I have made progress recently on getting my website up. I’ve been simultaneously learning this new software as I add my base content for each page. I’m at the point now where I know the software fairly well, so I just need to finish adding content to my About Me page and then I’ll probably make some stylistic changes, like adding a footer icon (working on that this morning). As soon as those things are done I need to adjust the page layouts to work across different devices (desktop, cell phone, tablet) because right now it will scale real weird on anything other than a wide screen desktop, which is what I’m working on. That kind of needs to be done after I finish up the things above, so there’s a sequence here. I may have all that done within days. All depends on how much time I put towards it. The Olympics are on and it’s a Sunday, so I may not get a whole lot done today with the website. We’ll see.

In other news, hurricane season is knocking on the door. Technically it’s been hurricane season for some time, but I don’t get serious about it until we get into peak season. We are coming into the front end of where hurricane activity in the Atlantic traditionally starts to really ramp up though, so it’s time for Mikey to get ready. Below is a graph from the National Hurricane Season showing this.

As far as hurricane chasing goes for me this year, I plan on chasing any Cat. 4 or higher that hits the US. I’d probably go for a Cat. 3 if it hit the gulf coast. Anything weaker than that, I’m not really interested. I don’t like leaving my own country and the warm embrace of Lady Liberty, but I’m starting to warm up to the idea of heading to the Yucatan Peninsula if there was a cat. 5 too. I have some complicating factors to deal with this year though. I’m supposed to get a new 4runner in about 10 days. That’s been a real pain in the ass trying to get my hands on a new car during the pandemic. My 4runner is still in great shape, but the mileage is getting up there so it’s time to upgrade. As soon as I get my new truck I need to get some equipment installed so it’s chase ready. I’m going to have a 3000 watt inverter installed in it. My laptop I use for chasing is an absolute power hog so I have to have an inverter wired direct to the battery to even power that. I have a lot of other equipment too. Currently I get by with a 700 watt inverter wired direct to the battery, but I figured I might as well move to a bigger inverter and then I can put a Keurig in the back lol. It will be nice camping or hurricane chasing to make a quick cup of coffee rather than having to use my Jetboil or propane stove to make it. I could even put a little microwave in back if I wanted. I think that’s a little too much though. I don’t eat much chasing/camping, but I do like coffee and this will make it easy. I want to install a new grill guard with a 30″ amber bar behind it for driving at night in the rain too and I plan on swapping out the roof rack that comes on it. Lots to do. The main thing is getting the inverter and my Ram mounts installed right after I get it. That’s the bare minimum I need to hurricane chase and since I’m getting this car right as season ramps up, I need to get on it quick so I’m ready to go.

Further complicating my hurricane chasing plans is work. Usually I can take off pretty much whenever I want, however this year we are in the middle of an ERP system upgrade and I have training scheduled for three different weeks right in the middle of hurricane season. If a cat. 5 hits one of those weeks, I’m going to be so butt hurt about it. Let’s just hope that doesn’t happen. I also have a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park planned for September 24th. I like to watch the elk rut out there so although I could cancel that trip for a hurricane chase if I wanted to, but it would take a beast of a hurricane to get me to do it.

Anyway, as I wrap up getting my website completed (at least a rough draft completed, I’m sure I’ll improve and add to it going forward), expect more blog posts. I’ll be keeping an eye on the models for hurricane season so as soon as there is something to watch I’m sure I’ll get information up on that as well. Check back for updates if you’re interested and as soon as I have the website building done I’ll really start to focus on improving my blog.