Mini Vacation

**Whidbey78** · 27th August 11, 01:50 AM

I've been off the forum for a couple of months. I lined out two dozen contracts for kitchen remodels, cabinetry, etc., plus an overload of work at my Dad's shop. I slept more in Iraq!! Can't complain. I built a new garden tractor for myself out of spare parts too. Plus I've been putting up preserves. Then when we went on "vacation" I was building a surround and installing a fireplace insert for my wife's aunt--along with two new basement windows, a motion following sound system, and a flagstone patio. Yeah, even on "vacation" I pack power tools. Guess what...do some home-improvement projects for inlaws and you can skip hotel bills!! It paid for a week in Breckenridge too! Now I'm back to working "part time" which means 10-12 hour days, plus full time college! Anywho, here are a few pics we snapped at Heritage Square in Denver on my one day off. We also went to the Dragon Boat races(it was a month ago), but I didn't get any good pics.

When we got there, on a sunday at about six o'clock, there was almost nobody there, so we had free run of the place for about two hours...an hour of which was spent on the paddleboats...not a kilt-friendly event.

We tried to get an "after hours" ride around the park from the engineer on the llittle train. He commented that he knew a kiltie in the area, but only knew him online. I asked if his name was "Nighthawk" and he said it was. We chatted for a while and he said that he knew him through another forum about trains. Needless to say we got a free ride around the park. Thanks Hawk!! I owe you a tour of the Black Hills!! My boy loved it, which is worth a million bucks.

Here is one of Miles and I on the merry-go-round.

The boy and I fooling around.

Here's one of Mom and MiniMe on the train.

Between being closing time and the conductor being really cool, Miles got to check out he "flight station." Sorry Hawk, I'm an old aviation guy, so I don't have the vernacular. If you chat with this guy, Hawk, let him know that three people were "pleased as punch" with his tour and with him as an individual!

**Mael Coluim** · 27th August 11, 04:57 AM

Looks like a wonderful family time! What's the tartan?

**xman** · 27th August 11, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Mael Coluim

Looks like a wonderful family time! What's the tartan?

Looks like Oakleigh to me. Is it PV?

**Whidbey78** · 27th August 11, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by xman

Looks like Oakleigh to me. Is it PV?

Correct. And yes, it's PV--USAK Casual.

**Bugbear** · 27th August 11, 09:52 PM

"motion following sound system." Cool.

That's funny about Hawk.

Good luck in college.
Up the Irons!

**Nighthawk** · 27th August 11, 11:20 PM

You're welcome! That other forum would be http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/list.php?1

**Whidbey78** · 28th August 11, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by Bugbear

"motion following sound system." Cool.

Yeah, and surprisingly simple to install. All the sensors are wireless battery powered. Batteries last a long time in them because they only send a signal when someone is leaving or entering the room They look like smoke detectors and are about the size of a hockey puck. It's a neat setup, but overkill in my mind since she lives alone and could simply have all the speakers in the house on one volume control. I guess if I had the kind of money she has I'd probably load up on gadgets too!

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

You're welcome! That other forum would be http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/list.php?1

Ah! I'm not a big train fanatic, but my mother is. Her whole family worked in railroading from Wyoming up through Minnesota. You guys would have a lot to talk about!

By the way, were you officiating a wedding or attending a reception at Heritage Square on July 31st? I forgot to mention in my original post that there was a wedding and/or reception going on while we were there. I saw the groom in kilt and PC outside the reception hall, pretty nicely decked out, and I saw a pretty big guy in a kilt inside the hall when we passed by on the train, but could only see a silhouette through the window.

**Nighthawk** · 28th August 11, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Whidbey78

Ah! I'm not a big train fanatic, but my mother is. Her whole family worked in railroading from Wyoming up through Minnesota. You guys would have a lot to talk about!

By the way, were you officiating a wedding or attending a reception at Heritage Square on July 31st? I forgot to mention in my original post that there was a wedding and/or reception going on while we were there. I saw the groom in kilt and PC outside the reception hall, pretty nicely decked out, and I saw a pretty big guy in a kilt inside the hall when we passed by on the train, but could only see a silhouette through the window.

No I wasn't. Bummer. So- I'll get on the board and mention the conductor and his kindness to everyone there.

**Whidbey78** · 28th August 11, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by Bugbear

It would also be cool to have a gizmo that automatically adjusted the equalization to the decibel level using the Fletcher Munson curves, but...

That's something from above my level of schooling (thus far), but I can tell you all about the Beeker-Bunson curse though. It usually involves one person in the lab on fire...

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

No I wasn't. Bummer. So- I'll get on the board and mention the conductor and his kindness to everyone there.

Cool.

**Bugbear** · 28th August 11, 01:49 AM

Oh, I was thinking of something that maintained the left/right stereo balance in relation to where someone was standing. I guess that just follows you from room to room with sound, and shuts itself off a little while after you leave.

It would also be cool to have a gizmo that automatically adjusted the equalization to the decibel level using the Fletcher Munson curves, but...