New Year's Eve forecast/New Year's Resolutions

A quick post this evening to let you know that the heavy rain for the Houston area is over. There is only a slight chance for showers on Thursday. On New Year's Eve, there will be some thunderstorms during the day as the next cold front approaches. There will mild weather until the front passes...then a cold front arrives by New Year's eve evening. The rain should be over in time for going out on New Year's Eve evening. Take a jacket because by midnight, temperatures will be in the 50s. New Year's Day will be dry and cool. For several days, lows will be in the 40s and highs in the 50s and 60s into the middle of the coming week.

Next rain for Houston will come in the middle of the coming week.

For nation, trough out west will be in place for the next week or so...that means it will be chilly over the Rockies and northern plains and much of the west for the next week or so. The northeast will also have rounds of cold weather. Thursday, there will be snow over the northern Rockies and northern plains. DC/New York/NJ will have highs in the 30s and 40s and no snow.

My poll on when Christmas gifts are opened is closed. I think I accidentally allowed more than one answer because the percentages added up to more than 100. 74% said they open all gifts on Christmas Day, 28% said they open on Christmas Eve and 14% said they open at all different times. No one said they don't open Christmas gifts, open over the 12 days of Christmas or a little each day until Christmas.

My new poll is about New Year's Resolutions. How long do you usually keep your's or do you even get started.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

A Wet Christmas Eve for Houston

Just a quick note this evening to let you know that there will be some storms--looks like from 5 pm to around 2 am Christmas morning. There could even be some thunderstorms in the mix. However, National Weather Service is not predicting severe storms. If you plan to go to church services Friday evening, take your umbrella...for Christmas morning, take a coat.

Much colder and windy on Saturday, Christmas Day--highs may not break 50. Sun should come out in the afternoon. Then chilly but not windy on Sunday with freezing outlying areas early Sunday morning. Also expect freezing for outlying areas early on Monday.

Expect rain to return mid-week with milder temperatures.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Christmas Week Forecast/Weather Travel Trouble Spots/Winter Begins

WEATHER
This weekend, the coldest air will be over the northern states. Highs will be in the teens for the northern plains and twenties for the Great Lakes and much of New England. Today (Saturday) look for snow over the Sierra Nevada and Intermountain Region as well as over the Great Lakes. On Sunday, there will be snow over Sierra Nevada into the Rockies.

Worst travel days this coming week will be over southern California, the Southwest and southern Rockies on Tuesday and Wednesday and and over the Ohio Valley on Christmas Eve into New York early on Christmas.

Houston, the weather this week will be very pleasant. Lows will be in the 40s and 30s for most of the week and highs will be in the 50s into the 70s. Another shot of cool air will arrive for Christmas Day making the lows in the 40s and highs in the 50s. Rain chances through the coming weekend are almost nil.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do cold or frio, pronounced FREE-oh. It is going to be very frio in the northern states of the US this week.

Our Volume 3 DVD and Volumes 1 through 3 music review CD have arrived!!! We have 1000 copies of each. Within the next few days, our web site will have these available and if you buy Volumes 1 through 3, you will get the music review CD for free. In the meantime, you can find my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2, on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com. P.S. THEY MAKE TERRIFIC GIFTS!!!

AND MORE
New Poll
My poll on Christmas cards is closed. 100% of respondents said they send their Christmas cards via mail. No one said they send their's by email or combination or not at all. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about when you open Christmas gifts...Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or some other combination. Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Storm Cheer Special Needs APEX Team Wows Crowds
Sarah's special needs cheerleading team had another exhibition last weekend at the United Cheer competition held at the Merrill Center in Katy, Texas. This was a really big event with competitors coming from as far as Lubbock, Texas. Sarah's team came out and gave a superb performance which prompted a standing ovation. As we looked around we saw tears streaming down the faces of the audience. Everyone was so gracious and so kind. It was truly a wonderful day! Special thanks to Storm Cheer for sponsoring this team! The coaches, Jennifer and Brian, have been particularly awesome!!!

Winter Officially Begins Tuesday Dec. 21st
According to the US Naval Observatory, the Winter Solstice ("shortest day of the year" and official start of Winter) will begin on Tuesday, the 21st at 6:38 pm. From there on, the amount of daylight will increase slightly each day (although early one the change will won't be very apparent).

New 3 Month Outlooks and Drought Outlook
The Climate Prediction Center has put out the January through March outlooks for temperature and precipitation. Looks like the south central US will have above normal temperatures while the west and northwest and Alaska will have below normal temperatures. The Ohio Valley and Northwest will have above normal precipitation with much of the south experiencing below normal precipitation chances. Drought- wise, Texas is developing drought again with either persistence or a worsening of conditions expected. There are many other areas increasing in drought--see figure at right.

Safe travels and Happy Holidays to all of you!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Cold Weather Returning/Very Special Cheerleading Team

WEATHER
Western ridge/eastern trough pattern continues into early next week. That will keep the really cold air riding up over the northern Rockies into the Midwest and southward to the eastern Gulf coastal states and into the northeast. It means over the weekend places like Montana and Minnesota will have areas where the high never gets above zero or the low single digits. It means snow for the Rockies, Great Lakes and northern New England this weekend. Meanwhile, much of the southwest will and southeast will enjoy mild afternoons.

Pattern starts changing early in the coming week as the western ridge flattens allowing the cold air to move further south--into the following weekend.

Houston, we'll get a glancing blow of colder air via a cold front on the backside of the eastern trough. This means chilly and windy weather for Sunday with some mid 20s lows for areas north of Houston Sunday night into Monday morning. Bottom line, if you don't like it cold, do your running around on Saturday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do team spirit or espíritu de equipo, pronounced ehs-PEE-ree-tu DAY eh-KEE-poh. To ready a beautiful story about espíritu de equipo, go to the AND MORE section.

Our Volume 3 DVD and Volumes 1 through 3 music review CD should be arriving this week. We have ordered 1000 copies of each. In the meantime, you can find my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2, on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com. P.S. THEY MAKE TERRIFIC GIFTS!!!

AND MORE
Storm Cheer Special Needs APEX Gets Standing Ovation at American Spirit Competition
Last Saturday, Sarah was part of a special performance at the American Spirit Cheerleading Competition held at Houston's Astro Arena. Storm Cheer has a special team called Apex, made of up of children with disabilities and volunteer high school cheerleaders. Sarah has a wonderful partner Lauren, who gives up her valuable time one day each week to help Sarah enjoy cheerleading. The team is also coached by Jennifer and Brian at Storm Cheer, whose enthusiasm is tremendously appreciated. The team made everyone proud as they did their sommersaults and pyramids. It was absolutely awesome!!! They have another exhibition this weekend. Go Storm Cheer Apex team!

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Long Dry Spell/Recycling hazardous waste/Large Furniture Pickup and Tax Deduction

WEATHER
We are finished with the Atlantic basin hurricane season as of November 30th. So, until June 1, 2011, the start of the next hurricane season, this section will just be about non-tropical cyclone weather.

The US weather pattern is stuck in a rut with a persistent cold trough over the northeastern US and a part of a smaller trough over the eastern US. This also means that the wet weather will be riding over northern California and then up into the Rockies and through the Midwest and down to the Tennessee Valley and into the eastern seaboard for the next week of so. Just talked to my brother last night. He and his wife Wanda are back up at Mayo doing a followup to her thyroid removal for cancer. He said it was snowing like crazy and it was that really neat dry, powdery snow. Mayo Clinic is in Minnesota. Btw, Wanda is doing very well but is very tired as not being allowed to take hormones right now as part of the treatment. Please keep them in your prayers.

Anyway, it will be very cold over the western Great Lakes states and northeast on Sunday with highs in the teens and 30s. There will be snow over parts of the Great Lakes states. Meanwhile, dry and pleasant across the southwest and southern plains with highs in the 50s to 70s.

Houston, next week will be on the cool side with Sunday through Tuesday highs only in the 50s and lows in the 30s...bundle up Sunday as it will be breezy. Don't look for rain for at least 9 days...very dry pattern in place.


SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do window blinds or persianas de la ventana, pronounced pair-see-ah-NAHS day lah vehn-TAH-na. Having a problem with your persianas de la ventana. Check the AND MORE section for the name of an excellent repair person.

Spoke to our CD production guy and he said they are printing the graphic inserts for the front covers of our new Volume 3 DVD and soon to be released music review CD. Very soon, we will have 1000 copies of our new Volume 3 DVD and Music CD for Volumes 1, 2 and 3. In the meantime, you can find my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2, on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com. P.S. THEY MAKE TERRIFIC GIFTS!!!

AND MORE
New Poll
My poll on method for gift shopping is closed. 100% of respondents said they are doing most of their shopping by Internet. No one said they were doing most of their shopping in person at stores, making homemade, by catalog or not giving gifts. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about how you send Christmas or New Year's greetings--or do you do this at all? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

How to Get Window Blind Strings Repaired
We have lovely wide Levolor window blinds in our home. The problem is that they are fairly heavy and occasionally a string (used to adjust the blinds) breaks. It took me a while to find someone who wanted to work such a small job as fixing a broken string or pulley, but I have a great guy for this. He just fixed up two of our windows. His name is Larry Thomas and he is the owner of City Blind Repair 713-664-0444. Give him a call and get those windows working again!

