Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 27, 2014

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic photo post! If you're looking for my Big Brother coverage, you can find those posts right here at this link. This particular post is one I do each Sunday morning throughout the year, BB or not! I reflect on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way.

Alas, I didn't have a great photography week. It seemed like I was always rushing or conditions just weren't right. Oh well, there will be many more photos to take in my life.

I'm going to go once again with some random thoughts from the week:

• Last night as I arrived home to my New Jersey 'hood, I had to hear two competing Mexican Polka Bands. Ack! One was at a house near the corner of my block -- they were having a huge child's birthday party with a bouncy-house and all set up in the front lawn. As I walked by, they sang Happy Birthday, then WHAM into Mexican Polka! The second band was at the usual suspect house in back of my apartment. Even with my windows closed, a fan and the AC on, I could hear the thump-thump of the music. It lasted until nearly midnight.
• Two very young misbehaving children on the NJ Transit train were yelling and carrying on without any effort on the part of the parents to control them. When the piped announcement said, "Watch out for the gap when exiting." -- the girl cried out, "Cat? Where's a cat?" (I'll admit that was cute.) Her mother told her, "Gap. Watch out for the gap." The girl asked, "What's a gap?" I almost said, "A gap is a monster that swallows children who don't behave." I bit my tongue.
• There's an abundance of lightning bugs around here this year. If I were several decades younger, I'd be all over that!
• My cable and power were out on separate days this week, each for about six hours, neither due to a storm. Of course, my cable could have also been out while my power was out. I have no way of knowing.
• I panicked a bit when I saw Vincent pursuing a long dark quick bug along the floor into the kitchen. Ah. A carpenter ant. Not that I want those in my apartment, but it must have somehow strayed in from outside. As I predicted, I have had no influx of bugs by refusing to have my apartment fogged with poisonous junk.
• Oh. And Vincent killed the carpenter ant and then wondered why it wouldn't play with him anymore.

Onto this week's photos --

Early morning sun

Although the days are getting shorter, it's not to the point that I'm seeing the sunrise on my walk to the train station. We have been lucky in that we haven't seen many actual heat waves so far this summer (temps over 90 for three days or more). But we've had a lot of humid days and it's been a summer for lots of thunderstorms. I took this shot on Church Street in Plainfield.

Cool old car!

I have no clue exactly what make and model this is, but it sure is cool. There was an older man driving it. While he'd be too young to be the original owner, he seemed appropriate for the car. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Looking up!

This Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly flew over my head at the Bridgewater Train Station. I was delighted to see I actually captured a halfway decent photo of him.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK FOR THE WEEKLY FLOWER SLIDESHOW AND THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!**

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 20, 2014

Happy Sunday morning to y'all! This is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're looking for the latest Big Brother live feeds or show posts, they're right here at this link.

Onto stuff ...!
Despite the dire warnings that if I refused the bug bombing of my apartment, I'd be overrun with critters ... ha. None. Well, I did have a tiny moth in here that apparently came in somehow through the screens. To be honest, I think most of the people in the building refused the fogging. I doubt that, with the exception of a very few apartments, the building has any sort of infestation of roaches or whatever. I really think the new exterminator is milking the cash cow landlord. I'm just glad I could refuse the treatment without issue.

Random stuff ...!

• If you're going to break up with your girl, don't do it loudly on your cell phone on the train.
• If you stand in front of a marked automatic out door wondering why it doesn't open for you, those people trying to exit know the door won't open for them because some fool is blocking it!
• Heard as I walked by a couple on the street -- "You know that fire wasn't an accident. This is between us." Oh my.
• My good quiet upstairs neighbor moved out. I happened to share the elevator with the super and a couple there to look at the apartment. I innocently mentioned how much I missed the guy upstairs because he was so quiet. The super then said I was very quiet myself. Then we both talked about the building being quiet. I hope the couple got the hint if they take the apartment.
• Cool. Mr. Ed is on one of the cable stations way early Sunday mornings. A horse is a horse of course, of course.
• I cringe every time I see a skateboarder on the street itself.
• But I really wish Plainfield would enforce the NO BICYCLES on the sidewalks ordinance. Law? Whatever. Now a bunch of them have bells. This is a case where I stand my ground. I make them slow down and go around me!

Onto the photos ... clicking on an image will open it in a larger Photobucket page and you can make it larger twice using the magnifying glass at the bottom of the image there. Just close out the Photobucket window and you're back here!

Cicada Killer Wasp heading at me!

Last year at the Bridgewater Train Station, I saw garden snails for the first time. Well, at the station, that is, not the first in my lifetime. Earlier this spring, garter snakes. Now Cicada Killer Wasps. This is a male guarding his territory (and looking for a mate). Although they can get as large as two inches long, the males can't sting at all. The most he can do is bump into me and beat me with his wings. The females can sting, but generally don't. They do, however, sting cicadas, then lug them back to their underground nest to feed their brood.

A mother's job is never done

Even though her babies born some weeks ago look bigger than her, they still follow her around jumping up and down and fluttering their wings for food. They remind me of spoiled toddlers. Plainfield Train Station.

Yellow jacket wasp

Now, these wasps I have a very healthy fear of! I also have a fear of ending a sentence in a preposition, but there ya go. I'm allergic and these can be very aggressive. That said, they're usually more aggressive as the summer wears on. Right now they're way too busy building their nests. This one is guarding what's evidently a huge nest inside the base for a light pole at the Bridgewater Train Station.

This week's flower slideshow and more photos after the jump!

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO CONTINUE!**

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 18, 2013

Good morning! It's Sunday morning, time for 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 Big Brother television show or live feeds reports, you can find the latest at this link.

It's been another hectic week for me with my real day job and the BB season in full swing. I'll be thankful for September with a staycation and the wrap-up of another season of live feeds. I really feel like a zombie. I hope I don't look like one!

In my real life, I have a new boss at my workplace. Gosh, I hate breaking in new bosses, don't you? More seriously, it's always an adjustment period when this happens. I'm not particularly worried as I'm good at what I do and know my stuff better than most. But, still ... I can tend to be a bit change-resistant, especially when I enjoyed the previous boss. However, life goes on. C'est la vie. She does have a llama, a pig and other farm animals. I have Vincent the cat. So, we have some common ground. (Yeah, that's comparable, for sure!)

We had temperatures that I love for most the week, accompanied by rain for the first part of the week. I could have lived without the latter. But the walk to the train station early on the mornings when it wasn't raining was PERFECT. A bit of an autumn chill in the early morning air. I couldn't ask for more! The days are getting quite noticeably shorter -- sunset is before 8pm again. I know I'm weird, but I like that. I love autumn. It's supposed to be summer again by mid-week this week. Sigh.

On the home front, after not seeing him the first three months he lived here, I keep encountering the now not-so-new upstairs neighbor. He's always so pleasant that he could make noise and I wouldn't be mad. Yet, he's very quiet up there, even in his walking on the hardwood floors. Best upstairs neighbor ever in that apartment! Woohoo! He also seems happy here, so he may stay around for a while. It is a nice quiet neighborhood.

How was your week?

Onto the photos ...

Ladybug, ladybug

As one who is now sporting a HUGE mosquito bite on my forehead, I'm appreciating the innocent little ladybug more and more. They're kind of cute and they neither bite, nor sting. You go, ladybugs! Bridgewater, NJ

Sunflower avec bee

Don't you just love it when I toss in French words here and there? Avec means "with." That's a bee in the center of the flower. East Front Street, Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 11, 2013

Good morning! If you're looking for my Big Brother live feeds coverage, the latest post can be found right here at this link. This post is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Gah. As it is for many summers now, this is my time to be lacking sleep. Unlike some years when I was off from my real job due to knee surgeries, I'm working full time and covering the BB live feeds here on the blog. When I was actually working as blogger for AOL television, this was my cash cow season. Alas, not so much these days. While I do earn some money, it's nothing near the days when I could technically earn more than $100 an hour just writing on AOL. And, this year's cast is very wild, thus getting the Internet audience more worked up than usual. Me? I don't really care who wins the show, I'm just the messenger of the feeds and host of blog parties.

So, I'm in my zombie period at the present. Work, write, work, feed cat, write, work, pet cat, write, work. You get it.

Yes, if I have to ever have another surgery, I'll indeed schedule it in the summer for no other reason than I need the sleep. Local blogger Dan Damon even shouted at me as he drove by me on the street ... "Do you ever sleep?" Sigh. No. Not enough. Not lately.

Anyway ... onto the photos for the week ...

Dreary morning train

In this area, we continue to get more and more rain. Other years, at this time of the summer, most lawns are dried out, leaves are turning brown. This year I've seen green growing where I've never seen it before. That said, I've been enjoying the days without heat waves one after another. Plainfield Train Station

Everything's coming up roses!

Er, well. Maybe not. However, compared to many past years, life is doing okay by me here. I hope it is with you, too! Roosevelt Avenue, Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 30, 2013

Good Sunday morning to all those reading this! If you're here for the Big Brother live feeds posts, the last one is located right at this link. The next one will be posted a bit later today. One of the things I do year 'round here is an off television topic post reflecting on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. You've been warned!

Once again this week, at least in the early week, I got caught in storms heading home. Grr. I thought I put in a request with Mother Nature for the storms to occur during the overnight hours!

On one of the stormy, hot and humid days, I got into a bit of a kerfuffle with some rowdy kids on the train home. They weren't familiar to me and I really didn't expect them to get off at my stop ... screaming and yelling at me. Eep. Thankfully, there were two Plainfield police officers working at the station. When one went to move the obnoxious teens along, the other (after asking where I live), gave me a ride home. Yes, in the front seat! That sergeant ROCKS! That was so nice of him! And, no, he's not one of the officers I actually know on the Plainfield PD.

Those who follow the show know, but others who tune in specifically for this weekly post might not realize -- Big Brother and its live feeds started up for the summer. Working a full-time "real" job and covering the house happenings make for a lack of sleep for about three months. Oy. But, on the other hand, I never have to be worried about having nothing to do!

On the home front, I shared the elevator once again with the now not-so-new upstairs neighbor. No tennis clothes this time, but shorts nonetheless. He's very pleasant and polite. And, that South African/quasi-British accent is a nice change of pace for my ears. He's still quite quiet up there. He can stay.

That's about all I have for you right now ... onto the photos!

Bunny in the grass

Much better than a snake in the grass, don't you think? Corner of East Front and Berckman in Plainfield.

By any other name

East Front Street, Plainfield

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