Meeting Santa, dentist office laughs, and the neighborhood nut...

It was time for our annual trip to see Santa last week.  Even and I matched with our flannel while Dawn and Summer had matching outfits as well.   We were not allowed to take photos of Santa with our phones and I have not received the email of the photos yet... sooo... Here is one of the whole family in front of the Christmas tree. No one freaked out with Santa, but Summer was a little shy and Santa did most of the talking between the two of them.

Summer and Dawn also had an appointment at the dentist last week.  So Evan and I hung out in the lobby looking up funny dentist jokes.  We found some good ones!

I have been continuing the Runner's World Run Streak and today will be day 19. Almost halfway to the end! I am the crazy guy in the neighborhood that doesn't let the rain, snow, or cold stop me from getting in a quick run... Although... I feel very crummy, but I am hoping that a quick run around the neighborhood may help break up some of the crud I am dealing with. It normally helps...

More dry weather to start the week with chilly temps... for now. Today we will see a lot of sun with a few clouds and highs in the mid 30s with light winds. Tonight we will fall back into the lower 20s with mostly clear skies. High pressure rolls on for Tuesday with a lot of sun and a few PM clouds and highs in the upper 30s and a light breeze out of the southwest. Increasing clouds Wednesday with highs in the lower 40s and a light rain/mix shower or two possible late. More rain/snow possible on Thursday, but it looks light and scattered with highs in the low-mid 40s. Rain is looking likely for Friday. Highs will be in the upper 40s with on and off rain. A little rain will linger into the start of the weekend and temps staying mild. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Jam-packed weekend of family, fun. Big snow coming for region?

What a great weekend!  Friday was Dawn's birthday so we spent the day doing what she loves: spending time with the family and getting good food.  

Saturday was a very long day.  I worked the Toys for Tots drive from 6AM-8AM then raced up to Powell for the Made Local Marketplace Holiday Craft Show.  Met a lot of great people and Dawn and the kids stopped by for a while.  Not quite as many people as the October show, in my opinion, but that might have something to do with all the pouring rain. Since I have some extra inventory... I will probably be doing some extra sales, before the holidays, on BalmByBuck.com.

When I got home I went for my run to keep my running streak alive.  I am running at least 1 mile every day between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.  It was pouring for my run, but my trail shoes were muddy so I ran in them to help clean off the mud. 

Yesterday was a GREAT December day.  Lots of sun & we warmed to 66.  So I did my run and joined the family out on a walk.  I then changed the oil in both vehicles and then after naps we went to the Columbus Zoo.

We loved the Wildlights display this year!  We arrived around 4PM to see some of the animals before it got dark and it was great because the lines to get into the zoo, when we left, were about 3 miles long in all directions.  Got to go before the sun goes down to beat the crowds. With the nice weather we knew it was going to be crazy busy.  But worth the crowd to enjoy the nice weather.  I actually wore shorts!

Hope you enjoyed the sun and mild temps on Sunday because today will be a BIG change. Colder air has arrived with a cold front and temps will hold steady, in the lower 40s, through the morning, but continue falling through the afternoon. We will have some scattered light rain showers for the first half of today then falling temps will transition the rain to a wintry mix and eventually some light snow showers for parts of the area. Winds will also stay brisk today. Then we stay cold with highs in the mid-lower 30s for the rest of the week. Flurries and some light snow overnight with cloudy skies and cold temps. We will see more flurries Tuesday and Wednesday with some light snow showers possible Wednesday. Little to no accumulation expected. Another cold front later Thursday will bring more snow showers. If temps warm up a tad then a wintry mix possible, but we should be just cold enough for snow. A few flurries lingering into early Friday with mostly cloudy skies.

Got to keep an eye on the potential for a big weekend system with some significant snow accumulations. 

The system is still over the Pacific and the current tracks keep the snow in Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The deep south will be warmer for some significant soaking rain. We will be mostly cloudy, but if the storm changes paths then it could mean for a messy weekend for Central Ohio, so stay tuned! Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday to my lovely wife, Dawn!!!  

This is easily the foggiest morning we have had in a LONG time. Careful out there. As air temps warm up above the cold ground it will take longer than normal for the fog to clear today.

A little damp this morning with spotty light rain & fog, but then mostly cloudy for the rest of the day with cool temps and light winds. Dry this evening, but rain arriving near daybreak Saturday. Rain will be heavy at times on Saturday with a few rumbles of thunder possible with winds 10-20 mph. We will warm into the mid 50s Saturday, but with the wind and rain it will still feel cool. Rain takes a break for most of Sunday with temps topping out in the mid-upper 50s and a few peaks of sun. Cold air returns next week. Highs in the mid 40s on Monday with light rain and a wintry mix possible. Models are now going drier for Tuesday and Wednesday with just a slight chance for a light wintry mix on Tuesday. We may also possibly see some lake effect snow with winds out of the northeast Tuesday then northwest Wednesday. Even colder Wednesday with temps struggling to warm above freezing. So enjoy the mild weekend before the cold temps return.

