Off Topic: Plainfield NJ Fourth of July Parade

I've been absent from my off topic photography posts due to needing back surgery, having back surgery and now slow recovery from back surgery. I haven't been able to really get around much. However, the local parade goes right by my apartment building. Even so, I had to give up sitting in a hard folding chair after more than two hours and missed the end of the parade. (I certainly heard it, though!)

Here are some of the photos I took ...

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 9, 2017

Good afternoon! Since it's a SUNDAY, this is my weekly off television topic post taking a look at the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. This weekly post is done year in, year out -- usually in the morning hours. But I was lackadaisical this morning. Big Brother, the main draw for so many of you, only lasts about three months -- although sometimes it seems to be a lifetime. If you're here solely for the BB posts, please feel free to skip this post. You can find my latest BB19 posts by using this link.

I've been on a staycation this past week -- a much needed one. Of course, I wouldn't mind being on a permanent staycation called retirement. I'm still trying to figure out angles for achieving that. If nothing else, in two months I'll be able to take NJ Transit trains and buses for half-fare or less.

The big happening this week here was the annual Plainfield 4th of July Parade which goes right by my apartment building. Watching the parade reminded me how much Plainfield really does have to offer. There were many youth sports groups, the high school marching band, the robot from the robotics club, steppers, churches and various cultural organizations. It was a sea of diversity! Plainfield has indeed become a melting pot. Having so many folks so different from myself around me reminds me how much people are actually alike.

Speaking of which, I met a man in my apartment building elevator this morning. He told me he was visiting from Trinidad. No, not visiting the elevator ... visiting family in the building. Heck, my building itself probably has people for a dozen or more countries living here.

I really don't have a heck of a lot to say this week. Yes, I'm rested. But I could rest more! I'm including the photos I took of the parade this week in a Photobucket link. There are a ton of them -- the parade was almost four hours long! They may take a while to load if you have a slow connection.




The lilies are still in bloom

Finally ...

I've had my office chair for nearly 25 years and it's been in sad shape for about the last ten of those years. I ordered a new one from Amazon this week and put it together rather easily. It's not an expensive chair. It's not a fancy chair. But it does have good back support and arms that don't fall off.  Ignore the catnip mouse on the floor, as well as the catnip. Vincent is a kitty slob!

Day lilies came to life this week

Vincent and his new favorite chair

Yes, Vincent has claimed my new office chair as his own! I ended up putting a towel over it to fend off cat fur! When I'm not in it, he usually is. No, I'm not going to buy one for him.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 3, 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. If you're here for Big Brother news, everything I have for you can be found at this link. I'll be posting another live feeds report tonight as well as live-blogging the aired show. But this ain't that. This post is a year-round regular "feature" while Big Brother is a summer obsession. Or, something like that.

I'm finally on a staycation, my last one until September. From what I can see, a heat wave is due to be taking up a good half of my week. Grr. I'm not a summer person unless we're talking staying inside with air conditioning. That's what I'll probably do for a lot of the week. I have the BB live feeds, some other summer TV shows, a couple of new books to read and plenty of diversions.

My three and a half day work week this past week seemed to last a good ten days. I believe I'm actually pining for the day I can finally retire. Yeah, you heard me ... pining.

About the only good thing work-wise which happened this past week is that I received my catalog to choose my recognition award. Every five years of employment at the company gets to choose an award. Since I'm up there in years, I have some pretty decent choices. The last time (five years ago), I got a flat-screen LED television. This year, if I had a car, I'd be tempted by the cool kayak. If I had a lawn, I'd be tempted by a very nice charbroil gas grill or the smoker/grill/roaster one. There are a few cameras catching my attention, a larger HDTV set, a home entertainment system, a quality cookware set ... oh, decisions, decisions. Several watches and pieces of jewelry are in the catalog, but they're really not my thing.

Onto the photos I took this week:

Little green apples

I took trash out to the dumpster in the back of my apartment building's parking lot. I happened to notice a small half-eaten green apple on the ground. I looked up and saw the apple-eater with another one in his paws.

Flower of an hour

Thanks to Bernice, I now know what these beautiful flowers which are usually closed are! You can tell that they're a hibiscus type flower. These just sprouted up like weeds near the Bridgewater Train Station. After the jump, I have a photo of the plant itself.

My town (Plainfield, NJ) had its 93rd Annual 4th of July Parade yesterday.  If you want to check out the photos I took or the "story" below won't work for you, the actual slideshow on my Photobucket account can be found at this link. The link to the album is right here. It was great to see all the children from the city schools involved this year! While the Plainfield HS Marching Band is usually in attendance, the younger kids got involved with their Drama Club (do they still call it that?) doings.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 5, 2015

Good late Sunday afternoon to everyone! My apologies for not getting to this weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way earlier. But it's here now! If you're looking for Big Brother 17 content, you can find it right at this here link. I will be posting a blog party for the show at 8pm ET and another live feeds report late tonight. Trust me, not much is happening in the house today!

Most of the photos I have for you this week are from Plainfield's 92nd Annual 4th of July Parade. I'm lucky that I was off this year and it passes right in front of my apartment building. I just brought a folding chair, bottle of water and my camera down the elevator and had a front row uncrowded seat. I took a gazillion photos of the happenings -- more are on my Photobucket album for the parade at this link. I have more I want to upload there!

I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend!

Hillside Steppers

These girls were adorable and quite talented! The Hillside Steppers with these young'uns and a group a bit older, were new additions this year. We also had a senior steppers group -- The Silver Steppers -- come from East Orange.

I messed with the clown

Well, I messed with my photo of the clown. I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

Not a part of the parade

Maybe not in the parade, but I've been wanting to get a shot of this guy. I keep seeing him whizzing by on that thing all around town. It's motorized, not sure what they call it. It would probably kill my knees, but years ago I would have loved to own one!

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