I have relatives and friends that have said similar. But my vision is not reduced enough for insurance to pay for it yet.
Jack, there are two clubs in the Caldwell and Nampa communities. Neither one is all that appealing. I could run on a N Scale layout in Caldwell. They are DCC and my equipment is Analog DC. Not a workable compromise. Like you, it's evaluation time for me. Will I end up in your shoes? Not a bad thing but if that's where I'm headed then I need to look for options like you have. Also, evaluating the future and what may be in-store. You know overall health, mental ability, longevity, prognosis and more. My plan is to move ahead and get done what I can. Even if it is an insult to the snails, as George pointed out. LOL Keeping a stiff (that isn't going to happen), I meant upper lip. Keep my nose pointed in the right direction and hopefully I will see my layout operational again. Later!
Yep. One nice thing about model railroading is it is VERY scalable. It can be fun with a massive years-to-build layout, but it can also be enjoyed with a loop of Unitrack. At the end of the day, anybody can have and run trains. Part of me enjoyed the decumulation process (a small part). I was forced to keep only my very favorites and pass the rest along to somebody else. At this point, I only have Kato locomotives and passenger sets and a small collection of Micro-trains freight cars (my passenger trains sometimes need a backdrop). It's become very easy to stop buying stuff, simply because I really don't have a lot of extra space and it would just be one more thing for my heirs to liquidate. Simple is good for anybody, but especially good for us old folks. I've seen too many people try to hang onto everything (not just trains) way too long and wind up a) miserable and b) leaving an awful clean up job for their heirs. I won't be "that guy."
It's "Unitrack on anything." Carpet, dining room table, folding tables, King size bed (hey, I may try that one!), front porch, etc. The cool thing is that Kato equipment on Unitrack is every bit as reliable as my old Lionel equipment on three rail in the sixties. Of course, it requires roughly one sixteenth the space.
Glad you guys like Kato's Unitrack. My hypocrisy as to the dislike I have of sectional track in general. I have Kato Unitrack #6 switches on my mainline. As well as curved or straight pieces that connect the main to Kato Bridges. Otherwise it's primarily banned from the layout. Exception being: Until you get into the hidden staging yard. Since I built it after the fact. I had the top in place and the mainline installed in front of the yard. I found it easier to install the straight pieces of Unitrack. Some problems persisted, as it isn't bullet proof. However, after discovering heat will warp it. Creating something that resembles a kiddies roller coaster. You know the kind you can find at the fair grounds. I then learned to drill holes as pilot holes for brads I used to temporarily secure the track. Worked but not well. I don't have plans to use it again. However, it might work out when it comes to installing the Roundhouse. We shall see. In the meantime knock yourself out and build all the Kato Unitrack Layouts you can muster. It's not about what I like. It's about the "Fun" quoting a good friend of mine. So go have some Fun!! Later
Jake, I have good news. Here's the news you may not want to hear. Cataracts have a way of fogging over rather quickly. Surgery will more then likely occur within the next year. Or so went my experience. Yours could take longer. Each of us has a body that acts and responds to stimuli differently. No reason to be afraid of it. It's the slickest surgery out there. No kidding!!
Are you talking about posterior capsular opacification? That is when the posterior membrane reacts to the lens implant and clouds up. Unlike the original cataract surgery, this is (literally) a 20 SECOND procedure to laser blast a hole in that membrane. It is generally performed three to five years after cataract surgery. My Ophthalmologist basically told me at time of surgery "see you in a few years for that." He was right. We joked about video games (asteroids?) during the "procedure." It was a joke of a "surgery." I saw better immediately and drove myself home, amazed at how everything (again) was crystal clear. Again, Cataract surgery (and this follow on hicup procedure) is among the best things that have happened to me in the last five years. I see 20:15 without glasses. Sure, I have Amazon readers under $10 to see labels at the store, but so what?
There are 2 types of Macular Degeneration. One is treatable by the surgery you described, sadly the other isn't. I know, my Dad went through losing his vision slowly over the years due to the second type. Prayers for you as you fight this.
Yes, yes and yes. Only I had to go in twice as my rebel of a body didn't want to behave like everyone else's. The Imacular Degeneration is something else and isn't associated to or with the Cataract Surgery. May have had something to do with the exposure to chemicals in the funeral business. The jury is still out on that one. Today's eye report is good. Slow progression of improvement.f Noted I found myself driving about in full day light without my polarizers on. However, that didn't last very long. Back on they went. Now things looked better.
