Sunday, April 28, 2013

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 28, 2013

Good Sunday morning to you! Since it's Sunday, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Later tonight, the blog party post for The Amazing Race will be up and running, albeit not quite racing around the world. We will remain in our respective homes watching the scenery! If you watch the show and would like to discuss the happenings as it airs with a group of friends, here's your place!

Tonight will be the 60 Minutes interview with serial killer Charles Cullen. That's the man who admitted to killing 13 people in the very same hospital where I had my knee replacements. Although he was caught at "my" hospital (Somerset Medical Center), it sounds like they dropped the ball as much as the other hospitals he worked for did. He admitted to killing around 45 people, but it's estimated that he may have killed up to a few hundred. My friend who was working there at the time Cullen was doing his stuff said he would see him where he wasn't really needed just kind of lurking and that Cullen didn't really make eye contact with people. He creeped him out. Cullen is the first serial killer to appear on 60 Minutes in its 45-year history.

The weather has been actually spring-like this week with some beautiful daytime temperatures, yet still down around freezing or in the 40s in the overnight hours. I'm not too keen on wearing a light jacket in the morning, then having to carry it home. But I'll take it. On the other hand, the pollen in the air has been making this a bit miserable. Congestion, eyes watering, sneezing ... yup, that's me! I'd still rather this, massive pollen levels included, over the 90+ degree high humidity days of the summer.

On the home front, I still haven't seen my new upstairs neighbor who moved in at the beginning of March. He's still the best neighbor up there yet although he does sing loud enough for me to hear it at times.

Also on the home front, the not really new any longer landlord -- it's been about a year now -- ripped out the front and side doors of the building and replaced them with very nice quality slightly tinted thermal glass and metal doors. We all received new keys. Some idiot already lost the key and stuck up notices with some sort of odd black gum-like stuff on the new glass. Sigh.

Even though the doors were supposed to be done by Monday, work was still going on when my Peapod grocery order came in on Wednesday. The poor delivery guy had to lug them down three steps, then up seven steps, wheel them all the way to elevator on a hand truck. Then a second trip with two cases of water and some other bags taking the back stairs. Oy. I helped carry up some bags on the second trip. Yeah, I can do stairs. It doesn't mean I like them, though.

On the other hand, the main superintendent for the landlord, not really quartered in this building and I haven't really seen him since last summer -- went on and on about how beautiful Vincent is. Vincent purred all over him and would have jumped on his shoulder if I hadn't stopped him.

Other than that, work consumed a good part of my life this past week as it always does. I have a staycation planned for the last week of May, then my July vacation with a trip to upstate NY for my high school reunion, the first one I've ever attended. My old high school friends found me on Facebook and, apparently, I wasn't as much of a outsider as I thought I was there. In school I tended to have just a small group of friends, got my A's, was put on independent study (so I didn't go to classes so much, did papers and projects) in many courses and left after my junior year to go to college. I really wasn't comfortable in high school although it was better than junior high with the bullying. No, not me doing the bullying ... getting bullied. College, I liked and even felt comfortable. We'll see how the reunion goes this summer.

Onto the photos for this week --    

Beetle on poison ivy photo IMG_6456a_zps5c27d6a5.jpg
Beetle on new poison ivy

I like how the grey in the background turned out in this shot. What it is is that this sprig (whatever) of poison ivy was growing on vines on the concrete overpass by the Bridgewater Train Station. It's actually the street in the background and from above. With the camera focused on the poison ivy and beetle, it makes the street almost look like some kind of backdrop. That said, the beetle is kind of cool. It's about the size of a ladybug.

Pink photo IMG_6309a_zpsa44c6b5a.jpg
Pink in the planter

This is one of the flowers growing in that huge orange planter by the U-Haul building at East Front and Roosevelt in Plainfield. I also solved the planter mystery ... kind of sort of.

Azalea photo IMG_6523a_zps44d88c9e.jpg
First azaleas of the season

As is the standard custom, the pink azaleas by the TD Ball Park (adjacent to the Bridgewater Train Station), came to life first. Next should be the white, then the red. Only a few of the plants have blossoms right now. I should get better shots in the weeks ahead.

Orange planter photo IMG_6504a_zps9e9ac5a4.jpg
Yet another huge orange planter

Oh my. When I saw the one by U-Haul, I thought it was tied in with the orange of U-Haul. This one is about a block away on East Front Street. They're really over-sized and way too bright orange. I hope the city of Plainfield got a good deal on them because they're very garish. Bright orange? Who thought of that one?

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**



Periwinkle photo IMG_6500a_zps3f9438a9.jpg
Periwinkle

Tree 1 photo IMG_6339a_zps0f7ac721.jpg
I love this tree in the spring

Tree 2 photo IMG_6340a_zps206a1c12.jpg
Yes, I do

Tree 3 photo IMG_6375a_zpsae483e6d.jpg
I really do

Tree 3 photo IMG_6438a_zps2302cfd2.jpg
Isn't it beautiful?

Tree 4 photo IMG_6481a_zps9c892638.jpg
Have I mentioned I love this tree?

The above shots are of a tree by the Bridgewater Train Station. I have no clue what it is, but it always puts on a fine show in the spring. Several years back, gypsy moth caterpillars infested it, but it's doing well these days.

Dandelion photo IMG_6349a_zps117acbc8.jpg
Dandelion tell no lies

Dandelion 2 photo IMG_6469a_zps1ca35562.jpg
Dandelion will make you wise

Pigeon photo IMG_6432a_zps76268018.jpg
Thinking of attacking me

Actually, he or she might be. Every spring pigeons and other birds build their nests up under the eaves of the overpass at the Bridgewater Train Station. I haven't heard babies yet, but have noticed plenty of parent activity and a couple of small broken blue eggs. Soon it will be a cacophony of baby birds crying for food.

Orange photo IMG_6370a_zps0151b621.jpg
Orange flowers, not in orange planter

Purple photo IMG_6310a_zps2fda10ba.jpg
Yay, spring!

Pink blossoms photo IMG_6471a_zps86facb27.jpg
I love these trees, too

There are several of these trees growing by the Plainfield Train Station. I also have one on my block that I pass daily.

Pink blossoms 2 photo IMG_6496a_zpsb7e0d91e.jpg

Pink 3 photo IMG_6513a_zps141c0a0b.jpg

Gnat on ivy 2 photo IMG_6397a_zps6b6c85f7.jpg
Gnaturally ...

To give you an idea of size here, that's a large gnat -- the kind that buzz around in crowds in the sunlight -- on new poison ivy. Bridgewater Train Station.

Gnat on poison ivy photo IMG_6351a_zps5431e0a5.jpg
Another

These leaves were perhaps a bit longer than a half-inch. In the days ahead, they'll be green and most larger than my hand.

Vincent photo IMG_5181a_zps43e4e2ab.jpg
Somebody's been in the catnip again!

Vincent has had a good week -- open windows, a Peapod guy and superintendent fawning over him. Of course, they didn't see him like THIS, all conked out on catnip!

5 comments:

lynn1 said...

Wonderful photos of Spring time in Plainfield.
I am sure you will have a great time at your reunion in July. We went to my husband's reunion up in Vermont. In his high school days he felt like a total outcast. 30 years later the "Cool Kids" treated him (and me too for that matter) like royalty.

Jackie S. said...

Thank you. I'm noticing on Facebook that it seems like HS kids liked me a lot more than I thought they did. Another thing I noticed ... the bullies don't seem to around on FB at all, even with their peripheral but nicer friends. Huh. No mean girls from my class on FB? Maybe karma does exist.

Delee said...

The spring flowering trees are beautiful. I always say I wish they bloomed all the way to fall. Sniff!
I have only gone to one HS reunion (20th), I was not impressed. Basically hung out with the ones I started kindergarden with. The same, we are so special cliché hung together and the class was 440people.
Maybe the planters were sold cheaply and with that color no one will miss seeing them as they walk by.

monty924 said...

I went to my 10th and 20th, but we haven't had one since. Just an okay experience with both.

Happy National Pet Parents Day, Jackie and all the pet parents here.

Becky said...

Jackie, love all the pictures. Isn't it funny that poison ivy is a beautiful plant?

I went to several of my high school reunions, but then lost interest.

See you tonight. And, Vincent, don't do catnip and drive!