Off Topic: Plainfield NJ Fourth of July Parade

I've been absent from my off topic photography posts due to needing back surgery, having back surgery and now slow recovery from back surgery. I haven't been able to really get around much. However, the local parade goes right by my apartment building. Even so, I had to give up sitting in a hard folding chair after more than two hours and missed the end of the parade. (I certainly heard it, though!)

Here are some of the photos I took ...

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 9, 2017

Good afternoon! Since it's a SUNDAY, this is my weekly off television topic post taking a look at the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. This weekly post is done year in, year out -- usually in the morning hours. But I was lackadaisical this morning. Big Brother, the main draw for so many of you, only lasts about three months -- although sometimes it seems to be a lifetime. If you're here solely for the BB posts, please feel free to skip this post. You can find my latest BB19 posts by using this link.

I've been on a staycation this past week -- a much needed one. Of course, I wouldn't mind being on a permanent staycation called retirement. I'm still trying to figure out angles for achieving that. If nothing else, in two months I'll be able to take NJ Transit trains and buses for half-fare or less.

The big happening this week here was the annual Plainfield 4th of July Parade which goes right by my apartment building. Watching the parade reminded me how much Plainfield really does have to offer. There were many youth sports groups, the high school marching band, the robot from the robotics club, steppers, churches and various cultural organizations. It was a sea of diversity! Plainfield has indeed become a melting pot. Having so many folks so different from myself around me reminds me how much people are actually alike.

Speaking of which, I met a man in my apartment building elevator this morning. He told me he was visiting from Trinidad. No, not visiting the elevator ... visiting family in the building. Heck, my building itself probably has people for a dozen or more countries living here.

I really don't have a heck of a lot to say this week. Yes, I'm rested. But I could rest more! I'm including the photos I took of the parade this week in a Photobucket link. There are a ton of them -- the parade was almost four hours long! They may take a while to load if you have a slow connection.




The lilies are still in bloom

Finally ...

I've had my office chair for nearly 25 years and it's been in sad shape for about the last ten of those years. I ordered a new one from Amazon this week and put it together rather easily. It's not an expensive chair. It's not a fancy chair. But it does have good back support and arms that don't fall off.  Ignore the catnip mouse on the floor, as well as the catnip. Vincent is a kitty slob!

Day lilies came to life this week

Vincent and his new favorite chair

Yes, Vincent has claimed my new office chair as his own! I ended up putting a towel over it to fend off cat fur! When I'm not in it, he usually is. No, I'm not going to buy one for him.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 5, 2015

Good late Sunday afternoon to everyone! My apologies for not getting to this weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way earlier. But it's here now! If you're looking for Big Brother 17 content, you can find it right at this here link. I will be posting a blog party for the show at 8pm ET and another live feeds report late tonight. Trust me, not much is happening in the house today!

Most of the photos I have for you this week are from Plainfield's 92nd Annual 4th of July Parade. I'm lucky that I was off this year and it passes right in front of my apartment building. I just brought a folding chair, bottle of water and my camera down the elevator and had a front row uncrowded seat. I took a gazillion photos of the happenings -- more are on my Photobucket album for the parade at this link. I have more I want to upload there!

I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend!

Hillside Steppers

These girls were adorable and quite talented! The Hillside Steppers with these young'uns and a group a bit older, were new additions this year. We also had a senior steppers group -- The Silver Steppers -- come from East Orange.

I messed with the clown

Well, I messed with my photo of the clown. I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

Not a part of the parade

Maybe not in the parade, but I've been wanting to get a shot of this guy. I keep seeing him whizzing by on that thing all around town. It's motorized, not sure what they call it. It would probably kill my knees, but years ago I would have loved to own one!

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 6, 2014

Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way! If you're looking for my latest Big Brother television/live feeds posts, check out this link. This here off topic post is a year-round staple on the blog. Yeah, I know it has nothing to do with television. But, of course, life isn't ALL about TV ... right?

This week was a bit of a rough one for me. I had some sort of stomach virus which kept me sick for most of the week while I was still working at my real job and doing the Big Brother coverage here on the blog. Thankfully that ended pretty much by Friday -- in time for me to have a rare three-day holiday weekend off from my job. Yay!

On the holiday itself, I didn't do much. The weather was a bit iffy and one local parade was canceled. However, yesterday's weather was gorgeous and perfect for a parade! And, it just so happens that my city's parade was already planned for Saturday, not Friday. There's also a three-day holiday festival going on downtown which I plan to check in on later today.

Due to feeling icky and icky weather for most of the week, I don't have a ton of photos. After the jump, I have a slideshow not of flowers this week, but of parade photos. On with the show ... clicking on an image will open it in a new Photobucket window. From there, you can make the image larger twice with the magnifying glass icon at the bottom right of the photo. To return here, just close out the Photobucket page.

Take a picture, it lasts longer!

This wet bunny seems to resent the intrusion of the paparazzi (me). East Front Street, Plainfield.

The chicory is in bloom

Although they keep mowing it down, the chicory at the Plainfield Train Station is determined to keep coming back.

Gotta love the haircut!

I love how Afros and flat-tops are coming back on the kids. I just hope they don't start wearing platform shoes again. Those things were dangerous! I took this photo at the Plainfield 4th of July Parade (held on the 5th). The parade slideshow is just after the jump ... check it out!

*TO SEE THE PARADE SLIDESHOW AND MORE, 

CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK*

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - July 8, 2012

What? It's Sunday? I guess it must be time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

But, first ... (as says the ChenBot), I do have to touch on all of the Big Brother 14 news just a bit. If you haven't noticed, I've started posting about the cast. I plan on posting more a bit later today about our new hamsters. They actually entered the house last night, but the live feeds don't start until after the premiere airs. I posted cast interviews over on my Big Brother Facebook Page for this blog. Please feel free to like the page -- I link all my BB blog articles there, as well as some additional content.

On more personal non-television matters, I received word from the new landlord that Vincent can indeed stay despite the new "no pets" lease. YAY! I really didn't want to move. But if they said he had to go, we would find another place to live. I did make it clear to them that I would be moving if they didn't allow him. I know this area isn't the easiest to find good tenants and, apparently, so do they.

As for my knees mishap last week, they seem to be okay. I couldn't make an appointment due to the holiday week, but really need to call back this week. The left (older) knee swelled up for about three days and is still sporting all kinds of beautiful colors. The right (new) knee has a scrape and a small bruise in addition to some residual pain around the kneecap. Both seem to be stable enough. I'm not going to have them redone no matter what! At least not for the next twenty or thirty years, I hope.

My latest staycation started yesterday. Supposedly the latest heat wave should end tonight and I might be able to enjoy roaming about with the camera or take a run into the city. I'd go to the beach but too many people go there this time of year!

Onto the photos I've taken this week -- I had some extra photo fodder because the Plainfield 4th of July Parade was held yesterday, on the 7th. Don't ask. I watched the parade because it goes right by my apartment building. But I didn't partake in any of the other events of the day because it was just too darn HOT. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger, then close that window to return here. 

Horse in the 'hood!

I edited this to leave only the horse and rider in color. Obviously, this is from the parade. We rarely have horses just roaming around here in the 'hood.

Early morning Presbyterian

I like the way the early morning sun played out on the local Presbyterian Church. East Front Street, Plainfield

I see the bee's knees!

The bees are still busy in Bridgewater!

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