Get rid of that heavy furniture and get a nice tax deduction
Gordy and I just got rid of a bunch of old furniture. One was a sectional sofa with sleeper sofa on one side. We didn't want to pay to have these carted off and we didn't have a truck we could use to move them. So, I contacted The Salvation Army at 713-869-3551. They will schedule large furniture pickups. If you call, make sure you tell them everything you want picked up. And don't expect to get any computer desks picked up. Apparently, they have had trouble getting rid of those and they end up costing them money to unload. You can also schedule the pickup online by emailing SAtruck.org. In Houston, the furniture is taken to a huge warehouse. There are 20 trucks running every day and they fill them up about twice a day. The proceeds go to Adult Rehabilitation Centers Comman. According to long time employee, David, the books are zeroed out each month. Any profit left over is given to the other efforts of the Salvation Army such as disaster relief.

Side note on the huge computer desk I no longer needed. We put it out with the garbage the night before the weekly large item garbage pickup and within 10 minutes, someone had taken it away. Glad someone found it useful!

Properly dispose of Hazardous Waste
While cleaning out junk in my home, I came across 5 portable DVD player batteries and an empty propane can. All said to dispose of properly and NOT put in the trash. Well Sugar Land and Missouri City had no place for dropping off this kind of waste. So I went to the City of Houston web site and they have 2 hazardous waste disposal centers. One is on the north side and one is at Highway 90 and Post Oak. That location takes waste from 9 am to 3 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and they also have some Friday hours. It is super easy...you just drive through this long open warehouse. You stop at a designated point and they open your trunk and take the bad stuff away for proper disposal. They also take leftover paint. Certain days of the month they give the public the opportunity to take away any unused paint for personal use.

Here's to getting all those deductions by year end and reusing through recycling!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thanksgiving Weekend Forecast/La Nina Winter Impact

WEATHER
The Atlantic basin hurricane season officially ends November 30th and currently Atlantic and Pacific are quiet.

Meanwhile a big winter storm is pushing into the western US and blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings have been issued for the Wasatch and Rocky Mountain ranges. Also, there are winter storm warnings for the Sierra Nevada. This storm system will make its way eastward over the first part of the holiday weekend, bringing some of the coldest temperatures so far this year to much of the country.

On Wednesday, look for winter travel troubles in the Rockies and Wasatch ranges as well as the Sierra Nevada. Also, there is a slight risk for severe storms for eastern Oklahoma, extreme southeastern Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Very cold for the northern Rockies and northern plains with highs in the single digits and teens. While it will be very warm across the south and southeast. The northeast will be chilly and windy with highs in the 30s and 40s.

On Thanksgiving Day, look for some snow for the western Great Lakes states and the Lakes into upstate New York. There will be some thunderstorms from Texas into the Ohio Valley.

Tuesday brought record tieing warm to Houston with a high of 85 (last time that warm this date was 1973). Houston will be warm, muggy and breezy on Wednesday through daytime Thursday. Cold front arrives Thursday evening. Look for some thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and evening. Starting out in the 40s on Friday morning...should be a dry and pleasantly cool shopping day--don't forget your jacket. Saturday morning will be coolest morning this season with some locations hitting the freezing mark. Average first freeze for Bush Airport is usually Dec. 1. So, we will be a little early this year. Outlying areas should plan to protect delicate plants on Friday evening. Then, a slight warmup through the weekend--should be really nice. Some showers Monday as next cold front arrives, bringing another drop in temperatures for the coming Tuesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do thank you or gracias, pronounced grah-SEE-ahs. Don't forget to say gracias for all your many blessings this Thanksgiving Day.

And talk about grateful. I am so glad we have now shipped the master of our DVD and CD to our disk creation partner. In about 2 weeks, we should have 1000 copies of our new Volume 3 DVD and Music CD for Volumes 1, 2 and 3. In the meantime, you can find my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2, on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com. P.S. THEY MAKE TERRIFIC GIFTS!!!

AND MORE
La Nina and Information from Climate Prediction Center
Looks like we are having a moderate to strong La Nina episode this winter. La Nina is in essence the opposite of El Nino. Just like with El Nino, there can be extremes in weather conditions. This winter, the Climate Prediction Center is predicting above normal temperatures for the southern states and south central US with cooler than normal weather for the northwest. It also looks like it will be drier than normal over much of the south and that will aggravate drought conditions or at least cause persistence in drought.

I pulled the following regional impact discussion from the Climate Prediction Center's section on La Nina:

•Pacific Northwest: colder and wetter than average. La Niña often brings lower than average temperatures and increased mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest and western Montana during the winter months, which is good for the replenishment of water resources and winter recreation but can also lead to greater flooding and avalanche concerns;
•Southwest: warmer and drier than average. This will likely exacerbate drought conditions in these areas. All southern states are at risk of having above normal wildfire conditions starting this winter and lasting into the spring;
•Northern Plains: colder and wetter than average. Likely to see increased storminess and flooding;
•Southern Plains, Gulf Coast States & Southeast: warmer and drier than average. This will likely exacerbate drought conditions in these areas. All southern states are at risk of having above normal wildfire conditions starting this winter and lasting into the spring;
•Florida: drier than average, with an equal chance for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures. Above normal wildfire conditions;
•Ohio and Tennessee Valleys: warmer and wetter than average. Likely to see increased storminess and flooding;
•Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Winter weather for these regions is often driven not by La Niña but by weather patterns over the northern Atlantic Ocean and Arctic. These are often more short-term, and are generally predictable only a week or so in advance. If enough cold air and moisture are in place, areas north of the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast could see above-average snow;
•Central U.S.: equal chances of above-near-or below normal temperatures and precipitation;
•Hawaii: drier than normal through November, then wetter than normal December through February. Statewide, the current drought is expected to continue through the winter, with several locations remaining on track to become the driest year on record. Drought recovery is more likely on the smaller islands of Kauai and Molokai, and over the windward slopes of the Big Island and Maui;
•Alaska: odds favor colder than average temperatures with equal chances of above or below normal precipitation. The interior and southern portions of the state are currently drier than normal. A dry winter may set Alaska up for a greater chance of above normal wildfire conditions in the spring.


November 17th Has Been Designated Smith-Magenis Syndrome Awareness Day
Smith-Magenis Syndrome is an underdiagnosed syndrome characterized by a micro-deletion on the 17th chromosome or an RAI1 gene mutation on the 17th chromosome. My daughter, Sarah, has this syndrome. And because we were able to get this diagnosed early, we were able to find out about a serious ureter condition which might have led to the destruction of her kidneys. Early diagnosis prevented this dangerous development and we are so grateful. Of course there is much, much more to know about this syndrome...not only physical concerns but behavioral and cognitive as well. If you know someone who is dealing with a child who has been undiagnosed and possibly given a broad spectrum label like PDD or autism or as a baby has been thought to have Down Syndrome, please have them check out the following web site:
http://prisms.org/start.htm

November is National Adoption Month
Adoption is a loving choice and I can tell you first hand, its is the most worthwhile and joyful thing I have ever done. When I worked at FOX, I did a monthly feature on adoption working with DePelchin.org. What I learned is that many people want to adopt, but they fear the cost. What they don't realize is that for minorities and older children, there is often no cost and there are lots of financial incentives like paid college tuition for a Texas school. To learn more, go to DePelchin's web site:
http://www.depelchin.org/Home-1.html
Don't forget there is always a need for foster homes as well.

New Poll
My poll on selling your gold is closed. 40% said they had already sold their gold. 40% said they don't have any to sell. 20% said they are considering selling the gold they have. And 0% said they are definitely selling their gold. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about holiday shopping. How do you do most of your shopping? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Thanksgiving Reflection
Tomorrow, the 24th, would have been my Dad's 74th birthday. He died nine years ago, right before Sarah came into our life. I still think of my Dad almost every day. He taught me the old saying of "Life is Not Fair". This has been very helpful to me in times when well, things have just not been fair. I think if more people would think of this, they would stop walking around acting and feeling like victims and maybe concentrate more on their many blessings. This is not to say that they aren't suffering, but rather, that they are not wallowing in their suffering and choosing to concentrate on the positive.

And I am of course grateful for the other Dads in my life--my wonderful stepdad Gerry and father-in-law Dale...both whom I love dearly.

I am grateful for all of my family and friends, my faith (which I must never forget), and all of my countless blessings.

Wishing all of you a very happy, grateful, and safe Thanksgiving!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Clouds/Rain Returning/Sell Your Gold?/Special Work of Photographer

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Sorry for the delay folks...have had so much going on--including working hard on the release of my next DVD.

