I returned to work this week, kind of sort of. I ended up missing the end of the week due to severe adverse reactions to the medication prescribed for me, almost ending up in the hospital. I'm now off the medication, still having headaches, but at least feeling better than I did.
Let's see ... this week we had a blizzard Storm of the Century that wasn't. All told, we ended up with about five inches of snow. I had left work early on Monday as they were talking about shutting NJ Transit down and it had started snowing and getting slick. After all, they were predicting the end of the world as we know it! Didn't happen, though.
I arrived at the Plainfield Train Station just in time to witness the ticket agent kicking out all the homeless and street bums so she could close the station. Now, I tend to use the machines to buy my train passes, so I never really go in there. The few times I've been inside have been way early in the morning -- it's only open from about 5am to 1:30pm or so.
It was cold and blowing snow rather heavily when I arrived (despite the fact it petered out overnight). There had to be 35-40 people she had to get to leave the warmth of the station! Yikes! Some, like Omar, were regulars I've seen before. Many I've never seen. I'd say a good percentage are homeless folks. But others probably have someplace to stay, yet would rather hang out with the drink and drug crowd. I felt sorry for the woman trying to get them all out so she could go home. I'm sure many headed to the library from there. Most of the shelters only do nights. Sigh.
Supposedly we're to have another winter storm tonight overnight into tomorrow. They've changed our Winter Storm Watch into a Winter Storm Warning here in Plainfield. But, after last week, I'll believe it when I see it. I am very irked that the winter snow held off until I returned to work!
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| The Cool Cat Snowman of East Front Street |
He's got his shades. He's got his cap and scarf. He doesn't seem to have arms, but I'm thinking they must be in his pockets.
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| The "blizzard" starting on Berckman Street |
I left work a few hours early on Monday because the snow had started and things were getting slick. As I walked up Berckman Street towards my place, the wind was whipping ice pellet-ish snow into my face. Little did I know this would be the blizzard that wasn't.
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| The day after the "blizzard" |
Yep, what a blizzard! Notice my walk where I'm standing is cleared properly. The walk next door is cleared about 8" across. They did that all last winter throughout the season, thus making their section of the sidewalk the most treacherous on the entire block. Shame on them.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
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| Here comes the train! |
Look! It's one with the new-fangled combination diesel/electric locomotive that can go from diesel to electric and back again! My train line, Raritan Valley, is diesel. Until fairly recently, if I wanted to take the train into New York City, I had to transfer trains at Newark Penn Station. They don't allow diesel trains in the tunnels going into Manhattan. Now, on limited trips, we have the new locomotives and it's a one-seat ride into the city.
It will be nice once the warmer weather comes and I'm tempted to just ride in after work. Otherwise, I tend to take the bus into and out of the city -- that stops pretty much right at my apartment and it's also a one-seat ride! I have to walk about six blocks to the train. But, if I wanted to go for dinner or something after work, I could just stay on my train from work and then take the bus home!
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| Berries and snow again |
My workplace has the berries thing going on again this year. Last year, the foolish robins which arrived in January might have starved if not for the berries. It was a horrid winter and it lasted forever. So far this year, the snow cover just arrived in the last week or so.
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| Snow out the window |
What a blizzard! Not.
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| My new couch! Used, but new! |
My neighbor Carlos moved and gave me this way cool shelter sofa! It's in fantastic shape and comfy, too! The three larger pillows actually go across the back; the two more narrow ones by the arms. If I were a small child, I could build a fort! I've needed a new sofa for a long time now. I have a futon sofa that has the angle of an Adirondack chair when sitting. I have trouble getting up and down from something that low. Then it broke so that it likes to lay down. It's a better bed than a couch! But, this ... this is a couch! Or sofa. I'm not sure the distinction between the two. And, the price is most certainly right!
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| Vincent loves HIS new couch! |
Yep, it's obviously his. It's nice that he is so benevolent as to share it with me.
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| May I sit on your couch, Vincent? |
3 comments:
Love the pics, as usual :-)
You got a great deal on the sofa, Jackie.
Survivor coming up, whohoooo!
So nice to see your Sunday post back again, Jackie.
So sorry about the medication reaction. This whole thing is becoming scary.
Let's see - we have sofa, couch, settee, divan, chesterfield, davenport.... I tend to think of a couch as heavy and overstuffed, a sofa as three-cushioned, and a settee as two-cushioned (slightly larger than a loveseat) with lots of wood trim. What you call it is likely to be most influenced by what your family called it. Whatever you call it, it looks pretty and comfortable!
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