Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 18, 2015

Good morning! It's Sunday, so it's time for my weekly off television review of the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. I've really been hit hard by a vicious cold since about Wednesday or so, so this will be a bit short and sweet.

Random thoughts on the week:

• I'm so tired of being sick. I blame the general public for breathing on me.
• We were set for our first freeze of the season overnight last night. I think we got it.
• Not that I could tell inside my apartment. I had to get up and turn down the heat as it got so warm in here.
• Of course, that might also have to do with my not feeling well.
• But it felt like an oven! Wah!
• For the second week in a row, my Sunday morning Courier News didn't come. This is ridiculous. Today I checked for it at 6am and every half-hour since. I doubt it was stolen this week. They credit my account mere pennies claiming I can read it online. But I don't have the inserts and lose out on using coupons (many of which Peapod doubles) in my grocery shopping. 
• We're getting some fall foliage colors now, but nowhere near peak.
• I think I need more colds meds.

Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger window.

Church steeple at sunset

Wednesday early evening, East Front Street in Plainfield.

Sneaker salesman

Business must be slow. I saw this get-up on East Front Street in Plainfield. I was a bit dismayed that it was just a rack of sneakers underneath.

It's definitely mums season

This mums shot and the ones that follow after the jump were all taken of planters lining a porch on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 16, 2014

Good morning! It's Sunday, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. My next post will be about television -- stay tuned!

Gah, What a week. I had banged my head at work last Saturday. Throughout the day Sunday and into Monday morning, I was having nausea and bad headaches, ringing in my ears and more. So I went off to the doctor's office approved by our workers compensation insurance carrier. That office was in the middle of nowhere. I was diagnosed with a concussion there and had a follow-up reevaluation on Thursday. I was still having issues, so now I've been trying to get an appointment (as referred by the doctor) with a neurologist on the WC carrier insurance list. So far, I've striked out. I can't go back to work without clearance from one and I'm still having problems.

Enough about that.

The Plainfield Library Photo Competition was yesterday. I won first place and felt honored to receive that with all the talent out there. This year was their largest amount of entries, lots of new photographers and some very amazing shots. I'm going to have to step up my game!

Onto this week's photos. Due to the doctor's visit, I took many shots in Somerville where the train stops (and then took a taxi to Hillsborough where the doctor's office is). I also took shots around Library Park in Plainfield yesterday and, when my friend Barbara gave me a ride home, we took a scenic leaf and house-ogling ride through the mansions and expensive homes on winding roads in Plainfield. 

Autumn Library Park Lamp

The trees are in that odd stage of many barren, some still brilliant reds and yellows and even a few greens. Thankfully a colorful tree was near this lamp! Library Park, Plainfield.

Stylin' in da 'hood

Okaaay ... skinny jeans and leather while bearing a red-tipped squared-off flat-top 'fro. Yep, that's my Plainfield neighborhood!

Ex-Governor McGreevey's mansion

Jim McGreevey, the Governor of NJ prior to the Chris Christie regime, the one of "I am a gay American" fame and controversial resignation bought and lives in this ivy-covered mansion in Plainfield. While this mansion isn't all that far from my apartment building, it's definitely not in my 'hood.

This week's flowers and foliage slideshow features one of my favorites -- ornamental kale! I found flowers and kale growing in planters when I was in Somerville this week. The foliage shots are from Plainfield, Somerville and Hillsborough.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 9, 2014

Good morning! It's Sunday. Yes, it is. 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. My last post and my next one will be all about TV! I swear!

There's really nothing remarkable to report this week. It was warmer, then it got colder. It was sunny, then rainy and windy. Today is fairly seasonable. After all, it is getting that time of the year. Right now I'm sporting a bump and bruise on my left temple, making me look like I've been beaten. No, I haven't been beaten. I'm just a dummy and hit my head on a very solid object as I bent down. Foolish me. Clumsy me. Gah.

Other than that, it's been another week in the life ...

Onto the photos I've taken this week. If you click on an image, a Photobucket page will appear and you can make the image larger there, then just close out the page to return to the blog.

The Beaver Moon

The full moon earlier this week was the Beaver Moon. Back in the day, it was named such to signal colonists and American Indians to set their beaver traps before the swamps froze. That way, they'd have furs to keep warm for the winter. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a totally clear (and definitive) shot of the moon, thus this obscured a bit by a building one.

