Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 17, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, 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. 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.

Well, normally I have photographs. Not so much so this week. As a matter of fact, not at all this week. I did take a few, not many as I took the week off and really didn't go anywhere. But I had some great shots of a bee on a flower and Vincent in an Amazon box.

Then I accidentally deleted them from the memory card this morning before uploading them to my computer. Unlike the computer itself with its Recycle Bin, I can't find any method of recovery.

That seems to be how life is going lately for me.

I've decided not to enter the local photography contest this year. The photos I've taken within the last two years aren't all that conducive to the theme of History, Art and Culture. Plus, a change in the criteria for judging seems to more into people posing for photos and even more candid type photos than the photography I do. I think of photography as art and the contest seems to be going in another direction.

Tomorrow I get to go back to work. Sigh.

Here's a shot of Vincent I took a few years ago ... 

 

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - December 18, 2011

It's Sunday morning, time for my off television topic look back on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. My apologies to the Plainfield folks who come by looking for photos of our town. I'm only posting a few this week -- I'll make amends next week!

The reason I'm not posting more Plainfield photos is because it finally wasn't raining on a Tuesday night. Yep, that's why! Y'see, one of my favorite things I used to do before bad knees was to head into the city (NYC) and do what I call "photo stomping." Well, the knees are both good now and it's the perfect time of year to start up my photo stomping once again! 

However, I'm fussy. I have to get up around 5 AM for work every day except Wednesday and Sunday (my days off) or Saturday morning as I go in to work later. I don't really love crowds (although they can't be avoided even in the middle of the night this time of the year in Manhattan). So I don't want to go on a Friday night even though I can sleep a few hours later. I don't want to go on a Saturday night because I get out of work too late and I'm tired. Weekend nights in the city at Christmas are twice as busy as weeknights. My day I wanted was a TUESDAY evening -- evening is better than the day to capture the holiday lights and stuff.

But it has rained every Tuesday night since the Rockefeller Center tree was lighted. Grr. That is, until this week! Yay! 

So I went into town and overdid my walking about so that I could barely walk on Wednesday, my day off. I took the train directly from work, ending up at Penn Station. From there I walked to Macy's, the NYPL (New York Public Library), Bryant Park, up Fifth Avenue, then part of Sixth Avenue, over to Rockefeller Center, down to Times Square, then ended up at the Port Authority Building to catch the 113 bus home. Mind you, that stops right across the street from my apartment, a good thing indeed because I was zonked!

I only have a few Plainfield photos this week, both of the same thing. Sigh. A fire has destroyed an historical (1885) building nearby the Plainfield Train Station on North Avenue. It's a building I've photographed many times in the past because it has (had) one of the best ghost signs in town. As a photography fiend in city areas, ghost signs always attract my interest. They're the old signage painted directly on the buildings. I called the now burned and slated to be demolished building "The Bull Durham Tobacco" building. 

The Bull Durham Tobacco building

As I had conked out early last night, I woke up around 4 AM and heard on my scanner that there was a fire on North Avenue. This is what it looked like when I arrived to the train station around 9 AM. Some smoke was still coming from within and firefighters seemed to be surveying the roof from the cherry picker. Part of the roof has collapsed.

A total loss

Sigh. When I heard about the fire, I automatically thought it was the abandoned building across the street. The Bull Durham building was abandoned with the exception of a restaurant on the first floor. The evening before, the Portuguese BBQ Restaurant on the other side of the train station burned down. Well, it's still kind of up, but will end up coming down. 

Onto photo stomping Manhattan in the holiday season! I warn you ... there are a LOT of photos here and video coming next week of the Lord and Taylor windows and more! You might want to grab a cup of coffee.

Believe

Macy's holiday theme this year is "Believe." I noticed that one of their Believe lighted signs over a marque lined up very neatly with the Empire State Building if you caught the right angle.

A holiday wonderland

While Manhattan itself is breathtaking during the holidays, everyone should go at least once to Rockefeller Center around Christmas. I was lucky -- the crowds were nowhere near as bad as the last time I photo stomped during the holidays in the city.

Macy's

I edited this shot of one of the Macy's entrances. I like how it turned out. Do you know that the Manhattan Macy's holds the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest department store in the world? I didn't go inside on Tuesday, but I have been. It's really old school different.

FOR A GAZILLION MORE NYC HOLIDAY PHOTOS, CLICK THE READ MORE LINK IF YOU'RE AT THE MAIN BLOG PAGE.

Live-Blogging 'On The Lot' - June 5, 2007

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this show, but I've gotten myself hooked.

It's starting here on the East Coast as I type this. I'll be updating the entry as the show goes along. The guest judge this week is Michael Bay, the director of Transformers.

Only five directors will be showing their movies this week. No more than three minutes in length, five days to make it.

Sam is the first contestant up. He talks about Internet success. His film tonight is Broken Pipe Dreams. Oops... a diamond ring in the toilet! Some other guy dumped his fish in the toilet, no explanation, back to the ring in the toilet. Broom falls, it flushes. I'm not feeling this one. Now he's tangled in thread from a towel as the toilet flushes. Following the pipe, breaking it with a shovel. The water flows the ring into his hand, his fish in the other. Audience goes wild.

Carrie likes it, very cute, very surreal. Michael told him he could have tightened it up -made a two-minute film into three minutes. Garry Marshall wants another topic other than toilets, but said he did well.

Trever James is up next with a blind date comedy. He's the small-town guy from Montana. His film is named Teri, about a man named Ben. Okay. He's confident that he's not going home. Ben reads a note from his blind date and makes a practice run on what to say. A woman appears. (The guy actor is cute.) Now Lala wants to dance. These girls keep changing. Now a scary Goth Gal - "we're all going to die here." Now a neurotic. Heh, now a guy named Terry. The doorbell rings and it's a perfectly normal gal named Teri. Okay, it was cute. I liked it better than the toilet one.

Carrie likes it, acting over the top since they were acting his fears, good overall, cute. Michael - good comic pacing with editing, did good work, more on photography and style. Garry Marshall liked his golf film more. He thinks he can do better.

Hilary Green, the one who did the "pee on the bus" film I so didn't like last week will be next up. The First Time I Met the Finklesteins is her film. A couple is preparing to meet the man's parent. "Good in bed like his old man," the dad says. Oh, this is roughly as bad as her film last week. Te parents are being stereotypical Jewish parents to the max. Bad taste. The mother keeps wanting Kelly to talk with her in the kitchen. Blech. Not entertaining and mostly in bad taste. Send Hilary home this week... please.

Carrie says the direction is claustrophobic. She likes the writing. Michael says it's a groaner, uncomfortable dialogue and not funny. Garry says she was too tight with the shot. He also thinks her writing is good, but she needs to do better.

Adam, the one who left Harvard Law School for his film career is up next. He feels the competition is his big break. He set his romantic comedy, Dough the Musical,in his girlfriend's parents' bakery. Quality-wise, it's good, a young man in a bakery and a woman in her apartment dreaming of love... in a musical. She wants a job, he's in love with his baking. She doesn't eat carbs. Turns out they know each other from childhood in Tennessee. Very well done! This was the most professional of the lot so far.

Carrie - incredibly original. Really good job. Michael - very good for five days, lyrics great, work a bit more on photography. Garry - loves the story, so theatrical, work out the chemistry with the actors more, very good.

Next up is the woman who did the speed-dating film last week. Laughing Out Loud is her film. Shalini is her name. The film is about a gay comedian from India. She's not sure how folks will relate. He's trying on outfits. He's in a comedy club in NYC. It's a bit of a narrative from the comedian about his fears and the need to believe in himself. Hmmm... it's interesting, but I wouldn't call the film a comedy. I believe their objective tonight was to make a funny film, not a serious film about a funny guy.

Carrie - well-made like a bio pic. You could do better than the advice "be yourself." Michael - Most visual style of all so far, you gave me a chill. Garry - Doesn't have to be linear, must engage you.

Huh... I thought the premise was comedy, maybe I was wrong.

Carrie liked the toilet film, Michael liked the gay Indian comic film, Garry liked the bakery. The contestants liked Shalini's movie best, least favorite was Hilary's movie. I agree on the one they don't like -- of the films, it was Hilary's I liked the least. I thought Dough The Musical might be the best.

Your thoughts?

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was and Happy New Year 2012!

Happy New Year!

I'm posting this a bit earlier than usual -- at midnight, for some odd reason! My best wishes for a happy and healthy 2012 (or, I believe, 5722) to all. Over the years, the community on this blog has become a part of my life ... and definitely a welcome part! I can only hope each and every one of you have a wondrous and amazing year ahead.

Thinking back on this past year, 2011 actually was a good year for me. Finally I have two knees which are, for the most part, painless. I've had chronic knee pain for more than twelve years and I can finally walk once again without pain. Sure, it was a bit rough getting there with the knee replacements. However, except for the dislocation kerfuffle with the new right knee, the recovery was so much easier than the first knee!

Also in 2011, I had a fantastic vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with fabulous friends I originally "met" through this very blog! Laurie, Margo, Ruth, Marge, Elaine, Delee, Ann and a tremendously cool waterfront house made me forget my knee was still healing! Wild horses, the ocean, great food and fun. You can't beat that with a stick!

Also in 2011, I had my first invitational photography exhibit. True, it was the local city library and not some fancy-schmancy gallery in SoHo. But it was an honor to have my photographic works on exhibit all summer at the Plainfield Public Library. Perhaps 2012 will brng about a fancy-schmancy artsy exhibit in NYC and worldwide photography recognition! Well, I can dream, can't I?

There have been some down moments during 2011. However, I've definitely had worse years throughout my life. Thanks to my new knee, I feel better than I have in years. Vincent (the cat) is still a treasure and remains in excellent health. I can't complain. Well, I could but that would be whiny and ungrateful of me. So I won't.

I do have one brief whine. I sort of kind of broke my best camera. It technically works, I guess. But I dropped it on Christmas Eve. Since then, each time I take a photo, it wants me to input the date and time. I can skip the step, but then the photo file has no date or time and each photo becomes its own folder. Ack! It's a nightmare when I take lots of photos and put them on my computer.

For a few days I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Then I realized there's an opening on one side there never was before. Huh? I researched online and found out there had been a door there with an internal battery (not to be confused with the regular batteries). That battery controls at least the date and time. GRR! I found the battery size -- a watch type battery -- and will order it from Amazon. I also found the missing battery holder/door doohickey on Ebay. So it looks like I can fix it myself. 

With the camera the way it is, it's put a damper on my photo taking this past week. I ended up taking my next best camera out just so I'm not as annoyed. The zoom on that one isn't as good. But least it doesn't want me to program in the date and time with each photo! Soon I'll have my first DSLR camera as I'm buying a used one from a friend ... that I met on the blog! I can't justify a new one, but it will be a treat for me nonetheless. I've never had anything other than a point and shoot. Maybe that fancy-schmancy gallery exhibit might just happen!

Onto the photos ... these are from the past couple of weeks ... 

Times Square

NO ... not tonight (or last night)! I'm not crazy! I stayed home! Do you know that you have to go through a metal detector to get in Times Square on New Year's Eve these days? I fail that at airports and courthouses. No way would I even think of going into that mass of people going through that! I took this shot a couple of weeks ago when I went into town. With the latest lighting, Times Square has an almost pinkish brighter than daylight color about it.

Just an illusion

Playing with the "Illusion" filter on the GIMP photo editor, this is a street lamp in Bridgewater, NJ.

Holiday police

Huh. The Plainfield Police Station has two less trees than last year and only white lights. Last year they had blue and white lights. The city tree in front of City Hall is done up in red lights. Alas, it's never lighted when I'm near it!
 
IF YOU'RE ON THE MAIN BLOG PAGE, HIT THE "READ MORE" LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - March 13, 2011

It's Sunday morning, perhaps an hour later than you think it is if you didn't set your clock forward an hour. I never mind getting that extra hour of sleep in the fall. But take it away from me in March? Ack! Maybe if we just keep setting the clocks back an hour twice a year we can revisit history and right wrongs! (Not to mention getting more sleep!)

However, since it's Sunday, it's time for my off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken in my daily travels. Once again our weather has been weird -- deluge of rain, freeze, nice day, deluge, deluge and ending on a nice note on Saturday.

Although Northern New Jersey has had severe flooding, we were basically spared. In the town where I live (Plainfield) flooding is generally limited to street/poor drainage flooding in storms such as this. While it's deep at the time, it goes down rather quickly. My neighbor's yard which goes downhill and was already saturated, is still ponded.

The local area which almost always gets flooded by the Raritan River, Bound Brook, fared great through this storm. Outlying areas and the one road under the railroad which always floods flooded. Yet the downtown area, twice under water last spring, didn't get flooded! Woohoo! The Raritan didn't seem to overflow its banks all that much at crest. It was definitely high as I could see the water from the train and it should be in a valley. I usually don't see the river water from the train at all.

It's been quite the week what with a tsunami, earthquakes, possible nuclear meltdowns, floods, a Chinatown bus accident which had its roof sheared off by a sign as it skidded on its side killing 14 people in this area. My thoughts are with all of the folks whose lives have been impacted by these horrible occurrences.

My own week has been quiet enough. My big excitement was coming home to my entire apartment TP'd (toilet-papered) by a certain cat. You see, I set a new roll of toilet tissue on the sink and forgot to put it in its roller-doohickey. Apparently Vincent thought I left it there for him to play with while I went off to work. He unrolled the whole roll, bit pieces off everywhere and had a grand old time of it.

On Celebrity Apprentice, I think Trump made the right call. Richard Hatch was definitely harsh with David Cassidy, but David (no matter how cute I thought he was when he was 21 and I was 16) had to go. He was the weak link on the team. He hasn't aged too nicely either. I'll be posting the Amazing Race blog party later tonight, so please stop back for that!

Oh. I mentioned a few weeks back that I had some good news on an artsy endeavor. Details are a bit sketchy as of yet, but I'll let you know the bare basics. I won't be participating in the Plainfield Library Photo Contest for the win this fall. I might submit some photos on the theme, but I can't win.

Why not? Well, that's because my photography, along with the works of two others, will be on exhibit through the summer at the library. It was an honor to be asked and I'm excited about it

That said, I'm still in my lackadaisical photography mood. I really think it's due to the weather. I want spring and fresh fodder. Now that the snow is mostly gone except for a few die hard dirty piles, I'm just not all that inspired. Give me inspiration, surroundings!

Clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window, then hit your browser's back button to get back on the blog.

SPRING ALERT! SPRING ALERT!

I don't know what it is. But it's something and it's green. SPRING! Taken at the Plainfield YWCA on East Front Street.

What's the price of gas where you are?

This was Saturday morning on East Second and Church Streets in Plainfield. We generally have lower gas prices than the neighboring states due to the fact that gas is about the only thing we don't get taxed to death on in this state.

They're back!

The bird feeder family has returned to the (murder) house on East Front Street. Apparently, like many immigrants in this area, they were gone for the winter. The bird feeder is back up and kids toys are in the yard once again.

As the skies clear ...

Friday morning ended two days of rain. Although overcast for part of the day, blue skies and sunshine teased us. Plainfield Train Station on my return home from work.

Rent me
No, rent ME

Every time the town of Bound Brook is expected to flood, this one company moves all of its trucks and, I don't know ... stuff, to higher ground in Bridgewater.

SPRING SPRING SPRING SPRING SPRING

Look! A worm! This isn't the first one I've seen lately. However, it's the first one that didn't emerge early then freeze and die.

Does anybody really know what day it is?
Does anyone really care?

I told you about the two new Star Ledger honor boxes at the Bridgewater Train Station. The one on the left hasn't had its papers changed since the day the box appeared. The one on the right has fresh papers. Of course, six boxes to the left (not in photo), it's still January 17.

Uh-oh. I believe I've been spotted.

Plainfield Train Station on Tuesday morning -- no rain, but quite cold!

Goodness gracious, great balls of pigeon!

Pigeons sleep all rolled up trying to get a bit of the sunshine's warmth on the Chotola Building on North Avenue in Plainfield.

Well, yeah ... it's a firetruck.

It wasn't going anywhere. Um, well, it was going somewhere because it was out on the street. But there were no lights and sirens. Watchung Avenue and East Fourth, Plainfield. I edited the shot to leave only the firetruck in color.

Take the bike to the train

Yes, bikes can go on the trains with the exception of peak periods -- heading to Newark/NYC in the morning hours or coming from there in the late afternoon/early evening hours. Of course, the conductors get a bit irked if bicycles are ridden up and down the aisles and stairs.

I'm not the only one
on the train with a camera!

However I might be the only one who knows where to sit. He's in the seat in front of me. His field of vision is obscured by the window frame/post/wall ... whatever. NJ Transit.

Symbolic?

Perhaps we should all throw winter gloves on train tracks to welcome the spring! Bound Brook Train Station.

Vincent in black and white.

"Toilet paper? I don't know anything about that. Maybe it was the dog."
"I don't have a dog, Vincent."
"Maybe it was the kid."
"I don't have a kid, Vincent."
"Burglars. It had to be burglars!"

How was your week?

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 6, 2015

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way; This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. Stay tuned.

Yes! Another week closer to staycation week! I have a short week ahead. I'm only working three days, plus going in for a couple of hours (like two) tomorrow. I so need the rest even though I'll still be covering Big Brother. But I can do that in my pajamas and slippers! My workplace's dress code frowns on such attire there.

A few random observations on the week gone by:

• No means NO. If you're a bum asking me for money or cigarettes, go away. No means NO. I should only have to say it once. Go away. Shoo. If you're peddling religion and I say NO, I mean NO. Shoo. Leave me alone. Don't act shocked. Don't be surprised. Don't argue with me. Just go away. Yes, I'm starting to get surly with these people. I work for what I have in life and I already have my own thoughts on religion.
• I'm starting to see a bit of color (other than green) here and there in the trees and bushes. But the temperatures sure have been screaming summer.
• I met the man who lives upstairs from me this past week. He's lived there over a year now and I've never seen him ... heard him now and then, but never a face-to-face. We met looking out the building's front window at the crime scene (below) Tuesday night. Pleasant enough guy. He'd be a bit thumpy had they not put wall-to-wall carpet down up there, though. I didn't tell him that. Nor did I tell him that I heard him vacuuming at 3:30am this past Christmas morning.
• Keebler Grasshopper cookies taste a lot like Girl Scouts Thin Mints cookies, but are a heck of a lot cheaper.

Without further ado, onto this week's photos! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

The moon on Monday night

I always love the challenge of taking a good shot at the moon. Monday's moon wasn't quite full, but was like a golden globe large in the sky. And there I was, with a point and shoot camera (a decent one, but ...!) and no tripod. Yay, a challenge! I'm thrilled with the shots I got -- details of craters and all. Of course, I also got a lot of shots which called for the delete button. But that's the beauty of digital photography. It's not like I'm paying to process film which contains yellow-white globs in a sea of black!

Eek. A crime scene at my apartment!

Well, not really AT my apartment. At my apartment building, though. It was Tuesday night. There I was innocently watching the evening Judge Judy block on WLNY when I heard four gunshots which sounded like they were right outside my window. Eek! Vincent even jumped and he doesn't jump for fireworks! I thought someone was either shooting at cars in the parking lot or perhaps the guy downstairs's ex-girlfriend was shooting at him. (She's been coming around yelling at him a lot lately.) But I heard no glass breaking. Hmm.

I was going to call 911, but turned on my scanner instead. Aha, they were already chasing the guy, even broadcast his name. No sense calling 911. It turns out they had been looking for him for some sort of gun sale sting and he fled through backyards, ending up at my building. From behind the big tree in the front on my side of the building, he fired the four shots ambushing one of the police cars. So, not right outside my window ... but we're talking maybe 200 feet away. Much too close for comfort. No one was hit.

The news story is at this link. He ended up running across the street and into the brook, then getting caught about two blocks away. One interesting thing to note is the the police prefer to get paper cups, not Styrofoam ones, to mark bullet casings. The crime scene, all lighted up and lots of hubbub, lasted until the wee hours. It wasn't conducive to sleep.

Look, deer

As a friend and I hit the landing heading to the Bridgewater Train Station eastbound track, I saw these two fawns on the other side of the fence. I said, "Look, deer." three or four times until my friend gave me a puzzled look which seemed to say, "Why are you calling me 'dear'?"

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

Off Topic: That's the Week It Was - October 25, 2015

Good morning! Since it's indeed Sunday morning, that can just mean one thing. Yep, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Please, if you're a fan of either show, join us for the live update/blog party posts for both Survivor and The Amazing Race on Wednesday and Friday evenings respectively.

Here are my random thoughts, happenings and observations on this past week:

• I have a new boss at my workplace. It should be better, but I don't know if my sucked-out soul can be redeemed.
• I received an email that I won something in the Plainfield Public Library Annual Photography Contest. The awards ceremony is on November 14. I will be attending. I doubt I won first place again this year -- it wasn't a great theme for me.
• Since I long ago, before the date for the awards was announced, requested the first two Saturdays of November off from work, I decided Saturday the 7th would be the perfect day to go see Misery on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theater in Manhattan. Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf are the stars of the show. I ended up getting a better (and more expensive) ticket than I planned as it seems to really be selling out. I have a first row center mezzanine seat -- no one's head will be in front of me and I'll have a complete view of the stage! I'm considering it my Christmas gift to myself.
• I finally made up my mind, ordered and received the birthday gift my brother Russ gave me last month (an Amazon gift card). It's heaven to have a new toaster! I've been fighting with my old one for the past few years and kept forgetting I need a new one, so I got one. I also got Stephen King's Finders Keepers hardback, a new wall calendar for next year, some Dr. Teal's Epsom Salt Vapor Bath (with menthol and eucalyptus!) and, last and definitely least, a four-pack of Magic Erasers. That last was just to use up the gift card and they had a dollar off online coupon at Amazon for them. 
• Did you realize that they have plain old TOASTERS that cost a few hundred dollars or more? Who uses them? The one I replaced cost $10 about 15 years ago. I splurged on the new one I bought -- $22. I expect it to last me the rest of my life!
• Of course, I'm someone who still has my first microwave oven. It's so old (how old is it?) that I bought it at Caldor a good ten or so years before Caldor went out of business! It's a Sharp Carousel microwave vintage about 1988. Hey, it still works. I use it mainly for heating up stuff and popcorn. I have an oven and a crockpot for outright cooking needs. 
• Thankfully, my killer cold lessened by Wednesday and I feel sort of human once again. Sniffles, sneezing and an occasional cough remain. But I feel so much better than I did!
• For the first time in three weeks, I have my Sunday newspaper. After looking for it every half-hour starting at 6am, it was there at 8:30am ... late. I'm so not happy with the Courier-News!
• It's kind of damp and gloomy outside. I'd say it's a perfect day for using that Epsom Salt Vapor Bath while playing some soft classical or jazz on my stereo. Hmm.
• If a cat would stop hogging my attention, this post would be more timely.

Here are the photos for the week -- clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger version:

Getting near peak

This is a ridge of trees near my workplace. There's a lot more color there than I'm seeing just east here in Plainfield.

Monday night's moon

I really like how my point and shoot Canon and its great digital zoom capabilities work with moon shots. I've always considered moon shots a challenge and you don't want to know how many white blobs I've deleted off of memory cards over the years. But, with this camera and its zoom, I end up with more decent shots than blobs!

Plainfield Train Station at night

The Monday night late train to New York City isn't a busy one. I get off in Plainfield. I keep telling myself now that the Raritan Valley Line has the combination diesel/electric trains and there are one-seat rides into Manhattan, I'll use it. They used to be just diesel and you can't run diesel in the tunnels under the rivers to NYC. But then I end up taking the bus because that leaves from right by my apartment. After all, that's one-seat ride, too! My next planned trip to the city will be bus, too. The Port Authority Building is closer to Times Square and the theater district. So, on both ends the bus will win.

Turkey Vulture in flight

Up close, their faces are ugly as all get-out and, to be honest, they're rather disgustingly dirty birds. But ... in flight, they're majestic. This one was circling overhead at the Plainfield Train Station on Saturday morning as I headed to work.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 20, 2016

Good morning! Since it's Sunday, 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. This is a regular Sunday part of this blog in addition to the television posts. Right now I'm covering Big Brother: Over the Top daily -- you can find those posts at this link. I'm also live blogging Survivor episodes as they air on Wednesday evenings. Come join the blog parties!

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving will be upon us in just a few days! Around here, we've had more warm days than cold so far. Of course, Thanksgiving is early this year, so there's that. I wouldn't mind temperatures in the 50s all through the winter season, though! But it's already changed. They don't expect temperatures to get out of the forties starting today and remaining for the rest of the week. They predicted snow not far north of here and flurries for here overnight leading into today. I saw no flurries.

With the exception of a Red-Tailed Hawk sitting atop the Chotola Apartment Building on North Avenue (across from the Plainfield Train Station) one morning as I headed to work, it wasn't a great photo week. But I certainly took advantage of the hawk sighting! One of the best things about digital photography is the ability to shoot and shoot ... and shoot. I think I took a total of about fifty shots of him before he flew away!

I found out that the Trader Joe's in Westfield will be reopening in about two weeks. I'm SO looking forward to that! I'm still going through Trader Joe's withdrawal pains since their roof collapsed in a blizzard last January. I have a Peapod grocery order set for Wednesday. But, since it's the day before Thanksgiving, I doubt all items will be in stock. I just know I'll be way busy at work from Friday on, have to work weird hours Monday and Tuesday ... Wednesday is my only day to get groceries other than today. I don't want to go out there today! After making the mistake of going into a food store the day before Thanksgiving in the past, I also refuse to madhouse once again. I figure if Peapod is out of the turkey breast I ordered, they will have the Porterhouse steak and I'll have a good meal on the holiday no matter what.  

Today I'm making up a big batch of beef stew in my crock pot. That will last me through Wednesday for my main meals. When you're me and live with a cat, you don't mind living off of leftovers for three days! I only cook things I like because I have no one to please with my cooking but myself. Often I'll make a big dish on a day off to have for a few days so I don't have to cook on workdays. When you only have one day off at a time and no "weekend" to speak of, it makes life easier. 

Anyway ... onto the photos. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.
  

Artsy Red-Tailed Hawk

I edited this shot to highlight the hawk. Deadly to some, yet a magnificent bit of nature.

Morning moon and the hawk

I was so happy to see the hawk sit in place for so long! It's hard to capture them in flight.

The original Hawkeye

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 4, 2016

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, 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. If you're here for Big Brother news, everything I have for you can be found at this link. I'll be posting another live feeds report late tonight as well as live-blogging the aired show. But this ain't that. This post is a year-round regular "feature" while Big Brother is a summer obsession. Or, something like that.

It hasn't been a good week for me (or for my photography desires, either). I fell and sprained my right ankle, missing three days of work when I'm out of paid time off as my 25 years back with the company anniversary was yesterday and my PTO won't be able to be accessed until the end of this upcoming week. Added to the nine years working for the same company before a break in service, I have 34 years in there. Gah. The doctor examining my ankle wrapped it up and put an Aircast on it, telling me to keep weight off of it for a week. Now, I went to have it checked on Wednesday and he gave me a note to return to work this Tuesday. Um. That's no good financially. It's not long enough for me to claim the missed time with my short term disability (seven days). And, it would blow my holiday pay for Labor Day. So, I went back to work yesterday. It's not like this BB season on the blog can pay the bills. I need the money despite the pain. Sigh.

Since I only worked two days last week, I didn't take many photographs. Clicking on an image will open a larger version ...

Colorful carnations grow ...

... in the planters on East Front Street in Plainfield.

Latino Corner ... really?

Nothing like jumping on the bandwagon. This was The Corner Store, owned and managed by an older Indian couple named "Dave" and Shah. It was a dark cave with phone calls going on in Hindi, incense burning and Indian music. They retired and sold it to younger Indian men. The new owners completely rehabbed the place. It's now clean, brightly lit, has longer operating hours and so much more merchandise. The language among the staff remains Hindi. Maybe Punjabi, but I doubt that. It most certainly isn't Spanish! They took down the old The Corner Store sign and renamed the business ... Latino Corner. Say what? The next thing you know, there will be a taco truck on every corner!

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

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 - August 29, 2010

Sunday morning ... lots of time with nothing to do, lots of time to spend with you, on Sunday, Sunday morning. -- Spanky and Our Gang, "Sunday Morning"

Well, I don't know about the "nothing to do" part of that. But it is Sunday morning and that means it's time for my weekly off television photo post reflecting on the week gone by. Sometimes my photography is decent, other times I'm just showing you a bit of what I've seen in my day to day life. I think this week is more leaning towards the latter.

I believe I'm wearing down. The early part of the week was rainy and, in the latter part, I seemed to be running late, not seeing anything which really struck me as photo fodder for "the picture of the week" or I had my hands full. Sometimes it was a combination of all three things. I had a great hawk opportunity, but he just wouldn't fly still! He was so close that he kept flying out of my camera's path much too quickly. Hmm ... why was a hawk circling ME?

Sigh. As much as I enjoy the blog community and all the fun, Big Brother tends to really tire me out by about this time every year. (Note -- a new BB12 live feeds report will be posted a bit later. We're talking puppets and punishments.) Something odd or traumatic usually happens during the blogging of the summer in the BB house, too.

The first year I attempted blogging it, the cartilage in my left knee had inexplicably shredded as I was merely walking along. I spent the summer awaiting surgery that, when it happened, the knee never recovered from. One year I had shingles. One year I deliberately scheduled knee replacement surgery during the BB season so I wouldn't be working full time and covering the feeds. Of course, it's the knee which didn't recover before and I had a DVT atop the surgery just to make things more interesting. Last year, my 17-year-old cat died a few weeks into the season.

This year? Hmm ... it's been relatively trauma free and we only have a few weeks left. (Everyone knock on wood, please.) About the only thing out of the norm going on is that I have jury duty scheduled the day after Labor Day. I've had jury duty before and it usually ends up being a whole lot of people watching, reading, sketching ... and boredom. I've never even made it to the voir dire. At least I'll get to photo stomp around Elizabeth, NJ ... a city I haven't had a reason to wander around since I moved to the state.

Although I'm in a busier crime county than the last time I was summoned (Union County versus Somerset County), I don't think it will mean anything other than the usual. At least my workplace pays me the difference between jury pay and my normal pay. Otherwise, I'd earn a whopping $5 a day for being on jury duty!

Other than that, it's been the same old stuff here -- BB live feeds, BB show reviews, work, eat, sleep and pay attention to a certain cat. Onto the photos for the week (clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window, clicking again will make it even larger) --

Ghost train at night

The almost empty train looks a bit eerie as it sits at the Bridgewater Train Station last night after dark. This is the train heading west, away from Newark and New York City. Apparently everyone is having too good a time to head home this early. I'm actually waiting for the train to go towards Newark and NYC, but getting off in Plainfield.

Ballpark lights at night

I worked later than usual last night and it was dark as I waited for my train adjacent to the TD Ballpark in Bridgewater -- home of the Somerset Patriots, a minor league ball team. It's usually light as I pass through there when ball games are on. At least it gave me a chance to shoot the lights. The small white flecks are bugs attracted by them.

Tuesday night's full moon

I keep trying to get a decent full moon shot -- one in which the moon isn't so glaring white as to obscure the details. This is my best attempt so far. I need to keep trying! (Or get a better camera which is out of the question.)

Morning moon over Presbyterian

Wednesday morning as the sun shined in the east, this was to my west. Note the leafless branches on the left. So many of the trees have suffered here this summer. It was dry for so long accompanied by record heat waves. Earlier this past week when it rained for three of four days straight, many big branches and entire trees came down, unable to continue on. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Rainy train day

My apologies for all of the train station shots this week. Alas, that seemed to be the only time I could (a) be out of the rain or (b) actually had time to shoot photos. I liked this one because of the reflection of the station lights on the train windows -- practically a light a window. Plainfield Train Station.

Same Day, the Other Way

Now I feel I'm cheating with the photos. I turned around and shot the other way. But the lights aren't reflecting in unison with the train windows. Note the platform difference between Plainfield and the photo of the Bridgewater Station.

Plainfield is a raised platform which makes it level with the entrance. Once in the train, there is a handicapped/bike/bathroom area, then you can go either upstairs or downstairs to sit. At stations without raised platforms, it's a climb into or a steep descent out of the train. Me? I prefer a raised platform, please ... even if it means you see feet when sitting on the lower level.

Let there be a mushroom

Yes, the stinkhorns are still around for photo fodder if I want to go that route. But I decided a cute little mushroom in wet grass instead. Notice how the stem is nearly translucent. It's so delicate. So I stomped on it!

Er, no. I didn't.

I made the stomp part up.

Looky! More Plainfield Train Station!

This time in sepia.

Even MORE Plainfield Train Station!

This one I edited to leave the "Plainfield" sign in color, the rest in black and white.

Train station, but different

There was a huge dark bank of clouds obscuring the sunrise early Monday morning. It made it look almost like we have mountains in the distance. We don't have mountains here. In the other direction from this shot, there are the Watchung Mountains. But they really are no more than hills. When I first moved here, I was shocked over how flat everything is. I was used to the Adirondacks and then the Berkshires and Catskills. Or, in my skiing days, I loved the Rocky Mountains.

Panda King

A new Chinese restaurant replaced the old one on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield. I deliberately obscured the phone number on the sign just so they don't get any crank phone calls. But I'm not here to talk about the new Chinese restaurant. I want to talk about the color scheme. Who does this? Melon, orange and lavender mixed with the original red and tan mosaic tile on the front of one of the buildings. Drugs, anyone? At least the orange Caribe taxi fits in well with the color scheme.

I don't think it's New York

I think it's more like China, Malaysia, etc. When I lived in New York (remember, I'm originally from NY), I don't recall seeing any "New Jersey Furniture and Linens." East Front Street, Plainfield.

I NEED to be on your shoulder!

Vincent droops himself over the edge of a chair. I've never known such a drooper of a cat. This is pretty much his pose when he's draped over my shoulder. What an odd kitty I have in my life. But I wouldn't give him up for the world!

How was your week?