Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 20, 2013

Good morning! It's Sunday morning, yep. You know what that means. It's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Later tonight we'll have The Amazing Race blog party. I do hope to see you there!

I do have a few television related things I'd like to bring up before I get into the week. Odd, but both have to do with commercials --

First, I see the YouTube "Kid President" is now on the Meineke commercials. Very nice. Not only is his upbeat attitude infectious, but he has some serious health issues -- he has a brittle bone disease and has suffered over 70 broken bones so far in his life. It's good when good things happen to someone who's had their share of bad.

Second, as I was watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine (one of the only new sitcoms I haven taken to so far this year), I was wondering if there would be an Allstate "Mayhem" commercial as Dean Winters was the guest. Yup, there was!

Okay, enough television for the off television topic post!

My week started last Sunday morning -- yes, it always does, but this was different! Workmen showed up to rip out my old original (about 50 years old) windows and replace them. What an ordeal that was! They were supposed to have been here the day before, but switched to Sunday. That's good in a way as I was home on Sunday, not Saturday. The project lasted from about 9am until 1pm, partially because the contractors were doing another apartment at the same time. I wouldn't want them in here when I wasn't home and the super (whom I trust) can't be everywhere at once. Poor Vincent was trapped in the bathroom for all that time. There's a window in there, but it only leads out to the ventilation chute. That one wasn't replaced.

The landlord who bought this building about a year and a half ago has really made many improvements. New attractive glass entrance doors on the side and front. Railings for the steps at the door in the rear as well as a raised platform for the exit -- rain water used to puddle right in front of the door. New washers and dryers in the laundry room. Brighter lighting in the stairways and halls. IF the elevator goes wonky, it's fixed within a day.  They also installed a new emergency phone in there -- one I'm less likely to accidentally set off while toting packages or bags. Heck, they even fixed the light on the first floor button in the elevator. I can't recall that working in the past ten years. This landlord is the first (out of four since I've lived here) who has actually stopped ALL the leaks from the apartment above me! And, they only raised my rent $5 this year.

All that said, I do wish they'd watch how many people, including children, live in the apartments. I don't see how, when the building is only studio, one bedroom and two bedroom units, people can have five kids in an apartment ... often with two adults! There's a sticker from 1983 inside one of my kitchen cabinets saying my unit passed inspection and maximum occupancy is two tenants. Mine is a one bedroom. I guess that's all changed, huh?

In other news, I had good news this past week on the personal front. At least, good prospective news. I'll go more into things when (and if) they come to fruition. One has to do with blogging, the other with photography. Ah, two of my passions! 

The weather this past week wasn't as dreary as the last few. What rain we had confined itself to the overnight hours. As it should, of course! So, I got in some decent photos. This week it's supposed to be about ten degrees cooler on the average. That's okay with me. I have new less drafty windows!

Red leaves in the sun

Although the leaves are growing more sparse, the color is glorious at this tree outside the Friends Meeting House (Quakers) on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield.

Late season bee

This one's working the spotted knapwood at the Bridgewater Train Station.

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

Windowless kitchen!

Note my old style chrome exhaust fan. When I moved in here, it felt like The Honeymooners or something like that! That's his mallet on my counter. I don't own a mallet. They made a mess.

Windowless

My living room windows (or lack thereof). Note he's not wearing gloves dealing with glass. Yes, he managed to cut his hand.

No window to the fire escape!

Now, THAT is accessible to the emergency exit! These were my bedroom windows removed. Hmm ... where did I store that Hibachi? (Of course, they did put new windows in.)

In with the new

While I know these will be less drafty in the winter and the screens are in much better shape for the nice weather, I lost about four inches of windowsill space. My windowsills had been much wider. Vincent is not thrilled. I also lost window space itself due to the big center divider and the fact they're inset more. I'm not so keen on it all being plastic instead of wood, but I guess that's the way of the world these days. Looking around, I see most of the replacement windows in local buildings are of the same ilk with the two little plastic locks.

Yikes!

This HUGE television was abandoned near the dumpsters for my apartment building. It's HUGE! I believe it's about a 60-inch. While it has a flat screen, it's most certainly not a flat screen -- it's very bulky. I wouldn't even want to take a guess at what it weighs! I know the sizes of the rooms in these apartments and there's no need to have something this HUGE. This is ridiculous. The screen is intact and it looks like someone has might have tried breaking into the back of it to scarf up wiring or whatever it is they steal out of old school abandoned TV sets. Did I mention that it's HUGE?

As I get this written up, a smaller old school TV has joined it. I didn't realize it was pregnant! There's also a loveseat out there. I don't know if this stuff is coming from the apartment building or strangers. But I do know the regular garbage guys aren't going to take them away.

Another last minute bee

Working on the clover at the Bridgewater Train Station.

Ready for fall foliage?

Friends Meeting House color

Watchung Avenue, Plainfield. Taken from North Avenue by the Plainfield Train Station.

Richmond Towers gets color

East Front Street, Plainfield.

Reds and greens

Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

The Y is for Yellow

East Front Street, Plainfield.

Berckman Street shows its colors

Plainfield, NJ

Color on the fence

The leaves of various bushes and trees have their own agenda for autumn. Bridgewater Train Station.

Golden leaves

That's golden leaves in the dark without a flash! There was a streetlight nearby. Early one morning on East Front Street, Plainfield.

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Just a flowering weed

Something we won't see for much longer. Bridgewater Train Station

Cleome in the dark

Thanks to an anonymous comment last week, I now know this is cleome. This is how dark it is as I walk to the train station on my early workdays. Obviously, I used a flash. East Front Street, Plainfield.

This makes me smile

Decorated every holiday season, flowers the rest of the time. Corner of Richmond and East Front, Plainfield.

They don't use the front door

Well, at least not to come and go. There's a garage and driveway at the back of the house. They seem to come and go from there. East Front and Richmond, Plainfield.

Bizarre "flower"

I have absolutely no clue what this fuzzy flower-like plant is. East Second Street, Plainfield.

NJ Transit

On my early workdays (every day but Saturday!), the sun hasn't risen yet when I arrive at the Bridgewater Train Station.

Snail!

This might be the last one I see this season. It's very odd that I saw so many this year when I hadn't seen not a one for nearly twenty years here in New Jersey. Bridgewater Train Station.

Hanging in there snail

It's got FINS!

I spotted this way nifty car on Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Peapod truck

I'm not the only one in town getting groceries delivered! My delivery is probably a lot easier for the driver as I doubt there's an elevator in that building. The only apartments on that block are second story and higher in older buildings. My building might be an older building itself (about 50 years old), but it's big.

With about 40 apartments, three floors plus a laundry room in the basement, we have an elevator. And, said elevator has been working steady under the new landlords. When Peapod delivers my groceries, they can just wheel a little flatbed hand-truck thingee with totes up the ramp and into the elevator. Easy-peasy! As you can possibly tell, the trucks are not refrigerated -- they pack the cold foods in dry ice in totes. I took this shot on Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

I guess it's too late to tell him ...

... he's resting in poison ivy. Bridgewater Train Station

No, Vincent ...

Just because you jumped into your carrier as I got ready for work, it does NOT mean I'm taking you to work! You need to stay home and guard the apartment, please.