On Friday, a tractor trailer truck rammed and got stuck under the bridge at the Plainfield Train Station, Park Avenue. Thankfully, they let my train pass over the bridge coming into the station. They were off-loading the cargo and the tires were all hissing as they deflated them when I went by. I think it will need to lower more than that! The trailer was two feet higher than the clearly marked bridge. There were industrial tow trucks at either side. I guess they have to unhitch the trailer and tow the tractor and trailer out separately from either side. Here's a slideshow of the stuck truck ... clicking on the diagonal arrow on the bottom right will make it full screen --

Colorful sunrise

My timing on my early days now with the change back to standard time coincides with the sunrise. I took this shot looking at the end of the platform at the Plainfield Train Station.

Speaking of the train ...

This is my NJ Transit train approaching the Bridgewater Train Station one afternoon this week as I headed home. The double-decker trains always look short in photos, but they're actually pretty long. Oh, not like being stuck at a crossing waiting for a long freight train to pass. Not long like that at all!

My flowers and foliage slideshow this week is colorful. While we're past peak in autumn foliage, we still have some brilliant colors and even some green leaves left. Soon we'll be ankle-deep in leaves on the sidewalks as freezes hit more steadily. I took most of these shots in and around my neighborhood and 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 2, 2014

Welcome to my weekly off television topic post! Each week I take a journey through the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. My next post will indeed be about television -- stay tuned!

Random musings about the week:

• I could do this get an extra hour of sleep thing every day.
• We had nice temperatures and some nice days, then some really icky cold rain. Now it's just cold. I guess it's really late autumn. Sigh.
• At least it didn't rain for the kids on Halloween. Not that I had any trick or treaters knocking on my door. I never do here.
• My superintendent told me the person upstairs is a younger guy. I think the "younger" bit is relative. He can't be too young or he couldn't afford to live alone there. I'm think probably 30ish-young. But I did kind of call it right. I still haven't seen him. He's still not annoying. Yay!
• I'm tired. Can I retire yet? I'm really getting tired of being exhausted day in and day out. There has to be a better way!
• While I had way too many "out of stock" items on my Peapod grocery delivery order this week -- they're still adjusting to the new huge distribution center in Jersey City -- they more than made good on it. They told me they'd remove the delivery charge and put the sale items missed in my cart at the sale price for my next order. Well, since I ordered on Super Saver Wednesday, instead of $6.95 delivery, it was $5 off, then another $1 off as I chose the wide delivery window which they narrow down to two hours the day before. So, technically, my delivery cost a 95 cent delivery charge. (I also get $1 off for paying by electronic check, so ...!) I received an email from them. They took $10 off the order.
• I also received an email from the Plainfield Library in regard to the photo contest. I won something, but don't know what. The awards presentation and exhibition is slated for November 15th.

Onto the photos for this week -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new Photobucket window. You can make it even larger there and just close out that window to return to the blog.

A touch of color

I took this shot of ivy on a building adjacent to the Plainfield Train Station.

Oh my

What the heck broke into that locomotive engine car? This is one of the new fancy/schmancy locomotives which runs diesel and can convert to electric for a one seat ride on the Raritan Valley Line into NYC. Since our line is diesel, we've always had to switch trains in Newark as diesel locomotives can't run in the tunnels. Now, with these new locomotives, some of the trains run directly into the city, but not every train. There are also tunnel crowding logistics running amok in the planning. I'm thinking this locomotive might have struck a tree branch. I'm innocent. Plainfield Train Station.

This week's Flowers and Foliage slideshow has photos taken in Plainfield, Westfield and Bridgewater. Clicking on the diagonal arrow on the bottom right will make it full screen for you!

Yes, I see you, Squirrel.

Is it Rocket J. Squirrel? East Front Street, Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 26, 2014

Good morning! It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're looking for TV stuff, my last post and my next post will have some.

We had several days of rain this week. But I did take advantage of the few nice days when I could take some photos going to work and coming home. Alas, my day off on Wednesday was raw, chilly and rainy ALL DAY. I didn't even step out of my apartment all day. On the days it was nice, it was VERY nice with warmish (for this time of the year) temperatures and sunny skies. On the days it was not nice, it was dismal with a cold, cold rain and grey skies.