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Snow running, freezing rain, weekend warm-up, then winter...

The run streak runs on... Today will be day #8 of the 40 day stretch.  At least 1 mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Year's.  Then I think I may do a Inspire Columbus challenge too where you have to run at least 1 mile outside all of January... which is where I always run.  Evan has gone on two runs now and he loves it.  He is VERY warm in his full body warm suit and a blanket as well.  He sleeps most of the run.  We also have the Christmas trees up at the house.  The big one is up in the family room, but I put my college tree up in Summer's room.  She was very excited for it...

Almost as excited as I am to slide into the weekend.  It will be a VERY busy weekend.  Dawn's birthday is tomorrow. So I have to wrap some gifts today.  Then Saturday I am working the Toys for Tots drive from 6AM-8AM at the station.   

Then I have to run up to Powell for the Made Local Marketplace Holiday Show.  Thankfully it does not take long for me to set up, but a bit of a time crunch. That's how I like to rock and roll!

Hope you enjoyed the few peaks of sun yesterday, it may be a while before we see a sunny day. Today could get a little dicey on the roads so be careful for quickly changing conditions. We have a few flurries moving in this morning. As the air temps warm up then it will change to pockets of rain, but we have been below freezing the last 48+ hours so the rain may freeze on contact with the surface of pavement and vehicles: freezing rain. Since it will be light and scattered then it will not be a widespread issue, but be aware of the potential for icy spots. We warm up more later in the afternoon to the south for rain, but wintry mix still possible to the north. Today's precip will be light and scattered, thus more of a nuisance for parts of the area. Highs in the mid-upper 30s for today.

Temps stay above freezing tonight with some light scattered rain towards daybreak Friday and some spotty light rain showers for Friday, mainly early. Mostly cloudy and warming to the mid 40s Friday. More rain moves in Saturday, heavy at times, with breezy winds and even the chance for a few rumbles of thunder. Some rain may linger into Saturday night, but all models are drying us out quickly for a fairly dry day Sunday and temps warming back up. Highs in the mid 50s both days, but Sunday looks the best for any outdoor ventures. We turn colder next week and timing and track of our systems next week vary greatly on the models and changes run-by-run. We have a decent chance for some rain Monday and changing to a wintry mix and another system Tuesday-Wednesday could bring some moderate rain to accumulating snow. With fairly low confidence in the exact track and timing we are going to go with 40% chance of rain/snow Tuesday and then light snow Wednesday as all models indicate colder air moving in for the area. Have a good one!
Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Buckeye tailgate, Christmas lights, & winter outlook

My brother brought Summer back from my parents on Saturday morning and the rain was starting to break up so I easily convinced Dawn to head down to campus for our friends' tailgate.  It was pretty low-key, but a lot of fun. Evan slept almost the whole time inside the Bjorn under my rain coat.

Yesterday the weather cleared up for a quick run around the neighborhood in just shorts and a tshirt!  It was Evan's first run and he slept the whole time from being put into the car seat to the run, to being taken out of the car seat.  Summer had a fun time.

We also started decorating the house for Christmas.  At least outside.  My brother helped hold the ladder while Summer sorted the clips to hold the lights.

Here is how the front yard turned out.

And the back yard looks pretty good too.  Can't wait to light it up with a fresh blanket of snow!  Luckily I found a bunch of lights on clearance last January so the new LED bulbs will barely use any electric.

Today we are starting off with rain showers and heavy at times during the early morning hours. Temps will fall through the day with cloudy skies and pockets of wintry mix midday and then as temps fall more we will transition to snow showers. There may be pockets of light snow accumulations by tonight, generally less than 1". Winds will also be a big story with winds starting out of the southwest then switching to the northwest at 15-30 mph and gusts 40+ mph.

Scattered light snow showers this evening and tonight, mainly north then cloudy, cold and breezy. We stay below freezing for almost all day Tuesday and Wednesday with a brisk breeze making it feel like the teens in the morning and 20s in the afternoons. Mostly cloudy Tuesday with a few flurries then partly cloudy Wednesday.

Thursday is a transition day. We will be partly cloudy and starting to warm up into the upper 30s Thursday. Sctd. light rain possible Friday as we warm into the lower 40s. Near 50 for the weekend with rain likely Saturday and more scattered rain possible Sunday before turning colder again next week.

