I have neglected the one hobby that I CAN do even if the weather is boring, and that hobby is photography.
I picked up the camera for Thanksgiving day photos and spent a good part of my time fumbling around with settings, when just a few months ago, I really felt like I had gotten the knack of taking photos.
So.... I am going to do be spending LOTS of time with my camera in the next few weeks. I don't want to leave home without it, honestly. Time to get familiar again with my old friend, because you never know when my next weather photography opportunity might be.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Life Update!
Jeez.... Since we last spoke I have been to two oceans and the Gulf of Mexico... no... really!
In early October, I was sent to New York City for a conference, and we decided to take the rest of the week as vacation. I hadn't been to NYC since I was in high school, so I was pretty excited! The highlights of my trip were getting to see Letterman, Matthew Broderick twice in the same day (he appeared on Letterman as a surprise guest and was also in Nice Work If You Can Get It), and just roaming the city.
Truly, it was one of the best vacations I have ever had in my life! I was so glad we took a few extra days to hang out!
Then I got back for a few days and found out that I would be heading to Tampa to help monitor a clinical study. That trip was solely work.... We landed, hit the ground running and went straight to work. We had some fantastic food though while we were there, and I was able to see the beach! :)
THEN....... I was home for three days, and then I headed off to another conference in Seattle, WA! Seattle was really nice, but I wish I had more down time. We just didn't have enough time to do any hiking and the weather was horrible while we were there. I was told that July-August is the dry season, and that was the best time for hiking. Sigh.....
I'm so happy to be home right now... I have only been here a few days, but it is awesome to be back here. No more traveling for a little while.. :)
In early October, I was sent to New York City for a conference, and we decided to take the rest of the week as vacation. I hadn't been to NYC since I was in high school, so I was pretty excited! The highlights of my trip were getting to see Letterman, Matthew Broderick twice in the same day (he appeared on Letterman as a surprise guest and was also in Nice Work If You Can Get It), and just roaming the city.
Truly, it was one of the best vacations I have ever had in my life! I was so glad we took a few extra days to hang out!
Then I got back for a few days and found out that I would be heading to Tampa to help monitor a clinical study. That trip was solely work.... We landed, hit the ground running and went straight to work. We had some fantastic food though while we were there, and I was able to see the beach! :)
THEN....... I was home for three days, and then I headed off to another conference in Seattle, WA! Seattle was really nice, but I wish I had more down time. We just didn't have enough time to do any hiking and the weather was horrible while we were there. I was told that July-August is the dry season, and that was the best time for hiking. Sigh.....
I'm so happy to be home right now... I have only been here a few days, but it is awesome to be back here. No more traveling for a little while.. :)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
The Greatest Night That I Will Never Fully Remember
Can't turn my mind off to sleep, so I might as well blog about quite possibly one of the greatest nights of my life!!! Of my ENTIRE life...
First of all, it probably was NOT my proudest moment, haha.... We had spent a little too much time pregaming before the main event, and didn't stop at the main event. But it was a GREAT night, so all the pain the next morning was TOTALLY worth it!
September 18th, 2012, I saw Guided By Voices at the 40 Watt in Athens GA. We arrived in Athens around 3pm and went to grab dinner at one of our favorite places, Ted's Most Best. They have the most amazing pizza!!!! And a baked goat cheese salad.. Holy smokes!! It is so good!
We went and chilled in the room a bit and then headed over to the Flicker Bar for a pre-GBV party where a GBV cover band played. We were trying hard not to rock out too hard. There is where we met up with Rachel and Matt, then soon walked over to the 40 Watt. Brad and Joel were already there, and not far behind was Jamie and Melissa. Needless to say, it was an awesome experience to be surrounded by so many awesome friends, while watching the greatest band on the face of the planet Earth.
Detective opened and Jim Greer who used to be in GBV for a minute was in the band. They were pretty good. When GBV hit the stage, we were well into the party, and it was so much fun. GBV was AMAZING as always. They played a lot of new stuff, but tons of old favorites, too. In general, my face was fixated in a perma-grin for the rest of the night.
After the show, we made it to Max where at some point Brad realized he was missing his glasses. I volunteered to walk back to the 40 Watt with him to help him look for them. Right as we were about to walk back into the club, I noticed ROBERT POLLARD and KEVIN FENNEL and completely forgot about Brad! I turned around and saw that somehow Stacey was back at the 40 Watt too!! So I confessed my love to Robert Pollard and Kevin Fennel.. shed a few tears, and got a fabulous kiss on the head!
Some of the details are still sketchy.. I woke up with a sad tummy, a REALLY sore left arm, and a bump on my head! But it was a fabulous night! I wouldn't trade it for the world!
First of all, it probably was NOT my proudest moment, haha.... We had spent a little too much time pregaming before the main event, and didn't stop at the main event. But it was a GREAT night, so all the pain the next morning was TOTALLY worth it!
