Building A Better Bumblebee

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, cool. 50°

Made it out at lunch today for a walk. It was a cool day but dry. I stopped a couple of times to take photos but mainly tried to keep moving. I need it.

Nice to see that you're back out there...the Smith Rock hills are patiently waiting for you.

Thanks, Nancy!  I had better stay on those hills' good side!

Might be slippery, in the short term.
Possibly. 

Possibly. Which is why I'm putting the snow tires in Alita's car this morning.

SNOWMAGEDDON!!!!!!  Actually, I looked at the forecast for Pearson Airfield and Slidemageddon might be more probable, plus an opportunity for some barefoot running for you.

Yep. Doesn't look like blizzard conditions, to be sure. But it was definitely time to get the studded tires on the wife's car. She has to head out for work at 0-dark-30, usually before they decide to close or delay school due to snow or icy conditions. I have a feeling she's going to need them this winter.

I took advantage of a pro tip from our local tire store (Les Schwab) for times like this: Show up 30 minutes before they open. Gets you first in line. It took less than an hour to get it all done. If I'd gone later, I'd be waiting several hours before they could even get to the car. (Been there, done that.) So I'm counting this as a win.

But you didn't have a tornado touch down just 1/3 mile from you yesterday though - just sayin

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:But you didn't have a tornado touch down just 1/3 mile from you yesterday though - just sayin'

Oh geez. Much damage? Hope you weren't out running at the time... 

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:But you didn't have a tornado touch down just 1/3 mile from you yesterday though - just sayin'

Oh geez. Much damage? Hope you weren't out running at the time... 

Welcome back to the South, Miche1e.

And good job, Mark, on being the ever thoughtful husband.  That's progress!

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, cool. 50°

Made it out at lunch today for a walk. It was a cool day but dry. I stopped a couple of times to take photos but mainly tried to keep moving. I need it.

Nice to see that you're back out there...the Smith Rock hills are patiently waiting for you.

Thanks, Nancy!  I had better stay on those hills' good side!

Might be slippery, in the short term.
Possibly. 

Possibly. Which is why I'm putting the snow tires in Alita's car this morning.

SNOWMAGEDDON!!!!!!  Actually, I looked at the forecast for Pearson Airfield and Slidemageddon might be more probable, plus an opportunity for some barefoot running for you.

Yep. Doesn't look like blizzard conditions, to be sure. But it was definitely time to get the studded tires on the wife's car. She has to head out for work at 0-dark-30, usually before they decide to close or delay school due to snow or icy conditions. I have a feeling she's going to need them this winter.

I took advantage of a pro tip from our local tire store (Les Schwab) for times like this: Show up 30 minutes before they open. Gets you first in line. It took less than an hour to get it all done. If I'd gone later, I'd be waiting several hours before they could even get to the car. (Been there, done that.) So I'm counting this as a win.

Looks like Sacramento is the place to be!!

Wow Michele...that's scary.

Sunday does look good in Sacramento, but I'm not so sure for those two states north.  Mark would have to give some context.

ounce wrote:Sunday does look good in Sacramento, but I'm not so sure for those two states north.  Mark would have to give some context.

Context: The circled areas for heavy snow are in the Cascade Range. There's a change of a broad range of snow in the Intermountain West. We *might* get a little low-elevation show late Sunday night and early Monday morning, but it's not likely to stick until you get up above 500 feet in elevation.

There's a chance another system coming in mid-week could cause some excitement, but the forecasts have been all over the map. Predictions of several inches of low-elevation snow to nothing but rain. It's tough to forecast snow in these parts accurately, so it's anybody's guess at this point.

Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Overcast, 48°

Out for a walk before work with Alita. We just signed up for the 12-hour event at Elijah Bristow in June, which provides even more motivation to get out there as soon as we can, and as often as we can.

We hope to get good news on Alita's foot Monday. Crossing fingers and toes! (Just not while walking.)

