Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 20, 2015

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way; This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. That is, if they actually do anything worth reporting! Stay tuned.

I was on a staycation from work this week. I had a slew of things I planned to get done. Alas, only some of the things on my list were finished. But I also needed to relax and I did get a lot of that done!

Here are some random bits from the week:

• I went to the Feast of San Gennaro in Littly Italy (NYC) where I took many photos, ate some (expensive) fried chocolate ice cream, stopped for an espresso and chocolate dessert, ate fried calamari and drank a $7 beer ($8 with tip). 
• I don't go to the city often enough.
• I'll have to go back soon. I still have money on my MetroCard. So, I need to go back before I misplace it.
• I also visited Mindowaskin Park in Westfield, taking photos.
• Despite getting a Peapod grocery order this week, I ended up picking up some things at Trader Joe's anyway.
• I bought alcohol this past week, first time in a while. I'm not a huge drinker kind of person. I bought craft beers, some of those little bottles of interesting flavored liqueurs and a bottle of strawberry vodka.
• Now I can predict I won't be by a liquor store again for months to come!
• I went to a Farmer's Market.
• The weather this week was beautiful, albeit a bit warmer than I like for this time of year. It's drizzling as I write this, but the week was free of rain until today.
• Coming back from the city on the bus Monday, I ended up with an old friend who takes the bus for work. His first words to me ... "I hear you had some excitement at your building." -- referring to the gunshots a week or two ago.
• My neighborhood is back to its quiet self.
• On Thursday I saw big hubbub (and took photos, after the jump) of a huge investigation into the fire scene on East Second Street. There were state fire marshals (with dog), county fire investigators and Plainfield Fire Department people there. I don't know if someone rekindled the fire or whether it was just some delayed reaction investigation.
• Google has finally updated its Plainfield street view map. Despite the fact I photographed a Google truck a few years back, the map is now really recent -- August 2015. It has the East Second Street construction going on and the two fire houses intact ... shortly before the fire.
• About time they updated us. Plainfield 2007 is way different from Plainfield 2015!

Onto the photos for the week. There's a whole bunch of them. If you click on an image it will open a larger version.

Eek! There's a large man there!

Now, I've arrived in the city numerous times via NJ Transit bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. I've taken photos of these buildings before. But I've never noticed the giant Peeping Tom dude! He has to be new. I didn't notice him this time until I was going through the photos I took.

Turn around, dragonfly!

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna ...

Krishna, Krishna, Rama, Rama. I have my personal doubts about this gentleman's whole gimmick. He approached me and I just shook my head no to him. He tried to give me something. I'm sure, had I taken it, he would hit me up for money next.

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

Active driveway

Sometimes the signs are in English. Sometimes the signs are in Mandarin. I would guess that sometimes the signs are in Cantonese. But I can't tell the difference between Cantonese and Mandarin. However, I can tell that this driveway isn't particularly active in any language.

Avocad'oh!

Pop a balloon, win a prize

No longer sad cafes on Bleecker Street

Subway dreams

Wanna buy a live eel?

Chinatown markets fascinate me

But I'm always leery about whether they follow health regulations.

Chinese dudes selling Italian shirts

It's all in the shades

I'll call him Hek Tad

Mayor de Blasio says homelessness is down

Down on the sidewalks, down in the gutters. This is broad daylight outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal. For many years, they were at least upright.

I saw a King

I want Downtown, please.

I really loved these!

Yet another Chinatown market

You don't have to be Italian for San Gennaro

Poor Peapod driver!

The same drivers who deliver my groceries here have told me terror tales of being assigned in Manhattan. The Jersey City distribution center covers both areas and assignments are random from what I can tell. I hope the driver didn't get too many complaints about being late while trying to fight closed streets and non-moving traffic in Little Italy during the Feast of San Gennaro!

Yeah, buddy, you're in my photo

Fattening stuff!

Lockets and timepieces

The Original Vincent's

There's only one original Vincent the Cat. While I got him in Manhattan, I didn't realize he owned a restaurant.

Dirt and gritty outside the city

I took this shot from the bus window. Not all of New Jersey looks like this!

Welcome to Little Italy

Imbibing

You can buy beer, wine and mixed drinks at the feast. But they frown upon you walking around drinking them. You need to be corralled in.

Oops!

Back to New Jersey. I went to go take photos in the park and witnessed a car accident. A whole line of creeping along almost stopped cars and this car whammed right into the back of an SUV. No one was hurt. I called 911 and told the girl driving the car to turn it off as it was smoking. It wasn't like it was going to start anyway! The police asked me if I saw her on a cell phone. No, I didn't. I really didn't notice her until impact and the hood went right up. I can say it was inattention anyway. The SUV driver was glad that I stayed around to say she was just going slow in a line of slow traffic.

Little bees were buzzing about

Primping

Some ducks say hello

Purple fuzz flowers

Frayed wings

It's just about the end for this Blue Dasher dragonfly.

Cool red dragonfly

I saw several of these at the park and I've never seen the bright red ones there before. I want to say it's an Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly, but it almost seems to be too red for that.

Here it is in its full glory

Reflections

There was a woodpecker

Fun little guy to photograph!

Gulp. He sees me!

Ohh, a fire-sniffing dog!

I'm not sure why the Union County, State Fire Marshal and Plainfield Fire Department had East Second Street shut down on Thursday. The fire was about three weeks ago! They even had the dog sniffing at stuff.

Taking photos from up high

Vincent resting up

Three people I know lost their beloved pets this week. Pet are more than just an animal in the house -- they're members of the family, trusted companions and offer unconditional love. Rest in peace Morris, Abby and Maddie.