Elliot´s Trackside Diner - November 2013

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
181

Hey y’all. Just popping in with a big wok of chicken stir fry that my lovely wife made! Y’all eat up! (it was supposed to be chicken fajitas, but she went into autopilot when she started cooking and it ended up stir fry). Had to w**k today, was an up and down day. Really busy this morning, lots of cars, but not a lot of money, then this afternoon we petered off to nothing and were able to clean up and due some upkeep that’s been put off far, far too long. Going to be doing some more research on the topography of the line from Montgomery, AL to Thomasville, GA (the beginning and end of the CSX Dothan Subdivision, respectively). I’m also going to do a little digging and see if I can find the old lines that connected into the subdivision along the way that are no longer there (used to be a connection at Ozark, AL and a few others that I’ve been able to find here and there through historical digging.

Again, thank you to the men and women that served behind and ahead of us all, we all owe you an unpayable debt.

Welp, I’m out of here for now, y’all Enjoy the stir fry if you want it! I’ll be back though.

182

Evenin’ folks!

Janie, just a hot cup of decaf please…

Wintery weather is being predicted across western and central NY State tonight. To the West they are calling for 3" to 5" of white stuff! Around the Finger Lakes, we could see about 1" possibly. Biggest danger is that it has been raining this evening and they are saying “Black Ice” may form on untreated roads and bridges across the region. Currently 33°F outside with a low in thye high twenties… Woodstove is keeping the house nice and warm…

I got out today and did some grocery shopping and bought some stuff at Staples. My logitech mouse had stopped scrolling up lately and I tried to blow out any dirt that might be causing the problem with no improvement. So for $20 I got a new one. Also needed a ream of heavy paper for the next Division Newsletter.

Still haven’t heard from my sister that she arrived home safely… I want to call my other sister and chat, but want to be able to tell her all is well.

Later!

73

183

Didn’t get a chance to do any programming on Oliver’s train adventure today. Had an appointment with the cardiologist today. So did my step mother. We had worked it out so our appointments were withing twenty minutes of each other. Even so we didn’t get out of there until about 4:30. My father met us there and since it was too late to go home and cook dinner we went to Fox’s Pizza Den. Trouble about a place like that is I almost always have to be rolled out. On the cardiologist report, they found the blocked blood vessel. The doc says it’s not big enough to worry about so it looks like I’m gonna have to learn to live with the whooshing racket in my ears.

Well that’s all for today. See y’all tomorrow.

184

Thank you all

SSGT DUKERT U.S. AIR FORCE

VIET NAM AUG 67–AUG 68

Best to all on sick call and those recovering [angel][angel][angel]

185

morning coffee in the diner…

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING!!

Today is Tuesday, November 12th, 2013!!

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!!

Today’s fun limmerick:

The thirsty man’s face became wry,
When the barman offered him rye.
“I’m a teetotaler” he said, as he sat,
“But I’m so thirsty, that”
“I could drink Canada Dry”

Today’s weird words:

Nundination -(n.) the act of marketing; Buying or selling; trade; nudinate Etymology: [from L. nundinatio]

186

Just about to head out for work , talk to you guys this afternoon

187

Good Morning!!!

Coffee and some of that stir fry please. Thanks

Sunny, with a high near 33.

[sigh]Sn*w on the ground[|(]. Yup. Nothing on the roads or driveways, just a covering on everything else, but still….hate it. I guess I shouldn’t complain, it’ll only get worse[|(].

Foot’s feelin better it seems. If I’d remember to take the Ibuprofen regular, I’d probably be better yet. But, as it is it’s better than it was. Much better than it was.

A bit of a busy day today so I best get crackin with some house chores and get them outa the way.

Ya’ll have a good day, ya hear!!!

188

Good morning from New England! It’s the first snow of the season here. Nothing significant, as it’s nothing more than a few flakes mixed with a light drizzle. The ground and roads are still well above freezing, and even the air temperature is in the mid 30s, but, well, it is snow. As one who eagerly awaits the start of ski season, it’s a welcome sight indeed.

Our daughter is in California, at a Neuroscience conference in San Diego. I got a text that she was planning to go to the Stone Brewery Beer Garden. They make one of my favorites, Arrogant Bastird (deliberately misspelled to avoid Nanny filters) among other worthy beers. I’m jealous.

