Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - 3/28/10

It's Sunday, time to take my weekly off TV topic jaunt through the past week in photographs I've taken and words. The weather hasn't been the best this past week. We started out rainy, then cleared up some but with colder temperatures. Now I hear we can expect yet another five inches of rain between tonight and Tuesday. We don't need it, for sure. With the local floods, I hate to see what April showers will bring!

The big event of the week was the demolition of one of the historic buildings on North Avenue in Plainfield (NJ). I've been taking photos of that row of buildings since I've been taking the train ... we're talking more than five years. I honestly don't see what the rush was to immediately take down the building after the city ignored its dilapidated state for so long. Yes, it needed to come down, I guess. But, long ago they could have done something other than letting it rot. Now my blockscape view from the train station has a gaping hole in it.

Roofus the cat, who used to use said building to access the roofs on the block, is still sequestered in the old ex-rental car building. I saw footprints in the snow leading to the door over the winter and local blogger Bernice reported that she recently saw him. He's okay, someone's feeding him. However, I really don't know how long that building will last (although it's small and looks structurally secure).

I ran into Bernice as we were both photographing the demolition on Thursday. I played some with my video on my camera (see previous post) and in the YouTube video I'm including here. I was even mentioned in the local newspaper. No, not in the police blotter! Sheesh! Here's the Courier News mention -- way down in the article.

A point of interest in the North Plainfield home falling into the Green Brook -- I've photographed it before and my infamous squirrel in a pumpkin shot was in the home across the street which mirrored the ruined one. But the one across the street is occupied and well-kept.

Yes, I saved a hard copy of the paper. I can put it in with old dean's list announcements and my old police blotter articles. Ahem.

I want March Madness to be OVER.

Thank you.

Let's see ... what else happened this week? I seem usurped by the demolition, editing videos and such. Well, there was a full week of work, too. I filled up my not-an-iPod this week and had to take some songs off. Yikes! As I was going through that, I was thinking I should do a random Sunday Seven Songs on my not-an-iPod each week. You can feel free to reciprocate!

This week's Sunday Seven Songs:
"Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer
"If I Were a Rich Man" by the original cast of Fiddler on the Roof
"Smooth" by Carlos Santana/Rob Thomas
"Honky Cat" by Elton John
"When I Ruled the World" by Coldplay
"Word Up" by Cameo
"Für Elise" - Beethoven

Oh my. I think I'm just weird. Onto this week's photos (clicking on them will open them larger in a new window) --

Tuesday Morning

I took this photo of the doomed building on Tuesday morning about 7:30 on my way to work. I noted that the left parapet and part of the corner had fallen. On Wednesday, the Courier News published an article saying bricks came down between 7:00 and 8:00 on Tuesday evening thus throwing the situation into dire mode. Huh? The way the back of the building was described was the condition it's been in for over a year -- chimney leaning, wall crumbled away, BIG corner missing.

Thursday Morning

I had to go in to work pre-dawn on Thursday (was off on Wednesday). So this is after all the hoopla panicking. The parapet and corner don't look much different than they did on Tuesday morning.

Brightly Lighted and Blocked Off

Thursday morning still.

Demolition In Progress

By the time I came home from work at about 5:30 PM on Thursday, most of the building was down. If you go to Bernice's blog linked pre-photos here, she caught a lot that I didn't. Of course, once we saw each other, we hung out together taking shots.

Where is his hardhat?

All of the other guys were wearing hardhats (as they should be). This one man was in and out all around the destruction with a baseball cap on. What? He seemed to be directing a lot of the action. But I thought on a scene like this, everyone had to wear them.

Sigh

Claw of Death

I edited this one -- didn't do that much this week, did I? It's "posterized."

Saturday Morning Gap

From the train window Saturday morning

Arriving home Saturday

Something is just wrong.

Train Station in the hole

I took this shot from the back of the scene looking towards the Plainfield Train Station. Talk about jury-rigging wires! Look at those!

Let's have some non-North Avenue destruction photos ....

Sheesh! Is it contagious?

This was on Church Street (Plainfield) as I walked to the train Saturday morning. Sure, I didn't get hurt at the major demolition, but this guy managed to flick a brick right in front of my shoulder. And, I even went into the edge of the street to be away from him. He had no police barriers.

Love, Light, Life

The Plainfield YWCA building on East Front Street in Plainfield. I hope they take care of this gem.

My first dandelion sighting of the season

Resting and nesting

The Bridgewater field of geese near the train station. I know they'll nest, but they really shouldn't. The ball park sets up their fireworks on the field.

Crocuses! Or, is it Croci? I just don't know.

Tulips!

In a planter in front of Hugo's Bar on Church Street in Plainfield.

Yo, bud

This was taken near City Hall on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield.

Then there's the daffodils

Berckman Street, Plainfield

Then there's Vincent

What's up, Vincent? Do you hear a mouse?

In closing, I'll leave you with my spliced together clips of the demolition on North Avenue. It's long, but if you stick with it, you'll hear me offer to Bernice to go over to ask the demolition guys pose the two claw machines juxtaposed. Then again, you might want to miss that. I'll see you later for The Amazing Race!