This week may be a sign of what is on the way for the winter ahead, but a tad colder as we head into the next few months. The jet stream will be running right across the country splitting cold air north and milder air south. This will allow for moderate fluctuations in temps and we will be right on that rain/snow threshold today and potentially the winter ahead with a wetter than normal outlook. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Oh!  By the way... I am having a big sale on the website today, BalmByBuck.com.  33% off the tins and the 4-pack of lip balms! Just use code CYBERMONDAY2018

Turning colder, visit from friend, looking ahead to Thanksgiving...

I tried soaking in the "mild" temps last week before it turned colder... I have been sporadic with the running lately.  Timing out naps and "free" time with two kids is a lot more challenging to predict.  One of the downsides to no daycare, but there are so many upsides to getting to spend time with the kids.

It was also my first weekend with just the kids and me.  Mom went to Indy to spend time with her Mom.  The kids and I went to a craft show and farmer's market before watching part of the game with a friend... Then home for nap time.

Another friend, Adam Aaro, came to visit Saturday night.  It was good to get part of Team Weekend back together. Adam said he misses when his kids were as little as Evan.

This week started off icy! We had freezing rain move in for Monday morning.

Some of the places did warm up enough to melt through the morning.

But everything was icy at my house when I got home from work. 

Summer passed her first swimming class!  I have been working with her for a long time on learning the fundamentals she was learning in class. I am excited to see her move to the next class and get even better.  

I also have been teaching her how to fix headlights on the car.  My wife's Pontiac is an electrical nightmare with all these issues.  Then I keep waiting on new headlights from Amazon that fit the car properly, but the first pair didn't fit the waterproofing of the housing and the second pair was fried when I opened the box.  None of the local stores carried the LED conversion kit.

Another morning with slick roads to the north. Light snow has been falling overnight and roads are cold enough for some of the snow to cause icy spots, so use caution. Any early snow will clear out by midday and we will see the clouds starting to clear in the afternoon with highs in the upper 30s with a light breeze. Partly cloudy and cold tonight with frost. We see a mix of sun & clouds tomorrow with highs near 40. A cold front will pass later in the day tomorrow and may trigger a few flurries, but not enough to cause any travel issues.

Thanksgiving will be partly cloudy and cold with highs in the mid 30s. Morning temps for Black Friday will be in the mid 20s, so cold for shopping, but we warm up later in the day with highs in the upper 40s and partly cloudy skies. High temps in the 50s for the weekend, but rain returning.

The heaviest rain for the weekend will be early Saturday morning then spotty rain through midday. Saturday PM and Sunday will be mostly dry with just a few spotty showers. More heavy rain possible on Monday and turning much colder for Tuesday and the rest of next week. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Making the most out of fall... before the cold & snow arrive...

The cool last several days have been fantastic to get outside and play in the leaves.  While we don't have many leaves at our house, I did take the kids to the park the other day and Summer wanted to explore the "tunnels" or trails at the park.  The hours I work are super early, but at least it allows me to spend so much time with the kids during the day. 

Then while they nap I work on projects... like making buckeye necklaces and listen to podcasts.  My recent podcast binge has been Revisionist History. Good stuff!

The colors of the trees this weekend was fantastic!  These are a handful of the photos sent in to my work pages the last few days. 

Speaking of the weekend... I worked the craft show, or "Sip N Shop" and did very well.  The lip balms went over well and I am making a big batch of the vanilla beeswax lip balms later today to stock up the website, BalmByBuck.com. Thankfully I still have a couple of those, but making about 100 more today.

Our tradition of walking to the polls to vote went smoothly again this time with two kids.  It was windy, but at least the rain was gone before heading to the polls. 

The weather department normally gets a pass for less work and less on-air time during the election, but I helped build a handful of augmented reality graphics for the news department.  Here is one of them showing the early morning results for the House and Senate for Congress. It was a lot of fun. 

The winds are starting to ease up and we have a couple of nice November days on the way! Today we will see mostly sunny skies with clouds at times and temps topping out in the lower 50s. We will have a light breeze out of the west today at 5-15 mph. Tonight we will see frost as temps dip to the freezing mark with calm winds and clear skies. Sunshine to start your Thursday then slowly building clouds and highs in the upper 40s on Thursday with very light winds. Friday we will see rain showers arriving in the morning and lasting most of the day. Temps will top out in the mid 40s for Central Ohio, but cooler to the north and pockets of rain/snow mix possible north during the morning when temps will be in the mid 30s before warming up. So Friday will be a chilly, wet, raw day. Winds will pick up out of the northwest late Friday and that will push in some lake effect flurries for Friday night and early Saturday. High pressure builds back in for Saturday bringing sun for for the afternoon and most of Sunday. Morning temps Saturday and Sunday will be in the 20s, so a pretty cold weekend. High temps will be in the upper 30s Saturday and mid 40s Sunday. By Monday into Tuesday the forecast models are not quite agreeing on the timing and temps just yet. Right now it appears we will have some rain showers on Monday and a wintry mix, if not mostly snow, for Tuesday. Stay tuned because the timing and temps will be a big factor in what type of precipitation will be on the way.