189

I’m not feeling good today so I’ll probably not be on much. I have a games disk coming by mail today. Some old adventure games. Big Quest, Kid’s Adventure, Earthquest and Grungy Towers. I can use these to get more ideas for obstacles to put in Oliver’s path.

190

Morning-Afternoon All,

Currently it is 48 with an expected high of 67 under a mix of cloudy and sunny skies.

Had a cardiologist appointment yesterday, everything looks good except BP is a little high. He wants me to try the lowest dose water pill available for a month, and take my BP twice a day and mail him the results every 30 days to see if that helps. The results of the stress test I took last Thursday did not show anything adverse, and in fact, the 120 images that were taken, shows my heart looks real good he said.

W**k today, but I may get a chance to look at an SW1500 loco that is running a bit erratic. Other than that not much else going on.

Prayers to all in need.

Paul

191

Wow!

The place is dead! No posts in nearly 6 hours???

Can’t have that!

Got to go shopping for train stuff! For the “4-almost 5 year old “grand nephew””!

GOt some stuff. We will give a few, the Grandpas we shopped for will give a few.

A DCC steamer loco/controler set; a track package of Atlas, {with the track shortage Atlas and others have, it was easiest to get to get NS track instead of cheesy steel track}; H2O tank {they had no coaling towers in stock}; a station set {platform and common station}; A house; a foam tunnel {cheesy but he will enjoy it going and disappearing}; A tanker car; a refer; a gondola; and a caboose. Nothing special to them, just cheap easy to play with.

Only 10 items, all the cheapest I could get stuff that was in stock today, but still cost $250 at wholesaletrains.com. The track work and loco/dcc set came to $130 alone. I had to pony up more for the gondola as the one I chose that WAS in stock this AM was gone by the time I got there, someone beat me to it!

I won’t rant on “how expensive the hobby has gotten”!

I HOPE he is as excited as the grandpas and We are!

Wiped out I am. That and get this:::: the news {local] said this:::: “Today the Binghamton area got nearly 1 and half inches of sn*w, which caused some schools delays and problems!!!”

Now when I went to school, it took6- 8 inches OR MORE of sn*w or a blizzard to “cause schools delays and problems”!!! And I would WALK to school, UP hill both ways! {true that: there was a valley betwixt the school and my house, so there was UP hill to get to the school, and UP hill to get to my house located near the base of another hill, but high enough to walk UP hill to get to it.}

They close schools now at 3"…BAH HUMBUG, I say, make 'em go to school!

Ojh well, I digress, I know, I am a “grumpy old man”.

Later

[8-|]

192

The House Special and some Italian Roast coffee in a SOUTHERN mug, please.

Hope everyone is doing well these days.

Cheers! [C):-)] Rob

193

Woke up to the first 2" snowfall of the year.
Some Espresso and a steak burrito would have been good.
Things haven’t gone well since my last post about a year ago. (toe amputation)
I’ve had 8 surgeries with 6 of them being amputations in the last year.
Ended up losing my left leg above the knee from osteomylitus (SP?)
Now in a wheel chair with a $25k prosthetic leg that I can’t balance/walk on very well.
Gonna build my next layout a little closer to ground level![(-D]
Don’t feel bad for me. I’m doing just fine. Still have my killer great electronics job. My company stuck with me through all the hospital stuff! THEY are my new family that has my back.[Y]

Two months after last amputation, (4 months ago) a woman blows a red light in front of me on my way to work. MAJOR 50 mph wreck! Both cars totaled! I’m wrecked, down in a ditch and can’t get to my wheelchair to see who’s hurt (or alive) Cars driving past and no one stopping to help![8o|]
Finally the cops show up and sort things out and we’re all uninjured. (woman that caused the wreck admitted she was playing patty cake with her 4 year old grand daughter when she blew the red light and caused the wreck) She’s lucky the little girl isn’t dead. I hit the passenger door where the girl was sitting and she didn’t have a seat belt on.
I came out of it with a better vehicle than I had, but still… people need to pay more attention to the road and not their cell phones/children/stereos/etc…etc…
I’ll get off my soap box now and wish all of you a happy winter/train modelling season! [<:o)] span=“” id=“mce_marker” data-mce-type=“bookmark”>

194

[quote user=“loathar”]

Woke up to the first 2" snowfall of the year.
Some Espresso and a steak burrito would have been good.
Things haven’t gone well since my last post about a year ago. (toe amputation)
I’ve had 8 surgeries with 6 of them being amputations in the last year.
Ended up losing my left leg above the knee from osteomylitus (SP?)
Now in a wheel chair with a $25k prosthetic leg that I can’t balance/walk on very well.
Gonna build my next layout a little closer to ground level!
Don’t feel bad for me. I’m doing just fine. Still have my killer great electronics job. My company stuck with me through all the hospital stuff! THEY are my new family that has my back.

