Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 26, 2013

Yo, good morning, peeps. Oh, did I say that? You'll have to forgive me. I just looked up who's doing the cover of "All Along the Watchtower" in the commercials for the new upcoming Stephen King TV series Under the Dome. It's a rap group called Devlin out of the UK. Very catchy although it's definitely not Dylan or Hendrix. A good song holds up no matter what. Leave it to King who owns (owned?) a classic rock radio station up in Maine to come up with this version for the promos.

Anyway ... it's Sunday morning. Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Not to fear, TV fans, it won't be long until this television lull is in the past. I have a bunch of screeners from TNT to cover in the upcoming days. Big Brother is back in the last week of June. There's the series mentioned above which I find very intriguing because I'm a huge Stephen King buff. We will have our television fodder!

Last week's weather here in my corner of New Jersey ran the gambit from almost winter-like to summer heat and humidity with very little spring tossed in there. The wind howled a lot. Yesterday was cold and raw with high wind warnings -- not a good start to a three day holiday weekend to kick off the summer for many folks.

I actually was off yesterday on a Saturday. My original plans had been to visit the farmers market in nearby Westfield. I have never been to that one and thought it would be nice. Thankfully, I looked up online to see if they were started yet this year. What? They've canceled it for this season? They want to go another direction? Sheesh. So, I decided I'd hit up the even closer Scotch Plains one instead. The only farmers market that comes to Plainfield comes during my working hours on a weekday. I so rarely have Saturdays off that I thought it would be fun. Alas, due to the weather, I stayed inside all day yesterday. Since I'm on a staycation this week, I'll hit up the Scotch Plains one next Saturday and I'll also see if the Plainfield one is up for this Thursday.

Since I have a Peapod grocery delivery scheduled for today which includes a ton of fruit (five dollars off when ordering $20 worth), it's not that I need the farmers market anyway. So there, Westfield! I'm looking forward to making up a fantastic fruit salad to last a few days. Plus, I'm going to make me a blender-full of chocolate-banana shakes. Mmm.

This past week was one struggling through weather and trying to wrap up loose ends at work so I felt okay leaving it behind for a week. I do know I'll come back to a mess and I'll also have a new manager to train in my office. I surely will rest up this week! I don't have many plans at all other than spring cleaning and possibly checking out the Westfield Memorial Day Parade on Monday morning. Perhaps I'll go into Manhattan one day. Or, maybe I'll take the cameras to a strange town along the bus or train route just to explore. Gosh, I love staycations! My next one in July is a mix of staycation with a few days away for my 40th high school reunion in upstate New York.

Onto the photos I took this past week. Once again, the flower shots are heavy. If you don't see rain in the photos, that means it's hot and humid.
 

Into the iris

I'm in awe at Mother Nature when I look into an iris. What stunning beauty! Growing on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

Rhododendron beauty

Growing on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

Colorful on a dreary day

Growing in the yard at the corner of East Front and Richmond in Plainfield.

Plainfield Fire Rescue 1

I edited this one to leave only the firetruck in color. This was on Berckman Street responding to a fire around the corner on East Second Street. More in the next photo ...

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

Where there's smoke ...

From what I gathered, there was a small fire and smoke conditions on the third floor of the house where the folks I dubbed "The Deliverance Family" with the rooster (and chickens, and exotic bird sales, etc.) lived last year. That intersection was tied up for a long time -- Berckman and East Second -- that evening, well over an hour. Lots of firemen, lots of police, very little fire. That, of course, is a good thing. This was Wednesday evening.

Oh my

I didn't know I'd have to go to school to be unemployed. I might as well keep my day job. I prefer independent study. Posted at the Union County Community College at Church and East Second Streets in Plainfield.

U-Haul learning

As long as my timing is good, I tend to read a truck a day as I cut through their parking lot heading to the train. Rather cool stuff. East Second Street, Plainfield.

Stop! Do not stop!

There was a big (and mysterious) power outage from late Sunday evening until at least past 6:30 Monday morning. I heard about it on my scanner before I went to bed on Sunday night. When I walked to the train station Monday morning, I saw East Second, East Third and even East Fourth Street by the police station were out. There was nothing about it in any of the news media or blogs and I didn't catch what caused it on my scanner the evening before. By the time I came home from work on Monday, this was the only reminder of the outage at the corner of Watchung Avenue and East Fourth Street by the police station.

Foggy morning in the 'hood

Monday morning in my NJ 'hood. Adding to the fog, this was the morning of the mysterious power outage. But that didn't affect my neighborhood; it started on the street in back of me.

I'm not sure it still works

But, had it have been a lighter weight flat screen, I would have taken it home to dry it out. It was a good 42" newer model "old school" television. It was in the parking lot of Target in Bridgewater. Had it been outside my apartment, I might have tried struggling with it.

Wet day

Landscaping rocks

This had been a decent, yet boring, shot of some landscaping rocks at a shopping center. Then I messed with it.

NOT "Mr. Creepy"

The man I dubbed "Mr. Creepy" in last week's post is still on the train this week. But now he does no more than say hello to me. Good. Meanwhile, this rather hunkish dude has been getting on at Bound Brook this past week. No, I won't become Miss Creepy.

Trusting, isn't she?

So, there I was, innocently riding the train to work. The woman who had been alone in the four-seater just got up, went down the stairs (double-decker train) and apparently went to the restroom. I don't know. I do know she walked away leaving her pocketbook and tote there. Although I've never talked to the woman, I've seen her on the train for a few years now. 

She came back mumbling to herself that it just isn't her day, mentioning leaving her phone at home. I piped up with, "And you left your pocketbook and everything when you left your seat." 

"Oh, I knew you were there and you wouldn't let anyone take it."

Really? She went on to say that she knew I was trustworthy from riding the train daily. My gosh, can't I even LOOK dangerous or sneaky? People tend to think they can just trust me! I could be an axe murderer! I could be an armored car robber!

But, yeah. She's right. Had anyone touched her bag, I would have stopped them. I guess that's my lot in life.


TAKE SOME TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES ...

The above shot and the following two were taken on East Front Street in Plainfield.

Weed or wildflower? Either way, it's definitely a miracle of nature. These are growing at the Bridgewater Train Station.

More East Front Street roses

Rhododendron, up close and personal

Berckman Street, Plainfield.

Bridgewater rose

These are growing at the Bridgewater Promenade shopping center.

East Third Street in Plainfield

Magical

Also growing on East Front Street in Plainfield.

Berckman Street rhododendren

Berckman Street iris

Rainy day azalea

And again

And even more

LET THERE BE CRITTERS ...

As long as it's not on ME

Very busy bees

The poison ivy berries have turned into itsy blossoms which are attracting swarms of these bees. They move so fast that it's hard to tell exactly what kind of bees they are. Definitely not honeybees, but they could be immature bumblebees or carpenter bees. Some have a bright orange patch on them which I believe might be a pollen sac. They won't sit still long enough for me to really see it, though.

Check out that leg!

This one has a big yellow pollen sac on its leg. These bee photos were taken at the Bridgewater Train Station.

Another clear-shell tortoise beetle

I still need less wind when I'm trying to take these shots, please! I will get a better shot. These are way cool beetles.

I call him Ringo

Hold onto your wigs and keys

This hawk was just playing in the wind as I waited for the train home one day. Of course, he was watching everything on the ground. But it looked like he was enjoying the ride, too.

Hey! I am NOT a "critter"!

No catnip involved in this shot. Vincent is as Vincent does ...