Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 9, 2016

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, 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. This is a regular Sunday part of this blog in addition to the television posts. Right now I'm covering Big Brother: Over the Top daily -- you can find those posts at this link. I'm also live blogging Survivor episodes as they air on Wednesday evenings. Come join the blog parties!

But this ain't that. This is this.

Let's see ... where to start? Hmm.

Might as well start with the weather. That's as good a place as any. We had grey drizzly weather a lot again this week, but with a few gorgeous autumn days tossed in to remind us how nice it is to live in an area with four seasons. Yesterday was drizzly all day. I must not have seen the most recent forecasts as I could swear last I heard it was supposed to be nice today. Instead, it's raining fairly steady out there. Oh, no matter. Other than a run out to the bodega around the corner sometime today before dark (yeah, I'm like that), I don't have any plans to go anywhere. I'll just decompress most of the day.

I went to an awards luncheon for my workplace on Tuesday. A paid day off to go to a restaurant with good food, but way too many courses! Oh, I shouldn't complain. But it is like a seven-course lunch there. I'm more used to chowing down a sandwich at that hour! The awards were for longevity in the company. While there were two others with as many years listed for me (25), I was the person in the entire luncheon of over a 100 people in five-year increments with the company ... with the longest overall time served. I worked for the company for nine years, then quit. Then, after five years away, I returned to the company. So, I've actually been there 34 years, not 25. Oy. Talk about being in a rut! (And how old I really am ...!)

Not much else is happening here. Not only have I been in a rut for decades, but I lead a rather boring life of work and home as of late. So, onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open a larger version. I hope you all had a good week and that all have made it through Hurricane Matthew okay!

He will save your soul.

The Hispanic Soul-Savers were out and about at the train station. They're not to be confused with the Portable Religion folks -- the Hispanic ones just walk by me thinking I don't speak the language. The others approach me. I wish they wouldn't. It goes against something deep within me when others try to peddle their faith. If they get into my apartment building, I don't answer my door. Eventually, they go away.

Pigeon photo bomb

As one pigeon posed nicely for the camera, another decided to land right in back of him, thus stealing the glory of the shot. North Avenue, Plainfield.

A pretty flower always brings a smile.

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Good morning, glory!

The morning glories growing along the fence at the back of my apartment building are still blooming daily even though lots of the stuff growing on the fence has gone brown with the season.

Me! Me! Shoot me! I'm gorgeous!

... unlike that other dotty-headed gull you keep shooting! North Avenue, Plainfield.

Please get my best side.

Okay, gull. Done. Atop the Chotola Apartment building, North Avenue, Plainfield.

He's looking at me!

And probably thinking of launching the attack against those silly humans ... starting with ME! North Avenue, Plainfield.

Every five years I go here.

In the middle of nowhere, Oak Ridge, NJ. Usually the luncheon is a week or two later in the month and the foliage colors are in full swing. This year, it was mostly green. I looked for bear and deer around the restaurant and saw none.

Pretty in Pink (and Yellow).

I shot this flower outside of the restaurant where the awards luncheon was held.

Still looking good in Northern NJ

I'm sure there have been a few frosts up there. But these flowers are holding up well. The petunias were another matter entirely.

I see dead people.

The saga goes on. People need to stop sleeping near me on NJ Transit trains.

Don't call me Dots!

This starling looks almost embarrassed to be seen in his seasonal dotty coat! Or, perhaps angry because he knows I'm mocking him.

Let there be autumn mums!

Peeping Toms?

I don't think I'd like this going on outside my windows at 7:30am. They were up there at least two mornings in a row that I saw, either painting or repairing the exterior of the building. But, still ...! North Avenue, Plainfield.

Red mums coming in slowly.

The red mum buds planted near my workplace are blooming much more slowly than the yellow and orange. 

Snapple 59

I hate looking out the windows through the advertising sections -- it's all little dots obscuring your sight. But, the more advertising, hopefully the more improvements for NJ Transit. Of course, if the conductors actually checked all the tickets and charged all the surcharges ($5) for buying a ticket aboard the train, that too would help revenue. North Avenue, Plainfield.

Sad

This tree by the Friends (Quaker) Meeting House on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield usually goes a glorious deep red in autumn. This year, most of the leaves in the upper half of the tree just turned brown and dropped. There is a bit of brilliant red in the lower part, but that's not how it usually is. Wah.

The lone azalea

In the dozens and dozens of now gone over azalea bushes by the Bridgewater TD Bank Ball Park, a single blossom appeared this week over a dewed web. I don't know why. I don't know how.

Let's all go to Newark!

Um. No. Let's not. Although a trip to Washington Park in the daytime hours would probably be nice. It's very pretty there ... in the daytime. In the night, it's a death wish.

Maybe one day ...

... if I live long enough to retire and have Saturdays off like a normal human being, I might be able to visit lawn sales and farmers markets and such. So much of the world thinks that the whole world has weekends off. Increasingly so, that's not the case. It's never really been the case for me with the exception of one year back in the 80s and my school days. This was a lawn sale setting up at a church near my apartment yesterday as I headed off to work.

Who's that cat?

Why, it's VINCENT!