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Post by paleo on Nov 9, 2021 12:44:43 GMT -5
Bill, the ski club has taken Amtrak to Winter Park, but it been quite a few years ago. They caught the train in Mt Pleasant, which is the closest place to catch it from Cedar Rapids. It's a good deal, if you like Winter Park, but most ski club members wouldn't rate it very high. I've skied WP a number of times and I remember there is a spot up on the mountain where you can see the west portal of the train tunnel, where it comes into WP. Yeah, certainly was not my favorite Colorado ski area, but a pretty convenient and affordable way to hit the Rockies from MN or IA, I thought. Of course, you've got to hope and pray that you're not surrounded on the train by Chicago drunks. Another big determinant in where people ski nowadays is the ski passes. I buy a Vail Epic pass that is good for all Vail owned resorts, which is most of Summit County CO. This year I plan to ski Beaver Creek, Vail and Breckinridge, using my Vail Pass. Winter Park is on the group of ski resorts that use Ikon passes. So if I want to ski there too, I need a different pass, which gets expensive.
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Twosdae
Nov 9, 2021 11:55:30 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by paleo on Nov 9, 2021 11:55:30 GMT -5
Tuesday, that means music practice this afternoon. Music practice means I better clean the house a little bit. But first, more coffee! Darryl -- I've been meaning to ask you, have you or any members of your ski club ever taken Amtrak to Winter Park from Osceola, IA? I did that a couple times in the '90s and it worked out so slick. Free parking at the depot, train seats recline and you go through the boring scenery during the night, then get stunning scenery the rest of the way from morning on. It was pretty affordable, too, and most lodging places have their own shuttle vehicles so no need to rent a car. Bill, the ski club has taken Amtrak to Winter Park, but it been quite a few years ago. They caught the train in Mt Pleasant, which is the closest place to catch it from Cedar Rapids. It's a good deal, if you like Winter Park, but most ski club members wouldn't rate it very high. I've skied WP a number of times and I remember there is a spot up on the mountain where you can see the west portal of the train tunnel, where it come into WP.
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Twosdae
Nov 9, 2021 9:43:23 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by paleo on Nov 9, 2021 9:43:23 GMT -5
Tuesday, that means music practice this afternoon. Music practice means I better clean the house a little bit. But first, more coffee!
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Post by paleo on Nov 8, 2021 9:07:18 GMT -5
Yesterday I was invited to a housewarming, birthday, anniversary gathering in Cedar Rapids. At a private home, on the patio, food and live music provided, BYOB and a lawn chair.
When I arrived the music had already started, one guy with a guitar and a small sound system. I wasn't expecting much in the way of music, but this guy was good.
The musician was Kevin Moore, keyboardist from the Rock band OSI, from Chroma Key and Dream Theater. He played and sang for 3 1/2 hours with one 5 minute bathroom break. Songs from the 60s to present, a good variety of music.
I got introduced and got to visit briefly. He is currently a practicing psychiatrist in Minot N.D. I highly recommend going to hear him if you have the opportunity.
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Post by paleo on Nov 7, 2021 10:01:39 GMT -5
So much to do, so little time. I just finished grilling, and eating, a pork tenderloin for breakfast, yuuuuummm.
The new Benton County winery, 42 degrees North, is having a wine tasting today, 1-4, I want to go pick up a few bottles.
A ski cub member is having an open house this afternoon to show off her new home, with live music from 1-5.
I need to paint the trim on my woodshed.
It's going to be 60 something today, bike ride weather, but I rode 28 miles yesterday so, that one can wait.
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Post by paleo on Nov 6, 2021 18:17:58 GMT -5
Along those lines, we swapped out Cable TV for internet and Apple TV. The Apple remote has 4 buttons, a volume toggle, and a touchy control/scroll thingy. The old remote had 39 buttons plus a volume and a channel toggle. I’m limping along with a very basic understanding/misunderstanding how to turn the damned thing on and off and selecting channels. Takes me 2 or 3 times as long to find things and certain simple functions are gone for good (or forever buried in a deep technology rabbit hole) Have you tried talking to the remote? You probably need a teenager to show you how it works!
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Post by paleo on Nov 6, 2021 9:04:29 GMT -5
Crisp, clear morning. Breakfast is over, coffee is ongoing.
I'll be joining some friends at 11:00 this morning for a bike ride from Cedar Rapids to Solon, where we will have lunch, before heading back to C R.
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Post by paleo on Nov 5, 2021 21:06:02 GMT -5
$15 for a gourmet style of burger with a side dish is not overpriced, in my view. Especially if the meat and other ingredients are locally sourced. I'm happy to pay upwards to support local food producers. I do get that. And I also get that things around here, including cost of living, are fairly inexpensive and it's hard for people like me to compare prices of things like a gourmet burger to the real world. But if you can get a deluxe burger at 218 for $5.95 including fries and a side salad, 15$ is looking pretty steep. I'd love to know that the food from the Old Hospital Pub is locally sourced; I'm not seeing that. Taking about price of burgers, I stopped at Fareway, in Vinton, today, they had their homemade brat patties on sale, 10 for $10.00. They are 6 oz. Burgers. I knew I didn't have much room in my freezer but I did buy 10.
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Post by paleo on Nov 5, 2021 10:20:00 GMT -5
And the big news from Vinton, as I sit at the Family Restaurant, there is a new pub in town!
The Hospital Pub, located in the old hospital at the old Brail school.
