Off Topic: That Was the Year It Was - 2017

It's not only a Sunday, but it's the last day (Sunday or otherwise) of the year. This is my last off television topic photo post of the year. Television fans should make note that The Amazing Race season premiere will air this coming Wednesday, January 3, at 8pm ET/PT. I will be posting about the cast before the premiere and, of course, live blogging the show and hosting the blog party as it airs.

So ... to the off television topic stuff. Between really feeling horrible and the bitter cold this past week, I don't think I took any photos at all. That's a first in years. What I did do for this week's post is go through photos I've taken during 2017 and pick out my personal favorites, one for each month. Then I threw random photos I took of Vincent the Cat just because he's such a big part of my life.

To be honest, I won't be sorry to see 2017 go away. Between the political landscape disharmony, my increasing dissatisfaction with my workplace, declining health and more ... it's not been a good year for me. For years I had planned to retire this year. Health insurance costs, not a benefit for retirees in my company, have made that impossible. Maybe in 2018 I'll have some way to get out of the rat race. 

I even had more problems on the blog this year than in the past. I was about ready to throw the towel in on it with the Big Brother blogging this past summer. I find it ridiculous that people get so hung up on the show that they feel the need to turn their vitriol on "fans" of cast members they don't like. Sheesh. Not only was there controversy, but BB used to be my summer cash cow. I once got paid good freelancing money to cover the shows and live feeds. Neither the ads revenue nor the donations make the work I put into it worth the headaches I had this past year with it.

I am grateful for the friends I have, the roof over my head, enough money to live on without worrying that there will be more bills left than month to pay them in. I've certainly gone through worse financial years in my life. I've also gone through worse personal loss times in my life -- flashing back on decades (scores) of years ago when I lost my parents five months apart. So, it hasn't been a good year for me ... but, in many ways, it hasn't been the worst year of my life, either.

I hope 2018 is a better year for everyone!

January

My train home arrives in Bridgewater as the snow comes down. I must have left early that day because it was still daylight! I probably headed out early due to the snow.

February

Historic train wheels captured in a sculpture at the Somerville Train Station.

March

After snow cover went and before new snow cover arrived, this is a shot of the main building at the Plainfield Train Station.

April

A hawk on the stadium lights at the TD Bank Ball Park in Bridgewater. He seemed to be watching the game.

May

The coolest looking potato beetle (or false potato beetle, not sure which) posed for me at the Bridgewater Train Station.

June

Making eye to eyes contact with a starling.

July

I took so many photos of the Plainfield 4th of July Parade that it was hard to pick just one. So, I picked none. Instead, I went for this photo I took of one of the painted utility boxes in Plainfield. This one is at the corner of Watchung Avenue and East 4th Street.

August

Gull on a lamp post on North Avenue in Plainfield.

September

The marigolds in planters at my workplace were fun and colorful to photograph.

October

Yep, like birds, the trains and train stations are repeating photo fodder for me. This was taken as the sun was setting at the Bridgewater Train Station.

November

What year would be complete without a moon shot from me? This one is the Full Beaver Moon.

December

The great escape from the rat (pigeon) race. I envy that bird.

And then there's Vincent ...
He isn't always sleeping, mind you. But it's easiest to photograph him when he is! 

Off Topic: That Was the Week(s) It Was - December 24, 2017

An oldie, but a goodie

I'm not sure where the Santa suit is these days. Vincent probably destroyed it!

Another oldie, but goodie. This was created some years back for the blog by Zoetawny. I miss her! Not quite the best photo of Vincent, though.

I apologize for my absence the past few weeks with the exception of covering Survivor. I've had a mix of bad health issues, overwork and severe stress on my job, a lost camera memory card and, to be honest, the holidays in general aren't a good time of the year for me. They were great when I was a child and I do have precious memories of those days. 

Tomorrow I'll cook the small ham I bought on sale, make some side dishes and bake the Mrs. Smith's apple pie to round out my feast. Vincent and I will be alone for the day. That's been the story of my big holiday doings for most of my life. Well, not always with Vincent, but with a cat or two. Oh, well. It could be worse. I could have to work. I've had to do that some Christmas days in the past.

I hope those of you with families and loved ones have a good Christmas -- but try not to overeat!