Two months after last amputation, (4 months ago) a woman blows a red light in front of me on my way to work. MAJOR 50 mph wreck! Both cars totaled! I’m wrecked, down in a ditch and can’t get to my wheelchair to see who’s hurt (or alive) Cars driving past and no one stopping to help!
Finally the cops show up and sort things out and we’re all uninjured. (woman that caused the wreck admitted she was playing patty cake with her 4 year old grand daughter when she blew the red light and caused the wreck) She’s lucky the little girl isn’t dead. I hit the passenger door where the girl was sitting and she didn’t have a seat belt on.
I came out of it with a better vehicle than I had, but still… people need to pay more attention to the road and not their cell phones/children/stereos/etc…etc…
I’ll get off my soap box now and wish all of you a happy winter/train modelling season! span=“” id=“mce_marker” data-mce-type=“bookmark”>

195

I hope you can learn to master that prosthesis. Know what you mean about the leg amputation. Had one myself back in August. Right leg, below the knee. I’m going in this week for my first prosthesis fitting. I’m hoping to be walking by the end of this month and back in my own home by Christmas. While my fathers place is comfortable and I can get around in it well with my power chair it’s not my place. I have no layout or work area here and due to my fathers crazy work schedule and my step mothers sensitive ears it’s hard to get much programming work done on my //e computer. I know what that osteomyelitis is like too. That’s some bad stuff and hard to get rid of. Been there, had it, lost several bones to it and know all about it.

196

I’ve got a hands free smart phone and I won’t answer it while I’m driving. People get mad, but I don’t care.
There’s too many distracted drivers to look out for. Even in a parking lot at 5MPH!
phone calls can wait!
We have a news celebrity guy whose daughter just slammed into the back of a semi and died while texting.
She had a full ride to a journalism school and a job waiting for her after graduation.
Her father is devastated and can barely do his job on air.

197

More than you’d want to believe. As a first responder I saw more than my fair share of such accidents. There are still nights I wake up in a cold sweat.

198

Hey Jeff!
Didn’t see you in the online line up!
Too bad to hear your having leg problems too. A BK amp and prosth. isn’t that bad. (thank GOD for morphine!)
I was up and walking without a cane in about 15 minutes. I went shopping/mowed my grass and walked my dog the first night. Just make sure they have all the infection killed and you don’t start to get a skin rash from the liner. (gold bond powder helps)
MAKE SURE YOUR INFECTUES DISEASE DOCTOR KNOWS WHAT ANTIBIOTICS HE’S GIVING YOU!!!
Mine screwed up and that’s why I lost my knee joint and you defiantly don’t want THAT to happen!
It’s 10 times harder to walk with an AK leg/knee than a BK foot and socket.

I’ll PM you my Email and cell #. Use them anytime! All of us with this stupid disease need to help each other out.

199

Hey y’all. Thanks to all those north of me (that would be a great deal of you) for sending this cold and windy weather down here to Alabama. Low tonight is expected to be 29, high tomorrow of 50 (according to the weather prognosticators, if we’re lucky). Right now is not all that cold, but it is VERY VERY breezy. Welp, I’ve been digging through MB Klein’s website looking at all the things I “need” (mostly just really want as I don’t have a layout to actually put anything on). I’ve also been researching industries (past and present) that the ACL/SCL/SBD/CSX line through my area serves/served. Seems that a large part of past generation’s business was wood-related with several untreated tie plants and pulpwood industries along the line that are now unfortunately long gone. Been thinking about “what if” there were still those industries along the way, how much different the traffic along the line would be.

Well, that’s about it for me, loathar, glad to see you are back, but not too glad to see and hear about your medical issues, prayers to you sir for a speedy recovery (and prayers for all those on the mend!)

:Later taters!

200

Yeah, I took my profile/avatar out of the ‘Users Online’ lineup. Anybody who wants to send a message needs just click on my username.

*

Weather here is getting pretty cool for this time of year. It’s 41° now and it’ll be down to 32° tonight and tomorrow night. No sign of rain until Thursday night.

Nothing done today. I just felt too bad to even think about it. Time to call it a night. See y’all tomorrow.