September 18th, 2012, I saw Guided By Voices at the 40 Watt in Athens GA. We arrived in Athens around 3pm and went to grab dinner at one of our favorite places, Ted's Most Best. They have the most amazing pizza!!!! And a baked goat cheese salad.. Holy smokes!! It is so good!
We went and chilled in the room a bit and then headed over to the Flicker Bar for a pre-GBV party where a GBV cover band played. We were trying hard not to rock out too hard. There is where we met up with Rachel and Matt, then soon walked over to the 40 Watt. Brad and Joel were already there, and not far behind was Jamie and Melissa. Needless to say, it was an awesome experience to be surrounded by so many awesome friends, while watching the greatest band on the face of the planet Earth.
Detective opened and Jim Greer who used to be in GBV for a minute was in the band. They were pretty good. When GBV hit the stage, we were well into the party, and it was so much fun. GBV was AMAZING as always. They played a lot of new stuff, but tons of old favorites, too. In general, my face was fixated in a perma-grin for the rest of the night.
After the show, we made it to Max where at some point Brad realized he was missing his glasses. I volunteered to walk back to the 40 Watt with him to help him look for them. Right as we were about to walk back into the club, I noticed ROBERT POLLARD and KEVIN FENNEL and completely forgot about Brad! I turned around and saw that somehow Stacey was back at the 40 Watt too!! So I confessed my love to Robert Pollard and Kevin Fennel.. shed a few tears, and got a fabulous kiss on the head!
Some of the details are still sketchy.. I woke up with a sad tummy, a REALLY sore left arm, and a bump on my head! But it was a fabulous night! I wouldn't trade it for the world!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
WHOA!
Poor little neglected blog!
I have ZERO weather to post about. It is so good that I enjoy many things other than storm chasing.
My summer has been chock full of hiking and good times. We didn't really take a real vacation this year, which, honestly, is okay!
Probably the most amazing hike I have done since Muir Woods near San Fran was Cloudland Canyon State Park. We did the strenuous hike to the upper falls.
Here is a photo of Stacey mocking the sign warning over our impending doom!
It was rough, but well worth it!! It has been a very dry summer so the falls was nonexistent. Regardless, fabulous trail and fabulous place!!!
The "upper falls:"
The view!!!
I do want to say to make sure you bring WATER and take it easy coming back up from the falls. Our legs were like totally jelly and could barely support us when we got back up. We were truly exhausted, but like I said.. WAYY worth it!
I will most definitely post more next week! Tuesday, we'll be making the trek to Athens, GA to see Guided by Voices for the millionth time! I'm really excited!!!
I have ZERO weather to post about. It is so good that I enjoy many things other than storm chasing.
My summer has been chock full of hiking and good times. We didn't really take a real vacation this year, which, honestly, is okay!
Probably the most amazing hike I have done since Muir Woods near San Fran was Cloudland Canyon State Park. We did the strenuous hike to the upper falls.
Here is a photo of Stacey mocking the sign warning over our impending doom!
It was rough, but well worth it!! It has been a very dry summer so the falls was nonexistent. Regardless, fabulous trail and fabulous place!!!
The "upper falls:"
I do want to say to make sure you bring WATER and take it easy coming back up from the falls. Our legs were like totally jelly and could barely support us when we got back up. We were truly exhausted, but like I said.. WAYY worth it!
I will most definitely post more next week! Tuesday, we'll be making the trek to Athens, GA to see Guided by Voices for the millionth time! I'm really excited!!!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Update and even a little WEATHER!
Well, it has been a really fun summer so far!!!
Thursday night, a very strong gust front came through our area. We have been taking care of my brother's animals/pool since he has been on vacation, and we were out swimming. I noticed the really dark clouds moving in, so I went to check radar. My phone was BLOWING up! Friends were asking me what was going on with the wind!
So, I noticed a "little outflow boundary" that was pushing out from some storms that caused serious damage in the Smokies earlier that day.
So no.. on radar, people didn't see anything... However, it caused some serious damage in our community. Unfortunately, two people perished after theirpontoon boat capsized in the storm.
On a non-weather note, we went to go see the musical Hair at the Chattanooga Theater Center last night! It was absolutely amazing!! I wish I could see it again, but next weekend looks like more fun in the great city of Athens, GA!
Now, off to the pool and then to see Moonrise Kingdom with BFF's!!! Weeeeee! :D
Thursday night, a very strong gust front came through our area. We have been taking care of my brother's animals/pool since he has been on vacation, and we were out swimming. I noticed the really dark clouds moving in, so I went to check radar. My phone was BLOWING up! Friends were asking me what was going on with the wind!
So, I noticed a "little outflow boundary" that was pushing out from some storms that caused serious damage in the Smokies earlier that day.
So no.. on radar, people didn't see anything... However, it caused some serious damage in our community. Unfortunately, two people perished after theirpontoon boat capsized in the storm.