The majority of the photos this week were taken with my cell phone camera. Although I have a different memory card in my camera, I just didn't see much in the way of photos to take this past week.

Brightly lighted these days

The white lighting at the Plainfield Train Station does seem to cut down on the vagrants hanging out at night. Yet, they're still there in the daytime.

Crescent moon

My camera picks up detail not noticed by the naked eye. You can actually see the whole moon, even a touch of detail with the markings.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - December 3, 2017

Good early afternoon! Yeah, I'm getting this up a little late this week. Since it's a Sunday, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! You can find my Survivor posts at this link.

Nothing really exciting went on this past week. One interesting thing ... maybe. I think my upstairs neighbor with the booming loud stereo may have moved out. He was extremely loud for about a week and a half leading into Thanksgiving. Then I heard no more from him since the Wednesday before Thanksgiving night. No stereo. No footsteps. In the daytime on my day off this week, I heard someone enter the apartment, walk through each room, then leave. Sometime yesterday while I was at work, a ton of furniture was dumped by the dumpsters along with several contractor type bags of trash. It might not be related, but ...! This morning when I took my own trash out to the dumpster, I noticed his air conditioner was gone, as were his two over the air digital antennas for TV that were always in his living room and bedroom windows. Hmm. The shades are all drawn. 

I know his lease renews/expires in the beginning of December. When he first moved in, he showed his lack of consideration by vacuuming (for the first time) at 3:30am on Christmas morning. Since he's lived there, he might have vacuumed a half-dozen times. While my apartment is hardwood floors, there's wall to wall carpeting up there. If he's indeed out, they'll probably have to replace the carpet. I'm sure to have to endure daytime noise of work crews up there fixing the place up. But at least they won't have booming stereos vibrating my ceiling, walls and floors at any hour day or night.

I just hope the landlord decides to follow their own rule that no more than two people are allowed to live in a one-bedroom apartment. I've had toddlers up there before and the noise of them running is ridiculous. This landlord has decided to advertise vacancies as "luxury apartments" when they're not. Then they go ahead and let couples with two kids into a one-bedroom! I'm hoping they'll be a bit picky as they know I've filed numerous noise complaints about the guy (who's hopefully out). Maybe they'll rent to a single retired person! That would be perfect.

If wishes were horses ...

Anyway, onto this week's photos ... 

It's a bird's world

A seagull poses on a lamppost as one flies overhead. North Avenue and Gavett Place in Plainfield.

Pedro's latest

Pedro Baez, commissioned by Plainfield to paint some of the utility boxes, has added some color to the corner of Watchung and East Second. That's the Main Post Office in the background. 

The eye has it

I edited this shot to leave only the orange eye of the pigeon in color.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 26, 2017

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and a great holiday weekend (if you had one of those)! I'm thankful for all of the loyal blog readers out there -- many have also become my friends, too -- who have followed this blog year in, year out ... even when Big Brother isn't in season! Safe travels to all heading home this evening.

Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! You can find my Survivor posts at this link.

I actually had two days off from work in a row this week -- a rarity in my life. True to form as of late, I spent a lot of time napping on the first day off. The days off in a row were Wednesday and Thursday. My third day off during the holiday week was the Sunday leading into the week. 

While the two days in a row off were nice, it's not enough time to even travel up to my nearest relative in upstate New York for the holiday. I had to be to work Friday morning (and Saturday, too). So, it was a solitary, with the exception of Vincent the Cat, holiday for me. I'm used to it. I often do get invitations to join in at local friends. But I feel it's uncomfortable to intrude on family gatherings when I'm not family. I don't like eating with a crowd of strangers where I might only know one or two people. I prefer to be alone rather than to do that.

On Thanksgiving, I made myself a little feast -- turkey breast, sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, asparagus and a Mrs. Smith's apple pie for dessert. Heck, the rest of the stuff was more work than I usually do, no way would I throw in a homemade pie! I had/have enough leftovers to last me through the weekend so I didn't/don't have to cook for four days after my big kitchen doings. I spent a good part of the day binge-watching The Sopranos on Amazon Prime. After all, that's a family-related show, right? Right? Heh. It's even a New Jersey family! But, I'll admit I don't know anyone in the mob in NJ. I did know some in both New York and Connecticut. But I'm not part of those families, mind you.

