vastateofmind

Dude, you are KILLING it with these on-the-road photos!!!!

You all have the right attitude. And you highlight an interesting phenomenon...I've observed a couple families from our own pool in years past, who volunteered to the hilt for swim team...and whose kids hardly showed up for swim season. It was honestly annoying and frustrating, because they felt they earned a "travel pass," and could do whatever the hell they wanted to. Fine. As I've mentioned, if my sons made the commitment to summer swim, and I made them honor it, for every A/B meet they were eligible for. As my guys aged, the oldest considered summer swim to be more of a "conditioning" activity for his first loves in HS sports (e.g., LAX, football, X-country, etc.) but he showed up for all of the meets he was eligible for...even though he wasn't always a top scorer. Our younger son was a different story, and he's the one that "took off" in swimming as a little guy and onward -- not just in NVSL, but in NCAP, and also for his HS team at the state level. He still holds a few individual/relay records at our neighborhood pool and at Hayfield Secondary, and is still on perhaps a butterfly/relay list or two for NVSL records, although he's certainly dropping "down the list" as younger/faster swimmers excel in NVSL. And yet...there were parents 10-15 years ago, and even today who felt/feel the need to criticize and say things like: "Who the hell is that kid? Why is that name all over our pool's record board?!?" "OMG, that family...they are such swimming attention whores!" "My kid is TOTALLY gonna kill that 10+ year old record!" These are REAL comments, heard first-hand or second-hand from a couple neighbors who are still pool members and who I trust implicitly. To all of these small, small people I say -- if you want your kid to excel at swim, summer league or otherwise, and to earn the records that (apparently) mean so much to you? HAVE YOUR KIDS SHOW UP TO EFFING SWIM. It's just that simple. My kids weren't seeking glory and attention...they made a commitment, and their mother and I made them honor it. But, if the glory and attention and records are what drives families today, then by all means go for it. Just don't bitch if you and your kids aren't there on deck most of the time, at practices and at meets...and then you're all butt-hurt because your kid's name isn't on a pool's record board.

96/71 IMBY currently. Clear blue sky right now, but that Warrenton cell is taking a direct bead on us here in SE FfxCo, so we'll see....think I I can just see the storm moving in on horizon. Gonna run out quick to do one last front yard mow to last through tomorrow...clover has been thick as thieves this year.

Yeah, the temps/DP have been impressive today. Currently 89/73, blue skies and a beautiful breeze. I'll take it!

Arguably, the best part are the breezes left in the wake of the small cells that went to our NE. Soooo nice sitting in backyard right now, under the clearest/bluest skies we've had all day.

LOL, good call...maybe a better call than LWX! Seeing that you're describing on radar, and it seems to be heading direct for Alexandia City (just to my north). Interestingly enough, I'm currently observing cumulus, at seemingly different levels, heading in at least three different directions over my patio at the moment...see, I mouthed off about the forecast, ran out and set up the patio/backyard, and I'm probably going to eat my words within the hour.

Seriously. Not sure what LWX is looking at (or smoking), but they need to adjust fire on their current forecast, at least for SE FfxCo. Sure, I could see several cell(s) potentially popping on radar before and just after sunset, especially since we're clearing out here a lot more right now, but...yeah, radar is a ghost town right now.

You inadvertently brought out a great point. Fair warning, and grumpy old dude opinion forthcoming -- if your kids sign up for summer swim season, here's a fresh idea....how about you (not LITERALLY you, mattie) and your family NOT taking your friggin' family vacations until AUGUST, so that your kids can be there to swim for all or at least most A/B swim meets?? Do these cavalier families ever stop to think about what issues this causes for coaches and team reps who are trying to actively seed the heats for all of these meets? (The answer is "no," and they don't care.) I can honestly say that for every single year that my two sons were part of our NVSL summer swim team (probably a 12-year timespan) our family did NOT take family vacations during the NVSL swim season. I'm not patting "us" on the back, but I did stress to my sons...if you make the commitment to swim for the neighborhood pool, you damn well better show up to swim for every meet for which you're eligible. Our team had dozens of families that signed up multiple kids to swim throughout the summer season...and then ended up being there for, like, THREE total meets due to their overstacked travel schedules and other sports commitments. I mean, seriously, why bother?? Sorry (not sorry) if that offends some folks, but summer swim is a commitment just like any other sport.

