Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 11, 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 late 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.

That said, this week's off topic post is a bit abbreviated for a few different reasons. First off, today is the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. That struck this area, the NYC Greater Metropolitan Area, quite hard. Many folks here work in Manhattan. Several people in the local area died in the attacks. My company lost seven people on one of the planes. It's a somber day and we'll never forget.

Also, my sprained ankle and the heat factor this week limited my desire to take photos although I did work this past week. I'll include a few of those in next week's off topic photo post.  

911 Memorial, Scotch Plains, NJ

September 12 is Vincent's "birthday"

On September 12, 2009, I went into the city to New York City Animal Care and Control (NYCACC), the shelter system which handles all the strays, abandoned, etc., animals in all five boroughs of the city. I went to the East Harlem (AKA Spanish Harlem) location and met a cat they called "Sal." Unfortunately, due to volume, the shelter system is a fairly high kill one. People want kittens. I wanted a cat. Sal, whom I decided wasn't a pizza delivery guy, I renamed Vincent. He was due to be euthanized the next week because he was a cat, not a kitten. When I opened his cage door, he leaped on my shoulder and purred so loud I could hear him over the cacophony of dogs barking and busy street traffic. He was the one and he's been my best friend ever since. This is a shot of him on the train home on adoption day.

Good food, good company

I went to a big backyard cookout with friends yesterday. The food was amazing! The company was great and a good time was had by all.

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.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 1, 2014

Welcome to my off television topic weekly reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. I did post a bit about Big Brother and Fargo this past week and will be posting on Falling Skies in the upcoming days as I've seen the two first episodes of that show on pre-release screener copies. I was happy to watch the new season premieres of So You Think You Can Dance and America's Got Talent. Both of those shows are in their audition phases and I'll probably stop following one or another when I get bogged down with Big Brother. The CNN ten episode series The Sixties is going to be a must see for me even if it does go up against the Thursday night live BB eviction!

Hey, this post isn't about television!

Um. What did I do this past week? Well, I napped a lot. I watched television. I read. I hung out on the computer. I cooked. I baked. I did some housecleaning. I napped some more. I didn't take any day trips. I basically goofed off.

But, it was worth it! I feel very relaxed. Onto the photos, as few as there are, for the week --

Scotch Plains Farmers Market

Plainfield has a farmers market each year, but that one's small, on a workday for me and I don't think they've started it yet. The Scotch Plains Farmers Market has several different vendors -- not just one farm with produce and flowers. Lots of produce limited only by the season, but there's also pastries, ethnic foods from different countries, a Picklelicious tent, even a local winemaker. Our growing season has been off this spring. I only bought some asparagus and a few beautiful green peppers.

Deadly nightshade

I keep seeing this in new and different places each year. This time it's growing along a fence at East Front and Berckman streets in Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 4, 2014

Good morning! Since it is indeed Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic look back on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Later on tonight, I'll be posting The Amazing Race blog party. If you watch the show, come by and watch with us!

I'm SO photo-heavy this week that I'm going to abbreviate my chatter. Here's a quick lowdown:

• It's finally looking like spring here. YAY!
• Then we had almost two days of steady to heavy rain -- almost six inches. That resulted in floods in the usual spots. I took this video Thursday afternoon going through the Bound Brook/Middlesex area. Ironically, it's the flooded flood protection project.

• Thankfully, the worst of the rain was on my day off and I didn't have to go out in it.
• I managed to tip over my rolling office chair at work and fall. I'm a bit sore, but okay. I can't say the same for my office wall. Oops. It now has a big hole in it. Oops.
• May the Fourth be with you!

Onto the photos! Clicking on an image will open it in a new window. There's a magnifying glass on the bottom right of the image. You can make it larger twice. Then stop, because that's all you can do! Just close that new window to return to the blog.

Church Street, Plainfield

I know I had a similar shot last week. But I so love the look of Church Street in the spring just after sunrise! I took this photo Monday morning. Most of the blossoms are gone now. Wah.