What else? Oh, here's a bit of urban life in New Jersey for you ...
I was waiting for the bus to get across town one evening after work. A street kind of guy pushing a bike stopped to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving. He showed me his tire was flat. Um. Okay. What do you want, dude? He showed me the glue and patches for the tire from his pocket. But then he hit me up. He only had a dime and the cheapest air is 35 cents. Oh, well. It's a quarter. I gave him one. We commiserated a bit about how air used to be free and it no longer is such. As he parted, he told me he shoplifted the glue and patches from the store down the street. ACK! I felt like an accomplice after the fact! Thankfully, my bus came shortly afterwards. I cannot fall into a life of crime in my advanced years!

I'm thankful that the guy upstairs went away for the holiday weekend. The quiet is nice. He's had his loud visitors there for the past few weeks and I meant to call the landlord about his extremely loud stereo on Monday this past week, but I forgot. 

Onto the photos for this week. I don't have a lot of them for you and many were taken with the cell phone rather than the camera. The moon shot was the camera. I can't get the cell phone to focus on that.  

Okay, train station. I'm here.

Train be on time. A friend often drives me in these days when our work schedules mesh. However, she had a four day weekend. I didn't. Taking the train on random days the past few weeks has made me late to work twice even though I should have an "early cushion" with the departures. I'm not happy about that. I always plan to be early and NJT makes me late. I'm always at the train station early to catch my train. The least they could do is run vaguely on time!

Friday's moon

You know I can't resist shooting the moon. Had I been out about four hours later, some meteors streaked through the New Jersey skies.

Chotola Pigeon Gathering

Pigeons often line the roof at the front of the Chotola Apartment Building on North Avenue in Plainfield. When I feel I have little photo inspiration while across the street waiting for my train, I turn to them. I often wonder what the building was like in its heyday or what the apartments look like inside. But I wouldn't want to live there even though it's so close to the train. I prefer to live where I don't have to worry about the denizens of the night ... even in the daytime.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 19, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! You can find my Survivor posts at this link.

Just another week here. Work, more work, home a bit to eat, sleep and pay attention to a cat. At least I can look forward to a four-day work week ahead. I'll even have two days off in a row, a rarity for me. I get so tired of people asking me how my weekend was or telling me to have a good weekend when I don't really have any idea what a weekend is. While I will have the two days in a row this week, it will be Wednesday and Thanksgiving Thursday. I have to work on Friday and Saturday. With no family really near me in the area, it will be a little feast for Vincent the Cat and me. At least I will be able to relax some. I'm used to spending the holidays alone. Work is hectic through the holiday season and I treasure any time off; holidays give me paid extra days off. I like that. Often the one day off at a time just doesn't do it. I'm chronically exhausted.

I really don't have a heck of a lot else for you this week. Not even photo-wise. But here you go ... clicking on an image will bring up the larger version. Some are from my camera, others are cell phone.

Autumn remains

I love these bushes in the fall -- so intricately colorful! Bridgewater, NJ.

Watching the pigeons on the Chotola

I took this shot with my cell phone and really should have edited it to make it a bit more level. I was waiting for my train and bored. North Avenue, Plainfield.

Seagrass run amok

They'll probably be chopping it down soon. Outside of the TD Bank Ball Park in Bridgewater, NJ.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 12, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! You can find my Survivor posts at this link.

Brr! Baby, it's cold outside! The past few days around here have had record low temperatures. To be honest, as long as I'm dressed for it, I don't mind the cold of winter (even though it's still fall) as much as I hate the heat and humidity of the summer. With the cold, you can layer up and dress for it. With the heat and humidity, taking your clothes off, you're still all sweaty. And, in my case, I'd be all sweaty with people laughing and pointing at me before the police hauled me away! 

I bought a nice new winter jacket a couple of weeks ago. It's been some years since my last winter jacket purchase. I think it's money well spent -- this one is quite warm and fits well. And, my heat is included in my rent at my apartment and I have control of it. It's cozy in here. In the summer, I have to pay for electricity, thus pay for air conditioning.

As I get older, I don't care so much for snow or ice, though. If we could harness it just so it would fall everywhere except roads and sidewalks, I'd be a happy camper. I still find snow breathtakingly beautiful. I just don't want to fall.