On a non-weather note, we went to go see the musical Hair at the Chattanooga Theater Center last night! It was absolutely amazing!! I wish I could see it again, but next weekend looks like more fun in the great city of Athens, GA!
Now, off to the pool and then to see Moonrise Kingdom with BFF's!!! Weeeeee! :D
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
It's Okay!
I'm not going to be one of those people who discourage others from becoming a storm chaser, because Lord knows that I have seen enough of those posts in my life. I just get the impression that so many approach chasers with the idea they won't be respected unless they chase storms or make themselves to be much more experienced than they really are.
#1: It is okay that you are new to this. It's okay to ask questions. Just search through forums and the great awesome resource of the internet before you ask questions. When you do ask a question and someone is kind enough to give you a resource, please take the time to learn and actually look at the resource.
#2: It is okay you don't know everything! The thing is... to really learn this stuff isn't easy. A lot of people look up to chasers and think that it is easy. I'd say most of the well respected guys know a great deal about forecasting, storm structure, or whatever. This didn't come to them overnight. You have to start somewhere. Granted, with technology, it is a lot easier to chase storms than it was even 5 years ago. That doesn't mean you should do it without learning. There is a lot to learn about storm movement, structure, etc.... In fact, not knowing some stuff could even put you in bad spots that could quite possibly get you killed. So get on with your learning, will you?
#3: It's okay that you ARE NOT a storm chaser. It's just fine to be a radar aficionado or other kind of weather weenie without having to be a chaser. People are going to respect you more if you don't lie or exaggerate your pursuits.
I'm not saying that I'm this great chaser or anything.... I am a person who genuinely loves science and learning. I have chased storms, yes. However, I am still very new to this (even after 2 solid years of chasing now), and have a lot to learn. I make a LOT of mistakes. I second guess my forecasts all the time, which causes me to drive in circles. I am still terrified of nighttime severe weather (especially when I know there is a possibility of tornadoes). I still will not chase alone if the target is more than 100 miles away or if I am not familiar with the territory. It is too hard to navigate and read radar all by yourself. At least for me.. it is.
So embrace your inexperience for what it is!!! Take your time and enjoy it! No one should judge you if you really are open to learning.
#1: It is okay that you are new to this. It's okay to ask questions. Just search through forums and the great awesome resource of the internet before you ask questions. When you do ask a question and someone is kind enough to give you a resource, please take the time to learn and actually look at the resource.
#2: It is okay you don't know everything! The thing is... to really learn this stuff isn't easy. A lot of people look up to chasers and think that it is easy. I'd say most of the well respected guys know a great deal about forecasting, storm structure, or whatever. This didn't come to them overnight. You have to start somewhere. Granted, with technology, it is a lot easier to chase storms than it was even 5 years ago. That doesn't mean you should do it without learning. There is a lot to learn about storm movement, structure, etc.... In fact, not knowing some stuff could even put you in bad spots that could quite possibly get you killed. So get on with your learning, will you?
#3: It's okay that you ARE NOT a storm chaser. It's just fine to be a radar aficionado or other kind of weather weenie without having to be a chaser. People are going to respect you more if you don't lie or exaggerate your pursuits.
I'm not saying that I'm this great chaser or anything.... I am a person who genuinely loves science and learning. I have chased storms, yes. However, I am still very new to this (even after 2 solid years of chasing now), and have a lot to learn. I make a LOT of mistakes. I second guess my forecasts all the time, which causes me to drive in circles. I am still terrified of nighttime severe weather (especially when I know there is a possibility of tornadoes). I still will not chase alone if the target is more than 100 miles away or if I am not familiar with the territory. It is too hard to navigate and read radar all by yourself. At least for me.. it is.
So embrace your inexperience for what it is!!! Take your time and enjoy it! No one should judge you if you really are open to learning.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Reflection
I've been doing a lot of thinking and self evaluation.. haha.. Scary, I know! :) But regardless.. I feel much better than I did one week ago, that's for sure!
Nothing at all going on weather wise here or elsewhere! I'm really glad I went ahead on that multiday journey in April.. otherwise, we would have been chasing this week and we would have ended up with a whole lot of nothing!
I have been doing a ton of hiking and I love it!
We hiked up from Craven's House to Point Park on Saturday, and it was a lovely journey! This is going to become a regular thing. I have even thought about trying camping again, but we'll see. I still hate bugs. :)
Nothing at all going on weather wise here or elsewhere! I'm really glad I went ahead on that multiday journey in April.. otherwise, we would have been chasing this week and we would have ended up with a whole lot of nothing!
I have been doing a ton of hiking and I love it!
We hiked up from Craven's House to Point Park on Saturday, and it was a lovely journey! This is going to become a regular thing. I have even thought about trying camping again, but we'll see. I still hate bugs. :)
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