Subj : cell service was: Note f To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Thu Apr 16 2020 08:45:00 Hi Nancy! NB>>> flag flying from the pole for a while now.... maybe the expressway NB>>> was generating too much grime that collected on the flag.... BM>> If a real flagpole possible the flag had become tattered and for BM>> whatever reason was never replaced. NB>> Possible, but I go by that place pretty regularly, and hadn't seen NB>> evidence of it starting to tatter.... There was a flag in front of a NB>> Denny's (I think) restaurant near where we live where you really could NB>> see that it was becoming the worse for wear.... Both are now gone, the NB>> flag and the restaurant, although the building is still there, and NB>> still vacant.... ;) BM> I'm pretty sure I wrote some time back the Denny's was always running BM> out of baked potatoes. They eventually closed (probably not because BM> of running out of baked potatoes!); NB> More likely, like many other Denny's locations, the overall NB> quality of the food was declining, so there were fewer NB> customers.... I'm thinking that's what may have happened to the Village Inn that closed down the hill from us. Village Inn (in general) used to have decent food but over the years has been declining. We more or less swore off late last year because of the over-salted gravy, gristly steak (my cut wasn't as bad but a super-cheap cut), and a salad that had more rust on the lettuce than a junkyard car. BM> the site was temporarily used as BM> the Humane Society of Scott County when their site flooded (1990's). BM> The building was eventually razed and AFAIK nothing is there. AFAIK BM> the property is owned by the Mall, but mall shopping has been steadily BM> reduced over the years so they have quite a few empty stores. NB> So no interest in reviving the site for anything... The one here NB> was on a isolated parcel of land... it's not a bad site for a NB> restaurant or other business, but not an excellent one, either... NB> :) The site is decent; would be good for another restaurant but probably not a store due to the traffic pattern: one-ways on either side so is a destination rather than a quick stop. Don't know if any attempt to build or purchase -- maybe the Mall is asking too much, possibly on purpose to drive interested businesses into the half-empty Mall proper. (Not literally but maybe quarter-empty and two of the five or six anchor stores closed.) NB>>>> Construction actually can be noisier than normal traffic.... BM>>> True: normally don't have jackhammers, etc., NB>>> For instance... ;) Or the heavy construction trucks constantly NB>>> lumbering up and down.... ;) BM>> Appears won't be having that 'problem' for a couple of weeks: one of BM>> the workers was diagnosed with COVID-19 and the project was temporarily BM>> shut down. NB>> I guess they weren't able to keep enough distance from each other...? NB>> We have some sort of highway construction happening with the heavy NB>> equipment, but it almost seems as though there's only one or two NB>> going at any point, when there is anything happening.... BM> My guess is no way to keep the construction workers the recommended BM> six feet apart, and that distance might be further outside in a breeze. BM> Construction has restarted. NB> If it's more than one person in a truck, then you couldn't really NB> isolate, but only one to a truck, seems that that part of the NB> work could continue.... Bridge construction has restarted and the Iowa-bound span's arch is almost completed: need the keystone piece at the top and as of earlier this week they're calculating and rechecing to be certain it fits properly. With that piece installed they can the start the deck for the cars -- and pedestrians? Not sure where the trail is to be -- the elevator is on the Illinois-bound lane but they were also talking about the bridge trail to continue to connect with the rest of the trail system. NB>>> We're more like a mile or two away.... and the road is generally NB>>> higher than we are.... BM>> The distance probably helps make things quieter, though generally I BM>> don't hear/notice the highway sounds. OTOH there have been times when BM>> outside is just too quiet: unusually low traffic or a backup. NB>> We're far enough away not to notice change in noise level, either... :) BM> Plus one gets used to the regularly occurring slight changes in BM> traffic noise. Even the 'braaaap' of the motorcyclists and truckers is BM> pretty much ignored. Now when it's too too quiet over there.....!! NB> True... as I said below about the airport near us... ;) There was a somewhat noisy helicopter flying last night from probably the Illinois side to possibly Davenport so maybe a hospital transfer but I didn't hear anything about a major accident. BM>>> My guess is they climb rapidly/descend somewhat quickly to keep