Hurricane Harbor

A writer and a tropical muse. A funky Lubavitcher who enjoys watching the weather, hurricanes, listening to music while enjoying life with a sense of humor and trying to make sense of it all!

Tuesday, December 03, 2019

December... Thanksgiving Over As Is the Hurricane Season of 2019. Traveling Back to the Carolinas Today...



Wondering if Mike makes a Winter Weather Tee Shirt?
Hmnnn.. may ask him.
My favorite place to go to know what's going on in the weather!

www.spaghettimodels.com

Snow and Winter Weather in the NE.
No hurricanes in the tropics.


Look at that beautiful world.
Note the big storm leaving the East Coast.
More moisture in the SW moving in...
Next storm system starting up.

I've missed most my weather friends this week.
But tried hard to live in the moment...
..with a super large family enjoying the moment.
Getting quality time when I could with who I could.
Blogging from the road today.

It's December.
I bought LED Chanukah stars in Target for my window.
Going to see if they work back in Raleigh ;)


The Hurricane Season is in the Rear View Mirror.
Well on our side of the world.

It's been a while I know. I spent the last week in sunny, South Florida hanging out with my kids, family, friends and taking in all my favorite places. Today we are continuing this trek back up the coast to more of my favorite places. A new favorite place showed up on the play list last night when we met my son, daughter-in-law and the adorable Olivia and Milo in St. Augustine dining by the harbor all lit up in twinkling lights at night. Beautiful. Writing this from Jacksonville, but by the time you read it we will have gotten back on the road Northbound.

I guess I missed all the hype about the Winter Storm of early December (E name on TWC?) and pretty sure it will be really remembered as the Thanksgiving Travel Storm Mess of 2019. If you were flying somewhere along the Northern rim of the country you may have been stuck in the airport somewhere, but driving in the Southeast the highways were blue, beautiful and sunny.


Thanksgiving Weekend snow may not happen often.
But really not that rare.

The truth is a Winter Storm that impacts the Northeast and Chicago messing up travel is not that rare a thing as if it was in Tampa Florida or even Atlanta... that would be huge news. I heard Cranky is missing on Twitter, hope he finds his way back to our neck of the woods. I've been offline most of this trip just enjoying life and living in the minute. The weather in Miami was beautiful, sometimes cool at night but not blazing hot during the day and the humidity was way down. My son is moving from his apartment that makes you feel like you are in Savannah with the fountain down below up town towards Aventura and the rest of the family.



So I had a long, espresso and said goodbye to my favorite breakfast spot this year when in Florida. New favorites are nice and will pop up this coming year I'm sure. We had a tropical Thanksgiving by my In Law's pool in the backyard where the frying turkey set off the yard's fire alarm system ... the bird was fine and the sprinklers quickly shut down. The house and adjacent Bird Farm (parrots) were fine, the ground just got a bit wet which was fine and the frying turkey barely noticed the fuss.



So what else happened this weekend?
Josh got to chase a cyclone!
Much to be thankful for there.



 DaBuh closed the 2019 Hurricane Season out.
Check that off the To Do List.
I'll blog on it once back in Raleigh.
The truth is it was all about Dorian.


Jim Williams wrote up an excellent report.
Note he was on the money totally this year.
All his top places he forecast would get hit...
...got hit so I'd listen to him carefully every year.



Link to article.
http://hurricanecity.com/blogs/2019/11/hurricane-season-predictions-summary/

Note in Florida when people ask experts.....
...they make sure Jim is there.


Visit his website and donate often.
It takes money to make the world go around.
And to keep websites going.

His city picks for being impacted are highlighted in yellow.
The yellow for the places that got hit.


Never seen anyone nail every city on their list.
He does deep analysis.
I've heard people say...
"well I don't like his system for picking cities...
My thought is "Really??" "It seems to work!"
He doesn't throw darts and get lucky.
Jim is analytical and a perfectionist.
This year he was as perfect as it gets!

My daughter in Miami helped a friend....
..adopt an adorable dog from the Bahamas.
One of the ones airlifted to Miami.
Everyone wants to adopt them until...
..they hear about their health problems.
From being in a Cat 5 Hurricane...
..and starving on the streets before being rescued.
I'll talk on that later this week.
Once home in Raleigh.


So I said goodbye to Miami.
Or as I think of it MYami.
And heading home for the Carolinas.
But Miami always MY home ;)





Some places just make great coffee.
Miami, Tampa, Savannah, Seattle.
And other places in between like Nola.


 I know this is all about the coffee.
I may get a new Nespresso machine.
A small one for the bedroom.


I won't lie I'll really miss the perfectly made Cuban Coffee and Lattes ... you only get in Miami.



Besos BobbiStorm
@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.

Seems we are good when we have winter in all the right places, sunshine in Miami and storms with awesome cores Hurricane Man to chase ... For me I'm chasing really good coffee and an awesome pecan bun for lunch today!!


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posted by BobbiStorm @ 7:20 AM 0 comments

Monday, November 04, 2019

Tropics on Back Burner This Morning. Small Town Sunday in the Carolinas. Fall Colors Beginning to Peak Through...Rumors & Wishes About Snow.... I Dusted Off My Fake Fireplace Heater.... Yeah, That Happened.





Sometimes a trip out into North Carolina small towns does provide a measure of inspiration that may or may not be used in a novel but does it matter? Inspiration is inspiration and watching people doing things they love be it making art or brewing coffee beans they roast themselves in the Foothills of the Carolinas is what life is all about. Doing things you love. An artist hired to work the Street Fair that usually has live musicians but hired an artist to paint live shared that opportunity with some local artists who set up their paint and boards and painted in the Carolina sunshine while people mingled about enjoying the beauty of the day and watching people doing something they love. Big thanks to https://www.onicasart.com/ for the vision of artistic creativity on display in real time. Check out his paintings, if you have the money and love one buy one!

 I had a very nice Sunday and sharing that with y'all this morning as the tropics are dead currently though there is a chance that something will pop up and surprise you later in the month. Ever be at a pond or a pretty canal in Miami somewhere and suddenly some fish pops out of nowhere jumping out of the water and you aren't sure you saw it or imagined it? That's kind of what the tropics are in November... wait for it, wait for it, wait for it... "WOW DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?" and then it's gone, poof... and you wonder if you imagined it and you wait to see the fish jump again and it's moved on down the canal somewhere else. It's kinda like that in the tropics in November.

Monday morning staring me in the face after a very nice Sunday out in Pittsboro one of the nicer small towns in North Carolina and we have many so that's saying a lot. Watched the Carolina Panthers beat Tennessee that oddly had Tannehill playing quarterback (luckily for the Panthers) and on a nearby screen in a cute neighborhood sports bar in Cary... watched the Miami Dolphins actually win a football game. This was followed by a food splurge I will not go into details but let it suffice to say I had Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes and Pumpkin Pie for dessert because I wanted to... and I did.

It was a full kind of Sunday, from wearing boots and winter like clothing listening to Country Music at a Street Fair then going over to the nearby by Trike Rodeo (really) with a Food Truck Rodeo where I found some fantastic coffee roasted locally. Incredible coffee if you are out that way or can buy online... best coffee I have had in ages and I'm very difficult to please when it comes to coffee. I may be a bit of a coffee snob just being honest.

https://www.aromaticroasters.com/about I had a Caramel Latte that was rich in Espresso and Caramel. https://www.instagram.com/aromaticroasters/?hl=en They had some Molasses Crinkles from another local place (sorry forgot the name) that led to a discussion on something called the Boston Molasses Flood and trust me if you are into history you really need to Google that. You can also check out my pictures on Instagram with the most flavorful Latte I have had in ages.



It's November and apparently I'm supposed to be writing a Novel but I'm blogging and that's just fine because my blog is my diary and there isn't much to talk on tropically this morning. Everyone anywhere geographically close to where there is a sliver of a chance of snow falling on any given day in Winter dreams of snow in November...and this year many people will have their dreams come true. It snowed out by the Appalachian State Football Game briefly over the weekend and online meteorologists are hyping the chance of snow in Carolina this coming week. To be fair on air meteorologists are hinting at snow somewhere near you this coming week.

So I'm just going to say ....using North Carolina as an example.... North Carolina is a big, long, wide state and up in the mountains if a cold front gets close enough it can and will snow and that's not Global Warming or your prayers coming true it's just a matter of Geography. You see not only is North Carolina long and wide it's got tall mountains along it's Western backbone and well between the cold weather coming down from the North and the mountains being high it snows early. That doesn't mean it will snow in Charlotte or Raleigh or Wilmington down by the beach but someone could get snow. Last year it snowed in Raleigh in November and then pathetically didn't snow at all the rest of the winter. Let's hope that doesn't happen again.

Between hype and wishing you'll find me. Of course part of me always wants snow. Part of me wants a hurricane to track or even a tropical storm or heck I'd even take an Invest but I may or may not get either but no one outlawed wishing so just leave me alone and let me do my thing. I might even write because it's November and they have that "make you feel guilty you ain't writing a novel NaNoWriMo" that has great alliteration as does Tannehill in Tennessee.
https://www.nanowrimo.org/

So I'm going to do what I love today and watch some weather loops, read some Tolstoy (yes I wrote that) and make some To Do Lists because being a Capricorn and attempting to organize my life makes me happy even if it's just an illusion; sometimes illusions are good. Do what you love and love what you do and be kind to people today.

al_rCUMP_048.gif (600×710)

You know where to look in November for tropical action, so just putting this here as a gentle reminder it's not over til it's over. Maybe I'll write something more than a blog this November, it's only November 4th I don't have to make that decision today. Do I?


Besos BobbiStorm
@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.

Ps... Sometimes you gotta get out of the City.
And go out to the Country or a small town. 
And just do your thing.
Or see others enjoying life.
Walking around NYC is like that too!
People watching... leaf watching.
Weather Watching ;)


Long version of that song.
Telling u that town rocks on Saturday Night too!
Some great Taverns that play Live Music.

Showing lyrics because.
Words are important...











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posted by BobbiStorm @ 7:14 AM 0 comments

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Updated 11 PM 70% RED in GOM (OLGA??) ... N ATLANTIC GALE ... Front Brings Snow, Maybe Thundersnow & Mucho Rain For the South as it Hooks Up with our GOM System. Hushpuppies & Maple Bourbon Coffee. NC State Fair...


11 PM

70% Chances of development.
I went to the fair.
I haven't followed it much.
I walked everywhere.
I've had enough.
Going to bed but ....
... just putting this up now.


Getting there bit by bit.
What will we find tomorrow?

 

Models consistently take it to landfall.
But as a named system or TD?
Or merging with the front at landfall?


The picture below shows how close...
...the mega system is to coming together.
Another view below.


There is some consolidation tonight.
Is it enough for a name tomorrow?
Or TD status?
Think Hybrid .... 

In Oklahoma it snowed today.
Woodward is prime Tornado Real Estate.


So pretty.
Amarillo got Thunderstorms.
Snow...

As for 97L
There's something going on there.
What will the NHC do in the morning?



I went to the fair.
The NC State Fair.
Love watching things spin.



I'm going to sleep.
Oh and incredible sunsets.
Sweet Tropical Dreams.
Keep reading if you didn't do so already!



3 PM
60% Orange for 97L


Regardless of what happens.
The nasty weather from the front is real.
This may become a Tropical Depression.
Short lived as many have been this year.
Olga if it gets a name.
But the name of the game is ...
The Cold Front.
And moist, tropical weather feeding it.
Creating a stronger front than otherwise.



You can see how the visible image above.
Matches up with the models below.





I'm going to the Fair.
The State Fair.
For all your 97L needs.
Please check out Spaghetti Models.

https://spaghettimodels.com/

I'll update way later.
Please read if you did not do so..
Again the 3 day loop is below.

I'll say one thing.
This most likely will not be the last GOM system.
To grab a ride with a front across the SE.
My question is later in the month...
as in BOO!
or early November.
Fronts will get further South.

It's just that time of year.
Everyone wants to say it's over.
But it's not over til Mother Nature..
..says it's over.

Keep reading if you did not already

10 AM view of 97L




So they reconsidered the situation.
And less than 2 hours after their 8 AM
They put out a special update.
Orange 50%
Invest 97L begins...



Note they mention "tropical depression" right off the bat.
So would expect this to happen....
...unless it suddenly collapses.

This always had a window of opportunity.
It was a short window.
97L has to make the most of it...
...and is doing so this morning.

Models below.


Many models at www.tropicaltidbits.com
Satellite loops too!



The reason they went with TD is...
...it's gonna have to do more than this.
But it is flirting with TS status.
So should next few model runs...
...match it's rapid blossoming.
It's a long shot but odds are going up.



Link to loop above image.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/sat/satlooper.php?region=97L&product=ir



My candy cane satellite.
Much convection....
...approaching front above it.

I'll update later today...
....keep reading if you didn't.
It's still all valid.
Except we are not orange...
...no longer yellow.

(check out that wave by Africa..)
(I'm whispering ...wink wink)

hiatlsat_None_anim.gif (768×496)

Who are you?
Where do your eyes go first?
Do you watch that wave off of Africa.
Low and late in the season....
The big swirl in the North Atlantic?
Or colors showing in the Gulf of Mexico?
That's our mixed basket today.


We know what DaBuh is looking at ;)
Me too... 
But officially check out the GOM
BOC today, GOM tomorrow.
It's a GOM system...
...making landfall.
You can watch in real time.
The front and the Invest!

atl_ir4_sat_tropicalindex_anim.gif (640×480)

30% Yellow Circle 
Long shot Olga.
Unless Olga forms somewhere else...


(ya never know...what goes in 2019)

Mike has a plethora of loops and info..
Easy to use on your phone...
...take the tropics with you everywhere !!


I may design a purple shirt later today.
Lots of tee shirt options.


Picture of our area of curiosity above.

Video i made quick this morning ;)


Sipping Maple Bourbon Coffee with Pumpkin Spice Latte Creamer this morning as the man on Spectrum News is giving the weather for what to wear to the State Fair today. We definitely are deep in Fall in the Carolinas. In the Gulf of Mexico a moist, latent area of convection is going to blossom today and fantasize about getting a name as the Cold Front dips down towards it ...reaching out, grabbing it and zoom, zooming it away towards the Deep South. Slow enough to get some real rain, moving too fast to probably get a name. But it is tropical moisture and when tropical moisture meets up with a front that has an edge, trouble ensues. Stay tuned for that drama and watch the video below showing the next 3 days of stormy weather in the South.

allfcsts_loop_ndfd.gif (799×559)


When I was a little girl and obsessed with the weather maps in the newspaper I would always wonder why they do this switching back and forth game. Cold front dives down, then goes stationary, then a bit of a warm front develops and then WHAM the next stronger front dives down and blows them all out to sea and then in a few days.... they do the dance again. Being an intense sort of person I obviously thought all the fronts should DIVE DOWN and SWEEP DOWN INTO THE CARIBBEAN. And all hurricanes should move WNW until them slam into South Florida. Give me a break, I was young. The first time I lived in an apartment on Biscayne Bay and looked out my bedroom window the reality hit me.... "if we get a hurricane it would blow all of this away...." and I began to worry more than wish on them. From the relative safety of growing up further inland in Miami and later 4 blocks from the ocean on Miami Beach we told ourselves storm surge wouldn't be a problem. Once you have a water view from your bedroom it's a different story.



Enough about me .... but the reality is that is where most of the South is at this time of year. We keep looking South to see if some wayward, surprising system will form and we look longingly at those tweets of snow falling onto people's decks out in the Northwest somewhere and wish a bit harder the fronts get a bit stronger so we can wear our winter clothes and sip pumpkin spice latte and long for Thanksgiving to get a little bit closer! What are you longing for today? I have weather in the low 40s this morning, but by the time I go out... I won't need a sweater as the thermometer launches up towards the low 70s. Kind of like a strong, Miami cold front...but I'm in NORTH Carolina. 



Note Sunday the rain begins to threaten...


And seriously look at how much rain is there.
How fast does it move?
Timing is everything here.
Whoa.... 30% Yellow.
Being monitored in the GOM


But that other area in the N Atlantic
Steals your attention.
Tomorrow the GOM system will steal it back.


That is an amazing North Atlantic Swirl.
Swell, System... Impressive.




So let's look at the tropics fast.
Definitely blossoming today.
Much more convection.
Intenser convection.
Congregating, waiting ...
...to be pulled North by the front.
When I say "North" I mean UP
Exact track of that remains to be seen.
But Mississippi and Tennessee...
Getting rain...

Compare and contrast the video above...
...with how it looked last night.




Note I called it a long shot.
A long shot of being OLGA.

Either way it will be...
..a hybrid sort of system.
Many faces of Olga or just ..
...rain, soaking rain.
With a touch of cooler weather.
We aren't getting Arctic Air yet!

But Colorado has snow... 
...beautiful snow.
Rumors of an East Coast snow...
...are blowing in the wind.
The scent of hype and hysteria...
...is mixed with burning leaves and PSL.
And wishes for November snow.

I'd give the marginal snow for the East Coast..
..better chances than the long shot Olga.
But time will tell.

That's it for me.
I have big questions to deal with currently.

If you were going to get hush puppies.
Let's just pretend...
Would you get 


(it has applesauce sauce on top with a glaze...)


A) Cheerwine ones?
or 
B) Pumpkin Spice Latte ones?


Or would you just go for ICE CREAM?
From NC STATE Howling Ice Cream ;)


And that's it.
Check it out for yourself.

https://www.greensboro.com/gallery/news/photos-new-foods-at-the-n-c-state-fair/collection_f9bb5276-4dad-5d1f-913b-bf007329300b.html#26

I'll update when we see what will be.
I wouldn't hold your breath for Olga.
But it's been an odd year naming wise.


And as for Amarillo...
...they may be getting Thundersnow.


Yes... Cantore is always dreaming of Thundersnow.
What are you dreaming of?

I'll update in real time.
Depending on how much time I have.
Have a wonderful day.


Oh and Cranky may Live Tweet soon.
So that's always entertaining!


Besos BobbiStorm
@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.
(going to be lots of fair pics as the week progresses)
(Don't say I didn't warn ya)

For an old friend :)



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posted by BobbiStorm @ 5:35 AM 1 comments

Monday, December 03, 2018

Chanukah = Winter Holiday. Early Chanukah = Winter Comes Early? Winter Weather in Time for the Holidays.


Winter Comes Early ...
... maybe a meteorological present for me?
Please make it snow!!


www.spaghettimodels.com

To be honest I've been watching models for weeks.
Especially when the chance of snow showed up.
Now it's in the 7 day forecast :)



A complex shot a winter weather in the South?
Yes, we got a chance of winter weather.
Hope springs eternal in December in Carolina.


This is who I am.... my Twitter feed is almost all filled with winter weather notifications and a few geological ones thrown in peppered with some politics and a few Chanukah menorahs along the way. I do weather, a lot of weather and now that I live in the Carolinas I do winter weather or more so I spend most of my time wishing on winter weather. I wear a snowflake charm or a bracelet with white snowflakes as if somehow that will insure me of at least some of the white stuff falling in North Carolina this winter.



Chanukah comes early this year and as so often happens when that happens it seems winter also comes early. The Jewish calendar is based on the moon and the civil dates differ from year to year greatly, over time I've noticed often in years when holidays come early so does the winter weather. This is not a science anymore than me wanting to believe if I wear a snowflake it will snow soon ;) But well... it seems to be working and if you don't believe me look at my 7 day weather forecast! Those are snowflakes for the weekend!


I'm in Raleigh this Chanukah, not sunny bright hot Miami and not Crown Heights which is lit up with menorahs and Chanukah decorations everywhere but in the Carolinas where Chanukah sometimes is harder to see. In Miami the Miami Herald newspaper runs a banner on the top of the page on the days of Chanukah, in Raleigh there was no real mention this morning in the News and Observer newspaper that Chanukah started but imagine eventually it will show up... like the snow... eventually. Spectrum News did nice coverage though as they do of weather and other local news.

http://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/news/2018/12/03/durham-jewish-community-celebrates-first-night-of-hanukkah

Just one forecast by one forecaster...


Truth is I love 'holiday time" and as I grew up when little in a not very Jewish area all my friends had beautiful trees each decorated differently and every family would invite me over to help decorate as they knew we didn't do Christmas. So basically I got to throw tinsel on everyone's tree... I grew up Down South where tinsel is like glitter ... it just isn't a party without some glitter or tinsel on the decorations. Go figure they were a bit envious that I got presents for 8 nights and would come over sometimes to play with my dreidels and liked the menorah my parents lit in the window every night of Chanukah. I like Raleigh, it's a nice place where people are warm, friendly and say things like "have a blessed day" and when they do I smile because how awesome is it to live somewhere where people take saying "have a blessed day" as important as "take care now" or "gotta go"...

Winter came early this year with subfreezing temperatures for a few days and then as always it warmed up to near 70 degrees last night and soon it will plunge back again into the 30s at night. So basically I can wear sandals and boots and live in leggings most of the winter. I love Miami and I often talk on how beautiful the decorations are and being in Key West for the holidays is awesome but more and more the allure and the charm of Carolina during the Holidays does me in. Rarely do I end a sentence purposely with a preposition but it's the only way to say it and really explain the beauty of the Carolinas. I also love wearing leggings ;)

Winter may or may not make a snowy appearance in parts of the South this week and when I say "this week" I mean the "end of the week" and more like the weekend. Amazingly the same system that may bring Oklahoma City snow also aims at the Carolinas and the rest of the South. I'm hoping and if snow falls here you'll know my prayers were answered along with good health for everyone, happiness and just keep on stimulating the economy within reason this shopping season as you buy presents for Chanukah or pile up the presents under the tree. Years back when I was raising all the kids I'd hide their presents in my best friend's closet and she'd do the same with her presents in mine. After a while this became an easy way of hiding anything big I'd want to surprise anyone with as I'd just say "oh those are Sharon's she's hiding them from her kids" and believe it or not... it worked! Love her, she's in Florida with her many grandchildren and children missing me but happy I'm here. She always said it's perfect that "the girl who read Southern Living" ended up in the South. She's a Yankee... she never got the me buying Southern Living Magazine in Miami :)   Nice recipe in this month's magazine for "Root Vegetable Fritters" aka Latkes. https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/root-vegetable-fritters


I'll update later in the week as the forecast becomes more defined. Currently I hit my weather app every few hours to see if they took my snowflakes for Saturday and Sunday away or put a few more back in.... this far out it's like doing the hokey pokey a lot of fun but when others see you doing it they make fun. Sometimes in Raleigh the closest I get to snow flakes is the snow flakes on the long term part of the ten day forecast on my weather app.

My son is a Jewish Music Producer and he lives and breathes music and art as he has an abundance of artsy genes from both sides of the family tree. He sent me this link to the most magical music video. You don't need to understand hebrew to understand the message here. He is one of the best new singers in the Jewish Market and each song and each video illuminates the beauty in his voice and in his message. Watch the story unfold and feel the beauty of the story being told.



Chanukah is a holiday that speaks of courage and faith and miracles. As a child growing up it's hard to understand the whole "they found this little bit of olive oil" but we all loved hearing the story. The Meme on Facebook this week really does tell the story.


Now that puts Chanukah into a perspective we all can understand better. As for me our house is scented with olive oil as I fry various fritters and make Southern Fried Chicken on Chanukah and well ... we can diet next week. Oh and donuts are on the menu plan for lunch as a place in downtown Raleigh that makes coffee is making kosher donuts* this year as we have a new Rabbi and Rebbetzin in town working with Young Professionals in Downtown Raleigh... a beautiful couple and amazingly the granddaughter of a good friend of mine... if that doesn't make me feel old what will? But her grandmother helped bring my family closer to Chabad and was a role model when I was young so wow indeed.  And my son works with her cousin Benny Friedman... small world getting smaller all the time. Fill it with joy and winter weather and I'll be a happy camper. *only the donuts are kosher but hey it's a start!

http://lubavitch.com/news/article/2082593/New-Chabad-Opens-In-Downtown-Raleigh-North-Carolina-s-Capital-City.html



Besos BobbiStorm

Happy Chanukah!!
Gotta Love December!!
Okay...it's my birthday month too!

Ps I remember when they were looking for candles for this video :) yeah, I'm proud and more so the song has been stuck in my head all morning...  so light TWO candles tonight on the  Menorah!






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posted by BobbiStorm @ 8:32 AM 1 comments