Run: 4.3 miles

Weather: Cold and damp. 35° Gear: Tops, tights, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves.

December is here, with mixed rain and snow earlier in the morning. I took advantage of a break in the precipitation and headed out for my first cold-weather run of the season. I was sort of looking forward to a taste of the cold, though I was glad it stopped raining. Snow is fine. Rain at 35°? Not so fine. Hypothermia city.

The run was difficult. My legs wanted to go in the 10-mintue range, but they felt oddly heavy throughout. My HR refused to stay down, no surprise there, so I took a few walking breaks to keep from pushing myself too hard. I finally figured out the whole heavy leg issue after the run: I'd put Christmas lights up yesterday, which meant repeated deep-squats balanced on the edge of the roof. (Dang, should have logged as a workout...)

Walked first and last 5 minutes, too. Average HR for entire run: 137

Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, 42° but felt colder with wind.

A chilly walk with gorgeous puffy white clouds and blue sky.

The local TV stations ran the video of the bumper cars, buses, the police car and the city snow plow in Portland, yesterday.  Here I was thinking that everywhere north of Houston it just snows and snows and snows.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Sunday does look good in Sacramento, but I'm not so sure for those two states north.  Mark would have to give some context.

Context: The circled areas for heavy snow are in the Cascade Range. There's a change of a broad range of snow in the Intermountain West. We *might* get a little low-elevation show late Sunday night and early Monday morning, but it's not likely to stick until you get up above 500 feet in elevation.

There's a chance another system coming in mid-week could cause some excitement, but the forecasts have been all over the map. Predictions of several inches of low-elevation snow to nothing but rain. It's tough to forecast snow in these parts accurately, so it's anybody's guess at this point.

Little did I know the above map is a living map.  Right now, it's giving the forecast for this Friday and was issued this morning.

ounce wrote:The local TV stations ran the video of the bumper cars, buses, the police car and the city snow plow in Portland, yesterday.  Here I was thinking that everywhere north of Houston it just snows and snows and snows.

Well, there might be some parts of California spared from the ice age...

Yesterday was a relatively low-impact day. Snow sticking at higher elevations but mostly a few flurries everywhere else.

Tomorrow may be a different story: They're talking a few inches of snow topped with a quarter inch of ice. That'd be no fun at all. (No luge tracks around. At least not intentional ones.)

It'll be cold but dry today. Some freezing fog to make it interesting this morning, though.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Sunday does look good in Sacramento, but I'm not so sure for those two states north.  Mark would have to give some context.

Context: The circled areas for heavy snow are in the Cascade Range. There's a change of a broad range of snow in the Intermountain West. We *might* get a little low-elevation show late Sunday night and early Monday morning, but it's not likely to stick until you get up above 500 feet in elevation.

There's a chance another system coming in mid-week could cause some excitement, but the forecasts have been all over the map. Predictions of several inches of low-elevation snow to nothing but rain. It's tough to forecast snow in these parts accurately, so it's anybody's guess at this point.

Little did I know the above map is a living map.  Right now, it's giving the forecast for this Friday and was issued this morning.

Whoa! I hadn't noticed that. Nifty!

Imagine how confusing it'd be to revisit this part of the thread in July!

So that nifty map made me think "whaaaaat? CA is getting rain?" so I looked up the forecast for my old digs in Auburn.  Whaaaaaaaaaaat.  ~5" rain over the next 10 days.  That is insanity.  

Carry on.

Mike MacLellan wrote:So that nifty map made me think "whaaaaat? CA is getting rain?" so I looked up the forecast for my old digs in Auburn.  Whaaaaaaaaaaat.  ~5" rain over the next 10 days.  That is insanity.  

Carry on.

Oh yeah, Northern California has had a very wet bottom AUTUMN this year. Unfortunately, very little rain has made it down to Southern California.

Mark B wrote:

Mike MacLellan wrote:So that nifty map made me think "whaaaaat? CA is getting rain?" so I looked up the forecast for my old digs in Auburn.  Whaaaaaaaaaaat.  ~5" rain over the next 10 days.  That is insanity.  

