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Mmmmmm Food Coma
05/17/13
I sat down to eat after what had been a long day. The leftover Thai food was delicious. Not quite spicy enough for my taste but luckily we have a giant bottle of sriracha sauce in the fridge. I scarfed it down quickly and now I'm regretting it.
I'm not feeling sick by any means... just tired. The starch-laden noodle dishes and fried rice went down easy but now I'm beginning to feel a big sluggish; and that's an understatement.
In Hawaii it's called a "kanak attack". You eat a big plate of Lomi salmon, some sushi, a little poi, chicken katsu and a big ball of rice. From there on out your stomach is full and the drowsiness sets in. Don't get me wrong, it's a great feeling - I'm sure you've had it after a big Thanksgiving meal. From there a little catnap is just what the doctor ordered.
That's where I am right now. My eyelids are heavy, my belly is full and I feel fantastic. The only problem is the fact that I've still got a few newscasts to do. I guess I should be happy that the hardest part of my job stems from the fact that I sometimes eat too much thereby carbo-loading in the process. It's on nights like this that I need to "dig deep" and harness the energy needed to deliver an upbeat, entertaining forecast.
This certainly isn't the first time I've been in such a predicament... and I know it won't be the last. I think my wife is making pasta next week - it'll certainly fill my gut and probably induce another "kanak attack"... I can't wait.
What Day is It???
05/16/13
It's always terrible when you're dragging through the week. It may be Wednesday and you could swear that it's actually Thursday, or even worse... Friday. I can't remember how many times it's happened to me so I'm sure it's happened to you as well. It's an awful feeling.
On the flipside it's great when the opposite happens. It might be Tuesday but then you reassess the situation and realize it's actually Wednesday, or even better... Thursday. That's what happened to me today.
All day long I was certain it was Wednesday; but as we know it's Thursday. And honestly as I typed that last sentence I actually had to think about it and make sure it was accurate. It's a great feeling even though it was a little jarring throughout the day.
It's almost like I got a little "surprise" when I was putting my forecast together and I realized that I was a day off... in my favor. Not that I have any animosity towards my job - I actually had a great time tonight as we had a party to thank a lot of the people who made our new building & set possible - it's just that I really like my weekends.
And honestly, when we add up the days of our lives it seems like we're all allotted a never-ending sea of time. That ocean of hours is peppered by waves of routine. Which is why my Thursday was so enjoyable... any break in the routine is good w/ me.
Sometimes You Don't Know What You've Got Until It's Gone
05/15/13
I can't tell you how many times I've had this argument w/ my daughters:
"You need to take a nap (go to bed)." I'll point out.
"But I'm not tired." She'll retort. Sometimes she'll shed a tear or two, or @ the very least her eyes will well up and the upper lip will quiver.
"You're obviously tired if this is how you're reacting to a simple request." I'll further observe.
"It's not fair!" She'll complain.
"Life's not fair, now lets go."
It's then that I'll take my child back to her room, lay her down, give her a hug & a kiss and shut the door.
The uncanny thing is that it doesn't matter which kid I'm talking about I've had this conversation - many times - w/ each of them... right now I just happen to be having it most often w/ my youngest. Whenever I have it now w/ my older girls it's usually before bed time. But the bottom line is that I'm having this discussion more than I'd like to admit.
While I'm bothered by it that's not the real issue. What I don't understand is how someone who's been up all day can not be tired. Somedays I'm exhausted before I even get into work. I wish I had a designated nap time and was forced to take it every afternoon. And I get that sometimes my kids may want to stay awake b/c they feel like they'll miss something if they don't. But in my 36 short years on this earth I've learned something: you're not.
Mundane events have the potential to turn memorable and exciting but by and large they're nothing more than everyday happenings. And when the "epic moment" my kids are expecting is preceded by a cartoon or a sitcom on the Disney channel it's a sure bet that the hours that will follow will be nothing more than a forgotten evening years in the future.
Maybe it's one more example of the folly of youth. I remember killing countless hours as a child... now it's all I can do to savor them. I was never able to recall that nothing lasts forever until it didn't. And my kids' refusal to catch 40 winks when they actually have an excuse to do so will only come back to haunt them when they're parents and sleep becomes the most precious of commodities. One that always seems like it's w/in reach even though it's perpetually out of grasp.
Or maybe it's none of that. Perhaps I'm just cranky b/c I didn't get a good nap today.
Torn Up Tonight
05/14/13
If you noticed that the suit I wore during the early broadcasts is different from the one I'm wearing during the late shows you're very perceptive. If not, don't worry the look a lot alike. So why did I make the decision to change? Simple: my work day started out on a sour note. That's always bad but it's even worse when the weather leading up to that point is as perfect as it was Tuesday. So what happened to me this fine day? Let me show you:
"What's that?" you may be wondering. It's a tear in my pants. I was headed into work this afternoon, opened a door and as I slid in my pants caught on the "door guard"; the piece of metal that makes sure the door shuts properly. The hole is so big I can stick my finger through it.
I was, and am, so mad. I think what's most upsetting is that it was all my fault and had I been a little more careful I'd still be wearing the suit in question. B/c of this clumsiness I decided to go home & change on my dinner break. Had I not I could see myself crouching down or bumping into something allowing a tiny tear to turn into a giant, gaping hole. What would be worse is the fact that if that happened it would've taken place just before news time which would mean the good folks of the Miami Valley would get a little more than just the weather forecast from me.
I'm told it can be patched but my wife says it'll never be the same. Oh, well. It was a good suit and I'll still wear it once it's fixed. I'll just make sure I only wear it when I'm not doing anything fancy... like going to work. But the event still put a damper on what was otherwise a fantastic day. Of course @ least when work starts out on the wrong foot it can only get better from there.
The Forecast Discussion for the Week
05/13/13
It was a little jarring to wake up to temperatures near freezing Monday morning. Someone asked me why it was so cold and to answer that we need look no further than what's going on in the upper levels of the atmosphere. What's known as a trough in the jet stream has dipped over the Eastern half of the United States.
That large dip has allowed cold air from the higher latitudes to invade the Miami Valley. But notice how the Central & Western U.S. has a large "bump" in the jet stream over them. That's called a ridge and when you have an upper level ridge on top of you things turn warmer. If you don't believe me just look @ the numbers. It was colder in Dayton Monday morning than it was in parts of Canada, the Northern Plains and even Juneau, Alaska!
This trend won't continue in the coming week as our trough will continue to push east and that ridge will then take hold over the area. Tuesday we'll see a mix of sun & clouds along w/ warmer temperatures; hitting 74 which is near the seasonal average. Wednesday our temps will peak for the week w/ a high of 83. Not only will it be warmer but humidity levels will be increasing this week as well.
As humidity increases we'll introduce the threat for thunderstorms. We could see a few of them as early as Wednesday night but there's a better chance of seeing storms on Thursday w/ a high of 77. We'll keep some afternoon pop-up storms in the forecast Friday & Saturday w/ highs in the upper 70s.
More rain falls early on Sunday while you sleep but the sun will make a comeback through the day and temps will climb into the low 80s once again. Skies will remain partly cloudy and we'll have a few pop-up storms in the afternoon Monday w/ a high in the mid-70s.
I was telling someone just last week that I hope we don't go from winter to summer w/ no real spring in between. I can remember more than a few springs like that growing up in Columbus. Right now it looks like we'll hold off summer for another week or so & w/ some pop-up afternoon storms in the forecast and highs in the 70s it'll really feel like springtime in Ohio.
Favorite Foods
05/10/13
Every so often Jack, Deborah, Nate & I will pick a common theme about which to blog. Tonight's is our favorite foods.
I have to admit that this one is a little tough as I love to eat. My wife's family laughs b/c when we're headed over to their house one of the first things I ask (if not the first) is, "What's for dinner?" They also joke that I've got a hollow leg b/c not only do I like to eat but I can eat a lot. But I'm 6'4" and have a high metabolism so I'm happy to sit down for a meal just about anytime. And seeing that my wife is a good cook it's tough to narrow down my favorite foods down to a top ten but I'll try. So w/ out further adieu here we go:
10.) Fast Food. I don't care if it's fried chicken, a greasy hamburger or just a large french fry; I like it. I don't eat it a whole lot b/c it's horrible for me but every now and then I'll indulge.