the BM>>> noise down. Rare to see a low-flying jet here at the house; just BM>>> assume there is a reason but also hope nothing is wrong. NB>>> We're actually about the same distance from the airport as we are from NB>>> the expressway... the airport is just the other side of the road... :) NB>> And, I'd add... but we did notice the difference in noise level when NB>> the skies were "shut down" after 9/11... we normally barely notice the NB>> planes coming and leaving, we're that used to it, but when there was NB>> none at all, the silence was almost painful.... BM> That silence was almost unnerving! Never realized how much of a BM> constant background hum there was. I was off that day and later was BM> in the backyard just to 'get away'. Essentially clear sky, no air BM> traffic, strangely quiet. Suddenly noticed a tiny bright spot moving BM> slowly from west to east. Definately a plane, guessing either Air BM> Force 1 or another special jet bringing someone to Washington, D.C. BM> And no, I don't recall hearing any change in the sound when I noticed BM> the jet. NB> It might have been a satellite, though.... one doesn't hear NB> them.... but yes, if high enough, one wouldn't hear a plane, NB> either... I'm thinking jet because it was scooting right along. Don't recall for certain if there was a vapor trail; thinking not. BM>> That reminded me -- and something else I have no idea where to begin BM>> to look up the particulars. A couple of miles from the house is a BM>> section of road I marked something like "Eisenhower Emergency BM>> Expressway" -- really small sign, about the size of a street parking BM>> sign. Has several stars on it -- I know President Eisenhower was a BM>> General. Have heard the section is for emergency aircraft landing: is BM>> a relatively long and straight section of otherwise hilly road. BM>> Landing would wipe out a bunch of utilties and traffic signals but BM>> better than crash landing into houses and businesses. Any ideas?? NB>> Eisenhower was the President that decided that we needed to have the NB>> interstate highway system connecting the whole country, and got the NB>> ball rolling.... so the entire system was named for him.... those NB>> signs, though, I think are pretty old, and one doesn't often see them NB>> any more... But, as I think we've discussed before, part of the idea NB>> was that the wider roads would provide an emergency landing strip for NB>> airplanes.... probably planning for that era's smaller than today's NB>> aircraft, though.... BM> Yes, vaguely remembering that. And possibly the thing throwing me off BM> was not remembering the planes back in the 50's were tiny compared to BM> some now. Plus that section was 'out in the boonies' at the time and BM> probably mostly farmland. Now built up. NB> Both could well be a factor... :) Right. And if a plane needed to do an emergency landing might not worry too much about clipping the wings off and snapping a few power poles and traffic lights. NB>>> There are indeed some noise-abatement maneuvers as they leave the NB>>> airport, and they do ascend pretty quickly... the descent is a NB>>> little more gradual.... Mostly we don't hear the planes though, NB>>> since we've become pretty accustomed to their sound.... ;) BM>> Yes, generally a sharp ascent -- occasionally very sharp! Descents BM>> are more gradual - probably to keep from scaring the passengers!! BM>> Would tend to keep the noise in the area of the airport. LIS, BM>> occasionally low-flying jet (landing or taking off) over the BM>> neighbourhood - partially depends on wind direction and cloud cover, BM>> though sometimes rather clear -- of course don't know what's going on BM>> with the wind currents up there. Just wonder "why are you so low?". NB>> I could see you wondering, since you are farther from the airport NB>> than we are.... we regularly see rather low-flying planes near the NB>> end of their final descent.... not quite brushing the tops of the NB>> trees, but almost looks that way... BM> There have been the occasional low-flying jet where one thinks "too BM> much lower and you're going to be touching the trees!". NB> Some of it is illusion, of course... ;) Lack of distance references, yes. Looking up from the ground they look big; them looking down at us we might be just pinpoints! NB>>> ... Virus check complete. All viruses functioning normally. BM>> Don't use that one where they don't know it refers to computers! NB>> But of course it was referring to computers.... still not all that NB>> nice a thought, of course... BM> No. We don't want them near our computers nor us! NB> Depends on how paranoid one might be.... Does that mean I have to move my computers to six feet apart?! ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... ROTFL -- Rave on, tofu flinging leeches!!! --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .