Author: Diana

Day 174 – The Day My Car Died…

By Diana

I am on my way to the dentist this morning and at the stop light my car dies.  It doesn’t want to start, just keeps cranking.  Then it finally does and the check engine light is on.  Great.  So I go to the dentist because it seems to be running fine and then I head right to the dealership.  When I go to drop it off the service guy says it’s probably low on oil.  I was like WHAT?!  It was, it was so low that it didn’t register on the stick.  Why in the heck would the car not give me an oil light if the oil was low?!  Goodness.  Anyway, it is all fixed and I picked it up this evening.

On a side note, the dealership had two hellcats in the showroom, both sitting at a cool $80,000.00  WOW.

Also, me and mom went to Chili’s after and someone paid for our meal.  I thought that was really nice.  They did it because someone paid for theirs.  So we paid for someone else’s.  We paid for this young couple who held both doors open for us.  We sent a note that said we had seen them hold the door and thought it was really nice.  I think they were happy.

Today for work I went to see the local construction folks, a guy who was really involved in the tool I used to work on.  Got them going in the right direction and they took me to lunch at a local BBQ place and it was good.  It took longer than I thought, but it was well worth it.  I am supposed to go back tomorrow and help them more with a couple more people coming.

OK, I kept yawning and yawning in the restaurant so I am going to bed.  GOODNIGHT!!

Also, just because I didn’t mention it, don’t think I didn’t play with those dog for so long again tonight.  Now I am having to go for walks with them too.  It is just in the yard, but they want me along for all the fun…

Day 173 – The Day We Went to the Mall

By Diana

So, this is a think I really don’t love doing.  I would much rather go to a stand alone store, maybe it is because it is just so packed.  Me and mom had gone up there to get her necklace that was broken.  The “fixing” of broken necklaces isn’t great and I had never known this, so I am pretty bummed that the necklace that I just broke, my (what I would consider) expensive one, needs to be fixed.  Booooooo!

Since mom was with me I tried to park as close as possible in a handicap spot.  There was one and right next to it was a regular spot.  I had to wait for a lady to cross the lane entrance and while I was waiting a car pulled up coming from the other direction and waited as well…  I will be damned if they didn’t take that handicap spot!  I was like, that lady is LUCKY there is a regular spot there because I would have said something!  Probably not, but still.  I have never had that done to me and it is annoying :)

I also went to my doctor today, got that out of the way while I was in town.  Makes me very happy.  Got some new prescriptions.  Hoping it will help with me getting like a dizzy feeling in the afternoons.  I dropped them off, but could not be bothered to pick them up – sometimes I impress myself with my laziness :)

We were supposed to have egg sandwiches for dinner, but we ate the rest of the sausage and gravy and that was really good.  Like a perfect amount for the 3 of us.

Alright, I have an early dentist appointment tomorrow so I am going to get to bed :)

Day 172 – The Day I Applied for a Job!

By Diana

Today I applied for a job.  Doesn’t happen very often for me :)  I am feeling very good about this choice – much better than I felt about leaving my last job for my most recent one :)  Once I had left, I knew I had made a bad choice, but fi I hadn’t I am not sure I would be where I am right now and that is a good place.

Over the last couple years I have been really getting to know my the people I want to work with.  I have been meeting so many people and doing so many good things and it is all going to pay off for me I know!!

Ok, enough about that, sorta :)  Today was the first day I have been back in the office in so long.  I have missed seeing my friends there for sure and I will have this whole week and most of next to enjoy the short break from travel.  It’s weird, travel is something I enjoy a ton, but it is healthy to have a little break every now and then.  Especially with out current schedule where we basically move hotels each night, that is hard.  I never knew, this is the first I have done that style.  Thank goodness someone else always drive because I am not sure I could handle it :)

Hold on, I have to take the dogs out – for about the 5th time…

I have been using Beme for short videos, mostly of the puppies and I like it, I just don’t love putting videos on here because I use YouTube to do that.  So them being so short is just a lot of work.

Alright, it’s that time again to get ready for bed :)  I am in the middle of a very good book as well.  I think I mentioned what it was about, but I will write a review when it is done :)  Goodnight all!!!

