Running Bear's September 2023 Coffee Shop

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


Status
Not open for further replies.
Norfolk Southern must be sweating bullets.
Mike: I recently read a scathing account on operating practices at NS. This was the carrier that consistently won the Harriman Award for being the safest carrier. They carried safety to extremes, they were so zealous. Not no more, if the account I read is even half truth. They have problems. All due to the culture of cost containment. They are no longer the safest carrier, just the nastiest to work for. (They showed their true attitude in the aftermath of the Ohio wreck/fire). They do have an image problem, and a safety problem. But to them it's business. Modern day Ray roadin' the NS way.
 


Right now, it's 56° and clear at the Jersey Shore. Today's high was only 73° with a brilliant sunny day. And the leaves are starting to fall. George ain't kidding about it being cold.

Started pricing needed repairs / upgrades to this old house. New patio Door, maybe two to four new weather side windows - damn they are expensive - some outdoor paint, and power washing, Inside some paint, some carpet, and maybe a toilet.
Just enough to make it attractive and compliant. The likely prospective owners will remodel to conform with Religious practice.

Meanwhile the search for new digs begins....
 
George ain't kidding about it being cold.
Boris anyone who lives in the northeast knows warm days are few and far between starting around September 15. It will be cool and cold here until next May. I should of wore a thermal shirt under my coat during yesterday's golf outing. I did win the final match of the over 65 golf club championship a few days before on a warmer day. I shot an 8 over par 80 beating my opponent 4 down with 3 to go. I have to get out all my thermal under shirts if I plan on playing anymore golf this season.
Swal
 
Joe, I'm sure you remember NS' nickname that referenced jack-booted WWII soldiers...

As for weather, when we lived in NC, I swore Mother Nature kept a calendar. Every September around the 15th-25th, the temp would drop 15 degrees. It would do the same thing in reverse in March, then again in mid-June. I had never lived somewhere the beginning of the seasons was so well delineated.
 
Well howdy there internet peeps and those starting to enjoy sweater weather...

So far the Climate Change harder and more frequent pendulum swings are giving my annual trip to Tampa Florida a miss. Last year, Tampa was projected to be dead center of Ian... he missed and went south a few days after our conference ended. So far this year Tampa had another near miss from Idalia, and Lee is bearing down on Maine/Nova Scotia. Margot is hovering in the middle of the Atlantic being fickle.

So we might just escape another direct hit on the conference.

I have to get up before the roosters on Monday to hit the airport, and wing my way to see all the Florida Man and Florida Woman in person.

Which means I have to word the words now. It's rough trying to word words in a conference full of authors. It's one of the few times that many introverts get together and break out of our shells for a week. About the only thing worse is a conference full of engineers/scientists who are all numbers-oriented. I imagine they just argue about maths all week. 😜
 
I see the cold wind blowing down from the north.

North_Wind.JPG
 


Today, reality set in as I had my standard Rasin Bran with blue berries and lactaid 2% milk, with 60 calorie yogurt on the side. I thought of yesterday's breakfast, and my mouth watered. Wife & I, Jersey Diner breakfast, almost $50.00 including tip for the two of us...can't do that too often.
I read yesterday the average “adult” spends $116 each per month eating out. I find that difficult to believe. Whoever did the survey must only have gone to the fast food places. We don’t do “fine” dining too often but we do eat out a couple times a week. At least once at our local brew pubs of which there are many within a 10 mile radius. We also like the mom and pop type places. I think that $116 is low. Just last night at Friday Fish fry, a WIsconsin tradition, the bill was $58 for generous portions of blue gills for Terry and shrimp for me with just 1 beer for her and 2 free sodas for me. Breakfast out is running without tips or alcohol $40. Everything is turning into ala cart dining, if you want it, it’s extra!

Or maybe, that’s the average of all USA adults and many have stopped going. I will try to find the article.
 
Morning all,

61° and cloudy. Supposed to remain cloudy and get to 79° later. So much for the state song, "Home on the Range". Yes it was written in Kansas.