There is an area of disturbed weather in the western Caribbean which the National Hurricane Center says has a 40% chance of developing into a tropical storm within the next 48 hours.

The tropical Pacific is quiet.

In the United States, some snow has been falling over the western Great Lakes states and there is are Winter Storm Warnings and Advisories for parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. No thunderstorms are predicted for Sunday, but there could be snow around Minneapolis and some rain from the Great Lakes southward to the north central Gulf and south Texas.

In Houston, look for the clouds and even some rain to return by late afternoon. There will be some rain overnight Sunday into early Monday. Then look for sunshine to return by Tuesday with lows in the 40s and 50s and highs in the 60s into the coming weekend. There could be some showers the following Sunday/Monday time frame.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's go with gold or oro, pronounced OR-oh. Find out how much I got for the oro just sitting in my jewelry box.

Finally! This week we are submitting our order for Volume 3 of our award winning DVD series for children. And we got a large order from Barnes and Noble for their special holiday promotion. You can find my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2, on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com. P.S. THEY MAKE TERRIFIC GIFTS!!!

AND MORE
Fashion Photographer Celebrates Special Needs and Differences
Fashion Photographer Rick Guidotti of Positive Exposures and Dr. Lorraine Potocki, Baylor Geneticist, were special guests at the 7th annual Houston SMS picnic. Gray skies cleared quickly...giving way to perfect fall temperatures and beautiful blue skies. Rick whipped out his camera and started clicking aways as SMS children and their siblings went on a scavenger hunt, played picture bingo, sticker attack, cookie walk and yes, even jeopardy. We can't wait to see all the happy faces he caught. Rick is passionate about capturing all people as the vibrant individuals they are. Rick Guidotti of Positive Exposures will be in Houston on Friday Nov 12th and Saturday Nov 13th. Rick flew into Houston from NYC on Friday to give the Compassion and Art of Medicine Lecture called "The Spirit of Difference".

We sure enjoyed meeting Rick. When he wasn't capturing our families at play, he was busy trying to play himself. But I had to disqualify him from sticker attack--he tried to get credit for a page of stickers that had come straight from a book. Rick, you rascal. When I asked him if he had any children, he hugged Sarah and said, all of these kids are my children.

To see his work, go to: www.positiveexposure.org

Want Extra Cash--Sell Your Gold
A friend of mine had a show where many of her friends brought their line of products and sold them all at the same time. She had done this once before and I had missed the opportunity to sell my gold. Well, I had several pieces of gold jewelry which I never wear just collecting dust in my jewelry armoire. So, I pulled them out and gave them to my friend and she got them sold--$560 worth. Trust me folks--it wasn't much jewelry. They even popped out the gems for me and returned them. Then, the other day, I saw a business called We Buy Gold on FM1960 close to the intersection with Eldridge. A quick google revealed there are lots of places which will buy gold. And I even found a calculator which suggested I could sell one ounce of gold for $900. So with gold valued at an old time high (it least some time in the last few weeks), why not sell what you don't use? Like my investment manager said, you can't eat gold. Amen brother!

Polls
My poll on whether you think the holidays are coming too fast is closed. 100% answered yes. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about your desire (or lack of desire to sell any gold you have). Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Sunshine Returns/Tomas Trouble/Time Change

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
In the central Atlantic, Tomas had weakened but is now back to tropical storm status. It will like cross over Hispaniola in the next couple days bringing heavy rain, flooding, even mudslides to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Then, it should cross the Bahamas and head out to sea.

Tropical Pacific is quiet.

On Thursday, there will be some showers and thunderstorms across the aoutheastern US. Cool spot in the nation will be the Northern Plains, Great Lakes and northern New England with highs in the 30s and 40s. Elsewhere, 50s up to 80s...very pleasant. Kind of windy though from Texas up to Chicago.

Houston, low pressure in western Gulf will lift out to the northeast on Thursday allowing the sunshine to return. Kind of breezy on Thursday but pleasantly cool. Chilly mornings Friday through Sunday with lows in the 50s. Highs will be in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Warmer and more humid early in the coming week with some thunderstorms possibly on the ocming Thursday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do gymnastics or gimnasia, pronounced heem-nah-SEE-ah. Find out about a special gimnasia program and the even more special girl who attends in the AND MORE section.

On Monday night, Sarah and I reviewed the nearly complete Volume 3 of our award winning DVD for children. She was mesmorized! So, now we just have to put on the finishing touches and then it is off to the editor. Teachers Discovery, one of my product purchasers, already gave me a PO to purchase the first batch of Volume 3. Woohoo!!! In the meantime, you can find my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2, on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Fall Back 1 Hour This Weekend

Daylight Saving Time Ends on Sunday morning Nov. 7 at 2 am. You will want to set your clocks back 1 hour (fall back 1 hour) before you go to bed on Saturday night. It will get light one hour earlier and get dark one hour earlier. I don't know about you but I don't like it when the Sun goes down so early. But it could be worse. When I was living in Connecticut, it got dark by 4 pm. Darkness comes earlier and earlier as you head further north.

Inspiration

I take Sarah to a cheerleading program especially designed for children with disabilities. She absolutely loves it and would like to go every day. Each child in the program is paired with a high school gymnastics team member. There are even "competitions" (purely exhibition) with each participating child getting a trophy.

Well tonight a little girl in a wheelchair arrived. She was the first one in a wheelchair to attend class. She had these amazing muscular arms but had no use of her legs. Well that little girl went into the gym and then popped out of her chair and used her arms and swinging her legs forward to move across the floor. She did everything the rest of the team did. She also walked around on her hands several times. She had the biggest smile on her face. I visited with her mom who is on oxygen due to a chronic ailment. She said her little girl (who is 8) has been begging to take gymnastics just like her friends at school. When the mom heard about this program (called Storm Cheer), she had to bring her. The mom also has 4 other children. She told me her daughter had been born with Spina Bifida and had had to endure many surgeries. I was just blown away by this little girl and her family...so determined to live life to the fullest.

Have a great week and weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Storms and Cooler Weather In Forecast/3 Month Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tomas is weakening in the eastern Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center has it moving basically westward and then turning toward the northeast in about 4 to 5 days. This would take it over the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

On Monday, the coolest area of the country will be the northeast with highs in the 40s The rest of the northern 2/3rds of the country will have highs in the 50s and 60s. The west coast will have highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s. The southwest, south and southeast will have highs mainly in the 70s and 80s. There is a slight risk of severe storms in eastern Texas.

Houston, Monday will be warm and humid with a slight risk of severe storms (mainly in the late afternoon and evening). Cold front moves through early Tuesday, bringing less humid weather and cooler temperatures. The rest of the week into the weekend will be delightful with cool morning and mild sunny and dry afternoons.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do palm tree or palmera, pronounced pahl-MAIR-ah. Could growing palmeras be the key to your retirement? See my idea in the AND MORE section.

Volume 3 of our award winning DVD for children is really close to being finished. Our editor just gave us the complete final draft (with all chaptes!!!). So, now we just have to put on the finishing touches and then it is off to the editor. Woohoo!!! In the meantime, you can find my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2, on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE

Palm Trees as An Investment
So I'm running on the treadmill and partaking of one of my guilty pleasures...watching HGTV when whom do I see? Why it's Vanilla Ice with his own show. Yes, that's right Vanilla Ice--remember "Ice, Ice Baby". Well apparently he is an expert on landscaping and that his is daytime job. He has this crew working on fixing up the landscaping on the property of a very expensive house which has been vacant for 2 years. He points out a rare palm tree...he says it takes a long time to grow and would cost thousands of dollars. So, I'm thinking. Wow! You could just grow a few of those bad boys, sell them and retire. Unfortunately, I did not catch the name of that particular palm. So, I did some research. Come to find out there are many rare and slow growing palms. One is the Canary Island Date palm. I found a smaller one on one web site for $1000. Another web site had a bunch of different palms for sale. Most of the starting prices were $300 or $400. Well, I have a 4 palms in my backyard that are getting big. If anyone wants to buy them for $300 or $400, let me know. Ha! Don't think our's are that rare. Anyway, here are the links, if you want to check it out.
http://www.horizontreeservices.com.au/gallery.html

http://www.junglemusic.net/Box%20Palms.htm

http://trees-for-sale.net/Trees/Palm-Trees

3 Month Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks
Just now getting these outlooks out to you. Looks like a warmer and drier than normal November through January on the way for the Houston area. In fact much of the southeast is supposed to be warmer than normal while the west coast and much of Alaska is supposed to be cooler than normal. There is a pocket of above normal precipitation chance for the Ohio Valley, but just to the south it looks drier than normal. That leads me to the drought situation. Eastern Texas is not in a drought again...with conditions expected to become even drier through January. See all figures at right.

New Poll
Gordy and I made the early voting by the skin of our teeth--on Friday. The polling place was busy and we actually waited in line a couple minutes. My poll on whether you will vote or not is closed. 83% said they will vote and the rest said they wouldn't. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about the upcoming holiday season. Does it feel like it is coming fast? Thanks in advance for participating.

