Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - Sept. 2, 2012

Good Sunday morning to y'all. No, I haven't gone all Southern on you. It just didn't sound right for me to address you as "youse guys." This is my weekly off television topic post which reflects on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. If you're looking for the latest news from inside the Big Brother house, hit this link. Otherwise, grab a cup of joe and settle in.

Although Hurricane Isaac wreaked havoc down near the Gulf, our own weather has been rather unspectacular. We did have some rain in the beginning of the week, then some days which were summer done right. I'm talking highs in the low 80s, low humidity and gentle breezes. That would be my hope for every summer all summer! I'm so not a summer person these days. 

Work continues to be busy. It used to be that we had lulls through the year, not so much anymore. I guess it provides more job security, but it also adds in a bit more stress. Lately I've been training people. I relish the days I'm actually alone in my office now. Add work to the BB14 live feeds coverage and you have one really tired Jackie. Thankfully I have a four-day work week ahead this coming week and another one the week after.

I have today and tomorrow off. Two days off in a row is a rarity for me. So, did I make big plans? Nope. I have a Peapod grocery delivery coming in this morning. I definitely have some housekeeping to do. I believe I might have some napping to do as well. The beach? No way am I go "down the shore" (as they say here) on a summer holiday weekend! Ew. All those sweaty people! Social hermit that I am, I'll have a mellow two days and my mindset will be better for it.

Let's see ... what's left? Oh. The home front. Nothing of any note has happened in the apartment building. I know that if I lived in the front wing, I'd be moving out. This morning I went to get my newspaper and noticed that the riff-raff in the front wing have trash sitting outside their doorways. Well, not all of them, but enough of them to be irking. Candy wrappers are abandoned on the floor. You go to my wing and the hallway is spotless; the only items in the hallway are door mats. I know it's silly on the second floor. But I put one here. No matter how much I clean, if I step out directly on the dark green carpet in the hallway, I track white Vincent fur. 

On the larger home front, the people who live on the street in back of me with their yard facing my windows (perhaps 300 feet away), continue to have live bands and parties which last all day Saturdays and into the night. I swear if the police didn't get called, they'd go overnight. If it were a rare thing, my "live and let live" personal policy would kick in. But this happens almost weekly. This is a residential neighborhood. I don't live over a bar which features live bands. I shouldn't have to put up with live amplified Mexican bands, loud Spanish over loudspeakers and party animals 300 feet from my bedroom window. That's not how to behave in a city environment. Go rent a park somewhere!

I filmed them for a minute from inside my apartment just to show how disruptive and inconsiderate it is. I called the police, which I hate to do because I know they have more crucial matters than noise complaints on a Saturday night. It eventually got shut down around 11 PM. Sigh. Here's the short video:




Onto this week's photos ...

Childhood abandoned

This abandoned rocking horse sat in front of the Dumpster at the U-Haul building on East Second Street in Plainfield for four days before it vanished. I hope it found a home and didn't just ride off into the sunset.

Pink!

Lots of flowers are still in bloom. These are growing in the planter lining the front of Union County Psychiatric Center on Roosevelt Avenue in Plainfield. No, I'm not a patient there. If I walked in the door, they just might keep me!

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

Venus is still hanging in there

The Venusta orchid spider in Bridgewater is still hanging in there. She's built two of those large egg sacs now. Busy little gal.

UFO over Plainfield

Oh no! Could it be the War of the Satellite Dishes? I took this one from the westbound ramp at the Plainfield Train Station overlooking North Avenue.

Early morning sun at the Plainfield Train Station

Like the rocking horse, I edited this to just leave some in color. In this case, the sun shining on the dirty plexiglass of the shelter. The days are getting shorter daily and the sun's angle changes make for some different shots.

Chicory opening to a new day

The chicory blooms close each night and open to the sun's rays. Plainfield Train Station.

Pink and pinker!

More psychiatric flowers.

Goose-stepping gull

He was loud, too. Bridgewater, NJ

Red!

In a shopping center in Bridgewater.

You can see the bee's knees

Near the Bridgewater Train Station. No butterflies spotted there this week.

Sunflower's last stand

I took this early in the week. By yesterday it had passed. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Back fence bloom

In back of my apartment building.

Shield or stink bug?

It looks larger and more colorful than the stinkbugs I've seen in the hallway here. But it has the same sort of "shield" to it. Bridgewater, NJ.

Another view

Kind of cool as long as he's not in my apartment!

This is how I take up Jackie's WHOLE bed!

Vincent is the LONGEST cat I've ever had in my life. I swear when he stretches out (including tail), he's a good four feet long. And, how does he want to sleep on my bed? Width-wise, not lengthwise. Sheesh. I keep reminding him that I am the human and he is the cat. It does no good.

How was your week?