More comfortable/Burgers and Butterflies/Most Painful Stilettos

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Jimena is the big story tonight given that the winds are 140 mph (Cat. 4) and it could run right over the Baja California peninsula in a couple days. Kevin to the west, is not a concern to anyone except shipping interests.

In the Atlantic, Invest 94 has greater than a 50% chance to become a named storm within 2 days. This is according to The National Hurricane Center. Next storm name is Erika. Some of the new model runs are now taking it on a path further to the south (into the northeast Caribbean). So, we shall see.

A taste of fall across the midwest, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and northeast with lower humidity and more comfortable temperatures. Still hot in west and south Texas and the desert southwest. Thunderstorms mainly south Texas, the southeast and the Rockies.

Houston, the humidity is lower!!! Did you notice it today?! Look for some lows the next to mornings in the low 70s with some outlying areas in the upper 60s. Highs will be in the low 90s. Weak cold front slid just to our south!!! More humid later in the week with some thunderstorms starting late Friday and on and off through the Labor Day weekend.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do butterfly or mariposa, pronounced mah-ree-POH-sah. Have you ever seen 30 mariposas released at one time. Find out more in the AND MORE section.

Our 2nd volume is finished!!! I will send the disks to the DVD replicating company this week. Will let you know when they are ready for ordering. In the meantime, order our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1. Order from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE

Former FOX 26 co-worker Omar Perez is quite the artist (and doesn't care if women's feet hurt) Ha! Check out this pair of stilleto's that he designed courtesy of a Facebook link posted by another FOX 26 co-worker Stuart Green:
http://www.houstonpress.com/events/omar-angel-perez-stilettos-1396160/
So, Omar's art is on display. I know wife Katharine Landmeier is mega proud!!! Just don't wear those things okay?!

Saturday was the second annual Burgers and Butterflies get together at my friend Kim's house. It was 2 years ago that Kim and Patrick as well as sister Grace Ann and brother Connor lost baby brother Christian due to complications from cri du chat syndrome. Kim and Patrick are amazingly brave and God trusting parents. They went through so much trying to keep little Christian as healthy and comfortable as possible. When, they lost him, they grieved and held their family even closer.

Since then, Kim, a registered nurse has done amazing things including working Texas Children's neonatal folks on improving conditions for families there. She began working again as a nurse, providing home care for families who have seriously ill children. And she and Patrick put together the Burgers and Butterflies annual celebration. At the first year's event, they were the only family. But through a grief support group, they have met other families who have lost children. This year they recognized these families. Kim orders dozens of monarch butterflies. They are shipped to Houston in a cooler and over 24 hours allowed to warm up. They are carefully tucked into see -through envelopes. After some thoughtful words, Kim gives everyone the go ahead to carefully remove the butterflies, allowing them to open and close their wings until they are ready to fly away...just as all the little children flew away to heaven. It is very moving. Kim wants everyone to know that their grief support group welcomes newcomers--anyone who has lost a child including those who have lost through miscarriage. If you would like to join, send me an email to cecilia_sinclair@yahoo.com.

If you would like to learn more about support for cri du chat syndrome families, go to:
http://www.fivepminus.org/

Give your youngsters an extra kiss and hug tonight. Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Bumpy Weather Potential/Tropical Update/Poll Results/New Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Danny is now a tropical depression and losing it's tropical characteristics so this morning's National Hurricane Center advisory was the last one. Meanwhile, watching Invest 94, which is in an area with low wind shear and should be able to develop. Forecast path looks to be northwest...kind of like Danny and Bill's. Will monitor.

In the Pacific, Jimena is now a hurricane and should become a major hurricane over the weekend. No direct impact on land likely...but the path could be parallel to the Baja Peninsula.

A hint of fall this weekend across the midwest and moving into the northeast with a cold front. There will be thunderstorms ahead of it and out over the Rockies. Very hot and humid Texas and southwest with highs in the 90s and 100s. Mild along the west coast and northern states.

Houston, we've had a few rough isolated storms. Look for some action late Saturday into early Sunday...I'm thinking some power outages and some heavy downpours. Cold front is nearby but only areas to northwest will get a break from humidity. Fewer storms this week and high pressure digs in stronger.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do Christmas or Navidad, pronounced nah-vee-DAHD. Are you thinking about Navidad yet...participate in our new poll

Hey...you can order Navidad gifts now and avoid the rush and stress. Order our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1. Order from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
With back to school in mind, my friend Leslie Williams, Houston Chronicle writer, sent me the following 2 stories about people and events helping our youngsters get the supplies they need. There is more need than ever this year.
Thanks Leslie for sharing:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6586132.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6586125.html

Our poll on saving at the grocery store is closed. More than one answer was allowed. 60% siad they used coupons, looks for ads and deals, and looked for deals while shopping. 40% said they buy in bulk. 80% said they purchase generic or store brands. 20% said they don't even grocery shop. And 0% said they buy whatever they want. Thanks to all who participated.

Our new poll is about the upcoming Christmas holidays...apologizing in advance for my Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim friends. I was just thinking this week, when it was August 25th, (and especially with it being so hot and humid) that we are only 4 months from Christmas. So, when do you start shopping/preparing for Christmas. Only one answer is allowed. Thanks to all who participate.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Your Meal Ticket/Make Money because of Your Car/Thunderstorms Central Texas

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Danny is a low grade tropical storm...forecast to take a path very similar to Bill's. Further east, there is yet another area to watch, Invest 94.

Some major excitement in central Texas tonight as thunderstorms bring much needed rain. I think it even rained in parched Bandera--right Gerry (that's my stepdad who lives in the Bandera). Thanks to my bud, Mike Guerrero, who lives in San Antonio. He told me on Facebook that there is some lightning.

On Friday, there will be scattered storms in Texas and much of the southeast US. Highs will be in the 90s and 100s in Texas and the southwest. L.A. will be warmer than it has been ina while with a high in the mid to upper 80s. Rest of country in 70s and 80s.

Houston will be hot and humid with scattered storms. Weekend looks very similar with perhaps slightly fewer storms.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do money or dinero, pronounced dee--NAIR-oh. To get some ideas on how to get more dinero, see the AND MORE section.

