# The Holiday Blues?



## Prewar Pappy (Jul 26, 2015)

Call it what ever you like. The season is almost upon us when very few people post. Don't forget the folk who are shut-in. Please post how you are enjoying your holiday. I for one would enjoy reading about it. I would like to wish you and yours a joyous holiday season.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Just about every year Thanksgiving is the same for us...my sister and a friend come over for late afternoon traditional dinner. We tend to limit the turkey to just a breast rather then the whole bird. I don't care for turkey leftovers.

Christmas is usually the same (except with ham), unless we go to Colorado to spend the week with our youngest daughter and her family. We're hoping to travel this year. Church is first thing in the morning, followed by a big breakfast and present opening. Then relax and stuff ourselves the rest of the day.

New Years Eve none of us can stay up till midnight anymore, so the wife and I usually watch a movie or two, trying to stay awake that long. The day is usually football and movies and snacks.

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to everyone! :smilie_daumenpos:


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## CBirnley (Oct 10, 2015)

I'll be heading to my Grandmother's tomorrow afternoon to help make homemade noodles and peel ALOT of apples for pies! Then I'll head back home and me, my bride and two kiddos will head over to church for a service. 

Thursday morning we'll likely take the kids to see the new Peanuts movie and then head back to my Grandmother's house. There will end up being about 45 or so of us at her home, a 1970s 950 sf ranch (w basement). Some of us will be watching games and some will be playing games. 

The cousins (my generation) will be picking on one another and the second cousins (our kids) will be chasing each other around the house and playing video games. 

We'll finish the night w games and homemade pie!

Have a great Thanksgiving.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Hey pappy, going to work and hopefully will be able to leave in the morning. Plans are going down to my mother's with my 4 yo to enjoy a full thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. Unfortunately, I can't help out much this year, work and all but my mother at 83 is an amazing women who will pull it off. I always think about my holiday layout at this time of year too. Mostly it's think about because I don't have the time to make what I want happen. Best wishes to you and yours.


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## A&NRR (Aug 2, 2015)

I actually dread the holidays cause coming from a divorced home it's always a battle on which parent to spend it with, even though I'm 48 years young it's still an issue. So this year my misses and me decided we're just having our own Thanksgiving this year and whoever wants to come is welcome. Although Friday morning The wife, my kids 
(who are almost grown) and myself are all headed up to East Texas to spend the remainder of the weekend with my Dad who has stage 3 pancreatic cancer. But he's old school and fighting it with everything's he's got. Yea it's hard but were enjoying every minute we have with him.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

The wife gets out of work tomorrow at 7am after a over-night shift. She'll put the bird in at 8am.. It will be just her and myself, all our other kids are doing something with their other families.I'll watch football, and probably finish painting the living room..


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Well, some wonder about it, but as a long time single person I enjoy
the holidays. My relatives are all a thousand or so miles away, and
most of my friends are dining on whatever they serve up (or down) there.
So, I've become accustomed to fixing a mini traditional turkey dinner
for myself, reading the paper, possibly some football, and definitely a stint in
the train room Thanksgiving day. 

I usually put up a little predecorated tree but all of it's lights are
out and I forgot to buy a new string, so that chore will wait til a day
or so later.

But as one who, in the past, so enjoyed those big family holidays, please know
that my thoughts are with you who are so fortunate, and wish for all a very
happy cranberry.

Don


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

We'll have our daughter, son-in-law, and the two grandsons over for brunch. Probably watch the parade, start working on the Thanksgiving beast, and watch some football. We'll have dinner around the dining room table (which only gets used once a year for meals!), then some pumpkin pie for dessert.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Today is my wife's birthday and our 39th wedding anniversary. 
We got hitched 39 years ago today in our family room and it was also Thanksgiving day, so all of our friends came to the wedding carrying parts of the Thanksgiving feast. Immediately following the "I do's" the bar was opened for a toast and then everyone dug into all the goodies.
This year, 39 years later, we're hosting Thanksgiving once again at our house. We have four children between us and, thankfully, three of them will be here. The daughter in Alabama will be the only one missing, but all-in-all there will be 14 (including us) for the traditional turkey with all the trimmings dinner tomorrow.
This evening we will also have the whole gang here for pizza, beverages, and pre-dinner preparation. My son, son-in-laws, grandson, and myself will undoubtedly be out in the garage, which is my train room, sipping beverages and playing with grandpa's trains.
Friday, needless to say, will be spent on the couch watching football and recovering. 
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on the forum,
Bob


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Have a good Holiday folks, we're getting ready here.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

We fight the in-law wars every year. My wife and I were from the same town, but her parents moved away when she was in college. Shortly after we got married, they moved back.

Now it's a constant juggling act, trying to be sure each family gets equal time. Gid forbid we should just have one big gathering with both families!

I'll be trying to stay out of the way when the screaming starts and the pots and pans start flying! Nice and peaceful in the train room.....


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

We no longer have the "in-law wars" because all of them are deceased and only memories.
Now our kids either come to see us or invite us to hang out with them on holidays, but I've got to be honest, it's a helluva lot less work (and $$) to go see them!


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## Larry Sr. (Sep 7, 2015)

Pappy:thumbsup:

Between Thanksgiving and probably the super bowel are my most reckless days.

I goof off to much
I spend to much
I eat to much
I watch way to much football

*BUT....*

My stress level is always at a yearly low.:appl:

We will be doing the Thanksgiving dinner by ourselves this year. Sons are in different states so we don't get to do it with them every year. Hopefully maybe Christmas. The careers that they have are not to Holiday friendly for time off. Been there done that myself for 30 years,

For the first time Nancy was going to do a Turkey breast for Thanksgiving. Hemmmmm:rippedhand:

That ain't going to happen.:cheeky4:

So wish you were in the area and you could help me work on that 12 pound bird.

We will also celebrate our 48th December 20th. That's just another reason to feel good.

Hell, I didn't even think I would live that long after fetting married.

*You take care and have a* Merry Christmas.

Larry


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Larry Sr. said:


> the super bowel


I've heard you can get medicine for that! 



Larry Sr. said:


> Hell, I didn't even think I would live that long after (g)etting married


Maybe that's WHY you lived that long......


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## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Good thread!

Happy thanksgiving!

Bill


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## A&NRR (Aug 2, 2015)

I may be jumping ahead here but...
Michelle (my wife) and myself both of ours favorite holiday is Christmas. It's the only time of year that she gives me freedom to put trains all over the house. As long as they tie into Christmas. We both love the holiday season. The first year we were together she surprised me with a trip on the Polar Express, aka the Texas State Railroad.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Since Wendy died in 2009 the smell of turkey in my house is just a very distant memory. From the days of Thanksgiving Day at my grandmothers house in Detroit back in the 50s. She would put on quite a spread and there was a large turnout of family. Probably 25 or more. My mother took up the work and continued the feast preparation for several years until after I joined the Corps. Going home for that holiday was always so special. My wife Carolyn took up the duties and continued with the large menu and the house was always full of family and friends. Carolyn died in 2001, just days after Thanksgiving and the house was an empty place. I married Wendy and her boys had their own families to tend too. Their wives just didn't put the spread on as I remember from my youth. The Thanksgiving feast slowly faded to just a few friends and a smaller menu. Now, I go up to my daughters house for the day and spend time with the grandchildren. It will never be the same, but we move on.


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## milehighxr (Dec 22, 2012)

Everyone that wants to see me comes to me. It's been that way for 7-8yrs now. We alternate where my mom and stepdad go. This year they're here for turkey day. X-mas will be small, so well do beef tenderloin. New years is watch movies stay up as late as possible. New years day spent doing whatever. I'm not a sports guy except on turkey day, gotta watch the lions lose, again... 

I'm happy if I can not work on black friday, and take off the days between x-mas and new years.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

When I worked at a Chrysler plant back in the 80s we were always shut down the
week between Christmas and new years. It was great to spend that week with the
kids. These holidays will be firsts for me. First without my wife. She passed away with cancer this past july. She loved the holidays so I guess I will have to celebrate them.
I have 2 sons and they will be over tomorrow. I was going to cook but the sons don't like what I know how to fix so we will probably go out and eat and then watch the cowboys.
I will miss the wife's spreads of food she fixed. And no leftovers. I will miss that, I love
thanksgiving leftovers.
Happy Holidays to you and your families.

