Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 29, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way.

However ... a brief mention of television before I start rambling about other stuff -- you might want to keep tuned here or on my Big Brother on Jackie's TV Blog Facebook page as I watch for news on the upcoming season of Big Brother 18! The season premiere is less than a month away!

We jumped from a very chilly spring into a pre-summer heat wave here in my part of New Jersey. That's just not fair at all. I wanted a real spring, not a winter/summer combination of a spring. Grr.

I actually have a three day holiday weekend for a change. Normally I work on Saturdays, but I had requested a vacation day so that I'll make this into a bit of a mini-vacation. I need it. Yesterday I went to nearby Scotch Plains to visit the farmers' market (which I always miss because I work practically every Saturday of my life), stop in at CVS and hit up Park Beverage for some alcohol-laden goodies. I don't care for the liquor stores in Plainfield, at least the downtown ones near me. They tend to have limited selections, high prices and attract panhandlers and ne'er-do-wells. I don't want or need alcohol enough to deal with that. Park Beverage is huge compared to them and has a great selection of microbrew/craft beers and all kinds of fancy stuff. So, when I'm in Scotch Plains, I tend to stop by there.

I got attacked by mosquitoes one humid night at the Bridgewater Train Station. Unfortunately, that allergy I developed to them about five years ago is still in full swing. Besides the huge swelling into red blisters that last about a month, I've been running a low-grade fever all week. (Thus the CVS stop.) Woe is me. How did I ever develop an actual allergy to mosquito bites?!?! At least now I'm geared up with repellent, anti-itch spray, Benadryl and Aveeno bath treatment.

Alas, the Benadryl makes me sleepy and I live my life perpetually exhausted to begin with. And, yeah. I'll end a sentence with a preposition if I want to. Call it literary license!

My upstairs neighbor has been quiet since my latest complaint. He seems to be gone for the weekend. Yay. I'm probably sticking around the apartment today. I was tempted to go into the city (Manhattan) for some Fleet Week stuff. But it's supposed to be another hot and sticky kind of day. I'd rather stay in my air conditioning!

I finally broke down and bought the book The Girl on the Train. Folks recommending it were right. It's mesmerizing. I should finish it today.

If the weather holds up tomorrow, I might go to the Memorial Day service in downtown Plainfield. There are also pretty flowers around City Hall I've been meaning to photograph. However, the weather prediction sounds very stormy. If it's bad, I'll just stay in again. I certainly have enough diversions and things to do at home.

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

Vietnam War Memorial

I guess it's been a while since I actually went by the front of the Scotch Plains Municipal Building. They now have a very impressive memorial to those who served in Vietnam just out front of the building. I found this very touching to encounter on this three-day Memorial Day weekend. 

Memorial Day

This is another shot I took of that Vietnam War Memorial in Scotch Plains, this time from the side. I played with editing on this one. I'm pleased with the results.

Clover blossoms

I saw these growing by a tree and felt the need to shoot them.

After the rain

Pansies in a planter.

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I don't know what they are

But they're definitely busy little blossoms growing at the Bridgewater Train Station!

Bunny in the grass

This young rabbit made good photo fodder in Bridgewater by the train station there.

There he is!

And dogs drool

I spotted this on a car parked in Bridgewater and decided I must like the people who own it. I had to Google HHS Theatre. It's Hillsborough High School Theatre. Cool. My high school didn't have a fancy name for its theater. We were just the Drama Club.

I have a new couch.

Okay, I don't have a new couch. This was by the mailboxes on the first floor of my apartment building along with assorted other kids' toys. But gee ... there's supposed to be no loitering (or playing which is loitering) in the common areas of the building. I just can't understand parents who think it's okay to let their children run wild in the corridors of the building. The same kids seem to have no bedtimes or parental supervision at all. While it's technically a secure building -- the three entrances are locked and you either have to have keys or get buzzed in via intercom -- if a stranger buzzes enough apartments, some idiot will let them in. I take better care of my cat Vincent than some people take of their children. Oh. I should have thought of that! VINCENT would have loved this couch -- it's his size!

Soaking up the rain and the sun

I see you, squirrel!

At the Bridgewater Train Station.

Y'know, there are bike racks!

This bike has been locked up by the Bridgewater Train Station for most of this past week. By the way, check out that haze ... it's like a summer day out there. Wah. Why didn't we have SPRING?

I want some babka!

The Scotch Plains Farmers' Market has baked goods, all kinds of local produce (NJ Fresh!), flowers and plants, pickles, wine, kielbasa on a stick and even dog biscuits. Vincent wants to contact an attorney as they have no equal representation for cats. 

Lots of goodies!

The crowds weren't really there for my visit yesterday. I would guess that the holiday weekend may have had something to do with that. It's certainly been hot and crowded on a few of the other farmers markets trips I've made. 

It's the simple things in life ...

... like pretty little flowers in planters in Scotch Plains, NJ. 

Spotting the trainspotters

Through the train window as I commuted to work. While they're called trainspotters in Europe and even in a movie, here they're railfans. Sometimes the crowd of railfans with their cameras and video equipment gets to 20 or more, always all guys. They gather at the NJ Transit Bound Brook Station as on one side, there's NJ Transit commuter trains and on the other side, big freight trains go by. They're more interested in the freight trains than they are in the commuter trains. I'm more interested in the commuter trains. I don't want to try to hop a freight train to work!

The rose

I saw this beautiful rose growing by the Municipal Building in Scotch Plains. I will have it frozen in time forever now. Too bad it's not scratch and sniff here.

Ohh ... have the game in the heat

These signs were for a game Thursday at 11:05. That's a bit odd. Most games are at 7:05pm. Plus, school is still in session around here. They have classes into June for most grade schools. It was hot that day and that time had to have them playing in the hottest part of the day. Oy. The ball player you see on the background is just decoration for a signal box or something for the traffic lights. The Somerset Patriots usurp everything around the ball park! Bridgewater, NJ

Unicycle in motion

I'm sorry about the quality of this photo. But this guy was bookin' on by me at a rather high rate of speed. I just had time to get the camera out and take a shot. I've never tried to ride a unicycle. Probably in my younger years I would have been good at it -- I was good at balance sports like skating, skiing, skateboarding and such. But no way would I try it these days! Bridgewater, NJ

Hey, ant ... move along!

Here I am trying to photograph these beautiful white blossoms which bloomed practically overnight and a huge nasty-looking carpenter ant has to get in the picture! Berckman Street, Plainfield.

This one is sans ant

I swear that ant got on there just so he could have his photo on the Internet!

I will raise my head, but that's it.

Vincent! Open your eyes! Smile! Sheesh. You're such a cat!