Scotch Plains

Last Sunday I went to nearby Scotch Plains, a town or so over -- Fanwood makes that a bit confusing! They too had white blossoms lining their streets.

What's going on here?

Looky, looky! It's a baby squirrel there! For the whole story, read on!

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

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 15, 2013

Good Sunday morning, folks! It's time for my weekly off television topic post reflecting on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. While there isn't any television talk on this off topic post, I must stray to it for a minute ...

• If you're looking for the latest Big Brother live feeds or show news, you can find those posts right here.
• If you want to sign up for the Survivor: Blood vs. Water blog pool, that post can be found here. The deadline for that is Tuesday. Please sign up only on that post or by contacting Lifeguard Laurie at the email address listed in that post. No other posts or places will be checked.

Okay, back to off topic!

I had a four-day work week this past week as I took yesterday off as a vacation day to kick off my latest staycation. I usually work Saturdays, so that was an added bonus. The weather, after hitting 96 degrees early in the week, was down to a high around 70 both on Friday and Saturday. Yay! That's MY kind of weather -- cool overnights, sunny, dry and not hot! Yay!

Yesterday I walked downtown to the big Central Americano festival. It wasn't as crowded as the last time I went. But, then again it could have been the time I went or the fact that the last time I went there were actually two festivals adjacent to each other. Nonetheless, people were parked as far up my block to attend the festivities and East Front Street was a huge traffic jam.

While nothing much went on last week, today is my birthday. I'm older than I ever thought I would be had you asked me decades ago. I plan a day of relaxation for the most part. Big Brother live feeds have died down and I can actually rest. I could go to the festival which is still running downtown today, but I doubt I will. 

Will it go 'round in circles?

Will it fly high up in the sky? I took this shot at the Latino festival in Plainfield yesterday.

Smile for the camera

This young mockingbird was with its siblings, but was the only one to pose for me up on the fence rail. The mockingbird parents have been very territorial, chasing other birds and even warily watching me for weeks now. There are five of the young 'uns. While they can fend for themselves, they still bother their mother for food by fluffing their feathers, shaking and crying out. Like toddlers, they are. Bridgewater Train Station.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 2, 2013

Good morning, afternoon, evening ... whatever it is whenever it is that you're reading this! Since, for ME, it's Sunday morning, that can only mean one thing. Yep! 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.

I was on a staycation this past week. I still am, for that matter. It's over when I go to work tomorrow morning. I really didn't do a heck of a lot of anything other than relax. In the beginning of my week, the weather kept me in. Then there was a nice day, then more rain. Then we went into a heat wave.

Now, if I were a "normal" New Jersey person, off for a week during a heat wave, I would have headed down the shore. But I'm far from normal. I do love beaches and the ocean. I really do. I just don't like them crowded with people when the water is still too cold to go in. I'm not a lay on the beach blanket all greased up to tan (burn) type of person. I'm pale. I prefer to stay pale. The only alternative to pale for me is red. Plus, I'm not good at getting up from the floor with the knee replacements. I can get up, but it's very awkward. I don't need strangers pointing and laughing at my exploits when I don't even have much clothing to hide me. "Hey! Look at the chunky old chick trying to get up!"

Nope, not for me, thankyouverymuch. My perfect beach day is anytime that it's not summer. Stormy winter weather on the beach? Gorgeous! Sunrise off season? I'm so there! But during heat waves, my best friends are my air conditioner and some good books. Oh. And a cat. Can't forget the cat.