Day 171 – The Day of Fathers

By Diana

Happy Father’s day to my #1 blog reader – my dad :)

Everyone came over today and we had dinner together. Carlos and I made Yummy Biscuit and Grave Bake and some scrambled eggs – it was good :) Made way too much, but oh well, the boys took care of it!!

I just got done playing with the dogs for the millionth time, it seems anyway, and they are pooped now. I didn’t do laundry like I should have and I didn’t change my bedsheets like I should have and the only thing I did do was go get me more cereal – PRIORITIES!!!

I am going to jump in the shower and watch another episode of Orange is the New Black and then get to bed cause I am home this week and need to go downtown tomorrow and I have an important 08:00 meeting. LIFE :)

I took Nickel when I dropped mom off at her meeting today – he was NOT happy that we left her.  He was very concerned and kept looking for her even when we got home.  It was so sweet.  I took him with me to go get her and he was so happy to see her – it was very interesting.  I couldn’t believe how upset he got, but all is better now that all the people are where they should be :)

Here is a picture of Penny being super comfy :)

Penny looks so comfy!
Penny looks so comfy!

Day 170 – The Home Sweet Home Day

By Diana

I am so glad to be home, this was a long trip. I basically got home today since it was such a late flight :) I slept so much this morning, it felt nice. I woke up with a slight headache, but not too bad.

Paul and Carlos will be out today, but I think it is going to rain all day. Hopefully it holds out a bit.

I played with the puppies several times, they acted like they could not get enough :) We played in the breaks of rain showers.

The boys brought over fried chicken so that is what we had for lunch and dinner. Lazy :) Tomorrow we MUST cook our own food because I am sick of eating out.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy one because today was so lazy!! Ha ha ha, worth it :)

Alright, gonna go do NOTHING :)

Day 169 – The Day of Headache

By Diana

Last night I went to sleep with a horrible headache and it is still very bad this morning. I ran out of medicine last night and didn’t think much of it, well – bad idea :(

I called in the prescriptions this morning at like 04:00.

I went to the store before going to work, it was like 15 minutes the other way so I didn’t get to F Tower until like 09:30. My headache is still very bad. I hope it clears up soon!

Alright, now I am at the Detroit airport and I still have a headache… This is horrible.

So, I decided yesterday that I was going to leave my current employer because I feel very unappreciated. I don’t ask for much and when I do it must be important and they just refused to work with me so here we go on a new adventure :) Not sure where I am going yet, but all I know is that I am going to be better off and happier!! Let’s GO!!!!

Day 168 – The Day I Spent in F Tower!!

By Diana

First, something I forgot to mention that happened the other day, I spilled an entire cup of water on my Macbook! Luckily everything is fine, but I had a slight heart attack as I watched the water covering my keyboard. Oh yeah, my phone was soaked too, but it is NOTHING compared to the computer!

Now, for the rest of the story :)

F Tower. I walk up to this old brick building in the middle of no less than 4 sets of tracks (not sure the exact count). I see in the upper left corner a simple monogram in stone weathered from all the years of service F. We go into the door and you can smell the age of wires and equipment that has been running for so many years. I am there no more than 5 minutes and the amazement and terror of this location is realized, a huge freight train blows by the building at maximum track speed. The entire building shakes and you realize that you are at the absolute mercy of the railroad!!!

Ok, that’s my shot at a dramatic writing style :) But seriously, I have been scared – legitimately frightened over only two things in my career and I have experienced BOTH in the last 2 years. The first is high railing over a bridge and the second is being inside F Tower. High railing for those who don’t know is when you ride in a vehicle, truck, on the tracks. The thing about the railroads is that a train isn’t like a car and it doesn’t need guardrails for bridges. It can’t accidentally veer off to the right and need a guardrail to keep it above the water. It is very scary to ride over a bridge – especially one of any height :)

Now for the second, F Tower. You may not have ever heard of Fostoria, Ohio, but “railroad” people have. it is a very busy area for trains and there are multiple railroads crossing each other and while it is not the fastest speeds, it is fast enough for such tight spaces. There is a place you can see from F Tower that is called The Iron Triangle where railroad watchers go to take train pictures and just watch the trains go by. It is kinda a big deal :)

Anyway, this place is actually one of the first projects I worked on when I started in the business. I started in 1996 and we did this job in 1998. It is nice because I am a month away from my 20 year anniversary being a railroader. I think it is kinda cool :)

This morning on the way to the office, we had a little bit of extra time so we had breakfast at this diner in town called Dell’s. It’s been here for 75 years!! It was probably the best biscuit and gravy I have ever had, and I have a recipe y’all!!!

