Scattered Thoughts . . .

W e arose at 6:30am on the first morning of the train show so we could get some breakfast and then get to the show by the time the doors open for the day.  The doors to the show all open to the sound of a loud steam whistle that can be heard from miles away.  We were at the ticket booths when the whistle blew. While at the ticket booths purchasing our tickets I was shivering uncontrollably.  Nobody else around me seemed cold but I was shivering.  I don't seem to be able to handle hot climates nor even cold climates anymore!  I was even wearing a heated jacket and it was not nearly warm enough for me. Anyway, we got our tickets and then headed into the first building of four giant buildings filled with model railroad layouts, manufacturers and vendors.  This allowed me to warm up again while we walked around this expansive first building.  This show encompasses all model railroad scales up to real-world 1:1 trains and vehicles. Here are a bunch of photo...

M y health has deteriorated enough in recent years that I rarely even have one beer but, when we plan for some travel or a special occasion, I load up on extra medications in the previous week so I feel a bit better than usual for our trip or special occasion.  Our weekend out of town for the train show last weekend was one of those times that I spent the previous days pre-medicating and, fortunately, I felt well enough to have a few beers over the long weekend! Unlike the masses clamoring for overly hoppy, sudsy IPA swill, I go my own way when it comes to beer, just like for everything else.  I rarely move in mainstream lemming circles.  When it comes to beer, I prefer a pilsner that is on the smoother side.  For me, the best pilsner was Piel's...  that was an incredibly smooth beer!  Unfortunately, I haven't seen Piel's in many decades.  For me, the smoother the beer, the better.  Most pilsners aim to be crisp and dry but I don't care for those....