Same random observations on the week (or on life, too):

• I didn't travel far during my week off. The farthest I went was to the farmers market in Scotch Plains, an adjacent town. I saw not a one cicada. So much for the 17-year invasion around here.
• My upstairs neighbor, still a stranger to me, seemed to have a child up there last weekend. Thankfully, it went away.
• The rowdy new people in the front of the building who arrived in March are already gone. 
• The elevator of my building smelled like Braunschweiger yesterday. That's not good. I prefer it smell like fresh laundry from the basement, please.
• I visited Park Liquors in Scotch Plains on my outing yesterday, buying some Brooklyn Lager and some Samuel Adams Summer Ale. The liquor stores around here in Plainfield tend to Budweiser and various Central/South American beers. I'm not a big beer drinker, but I do like to have one now and again on summer days. I like to experiment around trying different kinds. I can't recall the last time I had a Budweiser.
• Yes, yes, I can. It was in the 1980s. That was also the last time I had a kamikaze. Do you know they glow in black light?
• I don't like to sweat unless I'm doing something physical. Standing still in the shade is NOT physical. It's too early for heat waves.
• Vincent was supremely spoiled all week, more so than usual.
• I'm tired of television commercials for the Jersey Shore singing "we're stronger than the storm." Enough already.
• There was a shooting last night at Kennedy Fried Chicken on Park Avenue in Plainfield. I heard it on my scanner. The police were already dispatched to a fight when the Shot Spotter doohickey indicated shots fired. A man was shot in the shoulder. The police stopped a car driving away with no lights on. Voila! A gun. Good work, Plainfield PD!
• Of course, I wouldn't be there at 2 in the morning. 

Here in Plainfield, the primary is coming up this Tuesday. As it always seems to be, it's a heated Democratic brouhaha between the incumbent and others. Although it really doesn't mean much except to the local folks in town, I endorse (with this mighty blog) Adrian Mapp for mayor. We really need change. The current mayor isn't doing the job for me. How 'bout you?

Onto the photos I took this past week ...

Allium ball

I took this shot on Berckman Street in Plainfield. It's odd -- directly across the street, the allium flowers have passed. It's like they're in two different climate zones or something. Did you know that the generic "allium" is the Latin word for garlic?

She went and CLOSED the window!

Yes. In the second day of the heat wave (three days at 90 degrees or more), I closed the window and put on the air conditioning. Sorry, Vincent.

So pretty!

Typical me, I have no clue what this flower is. I can tell you it's growing on Berckman Street in Plainfield, though! I wouldn't know what allium is except for someone telling me. Maybe someone will tell me what this one is and I might even actually remember. Maybe.

Deadly nightshade

Ohhh! Ohhh! (Doing my best Horshack impression.) I do know this one! It's deadly, but very cool.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - February 24, 2013

Once again it's Sunday. Odd how that seems to happen once a week, huh? Well, that means 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.

I realize the Oscars are on tonight, but there will also be a new episode of The Amazing Race. Despite the red carpet, the blog party for the show will go on as scheduled. You're all free to wear gowns and tuxedos if you wish. Check back at 8pm ET for that post!

I have a lack of photos this week, so you're going to get a lot of Vincent. I was on a staycation and the weather was mostly dreary and warmish or really cold. Thus, I napped a lot. I stayed home for the most part. Yeah, I got some of the chores I planned to do done.

But I really napped a lot.

And it felt great!

Onto the photos I took ...

Damp and dreary

It seems like most of the week was damp and dreary. But I didn't mind. I feel rested for the first time in months! This is looking down Berckman Street towards East Third Street in Plainfield.

Vincent in B&W and green

In this shot, I left only Vincent's eyes in color. In fairly close up shots like this, his scar on his nose shows. I always wondered how he managed to get such a scar in his previous life. It was already a well-healed scar when the shelter got him, so it either didn't happen while he was a stray or he was a stray for a really long time.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 23, 2012

Good morning. It's Sunday morning, so 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.

Since my last off topic post, unfortunately I have been quite ill. Last Sunday night, I awoke to a high fever, chills and various aches and pains. It only got worse. On Tuesday, I went to the doctor who decided blood tests were in order to determine what's wrong. It's all due to a mosquito. Grr. I'm not naming the illness here as I don't want a gazillion whackos finding this post in a search. However, it's the "fever" version rather than the "virus" version. I do have a list of symptoms to watch for which, if they happen, would necessitate a trip to the hospital. 