I personally prefer brisk temperatures over the heat (and humidity) of the summers here. I actually don't even mind the cold of winter. I can always layer and dress warm enough. But in the heat and humidity of summer, there's only so much you can take off! And, you could be naked and still sweating! Ew! If we could train the ice and snow to stay off the roads, parking lots and sidewalks, I'd have no complaints about winter whatsoever.

Two years ago at this time we were anticipating being in the "cone of concern" for Hurricane Sandy. There are still signs of the superstorm all about in mismatched roof shingles, tree damage, trees gone and such. I must admit I enjoyed the excitement of the storm, but the aftermath was way too much. Almost two weeks without power, four months of train issues, a wacko snowstorm a few days after the hurricane while I had no heat (or lights or anything). It was a surreal kind of existence for weeks after the storm. I don't want to go through that again. Thankfully, there isn't anything like that in the forecast here now.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will bring you to its Photobucket page where you can make it larger. Just X out the Photobucket page to return here to the blog.

Downtown autumn colors

The trees surrounding the Park-Madison complex are turning all kinds of pretty colors for autumn. I took this shot looking at the corner of Park Avenue and West Second Street in Plainfield. To my right (off camera) is East Second Street -- Park Avenue in Plainfield is the dividing line between East and West.

Pretty pre-sunrise

The sun is actually rising after I get in the door to work these days. Well, except for Saturdays when I go in to work later. With our three (four?) days of rain this past week, I had rather dismal non-sunrises most of the week. But this one was nice. Bridgewater, NJ

Ladybug, ladybug ...

... fly away home. Your house is on fire and your kids are alone. Eep! What a HORRIBLE little saying! Bridgewater, NJ

This week's Flowers and Foliage slideshow is once again probably more foliage. I took some shots of flowers in the dark with my flash. And, the rain and some warmer temperatures have some of the roses blooming again! The shots were all taken in Plainfield and Bridgewater as I went nowhere and did nothing this week (except work). You can make the slideshow full screen by clicking on the diagonal arrow lower right of the window.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 19, 2014

Good morning! It's Sunday. Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. My next post will be about television, I swear!

Yep, another week has gone by. And, yep, another week without much going on here. Work, eat, sleep, rinse, repeat. Well, a lot of attention paid to a certain cat, but that's about it.

We had unseasonably warm temperatures for most of the week here. Today marks a return to autumn. I don't mind that, not at all. Earlier this week, the landlord put a notice under doors saying that we had to remove our air conditioners from windows and that they would store them for us. Um. While I own a window air conditioner, it's been sitting in the closet since I moved in.

My unit still has the in-wall air conditioners which came with it. Over the years, the air conditioners became defunct or people stole them, so they don't come with the apartments now. I just clean the filters regularly and they're still working fine. However, since the window unit I own was practically brand new (used two weeks) when I moved to New Jersey, I've hung onto it for a back-up. I suppose if I'm ever that desperate for small change, I could sell it.

Today, I certainly won't need air conditioning!

Oh, well ... onto this week's photos. If you click on an image, it will bring up a larger version on my Photobucket page; just x out that page to return to the blog. With the slideshow, the diagonal icon on the bottom right will make it full screen. Other than pretty fall foliage shots, nothing really caught my interest this week. Wah. (Oh ... and Vincent. He's always fun to photograph!)

Plainfield Fire Prevention Fair

The Plainfield Fire Prevention Fair was setting up as I left for work yesterday. If Dan Damon looks closely (or checks out a photo after the jump), he'll see that there is a new unpainted proper historically acceptable door in back of Sparkie's Playhouse. North Avenue, Plainfield.

Solo beauty

But don't pick it up. It's a poison ivy leaf. Bridgewater, NJ -- just a taste of this week's Flowers and Foliage slideshow. Oh ... but don't taste it, either.

This week's Flowers and Foliage slideshow is more foliage than flowers. The weather, early morning darkness and my pedestrian patterns didn't have me passing many flowers when it was a good time to shoot them. We still have an abundance of green around here, peak colors are still ahead of us. These shots were taken in both Plainfield and Bridgewater.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 3, 2013

Hello, welcome to Sunday! This is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Later tonight I'll be posting the Amazing Race blog party post. If you watch the show, please come join in on the fun as the show airs!

