Sunday, November 28, 2010

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - November 28, 2010

What? It's Sunday already? Thanksgiving has come and gone? Santa will be here soon? Well, if it's Sunday, it must be time for my weekly look back on the week gone by in words and photos I've taken. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Mine was nice ... quiet, thankfully!

With a shortened work week, I really didn't take a gazillion photos. Once again, I often seemed to be running later than I wanted to be, too. That usually makes it hard for me to put things in pause to take photos. Trains wait for no one.

I noticed that A&E had a marathon of The First 48 on Thanksgiving Day. Oh my. Now, that's a show I watch. But I find it an odd choice for the holiday. My apartment building was fairly quiet for the holiday, with one exception.

I had bumped into a neighbor from down the hall while grocery shopping last week. She told me she was having several family members and friends over for dinner and extended me an invitation. I turned her down as I had my own plans. It turns out I'm very glad I didn't go. I'd probably still have a headache.

You see, my building has long corridors, kind of like a hotel. This young woman lives across the hall from me and down one apartment. While I hear noise from the next door apartment, I only hear people coming and going directly across the hall. She isn't directly across from me.

I could hear the music with my door and her doors both shut. Whenever people entered or left .... BLAST O' MUSIC. I actually like my own music louder than I'm willing to play it in an apartment setting. But I just can't grasp having a dinner party where people are probably trying to talk with that kind of volume. They must have been shouting at each other. So not my scene these days, or even never. For me, that kind of volume is reserved for bars or rock concerts. Although I'm fussing here, I didn't complain to her. After all, she did invite me.

Onto this week's photos ... er, well, the first two are follow-ups to my Thanksgiving post, the squirrel in the pumpkin. I took those shots back in 2004 at the edge of North Plainfield. The home across from this one fell into the Green Brook a while back, but this one was always kept nice. That is, until a squirrel claimed their porch pumpkin.


I saw this first. A pumpkin with a fluffy tail.


Oh. It's a squirrel!



Pollo Campero

A new chicken place is down the street from me, across from yet another chicken place. It's kind of like the two Chinese restaurants four buildings away from each other on the same block. But this chicken place might be a bit different.

Located in the old senior citizens center, Pollo Campero had its start in Guatemala, then El Salvador. Then it seems to have taken on much of the world. With demographic shifts around here, I think it's going to be more popular than the fried chicken restaurant across the street. East Front Street, Plainfield.


Plainfield Police Station

I always liked the old school green lights on the police sign. East Fourth Street, Plainfield.


Speaking of old school

I know I've shot this sign before. But now the leaves are gone so it can be seen from Watchung Avenue. A street must have run through there before. The railroad station and tracks are to the right. But the sign makes absolutely no sense where it is unless there had been a street there at one time.


Everyting 99¢ or less & up

Local bloggers Bernice and Dan Damon have posted this sign before. But not all of you folks are local and you deserve to get a gander at it. It's actually a decent dollar store and everting is 99¢ or more or less. East Front Street, Plainfield.


Into the fog

One morning this week, it was very foggy. As I started out on my walk to the train station, I could see it ahead of me. For a moment, the Stephen King story "The Mist" came to mind. But I had no time for monsters attacking me in the fog. I had a train to catch. East Front Street, Plainfield.


Yikes!

I'm standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF the Richmond Towers, a twin tower (14 floors each, I think) apartment complex. If nothing else, fog makes for different views of things, eh? East Front Street, Plainfield.


Eerie downtown Plainfield

East Front Street near the Church Street intersection.


Fading into white

Looking down Watchung Avenue by the post office. I know the railroad overpass is there. It is. Plainfield, NJ.


Foggy station

I'm just across the street on North Avenue, Plainfield.


Looking one way


Looking the other way


Looking across North Avenue.


Silhouetted in the fog

Plainfield Train Station, of course.


No more fog! The eagle soars!

Um. Okay. It's not an eagle. It's a hawk. I really wish they'd stay still so I could focus on them better.


Update

I told you last week that the dead tree fell over and they put the bird feeder atop the child's jungle gym (whatever). Well, here's the latest. Hopefully it survived the high winds on Saturday. It was still up Saturday morning. East Front Street, Plainfield. Next I think I'll see them digging a deep hole to replant the dead tree so the bird feeder can hang!


Are you on that computer AGAIN?

Isn't it time to play with me? Can I get on your shoulder? May I have a treat? Wait, did you feed me today? Someone ate all the cat food!

Yes, Vincent, whatever you want ...

I know I mentioned this on Facebook, but not sure if I posted here -- The Plainfield Library 2010 Photo Contest is now posted online.

I hope everyone stops back for The Amazing Race blog party at 8 PM ET! How was your week?

9 comments:

joyn said...

Vincent can be petulant, can't he? Did you and he have turkey? He's looking as handsome as ever.

We have a lot of fog around here at times, and I always think of "the Mist" and Stephen King, too, but I'm usually in the car. Still creeps me out.

Let's hope your neighbors don't have parties for Christmas and New Years.

Love your pictures, as always, especially the foggy ones.

Had a great Thanksgiving. I'm still feeling stuffed!

joyn said...

Oh, congrats again on the contest! It's got to be very satisfying to get the recognition. Especially since it's only a hobby at the moment. Who knows, you may be the next Ansel Adams!

Bernice said...

Ahem ... Dan may have aggregated it, but I actually posted the 99-cent sign last year, with the title, "Just Bring Money."

Jackie S. said...

Oops, Bernice! I should have known you caught that one, too! You and I often gravitate to the same photo fodder! In looking through some of my old photo files, I came across my shots of that old art deco car dealer place which is now an office building (near your stomping grounds). We've both caught the Wizard building, too!

I seem to recall Dan posting it fairly recently, though. So it might have been separate, not aggregated. I keep bumping into him nearby Supremo.

Jackie S. said...

I edited the post to include you, Bernice. (As it should be!)

Delee said...

We had fog like this on Thanksgiving Day. In my Dad's town I watched it creep down the mountain and by the time I headed home it had settled to the ground. Fun drive!

Matthew took Amanda and I to a chicken place like that, so want to go back. It was different and delicious! Let us know when you try it!!!

We touched on the MS13 last week. The guy who was convicted of the Chandra Levy murder in DC was a member of that gang.

Hoping AR starts on time this week for 2 weeks in a row!!!

Sally said...

Those fog photos are great. It really gives everything a different vibe, especially when there's such a talented person framing the "photo fodder."

Reading about your neighbors made me wonder if all of the problems with your apartment building have been remedied--locks, elevators, heat, etc. That would be something to be thankful for!

Love your interpretation of Vincent's thoughts. You know him so well!

Jackie S. said...

Sally - The elevator has been working even though someone from the receivership (showing an apartment) warned me it was broken as I came home with groceries. Nope, it worked. There is a problem with the door not closing on the second and third floors. I always send it back to the first so it will be fine but some others aren't as considerate.

They finally replaced the parking lot lights which have been dark for a good three years.

Sally said...

Thanks for the update, Jackie. I'm glad that progress has been made, even if there's still aome room for improvement.