Have a safe Monday everyone.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Next Cold Front/Tropical Storm Richard/No Fire at this McDonald's

Good Morning All -
Attending the First Annual Flood Workshop in Houston...so I need to post and get going.

First of all, Richard has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is now weakening over Guatemala. It was a hurricane yesterday. National Hurricane Center forecast back takes it into the Gulf this week and has it decaying. Will keep an eye on it for you.

There is another area of disturbed weather way out in the Atlantic with only a minimal chance of developing in the next 48 hours. The Pacific is quiet this Monday.

There is a slight risk for severe storms this Monday from northeast Texas northward to Illinois and southward to the northern Gulf coast all the way eastward to Alabama. On Tuesday, there will be two slight risk areas, one over the Midwest and the other over the southeastern states. See figures at right.

Back to the National Flood Workshop being held here in Houston. I attended the short course on storm surge flooding yesterday. Some of the other course attendees including Houston Channel 11's Chief Meteorologist Gene Norman and Meteorologist Mario Gomez. Also in attendance was Meteorologist Anthony Yanez from Channel 2. There were 2 other short course being held at the same time, one on Hurricane Impacts for Inland Communities and one on Floodplain Management. The storm surge course I attended was given by Jamie Rhome of the National Hurricane Center. He works closely with National Hurricane Center director Bill Read. At the end of the course, we had an opportunity to discuss some of the problems with presenting storm surge information to the public. Jamie said that they are working closely with social sciences to learn how to better convey vital safety information to the public. Having been a broadcast meteorologist for years, I know this is a constant effort. Psychology plays a huge role in how the public responds. We also talked about how to most effectively disseminate the information. One of the attendees mentioned reverse 911...where people in critical areas are called via and automated system when they are threatened. We noted that the poor often don't have phones. So, reaching the poor continues to be a big problem. Jamie Rhome gave a fantastic talk--the 4 hours just flew by. By the way, he is the one who came up with the Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (see figure at top right). He said it is probably the most popular figure provided on the National Hurricane Center's web site.

The remodeled McDonald's in Sugar Land opened this last week. But, I was a little disappointed. It did not have a faux fireplace like the one we saw last week in Round Rock (near Austin). We were there about a week ago visited my brother's family. We went to the McDonald's there and they had an electric fireplace...see photo of Gordy at right as he pretend warms his hands. I told my brother Sam that it was the fanciest McDonald's I had ever seen.

Houston, a cold front will arrive early Thursday, bringing the humidity down and the morning temperatures down into the 50s. It will be shortlived as higher humidity levels return on Saturday and into Sunday. Halloween will be mild with lows in the 60s and highs in the 80s. Only a slight chance for rain through early Thursday. Then, sunny and dry for the end of the week. And then only a slight chance for rain over the weekend.

Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Storm Richard Update/Weekend Forecast

Good Morning All -
Just a quick update this am as Tropical Storm Richard has formed in the western Caribbean. Latest forecast path from the National Hurricane Center takes the storm across the Yucatan late in the weekend and into early in the coming week.

For southeast Texas, approaching upper trough mid-week will probably push the storm northeastward in into the southeast US. Will of course keep an eye on this!

Weekend will be warm and muggy for Houston area with a few showers or thunderstorms mainly west.

Please keep my sister-in-law Wanda in your prayers as she is having her thyroid removed today.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Mild and Sometimes Muggy/Too Tall for Honda Civic?

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Just a couple of disturbed areas--western Caribbean and central Atlantic...according to National Hurricane Center, not much chance for development of either in the next 48 hours.

Tropical Pacific is quiet.

Meanwhile in the US, trough is digging in the Rockies and bringing some cooler weather ane rain from Reno to Vegas and Salt Lake City to Denver. This trough will spin off a cut off low which will hang out over the southwest for several days before lifting northeastward. On Monday, a cool area will extend from the Northwest and across Rockies across the northern plains and Great Lakes into New England with highs in the 40s and 50s and 60s. Look for rain in Chicago and Detroit. The west coast will also be pleasantly cool. Southeast and southern US will be mild to warm with highs in the 80s.

Houston will be on the muggy side this week with lows in the 60s and highs in the 80s. Look for a few showers end of the week and into the early part of the coming week. Next cool snap arrives early to middle of the coming week (not this week).



SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do tall or alto, pronounced AHL-toe. One of my nephews is so alto, he almost didn't fit into my car. Find out in the AND MORE section.

I have a lot of nephews and nieces. One is especially lucky as he is enrolled in kindergarten at a dual language learning school. I am super excited for him due to all of the cognitive development enhancements that will provide. For those of you who don't have a dual language option, here is something you can do at home. You can watch my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
I have a nephew who is 6'10". Last week, I had to pick him up from the airport in my Honda Civic. I have to admit I was a bit concerned as to whether or not he would fit. But he did! However, I know it was not comfortable for him. His knees were up against the dash with the seat all the way back and tilted back. And his head was against the ceiling of the car. He never complains about his height. And he is infinitely patient about comments which are a constant. He went to watch Sarah at her cheerleading class and afterward, we took a friend of Sarah's along with us to dinner. Right from the beginning, she looked up at him and stated -- You're tall. He good naturedly replied...I've been told that. I asked him how it is when he flies. He said that he tries to sit on the emergency exit row. But, if that is full, he just squeezes into a seat and deals. He said he is very embarassed when the flight attendants demand that someone in the emergency exit row give him their seat. I asked him what is the longest flight he ever took and he said to Hawaii. When I asked how that was, he replied, "pretty uncomfortable". But he admits that the hardest part is being able to rest well if he is not sleeping on his own bed. Most beds are just too small. Yep. Us short people sure have it made!!!

My poll on the favorite scenes from the Sound of Music is closed. The following scenes got 20% of the vote each: the panoramic open, Maria singing "My Favorite Things" to the kids, the puppet show, the kids performing "So Long, Farewell" at the party, and Marie and Captain Von Trapp singing Something Good. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about the upcoming elections. Are you planning to vote? Only one answer is allowed--yes or no. Thanks in advance for participating.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Paula Forms in Western Caribbean

Hurricane Paula has formed in the western Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting that it will move in a clockwise circle...staying in the western Caribbean. Most long range models suggest this. But, I will keep an eye on it.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Storms and Cold Front Coming/Secretariat Review/Breaking Glass with Newspaper

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
The National Hurricane Center is no longer issuing advisories on Otto, the remnants of which are moving across the northern Atlantic.

Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center is giving a disturbance in the western Caribbean a 50% chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next 48 hours. Models suggest it will either get lifted northward and then over Florida or that it will track westward across Mexico.

The last Hurricane to hit Texas was Jerry on October 15, 1989. So statistically, the Texas hurricane season should be coming to an end. Remember, the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season is Nov. 30th.

The tropical Pacific is quiet.

Monday, there will be some severe storms in east Texas including the Dallas area. There will also be a few storms across the midwest into the Great Lakes and over the northern Intermountain Region. Highs will be in the 70s and 80s for most of the country (90s desert Southwest) and 50s northern Rockies and Intermountain Region.

Houston, the humidity has been slowly rising. Next cold front arrives Tuesday morning, dropping humidity for the rest of the week through the coming weekend (lows in the 50s and low 60s and highs in the low 80s). Look for some thunderstorms Monday and Monday night. Can't rule out some of these being severe.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Let's do sing or cantar, pronounced cahn-TAR. If you like cantar, you probably like The Sound of Music...you might learn something new about it if you read my AND MORE section.

Volume 3 DVD of my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, will be released soon. A CD of music from volumes 1 through 3 will be released at the same time. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Until it's ready for release, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
How to Break a Window with Newspaper
Well, it's not that hard...at least it looked easy when my Dad did it. Sarah and I were talking about an episode of ICarly where there was no fly swatter to kill a fly and that brought back a memory from my childhood--funny when I look back on it, but not so funny at the time. There was a nagging fly in our kitchen, and my Dad got frustrated and looked for the first weapon. He decided upon a newspaper, rolling it up and smacking it hard on the kitchen window...so hard, he broke the window. Did he kill the fly? I think so...my Mom might remember. But, of course, there was a lot of upset because we would have to replace the glass. So, don't try that at home.

Congratulations Taylor and Our Empty Nest
It has been a bit empty in our house this week. You see, a week ago, my nephew Taylor graduated from Universal Technical Institute new Bush Airport. He had been with us since last January and was like the big brother Sarah has never had (he's her cousin). We liked having him around late in the evening...I say late because this was his schedule for the first half of his stay. Up at 4:45 am and in class on the other side of town at 6:30 am...ending at 12:45 pm and then heading to work as a valet in the med center until 7:30 pm and then coming home...eating dinner and hitting the hay. Then, he decided to double up his schooling so he could graduate sooner and that meant, he did a 2nd shift of classtime from 2:00 pm until 8:15 pm which means he did not get home until at least 9 pm. It was a grueling schedule, and we are all so proud of him for finishing!!! He is gone now...staying with friends and looking for a job. Congratulations Taylor, and we miss you!!!

