Forecast/My Piece of Berlin Wall/New Poll about Sesame Street

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
As of this evening, the National Hurricane Center has issued the last advisory on Ida, now bringing heavy rain to the southeastern US. The storm made 2 landfalls early this morning with the last being southern Alabama. The storm will now be followed by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and is expected to move off the eastern US coast by early Thursday and reorganize as it lifts northward. It will cause rough surf and heavy rain for the east and southeast. There is also a new area of non-tropical low pressure with less than a 30% chance of developing.

The tropical Pacific is quiet.

Chilly in the Pacific Northwest with highs in the 40s and some rain for the coastline. Most of the northern two tiers of states will have highs in the 40s and 50s. Mild for the rest of the country with highs in the 60s to 80s. Look for heavy rain and thunderstorms in the southeast and along the mid-Atlantic.

Houston will be mild and sunny on Wednesday. Humidity increases Thursday with winds out of the southeast. There will be a few showers over the weekend (but it won't be a dealbreaker). Next weak front moves through early next week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do wall or muro, pronounced MOO-row. Can you believe it has been 20 years since the Berlin muro fell? See the AND MORE section for more.

Please help get the buzz going on Volume 2 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco on Amazon.com. We need some reviews and purchases. People don't know it's there. I remember the slow start we had with Volume 1. Once people starting voicing their opinions, sales picked up. Either volume makes a great gift. You can order Volume 1 or Volume 2 from web site http://www.frankandpaco.com/ or at http://www.amazon.com/. Volume 1 has three chapters about Home, Family, Eating/Drinking and Play. Volume 2 has three chapters (and about 50 words/phrases) My Day, My Body, My Feelings.

AND MORE
Our poll on the Obama Administration and FOX News is closed. 16% said they felt President Obama had voiced valid concerns. 16% said they felt that Obama Administration members had voiced valid concerns. 16% said FOX News should be worried. 33% said FOX News had valid concerns. 50% said FOX News is enjoying the publicity. 50% said that freedom of the press is in danger. 66% said that freedom of the press had been violated. 16% felt that censorship of FOX News is appropriate. More than one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

Our new poll allows only one answer and in light of it being Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, it is one that has been on the minds of many. Just who is your favorite Sesame Street character? Thanks in advance for participating.

Gordy and I love Sesame Street. We think the production values are very high and it is loaded with educational information. Sesame Street went on the air when I was a little girl and I remember that it was one show my mother was happy for me to watch. They still use some of the skits and animations from my childhood. Now, that's timeless. Happy Anniversary Sesame Street!

Well here's something that caught my attention the other day as I collected my mail. A neighbor had their blinds open and inside their house was a lit-up Christmas tree. A friend of mine thought maybe they have to travel over the holidays and wanted to just enjoy the heck out of Christmas while they are at home. Sure hope it is artificial (Gordy came up with that one).

Speaking of anniversaries...wow! has it really been 20 years since the Berlin Wall came down?! I remember where I was. It so happened that I was taking a math course at U of H and my professor was from Germany. He came into class with his eyes so wide and his jaw dropping. He was very happy about it and talked to us about it for nearly the whole class.

Then, I went to Berlin in June of 1994. I was getting my international business credits as I finished up my MBA. It was amazing to see the stark difference between east and west Berlin. The one still dreary and underdeveloped while the other was vibrant and bursting with culture and color. The east side was struggling to rebuild. But, it was going to take a lot of money to undo decades of neglect. While I was there, I bought a baggie of pieces of the Berlin Wall. All of my group was in awe. We had heard so much about the Berlin wall growing up. We just couldn't believe it was down (even nearly 5 years later). I wonder how many of our new generation even get the significance. Just a few days ago I heard a radio host carefully explaining what the Berlin wall was all about. Has everyone already forgotten?!

Well, anyway, I gave all but one of the pieces away. I checked Ebay to see just how much pieces of the wall are going for. I saw anywhere from $5.50 to over $100. Well they can't have mine...I consider it priceless.

On my next blog I'll tell you about another "priceless" object I have.

Happy Wednesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman