Running Bear's June 2019 Coffee Shop


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IronBeltKen said:
Good evening Shop Dwellers! I figured that if Ol' 97 can do it, then I, too, probably should climb out of my hole like the proverbial groundhog and get some sunshine.

Things have happened over the past 6 months that have put my model train enthusiasm on Life Support. It all started last November when I got some abnormal numbers on a semi-annual blood test. That put me on a trail of seeing specialists and getting ultrasound scans, then a biopsy, and finally a diagnosis of prostate cancer - which I learned about a week ago. I had wondered why my energy level seemed to keep dropping, now I guess I have my answer.

I'll be meeting with the surgeon a week from today, and hopefully he will get me scheduled for a so-called "radical" prostatectomy ASAP. According to my urologist the tumor is still fully contained, so this should theoretically bring a full cure, i.e., no need for chemo afterwards. But I still fear the possibility of life-changing complications from the surgery [which I will NOT describe on a familiy-friendly forum LOL!]. At least I'll be getting it done at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, which is considered a World-class medical facility and therefore offers a higher probability of success.

...there, I got it off my chest! Maybe actually communicating with fellow modelers will breathe some life back into my enjoyment of trains. Greetings to those of you who already know me, and welcome to the newcomers who haven't met me yet. Prayers and positive thoughts for all of you who are facing their own tough situations.

-keN
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Had the same thing in 2007. No big deal, really. No, really. I made the surgeon hold off a month so I could get in my Key West vacation. Got back at midnight, was in surgery at 7 am. Less than a week later, I was home with an indwelling catheter (always check where the tube is before standing up). A week or so later the tube came out and I was peeing my pants for the next couple of days, but then the Kegels kicked in (ask your wife). After that, it was all downhill.
 
Howdy..

Old 97 .. Good seeing you. I may have joined the coffee shop shortly after your last time here. Feel free to tell about yourself and your model railroading if you want.

Ken IB ... Good seeing you again, but sorry to hear of your scheduled surgery . I’m glad it’s at a good hospital. ..Best wishes and prayers for you.... ... I had a tumor removed from my bladder yesterday at Vanderbilt Hospital which is considered the best in this region. I came home today . They took extra care because I also am a heart failure patient. ... I liked my early years when I did not need a cardiologist and an urologist. .

Meanwhile, One of our daughters is very seriously ill in Michigan. Currently, our daughter in law of Cincinnati is in Michigan helping take care of our grandchildren while their Mom is in the hospital. She goes back to Cincinnati Friday, and my wife is flying up there Saturday to help with the children and other stuff.
 
GarryCBQ said:
Meanwhile, One of our daughters is very seriously ill in Michigan. Currently, our daughter in law of Cincinnati is in Michigan helping take care of our grandchildren while their Mom is in the hospital. She goes back to Cincinnati Friday, and my wife is flying up there Saturday to help with the children and other stuff.
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Prayers for your daughter too!
 
GarryCBQ said:
Ken IB ... Good seeing you again, but sorry to hear of your scheduled surgery . I’m glad it’s at a good hospital. ..Best wishes and prayers for you.... ... I had a tumor removed from my bladder yesterday at Vanderbilt Hospital which is considered the best in this region. I came home today . They took extra care because I also am a heart failure patient. ... I liked my early years when I did not need a cardiologist and an urologist. .

Meanwhile, One of our daughters is very seriously ill in Michigan...
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Garry, glad to hear about your successful surgery - it helps boost my confidence regarding my own situation! But I will definitely include your daughter in my prayers...and you too, since I know it is always agonizing for a parent to see their child suffering!:(
 
kbkchooch said:
IBKen, Wow bud, I had no clue! Hey, I'm only 25 minutes away if you need anything, just call! In the meantime, you are on the prayer list. I wont blab to the FCSME guys, unless you want to.
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Thanx Karl, you can go ahead and tell the 4-County guys if you want. In fact, Keith already knows. As of now I'm only hiding this from my coworkers [other than my supervisor] to prevent it from becoming a topic of office gossip.
 
montanan said:
Ray - That locomotive looks like someone threw a bowl of spaghetti at it.
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Is this a bit more organised? I reverted to placing the speaker onto the decoder, because to get to get it in, the front opening part sits inside the main shell and only 2/3rd's under the dynamics. The wiring to it had to be kept to a minimum also to reduce bulk.
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Top pic is left side, bottom pic, right side. There is just enough clearance in the top pic for the clip that holds the cover on to clear the speaker. Lots of re-routing and shortening of wires. The power pickups from each truck are particularly tricky, because they have to be brought to a place along each side where they can be joined to the single wire from the decoder. One side had plenty the other side's were short, involving baring a section of the decoder wire to solder 1 end to and then extending that back to the other truck's. The loose green wire (another brown one likewise on the other side) are f5 and f6, if I can ever mount ditch lights.
 
Some somber news from our fellow members. Stay positive and know our prayers are with you.

Our trains can provide the distraction we need when facing life's challenges. I know they have been a blessing for me. Sometimes I can't physically do anything with them, but they can always keep my mind busy planning what I might do with them when I feel better.

God bless you all.
 
Good morning. It's cloudy (again) and 55. Rain is forecast for later today, though hopefully not in the copious amounts we have seen recently.
 
Good morning everyone. 64 and cloudy out there. Trace of rain overnight. Rain chances ramp up this weekend and into next week.

Took the day off work yesterday and worked my tail off at home. Prepped ground and put in grass seed (getting a little late into the summer to plant grass, but it should be okay), and then spent a few hours digging up an old iron clothesline pole - the previous owner had it in 18 inches of concrete 12 inches across! What was he thinking? It's a clothesline pole for crying out loud - - it's not going anywhere! Took me all afternoon to loosen that thing, then had to bust it up with the sledge hammer in order to lift it out. Paying for it today!!

Old 97 - Welcome back.
Garry - Glad your surgery went well. Continued prayers for you. Also prayers for your daughter in MI.
Willie - I like those structure pics. You sure have a variety of businesses on your layout.

Have a good day everyone.
 
Good Morning All. Partly cloudy and a cool 63°. Still have the north wind this morning, temperature yesterday never got above 78°, quite comfortable.
I'm ready for a good ole' breakfast burrito this morning Flo, sausage, egg, potato and cheese please. Lots of spicy salsa on the side.
Full day yesterday, went early and picked up the rental car, dropped off the wife's SUV at the mechanics place, did laundry and then cut down two trees for next winters firewood. Partly cut one up a bit, I have a few more cool mornings coming up in the next few days to finish up. Already have enough stacked up from earlier to get through December, so this has more than enough time to "season" in the upcoming 95°+ summer days. I also have a dead 30 year old Ash to remove, looks to be about a 2-3 week supply there. It will be a sad occasion because it was a seedling that my son brought home from school in honor of Arbor Day and we planted it together in 1989.
The new pool thermometer has been puzzling me this season. The water seems colder than it shows, so I dug out the old one and it shows 3° cooler than the new one. It's still enjoyable especially after 45 minutes with the chainsaw and no wind.

Thanks Justin, Chet, Jerome, Sherrel, Phil, Patrick, Johnny; for the likes and comments regarding yesterday's pictures.

Finally made it out to the train shed around 4:00 yesterday. I plotted out and painted additional roadway on the peninsula in the area around the fertilizer distributor. Over the next couple of days, I'll be tying together the peninsula area with the existing flour mill area. Over at the workbench, I made eight of those very small stripwood cutouts for the Masonic Lodge, and glued them on one side. I found that I had to make two even smaller ones for the front corners, 1/8" x 1/16" and made and fastened the first one. I am learning a lot about the delicateness of angle stripwood and have resurrected a few words not heard in years. Planted four trees that I made over the weekend.
No current progress photos right now and I don't remember all of the structure and railcar photos that I have posted, so I'll just post a couple of my favorites. Please excuse me if I repeat something.
Ace Auto Parts is a "beginners" hydrocal kit from DownTown Deco.
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Same four walls, different doors and a different paint scheme produced Rosa's Place, a great place for Mexican food.
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Looks like my spiders like the place as well.
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Garry - Prayers for your daughter. Have they determined the problem yet?
Ole' 97 - I repeat, welcome back. If you get an opportunity, refresh us with your modeling interests. Just don't wait as long! I take it that you know Jeffery passed away in late 2014, hence the honorary renaming of the Coffee Shop after him.
Chet - It is a bit tough coming up with different and unique businesses, but at least every town had a cafe, bank, liquor store etc. I am intending to add a candy store to one town after you pictured one a few weeks back. Thanks for the suggestion. I intend to use the Masonic Lodge as a library in one of the large towns left to build.
montanan said:
Ray - That locomotive looks like someone threw a bowl of spaghetti at it.
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I know that wasn't directed at me but I just keep thinking DC DC DC! :) Seriously though, if I was just starting today, I would opt for DCC, maybe.
By the way, the quickest way to find the missing coupler pocket clips is to order and receive some more.
Patrick -
Patrick said:
Fell asleep so hard that I woke up with my knees sore from laying in one position all night.
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Wait until your legs, back, hips and shoulders do the same. Getting up to pee in the middle of the night can be torturous. Don't ask how I know this! I don't tend to change positions while asleep unless my wife tugs the covers off or kicks me.
Ken IB - Great to see you posting again, but sorry to read of the ongoing medical issue. Looks like you already have a good plan and I'll be praying for your recovery at Mass. Seeing Beady's post makes me feel more positive regarding your situation.
Beady - Kegels. Haven't seen or heard of them in over thirty years. And I thought then that my wife was just smiling at me when she was doing them.

Everybody have a great day.
 
MY O MY Folks!
Lots of problems springing up around here; better stock up on the bandaids!

Beady - I was not aware of your health issues, sorry.
GARRY - Woshing you a speedy recovery, and your daughter as well.
IRONBELT KEN: Prayers for a successful surgery and recovery - welcome back!
Louis: Nice photos - glad to see you posting again.
Old97 - Glad to see you back!

Seems we missed spring and went from the 60's highs to the 100 highs with not much in between.
Yesterday's report:
High Temperature: 102.1°F (38.9°C)at 2:31 PM PDT, normal 81°F (27°C), guesstimated 91°F

They guesstimate 91 again today?

Spousal Unit, daughter, and G-Son left for a week in CABO this morning. Left the house at 4AM for a 7AM flight from San Diego - short night - I will feel it later on.
Carry on, Sir!
 
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