Seriously. I'm tired of all of the threats of "heavy rain!" and "thunderstorms!" in the forecast....just not seeing it verify on radar, and anything of consequence on radar is already E/NE of us. I should've gone with my gut earlier and uncovered all of the patio furniture so we could, despite warmer temps/higher humidity, hang out there today....in fact, going out to uncover everything right now, and thumbing my nose at the LWX's scarily-worded forecast for tonight.

Your post couldn't be more timely. We had our every-six-month HVAC check done today....and $2,700 later, we need to have a UV light cleaning system installed, our heat pump refrigerant "restored/recharged," and perhaps most important, our blower rotor cleaned. The amount of "filth" on the rotor was way more stacked up than it's ever been before, and the air filter in the HVAC? Very greyish/black. When I asked the tech if the late-May/early-June wildfire crap had anything to do with that soiling, he said, "Absolutely, yes...have seen it in dozens of other customers." I usually monitor our HVAC filters for dog hair....but didn't think it would be this ruined in less than a month. Good Lord. Stay apprised of your HVAC status, folks....this sh*t can get expensive.

Thx for sharing...that's a very usable tool, as good as PurpleAir's map (maybe even a bit easier).

Currently 60/60. And yeah, AQ visibly and literally stinks right now. AQI at Mt. Vernon is at 167 and continues rising. LWX says S/SW flow might kick in during afternoon to scour some of it out. So much for enjoying the only two likely rain-free days this week.

Yes, can definitely smell it now, and yeah it has an odd, chlorine-y odor right now...couldn't smell it all this morning. Numbers on the rise quickly at Mt. Vernon station. Haziness has been lowering as well. Ugh. Can we just be done with this crap...

Seriously. We had about 15 min of driving rain starting about an hour ago, and a gentle/steady rain since then (with blue sky now appearing in the west). We REALLY needed that around these parts.

I think you mean Jeremy Allen White? He is phenomenal in The Bear...which is why I imagine he's up for a gazillion awards on this show. For a fairly young man, the guy has serious acting chops on this show...which makes me want to watch Shameless now!

What an awesome location for a camera mount!!!

Quick PSA -- I was kinda bombarded over the past couple weeks with news, award alerts, etc. about a show on FX called The Bear. On a whim, my wife and I started streaming the show on Hulu over dinner last night (there are now two seasons)...and we PLOWED through the first half of season one just last night. SO damn good...great cast, witty writing, compelling scenario (set in an Italian beef takeout in Chicago, with the requisite family/interpersonal struggles). We haven't been sucked into a streaming show this quickly ever. The show's first episode is...chaotic...but stick with it. The hype is real, and I highly recommend it.

That cell that just went through Gainesville looks healthy...seems to be aiming directly at central/north FfxCo.

Enjoy your big day, @mappy, and I suppose keep doing whatever it is you're doing and ignore the numbers...as long your kid's classmates continue to call you "pretty."

Yep. Thank GOD most of the mets on local media warned folks to get their errands done by noon today. Several of you caught onto this potential evolution at mid-morning today...which is why I come here first for the critical details.

Returned home 30 min ago from a day of work at Belvoir, current reading at home is 89/69. Full sun again, midday cloud deck moving off the east.

Cloudy again, but currently 85/70 at Ft. Belvoir. Feels pretty gross out there.

Not snarky at all, spot-on! And yeah, folks do forget that we CAN get rough wx this time of year. I just heard my 4th or 5th round of hype on the radio and just turned it off...it's obviously a "me" problem. On a related note, I always like to check the Mt. Holly NWS team's discussion on days like this, as they typically lay out possible scenarios...and they don't disappoint this morning, taking a look at possibilities both north and south of their locale.

My expectations may be tempered by logical discussion happening here...or perhaps I'm more jaded from the experience of forecasted wx vs. what-actually-transpires wx in this region. But I'm finding the amount of hype and hyperbole that a few of the local radio/TV station mets are repeatedly pushing this A.M. regarding this afternoon's severe potential almost insufferable. I mean, they're making it sound worse than the derecho from the early 2010s...get all of your errands done before noon, rush hour will be a nightmare, tornado chances are strong, etc. Ugh. 77/70 with full sun and clear skies now at Fort Belvoir.