At this point, I don't think that will happen. I'm still running a low-grade fever and still feel all kinds of fatigued. My appetite is slowly returning. I've arranged to be off from work until Thursday in hopes that I'll be more chipper then. Well, as chipper as I get, anyhow.

As a result of going to work only one day this past week and staying in bed for most of said week, my photos are a bit lacking. I did go out yesterday for a run to CVS in Scotch Plains to pick up my photos for the Plainfield Library Photo Competition as the deadline is looming ahead. My printer here at home always wants to print photos off center and, with ordering them online at CVS, it's a snap! 

While in Scotch Plains, I stopped by their Farmers Market. Oh my! I rarely make it to Farmers Markets as the one here in Plainfield is on weekdays I work and the others (Scotch Plains, Westfield, Bound Brook) are all on Saturdays, another regular workday for me. I have been to the Plainfield one before. It's nice, but quite small. Going to the one in Scotch Plains gave me a different perspective. There were several farms involved and the market took up the entire municipal parking lot.

I didn't buy a lot as I didn't feel like carrying a lot on the bus on the way home. They had green peppers three for a dollar -- sure, they were small, but I don't plan on making stuffed peppers with them. I took peppers right off my latest Peapod list when I got home. I also picked up some very nice cucumbers at two for a dollar. And, best of all, I bought some apple cider doughnuts. I have a craving for them every fall and rarely see them in stores around here. I really should have bought some small gourds for the window.

And, thankfully ... it is autumn. After some storms passed through late last night, we have beautiful autumn weather on the schedule this week. Hopefully I'll feel better enough during my scheduled time off to spend some time outside.

Onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger. To get back here, just close the new window.   

Its days are numbered

The blossom on this weed is still holding up, but its leaves are in a sad state.

The itsy-bitsy spider in its itsy-bitsy web

I have some sad news. The one day I went to work, I noticed that Venus the Spider was gone. Her web is in tatters and she's nowhere about. However, I saw that these tiny spiders -- this web is only about two inches wide -- have taken up residence in the poison ivy by the Bridgewater Train Station. This particular web was shining in the sunlight and caught my attention.

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

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 18, 2011

My apologies for getting this up late today -- first Blogger didn't want to let me post photos, then I ended up making breakfast and watching Sunday Morning on CBS. Well, at least it's still Sunday morning and now it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken.

I do need to touch a moment on television, though. The recently ended (yay!) season of Big Brother will go down in my records as the worst or, even giving it some credit because I enjoy watching Jeff and Jordan, perhaps a tie with BB9 as worst. I watched the after finale interviews. Ho-hum. Keith wants everyone to know he's single and looking. Adam is still delusional that he's some great game player. Jeff and Jordan will be moving in together -- they're just not sure where or when. Rachel and Brendon are supposedly getting married this weekend as per TMZ. Y'know ... I don't really care. I'm just glad the season has been put out of its misery despite the fact that they're claiming higher ratings.

My week was, for the most part, uneventful. I'm trying to get ready for my trip to the Outer Banks next week. I bought new travel-sized stuff to put in my good old quart bag to get through TSA checkpoints at the airports. I know from my last trip that the knee(s) are going to set off alarms, so I'm expecting extra scanning or pat downs.

I "graduated" physical therapy this past Friday. No, not because the knee is all healed. It's more because I ran out of the allowed visits per calendar year on my insurance. Since the kneecap dislocated and attention has had to be paid to that, I didn't do half the things I did in PT with the previous knee. I'll probably be returning to use the exercise equipment in October. I didn't have the knee replacement only to be dependent on a cane or wear a brace.

