Good Morning! This is going to be an abbreviated newsletter because I'm nutso busy.

Yesterday I worked the scenic train finishing up my training as a conductor and got to do something very very cool, but with huge responsibility. We did a push back.

The rail line is like a road, but in your car it's easy to turnaround if you want to drive back to where you just came from. Guess what? No so with locomotives. Sometimes the train goes down the line about ten miles, but when it comes back up the line to the station, the locomotive is pushing the train instead of pulling it.

When this happens, the engineer is blind. He can't see what's going on. What was the last car on the train now becomes the lead car.

I was at the controls in the last car (now the front car) ringing the bell, blasting the horn at crossings and on the radio constantly with the engineer telling him where we were. And my hand was never farther than 6 inches from the "dump" valve. This is the emergency air valve that I can push to STOP the train.

My mentor, Jim Cluett, was next to me training me how to do all that needed to be done. Tony Keegan was the engineer. It's a huge responsibility because the day will come where you have to make a split-second decision to STOP the train.

Tip of the Week - Gravity and Plumbing

Jennifer was the victim of a crappy builder and crappier plumber - no pun intended.

Did you know I'm a master plumber? I've been one for over 30 years. I love plumbing. Crazy, isn't it? It's a ton of fun to design and install drain and vent systems.

The plumber in Jennifer's house must have had a defective level, bad attitude or was under the influence of ?????.

CLICK HERE to read what's going on at Jennifer's house.

Nice T-Shirts

I've been testing all sorts of new work clothes and the past few weeks I've given a serious look at Dickies products.