Did you set your clocks back an hour? This is the time change I enjoy rather than that annoying "spring forward" change. I recall last year that wasn't the case, though. Last year I was still deep into a power outage from Hurricane Sandy -- daylight was precious and not to be wasted. As I wasn't working the clock change day, I actually slept in. When I awoke and realized (thanks to my cell phone) that it would be dark an hour earlier in the evening, I almost cried. My candles and batteries were both running low at that time into the ordeal. No open stores for miles seemed have any. Thankfully I had plenty of batteries for my MP3 player which is also a radio. That was my big link with the outside world.

Last year at this time I was living in a weird post-Sandy surreal kind of existence. This year was much different. Our weather this week was mostly sunny with above seasonal temperatures. Overnight last night, the colder air crept in. Oh well, it is that time of year. Last year around this time we had snow on top of the Sandy woes. I can't complain.

On Wednesday it was overcast, but I made my way over to Westfield for a Mindowaskin Park and Trader Joe's visit. As a result, lots of fall foliage and (of course) duck shots in today's entry. I've always loved Trader Joe's, but thought it was small and cramped. Oh my gosh, I love it even more now because it's more than doubled in size! I noticed during my latest visit that, in addition to the wine and beer they carry, they now have a small section of actual hard liquor. Most are name brands, but I did pick up a bottle of Trader Joe's brand "Rum of the Gods." It was very reasonably priced and I think I'll make cookies with it and have an occasional rum and Coke. I'm not a big drinker, but I occasionally will imbibe.

The kids actually had Halloween in the city this year after two years of it being canceled. Last year was Sandy, the year before a six inch snowstorm. Both resulted in downed wires and downed trees for Halloween. Even though the holiday was on, I kept up with having no trick-or-treaters here at my apartment. I haven't had any for the dozen years I've lived here. As I arrived back in town after work, I did see the downtown streets full of children in costume. Good for them!

On Saturday, I had the day off from work to attend the Plainfield Library Photo Contest Exhibition opening and awards presentation. Going into the contest this year, I had trouble with the theme of "Plainfield Celebrates." I usually work on Saturdays when they hold the fun city events.  I also had trouble getting the Saturday off to attend the event as a new boss didn't like the short notice although I've said I needed a Saturday off in November for nearly two months. I just didn't know which one!

Much to my surprise, I won first prize for a photo I really love, but thought too somber for a win. I won a third place prize for a photo I took the 4th of July parade the last knee replacement recovery summer (which is why I had the parade Saturday off). And I won a Special Time Capsule Award for a photo I took during Sandy recovery, the only Sandy-related photo entered. The photos in the competition become a part of the local history archives in the library. Just as we look back on photos of days gone by, someday in the future folks will be checking these photos out for a clue about what our lives are like.

On the home front, the workers showed up yesterday to do Crazy Joe's (across the hall) windows and the common area/stairway windows. It's amazing how much better the building looks with all the new windows! I think the only windows which remain to be done are the ones in the stairway by the elevator. They'll probably show up this morning to do them. If my "huge" five dollar rent increase hadn't gone down in the beginning of September, I'd be very worried about a rent hike with all the building improvements.

Eep, this is way long-winded and there are tons of photos, as well. Let's get to it! If you click on an image, it will take you to the Photobucket page with a larger image. Close that page to return directly back to the blog!

Eagle! Bald eagle in flight!

Unfortunately I didn't get any great photos of it. I spotted it flying over my workplace near the Bridgewater Train Station. At first I thought it was a large hawk, but then I noticed the white head and tail. EAGLE! Woot! Woot! I watched it for nearly a half-hour. Alas, it decided to either fly too high or to soar too fast when flying low and this was the best shot I got of it. But, man ... an eagle here in Central Jersey! While I've seen some in the far north part of the state and also in Connecticut, it's a first for here.

True dat

In front of the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield on Park Avenue. I also can't help but notice the Amazing Taste lunch truck in the background. Mmm.

What? Mums again? Yes!

These were growing in a planter on Elm Street in Westfield.

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