Well, since we didn't spend the money on vacation (except eating takeout as I had the kitchen under destruction), I'm going to order the new hard surface flooring this morning. We finally have a decision and won't affect the painting left to do. Where the big cost is going to come into play is that we're going to rip up the old sheet vinyl and underlayment in the kitchen and get new underlayment under the new LVP.
 
Where is this global warming crap. It's certainly not in NY. Played golf today with a light coat and couldn't stay warm. That week of 91 degree we had, that was it?
Swal
Not global warming! It’s now called climate change. Let’s stay PC correct as we don’t want to upset one side of the debate as to if it’s real or not!

our 90+ degrees days in So Central WIsconsin normally were 10 days a year. This year already we have had 21. But this year both the NWS and the Farmers Almanac says our area will be severely cold this Winter. We also are in the midst of a “severe” drought. So yes, things change

Hope you played well!
 
Good Morning All. Partly cloudy but a chilly 65° this morning. Finally back into the 90's starting today after a high of only 80° yesterday. We did have to turn the A/C back on for two hours before bed time last night, due to the elevated humidity and temperature in the house. Pool temperature has only dropped to 78°, barely tolerable if the sun is shining and it is warm. I may get a couple more days of use in the next few days. A little direct sunshine will warm it back up a bit if we actually see the sun.
Sure enough, the rain system that I referred to yesterday kept moving in our direction before dissipating about 15 miles west just before noon. Part of the system kept moving east and hit the Dallas area, but not here.

Meanwhile I kept at it on the outdoor chores and projects yesterday. There's still many left after two months of inactivity outside this past summer due to all of the triple-digit days. Ironically, in 2021 we did not have a single day with a temperature above 100°; the warmest day all season was September 21 when it got to 99°. This year has had 53 days over 100°, making it the 4th highest on record. Still far off the record of 71 in 2011 and 69 in 1980.

A bit of a catch-up day out in the train shed yesterday. The parking lot at the new coffee shop got it's stripes and a small amount of ground foam made it's way in back along the railroad ROW.
IMG_0395.JPG

Still a bit of touch up needed and I will add foam to the right side of the parking lot.
I also completed a few more figures and I now have 28 ready for the dull coating which I will do today.
IMG_0397.JPG

Two definite and three maybe will be added to the plaza scene once I put it back together again. I did paint the tables but I was unhappy with the color of the tops, so I sanded them off and will try a different color today.

Guy - I'd be concerned about the camera beep bothering the horse if I was on that trail in your second picture. Not a lot of trail on the left.
Sherrel - Regarding websites changing up, I really hate it when they do that. Many of these "upgrades" are done by and for IT people, who understand their world differently than average Americans. I complained so much at work when they did changes on internal programs, that I was informally named "Human Interface Manager", and the IT department had to let me review most programs before they went live, in order to keep them sensible and user friendly. My buddy, the head of IT, didn't mind, as it actually made his job easier.
Tom O -
I read yesterday the average “adult” spends $116 each per month eating out. I find that difficult to believe. Whoever did the survey must only have gone to the fast food places.
I also find that hard to believe. Fast food, maybe yes, but we eat at casual dining places most of the time, places like Outback, Red Lobster, Houlihans or similar local places. Once a week only. Average bill with drinks and tip is generally $80+. The only exception is the local Italian place, but it is BYOB and it runs about $65 after adding in our bottle of wine. That would be more, but they generally comp the dessert to go since we've been steady customers for over 15 years. Even through the Covid lockdown which they ignored like many places in Texas.
Rereading they statement, "average adult" would mean a couple spends $232 each month, which may be closer to the real world. If I add in occasional lunches, we're close to $450 a month.

Today would have been B.B. King's 97th birthday if he hadn't passed away in 2015.
Everyone have a wonderful Saturday.
 


Good morning gang!

54° and sunny, with a high of 79° predicted

Another happy Saturday at w*rk! Can't wait to get out at 2, but SWMBO mentioned couch shopping this afternoon, ugh.

Lunch during the work week averages 50-75 bucks a week. I get the boss to buy when ever I can. If my partner is out, I stay in, he buys. That doesn't count "date night" dinners with SWMBO.

Well, it's about time I get something done, BBL
 
Status
Not open for further replies.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top