Sunday, January 4, 2009

Wet Weather Coming/Cherishing Every Moment/What Sarah Named Her Fish

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Well I hope everyone is tucked in at home...back from their holiday travels, refreshed and ready to get back to their "normal" schedules.

At right, I have the latest watch graphic from the Storm Prediction Center. Remember that the brown counties are ones with wind advisories.

Monday will be bitterly cold in Minnesota with highs in the low single digits. There will be thunderstorms for the lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley and rain for much of Texas. Look for showers in Atlanta as well. There will be snow along the eastern Great Lakes and over the Rockies and Intermountain Region. Look for rain in the lower elevations of the Pacific Northwest.

Houston will be cool, cloudy and wet with temperatures hovering in the 40s. Expect more rain on Tuesday with warmer temperatures but still cool. It will be back to mild and dry by mid-week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
It is a relief to return to normality or normalidad, pronounced nor-mah-lee-DAHD. After the holidays are over, we welcome normalidad.

Less than a day left to vote in the poll about resolutions--don't miss your chance to voice your opinion. And don't forget the most important resolution, order our DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, winner of two prestigious educational awards. You can order it now--from our web site www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. If you are more interested in a full immersion type product, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

By the way, we are starting to get some orders for the English teaching version for Spanish speakers...I appreciate you passing the word!

AND MORE
Santa brought Sarah an aquarium and today we got the fish for it...2 goldfish, one mostly orange and the other orange and black. Sarah named them Cosmo (orange) and Wanda (orange and black) from the Fairly Odd Parents show. I didn't even know she had ever seen that show. Anyway, Cosmo and Wanda seem to like their new home.

The weather turned cooler mid-afternoon but it was a delightful day...we went to the park with many of Sarah's neighborhood buddies. It was so nice to be outside, running and laughing. We really missed them while we were away. After reading about John Travolta's experience, I just want to hug my family even closer. My resolution is to keep treasuring each day, each moment--loved ones are so very precious!

Got the Christmas decorations put away this evening. Welcome 2009!!!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Travel Weather/Personal Travel Saga/An Old Friend Encounter

HURRICANES AND MORE
Winter Storm Warnings/Watches/Advisories are in effect for many locations along the Rockies (included the mountains of southern Arizona). New Mexico also has several warnings in place. And the western Great Lakes states are being hit particularly hard this evening. Thunderstorms are moving along the states bordering the northern Gulf (from Louisiana through Alabama).

On Sunday, it will be very cold in North Dakota with Minot staying below zero all day. Meanwhile, it will be balmy across the southeast with Florida in the 80s. Look for rain and some thunderstorms from DC to northern Florida. Look for winter weather in the Great Lakes states and in New Mexico and Arizona.

Houston missed the thunderstorms today...the development occurred just to the east. Next cold front arrives midday Sunday but highs will still be in the 70s (during the afternoon). Expect it to be much cooler on Monday with rain as overrunning sets up. Tuesday will likely also be wet and cool.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
I set up my 2009 calendar today thanks to my wonderful CPA Chuck Newton. He sends some pocket sized ones every year. I have a PDA but I just want to see it on paper. Anyway, the word for today is calendar or calendario, pronounced cah-lehn-dar-EE-oh. It is satisfying and exciting to see your plans written on a new calendario.

You can also make notes for your resolutions on that calendario and here is something to write down...vote in the poll (at right) about resolutions because we only have 1 day left before it closes. And mark one more thing down...order our DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, winner of two prestigious educational awards. You can order it now--from our web site www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. If you are more interested in a full immersion type product, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Let me tell you my travel saga and some refreshing results.

First of all, we were supposed to leave Omaha (across the river from Council Bluffs, IA-hometown of my hubby and where his family lives) at 6:50 pm yesterday. After visiting with family and friends, including Gordy's former teacher, Father Paul Monahan, I ventured downstairs at about 3:50 pm to finish packing. I just happened to pick up my cell phone and look to see if there were any messages. Well, there was one from Southwest. They had left a message wanting to know if we could catch the 4:55 pm flight to Chicago and then on to Houston as there would be a long delay for the flight to St. Louis and we would have to spend the night in St. Louis. So, it was either catch the flight through Chicago or fly home on Saturday (weather permitting). Well, I was concerned about weather for the next day...so I yelled to Gordy "Let's go!" I have never packed that fast in my life. But my trusty brother-in-law David delivered us to the check-in at 4:25 pm.

Well, we got on the plane but barely! I had my trusty Zebra postage printer in my carry-on and security just didn't know what to make of that. (Note: I had trouble with it on the way up too). I brought that for any DVD orders we had during our time away. Finally, finally the security official offered it back...he asked me if I wanted him to repack it in my stuffed bag and I said no thanks and grabbed it and raced to the gangway. This guy was like Tim Conway's old man character on the old Carol Burnett show.

We all got on (and I am leaving out a few other mundane time consuming details but you get the picture). So, we land in Chicago. We are supposed to have a 3 hour layover--leaving Chicago at 9:10 pm. So we check the flight information...the flight is delayed to a 10:40 pm departure. Yikes!!! Would there be any possibility we would have to stay the night? We had no idea where our luggage was...I had left some of it in check-in in Omaha because the computers weren't allowing our late arrival. Oh well...I did have a change of clothes for Sarah...most important thing.