Galveston Didn't Get Much Help Recovering from Ike
I have enjoyed reading Infinite Monster by Leigh Jones and Rhiannon Meyers. It is about how Hurricane Ike affected Galveston Island. According to the book, there were 2 things working against financial help after Ike. While Presidents Clinton and Bush managed to raise $130 million of relief in the wake of Katrina. They were only able to raise $2.2 million after Ike. Some of it they attribute to hurricane relief burnout. But also, the financial collapse occurred just 2 days after Ike...and the entire nation's focus was on the collapse and fear of financial ruin. Galveston has really been alone in it's attempts to recover.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Katrina is the most expensive hurricane in modern times with $81 billion in damage. Andrew is 2nd with $26.5 billion. But Ike is third at $25 billion. Please note these numbers are not adjusted for inflation. Taking all storm data into account, a 1926 storm that pummeled Florida and Alabama would be #1 with $165 Billion (2006 dollars normalized for inflation, population and wealth), the Great Galveston hurricane of 1900 would be 2nd at $104 billion and Katrina would be 3rd at $85 billion.

Also from the National Hurricane Center, the 1900 storm was the most deadly with a death toll from 8,000 to 12,000. The 1928 Florida/Lake Okeechobee storm is 2nd with 2550 to 3000 and Katrina is 3rd with 1500. Ike's death toll was 41.

Happy 45th Anniversary Sound of Music, the movie
Sarah and I have rediscovered the Sound of Music and I was interested to learn according to the following article:

http://cinematreasures.org/print/23149_0_1_0/

that it was the 1st motion picture to gross $100 million. It was first released in 1965. Then, it was re-released in 1973 (that's when My Grandma Yuba Whitworth took me to see it). It made it's TV debut in 1976 and had another cinema release in 1978. Adjusted for inflation, it was the 3rd highest grossing box office performance after #1 Star Wars and #2 Gone with the Wind.

I also looked up some Wikipedia info. on the Von Trapp family. Maria and Captain Von Trapp married in 1927 and had a child in 1928 (most likely...there are some discrepancies in the records). They also had two more children later...these 3 were in addition to the 7 children he had. In 1935, he lost nearly all of his wealth after loaning money to a friend in the banking industry. They started performing in 1935 to make a living. Most likely, they left in 1938 due to the changing political environment. Eventually, they ended up in the United States. To learn more, see the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_von_Trapp

Polls
My poll on what used to be the planet Pluto is closed. 100% of respondents felt that it should be reinstated as the 9th planet. Thanks to all who participated. My new poll is about the Sound of Music. What is your favorite scene? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Saw Secretariat
I enjoyed this movie...although I don't know how Penny Tweedy could leave her children so much. That would kill me. I did love her line about "Running At the Future". I agree...that is how you get things done!

Groundhog Gala Kickoff
I enjoyed attending the Kickoff party for the upcoming Groundhog Gala which will be held Feb. 2, 2011 at the Rice Hotel. Special attendess included well known public speaker and author John Bradshaw and his lovely wife Karen. Gala Committee Chairwoman Carol Barndollar shared the good news that the Gala is much further along this year than last year at this time. So, we are all very excited. The gala will benefit the Education Programs provided by the John C. Freeman Weather Museum and Weather Research Center. There are still tables left, but they are going fast. So, let me know if you want to attend.

May you enjoy all your "favorite things" in the coming week.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Awesome weather!/Comparing Hot Summers/My Experience--Internet Scam

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
The tropical Atlantic is fairly quiet with only 2 areas in the Atlantic with a 10% chance of developing in the next 48 hours.

Tropical Pacific has no disturbances.

Hot spot in the country with be the desert southwest with some highs in the 80s. There will be showers and thunderstorms over the Rockies and in the northeast and Mid-Atlantic. A thunderstorm or two for Miami. Most of the country will have highs in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s with low humidity...enjoy!

Houston, this will be the coolest week yet with lows in the 50s and highs in the upper 70s to low 80s most of the week--and low humidity...yay!!! Dry weather should last into at least the early part of next week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do scam or estafa, pronounced ehs-TAH-fah. Find out about my personal experience with a common estafa in the AND MORE section.

Volume 3 DVD of my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, will be released soon. A CD of music from volumes 1 through 3 will be released at the same time. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Until it's ready for release, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
COMPARISON OF HOT SUMMERS
So, now that cooler weather has descended on most of the country (including Houston), I thought it would be interesting to compare Houston's summer to previous summers. This year's summer seemed particularly hot to me.

Well, August was very hot in Houston--in fact it was the hottest month ever on record. Now, this means that if you average all of the highs and lows for the month, that average was higher than that found in any other month. It was 87.7 degrees. In comparison, 1980 had the 6th hottest August with an average of 86.6 and 2009 (just last year) was the 8th hottest with an average of 86.2.

Those 2 years, 1980 amd 2009 show up again in the top 10 July's and June's. 1980 had the hottest July with an average of 87.5. Notice that is below this year's hottest ever month (August) with the average of 87.7. 2009 had the second hottest July ever with an average of 87.4. 2010's July did not make the top 10 hottest list.

For Junes, 2009 had the 2nd hottest June with an average of 85.6. 1980 had the 4th hottest June with and average of 85.1 and this year, 2010, had the 6th hottest June with an average of 84.7.

MY PERSONAL INTERNET SELLING SCAM EXPERIENCE
I am trying to sell a wedding dress either on Craig's List of Yesbride.com for $100. Don't worry--it's not the dress for Gordy and me. Anyway, the original price was $600. Well, I got a couple of earnest replies. One was not very suspicious at first as the guy asked lots of detailed questions about the dress...looked like he was very interested. But then, he talked about wiring money--immediate red flags. I had worked at a bank years ago as a teller, and I am aware of lots of tricks that people try to pull.

But a 2nd lady had me a bit more convinced as she never mentioned wiring money. In fact, she talked about her upcoming wedding and how she would send me a check and I could make sure it cleared and then she would have someone pick it up. Check out this email stream:

I was checking through Yesbride and i saw the wedding dress posted for sale. please i will like to know if its still available, its present condition and the last asking price you re willing to let go of it. Email me if its still available and also a new pictures of it, if you have any.

(So I thought well errors in her grammar but ok...maybe this is a prospect. Here is her next message).

Sorry for the late response, i have been very busy with shopping and planning for my wedding but anyway thanks for the response I am okay with the condition and price of it. I want you to know that i am really interested in wedding dress and I would really not want to lose the sale. I want you to remove the advert from web and consider it sold to me, I'll have my secretary send you a Bank Certified Check and the check payment will deliver to you as soon as possible via Courier service. I will need you to send the following information needed below in other to make/send payment ASAP.

1. Name to be on the check
2. Contact Address(street,apt #,City,State,Zip code):
3. Contact telephone number:(home,cell or work...)

***Note*** I want you to know that i would be responsible for the pickup. When you confirm that you received, cleared and cashed the Check, I will have my someone or my shipping agent come for the pickup at your location. I'm out of town right now but do not worry I'll handle things myself,I will be waiting to read from you as soon as possible so that the payment can be issued out and this transaction can come to an end.

(So I'm thinking she must be a foreigner but that's not a problem and as long as I can make sure the check is cleared, then no problem. So here's the next message).

How are you doing? I have sent out the payment i think the delay is from the UPS ..i will try and find out, why the payment hasn't gotten to your place yet. i will get back to you. enjoy your weekend.

(so at this point, it had been a couple weeks. I saw a red flag with UPS...why not just mail it? Here is her next message).

I think it might have gotten lost in the mail. because the tracking information given to me did not track am confused at the moment . please bear with me. am very much interested in buying the dress from you. I have resend the payment again. kindly bear with me.

Thanks for your time and understanding.

(okay...she's a busy bride. here is her next message).
Hello Cecilia,

How are you today? I want you to know that the check will be delivered to you today via Ups , Am very sorry for the delay .

Here is the Ups tracking number for the Payment: J-174-992-815-5

Upon receipt of the payment today you are to take it to your bank for cashing, after cashing at your bank you deduct your own money from the fund cashed and proceed to the nearest western union agent location close to you and have the excess of the fund sent to my shipping agent using the information below.

Name: Paula Scapicchio
Address: 3150 Plaza Blanca,
Santa Fe, NM 87507

After you have sent the money for shipment through western union , i will require the following details from you :

1. Sender's name and address (your full name and address used in wiring the funds )
2. Receiver's name (Paula Scapicchio)
3. MTCN ( money transfer control number ).
4. Test question and answer(E.g : THE WORLDS GREATEST ).Answer ( AMERICA )
5. Total Amount sent..........
6. A scanned copy of the western union receipt..............

Note: I want you to know that there will be some charges for getting the funds transferred by western union to the shipper , that should be deducted from the funds you will be sending down to her, So the western union charges should be deducted from the excess funds that you will be sending to her.