On Tuesday I have another follow-up visit at the orthopedic surgeon's office. Those have been coming every two weeks since the dislocation, too. I suppose I should be worried about the knee while in the Outer Banks, but I'm not planning on stressing it a lot. I won't even attempt to climb up to the top of the lighthouses. I am tossing around the idea of renting a bike down there for the week. The rental bikes are sturdy and may let me go off exploring more with my camera. I'm mainly thinking heated pool, hot tub, hammock on the deck, and relaxing. Oh. And FOOD.

I didn't really get a lot of great photos this week, but here are some:

Ban the scan!

I can only think they mean the TSA scan at the airport. Newark is supposed to change from the scan which puts out "naked" images to one which shows gingerbread men cut-out type images. But I don't know whether the latter will be in place when I go through security. Last year the scanners weren't so prevalent and I ended up going through a pat-down each time.

Nature's beauty

These shrubs/small trees bear off-white blooms well into the summer, then turn to this in the early autumn.

Scotch Plains 9-11 Memorial Flag

Benches dedicated to the three lives lost in Scotch Plains on 9-11

Unveiled

The memorial

Won't be around much longer

Replacing the H

Interesting -- I never thought about the neon tubing having to be specifically made for the signs. John's Meat Market, Scotch Plains.

Flower in the park

I took this from inside the gazebo at the little park in Scotch Plains

Cat nap

o
Vincent at rest after a big meal.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 4, 2011

If you're looking for the latest Big Brother 13 live feeds update, it's this post, not THIS post.

It's Sunday morning and, unlike last Sunday, it's time for my (usually) weekly look back on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. I didn't post last Sunday due to an extended power outage due to Hurricane Irene. My power went out late Saturday night and didn't come on again until Monday morning. During Monday, it went out twice again for much shorter periods of time. However, I had it easier than many of my friends in Manville and Bound Brook during the storm.

For only the second time since living here (ten years), my own street flooded and had to be closed down. I didn't go out for any storm photos as my power was out -- no elevator with me still getting around with a crutch after my knee setback. From my own windows which look off to the side, the storm didn't look that impressive. Yet, when I went out on Tuesday, I noticed the water marks on the front part of the building were over a foot high. Our front foyer, which is lower than ground level (steps down to it outside, then steps up to the first floor inside) must have flooded.

I'm not sure when my power went out Saturday night -- I woke up around 4 AM all sweaty because my fan went off. Since I couldn't get back to sleep, I sat in my recliner chair by the window and watched explosions of transformers and wires being brought down by falling trees light up the night sky. It was almost surreal, like lightning close to the horizon with no lightning bolts or thunder. As I watched, I feared my power might be out a long, long time.

I'm lucky. Some of my friends STILL have no power as I get this written. Plus, I have no worries about storm damage. I live on the second floor of a three story apartment building. If a tree were to fall, it would hit the top floor. If a flood were to happen, it would be the basement and first floor.

The storm made the week a bit weird. I still see some wires down on the street. Hopefully they're just cable wires at this point. All of the intersections with traffic lights still boast flare dust from when cops were there through the night, then day, then night again. I had my police scanner on through the storm and my outage listening to water rescues and the various emergency responses. The Plainfield Police and Fire Departments get my kudos for a job well done!

Let's see ... what else has been going on? Oh! I found out that the stomach bug I had is indeed something that's going around. The mother of one of my friends was actually hospitalized with it. I know since my operation, my immune system is weaker than normal, so that's probably why I caught it and why it hit me so hard.

The knee continues to improve from its setback. Unfortunately, a lot of my recent physical therapy has had to focus on the kneecap dislocation rather than the knee replacement. My PT says that he has patients coming in solely for therapy for that. Ack. I've worked myself back down from the crutch to a cane while outside the apartment. But I still feel like it's unstable and I'm taking it real slow. Inside, I'm not using anything, but I'm not dashing about for sure!

Anyway ... onto the photos. My apologies again for no storm photos!

