Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - July 1, 2012

It's once again Sunday morning. You know what that means. It's time for my weekly off television topic post reviewing the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Briefly visiting the actual topic of this blog -- television, really -- I expect there to be announcements perhaps as early as tomorrow regarding the cast of the new season of Big Brother. They should be in sequester at this time filming teasers for commercials and avoiding the outside world. My personal educated guess is that they will enter the house next weekend (July 7, 8) although the live feeds won't start until after the season premiere. When I know news, I'll get it posted.

In other TV news, I'm now on individual waitlists for every single America's Got Talent live show in Newark through August. I really hope to snag tickets to go with friends to at least one show! In looking at the times of the shows which vary from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, I'd have no trouble getting to Newark on time on the train after working. It's only a two block walk from Newark Penn Station to the Prudential Hall where the shows will be filmed. And, it's FREE. The only real problem is actually getting the tickets!

In other news, it's just been one of those icky weeks for me. The weather was either stormy or heat wave. I hate the heat and humidity. I don't like to sweat while just walking. I wrote the letter pleading that Vincent be grandfathered with the new landlord, but haven't heard back yet. I didn't take ANY photos this week that excited me. But, then the week got worse.

I fell. I fell due to an idiot putting a dark duffel bag on the floor of a dimly lit corner store directly in the only path one has to approach the register area. I already get irked by the people who just mill around in that store on Saturday mornings buying bus tickets to Atlantic City or spending their government issued monies on scratch off tickets and Lotto. Now I will regard them all with distrust and venom in my eyes.

I fell directly on both knees (replacements). The pain was unreal. I yelled at the woman who had no reason on earth to leave that bag on the floor! It wasn't even near her. It was five feet away next to the Drake's Cakes rack. I went ahead to work as I was nearby the train station already.The left (older) knee immediately swelled up. The right (new) knee had a scrape on it, but didn't swell. I worked a shortened day, did what I had to get done, then headed home to elevate and ice.

That was yesterday. Today both knees seem to be stable enough, but the left one is still quite swollen, the right one a bit swollen. Both still hurt. There's no sense in going to the Emergency Room as, while they might take x-rays, there's nothing they could do about knee replacement damage other than to give me painkillers. I don't need painkillers bad enough to pay the deductible for an ER visit. I have needed to set up my yearly follow-up on both knees with my orthopedic surgeon. He takes x-rays then. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get in during the holiday week, hopefully next week. I'll live with the pain ... as long as the knees seem to be stable. Hopefully I did no damage to the mechanisms. Sigh.

In better news, I only work three days this week. It should be four days due to the holiday, but I also added a personal day in for Saturday. Then I'm on my last staycation before my paid time off hours switch over on September 1st (anniversary with the company). I get several weeks vacation and a number of personal days yearly. If I don't take those hours, I lose them come my anniversary date. On the other hand, my sick hours can accrue up to six weeks, then they add up no more. If I leave the company, I can collect any vacation or personal days due, but not the sick time. The sick time just vanishes. I think I might be sick a lot the year I retire. :-)

Onto my rather lackluster photos of the week. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger. Just close out that window to plunk you right back here on the blog. 

Hey, everybody, have you heard?

He's going to buy me a mockingbird. If that mockingbird don't sing, he's going to buy me a diamond ring. This mockingbird I spotted at the Bridgewater Train Station was surely going through an array of songs ... in between dive-bombing any other bird in sight. What a violent little bird!

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave

One morning, it was already really warm and sticky as I headed to the train station a bit after six in the morning. The sun just hung in a haze. Yet, in the other direction, storm clouds darkened the skies. I took this shot at the fence for the Union Community College parking lot on Church Street in Plainfield.

Bees don't care

With the exception of torrential downpours, bees don't care about the weather. They have stuff they have to do! If these bees sit still enough, they're great photo fodder. They're not aggressive at all. But I did see some yellow jackets this week. I'm leery about them. I am allergic to bee stings, so I have to be careful with more aggressive bees.

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

 

New banners

They put up new patriotic banners in front of the Monarch Building on East Front Street, probably in anticipation of next week's big 4th of July parade (on the 7th).

With tattered flag

But they really need to take down all of the old tattered flags! It's better to have NO flags than to have ones in this condition. Sheesh.

Way cool colors

This seems to be a little bee of some kind. Alas, he arrived just as my train was arriving and I didn't get any great shots of him. But the colors were indeed way cool.

Ladybug, ladybug

Fly along home. Your house is on fire and your kids are alone.

WHO COMES UP WITH THESE THINGS?!?! What a horrible little saying! It's like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. What a creepy world, I say!

The heart of Plainfield

Church Street

Next station, heat wave

About 6:30am on Thursday at the Plainfield Train Station. Quasi-related: I heard an announcement yesterday at the station -- "Attention Raritan Valley line passengers, your attention please. There will be delays due to a brush fire at the Dunellen Train Station. New Jersey Transit likes to apologize for your inconvenience."

Ah, they LIKE to apologize ... no wonder they have delays! It's because they actually enjoy the act of apologizing! (That said, my train line is usually running on time. It's buses that are horrible.) 

Stormy skies and sunshine

I took this Thursday morning with the sun at my back and dark storm clouds to the west. Corner of Church and East Second Streets in Plainfield.

Tropical morning

Corner of Roosevelt and East Second, the same morning.

Lone sunflower

I'm disappointed. This is a lone sunflower growing at the house with such lovely flowers on the corner of Richmond and East Front Streets in Plainfield. Normally, the house next door has sunflowers all up their walk. They aren't growing there this year. So, I can't get up close and personal with sunflowers this year. This lone one is not only about 12' tall, it's behind a fence. Wah.

Maybe I'll go to Manhattan instead of work

Every morning as I head to the train station for work, this bus to NYC passes me in my neighborhood. Every morning, I whimsically blow off work and jump on the bus. Okay, every morning, I THINK about blowing off work and heading into Manhattan. Instead, I go to work. Sigh.

Emergency?

What's the buzz? Tell me what's a'happening. These were all over by my apartment building (which you can't see, but it's behind the bushes in the background). Since my street is a county road as opposed to an actual city street per se, that would explain it being posted by the Union County Police. But ... why? What up? I thought it was for tree trimming, but none seem to be trimmed. Maybe it was street cleaning in anticipation of the parade next Saturday. I know next Saturday there will be Plainfield emergency No Parking signs posted.

Fuzzy fungus continues on

Still bizarre.

Still standing ... kind of

Someone stole the rope which was wrapped around and supporting the broken pole on Berckman Street. The new pole in back of it has all of the electricity stuff attached. The broken pole has Verizon FIOS stuff still attached. It and its FIOS box are leaning against the wires on the the new pole. Can we say dangerous?

Being Vincent

Yep. Vincent is being very Vincenty. I really hope the new landlord will grandfather him in the lease. Otherwise, it's to apartment hunting for me. I won't live where he's not allowed. That's all.