I await your soonest response, this is because my shipper has to be in your location for the pickup in the next 24 hours upon the receipt of the funds via western union.

I look forward to your email as soon as you have sent the funds today.

Thank you.

Okay, it's me again. I immediately knew this was trouble. You never ever cash a check on your account and then immediately send money. And get this, the check that arrived was $1830 via UPS worldwide overnight express.

So, I would be wiring about $1700 back to her with the fund in my checking account the backup in case the check bounced. No way!!! Run, run like the wind. She has sent a couple more emails which of course I am not responding to.

So, be careful everyone!!! If you ever take a check...always, always make sure it clears first.

Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Even More Pleasant Weather/10 ounce versus 12 ounce beer/In Defense of Pluto

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Depression #16 formed today in the western Caribbean...this is not the remnants of Tropical Storm Matthew which has brought deadly mudslides to Central America. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting that this storm will be drawn northward across Florida, back over the Atlantic and then into the Carolinas (which have had very heavy rain recently). Models and ensembles are all in fairly close agreement. T.D. #16 will probably become Tropical Storm Nicole on Wednesday.

Another new disturbance in the central Atlantic has a 10% chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next 48 hours.

In the eastern Pacific, there are 2 areas of disturbed weather with a 10% chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next 48 hours.

On Wednesday, just a few areas of the country will get wet...eastern seaboard (including Florida), western Great Lakes, and southern California. Ridge of high pressure will bring more 100+ readings to part of the southwest and 90s all the way up to Medford, Oregon. L.A. will only have highs in the 90s after it's all time record heat on Monday. The eastern 2/3 of the country will be pleasant with highs in the 60s, 70s and 80s and comfortable levels of humidity.

Tuesday began in the 50s for most of the Houston area. Houston will continue to be very pleasant into the coming week. In fact, a reinforcing shot of cool and dry air will arrive Saturday. And there will be plenty of mornings in the 50s and highs in the low 80s starting on Saturday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do planet or planeta, pronounced plah-NAY-taah. Do you miss Pluto as a planeta? I've got some thoughts on the matter in the AND MORE section.

Volume 3 DVD of my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, will be released soon. A CD of music from volumes 1 through 3 will be released at the same time. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Until it's ready for release, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Polls
My poll, on how far the Houston Texans football team will go, is closed. 40% said they thought they will make the playoffs. 20% said they will make the AFC Championship. 20% said they will make the Super Bowl. And 20% said they will win the Super Bowl. Thanks to all who responded.

My new poll is on the planet Pluto. Do you think it should be reinstated as the
9th planet? Thanks in advance for answering.

Pluto-9th Planet or Not
Unless you've been under a rock or a small planet, you probably heard that back in 2006, Pluto lost its status as the 9th planet of our solar system. I was devastated and grieve to this day. It was one of the platforms of my childhood. How many solar systems did I build with 9 planets...how many models did I see with 9 planets...how many science fairs did I attend with dozens of 9 planet solar systems? And the name Pluto...it was just perfect for a tiny little 9th planet at the end of our solar system. Everything was right in my world and in my solar system. The loss of that 9th planet Pluto shook me to my core. Well, recently I was excited to see that the New Horizon spacecraft (launched in 2006) has only 5 more years until it passes by Pluto and makes some observations. I thought finally this dear little planet will be vindicated and claim its rightly place in the planet hierarchy. But alas, it looks like even New Horizon can't save it. Upon further investigation, I learned that Pluto is one of what are believed to be more than 40 dwarf planets. So, if we were to be fair, we would have to induct those other 40+ dwarf planets onto our list, including the asteroid Ceres and Pluto's moon Charon. Ceres is actually larger than Pluto. Okay, let's say we just took in the top 3 dwarf planets (that we know of). then we would have 11 planets. Nahhhhhh...you can't go home. The damage has been done and Pluto has been permanently demoted to dwarf planet. I'll revisit this topic when New Horizon reports back in 2015. Don't worry...the time will fly.

10 ounce versus 12 ounce beers
My nephew Taylor (of legal age by the way) just told me that his friend from Louisiana told him about 10 ounce beers which are the only size sold where he lives in Louisiana. Well as I had never seen this, I was quite intrigued. He said that his friend prefers it...saying that you can drink 10 ounces fast enough that it is cold the whole time. But that last 2 ounces in a 12 ounce...well it just gets warm and yucky. Others say it just tastes better. And some people just prefer the feel of the more slender can. Bottom line, they'll take the 10 ounce beer even at the same price.

So, I started checking this out and it turns out this size got popular in St. Mary's County Maryland in the 50s. Today, it is popular around New Orleans, in one other county in Maryland, in parts of Mississippi, in St. Mary's County Maryland, Puerto Rico and a few places in Texas. And get this--all of Budweiser's 10 ounce beers are made in Houston. (But I've never seen one--not that I shop for beer a lot...but I think I would have noticed ha ha).

Anyway, here's the link to the story in Gazette.net.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/111705/busipgl154036_31896.shtml


Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Waiting for Matthew to form/Cold Front Heading this Way

Watching disturbance in the Caribbean this morning as this could become Tropical Storm Matthew by this time Thursday. Hurricane Recon will check it out later today. Big questions are how strong it will get and where it will go. Trough moving across US may eventually steer it northward (toward Florida?) or it could stall out in western Caribbean and eventually be drawn north by a later trough or even another possibility. Models show a variety of possible tracks. So, stay tuned.

Tropical Storm Lisa is way out in Atlantic and not threatening any land areas. Will continue to monitor.

In Pacific, Tropical Depression Georgette is moving northward across the Gulf of California having made landfall on the Baja peninsula as a weak tropical storm. Will likely bring some heavy rain to the southwest US (in particular Arizona) before getting drawn into the trough moving eastward across the US.

Speaking of that trough, it will swing a cold front through Houston on Sunday. Look for some thunderstorms beforehand (especially on Saturday and possibly early Sunday). Then Monday through at least the middle of the coming week...sunshine, low humidity, lows in 60s, highs in 80s.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

First Cold Front Coming!/3 Month Weather Outlooks/Houston Texans Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Hurricane Igor passed just west of Bermuda late Sunday night as a Category 1 hurricane. Although there has been some damage, it was not nearly as bad as Hurricane Fabian in 2003...the eastern end of this major hurricane with 115 mph winds hit the western part of Bermuda causing major damage. According to the National Hurricane Center, there were 4 fatalities on Bermuda and $300 US of property damage. Prior to Fabian, the worst storm was half a century earlier. From here, Igor will likely move northward and eventually weaken with the remnants bringing rain to Greenland.

Julia is a tropical storm east of Igor which will probably not affect any land areas.

In the far eastern Atlantic, there is an area with an 80% chance of developing (next storm name is Lisa). Most models show it going north...but it is very early. So stay tuned.

I will say that one of the more extended forecast models, shows something developed near Florida in the middle of the coming week (a week from Wednesday). So, I'll be checking that out over the next few days.

In the eastern Pacific, there is a new disturbance brewing which has a good chance of developing and moving northward into the Baja California/western Mexico.

There is a slight risk for severe storms today for Minnesota and Wisconsin. There will be many areas with thunderstorms. Upper 40s today around Cut Bank, Montana while Phoenix should be one of the hottest spots with 100+ readings. 60s for California coast and 50s and 60s for the northern tier of states. Elsewhere, 70s to 90s with southeast and south nice and steamy.

Houston, very warm and muggy into Saturday with scattered showers and thunderstorms each day. First real cold front arrives late Saturday bringing lower humidity and sunshine by Monday (as well as morning lows in the upper 60s). Yay!!!

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do bicycle or bicicleta, pronounced bee-see-CLEH-tah. It can be expensive to ride a bicicleta for a living...find out why in the AND MORE section.

Volume 3 DVD of my award winning education series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, will be released soon. A CD of music from volumes 1 through 3 will be released at the same time. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Until it's ready for release, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Poll Results and New Poll
My poll on favorite Dairy Queen Blizzard is closed. 80% of the respondents said they like the kind with candy added the best (my favorite is butterfinger). 20% said they like cookies added the most. No one selected fruit added or chocolate concoction as their favorite. Only only answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

The Texans won their 2nd game of the season on Sunday, 9/19. How far do you think they will go this season. More than one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Fall Official Begins this Wednesday 9/22
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, fall will officially being this Tuesday, September 22nd at 10:09 pm. This is called the autumnal equinox and it marks the days when the length of day is about equal to the length of night. Happy Autumn!!!

More about Bermuda
Checked Wikipedia and found out that Bermuda is an archipelago made of 138 islands, located about 640 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It is only 20.6 square miles in size (i.e. if it was a square, it would be a little over 4 miles by 4 miles in size). There are 67,837 inhabitants (according to the most recent census). The biggest island is often called Bermuda also.

