Shelfie, solo LIVE shot, mopeds, Granville, Clippers game

I couldn't help but take a shelfie picture in front of the shelf cloud when I was out getting storm video Wednesday. 

The storms blew up REALLY fast on Wednesday.  With all the potential energy they were building so fast that lenticular clouds were forming above the growing towers of cumulonimbus.

I did end up going LIVE from just west of Delaware, Oh.  I went LIVE all by myself in Dayton frequently before moving up to Columbus.  It brought back a lot of memories out there in the thick of it all by myself doing a LIVE shot for the news.  I love it because you can go at your own pace and you pull your own weight 100% of the way.  Lots of adrenaline. 

Thursday I enjoyed a relaxing day off by the pool in the morning.  Dawn had most of the day off, but when she had to do some scheduling for their real estate company, I went over to the garage to work on the Magnum a little.

Bike ran way cooler with the HPI and super excited to get the bike fully tuned.  Waiting on modified kick stand and idle jets.

I helped out a friend Thursday night with his fabrication company.  He needed a lot of help cutting hundreds of metal pieces for these awards he is making.  We were slamming coffee until after 1AM.

Friday was golf day in Granville so Dawn and I met another couple for an early lunch.  Dawn really liked Granville.  I as well.  Cute town.

Then we finished off the day with Party at the Park with the Columbus Clippers.  Good cheap fun.
 

Keeping an eye on the potential for severe storms late Wednesday... Before that... Well tomorrow will be warm with temps pushing up near 90° and the humidity will be climbing.  There is a very slight chance for a pop-up shower or storm in the afternoon, initiated by the heat, but most of Ohio will stay dry.  Monday and Tuesday there will be scattered showers and storms due to the heat and humidity, but Wednesday there is a strong system kicking out of the Plains and that will need to be monitored closely for the days a head.  Temps stay in the 80's all the way across the board through next weekend.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Moped update and first 90° day!

I finally got the Magnum running, but clutch would not engage and bike wouldn't idle.  So ordered new idle jets and called it a day to do some research.  So Jeff and I went out for lunch for Memorial Day.  Neither of us had family in town or knew anyone doing grill-outs so we got mexican for lunch... At least there was a patio.

I went back over today to work on the clutch.  I talked to Dan Kitchen at 1977 Mopeds and he said if you bottom out the new black bolts in the superclutch that it will not engage because it is too tight.  So I backed them all out, new red loctite, and put them back in a little before bottoming out.  Hope that works.  I REALLY like how the superclutch is performing in my Maxi with the Polini and MLM pipe. 

This evening has been one of a lot of radar babysitting.  Only two flood advisories so far.  No severe storms.  

And since we didn't get any rain at Port Columbus Airport it got pretty steamy today.

We warmed up to 90° for the first time this year.  We normally only get 18 days of 90°+ weather.  So we are already on a good trend to have a warmer than average summer.  Especially considering that the average first 90° day is the middle of June.  The scattered showers and storms are primarily triggered from the heating of the day so once the sun sets then we will see things quiet down some overnight.  Them they pop back up tomorrow afternoon.  And then finally Thursday morning they start pushing down to Southern Ohio and then we dry out through the weekend.  Temps will stay warm with highs of 80° or better for the entire seven day forecast. Rain returns early next week. Today was just a preview of a fun summer ahead!  Have a good one!!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Parmakit is ALIVE!!!

The longest part of the assembly today was finding my new chain that was buried in a filing cabinet.  I forgot where I put it.   

I wired the headlight to get the maximum power from the HPI.

Here is the mentality.  You can run the LED with AC, but when the polarity goes negative then the diode will just keep the light from lighting up... causing a flicker.  Or.... I could run a wave rectifier and that will flip the polarity when it would be negative.  Then if you run a capacitor parallel to the light then it should level out the dips and keep the light steadier and brighter.  Right?  That's what the math says...

Anyway... fired up the bike and it ran for about 15 seconds then died.  I think the timing slipped... or the jetting isn't perfect... or... there are a lot of variables to check, but to hear the thing scream... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! 

Weather should be great for Memorial Day! Warm temps, a little humid... and sunny!  Clouds roll in late Monday with rain for Tuesday.  Few lingering showers thru the middle of the week and the Memorial Tournament looks to be pretty dry and warm!  Clay Hall loved hearing that.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Wonderful weather week...

I did a little tutor session at work this week on severe weather.  Just a little session to help the crews know what they are looking for in the field and what to do if weather takes a turn for the worse.

I then went home and grilled for the first time!  DELICIOUS chicken dinner! 

I went golfing on Thursday at Blackhawk and made my tan line worse than before...Luckily not tooooo much sun.

I also finished building the Parmakit for my Puch Magnum.  21 PHBG, HPI internal rotor... stuffed crank.  I need to put in the new bolts for the superclutch tomorrow.  Which means that I will not be firing up the bike until Sunday to let the red locktite cure.

Still squeezed in a moped ride with a few guys Thursday night.

I did LIVE weather hits from Franklin Park today and got to meat the Da-Tang Dance Troupe and they were GREAT!  Their costumes and choreography were based on what it would look like over 1000 years ago.  Hope to see some of you out there at the Asian Fest this weekend!

Weather looks GREAT all weekend.  We will bounce into the upper 70's Saturday and then low 80's Sunday.  Memorial Day... how about the mid 80's. Yea! Not too shabby for the "start of summer" ehh?  Low humidity all weekend long though so make sure to protect yourself from the sun.  Low humidity means less water vapor for the sun to cut through and you burn faster. Tracking storms on the way for Tuesday.  Then more dry weather.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

ParmaKit Update

Forget the burritos... this ParmaKit is as big as your head!  I got the motor put together today... at least the cases and the top end.  I have to figure out the shimming of the 1977 stuffed crank because it is just a taaaaaad shorter on the clutch side.  Probably only by about 0.25mm.  But in mopeds... 0.25mm can be a HUGE difference in many areas... like timing.  Anyway, thought I would share.  Gotta figure out electrical with the HPI now...

Weatherwise... Monday looks fantastic!  A bit chilly and frosty in the morning, but plenty of sun and temps warming into the mid 70's.  Tuesday a bit warmer but a few scattered showers with more clouds.  Wednesday we will warm into the lower 80's and a slight chance for scattered showers and storms.  Then we cool off into the mid to upper 70's the rest of the week and only a slight chance for rain on Friday.  Next weekend looks GREAT! Mid to upper 70's and plenty of sun! Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Lightning fire, pool open, Race for the Cure

The storms that came through late Sunday night brought a LOT of lightning and that was the cause of a condo fire on the west side of Columbus.  Luckily everyone made it out safely and so did the pets.  It is very weird seeing what is left after a fire like that.  One thing that was left... the books in the drawers.  Weird.

 

I continued to mock up my Magnum build.  I also tried out the new headlights I am planning on running.  I am hoping they are much more visible... need to switch the AC to DC in the current to prolong the life of the bulbs.

So this happened... Check out the video.

I went home to visit my family and I had no idea that it was Old Fashioned Days.  I didn't go, but it brought back some memories of how congested a small town can get during they annual festival.

It was very weird to drive by the location of the old elementary school to only find a big open grassy area and a small park. 

Then I went back to the farm and as I was leaving I followed a rainbow back to Columbus.

This morning I walked in the Komen Race for the Cure.  I also tried LIVE streaming the video.

Luckily we dodged the showers.  The temperatures just above the surface are so cold that there was a LOT of hail in a few of the stronger showers.  This hail was on my patio for about an hour and look at what was still there when I got home!

Expect a frosty night tonight.  The rain showers will clear out tonight and that will lead to clearing and allowing frost and fog to form overnight.  Might be a good idea to cover any tender plants. 

Plenty of sun for later Sunday and we slowly warm back up.  Mid 60's Sunday then more sun and low 70's Monday.  Tuesday could bring a few light showers with temperatures pushing the upper 70's.  Wednesday has the potential for a few strong storms and highs in the low to mid 80's.  Then we cool off a little for the end of the week.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

World's Smartest Weather Dog?

So my wife just called.  She went home to surprise her mom for Mother's Day.  So Buckeye stayed at home with me... well severe storms hit and I was unable to go home and let him out during our dinner break.  We always put him in the bedroom, shut the door to the bathroom and just lean up a baby gate in front of the bedroom door.

As many of you who read my blog regularly know... Buckeye can't see.  He has had cataracts since a very young age.  So any noises freak him out... diesel truck, bicycles, skateboards... especially smoke detectors and thunder.  Well poor Buckeye had to stay at home, alone, during the storms...

So my wife got home a short time ago and said he must have jumped or squeezed through the baby gate in fear of the severe storm and excessive lightning.  And guess where he went?  The bathtub.  My wife said the bathroom rug was moved and the shower curtain was pushed into the bathtub.  So how about that?  The meteorologist mini-schnauzer.  When a storm hits, he knows where to go.  No worries, he is back to his playful self... and no accidents either.

Anyway... time to head home myself since the storms are fizzling out.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Sunday night weather chat...

Want to chat about weather?  Have plans later this week and want a personalized forecast?  NO PROBLEM!!!  I do weekly chats about the weather Sunday nights at 8:30.  Here is the LIVE video for the coming Sunday chat:

Here is the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uoTsvAZgKc

Feel free to tweet me at @AndrewWSYX6 or you can comment on the YouTube video and I will answer your questions!

Tonight's Sunset

Post by Andrew Michael.

Another fun week...

From global warming causing more pollen, to winter killing off 60-70% of the honeybees in Ohio, to the new FREE downtown CBus... fun week reporting.  I love doing stories when it is dry.  

I went golfing Thursday with a producer and one of his friends.  I shot a 99... Not too shabby.  I also added another ball into birdie retirement.  Every birdie I get I never use the ball again.

We had a great ride lead by Taylor on Thursday.  Even G Rashid came from Dayton. 

Can't wait for the pool to be open.  It looks like they are doing the final touches.  Can't wait!

We had practice for the ABC6 dragon boat races... I apparently didn't know the picture was being taken and I was in work mode.  HAHA!

Tomorrow looks to be GREAT for the races.  There will only be a slight chance for scattered showers or storms in the afternoon.  Temps will be warm as well as we get back to 80.  Back into the mid 80's Monday with the slight chance for pop-up showers or storms and then a cold front comes through late Tuesday into early Wednesday with a better chance for rain and then cooler later in the week.  Time for the show!  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Bike ride & mammatus clouds

I am pretty sure I mentioned that my brother is leaving for Ecuador for three months.  Well he is flying out Wednesday so I wanted to grab lunch with him so I rode my bike to meet him today.  A solid 15 miles and I burned off every calorie from Piada.  First time eating there.  My piada was small compared to other overstuffed ones at the other tables.  I will probably go back again... but as of right now... Chipolte takes the cake.

On the way to the station from dinner I noticed some mammatus clouds.  Not super impressive in numbers, but still pretty rare considering the conditions today.

So more scattered rain showers tomorrow... just pesky rain showers that do not want to leave.  It will be a bit cool on Monday as well.  Then finally some high pressure builds in Tuesday with mostly sunny skies. Wednesday morning a warm front will lift through and could fire off a few early showers... then we really warm up.  I am going with a high of 80 on Wednesday and then 85 on Thursday.  Storms return Friday and that will cool us off and bring more scattered rain showers for the weekend.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Storms roll through, ParmaKit, 80's on the way

The storms that rolled through on Tuesday really packed the punch of strong winds.  I reported from Richland County on Wednesday where a mobile home was flipped upside down when 80 mph straight-lined winds came through.  Luckily the lady who lived there survived.

I did give Buckeye a little road trip this week when I ran to pick up some pizza.  He loves car rides.

I also tried something new.  You may have heard of eggs in a basket where you cut a hole in the middle of bread then put an egg in the hole... well I super sized it with everything bagels.  REALLY good, but harder to make.

I also hit up the driving range with Alex and Mike Thursday.  A bit cool and windy, but always good to straighten out your shot!

Last night I hung out with Jon Z so that left me in stitches this morning.  I love it when you laugh so hard that you feel it the next morning.

And then the rest of the morning I mocked up the ParmaKit on my Magnum.  It is going to be a pretty fun build.  I do have to shorten the rear shock for the pipe to clear. I only needed to raise the rear by about a millimeter or three, so not sure if I am going to try to get creative or what... But at least I have other shocks, but don't want to loose it's stance since I love where it is at.

Well... the pollen will be staying high for Central Ohio.  Other than a few scattered showers we will not have any widespread rain until next Friday into Saturday.  A few scattered showers Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday.  And temperatures seasonal for the next few days then MUCH warmer later in the week with 80's for Wednesday thru Friday. Then a much better chance for storms Friday and Saturday ahead of a cold front on the way.

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael