Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - June 17, 2012

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. That said, I want to remind everyone that Falling Skies returns for a two-hour season premiere tonight on TNT. Be there or be square. I've already seen it (and posted about it), but will probably watch it again.

Also on a television note, a few folks have asked me about the NBC series Glass House -- the one that supposedly is a Big Brother rip-off. I believe that makes its debut this Monday, but they've had selected hours of live feeds on their website. Alas, the one weekday I was home, I forgot to check it out. I probably will look into it, but know that I can't do much other than my full time job (need to make a living) and coverage of the Big Brother live feeds/shows throughout the summer. Yet I won't throw stones!

This week has basically been another run-of-the-mill one for me. The landlord's maintenance dude was in once again to fix the water pressure in the kitchen and a leak in the NEW pipe under the bathroom sink. In talking with both my directly upstairs and downstairs neighbors (as each saw me walking on different days this week and offered me rides home), they're also fairly impressed with the new landlord. The upstairs neighbor said they repaired her tiles in their bathroom to stop the leaking. What I've said all along that it had to be! We all agree we like our wing of the building and our neighbors, but the revolving door of riff-raff in the front wing can go at any time.

A few occurrences from this week:

• I saw a fool riding his bike on the sidewalk and texting at the same time. He crashed into a bench and flew into the street. Fool. He's lucky a car didn't hit him.
• I explained to a NJ Transit train conductor whose shift has changed and he deserted our morning train that it's MY train whenever I'm on it. It's only HIS train when I get off. He told me that I needed to go collect all the tickets then.
• If I can hear you talking on your cell phone from a half block away during 5pm traffic, you're talking way too loud. Shhh.
• Just because YOU like Mexican polka music doesn't mean you need to share it so that I can't watch television at a reasonable volume with my windows open a half block away at all hours.
• The Plainfield Police solved my noise complaint re: Mexican polka music within five minutes. They rock!
• I am addicted to POP! Gourmet Popcorn's "Simply Bacon" popcorn, but I'm too scared to buy the Lavender soda to test.
• One of those booming music cars went by me one morning while I walked to the train station. Usually it's some kind of rap or Hispanic music. This one was blasting "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly and the Family Stone. The song got stuck in my head all day.

Onto the photos taken this week -- clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger, close that window to return here.
  

Summer is almost here!

Yet another flower from the home at the corner of East Front and Richmond in Plainfield.

Vincent observed Flag Day

I posted this one on my Facebook page on Flag Day, but not everyone who visits here goes there.

I also previously posted this video I took on my Facebook page, but not here. This is the Demon Hello Ice Cream Truck of Plainfield, NJ. I put up with it hours each day as well as the rooster over on East Second Street. I was sitting on a bench in front of the Monarch Building on East Front Street when I took the video.
 

Cool little insect

Isn't he cool? Bridgewater on the poison ivy.

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

 

Another view

Fuzzy fungus this week

It's grown a bit more, still rather intricately fuzzy.

Stepping back

The straw-looking stuff is debris washed up from the Hurricane Irene flooding at the toxic superfund site by the Bridgewater Train Station. I'm taking this shot through a chain link fence so I can't really get another view.

A bird in the bush

Is worth two in the hand. Oh. Wait. That's not right. But why would I want a bird in my hand anyway? It might peck me! I'd rather it stay in the bush!

No fish and CHIPS for you!

This was on the door of one of the rowhouses on East Second Street in Plainfield. I've often posted photos of the rundown conditions there. It's a shame as there are many mainly immigrant families with children living there. Although, seeing this reaction to lead, I'm SO glad my apartment recently tested negative! I probably grew up in many places with lead paint, though. That might explain things!

Pretty purple petunias

Flags galore-y

The TD Ball Park in Bridgewater was decked out with thousands of flags lining each walkway for Flag Day. They also had an evening game there that night. That ball park food always smells SO good as I walk by to the train station. I supposed they wouldn't just let me buy some food and a nice frosty beer as I pass, huh?

Picture-wing fly staring me down

I'm not seeing as many of these lately.

Maybe a rhinoplasty would help

Bridgewater Train Station berries

I don't know what these are, but they're all growing in clusters like this. No, I'm not thinking of eating them.

Bogus!

Would you hire a BOGUS plumbing-heating-AC contractor? Just a bit redundant I say! Oh. It's actually "Bogush." Hmmm ...

Attack of the killer moth

Lone petunia

Vincent trying to look all regal or something

Look at the delicate way he's holding his paw. He's come a long way from being stray on the streets of NYC and being in the biggest high-kill shelter system in NYC, too! Now he's spoiled rotten. The guy fixing my sink water pressure when I wasn't home had to put him in the bedroom because he kept trying to get on him.