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