It doesn't cost much dinero, but it sure pays back in the long run--early language learning. Take the first step. Order our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1. Order from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Okay, I'm into this money marking/bargain mode...so don't forget to answer our poll before it closes.

Now, let's talk another money saving option...the IHOP on 59 in Houston has on its sign that says kids eat free 4 pm to 10 pm 7 days a week.

And how about an easy way to make money. If you are willing to put ads on your car, and you get picked, you could make anywhere between $300 and $900 per month for up to 3 months. Check out the web site:
http://myfreecar.com/

Okay...I need to go to bed. Got that pilot shoot tomorrow.
Happy Friday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Update/Rain for the Weekend/The Hannah Montana Movie

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Active area near the Bahamas is on the verge of becoming a tropical storm. Next name is Claudette. In the Pacific, Ignacio is taking a path to the northwest...not threatening any land area. There are also 2 other areas to watch.

On Wednesday, highs will be in the 90s and 100s in Texas and the Desert Southwest. Highs will be in the 90s for much of the country. It will be mild along west coast, Great Lakes, northern New England. Many areas will have thunderstorms but no severe storm risk areas have been designated by the Storm Prediction Center.

In Houston, it will be more hot and humid weather with isolated thunderstorms. Look for more widespread storms over the weekend and early in the coming week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do climb or subida, pronounced sue-BEE-dah. I love Hannah Montana's song about life being a subida. Check it out in the AND MORE section.

Well the climb continues...finished the technical review on Volume 2. So, after the final edits, we will order the first 1000 copies. In the meantime, you can order our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1. Order from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Working on content for the segment being shot soon for the Positively Houston pilot. They have a web site:
http://www.positivelyhouston.com/
On the sports side, it's a small world as I worked with Steve Mark when I first joined FOX. Anyway, I will be in the pilot and if that goes well, I will be involved with a regular show.

So you know this summer is hot, but here's something you may not know. For Houston, the period June 1st through August 20th is the warmest on record!!! No wonder the pools felt like hot tubs. Meanwhile, my in-laws in Council Bluffs Iowa finally got some warm weather...although Mom P. did say they were in the 50s over the weekend. Check out the complete report form the Houston National Weather Service.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/climate/reviews/082009pns.txt

Megan brought over The Hannah Montana Movie and we enjoyed watching it over the weekend. We had taken Sarah to see it when it was first released to the movie theaters. The movie is really well done and I absolutely love the song about Life's a Climb...it talks about how you need to enjoy what you are going through...you'll always have goals and difficulties...just keep going and enjoy the present while you keep trying. That certainly has been how my life has been these past 2 years since I left television. I have so relished Sarah and family time while working hard to launch my DVD series etc. It has been very hard and very fulfilling.

Finally, I was thinking about all the great, dedicated teachers I know, especially where Sarah is attending school. I was so blessed to have wonderful teachers. I especially feel a tremendous debt to Mr. Edwin Bates, my high school math and science teacher. He had a graduate degree from MIT. Yet, he chose to return to the Rio Grande Valley and teach and farm. He changed my whole life! I'll never forget.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Wave More Active/Back To School Memories/This Week's Forecast

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
As I write this, Bill is a low end Category 1 hurricane. It is now losing its tropical characteristics but still packing a wallop--lots of rough surf for coastal Maine, Nova Scotia and next in line is Newfoundland. Then it is forecast to move across the Atlantic and pass over the northern U.K. as a tropical depression strength storm.

Meanwhile, the tropical wave I mentioned on Friday, has become re-invigorated. The National Hurricane Center says there is less than a 30% chance of it becoming a tropical storm within 2 days. Shear is low in the area and the forecast shear looks mostly favorable. So, we shall see.

In the eastern Pacific, there is an area of disturbed weather which will likely become a tropical depression very soon. Further west, in the central Atlantic is Tropical Storm Hilda. Its forecast path is westerly, well south of Hawaii.

In the south central US and southwest, highs on Monday will be in the 90s and 100s. It will be warm and muggy across most of the US as the jet stream is way north. Highs will be in the 70s along coastal California and along the northern tier of states. There will be thunderstorms in the southwest and eastern US.

In Houston, highs will be in the middle 90s all week. There is a chance of isolated shower or thunderstorm each day (mainly in the late afternoon and evening).

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do excited, entusiasmado or entusiasmada, pronounced ehn-too-see-ahs-MAH-doh or ehn-too-see-ahs-MAH-dah. A lot of kids are entusiasmado and entusiasmada this evening with school starting tomorrow.

Well, it's back to learning and what better way to help your kids with cognitive development than language learning. Research shows there are all kindsof benefits including improved math and science scores on standardized tests. Get them started by ordering our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1. Order from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Sarah starts 2nd grade on Monday. I remember when I started second grade. I got to school and as I was waiting to go into class, I saw this nun with boogley eyes and I remember thinking to myself, thank goodness I don't have that lady as my teacher. It was one of those "it can't happen to me" moments. Well, you figured it out, she was my teacher!!! Her name was Sister Anna and she ended up being one of my favorite teachers of all time. After a while, I didn't notice her boogley eyes at all. Definitely a lesson in don't judge a book by its cover!!!

To all of our kids starting school soon, have a wonderful first day!!!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Up Next in the Tropics/Positively Houston/Saving Money at Grocery

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Hurricane Bill is weaker this evening (than it was last evening at this time). It is going through a cycle of reorganizing and possibly restrengthening (but not for long) as it heads to cooler waters. It is looking very likely that Bermuda will be spared a hit.

Meanwhile, a new tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic becomes the new focus of scrutiny. So far, it is not very impressive and conditions are not exactly hospitable. But that could change in a couple days. So, I'll keep you posted.

In the Pacific, there are 3 areas being watched. The most western one will probably become a tropical depression soon. Right now, it looks like it will travel south of southern Hawaii. But I'll keep watching it.

Trough/Ridge/Trough pattern will keep things cooler west and east and hot in the central part of the country. On Saturday and Sunday, highs will be in the 90s in Texas and th desert Southwest. It will be mild along the west coast of California, the Pacific Northwest and the northeast. There will be thunderstorms in many places but right not the Storm Prediction Center is not specifying any severe risk areas.