It is expensive to be a bicycle courier
I was talking to a bicycle courier the other day. He said he averages about 50 miles on the bike daily. He was super fit, and he said he can eat whatever he wants. I asked him how often he has to replace his bike tires, and he said about once every 3000 miles (so about every 3 months). He said that the bike tires are almost as expensive as car tires. So, I went online and checked out bike tire prices. The most expensive I saw was $74 but there were some more casual models for only about $10. I figure he is probably not using the latter.

Oct/Nov/Dec Temperature/Precipitation Outlooks
The latest 3 months outlooks for October through December from the Climate Prediction Center indicate cooler than normal conditions for coastal California but warmer than normal for the southwest and south. See figure at right.

For precipitation, the outlook is drier than normal weather for the southwest and south and wetter than normal for the Pacific Northwest. See figure at right.

Drought Monitor and Outlook
Northern Louisiana, northeast West Virginia and western Hawaii are hardest hit by drought. Forecast is for persistence in drought for most of these locations and development of drought in western Arkansas. See figures at right.

Hang in there everyone...the cooler weather is almost here.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Storm Karl Forms in Caribbean

Tropical Storm formed this afternoon (Tuesday 9/14) in the western Caribbean. There is some good news for Texas and the entire Gulf coast. Looks like the storm will move across the Yucatan as a tropical storm only and then hit northern Mexico once it crosses the southern Gulf. And for Mexico there is good news in that the Yucatan will weaken the storm and it shouldn't have much time to strengthen before it makes its 2nd landfall.

It could however be a big rain producer.

Meanwhile it looks less and less likely that Hurricanes Igor and Julia will strike the mainland US.

I'll have more in my next post.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Major Hurricane Igor, Tropical Storm Julia, Is Karl Next?

Happy Sunday Evening everyone -
A big change over the last 24 hours with Igor strengthening dramatically and becoming a major hurricane. Everyone from the Mid-Atlantic northward should be watching this storm carefully and reviewing their hurricane plans. It is still too soon to tell if the storm will hit the US.

A new tropical storm named Julia has formed in the eastern Atlantic. This one will probably not be a threat to the US but it is way too early to determine.

In the Caribbean, a disturbance is having a tough time getting its act together. At least one intensity forecasting model is showing it becoming a tropical storm by Monday night. If that happens, it will be named Karl. Forecast models are all saying that it would hit Mexico. We will know a lot more in a few days.

Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Update/Mannequin's Day Ruined by Fire

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Storm Igor is strengthening again. According to the National Hurricane Center, it should be a hurricane by tonight. And, it is forecast to continue getting stronger over the next several days, turning so that the US will likely not be threatened. Meanwhile, watching a disturbance in the eastern Caribbean that has a 60% chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next couple days and a disturbance in the eastern Atlantic that has a 50% chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next couple days. Model and ensemble forecasts suggest that the eastern Caribbean disturbance will track across the Yucatan and into northern Mexico. Stay tuned.

Eastern Pacific is quiet.

Very hot and humid across the south and southeast this Saturday with thunderstorms from Texas to the Ohio Valley and over to the eastern seaboard and through the southeast. Highs in the 60s and 70s for western California, the northern states/New England (including New York and Washington D.C.).

Houston, it is just hot and sticky for no real relief in sight through the coming week. There will be some scattered showers and thunderstorms, but that's it!

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do fire or fuego, pronounced FWAY-goh. Find out how fuego ruined one mannequin's life in the AND MORE section.

If you are in Fort Bend County and you would like to see my award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, head to your public library. I donated several copies to the area libraries. Of course, you can always see clips on our web site. I just finished getting some music clips to put on our web site now that my Volume 3 DVD will be released soon. A CD of music from volumes 1 through 3 will be released at the same time. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Until it's ready for release, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
I have long wanted to learn more about a store called Bug Time, a do it yourself extermination supply store in Stafford 4647 South Main Street (it's really the feeder road and one of the improved sections of Hwy 90). Their number is 281-565-9061. For at least a year, they have had a mannequin outside, decorated in various ways to bring attention to the shop. For the longest time, there was a male mannequin. That disappeared and was replaced by a female mannequin about 3 months ago. Now I hadn't seen the female mannequin for a couple weeks and there is a reason. Apparently, someone set fire to the truck it was placed on...ruining the truck and burning up all but the head of the mannequin. The male mannequin can't be used as a replacement as it had deteriorated due to the elements.

Owner Ron says they are debating whether or not to order a new mannequin. He said that it was their best advertising...bringing in more business than anything else. He said the nearby Dulles High School kids loved the mannequins and frequently added their own fun decorations. Ron said he would come to work in the morning only to find some new type of decoration that was clever and funny. He said one time he had removed the mannequin for a while and when he put it back, the kids put up signs saying "welcome back" and such.

So, I'll let you know if he gets a new mannequin. The suspense is almost unbearable.

On this September 11th, special prayers that God will bless our country and give comfort to all who are still suffering and grieving.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hermine Not Done Yet/Hello Igor

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
The National Hurricane Center has issued the last advisory on Hermine. But now it is being tracked by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, because it still has lots of potential to dump flooding rains. Speaking of rain totals, Georgetown and much of Austin picked up a foot or more of rain. Houston had some 3+ totals but handled it well.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Igor has formed in the far eastern Atlantic. Model predictions mostly suggest a turn to the north at some point. Will watch. Too soon to tell for sure.

Two other disturbed areas are being watched including what is left of Gaston now in the Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center says nearly a 0% chance of that developing in the next couple of days. Will keep watching.

Tropical Pacific is quiet.

Slight risk for severe storms for the western northern plains on Thursday. Many areas of the country will also have thunderstorms and flooding rains will threaten the nations mid-section as the remnant of Hermine track northeastward.

Houston will be muggy will only a scattered showers or thunderstorms into the weekend. Long range looks continued warm with some very slightly drier air next week...don't get your hopes up...will still be muggy.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do book or libro, pronounced LEE-bro. Find out about 2 books I really endorse in the AND MORE section.

Getting some music clips to put on our web site now that my Volume 3 DVD will be released soon. A CD of music from volumes 1 through 3 will be released at the same time. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Have had a few of Sarah's friends checking out the rough draft of Volume 3 and they were glued to the set. Until it's ready for release, you can order my award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Today is the 110th anniversary of the Great Galveston Storm of 1900, the worst weather disaster in US history--as many as 12,000 deaths. There were a lot of parallels between Hurricane Ike of 2008 and that storm. Now, I am reading a fascinating book filled with Ike anecdotes and flashbooks to the 1900 Storm and all kinds of interesting connections. It is called Infinite Monster by Leigh Jones and Rhiannon Meyers. Thanks to my buddy and hurricane historian, Lew Fincher, owner of Hurricane Consulting, for giving me the book.

Speaking of books and in honor of Rosh Hashanah, I am also recommending a book called The Lost Cellos of Lev Aronson by Frances Brent. I just finished the book about Lev Aronson, an accomplished cellist, who suffered greatly through the Holocaust. It's a great read and I can't stop thinking about all he endured. May we never forget!

Have a terrific Thursday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Flood and Tornado Threat Update Tuesday Morning 9/07

Hello everyone -
Rain from the weakening Hermine is bringing a threat of flooding for the next 2 or 3 days. As I write this post this morning, I have not seen any reports of tornadoes, but that could change. The biggest concerns right now are possible tornadoes and flooding.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING 9/08

The following is the advisory from the National Weather Service. Please keep in mind that I am posting this on Tuesday morning. The watch area and timing will likely be modified over the next day or so. Please consult the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office for the very latest updates.

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR

* A PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...COLORADO...FORT BEND...
GALVESTON...HARRIS...JACKSON...MATAGORDA...WALLER AND WHARTON.

* THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING

* THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM HERMINE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
SLOWLY ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS THIS MORNING AND THEN INTO WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. THE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION
OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST
TEXAS TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND TRAINING CELLS
ARE LIKELY. EXPECT WIDESPREAD 1 TO 3 INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS
THROUGH TONIGHT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME AREAS TO EXPERIENCE
5 TO 10 INCHES WHERE TRAINING PRECIPITATION OCCURS.

TORNADO WATCH
The following is the advisory from the National Weather Service. Please keep in mind that I am posting this on Tuesday morning. The watch area and timing will likely be modified over the next day or so. Please consult the National Weather Service/Storm Prediction Center for the very latest updates.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch effective until 1 pm Tuesday 9/07 for the following counties:

TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ARANSAS AUSTIN BEE
BRAZORIA CALHOUN COLORADO
DEWITT FAYETTE FORT BEND
GOLIAD GONZALES JACKSON
JIM WELLS KARNES KLEBERG
LAVACA LIVE OAK MATAGORDA
NUECES REFUGIO SAN PATRICIO
VICTORIA WALLER WASHINGTON
WHARTON

Be safe everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Storm Hermine/Flash Flood Watch/DQ Mini-blizzard

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Storm Hermine is strengthening in the southern Gulf, but it doesn't have much time to strengthen as it should make landfall tonight over northern Mexico or southern Texas. Bottom line...there is going to be a lot of rain. A vast area is under a flash flood watch including the following portion of Houston. The following is the Monday morning advisory from the Houston National Weather Service. Please understand that the watch area and duration will likely change over the next couple of days. So be sure to check with the local media and the Houston National Weather Service for the very latest advisories.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY
EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...INCLUDING
THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...COLORADO...FORT
BEND...JACKSON...MATAGORDA AND WHARTON.

The watch means that conditions are favorable for heavy rain. Once flooding is occurring or imminent, the National Weather Service will issue Flash Flood Warnings. Once that happens, you should avoid driving and stay at home unless advised to do other wise.

Elsewhere in the Tropical Atlantic, still watching the remnant of Gaston which could become a tropical storm again within the next 2 days as conditions are favorable for that.

Tropical Pacific is quiet.

Houston, heaviest rain will be early Tuesday through Wednesday but there could be scattered showers and thunderstorms thereafter through the coming weekend.

In the nation the Labor Day, many locations will have thunderstorms and there is a slight risk of severe storms for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do rain or lluvia, pronounced YOU-vee-ah. There will be a lot of lluvia in Texas this week.

Volume 3 will be released soon. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Have had a few of Sarah's friends checking out the rough draft of Volume 3 and they were glued to the set. Until it's ready for release, you can order my award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Mini-blizzard at DQ
I love the mini-blizzard size at Dairy Queen (DQ)...just the right size for portion control. I think the price is a bit high...$2.29 at the DQ we go to. Speaking of that, I was interested in how they grouped the choices for blizzards...4 groups. Which type is your favorite? Put in your vote in my new poll at right. Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Magic Exhibit Coming to an End
This is the last weekend to see the Magic exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. If you are looking for something to do with the kids, I heard it is not to be missed.

Baylor College of Medicine Visit with Medical Students
Thursday, Sarah joined Gordy and me giving a talk to the Baylor College of Medical Students as part of their genetics lecture series. We were joined by two families with adults with Williams Syndrome and one with a little girl, Emma, with velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS). See photo at right and here is the link:
http://vcfsef.org/
VCFS is the 2nd most common syndrome after Down Syndrome. Yet, it is way underdiagnosed. I have written about it previously in my blog--about a year ago.

We were there to speak about living with Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS). For more information, go to prisms.org. Thankfully, our experience has been much easier than that of most families.

Sarah formed a new friendship with medical student, Chaya (see right), who said that she went to the same elementary school that Sarah is attending now. And she had the teacher who is now Sarah's principal. Small world! Good luck in your studies Chaya.

Special thanks to Dr. Lorraine Potocki, her assistant Valerie Price and all the wonderful people at Baylor Genetics for helping to enlighten the next generation of doctors. Interestingly, at our last appointment with Sarah's immunologist, there was a young doctor assisting who said that he remembers us giving the lecture to students when Sarah was a toddler.

Hi-Rise Truck
Just had to share this photo I snapped of a high rise truck...this is one of the highest I have ever seen.

Be safe with the heavy rain everyone. Remember, turn around, don't drown. Never cross a flooded roadway on foot or in a car.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tropical Depression #10 and Wet Week Ahead for TX

Hello Everyone -
Just a quick update this evening as Tropical Depression #10 has formed in the southern Gulf. It may become Tropical Storm Hermine before moving into Mexico. East Texas will be on the wet side of the flow around this system so more than anything, it looks like much of Texas including Houston area will get drenched this week--especially Tuesday and Wednesday.

More to come!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Watching Gaston/Labor Day Weekend Forecast

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
3 named storms in the Atlantic and possibly a 4th named Hermine in a few days.

Most immediate concern is Earl, a Category 4 hurricane which might hit the outlying areas of the eastern seaboard on Thursday and southern New England on Friday. I am reminded of a great book called Sudden Sea about the 1938 storm that slammed into eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Fiona is not forecast to become a hurricane but it could pass very close to Bermuda.

Finally, I am watching Gaston, pronounce ga-STAWN which is forecast to become a hurricane on Friday and move westward. Long range steering environment could bring it into the Gulf middle of next week. So stay tuned.

Slight risk for severe storms on Thursday from northern Texas to southern Wisconsin. Very hot in the desert Southwest with lots of 100+ readings. Hot and sticky across the south and southeast with highs in the 90s. Very pleasant for most of the west coast, Rockies, central and northern plains and New England with highs in the 60s and 70s and low humidity.

Big trough which will steer Earl northward will also usher an early September "cold" front into Houston late Friday. Lower humidity air arrives in advance--early Friday. But the big improvement will be late Friday and through Sunday. Should be a very pleasant weekend with mild mornings and warm afternoons with low humidity. Look for some rain to return as early as Labor Day Monday and scattered storms Tuesday and Wednesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do hot or caliente, pronounced cah-lee-EHN-tay. It sure has been caliente this summer. See my global warming poll results in the AND MORE section.

Volume 3 will be released soon. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Have had a few of Sarah's friends checking out the rough draft of Volume 3 and they were glued to the set. Until it's ready for release, you can order my award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
My poll on global warming is closed. 50% said they thought manmade global warming is causing the extreme record heat. 0% said they thought naturally occurring global warming is causing the exreme record heat. And 50% said they were not sure what the cause is. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated. I hope to have a new poll in my next post.

Have a terrific Thursday everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Labor Day Weekend Forecast/Tropical Update/"New" Wardrobe - No Money

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
In the Atlantic, Danielle is weakening while Earl is forecast to become a major hurricane in the next day. Earl is passing the northeastern Leeward Islands and it is still not clear if it will not hit the U.S. Most models show it missing, but we still need to watch it carefully from the Carolinas to the the coastal New England states. Next disturbance in the central Atlantic will likely become Fiona, but it is less likely (at this point) than Earl to threaten the U.S.

In Eastern Pacific, there is an area of disturbed weather with a slight chance of becoming a named storm in the next 2 days.

Some severe weather is possible today over the northern and central plains. That area shifts eastward on Tuesday. Very hot and steamy across the northeast, east and south today with highs in the 80s and 90s. Pleasant for coastal California, Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies and northern Plains with highs in the 60s and 70s.

Houston, we are back to mega hot and sticky all week. Some dry air arrives late Friday and Saturday will be more comfortable. Look for scattered showers and thunderstorms each afternoon this week. Labor Day weekend, a slight chance for a stray storm on Sunday and t-storms slightly more likely on Monday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do buckle or abrochar, pronounced ah-bro-CHAR. What is the safest way abrochar your child in the car. See the AND MORE section.

Finished all art work for Volume 3 and now just a few more finishing touches on the editing. Volume 3 will cover the alphabet (with words beginning with those letters), numbers 1 through 20 and colors. Have had a few of Sarah's friends checking out the rough draft of Volume 3 and they were glued to the set. Until it's ready for release, you can order my award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volumes 1 and 2 on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Get "New" Clothing Without Shopping
I'm cleaning out my closet for one of those charity pick-ups. This time I am determined to be ruthless. Get rid of everything I don't wear...no holding back!!! And, I change things around. Moving tops to a location in the closet that is more accessible. Look down on the floor and big bonus, I find 4 tops on the ground. One of them, I thought I had lost on a trip. One I had been trying to find for a while. And two I had completely forgotten about but really loved!!! I have a whole new wardrobe this Monday morning and didn't spend a dime. And, since I am keeping track of what I am giving to charity, I'll have a nice charity deduction come April 15th.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, so rejuvenating!!!

Keep Your Kids Safe in the Car
My sister has 3 little ones and recently asked me about putting her oldest in a booster. Then, I'm driving home and see a billboard for bucklethemright.org. So I check it out and it goes right to the Texas click it or ticket site. There is lots of great information including a clarification of the child safety seat law in Texas. Here is a summary from the site.

Texas is doing its part by requiring every passenger in a vehicle to wear a safety belt. If a rider isn't buckled in, they'll receive a citation. What's more, if a child passenger younger than 8 years old (unless taller than 4 feet, 9 inches) is not buckled up or is buckled in wrong, the driver will be ticketed.

They have information about where you can go to make sure you are buckling your little ones correctly and much more. Here is the link:
http://texasclickitorticket.com/child_safety.html

Rolling Blackouts
We have been having rolling blackouts in the Sugar Land area for a week...but there is nothing on the Centerpoint web site. I called and unquired and they had nothing to say, except they will have someone come out and check our grid. Do they truly not know that there have been rolling blackouts? Do they think that not saying anything will make us not notice? Have any of you been having any regular trouble? I have lived here 10 years and this is the first time I recall this happening in non-severe weather. Will let you know if I find anything out.

Katrina Anniversary
As we mark the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, let us continue to keep all victims of that storm and all natural disasters in our prayers. I'll never forget the family our church assigned to our group of families or the single mom with a grown disabled son who was completely uprooted from a life that was working. Let us never be too busy to lend a helping hand.

Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman