The little Inn by the wayside

[Tormuse]

So, Toronto is experiencing a fair bit of flooding today!

I seem to have escaped the worst of it, living in the east end of the city, and, while it's hard to judge from the news footage, it doesn't seem to be as bad as the flooding in Calgary from a couple weeks ago. Still, there's some worrying images there, like the half-submerged train whose passengers had to be rescued by boat! Crazy stuff!

[Railwaymodeler]

Amazing. We had some storms here today, but nothing major. At one point it just let loose, coming down like a torrent, but for all of 20 minutes.

Been the kind of day we've stayed home. My back has hurt, and none of us wanted to be out and about if a storm hit anyway.

[jayenkai]

Wowsers!!!
That's one heck of a flood.

Keep safe, and dry!

[eMTe]

maybe we should discuss how to change the rules to still make it possible to add games to the database

A database were everybody could upload everything, wouldn't be good. Was thinking more about the possibility that crew members could say which game they want to add and if nobody gives a veto within 10 days it can be added. Would probably still stay a hand-picked quality database that way, but we could skip the validation process that needs at least three game hunters that played and rated each game.

Great minds think alike. I was thinking recently of similar system.

If you worry too much, I can buy CWF whenever Chrolle decides to forget about it and stops paying for it. This site, on a global scale, is way too important to come into oblivion.

Btw:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

[Pater Alf]

Thank you!

[Railwaymodeler]

I haven't been here much lately because we've been enjoying summer. Skoda likes the beach, she has lots of fun playing with sand. We also frequent outdoor concerts that several towns have in evenings. Then we still go to garage sales on weekends because sometimes very interesting stuff turns up. Couple years ago I bought a big box of 78 RPM records and mixed in were two Elvis Presley 78s from early in his career. Rarely do old trains show up, but we got lucky on that recently too.

Tomorrow we head to rural Kentucky to see an old friend of ours, who is also a former Pace driver. We'll be down there for two weeks. Very good train watching in his area, so we all will like that! Won't be online much down there though.

[eMTe]

Couple years ago I bought a big box of 78 RPM records

This gives me an idea. Are you also collecting music somehow related to trains? Be it the musical content of the song including train sounds or lyrical content, something like The Impressions' "People Get Ready" etc. This would be fun.

[Railwaymodeler]

Not in particular. A number of old big band era 78s mention railroads, as rail was a popular form of transport at the time. But I do have a "Transport album" playlist on my laptop.

We are still in rural Kentucky. Coming down we chaparoned a boy scout charter bus to the national jamboree, had our friend pick us up nearby.

As it turned out, my dad, who oragnized the charter buses, put us on the same bus as Maria's old boss at Pace, who, despite everything stupid he did, is still allowed to head a scout troop. As chaparones, we had the last word on anything that would happen on the bus. It was a 12 hour trip, we made his life hell!

We got on the bus before he did, sat right up front with Skoda on my lap. His face fell! The whole trip we were making jokes about him, reminicing about nailing him and Pace in court, and the driver of the coach bus even said he sounds like a real jerk, and wondered why he is allowed to manage anything more than a fish tank.

Payback can be a dish served very cold. Now the clown has to worry about the 12 hours going back next Wednesday.

[eMTe]

Happy 70th Birthday, Mick!

[Drasir-Vel]

Hello everyone. I am still alive. Just playing a lot of Planetside 2 at the moment.

[Pater Alf]

Hi Drasir-Vel, nice to see you around again!

[Railwaymodeler]

Everything is pretty well decided. We're moving to Wisconsin.

Monday the landlord of our apartment rang the doorbell. I assumed he had issues, once again, with his cheapie wireless routers in the building. He tried to push me down, swung a piece of lumber at me, threatened to kill the three of us, pulled a knife on Maria, and then took off.

We got out of the building right then and there, and filed a police report. He was arrested shortly thereafter, and found to be under the influence of street drugs (cocaine I heard), and alcohol. Through police interrogations, it was discovered he was put up to doing that. Sounds like someone at City Hall is trying to intimidate us, because towards the end of August, I go testify against the city of Waukegan in a case of a wrongfully fired city employee. He is suing for a substantial sum, and if he wins his case, it opens a door for other lawsuits.

We still don't know the extent of what is going on, but it does not matter. We've secured a place in Southern Wisconsin until we find a permanent home in the North Woods. Spending today and the next two days packing up what we can and getting the heck out of here.

The RTA (Parent oversight organization that funds Pace buses and Metra suburban trains), is in a lot of legal trouble lately, along with Metra, and Pace's time is coming too with investigations nearing completion to just how bad the whole system has deteriorated and how corrupt it is. We've got the feeling there are those that really want to get rid of us, as it wasn't until after our cases against Pace, that others started coming forward against them in court. Now's a great time to get out of here!

So will be dropping off the radar here and there for a while. Rest assured we will be OK, though!

[Zyx]

Why watch the Wire, when you can read Railywaymodeler's posts.

[Railwaymodeler]

OR better yet, come to Illinois and experience it for yourself, which actually gives me the idea for an amusement park theme. Imagine, a roller coaster called "The political life", with the most exhilerating highs and deep lows, and scary twists and turns the whole way. Or a merry-go-round called "The revolving door", themed as a parody of the "revolving door" prison systems. Or live shows on stage recounting former governor Rod Blagovich saying "I got this thing, and it's f**king golden", referring to the illegal sale of former Senator Obama's seat.

Would be an interesting idea for sure!

Got to get some sleep here, busy day starting in the morning!

[Tormuse]

Holy crap! It just doesn't stop, eh? I wonder if you should get a bodyguard or something.

Also, I like the idea of a revolving door on a prison-themed ride.

[jayenkai]

Wow!! That certainly puts all my "struggling to do AGameAWeek" troubles into perspective!!
That's some crazy stuff you're having to deal with. Hope you and the family keep safe. Let us know how it all goes.

...yikes!!!

[eMTe]

Don't panic. Nothing ever happens at all.

[Railwaymodeler]

Indeed. We've always managed to come out on top one way or the other.

Right now, feels like one chapter is closing, another is opening. We'll finally have something we've wanted for a long time: Peace.

[Railwaymodeler]

For what it is worth, here are some transit headlines recently. Metra is in hot water right now, Pace is right behind them.

$250,000 a year legal tab for Metra. Wonder what Pace's is?
http://www.suntimes.com/21589400-761/ta ... o-far.html

A bit more detail on what is going on:
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/07/30/ ... t-scandal/

And here is info too:
http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigation ... 88241.html

It is going to get very interesting when the spotlight turns on Pace soon.

[eMTe]

Peace vs Pace 1:0.

This is the battle result, let's hope the war is also over.