Houston hit 100 on Friday. The combination of heat and humidity and a shortwave traveling southward in the upper flow, ignited some severe storms in the Houston area Friday evening. Heat advisory is in effect through 8 pm Saturday. Look for some scattered storms Saturday and some isolated ones on Sunday--hot and humid it will be through the weekend.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do grocery store or tienda, pronounced tee-EHN-dah. How do you save money at the tienda? Answer our new poll. For details, see the AND MORE section.

Well here's a good deal...30 minutes of entertainment and learning that you can access over and over and all for the price of a DVD...buy it today, our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1. Order from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
I am super excited because I have been invited to help make a pilot for a show called Positively Houston. A good friend, Christina Maxwell, has been working on this project for 4 years. The idea is to create a show that highlights the good news about Houston. If it all works out, this could become a weekly offering. Will keep you posted.

Our poll on the best aspect of children going back to school is closed. 57% said it is the more steady routine. 14% said they are tired of keeping the kids busy, 14% said the kids will be able to reconnect with friends and 14% said that the kids are bored. 0% said they will spend less money because of it and 0% said it will make their work schedule easier. Thanks to all who participated.

Our new poll is about saving money at the grocery store. How do you try to save money or do you even try? More than one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

By the way, HEB a delicious store brand of fig newtons that is close to $1 a package. Regular few newtons are about 3 times the cost, and I don't think they taste as good.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Bill Amazing but not too threatening

Hello all -
I'm super late with this blog...so I am going to just update you on the weather. On my next post, I'll have a new poll and more.

First of all, its good that it doesn't look like Hurricane Bill will directly strike any land area at it's current intensity. Sure has made a pretty satellite picture! It will probably graze Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in about 3 days with reduced intensity. In the meantime, all of the eastern seaboard will have to deal with rough surf--dangerous rip currents.

Otherwise, there is nothing else in the Atlantic tropics. Ana remnants essentially gone. Long range models show something developing in western Atlantic next week. Most threatened location will be Bermuda. In the Pacific, there is one little area that has less than a 30% chance to develop.

In the continental US, the pattern looks fairly steady for about a week. Ridge over central part of country with troughiness west and east. On Friday, the eastern trough is not quite to the east coast (thus the likelihood of severe storms in the northeast). Highs will be in the 90s and 100s over the southern plains and southwest and there will be some 90s along the east coast. Highs will be in the 60s and 70s west coast, northern states and Great Lakes.

Houston will continue to be like a sauna with mainly afternoon and early evening showers and thunderstorms. There will be at least a slight chance for rain until Sunday.

Happy TGIF!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Bill a Major Hurricane/Ana Remnants/Buying Store Brands

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Bill is now a major hurricane (with 125 mph winds as I write this). The biggest concern is for Bermuda which is within the National Hurricane Center's cone of uncertainty. The remnants of Ana are now over Florida and will continue westward into the Gulf. Chances are very low that it will redevelop. But I will keep a close eye on it. In the Pacific, Guillermo is way north of Hawaii.

Trough is over the north central part of the country allowing ridging west and east. By the end of the weekend, everything shifts east and then the trough is over the east and the ridge builds back over the central part of the country. That will cool things down in the east.

Highs in the south and southwest are in the 90s and 100s. In the north central part of the country, highs will be in the 60s and 70s and on the west coast. Look for some severe weather central to midwest.

Houston will be hot and humid with more cooling thunderstorms. Look for this pattern to continue through Saturday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do shop or comprar, pronounced cohm-PRAR. When you shop, do you buy generic or storebrand items? See discussion in the AND MORE section.

Got the final draft of Volume 2. I am checking it one more time (going over it with a fine tooth comb). In the meantime, you can order our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1...from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Do you buy generic items? I have been testing out various generic or storebrand items--trying to save those grocery dollars. I have been pleasantly surprised at how good everything is. There is one big exception--the generic noodles from HEB...yuck!!! The generic veges at HEB are very good--you can get the no salt added ones...1/10 the sodium of regular canned veges. HEB has some fantastic tears for eyes which are about a 1/2 the cost of the more expensive eye drops. HEB's store brand cereals are all excellent. I have tried several varieties...from cheerios equivalent to cinnamon toast crunch equivalent. Also their Lubriderm equivalent is very good. Target has some excellent store brand products. Their pancake mix is very good. They also have Viactiv calcium chew equivalents that are about 2/3 the cost. Walgreen's has a generic undereye cream (like the Aveeno cream) which is about 60% of the cost.

By buying this way, I have been able to cut my grocery bills by 25% on average. That is really adding up.

Here's to more money in our wallets.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Update/Prospect for Storms/La Cucaracha Visits the Wiggles

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Claudette made landfall early this morning. Meanwhile, Ana is now just an open tropical wave near the Dominican Republic. National Hurricane Center says that it has less than a 30% chance of redeveloping in the next 2 days. Will keep an eye on it. Bill has become the first hurricane of the season and could pass by Bermuda as a major hurricane on Friday.

In the central Pacific, Guillermo has weakened to a tropical storm and is not a threat to Hawaii.

In the US on Tuesday, look for some severe storms in the south central US. Ridge over eastern ridge will shift eastward with a trough moving in from the west over the next few days. In the meantime, it will be very hot and humid over the eastern US. Look for mild weather along the west coast of California and the north central plains. Highs will be in the 90s in the south and in the 100s in the southwest.

Houston will be hot and humid on Tuesday with scattered showers and thunderstorms mainly in the afternoon.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do cockroach or cucaracha, pronounced coo-cah-RAH-chah. I recently heard someone sing a song called La Cucaracha...find out about it in the AND MORE section.

The animal we have in our award winning Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 1, is a dog named Max. You can see him and the 45 kids in the video by ordering your own copy today...from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
August 18th is the anniversary of the last major hurricane to hit Houston (Alicia back in 1983). Remember that Ike was not officially a "major" hurricane with the wind officially set at 110 mph at landfall (1 mph short of major status). Anyway, Alicia was much smaller in size than Ike, but it's path across downtown Houston caused plenty of damage--thousands of downtown windows were broken and thousands of trees were knocked down.

When we saw The Wiggles show 2 weeks ago, I was perplexed when a performer named Fernando was invited to come on stage and sing La Cucharacha. He and his family were sitting in the front seat. I finally figured out that this is Fernando Moguels, who had a part in The Woogles DVD Hoop-Dee-Do. La Cucharacha means cockroach and I ran into a very active one in the garage last night. I was dancing La Cucharacha and then some, trying to get away from it. Sarah asked me if it was dead and I said, no honey, it is anything but. To myself I said, the only good roach is a dead roach. Eeeekkkk....they creep me out.

On that skin crawling note, I'll say goodnight. Have a terrific Tuesday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Claudette forms in Gulf!/I was a Hurricane Hunter/This Week's Weather

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Wow! There is not a dull moment lately. While Ana weakened and became a tropical depression today, the system in the eastern Gulf got its act together and at 11 am, the National Hurricane Center announced that Tropical Storm Claudette had formed! Don't forget that we also have Bill out in the Atlantic and it will likely become a hurricane tonight.

First of all, Ana has a tough road ahead because its path will be primarily over islands such as Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. If it holds together, it will emerge in the southeastern Gulf around Thursday and probably be in the central Gulf end of the week. So, we need to watch it carefully. My gut is that it won't head toward Houston because of the steering pattern around the Bermuda High. But it is way too soon to tell. And strength-wise, again, it may not even survive moving over so much land. But I'll keep a close eye on it. This is a good time to revisit your supplies and preparedness plans.

Looks like Bill is going to stay away from the US. By Wednesday, it could be a major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) with Bermuda being most threatened.

Claudette should make landfall Sunday night along the northeastern Gulf (Florida panhandle) and then bring rain to the southeast US.

I haven't forgotten about Hurricane Guillermo in the eastern Pacific. It will weaken as it moves over cooler water and it looks like Hawaii will be spared a hit.

On Monday, eastern ridge has flattened a bit but it is still most pronounced southcentral and eastern US. Trough is over north central US and that is where the highs in the 70s will be. Highs will also be in the 70s along coastal California. The Pacific Northwest will be in the 70s and 80s. Highs will be in the 100s in the desert southwest. Look for 90s from Texas to Boston. Look for some severe storms from Colorado to Illinois.

Houston continues hot and humid...there will be more of that this week with scattered showers and thunderstorms (some with heavy downpours) on Monday and Tuesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do hunter or cazador, pronounced cah-zah-DOOR. I am a cazador...to find out what I have hunted, read the And More section.

I was at the editor's this afternoon. We were finishing up some final edits of Volume 2 of our DVD series for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. It's almost done and I am super excited about how nice it looks. Until it is ready, you can purchase our winning Volume 1 DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from the shelves of many Barnes & Noble stores throught the US. If not there, you can also order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Seeing Claudette form today reminded of the last Claudette--the one I flew through!!! It was in July of 2003 that Hurricane Claudette hit the upper Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane. Because of where it came in and the forward speed, it actually caused a Category 3 type storm surge in a small area of coastal Brazoria and Matagorda counties. In Houston, it mostly brought some sporadic heavy rain and some gusty winds. When the storm was first moving into the Gulf, I flew through it. The flight took about 10 hours and was quite memorable. I thought I was doing so well. But when they kept making passes through the center over and over, (I think on the 10th pass), I lost it...and I think you know what I mean. I had been on the headsets talking to the crew. They wondered how I was doing and kind of laughed and joked around. After I got sick, I felt so foolish. But later, they told me that even those of them who had flown thousands of missions got sick a lot, because your inner ear just can't get used to that. The aircraft was a very well maintained WC-130...been around since the 50s I think. When it got dark, there was no way to get your bearings...can't see the horizon and the few windows they have where you sit in the cargo hold are really small and high. So, you just get sick.

Anyway, they gave me a nice certificate to help me remember the adventure and here is what it said.
"Honorary Hurricane Hunter
Let it be known to the world that Cecilia Sinclair did, with great skill and remarkable airmanship, penetrate for the first time the eyewall of a fully-developed hurricane [PLEASE NOTE IT WAS NOT YET A HURRICANE WHEN I FLEW THROUGH IT BUT IT WAS BUMPY ENOUGH-BELIEVE ME!]. This individual's undaunted dedication and fearless devotion to duties, while being bounced, rocked, rolled and slammed about the aircraft interior reflect great credit, luck and a high threshold for personal injury. In testimony thereof, this certificate is awarded to this "Hurricane Hunter" for meritorious achievement while participating in the penetration of Tropical Storm Claudette aboard a WC-130 Hercules Aircraft given under my hand at Keesler AFB, Mississippi this 11th day of July 2003."
And it was signed by Brigadier General Rick Ethredge, Commander, 403rd Wing.

I'll tell you more war stories later. But I also want to tell you about Tropical Storm Claudette of 1979 which dumped extremely heavy rain south of Houston. In Alvin, it dropped a total of 45" of rain (43 of those inches in 24 hours). That 43 was never made official--but if it was--that would be the all time greatest 24 hour rainfall in all of North America--and that was right here in our own backyard!!! Even 2001's Allison did not come close to that total. That one did have some 20" in 10 hours east of Houston and it was so devastating because highly populated areas were hit hard.

I'll keep an eye on all of those storms for you whether it be a Claudette, Ana or something else.

Have a great week!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Storm Bill forms! Watching low pressure in eastern Gulf!

Quick update this evening to tell you that Tropical Storm Bill formed today (east of Tropical Storm Ana). The forecast is for Bill to become a hurricane but not make it into the Gulf. Ana is forecast to stay a tropical storm and probably make it into the Gulf. Also watching area of low pressure in the eastern Gulf which should move northwest toward the north central Gulf coast. National Hurricane Center says that it is not expected to become a tropical storm in the next 48 hours. More to come!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Storm Ana forms in Atlantic/Congratulations Habitat for Humanity

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
The first named storm in the Atlantic has formed. This was Tropical Depression #2 which fell apart, but the remnants moved into a more favorable environment and now voila, here is Tropical Storm Ana! The storm is forecast to gradually strengthen as it approaches the eastern US. Meanwhile, all eyes are on the disturbed area east of Ana. This has more than a 50% chance of becoming a storm (according to the National Hurricane Center) probably within 2 days. If that happens, it will be named Bill. According to some of the models, this storm could be a major (Category 3) hurricane within 5 days...latest model forecast paths take it toward the southeast US. It is way to soon to tell.

In the Pacific, Guillermo is now a major hurricane. National Hurricane Center projects it will probably move off to the north of Hawaii as it weakens.

In the US, ridge is over eastern part of the country while trough is digging out west and over north central US. Look for severe storms just east of there. In fact, there are storms moving through Iowa this am...none yet severe as of this writing. Highs over northern plains and on west coast will be in the 70s while highs will be in the 90s and 100s over Texas and the desert southwest. Elsewhere, expect low 90s and 80s.

Houston will be hot and humid with some isolated storms both Saturday and Sunday. Nothing new there!

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do home or casa, pronounced CAH-sah. Habitat for Humanity has completed yet another casa. See the story in the AND MORE section.

Volume 2 is getting close to completion...Talking about our DVD series for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. In the meantime, you can purchase our winning Volume 1 DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from the shelves of many Barnes & Noble stores throught the US. If not there, you can also order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
My niece Courtney graduated (walked) yesterday (Saturday) from Texas A & M. Her husband will complete his degree there this coming May. Her sisters, Brittany and Hannah as well as about 30 friends and family members were on hand to celebrate.

Congratulations to Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity for completing its 50th home!!! They will start the 51st home in Richmond in the fall. For the complete story, go to my friend Leslie Williams article:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6558782.html#

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Update including Tropical Storm Guillermo

Good Morning All -
Just a quick tropical/general weather update this am.

First of all in the Atlantic...good news...Tropical Depression #2 has weakened and latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center is that it will only make it to low end tropical storm strength. Still carefully watching other area just off west coast Africa. Long range models now show it moving across the Atlantic and approaching the southeast US (and not getting into the Gulf).

In the Pacific, T.D. Nine-E has weakened so much that it is now just an area of low pressure. But all eyes are no on newly formed Tropical Storm Guillermo which is forecast to strengthen (at least initially) as it heads in the general direction of Hawaii. Stay tuned.

In the U.S., a trough is digging south in the west U.S. That is making the weather cooler in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. Meanwhile, temperatures are climbing in the eastern U.S. as a ridge of high pressure over the eastern U.S. The hottest spots on Thursday will be Texas and the desert southwest with highs in the 90s and 100s. Some weather is possible Thursday in Montana and western North Dakota.

Houston reached 101 on Thursday!!! I thought it seemed even hotter! Look for a hot and sticky day on Thursday with a location or two close to the century mark. There will also be some scattered storms in the afternoon and early evening--how about those storms on Wednesday!

Have a wonderful day!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropics Getting Busy!/New Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
The tropics are really heating up! First of all in the Pacific, Hawaii still has a Flood Advisory for Oahu and High Surf Warnings (from dissipating Felicia) and as I check the radar this morning, there are more rain bands over Oahu and approaching the northern islands. Now, Tropical Depression Nine-E (see forecast track at right) has developed and long range forecast from National Hurricane Center slowly strengthens it while steering it toward Hawaii. More to come on that.

In the Atlantic, we are watching 4 areas including Tropical Depression #2 which might be Tropical Storm Ana (first named storm of season) by the time you read this post. Good news is that even with some slow strengthening, it should not endanger any land areas. However, the area just off the west coast of Africa does bear watching...long range models suggesting that it will get into the Gulf by the end of next week. The other 2 areas of disturbed weather will be watched but their potential to develop looks limited.

Jet Stream is starting to dig out west which means cooler temperatures will be moving into the Rockies in a couple days while the ridge builds out east. Today, Wednesday, it will reach the 90s and 100s across the southwest and south central US. Look for 80s east. The Pacific Northwest will be nice and cool in the 60s with 70s western California. There will be many areas with thunderstorms, some severe central and east coast (see figure at right).

Houston hit 99 on Tuesday...more hot and sticky weather through the week with some scattered showers and thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do school or escuela, pronounced ehs-CWEH-lah. See our new poll about kids going back to escuela in the AND MORE section.

We are working hard on finishing up Volume 2 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Our technical team is reviewing right now. In the meantime, you can purchase our winning Volume 1 DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from the shelves of many Barnes & Noble stores throught the US. If not there, you can also order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Our last poll on Tiger Woods was a bust...no one had an opinion about his performance and potential to perform. But I'll bet our new poll garners some interest...what is the best thing about the kids going back to school? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weather for the Week/Meeting the Wiggles/Felicia and Hawaii

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Some excitement in the tropical Atlantic with an area of disturbed weather off the west coast of Africa which has a 30 to 50% chance for development (according to the National Hurricane Center). It is moving westward about 10 to 15 mph...at least 7 days from any land impacts.

Felicia is now a tropical storm...forecast by the National Hurricane Center to potentially move through the Hawaii Islands..particularly Mauii and surrounding islands as a tropical depression on Tuesday. More to come on that.

Ridge has flattened and the jet stream is way north...that means highs in the 90s as far north as Boston and Medford, Oregon and 100s in the desert southwest. Milder 70s and 80s along the west coast and northern states. Look for some severe storms from the plains to the northeast.

Houston had some beneficial thunderstorms over the weekend. Look for some isolated storms each day of this week...still hot and sticky though.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
A special thank you to dear friend and fluent Spanish speaker Tom Ryan. He caught a typo in Friday's spanish word of the day. I guess I shouldn't be writing these blogs so late in the day. Thanks Tom! Never ever want to teach a word incorrectly. The word for treatment is tratamiento, pronounced trah-tah-mee-EHN-toe.

Today, let's do concert or concierto, pronounced cown-see-AIR-toe. The Wiggles gave a fabulous live concierto today at Hobby Center.

And speaking of performances, we just reviewed the our upcoming 2nd volume of the Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, My Day, My Body, My Feelings. Just a few more finishing touches and a technical review and it will be released! Will let you know soon! Plan on purchasing that one for all your holiday gifts for kids.