Haven't been there yet but my pharmacist says it good.
Todd, update please.
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Post by paleo on Nov 4, 2021 8:31:55 GMT -5
A dark and dreary morning, but it's not cold, or raining or snowing, so I'll take it. My brother works in Cedar Rapids and I'll be having lunch with him today, haven't done that in a while.
Following lunch, I'll try to find new blades for my 50 year old mower, that should be fun. I found out that my "cabin" garden tractor is a Western International.
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Post by paleo on Nov 3, 2021 9:03:18 GMT -5
Crisp cool morning here. When I brought the garden tractor home from the cabin on Monday, I pulled the mower deck off before putting the tractor to bed. The mower desperately needs new blades and that process will start today. "Mowing" rocks, sticks, brush, etc is really hard on mower blades.
Looking at the old blades it's easy to see why they didn't do a very good job of mowing. The blades are so bad they just beat the grass into submission without cutting it.
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Post by paleo on Nov 2, 2021 15:40:36 GMT -5
And here I sit at the Family Restaurant in Vinton. What shoud I order? I'll sip my coffee while I plot. 2 eggs over easy, hash browns done crispy on both sides, bacon, wheat toast, hot sauce and coffee. I'd come over and join you but I'm afraid my breakfast would be quite cold by the time I got there. I guess you and I have similar tastes. I ordered 2 eggs, over easy, crisp hash browns, wheat toast, link sausage and coffee. It was delicious.
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Post by paleo on Nov 2, 2021 9:37:30 GMT -5
And here I sit at the Family Restaurant in Vinton.
What shoud I order?
I'll sip my coffee while I plot.
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Post by paleo on Nov 1, 2021 10:08:11 GMT -5
Another pretty nice day, nice enough so that in an hour I'll hook the trailer to the truck and head for the cabin. Not much to do there but I'll blow the leaves away from the buildings and then load up the tractor and bring it home for the winter. Long range forecast is for 60 degrees next weekend!
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Post by paleo on Oct 31, 2021 12:43:23 GMT -5
Love to shop (try different guitars) at Dave's Guitars in Lacrosse. There is a sign that greets you when you walk in. Dave's Rule for shopping #1. Play any guitar you want Can't remember the other rules.
They usually keep the high end guitars high up on the wall, so to play them you need to ask someone to get them down.
Last time I was there I told one of the workers I wanted to try some of the high end Martins to see how they compared to my D-28. The guy pointed out what they had and said he would get them all down and make sure they were tuned and I could try them. I think he got down 5 or 6 and I tried them all.
I visited with Dave, he was upstairs where his private collection is. He asked if I wanted to play any of the "Upstairs" guitars, but I declined.
I didn't buy any, but I'll gladly go back there.
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Post by paleo on Oct 31, 2021 9:35:43 GMT -5
My second most disliked day of the year, 8 years ago today my wife was stricken with obstructive hydrocephalus, she never regained consciousness.
I went to the Urbana fireman's breakfast, this afternoon I'll get the boat stuffed into the barn for the winter.
Life goes on.
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Saturday
Oct 30, 2021 8:30:55 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by paleo on Oct 30, 2021 8:30:55 GMT -5
Saturday, what to do, what to do.
Maybe start with a short visit at the Urbana farmers market.
Forecast says this will be the last day in the 50s for the foreseeable future so I think I'll attempt to do a bike ride on the newly paved Center Point to Urbana trail.
If I get my timing right I'll have time to do some end of the year mowing to finish up the day.
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Post by paleo on Oct 29, 2021 10:44:26 GMT -5
The forecast is for the rain to stop, we'll see. I got my COVID booster shot yesterday at the hospital in Vinton, it was a walk in clinic and they had 3 people giving vaccinations, the wait was still over an hour. I was very surprised at the number of people there.
Think I'll lay low today, I just received a message and it sounds like a friend may have COVID. I've had no recent contact.
Oh ya, I got my new water heater installed yesterday.
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Post by paleo on Oct 28, 2021 21:04:26 GMT -5
I haven't worked for about 18 months and it's been about a year since I announced that I was retired. I didn't shut my business down but I went to a "contract avoidance " mode of operation. Then, a few weeks ago I was getting ready to go to bed one night when I received a instant message on my phone. The message was from a gal that I've worked with in the past. She is part of a new research company and she said they needed a Subject Matter Expert on rf, especially HF, and my name came up. I just received a message from her that they won one of the contracts they were chasing and expect to win another soon. So since I agreed to provide consulting on rf/HF communications I am no longer retired. I'm thinking a new custom D-45 Martin would be nice. A Custom D-45 or a nice winter visit to some place warm. Ah, someplace warm, I neglected to mention that the gal that I'll be working with lives in Las Vegas. I might have to have some in person meetings there.
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Post by paleo on Oct 28, 2021 19:58:40 GMT -5
I haven't worked for about 18 months and it's been about a year since I announced that I was retired. I didn't shut my business down but I went to a "contract avoidance " mode of operation.
Then, a few weeks ago I was getting ready to go to bed one night when I received a instant message on my phone. The message was from a gal that I've worked with in the past. She is part of a new research company and she said they needed a Subject Matter Expert on rf, especially HF, and my name came up.
I just received a message from her that they won one of the contracts they were chasing and expect to win another soon.
So since I agreed to provide consulting on rf/HF communications I am no longer retired.
I'm thinking a new custom D-45 Martin would be nice.
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