Ahh..back to the grind.  Why is it that the 2 days of the weekend always goes by so much faster than any two days of the week?  It’s one of those questions that will never have an answer, kind of like “Why is there never enough tortillas when you order fajitas?”  Ponder that for a while.

I hope everybody had a great weekend and I hope you were able to catch one of the many great shows that were happening around town.  The rain proved to be a good thing for Bison Saturday night.  They were scheduled to play the Plaza Stage at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion before The Avett Brothers/Dave Mayfield Parade show but since the rains came down, they were moved to the main stage for a 40 minute set much to the delight of the crowd.

Saturday afternoon I had to pleasure of driving out to Suffolk and catching with LMF alum’s The Aragona Project as they shot their first music video for their single “In The Dark”.  It was great to see Mikeal, Seth, Mark and Jessica as well as meeting the director, Abe Vilchez-Moran and his great team at Illusive Media.  I’ll feature more on this video shoot in an upcoming post to coincide with the world premier of the video.

Sunday night marked week 3 of the fantastic Local Music Show on 96X.  If you missed it during it’s 11p-12a slot, no worries, they post it online Monday.  It really shows the vast amount of great music this area is pumping out with each show playing a completely different and unique setlist as it’s predecessor.  Last night Crizti Walsh featured LMF alums SICMaN of Virginia, A New Day Rising and future LMF guest, Your Favorite Coastline, who will grace the THRS stage Friday, August 10.  Our good friend, Stephen Bement and his Of A Ghost project were also played last night.  Of A Ghost is currently promoting a fundraising campaign for their upcoming video shoot for “The Devils Creek”.  You can help them out and get some awesome incentives by clicking on this link.

That’s it for me today but before I take off, I wanted to share some exciting news with you.  Our favorite brothers from New Zealand, Like A Storm, who made their television debut on Live Music Friday have been asked to join Creed on their upcoming tour.  The tour is in progress now but LAS will be joining them in Phoenix Wednesday, May 9th.  I will have a HUGE announcement regarding them in an upcoming post.  So stayed tuned.

Have a rockin’ Monday!

Finally!  It’s arrived.  A warmer week is ahead.  As you know this last weekend was cool and cloudy with a few showers in the mix.  Today we will warm up, but it will really warm up over the next few days.  Today, despite some clouds, we will have some nice weather.  Highs will push up to around 70 this afternoon with a light east wind.  That usually means we’ll have warmer temps inland.  However, we’ve finally lost the strong north and northeasterly breeze that’s held on for days and days.  High pressure should work to create some breaks in the clouds later today. 

Today's Forecast

 The warm front will pass through tonight and will create a few showers.  Tomorrow is a bit tricky as a cold front will move into some parts of  Virginia.  We will have a warm southwesterly flow for most of the day.  A cold front will attempt to get close to Hampton Roads, but it should stall out just north of us.  So I am betting on a warm day with highs in the low 80s.  There will be some scattered showers and storms tomorrow afternoon that will branch off ahead of the front.  These could produce some strong gusty winds tomorrow afternoon/evening as the move through.

    Over the next few days the general weather pattern will be a warm south/southwesterly flow.  There may be a day or two where some of the cooler air tries to approach the area, but it will mostly be warm temperatures. 

Warm Weather Pattern

 Some folks have been hoping for warmer weather.  After all, it is Spring.  Some years though April is really cool.  Back in 2007, 2008, and maybe even 2009 we had cold weather in April.  A couple of those years we even had snow.  That was a stretch of a  few years with cold Winters and cool Springs.  We’ve seen a warming trend since then.   The average high temperature for this time of year is in the low 70s.  This next week most days will run in the 80s.  We may even see a return of some upper 80s for a day or two. 

Meteorologist: Jeremy Wheeler

Temperatures are only going to be in the 60s this weekend thanks to the clouds that we had roll in this morning.

Sunrise this Morning

You can see how the clouds were quickly arriving earlier today. Now in to the middle part and afternoon, we will continue to have mostly cloudy skies. This evening we might even see a sprinkle or two as a front moves in from the south.

