I'd rather have been in Scranton, PA today.

 

The Union Pacific Big Boy - #4014 is a unique survivor of the scrap heap.  Instead, it was put into static display when it was retired from service, and rehabilitated for use to show of the Union Pacific railroad's heritage.  This weekend, it traveled through Pennsylvania to reach the Steamtown museum for temporary display and boiler servicing.  Yesterday and Today (as I write this) were the only two days this machine would be available for close up public inspection before it is taken in for servicing.  Sadly, I couldn't make it there today, as I had a lot on my schedule for the day.

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Before I got to any of the items on my docket, an old acquaintance messaged me.  Six years ago, we had a nasty falling out (I won't say more on that), and now we are able to have a good chat again.  It's a nice thing, and I hope that we'll have more of these chats in the future.  One bit of good news - her family is going well, and she has someone nice in her life.  (Again, I won't say more about this.)  Sooner or later, we will finally meet again.  Although things won't be the same as before, it will be in a better place than it once could have been. 

The first thing on my docket was lunch with SJM.  We had changed the date, and our time was limited by appointments on both of our calendars.  She discussed family affairs, and I talked about my brother finding a job, the sale of the family homestead, and the current political situation.  When I mentioned that I want to take RQS to Hawaii with me presenting as Marian, she advised against it - she is especially sensitive to what is going on with our government officials.  Next, I talked with my financial advisor.  He gave me some bad news regarding tax liabilities from the sale of the family homestead, as well as other things I'm not in the mood to mention today. 

Just before dinnertime, I had to facilitate a co-op board meeting for the purpose of interviewing an applicant. I set things up, and all went well.  Yet, I noticed something unusual - without my face on screen, people were comfortable talking over me.  This was a problem in my last project with the bank, where I had to manage a group of people remotely with no visual contact.  Without today's Zoom technology, my voice alone is ineffective for a male voice.  It's not in a timbre which commands attention.  At least, it was a pleasant meeting for all  involved..

As one can see, there was no way I could have gone to Scranton today.  But, damn, I wish I could have been there to see the Big Boy! 

 

 

A drive to the Kingston Trolley Museum

 

The official name for the Kingston Trolley Museum is the Trolley Museum of New York.  Sadly, if this is New York's main trolley museum, we are doing the history of the Trolley (and of Mass Transit) in New York State a disservice.  No, it's not because the staff/volunteers aren't doing their best.  Instead, it's because they have a lot of "Dead" rolling stock in their yard, all waiting for proper restoration.  And that takes money, equipment and labor - all in short supply.

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RQS and I decided to drive up to the museum, as we wanted to get out of the house and do some sight seeing in the Hudson Valley.  So, we decided to dress for the weather (both of us in comfortable dresses) and make the 90 minute drive to Kingston.  Arriving at the museum at 2 pm, the place was devoid of life, save for the one volunteer explaining to 2 visitors how a NYC Subway control panel worked, and how the system prevented two trains from colliding into each other.  We were ignored while we walked around the exhibits and then into the area where they were restoring trolley cars.  Would we have paid $8 each for the visit?  No.  There wasn't that much to see, and we were glad that no one bothered to collect an admission fee.

After the museum, we drove home, and stopped for a late lunch at Panera.  By the time we were done, neither of us expected to be hungry until later - and unbeknownst to us, that would last most of the evening.  When we arrived home, we made ourselves comfortable and decided to take a nap.  Bu the time we woke up, a thunderstorm had passed through the region, and neither of us wanted the dinner we had planned on earlier in the day. 

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Hopefully, I'll soon get RQS out to Scranton, PA, where we can visit Steamtown, and a "Real" trolley museum next door....