9.) Chinese food. When I put this I'm not talking about the buffet @ the local restaurant (even though I'll take that). I like traditional Chinese cuisine. There was this outstanding restaurant in Kaneohe on the island of Oahu called Pah Ke. The menu had like 250 items on it which made it tough to order. Not b/c there were so many choices but b/c usually whenever I tried something new I'd want to get that the next time I ate there.
8.) Pizza. Plain & simple, this one is just great. And a fresh one out of the oven is the best way to enjoy it; I'll eat it cold if necessary though.
7.) Cheese. I don't know if I've ever met a cheese I didn't like. I once ate @ a 5-star French restaurant and it had a cheese tray from which to sample. There were some "interesting" flavors but if paired w/ the proper beverage they were terrific. Yes I love to Edam some Gouda cheese - sorry for the "cheesy" joke.
6.) Pho & Ramen Noodle dishes. These are two distinctly different styles of noodle soups but they're both great. Pho (pronounced "Pha") is a Vietnamese dish that is sometimes served w/ thin slices of raw beef. The heat of the broth actually cooks the meat which adds to the flavor. Ramen is another noodle dish but has more of a soy flavor. The broth of this soup is real beef, ox tail or chicken broth... and that's what makes it great.
5.) Something on the Grill. Two of my favorite things to grill include my stuffed bell peppers (stuffed w/ sauteed sausage, green peppers, garlic, onion & mushrooms) and chicken wings. I soak the wings in Italian dressing overnight, cover & cook them in said dressing, throw them on the grill and baste w/ barbecue sauce... awesome! I even like grilled Caesar salad.
4.) Raw Bar. I don't care if it's shrimp, stone crab, king crab or oysters I love it. BTW, a bucket of boiled craw fish goes well w/ a dozen oysters if you're wondering.
3.) Sushi. I think my favorite kind would be spicy ahi or just plain old ahi (which is tuna). I used to eat this so much that my three-year-old (@ the time) liked it. She still does... probably the only third grader @ her school who'll eat raw fish.
2.) Lobster. Mmmmmm, buttery. I've been to an all-you-can-eat lobster buffet before and scarfed down seven tails... after eating about a pound of raw bar. It was good and I probably could've eaten a few more were it not for all the butter in my stomach.
1.) Steak. You could argue this one is a subset of number five but I think steak belongs in its own category... even if the only way I like to eat it is grilled. If I have a choice I prefer it (and all other food) grilled over charcoal. It just gives it a great flavor. When I make steak I coat is w/ a dust that consists of one part salt (sometimes I'll mix garlic salt, onion salt, seasoning salt or all of the above in this part), one part pepper, one part paprika. Once it comes off the grill I slather it in butter and it makes for a delicious interlude... your heart may hurt a little but just eat some extra grilled Caesar Salad to even it out.
So there you have it. My favorite foods. Now if you'll excuse me I've got to go. Even though I ate a big dinner I think I might be able to make a little room for something else.
Friday's Severe Weather Threat
05/09/13
After a few days w/ showers & pop-up afternoon storms the weather is about to turn a little more unsettled as we round out the work week. Low pressure will pass just to the north of the area over the next 24 hours and as a result showers & storms will come w/ it.
We've already seen some of the storms but they weakened considerably as they pushed into a low moisture environment Thursday evening. B/c of the lower dew points there wasn't as much energy for the coming storms to ingest and as a result thunderstorms turned to nothing more than nuisance rain in the Miami Valley.
Showers and storms will continue to push into the area Thursday night and Friday morning. Action will pick up a bit more so by Friday afternoon w/ the daytime heating. Warmer weather and air w/ a higher moisture content will provide more fuel for storms which is why they're expected to re-develop Friday afternoon.
But here's the kicker: the timing of all of this action won't be as conducive for severe weather. Regardless there's still a slight to elevated threat for it in parts of the Miami Valley Friday. Right now the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma has put areas east of I-75 under a slight risk for stronger storms Friday.