Correction- I worked at the Chrysler plant '73 to'81 so It was the 70s not the 80s.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Come on, guys! Save Christmas for after Thanksgiving !!

Poor holiday gets no respect.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

The stores around here have been selling Christmas stuff since mid-October. :dunno:
By the time the Jolly Fat Man arrives you're almost sick of it! 
Just my three cents,
Bob


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## Viperjim1 (Mar 19, 2015)

*Mopac*

Must have worked at St. Louis, north or south? I work at WTAP. Yes times have changed and we are always chasing after the almighty dollar and not stopping to just relax with friends and family! Have a wonderful holiday..


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Yes, we had 2 plants right next to each other. At the time we called it truck
plant and car plant. My plant was more south. The car plant. At one time we
had 10,000 employed at the 2 plants. Now it is o. The plants are completely
tore down, just a huge parking lot. They ain't coming back. Ford did the same
thing. Closed and tore down the plant. They are not coming back here. I think
we still have 2 GM plants. At one time St Louis was the #2 auto producer in the 
world. Its nothing now. I got laid off in'81 and started selling cars instead of building
them. I did it for the next 25 years. I did get called back to Chrysler in '82, and
liked selling cars better than building them. I had 8 years with Chrysler and I
should have gone back for 2 years and I would be getting a pension now. You need
10 years for a partial pension. Hindsight is wonderfull. At the time I never dreamed
I would get old and retire.


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

My wife and I and our two dogs, at home.
My brother in law is an a$$hat, thus we have not seen my sister in law and our 2 nieces and nephews since 2006.
I think he has Scrooge DNA...He needs three ghosts of Christmas to come visit him, but so far they have not.


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## pitchy (Nov 18, 2015)

Just me and the little lady here, the rest of the family are being their selfish selves.
Happy Thanksgiving too everyone.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

This year Thanksgiving is special for us. My two boys who live out of town are here with their family and kids and all, so it is a chaotic happy time with kids and noise and more family to talk with at any moment than you can imagine. e all hung out all day at my youngest boys house - just a few minutes from here. Just lots of food and fun all day long. I hope this becomes a holiday tradition but regardless this Thanksgiving was great for us.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

My son usually has family get together's at his house so this year my wife called to find out what the plans were. He suggested that we have the party at our house, since it was bigger and better laid out for large parties. His dining room is very small so people are usually sitting everywhere else to eat. Also great grandma is in a wheel chair and our house is easy to get into in a wheelchair, his house has half a flight of stairs to get up. So we had 15 people for Thanksgiving dinner, 2 tables and everyone had a place at the table. Later 2 grandchildren were dropped of and they stayed overnight. Here are some photos of our house shortly after we moved in. 
https://picasaweb.google.com/116019573962534142250/House?authkey=Gv1sRgCNX9mKDJ2Oiz7QE#


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## captaincog (Oct 7, 2012)

My parents are divorced and now with the kids just out of the house it was my wife and I alone. We did some Thanksgiving cleaning, football, and then dinner. It was nice and quiet and since my kids are out being themselves this will likely be my future Thanksgivings and that is fine. 

Today we got out the stuff for the next holiday that shall remained unnamed.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

@ the doc, nice house, I hope the one with the ply wood floor was a before we moved in picture!

Nice of everyone to share there family stories, I was going to take pictures for you but I was up all night before thanksgiving, Murphys law, so I cooked as soon as I reached moms, then passed out immediately after dinner. So, at least everyone else in my family got a good meal such is life........


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

Prewar Pappy said:


> Call it what ever you like. The season is almost upon us when very few people post. Don't forget the folk who are shut-in. Please post how you are enjoying your holiday. I for one would enjoy reading about it. I would like to wish you and yours a joyous holiday season.


Just to let you know, they're not forgotten about. My wife Georgeann (pictured) and I drive a Meals-on-Wheels route here in Bullhead City, AZ.
A most rewarding volunteer occupation! We get to give a hot meal to those who can't get out or are so destitute they can't afford a solid meal.
Oftimes. we are the only contacts they have all day long. So it's no surprize when Georgeann ends up spending time with one person while I go deliver a few other meals.

You should have seen the faces when we gave them turkey dinners Wednesday for Thursday's meal. Happiness personified.
And it's really good food! We come back to the Nutrition Center and have the exact same meal when we get done for the day.
We've been doing this over a year now and have no plans to quit.

It helps put a perspective in our lives. There, but for the grace of God, go us.
Come Christmas, it gets even more hectic. Georgeann bakes Christmas oatmeal cookies for every client. There are a few, VERY few that even get her fabulous Rum Cake.
Baked from the recipe from Nassau, Bahamas.
There is no substitute.
I wait on bended knee for that rum cake! Delicious!


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

thedoc said:


> My son usually has family get together's at his house so this year my wife called to find out what the plans were. He suggested that we have the party at our house, since it was bigger and better laid out for large parties. His dining room is very small so people are usually sitting everywhere else to eat. Also great grandma is in a wheel chair and our house is easy to get into in a wheelchair, his house has half a flight of stairs to get up. So we had 15 people for Thanksgiving dinner, 2 tables and everyone had a place at the table. Later 2 grandchildren were dropped of and they stayed overnight. Here are some photos of our house shortly after we moved in.
> https://picasaweb.google.com/116019573962534142250/House?authkey=Gv1sRgCNX9mKDJ2Oiz7QE#


Doc, if that open room with (I presume is you) you standing in it is going to be your train room, I bow in envy to you! :appl:


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## Prewar Pappy (Jul 26, 2015)

*To Everyone I Say, Thank you!!!*

To all of you a very special, Thank you! I have enjoyed reading each a every one. The holidays are especially hard these days. My children and grand-children stay away because of all the medical equipment around my home.

My wife and I were blessed yesterday by visitors bearing gifts. Out of the blue a fire engine stopped in front of our home. Out jumped eight fireman one of which is my neighbor. They had prepared their Thanksgiving dinner at the firehouse and they thought of my wife and I. Each of them carried a box of food into our home. My Goodness! They brought so much that we won't need to cook until next week sometime.

Another short story about the same eight firemen. Three years ago we needed a new roof on our home. I searched for weeks almost everyday for someone to install a new roof on our home at a price we could afford. Two days later these precious men turned up at our house on their four-days off. They completely re-roofed our home in less than three days. These men and their families are close to the wife and I.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

RonthePirate said:


> Doc, if that open room with (I presume is you) you standing in it is going to be your train room, I bow in envy to you! :appl:


Yep, that's my train room, 72' by 26' with a 6' extension on the one side. Right now it has a lot more stuff in it but I have one loop all around the outside. The house has a Mansard style roof so there is 8' clear to the outside, and the builder was instructed that no plumbing vents were to go through the attic, they go through the floor to the outside wall. There is duct work for heat to the attic and that is in the ceiling of the 1st floor, it is a box section and a chase in the laundry room, so it doesn't intrude into the attic at all. Also that is a 4' wide stairs to the porch which is an outside entrance to the attic. The whole attic has since been insulated, just waiting to hook up the wood burning boiler to provide heat to the attic. One word of advice, if you plan to have any part of your house insulated, add up the price of materials to do it yourself, and then get the price of a contractor to do it. When I did it for the attic the cost was within a few dollars, and the pro's were in and out in one day, and I didn't itch at all. They installed fiberglass batting. FYI, I designed the house with the intention of having that room for my trains, it wasn't an after thought, so every part of the design of that room was with the thought of building a layout in it. There is even a section with a shallow pit for a step under that is right over the master closet that has a lowered ceiling. It goes down 2 steps, so getting to the other side will be more of a nod under than a duck under. Right now it's boarded over to make a flat floor, but eventually it will be opened up to allow passage under the section that connects the layout around the wall to the section in the center of the room. We put a lot of thought into the design of the house, but then we had years to develop it, the plan for the new house is based on the plan for the old house that we were rebuilding. When the old house burned down, it turned into a blessing, in that we got a new house that someone else built for us. I was told, most emphatically, by my family, that I wasn't allowed to try to build this house, but I was there almost every day to watch the progress, I think the fact that I was almost 62 when the new house was built, may have had something to do with it, that and my heart condition.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Wow, that is going to be one hell of a layout!:smilie_daumenpos:
HO right?
Maybe a N scale line way up high in the mountains for that forced perspective look?

