Christmas wrap-up... rain on the way for us...

We had a pretty good Christmas at the Michael House. We were all blessed with good health and safe travels.  We started off by sprinkling Magical Reindeer food on the front lawn so Santa did not miss our house. 

The mild temps last week were nice enough to take Summer on a run with me along with Evan.  Evan slept and Summer said she wanted to run too, so I let her run until she got tired.

I had to work part of the weekend and I got to see Santa!  Dawn and the kids were visiting her family to the north.

The went to Chandler Commons.  If you have never been there, you should check it out if you are ever up near Cleveland.  Just a short jump off of I-71.  

During the Sunday morning show I had a lot of coffee.  Normally I run while the kids take a nap and Dawn is working.  Which limits my time to run.  I was home alone, so I figured I had enough energy to do a handful of mile.  Then I started running and thought I had 10 miles in me... then I wanted to keep going so I pushed it to 13.1 miles. 

Nothing like a Christmas Eve Eve Half Marathon through a shipping yard/industrial district to ring in the holidays. I made up for it by indulging on extra cookies.  I did meet up with the family after the morning show on Christmas Eve.

Summer's excitement made my heart sing.

It was a good Christmas for everyone. Grandparents are helping out with zoo membership and other fun "experience" gifts.  Which is great because the memories will last forever. (Along with all the photos) 

Dawn got me this sweet medal rack for all my races.  I will probably add a few more to that this year.

Thankfully not nearly as foggy as it was on Wednesday morning! Thanks to a breeze out of the southeast it is keeping our visibilities great for your Thursday morning commute. It is chilly this morning with temps in the lower 30s and a few passing clouds. More clouds as we go through the day today with winds picking up as well. We will warm into the lower 50s by the afternoon and becoming overcast with rain showers arriving for the late afternoon. The steadiest and heaviest rain will be this evening and tonight. Winds will also stay brisk overnight, 15-25+ mph, out of the south. We will stay warm overnight with low temps in the upper 40s and a high of 60 for Friday before the cold front moves through and brings in cooler air for the weekend. Rain showers for the first half of Friday with brisk winds. Saturday and Sunday will be chilly with highs in the lower 40s and mostly cloudy skies. We may see a flurry on Saturday, but most of us will likely be dry all weekend. Another system is looking more promising for rain for Monday. This would be our final chance to give a run at the #1 wettest year recorded for Columbus. We are currently in the #2 spot with 1.06" needed to reach the #1 wettest year. With the push of warmer air I am bumping up the temps a little bit for Monday and that is the only adjustment to the extended forecast. Wintry mix possible Tuesday, New Year's Day, as colder air races back, but high pressure by the middle of the week with more sun. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Stroller running, gnome painting, wintry mix coming?

The mild temps last week have been great to get outside of the house some and spend some time with the kids in the stroller.  I took them for a run last week and Evan fell asleep almost instantly.  Glad he likes riding in the stroller. Summer always loved/loves it too.  She gets to see the neighborhood.  When I finished she turned back to me and said, "Good run dad!" Melt my heart!

Last week we painted gnomes for a Susan G Komen fundraiser.  I finished mine in the hour of the morning show and the rest of the crew took the rest of the day.  We are showing them off on the morning show today.

I spent Friday and Saturday getting things ready for Christmas.  Browns won!  Then Sunday I did the final craft show of the season for Balm By Buck. The biggest thing for the new venture is getting word out about the hobby.  I have had a great response so far and hope that 2019 does just as well.  My goal is to use it as a way to raise money for the kids college tuition. Maybe they can take it over one day.

A few dry days ahead with chilly temps. Today we have some patchy early fog then a mix of sun & clouds for the afternoon. Skies will clear out more through the day and night. Highs today in the lower 40s and overnight low temps will fall into the mid 20s by Tuesday morning, so frost likely. Lots of sun Tuesday with highs barely reaching 40. A little warmer Wednesday, mid-upper 40s, with increasing clouds. Scattered rain showers for Thursday with highs in the lower 50s. More rain likely Friday and colder air will be working in so we will see the rain transition to a wintry mix by late Friday and early Saturday. Colder next weekend with highs in the upper 30s. Mostly cloudy Saturday with the early wintry mix then a brief ridge of high pressure will bring more sun Sunday. Forecast models are not in agreement with Christmas Eve weather. At times they show dry conditions then new forecast models show wintry mix or snow then back to dry conditions. Chances of a White Christmas, 1" of snow at daybreak, are low, but we may see a little wintry precipitation beforehand. Stay tuned and have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

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