Tonight

By tonight around midnight there might be a few showers across Hampton Roads, but nothing amounting to anything significant. The reason is this front is not particularly strong and its also stuck to our south as well. Areas in southern North Carolina will see warm temperatures tomorrow but we are all going to stay cool as this front just stays in the same spot. Tomorrow should be the same as today, Mostly Cloudy with highs near 63.

Eventually into next week the front will fade away and we should start having warmer temperatures beck in the area. Highs by Wednesday could be in the mid to upper 70s.

Have a good weekend!

Meteorologist Jeff Edmondson

Hey everybody…just wanted to share some photos from today…Day 3…the big one…

The gang's all here!

engine/rescue 10 CVFD

Now THAT’s an escort…fire engines and everthing! Maybe  it was because Friday also always brings out a VIP guest,76th district delegate Chris Jones. We never have to worry about him keeping up, he moved like he just heard Andy Fox was coming back with more questions about tolls…ha ha ha!!!  Actually Chris and Jimmy were stopped in their tracks by the ladies from O Doodle Doo’s donuts!

Carb loading

Forest makes our day!

Forest and his grandmother, Linda.

"For keeping the babies healthy."

beautiful Hampton Roads

     At Hall Chevrolet, we caught up with old friends and new…and got an in person update on one of our favorite March of Dimes ambassador babies…Virginia.

Virginia, 4 years old!

When Virginia was born she was about the size of the purse in her hand, less than one pound. She was 17 weeks early. Now she is getting ready to start kindergarten and her mother is still very supportive of the March of Dimes as the Suffolk walk coordinator. We appreciate Erin bringing Virginia each year and are so happy to see her thriving!

 

After our visit with viewers, listeners and lovers of healthy babies we hit the road again to cover the last 7 miles to the Mid Town tunnel. As much as we love Day 3, we really love when it’s finished…can’t you tell?

 

 

Thanks again to the officers, deputies, fire fighters and EMT’s, Del. Jones (whose baby is in college), Jim Bowles who drives the truck and takes care of business, and everybody back at the ranch at Eagle 97.3 and WAVY Tv/FOX 43

Friday has finally arrived and the studio was buzzing with the pop rock sounds of What Looks Like Crazy. Singer DJ Zaruba leads this Virginia Beach based act along with bassist Ford Wesson, guitarists Brad Pitts and Allen Powell and Tanner Ridgon behind the kit.  Their debut EP is available now on iTunes and they are currently working on their full length LP that is due out by the end of the year.   Funny story to share with you.  If you remember my previous post about my toolbox and how it contains pretty much anything a musician need in case they forgot something..picks…strings…sticks..etc.  Well, the bassist forgot something that I unfortunately didn’t have in my toolbox: His bass.  Yep, a Live Music Friday first.  Luckily they were able to run out and grab it real quick before their performance.  It was a pretty funny moment and I know Ford felt pretty bad about it but he got and rocked it.

A couple of great shows are on tap this weekend featuring a couple of LMF alum and future LMF performers.

Saturday

Bison will be performing a 50 minute set before the Avett Brothers & The Dave Mayfield Parade on the Plaze Stage at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion in Portsmouth.  Bison’ set kicks off at 7:00pm .

Star 33 will be playing along with Gentlemen Bastards and Dutchess will be at Winstons Cafe in Chesapeake.  Show starts rockin’ at 10p.

Future LMF performer Crissy Babe & The Dastards will be at The Norfolk Taphouse along with Longfellow Street Collective.  Show kicks in at 10p.

The Dharma Initiative will be sending out their groovy vibes at the Corner Pocket in Williamsburg. Their sound will change your life beginning at 9:30p.

Have a great weekend everyone.  I have some great things cooking up for next week, so stay tuned!

Heads up, weekend travelers!

VDOT has a lot of work to do and closures will take place at two major crossings.
I-664 SB lanes toward Suffolk at the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel will shut down at 8:00 tonight (4/27/12) and will stay closed for re-paving work until 6 a.m. Monday (4/30/12).

The Gilmerton Bridge (along Military Highway in Chesapeake) will close in both directions, also starting at 8:00 tonight and reopening by 5 a.m. Monday.

For your future planning, the HRBT will be closed I-64 EB NEXT weekend, starting at 8 Friday night (5/4/12) and reopening by 5 a.m. Monday (5/7/12).

Here’s a look at your alternates for this weekend’s closures:

MMMBT Weekend of Friday, April 27, until Monday, April 30, 2012

The signed detours for I-664 MMMBT south will be as follows:

· From I-64 east approaching I-664 south (Hampton Coliseum), motorists must stay on I-64 east through the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT). Follow I-64 east to I-264 west towards the Downtown Tunnel. Follow I-264 west through the tunnel to the end of the detour at I-664 north/Route 58 west (Bower’s Hill).

· From I-664 south approaching MMMBT (27th street), crews will have a multi-lane closure in place to reroute traffic to I-664 north towards I-64 east (Hampton Coliseum) and the HRBT. From the I-664 south closure motorists will take I-664 east to I-264 west towards the Downtown Tunnel. Follow I-264 west through the tunnel to the end of the detour at I-664 north/Route 58 west (Bower’s Hill).

Please note: The Route 17 James River Bridge is also a suggested alternate route. However, Route 17 traffic is expected to be much higher in volume than normal. Traffic signal timings have been adjusted to compensate for the additional traffic. Motorists using local streets may experience a longer than usual delay due to the expected higher traffic volumes and increased timing.

Gilmerton Bridge Closure:

· Motorists are encouraged to use the I-64 High Rise Bridge as an alternate route during this weekend bridge closure. The Downtown Tunnel and the I-264 Berkley Bridge are also alternate routes. Maritime traffic should not be impacted.

HRBT Weekend of Friday, May 4, until Monday, May 7, 2012

The signed detours for I-64 HRBT east will be as follows:

· From I-64 east approaching I-664 south (Hampton Coliseum), motorists must stay on I-664 south through the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel (MMMBT). Follow I-664 south to I-264 east towards the Downtown Tunnel. Follow I-264 east through the tunnel to the end of the detour at I-64 east and I-264 east (Barry Robinson Interchange).

· For motorist staying on I-64 east towards the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, they must exit at Mallory Street then head west on I-64 towards Williamsburg. Follow I-664 south towards the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel (MMMBT) to I-264 east towards the Downtown Tunnel. Follow I-264 east through the tunnel to the end of the detour at I-64 east and I-264 east (Barry Robinson Interchange).

Yesterday we had a lot of moisture in the region.  We had several periods of showers through the day.  Most of the area had light rain, but there was a band of heavier rain in North Carolina that ran from Bertie county over to around Kill Devil Hills, N.C.  That’s where some folks had over an inch of rain.

Estimated Rain Totals

 There was a cold front which moved into the region last night, but it was very slow to pass through.  So it was actually still moving through Hampton Roads this morning.  It is dropping temperatures briefly, but temps will rebound back to the mid-upper 60s later today.  We could even have a few 70s south.  We’ll have a lot of sunshine, but we’ll also have a breezy northwest wind.  Saturday and Sunday both will see a lot of clouds.  However, the latest models only show a few showers late Saturday and early on Sunday.  The chance for rain is about 30% at both of those times.  We are still expected to stay cool both days (highs in the 60s), but North Carolina may warm up to the 70s on Sunday.  The Richmond race on Saturday night could see a few showers, but the chance is low (30%). 

For folks looking for some heat, just wait a little more.  I’m calling for highs in the upper 70s to low 80s by the middle of next week.  These warmer temps should stick around for a little while. 

Meteorologist: Jeremy Wheeler

The Latest Running News and Notes in the “757″, with Sportswrap, Running Reporter, Jon “Flex” Leiding

On The Run, Again!

Another crazy week blew through the Hampton Roads area. Parks, streets, trails, and course all got a great pounding from SO many events this past weekend. Big “Congrats” to all of you who got out and pinned on the race number. Starting in Suffolk for the Spring Stride 5K, Quinn Beers laid the 3.1 mile course to waste in 17:33, while the always swift, Pamela Lovett led the Ladies in 18:44.

A few miles away, Chesapeake played host to the Full Bloom 50K and Half Marathon. New to the area, Fairfax’s Ben Apfelbaum blazed the course in 3:54:28 to capture the Thirty-One mile event, with Portsmouth’s Meghan Gebke wasn’t far behind as the ladies Winner in 4:14:02. That’s really strong!

Speaking of Strong, fresh off pacing his wife at the sweltering Boston Marathon last Monday, Virginia Beach’s Steve Speirs won the Half Marathon in 1:26:46, with Melissa Adams, of Wilmington, NC the Top Female with a 1:35:14. As a bonus, the awards were very cool looking.

Steve Speirs after the Full Bbloom Half Marathon

Just a few exits off “64″, Yorktown 16 year old, Dylan Sydnor took the 5k title in 17:06 at the Trot for Teal 5K & 8K. Julie Rose was “Number One” with a 22:19. In the 8K, which I tell friends is a bus length short of five miles, Chesapeake’s Ashley Diette led the Ladies with a 36:05, while the Overall crown went to Newport News’ John Scott, with a strong 30:36.

Across the line, Reston’s John McGreevy was the winner of the First Flight 5k, with a sparkling 17:05. Elizabeth Di Bene was the Ladies Champion with a 21:20. Sunday, the Flyin’ Pirate Half Marathon went off without regard to the weather and Alex Goden,of Brevard, NC took advantage, winning in 1:15:38. Williamsburg’s Masters Speedster, John Piggott was strong with a second place finish in 1:17:35. Kill Devil Hills local, Jessica Witter took the Top spot for the Women in 1:31:31.

That’s all amazing, but my supreme tip of the cap to all who took part in the Relay for Life Cancer Charity 24 hour race at Sandy Bottom Nature Park in Newport News. Tommy Neeson, one of the guys I was “hitched” to for the Shamrock Marathon, managed to log 102 miles! I usually get tired driving that far! Congratulations to all-now get some rest!

No Time to Slow Down!

After a great week like that, it’s hard to top it. This weekend offers some more racing gems. Take you pick:
Tabb High School will be hosting it’s May Day 5K,so be ready to race Saturday. Get up early and “lace ‘em up” for the Fort Eustis Wounded Warrior Runs of 5k & 10k. A few miles further in Courtland, the Raider Run 5K takes off.

On the Southside, the Independence MS 5K & 1 Miler goes off with New Tidewater Strider Hall of Famer, Monica Reilly handling the Race Director duties. Should be a good time for all.

Sunday at Newport News City Center, the Dig-In Earth Day 5K will be a great Sunday run. Also, get the kids outside with the Christopher Farms 5K and One Mile Race.

You can learn more about all these races at tidewaterstriders.com, mettleevents.com, penninsulatrackclub.com, and colonialroadrunners.org

Billy Edwards "On The Run!"

Saw a note about Billy Edwards, a great Friend of the Blog and accomplished triathlete, who recently coached the Navy Triathlon team to a 2nd place team placement at Collegiate Nationals in Tuscaloosa, Alabama! Billy was raised in Virginia but moved to Colorado in 2007 after serving in the Marines. While in the military, Billy led a platoon in Operation Iraqi Freedom during the initial assault and rebuilding period. He’s currently involved with an 8 man RAAM team named Team4Mil. It is an all military and former military team that is riding to draw awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). In 50 days, this team of triathles will try to cover Three Thousand miles in Five days! Nicknamed “Billy the Kid”, we will be visiting with him closer to the date and wish the team well in their training. You can learn more about the team’s efforts at www.team4mil.org, or www.facebook.com/team4mil. Thanks for the “heads up”, Billy!

Feedback and Stuff

With SO many races going on, it seems like new ones pop up every day. No worries, I am happy to give you all the information. I am human, so if I miss a race, or if you have an idea for a good story, please contact me at astrovp@yahoo.com. Keep the great comments coming and please leave feedback. The staff believes “On The Run” is one of, if not the most popular places visited on WAVY.com. Thanks for checking it each week. Feel free to share with your friends. Unlike races that sellout, we say “the more, the merrier!”

Check with us next week for more on the Running scene in Hampton Roads here at WAVY.com. Maybe, I’ll catch you…”On The Run!”

On the Run, with Sportswrap Running Reporter, Jon “Flex” Leiding

See You "On The Run!"