Total Wine

So I hit the Total Wine with the wife this afternoon for some beer. I was overwhemlmed by the types of beer they have. So I got 12 or so random beers for $40 (no one said they were cheap). So I think I'll use this blog to keep track of these beers and how they are. I actually got the first beer at our local Lowe's foods. The first time I had this beer was out in Seattle on a vacation. Pyramid Breweries makes the Audacious Apricot Wheat Ale and I'm a big fan of it. You definitely get apricot taste (I really like beer with fruit flavors). I'll start with this one tonight and see how the evening progresses.

RTP Railfan Website

I'm actually updating the website more than my blog. I put in a new features section (flash takes some work). Also added an article on the new antenna setup that I installed for the RTP Railfan radio installation. I can not hear down to Sanford, NC and downtown Raleigh quite well. The other night I heard the Amtrak call out well north of Durham, but I think this was because of atmospheric phenomenon. Check out the site, I have really got back into it and I'm adding new stuff all the time.

http://www.researchtriangleparknc.com

I now have a new site that is the replacement for the http://www.whatstodotoday.com site. The problem with that site was AJAX is very difficult to get listed in the search engines. So, now I have a new website about the Research Triangle Park area. http://www.researchtriangleparknc.com will be a site that tells users about all the interesting things they can do in the RTP area. It will start off small at first, but I hope it will grow over time. I will also link the mapping application within this site so users can still use it. We'll see...

www.whatstodottoday.com

Well, I learned a good lesson about AJAX from doing the whatstodotoday site. The original purpose was to have a mapping application that users could put pushpins and enter comments about cool places to visit. Well, AJAX is horrible for getting crawled and I have had absolutely no users for a year. I think I am going to get rid of that domain and pick up another about the Raleigh/Durham area. I'm taking a C++ class so its eating up all my spare time but I'll try to put one together.

Updating www.rtprailfan.com site

Well, its been quite a while since I've posted anything. Actually I wasn't doing much railfan stuff over the summer. I usually turn the scanner stream off because of the computer in the attic and just doing other things. Recently I turned the stream back on. Right now I have this wierd setup in the side yard. I got the traintenna omni from DPDProductions but I have it mounted on this pole in the yard because I haven't figured out how to get it on the roof yet. In addition, I don't think my HOA would like me mounting it up there. Anyways, I have it connected to a Maxtrac in the garage, not a bad setup but it would be better if the antenna were on the roof. I have also been upading the RTPRailfan site as I have let it go for a while now. Hope to be adding some new material but probably won't completely overhall the site. Talk more soon....

Hamlet Railfanning

Hamlet Railfanning
Originally uploaded by WISCHMI2

Hamlet, NC is a great place to go watch the trains pass, although today was kind of slow. You can usually see 15+ trains on a good day. A lot of freights come by the station. Make sure you check out the station, they have a nice model train setup of the area.

Rockingham Railfanning

Rockingham Railfanning
Originally uploaded by WISCHMI2

West of Hamlet, NC there is a nice quiet road where a person can sit and watch the freight traffic from the Hamlet yard come and go. Its in PeeDee just west of the PeeDee River. The picture was taken near a bridge that passes over a local road.