Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - February 21, 2016

Good morning! It's Sunday morning. You know what that means. It means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're a fan of the shows -- please stop by on Wednesday and Friday evenings for coverage of Survivor and The Amazing Race! I hope to see you at the blog parties!

Oh my gosh, this week's weather has run the gamut here in New Jersey. We had record low temperatures to start the week, snow, ice, torrential rain, heavy winds, thunderstorms and temperatures nearing record highs by Saturday. There was even a small earthquake but that wasn't felt in this area. That's okay. I've felt earthquakes before. I don't really need more experience at it.

I didn't really have an exciting week photo-wise. In the beginning of the week, the cold kept killing my camera's battery and/or it was too cold to really take photos. Some of the time, it was rainy or icy. I look forward to spring with bugs and flowers for me to shoot!

Life goes on here in the apartment building. One day I got home from work and the elevator wasn't working. It still wasn't working when I left early the next morning. But it was working when I got home from work that day. Since this landlord took over, the elevator has been rapidly repaired any time it has decided to stop. I recall going months at time without it before. And, since we have some elderly and disabled folks on upper floors living here because it's an elevator building, we can't really go without it for long even though we're far from a skyscraper!

Kids playing in the hallway managed to spill sparkly green glitter on the forest green carpet. I've been fighting sparkly green glitter for days now. My vacuum doesn't get it all off my red welcome mat outside my door! Nor did the maintenance staff get it all out of the hallway carpet with their equipment. I ask again ... why are there so many children and adults in that one-bedroom apartment in my corridor?

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger version.

Did you see the moon last night?

It's almost full. The actual full moon will take place on Monday night. This full moon is called the Snow Moon. I'd rather some other name, please ... like the SPRING Moon!

Plotting

Since they're not birds of a feather flocking together, their nefarious plan is obvious. They're plotting to overthrow humans and take over the world. Atop the Chotola Apartment Building on North Avenue in Plainfield.

One cool ride!

You'd think they'd at least cover the seat! I wouldn't want to ride that home in the ice and snow. Parked at the Bridgewater Train Station.

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

Ice, ice, baby

Working very late on Monday night, I had very treacherous conditions coming home. I took this shot at the Bridgewater Train Station. The Plainfield one was even worse. I wasn't expecting the ice. They had claimed snow would turn to rain long before I was to head home. They lied. Snow turned to ice. It was still bad on the sidewalks on Tuesday morning.

So sad

With heavy rains this week, despite being so solidly frozen, the Bridgewater Snowman met his demise. This shot was taken on Tuesday as he struggled to keep his head. The photos from yesterday are too horrific, sad and graphic for me to post -- a mere foot-high lump of dirty snow. Yes, that's the Big Apple Circus big top in the background. They're here for a month.

Most likely stolen and abandoned

Over the years I've seen many perfectly good bicycles abandoned at the Bridgewater Train Station. It's my belief that a lot of them were stolen to get to the train station and hop on a train. I don't see bikes abandoned in Plainfield at the station. They'd probably be picked up not long after being set down. This one was gone by the next morning. Some sit for days in Bridgewater. I've been tempted, but stealing an already stolen bike goes against my scruples.

It's not done YET?!?!

For all the talk about how the bridges will be dropped in in one day, NJ Transit bridge replacement on either side of the Plainfield Train Station has impeded traffic flow on Park Avenue or Watching Avenue (rotating between the two) for nearly a year. And, the one day dropping the bridges in was more like three days.

Whazzat?

Yesterday morning at the Plainfield Train Station, the trash receptacles on North Avenue were lined with clothing on hangers. The clothes weren't new. However, they were wrinkle-free and clean with little wear. It was like a Goodwill donation to the streets. We don't have a place like Goodwill in town although I guess donations can be made at the Salvation Army. I don't know the story behind them. I'm thinking someone might have passed and family knew the clothes might do some people some good. Or, perhaps someone is relocating and cutting down on possessions. By the time I got out of work hours later, they were all gone.

Free! Help yourself!

Judging from the many empty hangers, people did!

Can o' shoes

The free wardrobe included a full trash can of shoes. They appeared more worn than the clothes.

The saga continues ...

I see dead people on the Raritan Valley Line of NJ Transit. This is how hair gunk gets all over the windows. Blech.

Yeah, snow is so pretty.

The mountains of snow in parking lots and areas they've dumped it have turned black from plain old dirt and pollution. While much of the ground cover snow has gone away, these still remain all over the place. It's going to take many warm days and rain to get them gone. 

Gull in charge

A seagull perched atop the Chotola Apartment Building on North Avenue long enough for me to shoot him. Shoot with my camera, of course. While some of them are sizable, I've never heard of anyone eating seagulls. They're kind of a scavenger bird that will eat just about anything. I wouldn't want to know what's in their bodies. I love to watch them on windy days -- you'd swear they're up there just having fun gliding on the wind currents!

He needs to stop pulling at his hair

This man and his friend were sitting on a bench on North Avenue. I took the opportunity to experiment with some photo editing. 

Anything happening that way?

What's going on over there?

Here comes my limo

Mike looks as happy as I feel heading for a day of work. He works for NJ Transit up in the rail yard. Some days I think I'd rather go play with trains than to my own job. Perhaps he'd rather go to my job than his own. They say the grass is always greener on the other side. When you commute by train, you make train friends over the years. I've known Mike for ten years. But don't ask me his last name.

Too cold for the homeless

As temperatures hit record lows, even the hardcore homeless packed it up and went somewhere for shelter. I know this baby carriage of life's belongings is usually with a guy who hangs out at the train station. He sets up camp in a doorway on Depot Park near the station. When I saw it parked in a "safe place" at the station and the man not in sight, I hoped he was in somewhere warm for the night. There's nothing of value to most of us in the tied bags -- newspapers, cans, odd gloves and scarves. But, to him, it's important. I've watched him sort the stuff, tying it all shut in separate bags with precision. I saw him in the Depot Park doorway the next day, so he's okay. 

Hopeless catnip addiction

I know. I know. I'm a catnip enabler for Vincent. Maybe there's a 12 Step Program for the both of us.