Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 14, 2013

It's Sunday morning! Bonjour! As it is, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Be warned -- due to spring breaking out all over the place, there are tons of photos this week. You've been warned.

Hopefully it is really spring. This past week I've worn my winter jacket, short sleeves and my spring jacket for my walk to the train station for work. We've had winter, summer and spring all within the week. Two days this week, the temperatures were in the mid-eighties. We had a terrific thunderstorm as a cold front blasted its way in. Then it was winter-ish once again. Yesterday was nice with temperatures around 60 and just fluffy white clouds mixing with the blue of the sky. Today is supposed to be more of the same.

I actually worked a quasi-normal human being work week this past week -- Monday through Friday with this weekend off. I'm of two minds about that. While it's nice to have two days off in a row, I'm not used to working five days in a row (or nine days out ten) to get there. I've been working a two days on, day off, three days on, day off pattern for so many years that I was exhausted by Friday. That might also have to do with remodeling chaos at my workplace, though. I don't know. I won't be doing it every week. This week I'm back to my Wednesday off.

Let's see ... what else happened this week? Oh, I know. NJ Transit has a new class of train engineers out on the rails. Those are the train "drivers." I think I'd like a few to go back for remedial training. They keep overshooting the Bridgewater Train Station platform. I had to jump off the train into the rocks one morning. I stumbled a bit upon landing, but was fine. I should have been a sneaky sneakface when the conductor kept asking me if I was okay. I had told him I had two knee replacements before I jumped. I should have called an ambulance! I should have sued! Nah, not my style. I was fine. But, if it had been pre-surgeries, no way could I have done it.

Another time, boarding the train, we had to walk through two closed cars before we could sit. Now, that doesn't sound bad, but these are multi-level trains. Up the stairs, down the stairs, cross the car, more stairs. Grr. Another time the train had to back up as he entirely missed the platform. Scary. Each time when I've been on the platform waiting, I could tell the train was coming in too fast on the approach.

There's nothing new on the home living front. I still haven't met the upstairs neighbor. He's still the best person who's lived up there out of the four different folks/families that have been there since I moved into my apartment. The only better neighbor up there has been the times it has sat vacant in between tenants.

Onto this week's photos -- I have an abundance of spring going on. Plus, yesterday on my rare Saturday off, I took a walk downtown and attended a ceremony in the plaza by the Madison-Park building to kick off the primary season democratic headquarters opening. Yes, I lead an exciting life, don't I?  

Yes, it's really spring! (I think.)

East Front Street in Plainfield.

Pretty in blue

Berckman Street, Plainfield.

Daffodil

Also on Berckman Street.

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Magnolia blossoms

Crocus now gone by

By the YWCA on East Front Street, Plainfield.

Periwinkle

East Front Street, Plainfield.

Magnolia glory

Bridgewater Train Station

Church Street in bloom

Beauty underfoot

East Second Street, Plainfield.

Da weeds

Weeds are still a wonderful sight

Forsythia, up close and personal

Fenced-in spring

Non-fruit bearing crabapple trees

Fleeting beauty

YWCA

Next to where the man with his feet up on the right is where I've been taking my crocus photos. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Creeper Demon Hello Ice Cream Truck

I swear, everywhere I go, I hear it. In my nightmares, I hear it. Hello! Hello! Yesterday I stopped in at the Supremo supermarket for bread and eggs on my way home from my outing. And there it was ... stalking me from across a parking lot.

Lahooka gold!

I couldn't get a good photo of it, but the sign with the cigarette images is a scrolling one. It scrolled, amongst other things, water pipes and rolling papers. Oh my. Where was this head shop back in the early 70s? 

Supposedly, no one uses the items sold in the store for anything illegal. Yeah, right. I'm sure they don't! While medicinal marijuana has passed in the state, from what I hear getting prescriptions is almost impossible for it. So, exactly what are they smoking in all these hookas, water pipes and rolling papers? Exactly! Don't ask my why there's a girl on a stool. I don't know. East Front Street, Plainfield.

What we all need

For some reason, I doubt the groceries in this new little store are all that low priced. It's just the nature of the bodega beast to be more expensive. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Flying buffaloes!

Huh. I notice the "halal food" indicators are no longer on the new sign. I don't remember if that's one of the business signs which was done in with Superstorm Sandy or not. But, nonetheless, it's definitely not the sign that had been there for years. East Front and Park Avenue/Somerset Street, Plainfield.

Looking down East Front Street

While standing on West Front Street.

Mayoral primary candidate Adrian Mapp

An interesting gathering which included Assemblyman Jerry Green, amongst others. I like Adrian's "broken window theory" approach.  He's absolutely right. If you ignore the small things that are wrong, they fester and grow. Plainfield desperately needs a mayor who realizes these things and will do something to move the city in the right direction.

Small, but interested, turnout

It might have helped if we weren't looking directly into the bright sunlight.

Skateboarders in wait

I'm surprised the skateboarders didn't just skate all around us in "their" skateboard plaza. All of the ledges have scrapes on the edges where they jump them. I noticed it, then local blogger Dan Damon mentioned it to me as well. I guess great minds think alike ... or notice the same stuff ... or something.

Nice windows, dude

What was it, two years ago? Maybe three? Expensive tempered glass new windows were put in this crumbling old Miron warehouse in anticipation of the building becoming luxury condos. Uh-huh. How did that work out for you? Now the building is even crumbling more and losing bricks.

No signals!

Both traffic lights went dark in Superstorm Sandy. Both stop signs are faded pink. Now, common sense would say STOP. But we're talking New Jersey drivers here. This needs to be fixed. Corner of East Third and Watchung Avenue with the Plainfield Train Station in the background.

Almost sunrise time

At the Plainfield Train Station

Cool car

East Fourth Street, Plainfield

Part of a murder

One day I got off the train in Plainfield to find a murder of crows in the trees by the station. Yes, it's a "murder" of crows for a flock. With as loud as it was, it seemed like a murder. This is but one suspect in the crime. Heehee.

After the sunrise in Bridgewater

Spanglish?

I saw this wayward Pollo Campero restaurant sign in the U-Haul parking lot. Unlike many signs which are in English or in Spanish or have both, this one is mixing the languages ... so no one really understands it! I knew "pollo" is chicken, but had to look up "sabor." It means flavor. Okay.

Sunrise at the Plainfield Train Station

Vincent wants UP!

This is Vincent in his "pick me up, put me on your shoulder and carry me around" mode. He's standing on his hind feet and very demanding. He's as bad as a small toddler! But he's a great cat anyway!