I had yesterday off from work, having requested it off as a personal day long ago. It was the day of the Plainfield Public Library Photo Contest. I ended up not entering this year. The theme for the year wasn't a great one for me and the change in judging criteria turned me off last year. I don't really do photos of people posing and smiling or just candid uncropped photos with half-people at the edges which seems to be the draw of judging now. I like to be more art-related in my photos and I guess that's out now. I'll think about next year, but will see what won prizes and honorable mentions versus what was entered this year once they release it online. I was thinking of going yesterday, but spent the majority of the day sleeping it away. I needed the rest.

All that said, my photos this week aren't all that artsy! But, here they are ...

Kodachrome ... brings the nice bright colors

Um. Of fall. Although these leaves are gorgeous on their own, I found a Kodachrome filter on my Google Nik photo editor brings out the colors even more.

I find it easier to take videos with my new phone rather than the camera. Here's a train going the other way at the Plainfield Train Station while I waited for my extremely late, almost time for the next train, to arrive on Friday.

Plotting to overthrow humanity

Soon all will be barren

Looking out on Watchung Avenue from the eastbound platform of the Plainfield Train Station.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 5, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! You can find my Survivor posts at this link.

This past week included Halloween. I kept to my record of never having kids come to my door since I've lived in this building -- 18 years! Now, there are indeed too many kids living here for it being mostly one-bedroom apartments with supposedly a limit of two tenants in them. But the kids do know me and, even though I speak to them about playing in the hallway, they seem to like me and trust me anyway. (Just my luck!) Yet, no one trick or treats within the building. Oh, well. Each year I buy candy I like just in case someone comes by. All the more KitKat bars for me this year!

Other than Halloween and work, not much is going on in my life right now. Same old, same old. I'll be happy once we vote on Tuesday no matter who wins what -- I'm sick of all of the election junk mail in my mailbox! Although, I must say, I'm happy that there will be a new governor for New Jersey. I never cared for Chris Christie. He always comes across as a rather obnoxious bully to me. Perhaps he's not such, but I always get that feeling whenever I see him.

After our non-ending heavy rain and wind at the beginning of the week, we have had pretty nice weather. When you compare it to Hurricane (Superstorm) Sandy of five years ago or the seven-inch snowstorm the year before that, the weather has been gorgeous! The kids had a bit chilly Halloween, but it was sunny and clear and the power was on. We had a few really warm days this week, but now we're heading into more seasonal temperatures. That's fine by me. I do like a chill in the air. 

Onto the photos I took this past week -- clicking on an image will open a larger version ...

Heading to work

My NJ Transit train arrives at the Plainfield Train Station on Saturday morning.

Gotta love it!

I stopped into my local bodega on my way home from work on Halloween evening. These three also stopped in there. They had gone all out on their costumes -- I found it refreshing that young teens are still into the fun of the day! If their parents happen to see this, you've raised some friendly and polite children. I'm thinking they probably felt too old for the Trunk or Treat at City Hall, but made their own Halloween a happening.

The Beaver Moon

It actually went full sometime during Friday night. I took this shot last night (Saturday). I'll trap the moon with my camera, but I won't go out trapping beavers.

Flags, Flakes and Bikes

Saturday morning, before cars took over Watchung Avenue, a herd of bicyclists took over the street. All in all, there were a good dozen of more bikers racing through. Oh. And I guess it's Christmas season now. Way too early! Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 22, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! You can find my Survivor posts at this link.

My apologies for not posting last week. I'm still tired and not feeling all that great this week. But at least I took some photos! I'm still working on improving my photo-taking with the new cell phone. Most of the shots here are from my actual camera unless I note cell phone. 

Nothing much is happening here -- the weather has been incredibly nice, temperatures in the 70s most days and chilly evenings. We're now at the point that we need rain, though. I'm sure it will decide to rain as I'm out and about heading to work and have to be caught in it.

Last night seemed to be party night in my apartment building. No, not for me! After I got home from work, I had my own party of one with a cat companion. (Someone may have imbibed too much catnip.) On the first floor in the front of the building, it was incredibly loud as I got home. Today when I went down to the front door of the building to get my Sunday newspaper, I saw busted balloons -- dozens of them -- all over the corridor floor, stairs and in the elevator. I know they were popping some in the front wing of my floor last night, too. I wasn't really sure WHAT the noise was, but I knew it was NOT gunfire. Now I know. The guy upstairs also had a party. Since he's been quite amazingly quiet for months, I tolerated it even though the noise went beyond 11pm. It wasn't as loud as he's cranked it in the past. But he definitely invited some real clodhoppers up there. Thank goodness he has carpeting in that apartment.  

I'm hoping for a quiet peaceful Sunday.

Here are the photos for the week -- clicking on an image will open a larger version.

De train! De train!

Oh, wait. That was Tattoo yelling, "De plane! De plane!" on Fantasy Island. I'm certainly aging myself with the memory of that television show, eh? The sun was almost set to the left just out of this photo shot as my train home from work arrived at the Bridgewater Train Station one day this week. A more colorful sunset would have been nice, but ...!

If the NJ Transit bus breaks down ...

... he has wheels of his own. I've noticed more skateboarders on the trains and buses since the Skate Park opened in Plainfield. I keep telling myself I need to get over to the park with my camera. Unfortunately, I haven't really felt well enough to be out and about more than I have to be lately. I took this photo with my cell phone, making it accidentally a video. So I edited a still from said video.

White and Yellow Lamps

Well, I will say that keeping the eastbound side of the train station so brightly lighted at night seems to have cut down some of the ne'er'do-wells who spend the evenings/nights there. As it was just after sunset when I took this shot, you can't really see the white brightness. NJ Transit Police and the Plainfield Police still need to move along the non-passengers during the daytime hours. Now they tend to hang out right on the platforms taking up benches for people who want to take the trains. Plainfield Train Station.

Let me pose for you

A posing squirrel on a fence post on the west side of my apartment building. My windows look out on the east side and only have a chain-link fence.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 8, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! You can find my Survivor posts at this link. 

I had pretty much of a sucky worrisome day yesterday with relief only coming in the evening after I returned home from work. As some of you who know me might know, I'm SO not a phone person. I only bought a cheap prepaid cell phone about eight years back because of the lack of pay phones as time went on. I do have a landline -- just a very basic one which even works in power outages. But I've had the same prepaid flip phone for eight years. It cost me about $20 back when I got it. 

It is (was) a dumb phone. Yet, due to today's society and the fact that it can screen calls better than my landline, receive texts and more, I use it for almost all of my online stuff. The number for it is the one hooked into the intercom system to know if someone is at my apartment door for me and more. GAH! Without that number, I'm a bit lost. I also use it as an alarm clock and have stopped wearing a watch because I use it for the proper time.

The phone fell out of my pocket on the train going to work yesterday. I know I had when I got on the train. And, when I got off the train, as the train was pulling out, I went to check the time. OH NOES! It was gone! Now, if I were anyone else at my workplace, I could have either waited for the train to make its next run back to the station with that crew and retrieve the phone. If I worked in just about any other place, I would have access to the internet to at least suspend the service online. 

But ... NOOOO. I had new employees coming in which had me going into work an hour earlier than usual on a Saturday morning. I'm the ONLY one there who knows how to do all the paperwork, the computer programs needed (Oracle and Kronos Workforce Management) and stuff to get them in the computer system and to do the actual orientation for new employees. The one other person who knows it, but does things a bit haphazardly if I do say so myself, is on vacation.

While I didn't have outright banking information or anything like that on the phone, the payment system for the phone is hooked to my debit card. I had just put more money on it and someone could go to town with calling stuff on the phone. I worried all day. And, instead of working an hour extra due to my early arrival, I went home an hour early after doing the orientation for the new hires and the accounting. 

Now, it's been years since I bothered with the Verizon wireless web site. But I had made an account there and managed to get in to it from my home computer. The actual phone account is now suspended and I have a new phone ordered from Amazon set to arrive at my workplace on Tuesday. I can't have it come here as I would have no clue if someone rang my intercom buzzer! I need it by Wednesday as I have a Peapod grocery order coming and they text me. At this time, the worst case is that I will lose my contact list. With the new phone I'm getting (same number), my contacts will be stored on the Verizon cloud -- not sure of the old phone contacts or not. I'll find out.

The phone I'm getting finally puts me in the smartphone world. But I'm still getting a prepaid one. And, while I'll probably take advantage of some available apps, I refuse to be one of those people addicted to the phone. I'm buying the next to cheapest 4G Android phone (Samsung) I could find on Amazon with good reviews. It will still be more expensive than the one I lost. Grr. One reason I never bothered with a smartphone is because I'm cheap ... er, frugal. I'm just SO not a phone person and didn't need the extra expense. 

But one pro to it is that I will be able to take decent photos and video and finally get to have an Instagram account without a bunch of software on my computer to act like I'm posting photos from a cell phone. My dumb phone had a camera, but it was a pain to upload the bad photos to the online Verizon site which is the only place I seemed to be able to make them go and the reason I even had an account on the Verizon wireless site to begin with! Plus, the new phone has a much better camera and I can take more candid photos on trains and such without pulling out the actual camera I carry.

One last thing about this fiasco ... NJ Transit really needs to get more professional staff answering the phones for lost and found. When you call a business representative, you really don't need to hear someone say, "We ain't got nuthin' turned in today." AIN'T GOT NUTHIN?!?! My own workplace has strict standards for greetings and handling business calls. It reflects on the business itself.

Wait ... one more last thing! (Really.) Because losing the phone was all new to me -- I don't lose things and even still have an eight-track player that works -- I did the chat bit on the Verizon Wireless site last night to make sure I could keep the number and suspend the service until I got the new phone. The person I dealt with in the chat was delightful -- polite, not just canned responses, friendly, spelling and punctuation were professional and she did exactly what I needed done. Oh, and she told me it was her birthday. Happy birthday again, Casey! We ended up small-talking a bit while we waited for the computer to bring up my account. She was such a gem!
  
Onto this week's photos ... clicking on an image will open it in a larger version.

Starling in its fall coat

They go from glossy black with highlights in the sheen to spots over the seasons. 

When you see tracks, always ...

... think junkie. Er, um, train. Last night at the Plainfield Train Station as I arrived home from work. I guess I'm just too cynical.

Tiny flowers ...

... in the weeds. Make me feel happy. Make me forget my needs.
Or something to that effect. 

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 1, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related! I am over (SO OVER) Big Brother 19 -- I personally have no interest in what the hamsters are doing since the show ended. Yes, I know Cody and Jessica will be on the next to be filmed season of The Amazing Race. At least a dozen people have told me. I don't care! If I had my druthers, I'd never have to see anyone from BB19 ever again anywhere. Meanwhile, you can find my Survivor posts at this link. 

In weather news around here, we finally seem to be rid of summer temperatures and into autumn. Yes! While some folks love the summer heat, I personally enjoy the days with temperatures in the low 70s and chilly overnights. Now, I don't want those overnights TOO chilly as I don't think the landlord turns on the heat until October 15, but ...! The heat has really been getting to me this past summer. As I get older, it seems harder to take and I feel like I've been on the edge of heat stroke at times. That's not good. But, when the autumn temperatures kick in, I feel so much better!

Random bits and pieces:

• I found out that my longtime across the hall neighbor Joe is in the Aristacare rehab place across the street. That's where I almost went for a knee replacement recovery but went home instead. I was worried that he passed and squatters moved in. It's now his daughter and her (at least) two children in the apartment. Oh, well. She doesn't let the kids run the halls of the building. But it is odd to see Joe's apartment door all decked out for Halloween. That is so not Joe!
• We're not into fall foliage yet around here. However, I've noticed some trees have just had their leaves turn brown and die. Hmm.
• Because I often have a ride with a friend to work these days, I'm not on the train every day. I no longer buy monthly passes as, economically, they don't pan out. Now, after my recent birthday, I can get my train tickets for less than half-price. I only pay $1.35 each way! But getting the tickets out of the machine is a hassle. You can buy individual round trip tickets, but I can't seem to make the machine understand I want like five round trip tickets. After the first round trip, I end up with tickets all going one direction! Thankfully, the conductors accept them for either direction. But it really should be easier to buy multiple round trips.
• Surfers are enjoying the off shore hurricane waves as of late on the Jersey Shore. But I think more people have died this past season than most years due to rip currents. While I love the ocean, I myself am a bit leery after getting caught in a rip tide back in the 80s. I not only thought it broke my shoulder by whipping my arm around to my back, but I was sure I would drown. I ended up nearly a quarter mile from where I had been. 
• I wonder if that might be a reason I seem to have developed such arthritis in my right shoulder. Hmm. It could be the water-skiing I did for years or just plain my body falling apart. Of course, I could blame Vincent. That's the shoulder he favors for draping over purposes!
• I would guess it's a combination of aging and stuff I did over the years. I do have a relatively new annoying health thing -- my neck wants to make noise every time I turn my head. Sheesh. 
• I need to find the fountain of youth, methinks.