So, Sarah and I headed to the bathroom...Sarah was bumping into a lady at the sink and she turned around and I realized almost immediately that it was a college friend of mine (from the meteorology program at A & M) whom I had not seen seen 1987--Patrice O-Raheiley--now Sharkey. She still had those same sparkly eyes and beautiful long hair. Patrice is the one who got the weather job in Bryan when I tried out too. Well anyway, she was super smart and I always admired her. We had had some fun times too. It was as if 22 years had gone by in the blink of an eye. So, I dragged her over to meet Gordy and Megan. Now, I ask you, is it a small world or what? And what were the odds of us meeting at the time at that airport in that bathroom. We weren't even planning to go to Chicago originally! Wow!

Our plane finally left at 11 pm or a little thereafter. We landed at about 1:30 am. Sarah was wide awake and asked to play some games we got for Christmas. But we finally managed to get her down at about 4 am. My wonderful husband watched her after she awoke bright and bushy eyed at 8 am...I slept in until 11 am. When I ran into several friends at the store they all commented at how well rested I looked. I didn't tell them I had just woken up...Ha! Thanks Gordy my love!!!

One more thing...at HEB, one of our friendly helpers said the store was just dead on New Year's Day but he said now everything is getting back to its crazy busy schedule.

Oh yes...they had an ice storm in Council Bluffs today--sure glad we got out last night!!!

Safe travels and happy first week of January!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Friday, January 2, 2009

Travel Weather/Travel Troubles

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
New storms will be developing across Minnesota and northern Wisconsin on Saturday. There will also be winter weather across the Rockies, Intermountain Region, Cascades and Olympic Ranges. Look for thunderstorms from the Tennessee Valley into Texas.

In Houston, there will be thunderstorms on Saturday. Highs will be in the 70s. Next cold front arrives on Sunday and then look for more rain on Monday with cooler temperatures.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do airport or aeropuerto, pronounced eye-roh-PWHERE-toe. That's where I'm stuck right now...at the aeropuerto in Chicago.

See how nice it is to know another language...you can amuse yourself while you are waiting for your flight that has been delayed. And of course, there are many other benefits including enhanced cognitive function and development (especially in children). One great tool for this is our DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, winner of two prestigious educational awards. So, order it now--from our web site www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. If you are more interested in a full immersion type product, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Well, now it is happening to us. We had a message, on my cell, that if we could make an earlier flight, they would take us through Chicago (instead of St. Louis) and get us home tonight. The flight through St. Louis would be so late that we would have to spend the night in St. Louis and then head to Houston in the morning. Well, we barely (and I do mean barely) made it to the airport in time for the flight to Chicago and now we are looking at an extremely delayed flight out tonight (from Chicago to Houston). I just hope we get back to town tonight because I think there will be even more weather related delays and problems on Saturday.

Happy and safe travels everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Travel Weather/New Year's Resolutions/Determined Football Fans

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Winter Weather will be isolated to New England, the Great Lakes States, the northern Rockies and Intermountain Region and Sierra Nevada on Friday. The cold spot will be North Dakota with many locations not making it out of the single digits. Look for some showers from Washington down to Atlanta. Highs across the southern states will be in the 70s and low 80s.

Houston will be partly cloudy and mild on Friday with highs in the 70s. Look for thunderstorms on Saturday, possibly Sunday and some on Monday. It will turn cooler late Sunday as a cold front moves through.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do New Year's Resolutions or buenos propósitos de Año Nuevo, pronounced bweh-NOSE pro-POH-see-tohs day Ah-NYO new-a-VOH. Today is the day to make and begin your buenos propósitos de Año Nuevo. Be sure to vote in our resolutions poll at right!

Here's a great resolution...resolve to help your youngsters learn another language while it is so easy for them. Research shows that the brains of children are inherently ready to learn language. In fact brain imaging of multiple language learning youngsters shows that the mass of the brain in the language learning area is more dense/developed than that of non-language learners. One great tool for this is our DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, winner of two prestigious educational awards. So, order it now--from our web site www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. If you are more interested in a full immersion type product, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
My dear mother-in-law had mercy on us non-football watching girls while all the other folks were beginning the football watching marathon (with the 10 am Iowa game). She gave us the keys to her car and sent us shopping. Business was steady at Kohl's and Walmart. You almost wouldn't know it was a "holiday". Thanks Mom P (oka Grandma Peek).

Speaking of football, my sister-in-law and her family had quite a saga yesterday heading to the Iowa game in Tampa. From Kansas City (where they had driven from Omaha) US Airways could get them to Charlotte (their hub), but the plane to Tampa was down for maintenance. After much figuring and worrying, they decided to go on to Charlotte. Then, they hitched a flight to Jacksonville, FL, landing at 1 am. They rented a car and drove to Tampa, arriving at 5 am. Early this morning, these die-hard Iowa fans were tailgating and then it was on to the game where Iowa beat South Carolina 31 to 10. Needless to say, their sheer determination made the win all that sweeter.

Happy New Year and safe travels everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Travel Weather/Meteor Shower

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Snow will continue to be a problem across the northern Rockies and the Great Lakes and New England on Thursday (New Year's Day). The coldest spot will be northern Maine with highs in the single digits. The northern plains will be in the teens. Highs will be in the 60s and 70s across the southern tier of states.

Meanwhile, Houston will start in the 40s and end in the 60s. A few showers are possible. Friday will be warmer with highs in the 70s. Look for thunderstorms on Saturday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
As 2008 ends, we are reminded that time keeps going by. So, let's do time or tiempo, pronounced tee-EHM-poh. It is tiempo for a new year--2009.

It's a new year and the perfect time to resolve to learn languages and to help your children learn languages--then they will enjoy improvements in memory, higher scores on standardized math and science tests, accurate pronunciation, and enhanced cognitive development. A great way is with our DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, winner of two prestigious educational awards. So, order it now--from our web site www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. If you are more interested in a full immersion type product, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
With a new moon approaching, the timing could not be better for a special meteor shower on Saturday morning, January 3rd. The view will be especially good for folks in western North America where observers could see as many as 1 to 2 meteors per minute in the predawn sky. This is the expected peak of the Quadrantids.

Nothing like looking forward to another spectacular display in the sky after New Year's Eve fireworks. Happy New Year everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Travel Weather/2009 Hurricane Season Forecast/Brett Favre

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

The Weather Research Center has published its forecast for the 2009 hurricane season. They are calling for a 40% chance of a tropical storm or hurricane hitting Texas. The average chance is 51%. So, the odds are in our favor against getting hit next season. Remember that doesn't guarantee there won't be a strike and any strike can be very serious. The Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama coast has the highest chance - 70%--average chance is 59%. Here is the link to the article:
http://www.wxresearch.org/press/2009huroutlook.pdf

Trouble spots tonight are around the Great Lakes states, especially Michigan, New York and much of New England and the northern Rockies/Intermountain Region. These will also be the worst areas for winter travel on Wednesday. Be sure to check with your airline especially for flights to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City and Boston.

The cold spot will be the northern plains with highs in the single digits.

Houston will be very comfortable with lows in the 40s and highs near 60 on Wednesday. It will be a bit cooler on Thursday with more cloud cover. Also, look for some showers on Thursday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do new year or año nuevo, pronounced AHN-yo new-A-voh. It's almost time for the año nuevo.

We are doing a new poll about resolutions for the New Year. If you are resolving to make more money, you might want to know that research shows that people who know more than one language (on average) make more money. So, make your New Year's resolution one of helping your children or grandchildren or other loved ones, learn Spanish. A great way is with our DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, winner of two prestigious educational awards. So, order it now--from our web site www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. If you are more interested in a full immersion type product, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Does anyone know why Brett Favre's name is pronounced Farv? I know they joked about it in the movie, Something About Mary. But they didn't answer it. I'm sorry but no matter how I look at that name, I just can't reconcile the way it is pronounced. Did someone in the media mispronounce it early on and then Brett just gave up and let it go? I wouldn't even be asking this question except there is a lot of football watching up here in Iowa. And we watched the game with Brett Favre yesterday.

Happy bowl game watching!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Monday, December 29, 2008

Travel Weather/Important Tire Safety Information/Poll Results/New Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
A new mass of cold air is pushing southward. Highs on Tuesday will be in the low single digits over the northern plains. There will be snow over the northern Rockies and northern Intermountain region and some snow/rain/ice in Chicago on Tuesday.

Houston will enjoy another cool morning and mild afternoon. Next front arrives Thursday with storms.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Since most of us eat a lot over the holidays, let's do to eat or comer, pronounced coh-MARE.

Make your New Year's resolution one of helping your children or grandchildren or other loved ones, learn Spanish. A great way is with our DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, winner of two prestigious educational awards. So, order it now--from our web site www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. If you are more interested in a full immersion type product, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Our latest poll (How do you think 2009 will compare to 2008?) is closed. 66% said they think it will be better and 33% said they think it will be worse...no one thought it would be the same.

Our new poll is about resolutions for the new year...note you can select more than one answer.

My friend Tom Ryan, formerly of the Texas Dept. of Public Safety, sent me a link to a very important safety story about tires (from ABC's 20/20). If you don't want to watch the whole 9 minutes, go to the last 3 and you will learn about a code on the tire which tells you when the tire was made. A British safety council says you should not sell a tire that is 6 or more years old because the tread can fail. Look for numbers at the end of all the other information printed on the tire (it might be on the inside). 3202 means the tire was made in the 32nd week of 2002. 239 means the tire was made int he 23rd week of of 1999 and so on. Thanks Tom! Here is the link:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

One more news item from Dairy Queen--and I am not being paid for this. They have baby sundaes...you just have to ask for them...just like you can get a kid's cone. That's good to know if your resolution includes eating fewer calories and fat grams.

Have a terrific Tuesday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman