Another chance for wintry weather in North Georgia

Well, it looks like a better shot this time...the cold air is in place (it was a high of about 37 yesterday and a low of 16), and the moisture is coming in from the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday night & Thursday. It looks like an area starting just north of Macon will get freezing rain, and the north Georgia Mountains might get some snow. The next update will probably be early afternoon. The statements from the National Weather Service however are already talking about issuing Winter Weather Watches & Warnings, but nothing yet.

I got nothin....

Literally nothing is going on. Stuff at work is slow, no home improvement projects, no races to train for, and the weather is bad (they call this partly cloudy????!!).

Yesterday statiscally was the most depressing day of the year, based on factors such as credit card debt from Christmas coming due, Christmas memories starting to fade, bad weather, and people breaking new years resolutions. What I say is that we either need some snow, or it needs to be spring. 43 and drizzle doesn't cut it for me for wintertime.

I know a lot of people are also still in mourning about the Saints losing. Once again, I care very little about the Super Bowl. I guess though I will go w/Peyton & the Colts, since it would be good for him to win a Super Bowl. What sticks out in my mind though is a conversation on Monday Night Football in November when they said there is no way possible that the Colts could get into the game w/just Peyton (and his bad playoffs record), and there was no way possible the Bears could get into the game with Rex Grossman. haha.

Our dog chewed a little bit of an expensive (but small) Oriental rug today while he was alone...anyone know a good rug repair guy??

Also, thinking about my next new car...Saab 9-7X, Volvo XC-90, Pathfinder LE, 4Runner Limited, or Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'm leaning towards the Volvo, assuming I can get an '06 or '07 (once the '08's come out) for a good price.

Sorta kinda ice storm & freezing fog

The Advisories continue for most of northeast & north central Georgia, until 10 AM for Cherokee, Pickens & Gilmer Counties, and 2 PM for counties Gwinnett, Rockdale, Forsyth & east.

The area today to get frozen patches on the roads are in an area east of here at least until early afternoon, while the more favorable area to get frozen stuff is east of here. The current winter weather statement for City of Atlanta and the west and south metro area lasts until 4 PM...tbd if we get another after that.

NEXT STORM: Sunday afternoon there is a good chance of snow north of a Rome to Canton to Gainesville line...we shall see if this moves closer to us. At least the cold air is in place now so that if we do get some winter weather it is more likely to stick.

CURRENTLY: as of 8:30 AM, it's 32 with freezing rain & freezing fog. It feels like 24.

Westlake goes back to school today after 2 days off on a 2 hour delay. Another round of snow/ice is supposed to hit there tomorrow or Saturday (the same stuff we may get).

9:45 AM UPDATE: The freezing temperatures/weather is roughly north of here, including metro Atlanta.

3 PM UPDATE: I was going to link to an article about the fact we may get 1-2" of snow in the north suburbs, but as soon as I was to do that, weather forecasters have no downplayed the threat & saying we're just going to get cold rain...I sure hope they are wrong.

Also, Southlake Carroll, who we lost to in the Super 5A Football state championships last month, got ranked #1 team of the year...that's not so bad!

Ice Storm Update

Winter Weather Advisories have been posted from Midnight tonight until at least 10 AM Thursday as close to us as Gwinnett, Rockdale & Forsyth Counties. The forecasters are still predicting the line of anything bad will be north of here. Fulton County/City of Atlanta is still under a Special Weather Statement about the issue that lasts until 4:15 today. It should be interesting. Temperatures were down at 31 but have warmed up to 32 so far. A high probably around 43 before it starts going down again. The key is to get the really cold air in 1st, then the rain b/c the rain will warm the air up.

Also, there may be a referendum (at least according to Sonny, who was on the Bert Show which would allow cities and counties to vote whether to have wine & beer sales in grocery stores & covnenient stores on Sundays. Bert said that 80% of Atlantans were behind it...what he neglected to mention was that only 50% of Georgians live in Atlanta, and most of those "Georgians" are probably not behind it...Beer sales in places like Seminole County???? never!

Finally, the Bert Show joint-hosted a "Unity" party with V-103 (The People's Station) to try to stop an apparently peculiar Atlanta tradition of clubs with white nights & black nights. Unfortunately for them, only blacks showed up to the Unity party...why is it that Atlanta seems to be one of the few places with such blatant self-segregation?? Strange.

More weather updates as the day progresses...

11 AM UPDATE: The Advisories have been extended south & east to cover NW suburbs of Savannah, north suburbs of Charleston, Augusta & Columbia.

3 PM UPDATE: Same old, same old. Apparently sleet is supposed to start around 9 PM tonight and temperatures are going to be below freezing from about 3 AM to 9 AM. This will give bridges & overpasses a chance to get a nice icy coating (no work?). It should warm up to the high 30's by the afternoon though. The far NE Georgia mountains (Elbert, Franklin & Hart counties, around where I-85 comes from South Carolina). The Advisory area is still the same, and Atlanta proper is still not in it, but the eastern suburbs are. Any more updates will be posted.

Atlanta Ice Storm coming Thursday???

According to the National Weather Service out of Peachtree City, the area north of a LaGrange to Milledgeville line could see an ice storm starting Wednesday night & persisting into Thursday. There is a wedge of cold air building, and what this always means for Atlanta is COLD weather, and potentially bad icing. The last time we had ice, this wedge was in place. The current advisory lasts until 4 PM EST today, but I'm sure they'll be new ones as the day progresses.

Westlake High in Austin is also closed due to a closely related ice storm. As usual they were one of the last ones to put up their name on the list.

More updates through the day....

3:30 PM EST UPDATE:
The line of bad weather for Wednesday night/Thursday has moved south (see here). It sounds like something may be brewing, but the forecasters are being guarded and not wanting to cause panic. We shall see...this update lasts until 4 AM. If anything develops before then, more updates...until then, let's hope for no work on Thursday!

Winter Storm from Texas to Georgia & Florida?

This Winter Storm (or Winter Blitz as The Weather Channel likes to call it) is packing quite a punch. Austin & San Antonio are under Winter Storm Warnings & Houston could be next. The storm could hit as far south as the North Shore of New Orleans metro & just north of Mobile. It is unclear at this point whether Atlanta will get anything, and no watches, warnings or statements have been issued so far (the closest ones being just south of Montgomery, Alabama (Crenshaw County/Panola, Alabama to be exact, about 194 miles from me in NW Atlanta). The statement for south Alabama & NW Florida Panhandle says that: TRENDS THAT WOULD BRING ON ANY EXTENSION OF THE RAIN INTO PERIODS OF SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES COULD CHANGE THE SITUATION SIGNIFICANTLY. IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN...EXTERIOR DECKS...OUTSIDE STAIRS...AND ELEVATED ROADWAYS ON BRIDGES OR OVERPASSES COULD GET A FEW PATCHES OF ICE THAT WOULD MAKE DRIVING...WORKING...OR WALKING OUTDOORS HADARDOUS. RESIDENTS OF THE CENTRAL GULF COAST SHOULD...AS ALWAYS...STAY ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR ANY CHANGES THAT MAY AFFECT PLANS AND ACTIVITIES FOR EARLY WEDNESDAY.

In other news, I'm addicted to My Space...I need to stop trying to find everyone I've ever met...haha.

Nothing too big

Nothing big going on today. Gray's Anatomy is on & it's new but no football. AGGGHH.

Friday Night Lights was great last night. Another new episode next week where Mr. Garrity will try to break up Street & Lila.

Since none of my usual teams are in playoffs...

GO SAINTS!

National Championship and Mardi Gras/New Orleans

This article echos my sentiments about Florida winning the National Title game even though I'm not a Bulldog. This would ring especially true had Florida State played & won (as they did in 1999).

UVa plays UNC tonight in basketball at 9 PM. This will be tough, especially considering that UNC just captured the #1 ranking. You never know though, but it will be in Chapel Hill which makes it worse (p.s. have you seen those funny commericals filmed @ UNC where they keep knocking the Duke guy?).

Good song to remind us to step back once in a while...
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On - Jimmy Buffett
I bought a cheap watch from the crazy man
Floating down Canal
It doesnt use numbers or moving hands
It always just says "now"
Now you may be thinking that I was had
But this watch is never wrong
And if I had trouble the warranty said:
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

(Chorus)
And it rained
It was nothing really new
And it blew
Seen all that before
And it poured
The earth began to strain
Pontchartrain leaking through the door, tides at war

If a hurricane doesnt leave you dead
It will make you strong
Dont try to explain it just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

And it rained
It was nothing really new
And it blew
Seen all that before
And it poured
The earth began to strain
Pontchartrain buried the 9th ward to the 2nd floor

According to my watch, the time is now
The past is dead and gone
Don't try to shake it, just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on
Dont try to explain it, just bow your head
Breathe in, Breathe Out, Move on....

National Championship and Mardi Gras/New Orleans

This article echos my sentiments about Florida winning the National Title game even though I'm not a Bulldog. This would ring especially true had Florida State played & won (as they did in 1999).

UVa plays UNC tonight in basketball at 9 PM. This will be tough, especially considering that UNC just captured the #1 ranking. You never know though, but it will be in Chapel Hill which makes it worse (p.s. have you seen those funny commericals filmed @ UNC where they keep knocking the Duke guy?).

Good song to remind us to step back once in a while...
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On - Jimmy Buffett
I bought a cheap watch from the crazy man
Floating down Canal
It doesnt use numbers or moving hands
It always just says "now"
Now you may be thinking that I was had
But this watch is never wrong
And if I had trouble the warranty said:
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

(Chorus)
And it rained
It was nothing really new
And it blew
Seen all that before
And it poured
The earth began to strain
Pontchartrain leaking through the door, tides at war

If a hurricane doesnt leave you dead
It will make you strong
Dont try to explain it just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

And it rained
It was nothing really new
And it blew
Seen all that before
And it poured
The earth began to strain
Pontchartrain buried the 9th ward to the 2nd floor

According to my watch, the time is now
The past is dead and gone
Don't try to shake it, just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on
Dont try to explain it, just bow your head
Breathe in, Breathe Out, Move on....

Happy Mardi Gras

It took upwards of 9 hours, but the Christmas stuff is finally packed away & in the attic, to be turned on again November 27, 2007. That was a huge job. The house is looking good though...not so packed with stuff. I turned the landscape lights back on as well. Fortunately they worked just fine.

With that said, January 6 was also the start of the Mardi Gras season, which lasts until February 20 this year. We put out the Mardi Gras wreath on the door & some beads in the front pots. The holidays aren't COMPLETELY over.

I also went out for my birthday on Saturday night, and then opened presents and had a fancy dinner at Paul's in Peachtree Hills last night. Got a cool new heart rate watch that calculates just about everything for you. I can't wait to try it out!

Tonight neighbors are coming over for "THE BIGGEST GAME EVER"...haha...just kidding but it is a pretty big deal. After this no football until September :(

Tornado Warning for Fulton County until 11 AM EST

Tornado warning for Fulton (mainly southern Fulton) until 11 AM, as police officers have seen a funnel cloud just west of Newnan (Coweta County to our south). Could be a rough day....remember in elementary school when you got to go into the girl's bathroom for a tornado drill & crouch into the fetal position?

Now one is posted for Sweetwater Creek State Park & Lithia Springs in Douglas County until 11...yikes

Monument Avenue, Richmond, Virginia at Christmas

Ready for this??

1) Traditional Williamsburg-type house w/candles

2) TONS of lights on one tree

3) Richmond-style rope lights on tree

4) Temporary pergola with ornate decorations

5) My favorite house on Lee Circle & Monument Avenue

6) Further down Monument towards J.E.B. Stuart

7) Mardi Gras-type decorations

8) Classic Richmond decorating on Monument near Boulevard

9) Close up of the castle

10) Castle with elaborate decorations

Geaux Tigers

As usual, New Orleans was decked out in gold, green & purple for LSU in the Superdome. And as usual, LSU pulled out the win. Not surprising since Notre Dame stinks as a team and should not have been invited to a BCS game in the first place. Rutgers definitely should have been there and possibly it would have been an interesting game. However, I am definitely glad LSU won. What would happen to that state if the Saints won as well???

The next bowl game is on Saturday (while I take down the Christmas stuff)...the International Bowl at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, featuring Mount Pleasant's Central Michigan v. University of Cincinnati. Although not very interesting, it'll be nice to get a late season game in...just like old times (i.e. fall), when the games would start up at noon. Then NFL will have to suffice for Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The GMAC bowl is Sunday night.

UVa pulled out a huge win against Gonzaga, a team that had beaten Texas, UNC and others. Of course it was in the JPJ (where we are still undefeated), so not very suprising.

I taped Friday Night Lights last night for viewing tonight (since there is no Thursday night football!!!....aaaggh)....I think there has only been 2 Thursdays since August that this has been the case.

One big last weekend...

I have to go to all the trouble of taking down ALL the Christmas lights this Saturday. It will be January 6, which is Twelfth Night, which signals the Twelfth day of Christmas and also the traditional start of the Carnival/Mardi Gras season. I'll put up the Mardi Gras wreath after I take down everything else. There are a few people with lights still on, most of whom are probably lazy rather than realizing that it is still the Christmas season.

I also have a ton of pictures from Richmond to post. I'll try to do that soon! Talk about Mardi Gras Christmas!!!