Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

Early Risers is an unpredictable place on the weekends. Sometimes it's quiet. This time it wasn't. I'm not sure if I will get up to date.

 

Where does the time go? (Rhetorical question.) The weekend whizzed by without any delicious Sunday time wasting on the sofa in front of sports - and that with our local MLS football franchise (the Portland Timbers) beating their great rival (the Seattle Sounders) 2-1 in the first leg of a two-game, aggregate score, Western Conference semi-final.

 

(On further reflection, I did watch American college football on Saturday evening.) 

 

I did get to participate in an operating session on my friend's O gauge Milwaukee Road in miniature. He literally has all the bells and whistles. Throttles (and point/route setting) are on an iPad and an iPhone. I'm nudging him into an operational framework and we managed to operate the Olympian Hiawatha from end to end with a change of head-end power in the middle, which was a fun puzzle to set up. These trains are big. Running multiple trains - including the big bi-polar, pulls 7A. (I assume that is the low voltage side ~20V AC RMS.)

 

Thanks to Roundhouse for the shout-out to PDX. They have won the "Best Domestic Airport" award by Travel+Leisure magazine again, making it six in a row. They celebrated this win with photographs of actual airport employees from gate agents to shoe shiners and distributed these in places like lifts and walkways as a way of promoting the airport and thanking employees. It's nice when you recognize the people in the pictures.

 

On breakfasts. Frozen "hash browns" do not deserve to be called hash browns. Hash browns should only be freshly grated potato strips lightly pressed and fried together on an oiled flat top grill. May I suggest "potato pucks" as a suitable name for the mushy, spud-based hockey puck things.

 

I did treat myself to breakfast with my son. It was billed as a "country Benedict". A biscuit (savory scone) sliced in two and each piece covered with a small sausage patty, poached egg and white 'country' gravy (basically a roux with milk and pepper).   It's a (slightly) more elegant form of "biscuits and gravy" with a considerably smaller portion than usual - which is a consideration for me. I skipped the accompanying potatoes and had fruit instead.

 

After breakfast, my son and I were on our way to see "Bohemian Rhapsody". Doubtless people will love or hate this film. (A review headline punned "It's a good time, not a ball".) I'm not an expert on the intimate details of the late and greatly missed Freddie Mercury and I suspect the film contains lots of 'dramatization' that conflates the actual details of his life and the people in it, but as film (not a biography) it was to me, as enjoyable to watch as such a story with its inevitable conclusion could be. And the sound track is not all Queen.

 

Now it's Monday. At least with the demise of daylight saving time, it's not completely dark when the alarm goes off in the morning and there's a good chance the sun has risen (above the blanket of cloud and fog) when it is time to drive to the office. I need to break out of the office today to visit the post office. I have letters for the homeland that need to be weighed. One is oversize as well, making the postage difficult to compute without professional assistance. 

Edited November 5, 2018 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

Remember Remember the 5th of Novermber, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.

I also remember reading that from 1606 to the 1770's those living in what is now the USA ,did celebrate Guido Fawkes day, as they generally were of a Protestant persuasion. When however  they became traitors themselves, it disappeared along with cricket...

They also stopped drinking rum and tea, preferring whiskey and coffee, and stopped using the terms "Church of England" and "Anglican".

 

Guy Fawkes' traditions dissipated in 20th century Australia.

[AndyID]

They also stopped drinking rum and tea, preferring whiskey and coffee

Can't say I blame them.

[Ozexpatriate]

Green food does not belong on a breakfast plate. Nothing green should be served before 6pm. Unless it’s guacamole with corn chips for lunch.

I am partial to salsa verde (green tomatillo salsa) with my ham, eggs and cheese on an (English) muffin on a weekend morning.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Ozexpatriate

[lightengine]

They also stopped drinking rum and tea, preferring whiskey and coffee, and stopped using the terms "Church of England" and "Anglican".

Then they started spelling badly and changed easy words like 'tap' into 'fawcett' to simplify things.

[Ozexpatriate]

Then they started spelling badly and changed easy words like 'tap' into 'fawcett' to simplify things.

You are thinking of faucet. This is a Fawcett.

 

Actually the word faucet is Middle English (originally old French).

[Tony_S]

Afternoon all.

Not sure how long this signal will last as we head out to sea. Has just dropped from 4G to 3G.

We had a pleasant day. It was just over 20C and the cloud disappeared as predicted. We saw all touristy things like an aloe Vera farm, various geothermal anomalies and a bodega. The land we were driving over was at times only a few hundred years old. Aditi got quite excited by the examples of volcanic rock formations.

Off to Gran Canaria. Arriving in the morning.

Tony

[The Stationmaster]

Aus breakfast Sydney style 2004 - no green stuff (probably just as well!) 

 

 

Meanwhile 'gunfire' and 'explosions' have again broken out in our vicinity but thus far it is considerably more tolerable than the megaton range bangs of yesterday.

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Aus breakfast Sydney style 2004 - no green stuff (probably just as well!) 

That looks quite sad Mike. I trust you had better full breakfasts while in Oz. I know I have.

[AndyID]

It's definitely rainy/snowy season. Lots of moisture pumping in from the Pacific. A lot of it dumps on the west side of the Cascades. They create a rain shadow that affects much of Washington but when the weather systems arrive here the Rockies cool the air enough to start more precipitation. The effect is quite visible on weather radar.

[Barry O]

Yep Mike,  lots of bangs and crashes going on outside here in the North West Leeds Highlands. 

 

Sausage egg and chips for tea.. comfort food of the highest order.

 

Must admit I do like the odd kipper for breakfast. I am not too big a fan of baked beans or grilled tomatoes.. but skinless mice (tinned plum tomatoes) are very acceptable as part of a good fry up.

 

My aunt used to enjoy (!) cream cake for breakfast. Not for me!

 

As it happens we are off for a pint and a lot of talk tonight with some friends. Comparisons on holiday locations will be made and the world may be put to rights.

 

TTFN

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I seem to be surrounded by the sound of battle at the moment, its coming from all directions. Earlier today my neighbour discoved that the internal walls are constructed of box tile, horrible things to drill into. Time to put the kettle on, be back later.

[AndyB]

Evening all,

Some minor fizzes and pops as people let off their own fireworks aux jardins. 

For some reason these seem more concerning due to their proximity and wind direction than the large display we organised last week. 

 

Meanwhile one notes that there is a proposal to build another town* garden village about a mile or so away. I assume that they will also be building a second storey on the trunk road to cope with the thousands of extra cars, new schools, surgery, shops, 3rd storey on the local station car park, better telecoms, improved electricity supply, new water treatment plant, better broadband, better parking in town to cope with the new residents.... 

 

* 1500 new homes are proposed. I note that the definition of a town is an entity with a population of about 1000 to 20,000 people. So, as there will be more houses than a village has people I'm guessing "garden village" is what politicians call a "miss-spoke". 

[roundhouse]

 

 

Thanks to Roundhouse for the shout-out to PDX. They have won the "Best Domestic Airport" award by Travel+Leisure magazine again, making it six in a row. They celebrated this win with photographs of actual airport employees from gate agents to shoe shiners and distributed these in places like lifts and walkways as a way of promoting the airport and thanking employees. It's nice when you recognize the people in the pictures.

 

Yes its well deserved, even the security line is pleasant. I even have the T-shirt of the carpet and have worn it (the T-shirt, not the carpet) a few times recently but no one over here is likely to recognise it.

 

A busy day working on numerous modelling projects including clearing one modelling table and naother cleared quite a bit but still a bit messy. Then sorted a couple of N scale locos  for a friend as he was after a DC circuit board on one and suitable Microtrains couplers on another. After that it was a little bit more work on the old shed. Its now ready to be moved ot its new location once I build the base for it.

 

Another busy day tomorrow.

[jamie92208]

You are thinking of faucet. This is a Fawcett.

 

Actually the word faucet is Middle English (originally old French).

 

Still used here in middle France.

 

Jamie

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

I’ve had another good day in the workshop today, I say workshop, but I spent quite a lot of time in the garden where I was doing the all hot work and most of hammer work. I was only in the workshop for the filing work, polishing and bending processes. Anyway, I finished off Vickie’s bangle, then I made an identical one for Sheila and then I made one for Ian. Ian’s however, I made from a short piece of 8mm copper pipe, which I flattened and then put I hammered finish on, (see photos below).

 

 

This morning the latest edition of BRM dropped on the door mat, but I was extremely good and resisted the urge to open it until I’d packed up this afternoon. We’ve had quite a few fireworks going off this evening, but not as many as over the weekend.

 

Goodnight all

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[AndyID]

Yes its well deserved, even the security line is pleasant. I even have the T-shirt of the carpet and have worn it (the T-shirt, not the carpet) a few times recently but no one over here is likely to recognise it.

 

MrsID does not like PDX very much. For some reason they (probably Alaska Airlines) have a bad habit of failing to get her bags on her connecting flight to Spokane in time.

[Ozexpatriate]

MrsID does not like PDX very much. For some reason they (probably Alaska Airlines) have a bad habit of failing to get her bags on her connecting flight to Spokane in time.

At one point Alaska really was terrible with their baggage handling and particularly so in Portland. They took ages. When they started charging for checked bags and introduced their 20 minute baggage service guarantee, they got much, much better.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I duly reported for my flu jab yesterday and accepted Sister Syringe’s kind offer of a shingles jab as well.  Apparently it is a perk for being 70.  Checkpoint Charlene finally gave me an appointment for my next hormone injection but initially entered it as December instead of January.  Before all that I sent an e-mail to the organisers of Bristol Pride and asked them to book Grace Petrie for the 2019 event.  Only after doing that did I discover that she has played there before, which with any luck will reinforce my case.  I was listening to her latest CD on the way from High Wycombe to Dunton on Saturday and was particularly taken with a very clever rhyme that is unlikely to be played on the radio – “f*cked yer” with “structure”!  The track is called “Black Tie” and the album is called “Queer as Folk”.  It could just be my CD of the year.

 

Today there will be a quick fodder run in the morning and an LCGB branch meeting in the evening.  In between times I expect to make some progress on the C*****mas cards.  Although it is a joyous task to make annual contact with friends and relatives, it is a task that I like to get out of the way in good time, leaving the few weeks’ run-up to the festive season for revelry.  That’s me, ever the optimist.

 

Warm thoughts to all in distress and those who are missing. 

 

Chris

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

We have a very foggy morning today - very autumnal!

 

A day of testing beckons today, so I guess I had better get on.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[Happy Hippo]

At this stage I will probably only be going for 4 or 5 RTR wagons and create a small shunting plank#

[Barry O]

It is "misty" here this morning.

 

A good evening with our friends was had. Beer was drunk, much nattering occurred and the holiday bookings for later this year and early next year were discussed.

 

A quick trip out today to talk with a modelling colleague regarding two poorly sick locomotives.

 

Have a good day everyone.

 

We seem to have mislaid some more ERs. Hope they are OK.

Baz