Nice room. :thumbsup:


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

big ed said:


> Wow, that is going to be one hell of a layout!:smilie_daumenpos:
> HO right?
> Maybe a N scale line way up high in the mountains for that forced perspective look?
> 
> Nice room. :thumbsup:


No, I've spent a lot of time collecting HO scale equipment, and I'm not about to try and change now. My emphasis will be on moving long trains over the mountain and that will be the focus of the layout. Switching can be fun, but I have the room to just move trains. There will be 2 levels around the walls, one level loop serving the yard and a harbor scene, and the upper loop just going over the mountain at Sandpatch. the section in the center of the room will be a transition between the lower and upper loop going through Rockwood and Garrett Pa. I need to get the heat hooked up and operating so that I can work through the winter, right now it gets too cold up there without heat. I tried letting the attic door open, but it doesn't provide enough heat, and it creates a cold draft in the living room.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Prewar Pappy said:


> To all of you a very special, Thank you! I have enjoyed reading each a every one. The holidays are especially hard these days. My children and grand-children stay away because of all the medical equipment around my home.
> 
> My wife and I were blessed yesterday by visitors bearing gifts. Out of the blue a fire engine stopped in front of our home. Out jumped eight fireman one of which is my neighbor. They had prepared their Thanksgiving dinner at the firehouse and they thought of my wife and I. Each of them carried a box of food into our home. My Goodness! They brought so much that we won't need to cook until next week sometime.
> 
> Another short story about the same eight firemen. Three years ago we needed a new roof on our home. I searched for weeks almost everyday for someone to install a new roof on our home at a price we could afford. Two days later these precious men turned up at our house on their four-days off. They completely re-roofed our home in less than three days. These men and their families are close to the wife and I.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS


Very cool papy, most firemen are good guys


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Prewar Pappy said:


> To all of you a very special, Thank you! I have enjoyed reading each a every one. The holidays are especially hard these days. My children and grand-children stay away because of all the medical equipment around my home.
> 
> My wife and I were blessed yesterday by visitors bearing gifts. Out of the blue a fire engine stopped in front of our home. Out jumped eight fireman one of which is my neighbor. They had prepared their Thanksgiving dinner at the firehouse and they thought of my wife and I. Each of them carried a box of food into our home. My Goodness! They brought so much that we won't need to cook until next week sometime.
> 
> Another short story about the same eight firemen. Three years ago we needed a new roof on our home. I searched for weeks almost everyday for someone to install a new roof on our home at a price we could afford. Two days later these precious men turned up at our house on their four-days off. They completely re-roofed our home in less than three days. These men and their families are close to the wife and I.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS


Pappy, what a wonderful couple stories, and what precious friends you have! I am a volunteer firefighter, and we have done things for each other and friends and neighbors, but I've not been involved in putting on a new roof...that's amazing. For them to care so much for you means that you are a good and friendly neighbor too. I'm sorry about the medical issues your family is facing, but you are blessed by God with caring people around you. May those blessings continue throughout the coming year and beyond. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Alwayzbldg (Nov 10, 2015)

Prewar Pappy, I'm so glad you were able to have a joyous Thanksgiving! Your holiday thread was a great idea and I too, have enjoyed the many stories. My husband and I come from very large families but have lost most of them over the years, so there is only a handful of us left. You never know what others go through until you share your stories and it makes you grateful, no matter what. Thank you for sharing! And I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday season!


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## Don F (Dec 5, 2015)

*Baldwin Number 26 under steam*

https://www.facebook.com/daulph.kline/videos/10206998323850306/
This link may or may not work. This is a test run of the Baldwin number 26 steam locomotive at Steamtown in Scranton PA.
Don


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Love Steam Town!!!!!!!!!!!!:smilie_daumenpos:


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