Onto the photos I took this past week. I didn't take tons of them. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version. 

Aesthetics down the drain

On one trip to work this week, they were working on the lamps on the eastbound platform of the Plainfield Train Station. In addition to replacing the bulbs that have been burnt out, some for years, they replaced lamp poles which were down, missing or damaged. Um. What is this?!?! The new poles aren't anything like the old ones! Ack! Now they've pretty much totally blown my train station lamps photos for good. Plus, when I got home last night after dark, while the train station's new white bulbs do make the station a lot brighter, there are still the golden bulbs mixed in. It looks all out of synch. Gah.

Sunset from a shopping center

Bridgewater Promenade Shopping Center (no, not an infamous New Jersey mall) as I sat outside of the Target store waiting for a friend to pick me up.

Blast from the past this week

On Monday's commute to work I was greeted with a single level NJ Transit train. Oh, my. Pink walls, blue seats, the dreaded three-seaters on one side, seats that flip the backs so you can seat groups ... I didn't quite know where I needed to sit to get out at Bridgewater where only one door opens on the platform! It was also longer than the double-deckers which serve the Raritan Valley Line -- eight cars with the end one closed. Hmm. I had to sit up in the front of the second car from the end to make getting out easier. It was a quiet car. I can always deal with that! I think this makes twice in the last eight or so years that I've taken a single level train on my usual train line.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 24, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related!

If you want to be in on the blog pool for the upcoming Survivor season, you need to head to this linked post and sign up only there by Tuesday! Every season we get folks trying to sign up after the cut-off, including some of the very regular blog commenters. PLEASE! C'mon, you know the show is coming. If you want in on the blog pool, PLEASE sign up on time! Laurie is kind enough to be running the pool and really does have the right to say no to stragglers after the cut-off!

I'm so thankful the latest season of Big Brother is over. Several of the long standing BB fan communities have given up -- even Hamsterwatch is about ready to throw in the towel. I don't think she will, but you never know. She certainly earns more money off the show than I do. I don't have the capability to sell CBS Access with a cut for myself. There was a time when, with the paying writing gig, BB paid my rent all summer. Not so these days and this season was more headache than fun for me. Because of the issues this summer, I will be implementing a few ground rules for posting comments on future show posts.

In other stuff, my week back to work from vacation was about what I expected -- chaos, disorganization and more. For decades I had planned to retire on my most recent birthday. I just don't dare do it due to the cost of health insurance. While I would have my pension, my 401K, Social Security and a great discount on life insurance from my company ... the group health insurance would vanish and Medicare wouldn't kick in for three years. It all feels so defeating.

Sigh.

Oh, well. Onto the photos I took this past week -- at least I didn't accidentally delete them from my memory card like I did last week. 

I met a praying mantis

Oh, well. Maybe it's a preying mantis. Either way, it was HUGE -- longer than my entire hand. While I fear its days may be numbered, it was alert enough to follow my camera and my movements with its eyes. This was on the fence netting by the TD Ball Park in Bridgewater adjacent to the train station. When I walked through after work, it was gone.

Hanging in there

While there were dozens of flower of an hour blossoms a month ago, only a few still blossom today.

Let there be lights

One morning at the Plainfield Train Station, I saw all the lamps lighted on the eastbound platform. An NJ Transit dude was (finally) replacing the burnt out bulbs. I used to be enthralled taking photos of the lamps. But, the neglect in replacing knocked-down poles and bulbs over the last several years, plus the influx of ne'er-do-wells hanging out at the station, have inhibited my photos of the station.

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