I come from New Jersey with my cap upon my knee

Second Street, Scotch Plains.

Mushroom

Tons of fungi all over the place both before and after Irene due to the historically wet summer.

Another

A gathering of the 'shrooms

A lone 'shroom

I read where some folks have been eating the local mushrooms and have had to be hospitalized. That would never happen to me. I'm only a fan of photographing them. I don't care for eating them even when they're not poisonous.

Where the water came from?

I took this shot from in front of my building. The Green Brook runs in back of those apartments across the street from me. It's usually a small brook -- sometimes down to maybe twelve feet wide in spots, perhaps 20-25 feet at its widest in the area. Apparently it grew big enough to make my own street into a raging river during Irene.

My taped up kneecap.

My knee is swollen just because it's swollen. It's splotchy because I had ice on it at the end of PT. The scar is healing nicely, though!

Yet another mushroom

Snoopy window

East Second Street, Plainfield

Pretty in pink

Flowers brighten up a set of weathered steps on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

Silly tiny bikes

How can they ride these things? Those seats look SO uncomfortable! Scotch Plains.

Camera shy

That human will never find me!
I'll become one with the tree!
Call me a treehugger

Yet another mushroom

You NEED to put that camera down and play with me!

Okay, Vincent. Whatever you want ...

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - August 14, 2011

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic trip through the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken. If you're looking for the latest Big Brother 13 news, check out the post before this one. Nothing earth-shattering has happened since I posted that -- I still don't really know what Daniele will do.

Sigh. This has not been a good week with the knee replacement recovery. I had recovered (I thought) from straining the quad muscle a couple of weeks ago. Maybe not so much.

In physical therapy on Tuesday, while doing a balance exercise and having had the best day ever in PT ... it happened. My new knee actually bent backwards with a loud pop and I crumbled to the floor. The pain was the most intense pain I've ever had in my life. I was sure, at the least, that my leg was broken.

After getting caught in torrential thunderstorms on the way home, the knee swelled almost double. I could put weight on it, but it was very unstable. It kept feeling like it was going to go backwards again.

With both crutches (sigh), I went to my orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday. He did the tendon tests to make sure they were okay and put me through a series of x-rays. I was very scared that where the femur was drilled and the spike for the implant was might have broken as the pain is mostly above the knee and in the thigh. But the x-rays were negative, good!

He told me to ice, elevate, don't go to PT and to return on Monday. He also put the leg in an immobilizer for stability. He thinks that I had a patella subluxation -- which is roughly a partial dislocation of the kneecap. When I looked it up online, the first article scared me to death -- saying it was the most common cause for a failed knee replacement. GAH!

But, while my doctor seemed very concerned, he seemed to be just as sure that with time and rest, the knee will be back to normal. And, in reading more sites, it sounds like repeated subluxation is the failure cause. I guess I'll see. I walked to the local bodega with one crutch and no immobilizer yesterday. The knee is still acting unstable, but I was very slow and careful.

With the additional pain, I started taking more pain meds. So now my stomach is all whacky once again. It really hasn't been a good week. Yet I did get some decent photos! Clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window ...

When it pours

I no sooner left PT in agony on Tuesday and a tremendous thunderstorm hit with torrential street flooding rainfall. I took shelter in the gazebo for a while. Scotch Plains.

Bored in the rain

Rainy day cleaners

Park Avenue, Scotch Plains

Flying mice!

I swear these carpenter bees were the size of flying mice! Bound Brook.

HUGE mushroom

This was also on Maple Street in Bound Brook on Wednesday as I went to the doctor's office.

Huge mushroom next to my huge foot

Another bee on Maple Street

Maple Street moth

Excuse me, could you turn around?

Um. Okay. Stop looking at me!

Could you give me a hand?

Same moth?

Waiting on NJ Transit

Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Vincent is floored!

He's not quite sure what to make of the immobilizer. I told him it's NOT a cat scratching post!