Thanks Deacon K.. Fortunately you spelled it correctly "Macular". My bad. Prognosis is good for a healthy set of eyes. They don't count the one in the middle of my forehead. LOL Like you implied, Healing takes time.
This is turning into the cataract club!!! I just joined Had cataracts removed last one was removed about 2 weeks ago. I have to wait a bit for the eye to settle down.
Reminds me of the the old joke about an ugly blind date: “What color were her eyes?” “One was blue, one was brown,” “Really?” “Yeah. Third one was red.” (I think that may go back as far as Laugh-In.)
Okay, I'm going to go all "know it all" amateur Doctor here. They don't just remove cataracts. They remove (actually obliterate) the entire, crappy, wrong prescription, cloudy natural lens that contains the cataract. They replace it with a crystal clear synthetic lens that is the correct prescription for your eyeball's shape. I've personally known two older relatives, who had the surgery, that really had no clue what was done to their eyes. I offer this only as a public service to my fellow old guys (and gals). Now back to your regular programming......
My younger brother Tom has cerebral palsy and lived with my parents his whole life until they both passed. I moved back in after living in Rochester for 35 years to care for him (it actually was just to make his meals, at first). He is 69 and through his sixties, he steadily got worse as far as ambulation and finally had to move into a care facility in 2020 because he could no longer get around (he has been able to walk most of his life after my two older brothers and I taught him how in the fifties) and I wasn't able to help him. Anyway, shortly after he moved into the facility, he got cataracts in both eyes and they eventually became bad enough to where it really affected his sight. He didn't even want to watch TV anymore, not even the Twins, his favorite thing to do. He became very depressed as a result and we all felt so sorry for him. We got him to Mayo and they said they could do the surgery necessary in spite of his handicap and it was eventually done in late 2021 - early 2022. The left eye was easier because the cataract wasn't as dense and they were able to do the simpler procedure of making a small incision and emulsifying the old lens and inserting a new lens. The right eye cataract was too dense to do that so they had to make a larger incision and remove the old lens in one piece. Both procedures went perfectly. Even I, (as one who was going to be a doctor at one time) was totally impressed with the Mayo doctors. Needless to say, it made a 100% difference in Tom's mental state and he has been fine, since. Doug
Kudos to you Doug for taking care of your younger brother. Warms my heart to hear that given today's disjointed families.
A person's health is the only real treasure we have. Loose that and well this Mortician knows all to well the end result. So treasure what you have and make it work for you. Now back to Trains. I did something that is out of step and not in time with what I'm currently trying to accomplish. I bought an Intermountain, Great Northern, Full Dome Passenger Car. Expensive!! This will add some variety to the Orange and Green, Great Northern passenger train I'm building. After all I'm up here in Idaho Country, where the northern end of the panhandle is Great Northern territory. I figured one must have something to please the local Hoans. Did I say that right? I'm also building a Great Northern mail train. Come Christmas season the mail trains will be running I hope. Quick Inventory: I have plenty of Zap-a-gap, to secure the flex track to the cork roadbed. I need to purchase some more Titebond, to secure the cork roadbed to the subroadbed (particle Board & some OSB). Did I ever say I don't like OSB, the Oh $#!+ Board. Yep, I said that. Further checking my supplies. I have plenty of brads to hold the flex track down until the glue's sets-up. Yep, on the solder, wire, and even Rail Joiners. May need to purchase some more Rail Joiners at some point. Also looking at replacing the Atlas #4 switches in my stub end yard with Kato $ #4's. This is the yard the locals will work out of. I must have been looking out for my railroad and myself. Do you think? You might be wondering about my glue choices. The only place I use the Kindergarten-White Glue, is when I'm doing scenery. Works well for grass or other types of plant simulation adhesion. Busy day ahead. Dinner with my family and then off to witness some dunkings. They do like to keep me busy. A biit to much on occasion. Have a good day. More later.
"Hey, Rick what are you talking about a Full Dome," An anonymous enthusiast asked. Alright since I have my barbecue fired up. Let me take a moment to show you a picture. The picture is courtesy of the seller on E-bay. Does that qualify as the answer? If I get a chance I'll take it out of the box grab some other cars. Spot them on some Kato Unitrack and take a picture of this sitting in the mix. Don't hold your breath. A bluish or purplish face isn't very becoming. Enjoy! Later
Very nice! A bit of GN trivia. All GN dome cars were referred to as "Great Domes." Rick's car is correctly referred to as a "Great Dome Lounge."
