Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - May 22, 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. I realize I haven't been talking a lot about television as of late, but that will change. I've been excessively busy at work and getting prepared for my knee replacement, too.

I'm on vacation this week and plan to work on housecleaning (as that will suffer while I'm post-surgery). I'll also be meeting up with the library folks to go over photos for the summer exhibition. Plus, lucky me, on my vacation I get to go to work one day to do pre-work software set-up for a new program we'll be using. I may or may not take a conference call that same day. I'm also going to be stocking my place with non-perishables, stuff I need (or want) and cooking/freezing some dinners ahead. I know the first few weeks I'm not going to want to do any cooking more strenuous than popping something into the microwave.

We've had yet another week of rain here. When it wasn't raining, it was grey or just dramatic stormy looking clouds. Every now and then, the sun would peek through the clouds. Most days it was chilly. But when it wasn't chilly it was humid. At times it was both humid and chilly. I can only hope my vacation week is better!

Like most people I know, I've been joking about the Rapture which didn't happen on Saturday. Amidst my joking, a friend of mine passed away yesterday. Allan P. Lappin was one of the first people I met on the Internet (about 16 years ago) that I ended up being friends with in person. Such a good guy -- intelligent, kind and witty. His hero, his son Jake (ex-military sergeant who served in Afghanistan and is now on the NYFD), posted the news on Facebook. I don't know the details, but it must have been sudden as Allan was just joking on FB late Friday afternoon. I have to give Jake a call to see about arrangements. It's a shock. Allan was my age, a software/computer programmer who had to recently reinvent himself as a teacher in these rough economic times. So long, APL ... I'll keep reading and enjoying.

Sigh. But we do go on. I already had photos with ascension in mind before I got the news about Allan Saturday night. I know he would have appreciated them, so they're still a go.

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6 PM Saturday

There was a man there enjoying his drink just a moment ago! North Avenue, Plainfield.

5:59 PM Saturday

"I'm ready!"

6:01 PM Saturday

"So, Joe ... Joe? Where'd he go? His coat's still here!" My apartment elevator actually on Saturday morning, but the six o'clock hour is better for the story.

Success

Tying the dead tree to the fence with cable worked for the bird feeder folks of East Front Street. The birds are back!

Gloomy skies, wet bird.

Bridgewater Train Station.

Almost June?

People are still wearing cold weather gear in the morning only to shed it in the afternoon. North Avenue, Plainfield.

Dramatic skies

The skies over Plainfield Friday as I returned home from work.

Wet azaleas

Ohh ... new security gates!

Finally I can take photos of these buildings without the graffiti! North Avenue, Plainfield. By the way, it seems the building on the right has been empty for months. Their roof still looks a bit shaky from the removal of the attached building that used to be on the right.

Ivy in the sky

A look from the underside of poison ivy at the Bridgewater Train Station. Thanks to the rain, the poison ivy is lush and dense with some leaves much larger than my hand!

Just a weed, but beautiful in its own way.

Help me! Help me!

Fly on poison ivy. He was actually a good model. Look! He has suction-cup feet!

He's got the worm.

But he wasn't an early bird. He was a dinner-time, Jackie arrive home from work time bird. No, he didn't get it on the sidewalk. He got it from the grassy area nearby but I startled him as I walked by and he dropped it. So I passed by, then whipped around with the camera to catch him retrieving it. I knew he wouldn't go without it! The worm, alas, didn't survive although it was definitely trying to escape. Berckman Street, Plainfield.

Iris in the rain

East Front Street, Plainfield.

Berckman Street allium and friends.

Thanks to Plainfield blogger Dan Damon for naming that flower!

Gee, more rain.

What's with the teeny bikes these days?

I plan on biking (I own a bike which needs new tires, plus a stationary bike) to rehab from my surgery this summer. But the amount of bend in the knee to operate these small wheels with a low seat would kill me! North Avenue, Plainfield.

Plainfield Train Station, North Avenue side

The other side (NYC/Newark bound) has the main station building. This side at least has cover from the rain. Note the dramatic skies once again! But at least it wasn't raining.

Somerset Medical Center ambulance

That's the hospital where I'll have my knee replacement done, but I won't get to ride in the ambulance. No emergency here, though. The ambulance attends every game of the Somerset Patriots at the TD Ball Park in Bridgewater (adjacent to the train station). I edited it to leave only the ambulance in color.

Little miracles underfoot

Teensy blue and yellow flowers grow in the grass between mowings.

Mr. Annoying Man

This man has been showing up at the Plainfield Train Station on Saturday mornings asking people for cigarettes and/or money. He's not aggressive, but he looks in disbelief when you say no to him. You pretty much have to shoo him away after you say no. Every car that goes by, every person walking ... he goes after them all. After being turned down for a cigarette, I watched him walk away and pull his own new pack out of his pocket. He probably has more money on him than the people he's asking have on them. Annoying man. I only see him on Saturdays but he can still go away.

Now growing at the Plainfield Train Station

Friends Meeting House

From the East Third Street side in a rare moment of sunshine. The rain has made everything lush and green. But enough is enough!

Vincent

He's going to love me being home all summer. But he's not going to like the fact that I won't be able to carry him around all the time.

How was your week? Anyone out there? Are you still here?