Then I worked all day helping get this location all right. It’s not that it was wrong, but because it is so big and complicated it needed to have some special attention to organize it a little better.

We had lunch in town at a Chinese place, not great, and back to work :) I got back to the hotel, grabbed me some Subway and watched all my YouTube people and now I am in bed doing this :)

I am going to wrap it up though because I haven’t managed to find a new book yet and I have a long flight tomorrow.

Enjoy the pics and see you tomorrow 😉

Looking from the tower.
Looking from the tower.
Another set of tracks.
Another set of tracks.
The F stands for Fostoria (dirty minds)
The F stands for Fostoria (dirty minds)
This is an old set of plans!
This is an old set of plans!
I drew this whole sketch.
I drew this whole sketch.

Proof - DRS in the house :) I
Proof – DRS in the house :) I

Dell’s – Fostoria, OH

By Diana
Dell's Book Cover Dell's
224 S Main St, Fostoria, OH 44830

What a great place! This place has so much personality it is just amazing. The walls are filled with old lunch boxes and thermos' - old weird ones too :)

It has been open here for 75+ years and has a great feel when you walk in. Not to mention the food was excellent. I had the biscuit and gravy and some eggs. It was a huge serving size, but I bet a lot of people eat every bit. I ate a whole biscuit and got into the second one. The biscuits were so soft and perfect texture and the sausage was not too spicy and just good. The gravy was not as white as you normally see, but it had no bad impact on the experience. I can't get over how good it was. The best I have ever had - ever!

I will most certainly go here if I am back this way. I am really debating on going back again tomorrow :)

Day 167 – The Last Day

By Diana

Today is the last day for training here in Indianapolis. I am finished with the morning class and as soon as I finish the afternoon one I will be off on the road trip :)

I got me some coffee this morning, they do pretty good here – almost like a real Starbucks. I am about to grab me another muffin!!!

Oh, last night I finished my book, The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America’s Most Famous Residence!! It was very good. I wish it had more pictures, but those are easy enough to google. Very good book!

I have like a 3.5 hour drive this afternoon so I am hoping to get out of here before 14:00. I really don’t wanna be on the road in the dark, but it has actually been very light here until like 21:00. Must be a Yankee thing :) ha ha ha.

Just after I get done raving about the food here and lunch was a real miss… It was just not great. oh well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad :)

I have just one more demo to give and then hitting the road. Gonna meet one of the managers at the hotel and then we will go get this location straightened out. I will talk more about it tomorrow, but where I am going today is one of the first real big projects I ever worked on in the railroad. Memories :)

Made it to Findlay!! Going to go out to dinner with the manager here and then going to go to bed! I am still feeling a bit bad, nowhere near as bad as the beginning of the week, but the drive did feel very long.

Alright, we had some seafood which was very good. I have had crab cakes more in these last couple months then ever! Very good though. Going to bed – goodnight :)

Cool church by where we ate.
Cool church by where we ate.
Bobby photo bomb!
Bobby photo bomb!
Where we ate, Bru Burger - very good.
Where we ate, Bru Burger – very good.

Dancing girl - should have done video very random.
Dancing girl – should have done video very random.

Bru Burger Bar – Indianapolis, IN

By Diana
Bru Burger Bar Book Cover Bru Burger Bar
410 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46204

I had the Beginning Burger and it was great!! It was just a regular burger with american cheese and normal lettuce, tomato, and pickle toppings. The buns were very tasty and the fries were very crispy and perfectly cooked.

They had a ton of interesting combinations on the menu and everyone who was with me there also enjoyed their food. They got nachos for an appetizer, but it had jalapeños so I didn't have any.

Great service as well and a nice clean restaurant. There was a bit of a line when we got there but the wait was about 15 minutes. Not bad at all.

If I come back here and have the chance to go out for dinner I will certainly keep this place in mind!!