Speaking of winter, real quick... The National Weather Service will start issuing a new warning this winter: Snow Squall Warning. This is needed... too many accidents/fatalities are caused by these because you can't see stopped traffic in the whiteout conditions. Anyway... Enjoy the next couple of "mild" dry days and have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

BOO! Halloween with the kids & other fun stuff!

 

Hey guys!  Work and life have been SUPER busy so I have not been as good about updating this daily, but I am going to try to get back on the bus with updating this more often.  Marcus is in Hong Kong, but before he left I took the kids back to see him one last time and also visit my Grandma Jean.  Marcus will be there teaching English and not coming home until at least June, when our brother Clark gets married.  I was glad I got to go visit him one final time before he left.  So here is what else has been happening...

Check out this sweet ride!  There is a small fleet of these Toyota Land Cruiser double cabs near where I live.  I think there is a company that is outfitting them for another company.  I would LOVE to own one of these.  So utilitarian!  

Summer and I went down for the Columbus Marathon to root on our friends.  It is pretty hard to find runners you knew, unless you knew what they were wearing to pick them out of the crowd. But I was able to pick out Carl, here, who ended up getting a PR, personal record, in the marathon. It was a chilly morning, but great for getting personal bests!

Carl then twisted my arm to join him on a trail race this past weekend too.  He is a machine and training for a 50 mile race this month.

Dawn and I took the kids to COSI and they loved it.  Well... Evan is too small to do anything, but Summer was VERY upset when we had to leave, so I think we will look into getting an annual pass. It only would take two family visits to pay for the annual pass and a great option to get the kids out of the house in the winter, while Dawn does her work.

Speaking of the kids... So this is Summer and Evan at 2 months and 20 days in both of these photos.  Dawn made the side by side to show how similar they look.  It is quite remarkable! Summer is on the left and Evan is on the right.

In this photo it is the other way around, but you probably could guess that.  Summer picked out what designs she wanted for the pumpkins.  I ended up carving them with the jigsaw and it was VERY fast.  A little more dangerous, but much faster.

Speaking of Halloween... We had a great night last night!  Summer went as Tinkerbell and Evan was an Incredible character.  Thankfully the rain held off... just a light mist and drizzle. We have TOO much candy at the house though and sugar is my biggest weakness.  I need to put a lot in a plastic bag and throw it in the deep freeze.

The balm business has been doing pretty well.  After my last craft show and so many people asking for lip balms... I have expanded to that as well.  I also made a batch of vegan balm using candelilla wax instead of beeswax.  It smells like mint chocolate chip ice cream. 

I also added cinnamon and vanilla to the lip balm lineup.  The vanilla is organic and homemade.  I have been stocking up my inventory for a craft show at a brewery on Saturday.  It is at Combustion Brewery in Pickerington.  I have not been there yet, but it a kid-friendly brewery and the event will be on the second floor, so it is a "Sip N Shop".  Here is the Facebook event page.

It is going to be a wet day and heavier rain today compared to Halloween.  We have a stationary front sitting right over Central Ohio currently and rain will be riding along that like a conveyor belt today.  We will have rain most of the day today and heavy at times.  There will be longer periods of breaks in the rain the farther SE in Ohio that you live today.  NW Ohio will see rain almost the entire day.  The front will be riding right along I-71 most of the day and the air to the SE will be warmer and to the NW it will be cooler.  It does appear the front may slip just a little NW of Columbus this afternoon, so we are bumping up our high temp into the upper 50s.  High temps to the NW will be in the lower 50s today and then lower 60s for the SE. 

But the big story today will be the rain.  We already picked up more than half an inch of rain on Wednesday so the ground is saturated and another 1"-2" today could lead to some flooding.  The steady rain will continue tonight and early Friday. 

By tomorrow the rain will start breaking up and become more scattered and lighter.  Clouds most of the day Friday with some peaks of sun later in the day between the clouds.  Saturday there is a slight chance for spotty rain early then more clearing in the afternoon.  High temps for Friday and Saturday will be the lower 50s. Sunday will be cool and we will see a mix of sun & clouds.  It does look dry the daytime hours Sunday, but we could see some rain sneaking in here late Sunday night.  More rain likely for Monday and Tuesday with highs warming into the 60s. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael