Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was 11/15/09

Yep, yep, yep. It's Sunday and time for my off topic look back at the week in photos and words. I'm still not used to it getting dark so early in the evenings. But I guess winter is inevitable.

This fall here has been rainier than usual, perhaps in keeping with our early summer. Since Thursday we've had a nor'easter -- the remnants of Hurricane Ida. We didn't get tons of rain here, but the wind was pretty fierce for days. The shore got hit bad. However, since I'm at least ten or so miles from the nearest shore point (and that has Staten Island as a buffer), coastal flooding didn't affect me even though my county was under a warning. If my work schedule had allowed, I would have taken photos of the surf. But in the dark, no go.

Someone asked in my last Sunday post if my political candidate won for mayor. Nope. Hopefully the sizable turnout for him might be a wake-up call for the winning incumbent. I don't know. As for the governor race, I'm glad Corzine is out. I'm not all that keen on Christie, but we'll see. Bloomberg won again in NYC, so I expect the entire Lower East Side to be made into a pedestrian mall.

Work has been pretty much the same old-same old this week. But off work has been a bit impacted by more work I took on in terms of a writing project in relationship to the TV Squad gig. It's for AOL (which is going through huge layoffs once again before the holidays actually hit). It's money for me. But it's work. Scores of 200 word bios on various television celebrities with a deadline. I hope to get ahead of things today and push a whole slew out. I'm learning more about some celebrities than I ever wanted to know.

Let's see ... what else happened this week? My optical wireless mouse died. Ack. I had to buy a new one. With the photo editing, the old mouse(s) (mice?) I have with the cord and ball just don't work well. That was my big purchase of the week if you don't count groceries and bill paying. Gosh, an uneventful week. And, until I finish the AOL project, I'll be living the hermit life for the next few weeks, too.

Onto my photos -- clicking on them will open them larger in a new window.

Speak Softly

Yeah, 'cuz I have a lot of writing to do! This is my NJ Transit train. I wish people would take heed. They shout into their cell phones (if you like your cell phone so much, why do you yell at it all the time?). They sit across aisles from each other and shout to each other. I like the morning commute better than the evening one as folks are generally quieter, no sports fans or concert attendees.

Speaking of morning commutes ...

The train has arrived. And, yeah. I'm standing back from the yellow line.

It's a hovercraft!

This isn't good quality, but I like the car with no apparent wheels. The little Corner Store in the background are the folks who delivered me things when I was homebound for my knee recovery last year. No, they don't do deliveries. But they did for me and even gave me a nice fruit basket. The donut shop next door has the most reasonable best donuts on this earth even though their "o" is drooping. Maria there is a gem!

Be considerate

Or else. I don't know. This is New Jersey. Isn't that against the reputation of the state?

Wet night at the Plainfield Train Station

I guess this one might be my shot of the week. Although it's pretty, the evening was wet, windy, and raw.

Aw, he made me smile

I walk by this house all the time yet I've never met this man before. He was decorating the tree in his yard for Christmas -- red, white, and blue garlands and lights. I didn't comment on the color scheme but mentioned his bird feeder. He told me all the different kinds of birds he's seen feeding there and the fun his family has watching them. He told me I can come back anytime to take photos of the birds on the feeder.

In speaking with him, it's obvious that he wasn't born in the USA -- perhaps the reason for the red, white, and blue color scheme. He was very pleasant and friendly. I think it says a lot for the town, its friendliness, and its diversity when I encounter folks like him. This is more towards the downtown area on East Front Street in Plainfield.

Keep your eyes on the prize

Yes, I'm dangling a cat toy for Vincent. We celebrated his two-month "birthday" this past week and our relationship grows. He's definitely a shoulder cat reminiscent of Faron in the early Peanuts comics. Faron was the boneless cat owned by Frieda (the little girl with the naturally curly red hair). If Vincent had his way, he'd spend ten hours a day draped over my shoulder. He rips apart anything cardboard like a lion feeding off an unlucky gazelle. He runs, he plays, he sometimes runs into the wall while playing. He's a nut. But I'm so glad I have him as my companion here.

Latina Jesus Ladies

They don't even bother coming near me anymore.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Eek. Plainfield put up the holiday decorations this week. This is the intersection of Watchung and North. Alas, no sightings of Roofus. But the weather really hasn't been cooperating. Roofus knows better than to be on a wet roof! I think it was probably dry only once this week when I was there in daylight.

Veterans Day flags remain

They had a small parade and a gathering for the day which I didn't attend. I would have liked to have seen the Plainfield High School Marching Band. For some reason they're not in the July 4th parade as of late. This is East Front Street in Plainfield, NJ.

My father was a WWII veteran, my grandfather was both WWI (sneaked in at 15!) and re-upped in WWII. None of my brothers ever went into the service: one conscientious objector during Vietnam, one for medical reasons, the other ended up with the number 364 in the first year of the lottery for entry during Vietnam. I didn't serve. But I respect any who have and I've lost other friends and family to wars. I salute them ... and wish we lived in a world without wars.

I just don't get this

Here in many towns (this is Plainfield), leaves are in huge piles like snowbanks taking up parking spots on the streets. Isn't that a fire hazard? Isn't that how A.J. Soprano lost his SUV? Where I've lived in the past, they didn't do this. Of course, in my few childhood southern California years, we didn't have leaf debris all over.

Watchung Avenue at night

This was last night as I was coming home from work. Although it's not really late, a lot of shops were closed up and pedestrian traffic was a bit down. I blame the weather for the latter.

Looking the other way on Watchung

Okay, more foot traffic near the bar there, as well as police activity (the bright lights in the right lane).

Billboards available

Near the main train station in Plainfield.

Looking for hidden treasure

I think the squirrels will have a good year. I've gotten bopped on the head with lots of acorns this fall.

How way your week?