In the meantime, you can purchase our winning Volume 1 DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from the shelves of many Barnes & Noble stores throught the US. If not there, you can also order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Today was a super exciting day!!! We not only went to see The Wiggles Go Bananas! Live in Concert show but we also met the Wiggles in person. Because Sarah has a syndrome and I knew that The Wiggles were originally educators and have a special place in their hearts for special needs children, I asked if Sarah could meet them. And the answer was certainly. We had to be there by noon and at about 12:20, Sarah, Gordy and I and other special children and their families were ushered to a private room where the Wiggles visited with us and allowed us to take pictures like the one you see at right. Sarah was sure to ask about Greg and how he is feeling. And she told Captain Feathersword, "Hi there Captain Feathersword" and he said, "Ahoy there matey". The coolest part is that later we saw Anthony and he said "Nice meeting you Sarah". he remembered her name after meeting all those families. I found that quite touching and impressive.

Speaking of touching, I ran into Linda Rosas, a friend of my Aunt Elizabeth Gearhart, who has worked closely with the ill at Comfort House in McAllen. Elizabeth was very involved in the care of Victor Alvarez, a youngster with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Well, Linda's granddaughter Courtney Rosas also has SMA. Linda is devoted to making Courtney's quality of life as good as it can possibly be. Courtney is now 6 thanks to the tender loving care provided by her and her daughter, Courtney's mother. Linda quit her job once they received the diagnosis and has taken shifts with her daughter for the care of Courtney. They never get more than 4 hours of sleep at a time and have run through all of their savings. They are having a fundraiser on October 4th at Clear Lake Lanes Bowling Alley. It will be a 50s theme. To get more information, contact Linda at courtneysgrandma41303@hotmail.com. And be sure to check out their web site www.our-sma-angels.com/CourtneyBrooke. By the way, August is national Spinal Muscular Atrophy awareness month.

A couple of the dancers, Karl and Mario, took the photos with the Wiggles before the show. Karl met Anthony at a gymnastics center where he worked and Anthony invited him to come on the show. He has been with the group since last Spring. Mario is a dancer who has been with the group for 3 years. I noticed Mario had a bandage on his arm and I asked him if he had hurt a muscle and he said yes. I asked about the Wiggles themselves getting injuries since they are as old as me (and some of them are older!). He said that they get massages and have had troubles on and off. For example, Murray has had trouble with a nagging injury in his leg.

Well anyway, the reason Anthony was visiting the gym is because he is all into working out in gymnastics now. We have a DVD from one of the older shows and there is mostly dancing. But now they have some gymnasts and do a lot of gymnastics in the show...including Anthony, Captain Feathersword and Jeff. All of them including Murray have become super thin. But the most changed is Anthony...he was sooooooooo skinny. Looks like he is having a great time getting in shape! He seemed to really enjoy himself.

Yesterday, we met up with the twins at the pool. Alexander and Michael are now up to 9 and 11 pounds respectively. They are 3 and half months old. Alexander slept most of the time. But Michael was smiling and wiggling. I got to cuddle him for a long time. Both are doing very well. And so are proud parents Ned and Danielle and big brother Teddy.

Well gotta run! Have a wonderful week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Rain in Forecast/Hurricane Felicia/Best Cancer Treatment

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Atlantic is quiet. In the Pacific, Enrique is a tropical depression. Felicia should start to weaken soon. But according to the National Hurricane Center, a weakened depression over tropical storm strength version of it should move over Hawaii late Monday. More to come on that.

Ridge is shifting eastward and it is going to be a very hot weekend from the southern plains into the southeast with middle and high 90s and highs humidity. There will be thunderstorms in many locations but the severe threat will be in the northern plains and western Great Lakes states.

Houston hit 99 on Friday. Some isolated storms brought 1.5 inches of rain to Sugar Land and 1.3 inches in League City. Isolated storms are possible again on Saturday with highs in the middle to upper 90. Looks like there will be some scattered storms on Sunday with slightly cooler temperatures.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do tratimiento, pronounced trah-tee-mee-EHN-toe. There is a unique cancer tratimiento in Houston. Learn about it in the AND MORE section.

Our award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, is on the shelves of Barnes & Noble store throught the US. Please look for it and encourage your family and friends to purchase it. We are being tested. We gave them 650 DVDs and in 6 weeks, 43 have sold. I was told by our distributor that is excellent for an educational product in the summer. It should keep us in Barnes & Noble's good graces. But, it sure would help if we sold more. You can also order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
I put a picture of the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Treatment Center to the right. This is where my stepdad recently completed a course of treatment. This is more than just your standard radiation treatment. This is a very specific radiation that starts and ends at precisely the right point to avoid damaging healthy tissue ahead of and behind the cancer area. There are only 2 facilities in the world which have this kind of technology and this is one of them. My stepdad was able to lead his normally crazy busy life with a minimal impact. We are happy to report that he has completed the course of treatment--I believe there were 38 sessions. His followup will be in 3 months.

As I've mentioned, I am on the board of The John C. Freeman Weather Museum. The associated Weather Research Center does lots of research including tropical meteorology. Their forecast for this year is 7 named storms, 4 of those hurricanes. On August 4th (3 days ago), Dr. William Gray and colleage Dr. Phil Klotzbach issued a revised forecast for this season (partly based on the El Nino which as developed). They are now calling for 10 named storms, 4 of those hurricanes, 2 of those major hurricanes. They forecast issued in early June called for 11, 5, and 2 respectively. An average season has 10, 6 and 2 respectively. The following is an excerpt from a report recently released by the Weather Research Center discussing how we have had no storms yet and how that does not guarantee a problem free season (as proven through previous seasons with slow starts).

