesterday. Not enough to use any pain reliever, but enough to wear me out. But that's the purpose, to rebuild my stamina.
Today's choices of outdoor tasks include cutting and stacking firewood, mowing which I didn't get to yesterday, dusting off the weedeater and using it somewhere, or hauling wood chips to the garden to till in.

Election day today in Texas. We're voting on 17 Constitutional amendments, 10 of which are for extending tax exemptions. A couple of examples:
Proposition 2
Ban the state from ever creating a capital gains tax on investment profits.
Proposition 5
Exempt animal feed inventories held by retailers from property taxes.
Proposition 8
Constitutionally ban any inheritance or estate tax (which Texas currently does not levy).
Proposition 11
Increase school property tax exemptions for seniors and Texans with disabilities.
I'm not sure how #11 is going to work, as school property taxes for anyone over 65 are frozen anyway.

Out in the train shed yesterday, I mainly just continued painting the Hydrocal structure.
The mortar line between the structures was delicate.View attachment 246748
View attachment 246749
Inside the window openings took some time. I tried painting some of the brickwork a little darker color also. Not sure what caused that shadow in the bottom of the picture!
View attachment 246750
Did some other concrete trim and mortar lines as well. I'm looking forward to starting on the rockwork next.

Tom O - I've tried for 10 years since retirement to get up later than 4:00-4:30, unsuccessfully. The time change in Spring only lasts for a day or two before I revert to the old habit! Used to turn off the alarm about 30 minutes before the "drop dead time" when I was working! Doesn't matter if I go to bed at 9:00 or after midnight
Kusojiji - I never have had the opportunity to eat bear either. They're not native to my region, although a few have been sighted about 50 miles east of me, probably (according to the Texas Wildlife people), coming from Oklahoma's southeastern forests.
Louis - Off-topic. Since I can't read the Baltimore Sun any more, due to the paywall, I haven't kept up with your always interesting, mostly female politicians. However I did read on another source about your Baltimore City State Senator, Dalya Attar, and her recent indictments. Kind of an amusing backstory.

Everyone have a terrific Tuesday. I'm hoping that the Stock Market has as good a November as it had in October.
Click to expand...
Proposition 2, that should be universal for entire country.
 
Good morning gang!

Currently 53°, heading to the low 60s and sunny.

NASCAR season is over for now til February, (Yeah Kyle Larsen and Chevy!) so now I have a few spare hours to devote to the layout. I hope to get trains moving by Christmas. Scenery be dammed! I have to complete the Buss wiring, add the DCC system and booster, add the power control switches for the bridge sections (so the track goes dead when the bridges go up).

Bear: had it once. It had been slowly cooked over a charcoal fire in a roast pan. The hunk of meat had the texture of a moist brisket, and the taste was deeeeelish! Louis you may not see the bears, but they have been sighted inside the Beltway, and they are moving east! We have had one in the neighborhood for over 2 years.
 


NYC_George said:
Willie My Local 235 pension is the only stock related money I have left in the market. I sold all the stocks over the last 2 years. All that money is going into the house at the moment. My golf friend carpenter is coming down today to finish up some project he started a year ago. My model train projects will have to hold off for a month or so until he's finished. Swal
Click to expand...
I only started investing directly in stocks in August 2024, but I have been into ETF's for about 20 years. Today is not starting off too well, lost twice what I made yesterday! But there is still 6 hours left to regain some of that. Or lose more!:(
 
Good morning folks, 56 here and sunny, hopefully it will be a nice day. Worked yesterday then had Revival Service at Church. Place was full and a wonderful spirit there. Ran home between work and Church, Lady C had made some bean soup that was delicious. Watching the news right now, thank God we are still in a free country where we are still able to vote.
We might run up to see a friend who is in rehab from a hip replacement. Got a rifle sight and a Kato locomotive out for delivery today.
You guys have a good day.
 
santafewillie said:
I only started investing directly in stocks in August 2024, but I have been into ETF's for about 20 years. Today is not starting off too well, lost twice what I made yesterday! But there is still 6 hours left to regain some of that. Or lose more!:(
Click to expand...
Consider any 5%+ pullback a buying opportunity. Good, profitable, companies will continue to grow after some institutional profit taking.

I've been watching Generac. It's been beaten up for poor (lack of hurricanes) residential sales, but they are shifting their focus into data centers.

Here are some of the highlights from the recent BofA report. Generac is shifting from residential to commercial and industrial- bidding on AI projects - They have 150m in data center backlog orders and actively bidding on $3B hyperscaler RFPs - if they win a quarter of the largest bids - that would lift their C&I business by 70%! There is more but that’s why BoA lifted the PT from$221 to $236.

I have a buy in point around $150. It's currently down about 20% off it's high.

Heck, the last big correction, in April, I bought big into data center infrastructure. COHR & VRT
 
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Good morning all!

A late check in for me. Had trouble sleeping and was up at 2:30 wandering around the basement. Went back to bed for a few
hours and feel more refreshed. Seems to happen a few times a year. Normally I'm a great sleeper and have no problems.

Currently its a cloudy 51F heading up to a high of 61F. Isn't supposed to rain but sure feels and looks like it when I hauled the
garbage and recycle bin to the curb.

Not much else going on at this point. We shall see what the day brings.

Have a safe day everyone!
 
Marlin39 said:
Consider any 5%+ pullback a buying opportunity. Good, profitable, companies will continue to grow after some institutional profit taking.

I've been watching Generac. It's been beaten up for poor (lack of hurricanes) residential sales, but they are shifting their focus into data centers.

Here are some of the highlights from the recent BofA report. Generac is shifting from residential to commercial and industrial- bidding on AI projects - They have 150m in data center backlog orders and actively bidding on $3B hyperscaler RFPs - if they win a quarter of the largest bids - that would lift their C&I business by 70%! There is more but that’s why BoA lifted the PT from$221 to $236.

I have a buy in point around $150. It's currently down about 20% off it's high.

Heck, the last big correction, in April, I bought big into data center infrastructure. COHR & VRT
Click to expand...
Not sure yet whether or not I will buy more today or not. Despite the current losses, I have gained 47% in two investments and 81% in a third just this year alone. Yes, I have to keep reminding myself that it's all on paper right now. I'm into AMD, NVDA, and PLTR. I considered COHR but chose PLTR instead, it's the one that has gone up 80%.
 


OK, I have another opportunity to showcase another layout at Traintastic, the model railroad museum in Gulfport Mississippi that we visited on our recent trip.
This layout is a G scale layout, however there were no visible trains running on it. But the scenery was nice.
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1762272795356.jpeg

A train wreck scene.
1762272823166.jpeg

And this scene set on a creek is pretty neat with all of the underwater stuff.
1762272939039.jpeg

1762272962191.jpeg

Later.
 
Good Morning All!

36F @ 86% with white on the ground. Not much, but now it starts.

Suspect that getting more done in the Goat/Chick house will be on hold for at least a few days. Gets below 40F and I tend to drop stuff as my hands don't work as good as they used to. Suppose to be 48F/Cloudy on Sat, so maybe. I do have the pex/romax fastened on the wall in the Train Cave, so maybe a little clean up and get back to starting benchwork. Have redone the track plan to where is is simplified around the Helix and I am happier because of that. Think that was slowing me down as it just didn't fit right and I didn't want to get going.

Haven't even turned the boob tube on this morning as y'all are keeping me busy with Live Steam pix. As to the 'boob' part, I have been sorta following another forums spiels on the NMRA logo/site. Some say the old logo looks somewhat like one. I never associated that; until someone posted one side-by-side - they must be deviates!

Off for breakfast cooking! BandE with bagels and fruit.

L8r
 
Sunny and blue. At 9:30am it was already 62F. Yesterday it was around 57-58F.

Was up late and then woke up part way through the night and had a hard the going back to sleep. So slept in some. Need to get out on my walk.

Election Day this year for us is a single municipal election for an at-large city councilor. Utah does mail-in ballots though there are some centralized in person places you can find you like. They mail you your ballot and you can either mail it back or drop it off at special drop boxes set up at various places like city hall, or drop it at once of the (few) centralized polling places. Of just show up and vote at the polling place. I always drive to the city hall and drop in the box.

Everyone I know is voting for the woman who currently is one of the at-large councilors and the only or one of a few who voted against a self pay raise for the city council.

It’s one of the “vote for up to 3” type ballots. I guess that means the top 3 get in.

Been working on a take home assignment for a job interview. They then ask you about why you did certain things. It’s a university project type thing and not like they’re trying to get free work. Some unscrupulous places advertise jobs and have you work in projects that are actually stuff they need done. You don’t get the job but they got a day or two free labor.

I’ve had it since last Wednesday night but didn’t really start working on it much until Saturday. I went down rabbit hole trying to be clever but ran into problems where the system doesn’t work the way you want it to and the way around it is a set of hacks. Don’t want to be seen doing hacks for a job interview.

So yesterday I spent several hours testing some ideas and then got a lot of stuff done. Today need to fix a few bugs and then tie the pieces together and make it look nice.

Starting to get ready for the trip to Japan leaving Nov 23 to pick up our son. It’s a short trip compared to what we normally do. Our daughter in HS is staying home. Wife is worried about that. I tell her that the daughter will be a legal adult in 2 months and a week after we leave. She can handle it. Plus she can go to grandmas house for Thanksgiving etc. and the neighbors know she’ll be here alone and will watch out for her.
 


bnsf971 said:
It looks nearly identical to a micro SD card, and the two can be used in place of each other. The sd card doesn’t work as well as the TF card in older equipment, but it does work.
Click to expand...
So this made me go look. The adapter looked like microSD adapter. According to this article and a few others they’re actually the same. Early on the TF card was marketed different. Probably because they were faster than the first gen microSD? Even though they are the same electrically and now everyone calls them microSD

MicroSD are used everywhere and very common. You can buy them at any store. Even grocery stores some time. My Sony camera and many other devices all use them.

www.makeuseof.com

What Is a TF Card and How Does it Differ From a microSD Card?

Does your device need a TF card or a microSD? What's the difference, anyway?
www.makeuseof.com www.makeuseof.com
 
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