Carry on.

Oh yeah, Northern California has had a very wet bottom this year. Unfortunately, very little rain has made it down to Southern California.

No big deal, we'll just steal it from those hippies up north 

This morning, CBS had a report from Gov't Park at Mt Hood about all the snow up there.  The reporter was walking through knee high snow.  I guess that'll help come summertime?

ounce wrote:This morning, CBS had a report from Gov't Park at Mt Hood about all the snow up there.  The reporter was walking through knee high snow.  I guess that'll help come summertime?

Knee high is nothing. By the time the winter is through, the snowpack should be 10-12 feet deep or more to provide the runoff we need.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:This morning, CBS had a report from Gov't Park at Mt Hood about all the snow up there.  The reporter was walking through knee high snow.  I guess that'll help come summertime?

Knee high is nothing. By the time the winter is through, the snowpack should be 10-12 feet deep or more to provide the runoff we need.

I still remember the first time I went to Timberline in the winter.  The snow was piled over 15' high on both sides of the road.  It was almost like driving through a tunnel.

We cancelled a trip to the valley yesterday and I Mom said that it was worse today and that Sandy area schools were closed again.

Keep it coming...we need it.  Stay safe.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:This morning, CBS had a report from Gov't Park at Mt Hood about all the snow up there.  The reporter was walking through knee high snow.  I guess that'll help come summertime?

Knee high is nothing. By the time the winter is through, the snowpack should be 10-12 feet deep or more to provide the runoff we need.

I still remember the first time I went to Timberline in the winter.  The snow was piled over 15' high on both sides of the road.  It was almost like driving through a tunnel.

We cancelled a trip to the valley yesterday and I Mom said that it was worse today and that Sandy area schools were closed again.

Keep it coming...we need it.  Stay safe.

Good thing you cancelled the trip. You may not have made it back. They closed I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge today due to heavy ice accumulations. We had two snow/ice days here, and it's finally melting off today. Lots of tree damage and lots of folks who lost power. And it's not even winter yet! This could be an interesting winter.

Oh, and it looks like a polar vortex may be moving south sometime next week, which ought to make things interesting.

I've been filling in for my boss at work (he was on a Caribbean cruise, laughing at our weather, I'm sure), so I didn't get much of an opportunity to get out and run this past week. I hope to change that soon. Alita has the go-ahead to run now, but she got her elbow wrenched at work this past week and is in a sling for a few more days. Hope that heals up fast. We need to get moving!

Probably not the best idea to push Alita out there to soon if she's got an injured arm and her foot is still healing.  One slip on the ice could set her back yet again.  We're enjoying temps in the mid-30's today.  It's been in the low 20's for the last 2 or 3 days.  We're preparing for the polar vortex that's predicted to drop the temps into the teens with possible lows in the single digits. 

Stay warm and safe.

From the Climate Prediction Center and generated last Friday, Dec 9 for the period Dec 15-19.  This is a deviation from normal on temperatures expressed as a percentage.  So, y'all are really going to get cold.


Re:  precipitation shows to be drier for y'all.

ounce wrote:From the Climate Prediction Center and generated last Friday, Dec 9 for the period Dec 15-19.  This is a deviation from normal on temperatures expressed as a percentage.  So, y'all are really going to get cold.


Re:  precipitation shows to be drier for y'all.

Yup. Should be an interesting week. I've got a kid rooting for more snow days already.

Walk: 3.1 miles

Weather: Partly  cloudy, chilly and breezy. 39°

We're expecting more snow this week, but it was dry and getting chilly during my  lunchtime walk. It gave me the chance (and the need) to pick up the pace and allow my body temperature to rise. Normally, I have to take it easy to avoid pitting out my work clothes... but not on days like this! 

A decent walk. My legs started to feel warmed up just as I was finishing, though. I'll still take that as a good sign.