"Since Weather Research Center [WRC] does not update their Seasonal urricane Outlook during the season, they continue to expect a total of seven namedstorms in the Atlantic with four intensifying into hurricanes. There have been 30 otherhurricane seasons when the first storm formed after August 1, since 1900. There have been only four seasons [1941, 1920, 1914 and 1905] when the first storm formed afterSeptember 1. The last time we experienced a similar late season start was 2004 whenAlex formed on August 1, according to Weather Research Center [WRC] meteorologist Jill F. Hasling. However, a late start does not mean a break. For example, Ivan theTerrible occurred in 2004 and in 1988, Gilbert became a large Category 5 hurricane.And who could forget Hurricane Alicia in 1983 which was a Category 3 hurricane whenit made landfall in Galveston.The peak of activity for the Atlantic Hurricane Season is from August 15 to September15 so we still need to be prepared.WRC’s 2009 outlook gives the Louisiana to Alabama coast the highest risk ofexperiencing a tropical storm or hurricane. Additionally, the outlook anticipates seven hurricane days and 47 tropical storm days during this year’s season.Below is a table of the date of the first named storms in the years indicated. There were 30 years from 1900 to 2008 when the date of the first storm was after July 31. There were 18 years whenthe date of the first storm was August 15 or later, 12 years when the date of the first storm wasafter August 20, and four seasons when the date of the first storm was after August 31. Thelatest date for the first named storm was September 15. In other words you have 27.5% chanceof having the first storm after July 31st, 16.5% chance of having the first storm after August 14th, 11% chance of having the first storm after August 20th and 3.7% chance of having the first storm after August 31st."

Speaking of The Weather Research Center, they have a wonderful model page. If you want to see some of the models meteorologists enjoy reviewing, go to this link:

http://wxresearch.com/model.html

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

EcoFriendly Home Extermination/The Shack/Heat Advisory

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Atlantic is quiet. In the Pacific, there is Hurricane Felicia and Tropical Storm Enrique. Felicia is forecast to head toward the Hawaiian Islands (but weaken to a tropical storm or weaker before it affects the islands late Monday). More to come.

Louisville was hit hard by heavy rain on Tuesday. There was a record 4.5 inches. Today, the rain is over but more rain is possible for the end of the week. Area rivers, especially in southern Indiana are rising with some moderate flooding forecast. Some homes will be impacted.

Excessive Heat Warning is in effect through Thursday for Phoenix again.

On Thursday, the ridge which was parked over the central US will slide eastward eventually setting up the southeast US with a moist flow off the Gulf. That means rain will be more likely in Texas and the southeast by late in the weekend.

Thursday's highs will be in the 90s and 100s in Texas and the southwest. There will be a few 90s in the southeast as well as some thunderstorms. Along the west coast, Great Lakes and northeast, there will be highs in the 60s to 80s. Look for severe weather in the northern Rockies and northern Plains to the Midwest.

Houston is under a Heat Advisory until Thursday evening. There is a slight chance (10 to 20%) for thunderstorms, but the ridge should prevent any major outbreaks. Highs will be in the upper 90s to near 100. Highs in Houston on Wednesday and Monday were 100. Look for scattered storms started Sunday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do book or libro, pronounced LEE-broh. Find out what I think about the libro, The Shack, in the AND MORE section.

Speaking of reading, one of the things we do in our award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco is show the words as they are introduced. This way the kids can see the word while learning it. Order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Today was a day of celebration!!! Megan graduated as a Veterinary Paramedic from the program offered by HCC. This program is 12 months (3 semesters) with quizzes or tests almost every day. It is very intense. Words can not explain how very proud we are of Megan. She worked so hard. Factor into that her learning disabilities and you can believe that she worked very, very hard. She is very passionate about animals and she is going to make a wonderful employee for some clinic. Her interest area is mainly dogs and cats. If you know of anyone looking to hire for this role, please let me know.

I won't belabor this, but I will share a brief anecdote about something that happened to Gordy and me. Last fall, we were contacted because someone with Gordy's name wrote a hot check at a Beall's in another city. Gordy has never even shopped at a Beall's. XPressChex sent us a letter demanding payment. When I called they insisted that it was my husband as they had his driver's license number. After numerous phone calls and a couple months, we wrote a letter explaining that they had the wrong person and to check my husband's signature against the one on their check. We copied a letter to our attorney. All of sudden yesterday, we are contacted by a collection agency/attorney and they insist that we pay up. After many hours of phone calls and searching, we were finally contacted today by XPressChex and they had re-looked into the matter. They said that the cashier at Beall's had written the driver's license number down with one number incorrect...and that incorrect number just happened to be the one belonging to Gordy. Because there is a publicly available database where you can look up someone by their DL, we were located and blamed. There is more, but you get the idea. Make sure to question the DL accuracy if this ever happens to you.

A few days ago, I mentioned that when we got back from vacation, we had ants in the master bath. My good friend Peyton said they have also noticed more bugs getting into their house. This brings me back to doing home exterminating. I have some wonderful eco friendly stuff. I started treating my own home when I got curious and did some research. I use a product called EcoExempt, produced by EcoSmart. This stuff is safe for humans--deadly for insects. It is made of 10% Rosemary Oil, 2% Peppermint Oil, and 88% Oil of Wintergreen, Mineral Oil USP, and Vanillin. The directions say that if swallowed, do not induce vomiting, but get medical help if you feel nauseated. The only complaint I have is that the peppermint smell is very strong. After I do an application, I always see dead bugs for several days. Just get a home sprayer and mix with water according to directions. Check out their web site:
http://ecosmart.com/

I finished the book, The Shack, over vacation. It was a fairly quick read. I think this is book is very good for anyone who has had a terrible tragedy. I recommend it. I am not gushing about it, but I think it was healing.

Have a terrific Thursday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weather Shift/Poll Results/New Poll about Tiger Woods

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Atlantic and Pacific are quiet.

Strong ridge over western US eases eastward this week. As it does, all of Texas will be scorching again for the early to later part of the week. The ridge will slide into the eastern US and that means wet weather for the central US starting the end of the coming weekend and into the early part of the coming week.

I took the liberty of posting the 3 month temperature and precipitation outlooks for the US (August through October). Notice that much of the south and southwest is expected to have above normal temperatures while some of the central US and Rockies will have wetter than normal weather.

On Monday, look for 100+ for much of the Intermountain West up to Oregon and into Texas. Phoenix has an Excessive Heat Advisory through Monday. There is a slight risk of severe storms in the the Midwest, but thunderstorms are possible in the southeast, Great Lakes and southern Rockies.

Houston will be very hot and humid with extremely low rain chances. Look for rain to return next Sunday and increase early in the following week. This is going to be a very hot and steamy week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do injured or lesionado, pronounced leh-see-oh-NAH-doh. Tiger Woods and other players sometimes get lesionado. But, how well do they recover? See the AND MORE section for a discussion.

As I mentioned in yesterday's blogs, we will be dealing with feelings (including being sick) in the upcoming Volume 2 of our DVD series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Sad is one of the words. Volume 1 has won 2 major awards and covers topics like Home/Family/Eating/Drinking/Play. Order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE

Our poll about economizing is closed. More than one answer was allowed. 33% said they are eating out less, are purchasing fewer luxuries, are reusing and recycling more, and are using coupons. 66% said they are buying fewer clothes, working harder to find bargains, and working more. 0% said they are going on less expensive vacations, taking staycations, other, or are not economizing at all. Thanks to all who participated.

Our new poll is about Tiger Woods. What is your opinion about his playing ability? More than one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

We're back from our trip and busy with all those settling back in chores. Noticed some ants in the bathroom. Last time this happened was before Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Animals do act differently before weather changes. But as you might note, Rita and Katrina did not directly hit Houston. So, maybe this is a good sign. We'll see! With last year's Hurricane Ike, we did not have any ant trouble beforehand. Hmmm.

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Records in Weather/Severe Threat/Vacation Memories

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Atlantic and Pacific are quiet.

An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for Phoenix and the Seattle area hit a record 103 on Wednesday. Seattle had 3 days of record heat in a row although Saturday’s high should “only” be about 90. It’s that ridge—remember the ridge that brought so much record heat to Texas? Now, the West has been getting the same treatment. Happy first day of August!

As the weekend begins, the ridge is flattening a bit. There is still some troughiness over the northeast US and that is allowing some weak cold fronts to move through the Oklahoma/North Texas, and Arkansas. This will set the stage for thunderstorms and as is the case for today’s weather—some severe cells.

Houston, another hot and steamy day with some scattered showers and thunderstorms. There is a heat advisory for the coastal counties where higher humidity will lead to more stressful heat. Look for even more of the same on Sunday with slightly cooler temperatures due to more rain.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let’s do sad or triste, pronounced TREES-tay. It is so triste when vacation is over.

Feelings are one of the things we cover in our upcoming Volume 2 of our DVD series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Sad is one of the words. Volume 1 has won 2 major awards and covers topics like Home/Family/Eating/Drinking/Play. Order your copy from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, go to http://www.frankypaco.com/.


AND MORE
Heading home from Table Rock Lake. Taking the more scenic route through northern Arkansas. It is not very far from Little Rock to Branson…but on the road we take with hills and turns and little towns, it always takes longer than say an Interstate.

Last year when we were heading home, we stopped at this little restaurant called Kelley’s in Marshall, Texas. There was only one waitress on duty (I think the other one was sick) and the place was packed to the gills with locals. They all gave us that look as we walked in (you know—you aren’t from these parts are you?) Well, the poor waitress was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. So, one of the old-timers got up and started pouring coffee for everyone. It was a really good breakfast—just took some time to get it.
Well, back to this year’s trip--
On Wednesday, we hit the lake early. There are some restaurants on the water where you can dock. One of our favorites is a place called Campbell’s and that’s where I lost my camera. That was a special day though, because Jeremy was with us. Jeremy is the older brother of Lindsay and Kylie. I got some great pictures of him with his sisters right before I lost the camera. That was such a bummer, because Jeremy does not like to have his picture taken. And, he actually had humored me—cooperating and smiling. But, alas, those photos were lost. So, I took one with my picture phone. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity had passed. Jeremy wanted to sleep as he was about to drive back to Chicago. So, all I could get was the photo at righ with Jeremy sleeping while his sisters (so kind and obliging) gave me more nice smiles. Happy to report that Jeremy made it home safely and caught the Cubs/Astros game the next day. He was sure to let us know how bad the Astros were beat. Jeremy had arrived on Sunday evening—a nice surprise for Joni—she didn’t know he was coming.

Thursday was rainy. So, we headed to Branson Landing (on the east side of Branson). That’s on Lake Taneycomo. Lots of your favorite shops, but what we girls really enjoyed was Cantina Laredo. The sign said gourmet Mexican food and I’m thinking “gourmet Mexican”—what in the world is that? Well, now I know. The spices were different than your standard Mexican fare—but not weird—they were unexpectedly delicious. I would love to watch the chefs and see what they use. I had the tortilla soup and chalupa (with chicken). I wouldn’t change a thing about the soup…just perfect. The chalupa was a feast for the eyes with lots of colors and the chicken and some tortilla chips artfully and colorfully arranged. As I looked around at the other plates, they were also works of art. And the dishes were colorful and varied. They also offered both mild and hot salsas with perfectly crisp and non-greasy chips. The wait staff was attentive and just the right amount of friendly. Even though the décor was upscale, the treatment was not ostentatious. I thought with the décor , that the servings would be tiny, but they were substantial enough to allow everyone to leave satisfied if not slightly full. We ate there at lunch and my entrée was only $7.99. I thought that was surprisingly reasonable. See photo at right.

Well, here’s the funny part…as we were leaving, I noticed some newspaper articles which they had displayed in the entryway. The chain was started in Dallas and there happens to be one on Westheimer in Houston. I had never heard of it. So, I guess we’ll be going to check it out.

At the end of Thursday, the sun was out and Friday, we had an absolutely perfect day on the water. Took Sarah for a long ride on the jet ski. The faster the better with her. Just watch her or she’ll try to make it take off on you. We didn’t even get back to the cabins until about 6. None of us wanted the day to end. But alas, it was time to pack up the boats and cabins.

Aunts Creek Resort is slowly being sold off—the cabins beings offered for purchase. Several have already been sold. There is a very good chance we won’t be able to stay there next summer. So, we will be looking around for another location. This has been a trend in recent years. The resorts used to have 3 months of people staying. But with sports and August school starts, the time people can come is getting shorter and shorter. A lot of these resorts just can’t make it on only 2 months of rentals.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman