Kaysar and Kevin are on the block.
If all was right with the world Kevin would annoy enough people to overcome their desire to vote out Kaysar. Or, Kaysar would win the veto and people would want Kevin out over Ian.
Veto comp tomorrow.
Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2020
BB22: Live Feeds Nominations are in - August 28
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 16, 2017
Good
morning! Since it's a SUNDAY morning, this is my weekly off television
topic post taking a look at the week gone by in both words and
photographs I've taken along the way. This weekly post is done year in,
year out. Big Brother, the main draw for so many of you, only
lasts about three months -- although sometimes it seems to be a
lifetime. If you're here solely for the BB posts, please feel free to
skip this post. You can find my latest BB19 posts by using this link.
Some random notes on this past week:
Clicking on an image will open a larger version.
This one is on East 4th Street at the corner of Watchung Avenue by the police station. I don't think it's finished as the other sides only have the green base paint. I'll watch it to see if more is added than this side. The adjacent town of North Plainfield has shrink-wrapped art on their boxes. I prefer Plainfield's efforts, using actual artists to paint them. We have a lot of talent here in Plainfield and these are great!
More on this bunny a bit later in the post.
Summer sounds at the Plainfield Train Station. While I don't care for the regular bums who hang out at the station day and night, this guy really improves the atmosphere there. I've also seen him there playing a trumpet. Sometimes a few others join him with guitars. Nah, neither he nor they would ever win a talent contest, but it's always good to see and hear him at the station playing away.
Some random notes on this past week:
- Yesterday morning at 6:27am, the dude upstairs turned on his stereo. No, not full blast. But it has to be up pretty loud for me to hear it in my apartment. Well, at least the beat. I hear and feel the bass. Then, at 7:05am, the neighbor's landscapers started making all kinds of blower and mower noise. Now, I was already awake, but it's a Saturday morning. Don't normal people sleep in a bit?
- I'll admit I'm not a normal person, mind you. But I don't make all kinds of racket that can annoy others!
- When I came home from work last night, the cylinder on the front building door lock was sideways. Because of that, the key wouldn't work in the lock, just spinning and spinning. I took my back door key which fits in that lock but won't unlock it and turned the cylinder back to its proper position. I then unlocked the door with the right key and entered. Someone was in the hallway and asked how I got the door open. Okay, landlord, you can pay me what you would have paid the locksmith to come fix it.
- As I expected, I returned to chaos and disaster after my staycation from work. I don't want to talk about it. It's bad mojo, I tell you!
- I'm ready for autumn. I'm tired of being sweaty while just existing. Inside my apartment, I'm fine due to air conditioning, my new tower fan and all. But they make me go out in the world just about daily. Gah.
- It's hard to believe it's been 50 years since the Newark and Detroit riots (1967). I was living in Saratoga County in New York at that time. They made the national news. I didn't know that, within the same time period, there was a Plainfield riot -- that didn't make national news at the time. But it was quite the incident here and still affects the city to this day. But Plainfield has made tremendous strides ahead during the last several years. Let's all keep on working together!
Clicking on an image will open a larger version.
 |
| More utility box art |
This one is on East 4th Street at the corner of Watchung Avenue by the police station. I don't think it's finished as the other sides only have the green base paint. I'll watch it to see if more is added than this side. The adjacent town of North Plainfield has shrink-wrapped art on their boxes. I prefer Plainfield's efforts, using actual artists to paint them. We have a lot of talent here in Plainfield and these are great!
 |
| Bunny resting in the sun |
More on this bunny a bit later in the post.
 |
| The Keyboard Man |
Summer sounds at the Plainfield Train Station. While I don't care for the regular bums who hang out at the station day and night, this guy really improves the atmosphere there. I've also seen him there playing a trumpet. Sometimes a few others join him with guitars. Nah, neither he nor they would ever win a talent contest, but it's always good to see and hear him at the station playing away.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 11, 2017
Good morning! Welcome to
my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both
words and photos I took along the way. I have a bit of a blogging rest
before Big Brother
starts up. The premiere for that is slated for June 28, but the cast
information and such should start coming out a week before that. I'll be
watching for news. Stay tuned right here!
Until the last few days, we had more rain and more cool temperatures. As of yesterday, that's all changed. We're facing what should be the first day of a heat wave, the second one this year. Temperatures are supposed to be in the 90s starting today and lasting through Tuesday. I'd actually prefer the cooler temps. I hate the heat!
Every five years in New Jersey, multi-family dwellings get inspected by the state. This past week we had our inspection in my apartment building. It's a big pain, but I do understand that these inspections can catch fire and safety issues and neglect by landlords. The first time I went through this here, they came up with tons of violations resulting in new power outlets in the kitchen and bathroom, scraping down and painting all of the fire escapes and more. This time it didn't seem like much at all. We have new windows, the fire escapes remain in good shape, etc. The main thing the inspector seemed to be concerned about was working smoke/CO detectors.
Earlier in the week, the super (who is no longer Mario ... sniffle) came through testing to make sure the apartment doors self-close, have the privacy chain locks and testing the smoke alarms. Mine is working although my door likes to self-close rather slowly. The inspector never actually checked my door. If I have to run from a fire, I'll make sure it closes! That, or I'll buy a tiny can of oil and oil it. I think that's all it needs.
Vincent is tired of hearing the smoke alarm tests! (So am I.)
Joe's place across the hall apparently had a broken chain lock. Hmm. I would guess someone forced it at some time or another. Mine is always in use yet vintage to the building.
Both times of the visits -- the super's initial sweep and the actual inspection -- my neighbor next door fought with them refusing to open the door for the longest time. Now, I don't answer my door usually, either. But I could hear it was the super and he even yelled, "It's the super! I'd like to check your smoke detector! We have a state inspection coming!" I let him in. Technically, other than an emergency, we're supposed to have (I think) 48 hours notice for them to enter. But it wasn't a huge deal. He tested the door, the smoke alarm and made sure my chain worked.
The neighbor finally let the inspector in for the inspection -- we did have two weeks notice and then a 48 hour reminder the inspection was coming. But there was a whole lot of yelling goin' on. Sheesh. Well, maybe it made the inspector inspect less on me because he was so bad! I didn't want to move furniture to show them outlets and such aren't overloaded. He didn't ask that -- the whole inspection took about a minute. He didn't even look under my sinks for leaks, just asked me. (And, no, I have no leaks under my sinks.) He never even turned lights on in the bathroom, kitchen and dining room (built-in fixtures they tested last time) or flush my toilet to make sure it works and doesn't leak. Of course, my toilet is only a few months old and still looks brand new, so maybe that's why he didn't check that.
The last five-year inspection was a huge headache with the inspector going through everything with a fine-tooth comb, wanting to look at every electrical outlet, check all possibilities of leaks and more. This time, quick and easy -- test smoke/CO detector, glance about in kitchen and bathroom, check access to the fire escape in the bedroom. Now, since the last inspection, I do have a new bathroom vanity and sink, toilet, new windows, new refrigerator (my own, but my last used one looked horrible; this one still looks brand new), new kitchen floor and more. So, maybe the apartment just looks like there are fewer problems and he didn't feel the need to inspect as much.
The neighbor also gave the exterminator a lot of grief early in the week. I don't know what's going on there. The inspector was in his apartment a lot longer than in mine. He better not have safety or bug-causing issues going on there! When Carlos left that place about 18 months ago, it was a showplace in beautiful condition with an updated kitchen, gorgeous hardwood floors and all. Mine has beat-up hardwood never refinished before I moved in 17 years ago and original building kitchen cabinets.
Oh, well. It's over for the next five years now.
Onto the photos from the week -- clicking on an image will open up a larger version.
Last fall Bernice gave me some seeds to grow these. I tossed them across the ground in an area adjacent to the parking lot at my apartment building. It's on the neighbor's property, but a small strip between our fence and their garage. They seem to neglect that rocky strip in their lawn maintenance, so I didn't think they'd mind flowers. There's no good place on the grounds of my building to plant them. They took root!
Although I've an allergy to bee stings, these little guys are a vital part of nature. And, for the most part, bees tend to be non-aggressive. Yellow jackets and other wasps are a bit different.
These "flower of an hour" blossoms come to life in the vicinity of 9am. They're closed up for most of the day and night.
Until the last few days, we had more rain and more cool temperatures. As of yesterday, that's all changed. We're facing what should be the first day of a heat wave, the second one this year. Temperatures are supposed to be in the 90s starting today and lasting through Tuesday. I'd actually prefer the cooler temps. I hate the heat!
Every five years in New Jersey, multi-family dwellings get inspected by the state. This past week we had our inspection in my apartment building. It's a big pain, but I do understand that these inspections can catch fire and safety issues and neglect by landlords. The first time I went through this here, they came up with tons of violations resulting in new power outlets in the kitchen and bathroom, scraping down and painting all of the fire escapes and more. This time it didn't seem like much at all. We have new windows, the fire escapes remain in good shape, etc. The main thing the inspector seemed to be concerned about was working smoke/CO detectors.
Earlier in the week, the super (who is no longer Mario ... sniffle) came through testing to make sure the apartment doors self-close, have the privacy chain locks and testing the smoke alarms. Mine is working although my door likes to self-close rather slowly. The inspector never actually checked my door. If I have to run from a fire, I'll make sure it closes! That, or I'll buy a tiny can of oil and oil it. I think that's all it needs.
Vincent is tired of hearing the smoke alarm tests! (So am I.)
Joe's place across the hall apparently had a broken chain lock. Hmm. I would guess someone forced it at some time or another. Mine is always in use yet vintage to the building.
Both times of the visits -- the super's initial sweep and the actual inspection -- my neighbor next door fought with them refusing to open the door for the longest time. Now, I don't answer my door usually, either. But I could hear it was the super and he even yelled, "It's the super! I'd like to check your smoke detector! We have a state inspection coming!" I let him in. Technically, other than an emergency, we're supposed to have (I think) 48 hours notice for them to enter. But it wasn't a huge deal. He tested the door, the smoke alarm and made sure my chain worked.
The neighbor finally let the inspector in for the inspection -- we did have two weeks notice and then a 48 hour reminder the inspection was coming. But there was a whole lot of yelling goin' on. Sheesh. Well, maybe it made the inspector inspect less on me because he was so bad! I didn't want to move furniture to show them outlets and such aren't overloaded. He didn't ask that -- the whole inspection took about a minute. He didn't even look under my sinks for leaks, just asked me. (And, no, I have no leaks under my sinks.) He never even turned lights on in the bathroom, kitchen and dining room (built-in fixtures they tested last time) or flush my toilet to make sure it works and doesn't leak. Of course, my toilet is only a few months old and still looks brand new, so maybe that's why he didn't check that.
The last five-year inspection was a huge headache with the inspector going through everything with a fine-tooth comb, wanting to look at every electrical outlet, check all possibilities of leaks and more. This time, quick and easy -- test smoke/CO detector, glance about in kitchen and bathroom, check access to the fire escape in the bedroom. Now, since the last inspection, I do have a new bathroom vanity and sink, toilet, new windows, new refrigerator (my own, but my last used one looked horrible; this one still looks brand new), new kitchen floor and more. So, maybe the apartment just looks like there are fewer problems and he didn't feel the need to inspect as much.
The neighbor also gave the exterminator a lot of grief early in the week. I don't know what's going on there. The inspector was in his apartment a lot longer than in mine. He better not have safety or bug-causing issues going on there! When Carlos left that place about 18 months ago, it was a showplace in beautiful condition with an updated kitchen, gorgeous hardwood floors and all. Mine has beat-up hardwood never refinished before I moved in 17 years ago and original building kitchen cabinets.
Oh, well. It's over for the next five years now.
Onto the photos from the week -- clicking on an image will open up a larger version.
 |
| The flower of an hour has sprung! |
Last fall Bernice gave me some seeds to grow these. I tossed them across the ground in an area adjacent to the parking lot at my apartment building. It's on the neighbor's property, but a small strip between our fence and their garage. They seem to neglect that rocky strip in their lawn maintenance, so I didn't think they'd mind flowers. There's no good place on the grounds of my building to plant them. They took root!
 |
| Yay, it's bee season! |
Although I've an allergy to bee stings, these little guys are a vital part of nature. And, for the most part, bees tend to be non-aggressive. Yellow jackets and other wasps are a bit different.
 |
| Caught at the right time! |
These "flower of an hour" blossoms come to life in the vicinity of 9am. They're closed up for most of the day and night.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 30, 2016
Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. This is a regular Sunday part of this blog in addition to the television posts. Right now I'm covering Big Brother: Over the Top daily -- you can find those posts at this link. I'm also live blogging Survivor episodes as they air on Wednesday evenings. Come join the blog parties!
Happy Halloween tomorrow to all! While many at my workplace are wearing costumes and their are costume contest prizes, I'm not partaking. I've had too much on my plate the last few months at work. Tomorrow will just be another day with too much I need to get done and not enough time to do it in. I won't have time to partake in any of the work festivities. However, I might snag some chocolate from the lunch room to keep me going!
In all the years I've lived in this apartment, I've never had a trick or treater even though children live in the building. First, I got to the point where I'd buy only Reese's peanut butter cups or, perhaps Butterfinger bars, because I like them and would eat them if no children came by. Some years went by that I bought no candy and no one came. This year, unless I pick up some tomorrow, I have nothing for kids. No kid better knock on my door!
Someone stole my Sunday newspaper. Grr. I went down relatively early for it and it was gone. I have gone several months with no Sunday newspaper thefts, now have had two in the past four weeks. Someone new in the building? If I didn't want online daily access, I wouldn't get a hard copy at all. And, subscribing to just Sunday's paper is the cheapest route, plus I can use the grocery coupons. I really hate thieves. I wish I could get them to throw the paper up on my fire escape. But, with my luck, they'd probably break the window with it or throw it onto the wrong fire escape.
AMC is showing all of the Halloween movies. I've had them on since about 6am. I wish I didn't have to work during their Stephen King marathon this past Monday. I like scary stuff although real life is a lot more scary. Speaking of horror ... wow, Walking Dead. Just wow. Rest in pieces, Abraham and Glenn.
While I don't really know any new tenants in my apartment building, some tenants (I also didn't know) moved out this past week. I can't believe the stuff people throw out when they move! They could have made several hundreds of dollars selling the stuff on Craigslist! They chucked a good condition couch and matching chairs. Now, I'd never trust that stuff due to bedbug scares. But I did grab a small metal (in brand new condition) baker's rack shelving doohickey. It perfectly fits between my table and refrigerator in the kitchen. And, it's perfect for my onions and potatoes on lower shelves, canisters on the top. Heck, I can even fit my toaster on a shelf and free up counter space.
That's about it. Onto the photos for the week! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.
The planters in downtown Plainfield are now sporting yellow mums. I'm talking light yellow, not the gold of the ones near my workplace. It's great to see the planters go seasonal in Plainfield -- I remember many years when they didn't have them. They're a nice touch for the aesthetics of downtown.
We have touches of color mixed in with the green leaves many trees are still sporting in my neighborhood. The acorns are coming down on rapid order, making squirrels happy little critters. Where I grew up, the trees are already barren by Halloween. Here, they haven't even hit peak yet. This year many of the trees were de-leaved with heavy winds for nearly a week, though! I'm still waiting for the trees outside my windows to turn yellow.
Even though there's been frost on the pumpkin a few times during the week, the ones adorning my workplace grounds are still looking mighty good! I've noticed some of the small pumpkins have gone missing (grr). But the large ones would take a few people to pick them up.
Happy Halloween tomorrow to all! While many at my workplace are wearing costumes and their are costume contest prizes, I'm not partaking. I've had too much on my plate the last few months at work. Tomorrow will just be another day with too much I need to get done and not enough time to do it in. I won't have time to partake in any of the work festivities. However, I might snag some chocolate from the lunch room to keep me going!
In all the years I've lived in this apartment, I've never had a trick or treater even though children live in the building. First, I got to the point where I'd buy only Reese's peanut butter cups or, perhaps Butterfinger bars, because I like them and would eat them if no children came by. Some years went by that I bought no candy and no one came. This year, unless I pick up some tomorrow, I have nothing for kids. No kid better knock on my door!
Someone stole my Sunday newspaper. Grr. I went down relatively early for it and it was gone. I have gone several months with no Sunday newspaper thefts, now have had two in the past four weeks. Someone new in the building? If I didn't want online daily access, I wouldn't get a hard copy at all. And, subscribing to just Sunday's paper is the cheapest route, plus I can use the grocery coupons. I really hate thieves. I wish I could get them to throw the paper up on my fire escape. But, with my luck, they'd probably break the window with it or throw it onto the wrong fire escape.
AMC is showing all of the Halloween movies. I've had them on since about 6am. I wish I didn't have to work during their Stephen King marathon this past Monday. I like scary stuff although real life is a lot more scary. Speaking of horror ... wow, Walking Dead. Just wow. Rest in pieces, Abraham and Glenn.
While I don't really know any new tenants in my apartment building, some tenants (I also didn't know) moved out this past week. I can't believe the stuff people throw out when they move! They could have made several hundreds of dollars selling the stuff on Craigslist! They chucked a good condition couch and matching chairs. Now, I'd never trust that stuff due to bedbug scares. But I did grab a small metal (in brand new condition) baker's rack shelving doohickey. It perfectly fits between my table and refrigerator in the kitchen. And, it's perfect for my onions and potatoes on lower shelves, canisters on the top. Heck, I can even fit my toaster on a shelf and free up counter space.
That's about it. Onto the photos for the week! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.
 |
| Downtown mums |
The planters in downtown Plainfield are now sporting yellow mums. I'm talking light yellow, not the gold of the ones near my workplace. It's great to see the planters go seasonal in Plainfield -- I remember many years when they didn't have them. They're a nice touch for the aesthetics of downtown.
 |
| Autumn in the 'hood |
We have touches of color mixed in with the green leaves many trees are still sporting in my neighborhood. The acorns are coming down on rapid order, making squirrels happy little critters. Where I grew up, the trees are already barren by Halloween. Here, they haven't even hit peak yet. This year many of the trees were de-leaved with heavy winds for nearly a week, though! I'm still waiting for the trees outside my windows to turn yellow.
 |
| Whole lotta pumpkin |
Even though there's been frost on the pumpkin a few times during the week, the ones adorning my workplace grounds are still looking mighty good! I've noticed some of the small pumpkins have gone missing (grr). But the large ones would take a few people to pick them up.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 13, 2015
Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of
the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way;
This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. Stay tuned.
Yes, I'm finally at staycation! This week I do have a lot of things I want to get done. I have to choose photos to enter in the photo contest. I have work I want to do on a few old computers to get the information (and photos!) off of the hard drives. I have to consult a lawyer over some issues (not criminal, mind you). I need to watch all of the TV shows I've recorded. I want to organize stuff here at home and get rid of unused items and clothes that will never fit me again. I'd like to go into the city, perhaps tomorrow, to photo stomp the Feast of San Genaro and parts of Chinatown. The last time I went was on a weekend and it was packed. Monday might be better! I also want one or two mornings at the park now that kids have returned to school. Oh, and so much more planned for the week!
But I will indeed take time to rest and relax, too.
This past week at work was work although severely shortened in the number of days. Labor Day is a paid holiday for me and I took a paid vacation day for yesterday. So, technically, I had a three day work week. However, things change. I ended up going in for about three hours on Monday at an exorbitant rate of pay. Hey, they wanted me. I certainly didn't ASK to work!
The week was record-breaking heat (and humidity) at its start, then rain and a return to more seasonable temperatures. Once we get by iffy weather today, it looks like clear sailing and more seasonable.
In home life, things have been back to their normal quiet since last week's excitement. About the most disruptive thing is that I've decided the guy upstairs needs a new vacuum cleaner. He has wall-to-wall carpet and vacuums rarely or when I'm not at home. He vacuumed yesterday and I swear it sounded like a helicopter trying to land and moving around his apartment! Here I have hardwood floors throughout and Swiffer does the trick. My handheld vacuum can deal with the few small area rugs I have. I do have a good working real vacuum, but I'll hang onto it. I don't want to have to buy another one if the day comes that I'll need it. I doubt I'll live here forever.
Enough ... onto this week's photos! Clicking on a photo will bring up a larger version.
He's looking all sweet and innocent. But, give him some catnip and all heck can break loose! Oh, wait. He's not sweet and innocent ... he's checking out the bird in the photo below!
Perhaps in mourning; I didn't see its mate. I swear this one has been zooming out of the underbrush so quickly every day that I wasn't sure what it was. But, I caught it zooming then sitting one day. Like a pigeon, but not.
I saw this car on East 4th Street in Plainfield, fantastic condition. Its windows were down and I didn't see an owner around. If it were MY car, I wouldn't take those risks. But, I'd bet a lot of today's car thieves wouldn't know how to drive it anyway!
Yes, I'm finally at staycation! This week I do have a lot of things I want to get done. I have to choose photos to enter in the photo contest. I have work I want to do on a few old computers to get the information (and photos!) off of the hard drives. I have to consult a lawyer over some issues (not criminal, mind you). I need to watch all of the TV shows I've recorded. I want to organize stuff here at home and get rid of unused items and clothes that will never fit me again. I'd like to go into the city, perhaps tomorrow, to photo stomp the Feast of San Genaro and parts of Chinatown. The last time I went was on a weekend and it was packed. Monday might be better! I also want one or two mornings at the park now that kids have returned to school. Oh, and so much more planned for the week!
But I will indeed take time to rest and relax, too.
This past week at work was work although severely shortened in the number of days. Labor Day is a paid holiday for me and I took a paid vacation day for yesterday. So, technically, I had a three day work week. However, things change. I ended up going in for about three hours on Monday at an exorbitant rate of pay. Hey, they wanted me. I certainly didn't ASK to work!
The week was record-breaking heat (and humidity) at its start, then rain and a return to more seasonable temperatures. Once we get by iffy weather today, it looks like clear sailing and more seasonable.
In home life, things have been back to their normal quiet since last week's excitement. About the most disruptive thing is that I've decided the guy upstairs needs a new vacuum cleaner. He has wall-to-wall carpet and vacuums rarely or when I'm not at home. He vacuumed yesterday and I swear it sounded like a helicopter trying to land and moving around his apartment! Here I have hardwood floors throughout and Swiffer does the trick. My handheld vacuum can deal with the few small area rugs I have. I do have a good working real vacuum, but I'll hang onto it. I don't want to have to buy another one if the day comes that I'll need it. I doubt I'll live here forever.
Enough ... onto this week's photos! Clicking on a photo will bring up a larger version.
 |
| Vincent |
He's looking all sweet and innocent. But, give him some catnip and all heck can break loose! Oh, wait. He's not sweet and innocent ... he's checking out the bird in the photo below!
 |
| A mourning dove |
Perhaps in mourning; I didn't see its mate. I swear this one has been zooming out of the underbrush so quickly every day that I wasn't sure what it was. But, I caught it zooming then sitting one day. Like a pigeon, but not.
 |
| Cool old Thunderbird |
I saw this car on East 4th Street in Plainfield, fantastic condition. Its windows were down and I didn't see an owner around. If it were MY car, I wouldn't take those risks. But, I'd bet a lot of today's car thieves wouldn't know how to drive it anyway!
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, August 02, 2015
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 2, 2015
Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way! This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. Stay tuned.
Here in the NJ/Greater NYC Metro Area, we had another hot week with temps hovering around and often going over 90 degrees. While the city itself (NYC) didn't have enough 90 degree days in a row to qualify as a heat wave, we in the inland areas did. The heat never actually broke. But, storms coming through towards the end of the week broke the humidity a bit. By tomorrow, the humidity is expected to return. I am NOT a summer, high heat, high humidity person! I would like autumn weather, please.
I had another rather uneventful week here -- working, working on the blog, not enough sleep, rinse, repeat. I kind of wanted to take my folding chair and head across the street for a free outdoor showing of Selma the city was putting on Friday night (raindated from Thursday). It was right at the Aristacare center where I would have gone for rehab after knee surgery had I been forced to do time in rehab.
But I guess I'm getting too old and crochety or something. I thought of lugging my chair which is wood and heavier than a lawn chair, jaywalking across the street with it, bug bites, the heat and how tired I was after work. I ended up posting a BB live feeds update on the blog, then napping. After napping, I went to bed. Such is my life these days.
Onto this week's photos! Due to the heat, I didn't take a ton of shots, nor really seek out photography fodder. I went for the easy stuff that was right in front of me. If you click on an image, it will open it up in a larger version.
The two young pigeons born this past spring at the Bridgewater Train Station seem to have a real curiosity about my camera. As a result, I often end up with many photos of them.
Oops. I should have posted a human head on his face to be posting "Help me!" with this fly shot. I believe this is a flesh fly, not the kind of housefly you might have to battle with in your home. (Of course, I let Vincent the Cat battle flies that might sneak in here.) They feed off dead animals and such. Ew. But he was kind of cool to photograph.
While it might appear that I'm risking my life for the shot, I'm not. Or, to be more accurate, I wasn't. I took this shot of the 59 bus headed to Newark from the westbound platform of the Plainfield Train Station. It was rounding the corner from Gavett Place to North Avenue.
Here in the NJ/Greater NYC Metro Area, we had another hot week with temps hovering around and often going over 90 degrees. While the city itself (NYC) didn't have enough 90 degree days in a row to qualify as a heat wave, we in the inland areas did. The heat never actually broke. But, storms coming through towards the end of the week broke the humidity a bit. By tomorrow, the humidity is expected to return. I am NOT a summer, high heat, high humidity person! I would like autumn weather, please.
I had another rather uneventful week here -- working, working on the blog, not enough sleep, rinse, repeat. I kind of wanted to take my folding chair and head across the street for a free outdoor showing of Selma the city was putting on Friday night (raindated from Thursday). It was right at the Aristacare center where I would have gone for rehab after knee surgery had I been forced to do time in rehab.
But I guess I'm getting too old and crochety or something. I thought of lugging my chair which is wood and heavier than a lawn chair, jaywalking across the street with it, bug bites, the heat and how tired I was after work. I ended up posting a BB live feeds update on the blog, then napping. After napping, I went to bed. Such is my life these days.
Onto this week's photos! Due to the heat, I didn't take a ton of shots, nor really seek out photography fodder. I went for the easy stuff that was right in front of me. If you click on an image, it will open it up in a larger version.
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| Posing pigeon |
The two young pigeons born this past spring at the Bridgewater Train Station seem to have a real curiosity about my camera. As a result, I often end up with many photos of them.
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| Help me! Help me! |
Oops. I should have posted a human head on his face to be posting "Help me!" with this fly shot. I believe this is a flesh fly, not the kind of housefly you might have to battle with in your home. (Of course, I let Vincent the Cat battle flies that might sneak in here.) They feed off dead animals and such. Ew. But he was kind of cool to photograph.
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| Eek! A bus! |
While it might appear that I'm risking my life for the shot, I'm not. Or, to be more accurate, I wasn't. I took this shot of the 59 bus headed to Newark from the westbound platform of the Plainfield Train Station. It was rounding the corner from Gavett Place to North Avenue.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 12
Good Sunday morning to everybody! I hope the sun is shining and it's not too hot for comfort wherever you might be. This is my weekly off television topic reflection on the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.
If you're looking for Big Brother television show or live feeds content, you can find all of those posts at this link right here. I have a live feeds report from the overnight happenings in progress and expect to be posting it shortly. This particular off television topic photo post that you're reading right now is posted every Sunday morning throughout the whole year. BB is only three months. (Although sometimes it seems like an eternity!) You can feel free to skip this post. My feelings won't be hurt.
WAH!
Er, never mind. I was just doing that for attention!
It's been a rather typical July week here in New Jersey -- heat, humidity, rain, rinse, repeat. Today is supposed to be over 90 degrees with high humidity. Ick. I have no plans to go anywhere. I'll stay in my air conditioning, thank you very much!
The past week was rather uneventful. Work, work, work. Sigh. That's another reason for no real plans today -- a day of relaxation, reading, music ... I have excellent restful diversions at hand. Plus, maybe even a nap!
About the only real thing I can think of to report from the past week is that the Plainfield Police finally seem to be cracking down on the drinking homeless, transient, bums, street people (although I'm sure many do have somewhere to be other than drinking in public) at the Plainfield Train Station. I saw one cop telling those using the electric outlets on the platform to charge their cell phones to move along. And, twice I've seen them yell at the drinking bunch on the benches to move along. Yay!
Without further ado, onto the photos for this week. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.
I didn't realize until I watched this one that they cut or rip strips of the leaf off and then eat the pieces. I always thought they just chomped directly on the leaves.
Is it a BEAR?!?! No? Perhaps a COYOTE!?!?! No? Oh. It's a rabbit. Cancel the alert, please. East Second Street, Plainfield.
If you're looking for Big Brother television show or live feeds content, you can find all of those posts at this link right here. I have a live feeds report from the overnight happenings in progress and expect to be posting it shortly. This particular off television topic photo post that you're reading right now is posted every Sunday morning throughout the whole year. BB is only three months. (Although sometimes it seems like an eternity!) You can feel free to skip this post. My feelings won't be hurt.
WAH!
Er, never mind. I was just doing that for attention!
It's been a rather typical July week here in New Jersey -- heat, humidity, rain, rinse, repeat. Today is supposed to be over 90 degrees with high humidity. Ick. I have no plans to go anywhere. I'll stay in my air conditioning, thank you very much!
The past week was rather uneventful. Work, work, work. Sigh. That's another reason for no real plans today -- a day of relaxation, reading, music ... I have excellent restful diversions at hand. Plus, maybe even a nap!
About the only real thing I can think of to report from the past week is that the Plainfield Police finally seem to be cracking down on the drinking homeless, transient, bums, street people (although I'm sure many do have somewhere to be other than drinking in public) at the Plainfield Train Station. I saw one cop telling those using the electric outlets on the platform to charge their cell phones to move along. And, twice I've seen them yell at the drinking bunch on the benches to move along. Yay!
Without further ado, onto the photos for this week. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.
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| Japanese beetle up close and personal |
I didn't realize until I watched this one that they cut or rip strips of the leaf off and then eat the pieces. I always thought they just chomped directly on the leaves.
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| Eek! A wild animal headed my way! |
Is it a BEAR?!?! No? Perhaps a COYOTE!?!?! No? Oh. It's a rabbit. Cancel the alert, please. East Second Street, Plainfield.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 21, 2015
Good morning! It's Sunday, the first day of summer and Father's Day all wrapped in one! Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! I'd say Happy Summer, but it's not my favorite season of the year -- I'm more into less extreme weather. Give me spring or autumn weather all year 'round and I'd be thrilled. Since it's also Sunday, 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 looking for Big Brother television show content, check out this link right here for the latest. If you want to sign up to be in the blog pool for the show, you need to sign up only on this linked post. (Otherwise we might miss your request!) Later on today, I plan to post some hot gossip on some of the new house hamsters. Yikes. I said "hot gossip." I feel like a tabloid.
I really don't have much to report on from this past week. Here are some random bits and pieces:
Have you seen this bird? Heh. This is one of the adolescent pigeons born this spring at the Bridgewater Train Station. Similar to how one of the parent pigeons posed for me one day with curiosity about the camera, as did this one and its sibling this past week.
I spotted the bright green Peapod grocery delivery truck down the street from me one day. Grocery delivery is really catching on. For the longest time I thought I was the only one around here getting Peapod. Nowadays, at least two other people in my building use the service in addition to this stop down the street and the times I've seen the truck pull in at apartments across the street.
If you're looking for Big Brother television show content, check out this link right here for the latest. If you want to sign up to be in the blog pool for the show, you need to sign up only on this linked post. (Otherwise we might miss your request!) Later on today, I plan to post some hot gossip on some of the new house hamsters. Yikes. I said "hot gossip." I feel like a tabloid.
I really don't have much to report on from this past week. Here are some random bits and pieces:
- I managed to catch one of the illnesses going around my workplace this week -- yet another monster cold combined with allergies I've already been suffering. Wah.
- The weather this past week has been hot, humid and rainy. I don't like that. Make it stop.
- The new guy next door, even when his adult children (maybe in their forties) came with a child about seven carrying a big ball ... hasn't moved my floorboards with thumping, nor can I hear much at all from over there. I still haven't met him. The couple was bearing groceries and I'd guess the child is a grandchild. Oh, and I should add, the boy was CARRYING the ball in the hallway, not bouncing it.
- We're under a flood watch today. I'm staying in. But it can still stop, please.
- I'm shocked and saddened by the Charleston, SC, massacre this past week. Those folks took him in to pray with them. It speaks volumes about the goodness in their hearts and the hate in his. This world is so messed up.
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| Mug shot profile |
Have you seen this bird? Heh. This is one of the adolescent pigeons born this spring at the Bridgewater Train Station. Similar to how one of the parent pigeons posed for me one day with curiosity about the camera, as did this one and its sibling this past week.
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| Peapod in da 'hood |
I spotted the bright green Peapod grocery delivery truck down the street from me one day. Grocery delivery is really catching on. For the longest time I thought I was the only one around here getting Peapod. Nowadays, at least two other people in my building use the service in addition to this stop down the street and the times I've seen the truck pull in at apartments across the street.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 10, 2014
Happy Sunday morning to y'all! Just a word of warning -- this post is my weekly off television topic photo post reflecting on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're looking for my Big Brother live feeds content, those posts can be found at this link right here. You've been warned. Feel free to skip this post if you wish!
We continue to have a not horrible but a bit rainy summer here. While I hear some people whine that it's not hot enough, you won't hear any complaints from me! I don't like heat and humidity. I love night time temperatures in the 50s. The last thing I ever would want to do is lay in the hot sun sweating while I burn to a crisp. While we've had some warmer days in the 90s, it pales compared to many summer in the past. Good.
This week's random musings:
I had a bit of a treat yesterday morning, as did a certain Plainfield Train Station groundhog. Now, I've seen this groundhog at the station before. But he usually scurries away and hides. It turns out that some of the Latino guys who hang out at the station have been feeding him bread and hard rolls daily. I happened upon one throwing down chunks of hard roll for him and we sat back to watch him come out. Very cool.
One of the streetlamps in the business district on East Front Street, Plainfield.
One of the business on the corner of East Front Street and Westervelt Avenue in Plainfield has a gorgeous display of flowers growing this year. The sunflower caught my attention. One of these mornings on my walk to the train, I'll have to cross the street for some close-ups! Kudos to them for beautifying a rather otherwise boring corner!
We continue to have a not horrible but a bit rainy summer here. While I hear some people whine that it's not hot enough, you won't hear any complaints from me! I don't like heat and humidity. I love night time temperatures in the 50s. The last thing I ever would want to do is lay in the hot sun sweating while I burn to a crisp. While we've had some warmer days in the 90s, it pales compared to many summer in the past. Good.
This week's random musings:
- If you have a July monthly NJ Transit train pass, don't expect the conductor to take it in August just because you haven't had a payday yet. (No, not me. I always have mine by the 1st.)
- If you're a substitute driver on the NJ Transit bus from Dunellen to Newark, please know your route and don't depend on passengers (me) to tell you that you missed a major turn.
- I wish the sunflowers that I pass by were growing closer to where I have access without going up on lawns.
- I have yet another new neighbor(s?) upstairs. My good upstairs neighbor of the last year plus a few months got the boot after his girlfriend left and he either didn't want to pay the rent or couldn't do it on his own. Other than moving in at nearly midnight one night this past week, he/she/they walk quietly on the hardwood floors and I just hear some not unexpected movement around the apartment noises. So far, so good.
- I'm expecting a Peapod grocery delivery today and the elevator door stuck when I went down to get my newspaper. Eek! I fixed it myself with some WD-40. Yay, me! I don't want the delivery guy/gal to have to lug all my heavy stuff up the stairs.
I had a bit of a treat yesterday morning, as did a certain Plainfield Train Station groundhog. Now, I've seen this groundhog at the station before. But he usually scurries away and hides. It turns out that some of the Latino guys who hang out at the station have been feeding him bread and hard rolls daily. I happened upon one throwing down chunks of hard roll for him and we sat back to watch him come out. Very cool.
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| Let freedom ring |
One of the streetlamps in the business district on East Front Street, Plainfield.
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| Flowers grow on Westervelt Ave. |
One of the business on the corner of East Front Street and Westervelt Avenue in Plainfield has a gorgeous display of flowers growing this year. The sunflower caught my attention. One of these mornings on my walk to the train, I'll have to cross the street for some close-ups! Kudos to them for beautifying a rather otherwise boring corner!
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, August 03, 2014
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 3, 2014
Good morning! Welcome to my weekly Sunday morning reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're looking for Big Brother live feeds reports, you can find those posts at this link right here. The post you're currently reading is off television topic and a weekly post I make throughout the year on the blog. You can read it or not -- your choice!
Here in New Jersey, we had more than enough rain once again. Our reservoir levels have remained in the positive all summer long. It's a shame that we can't steer the rain off to areas in the West which are experiencing droughts! Overall, after a harsh winter, it's been a mild summer. Hey, I'm not complaining! I'm not a fan of the extreme heat. I'm not one to lay around on a beach sunburning and sweating. I don't like to sweat. Give me the 70s and I love it!
I was bitten by another mosquito this week, going into the full allergic reaction once again. Well, not to the point of anaphylaxis, but yet quite serious. I have no clue why all of a sudden I'm having these allergic reactions. I've been wearing Eau D'Off pretty much wherever I go, but forgot to put it on the morning I visited Mindowaskin Park in Westfield. I put it on after a while as I carry an Off "pen" in my pocketbook, but it was too late.
That's all for me for now. It's onto the photos! If you click on an image, it will open a new window and you can increase the size of the image twice by clicking on the magnifying glass on the lower right. If you click on the X to close that page, you end up right back here where you left off. I have two slideshows this week -- to make those full screen, just click on the diagonal arrow on the bottom right!
I hope everyone has a great Sunday and I'll be posting the latest BB16 live feeds soon!
Because the double-decker trains are so tall, they look quite short when seen from a distance. Don't let the optical illusion fool you -- this train is seven or eight long cars long! Thankfully for drivers, it's nowhere near as long as some of those freight trains which take forever to pass by.
I made a trip to Mindowaskin Park in Westfield this week. The ducklings I photographed at the beginning of summer are growing up! After the jump, I have a slideshow of my day in the park. This is just a sneak peek!
I don't have to go to the park to see cute bunnies ... they're all around my neighborhood. This is a young one resting in the grass.
This is another shot from the day in the park. Dragonflies were all over the place! I wonder why more Blue Dashers than other varieties seem to have wing damage of some sort. I've seen in in photos I've taken before. Their wings must be more fragile than other kinds of dragonflies, I guess.
Again, more than enough rain here this week (and it's raining more as I write this). This is the reflection in a huge puddle after the rain stopped one morning.
Here in New Jersey, we had more than enough rain once again. Our reservoir levels have remained in the positive all summer long. It's a shame that we can't steer the rain off to areas in the West which are experiencing droughts! Overall, after a harsh winter, it's been a mild summer. Hey, I'm not complaining! I'm not a fan of the extreme heat. I'm not one to lay around on a beach sunburning and sweating. I don't like to sweat. Give me the 70s and I love it!
I was bitten by another mosquito this week, going into the full allergic reaction once again. Well, not to the point of anaphylaxis, but yet quite serious. I have no clue why all of a sudden I'm having these allergic reactions. I've been wearing Eau D'Off pretty much wherever I go, but forgot to put it on the morning I visited Mindowaskin Park in Westfield. I put it on after a while as I carry an Off "pen" in my pocketbook, but it was too late.
That's all for me for now. It's onto the photos! If you click on an image, it will open a new window and you can increase the size of the image twice by clicking on the magnifying glass on the lower right. If you click on the X to close that page, you end up right back here where you left off. I have two slideshows this week -- to make those full screen, just click on the diagonal arrow on the bottom right!
I hope everyone has a great Sunday and I'll be posting the latest BB16 live feeds soon!
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| NJ Transit, Raritan Valley Line |
Because the double-decker trains are so tall, they look quite short when seen from a distance. Don't let the optical illusion fool you -- this train is seven or eight long cars long! Thankfully for drivers, it's nowhere near as long as some of those freight trains which take forever to pass by.
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| Ducks at rest |
I made a trip to Mindowaskin Park in Westfield this week. The ducklings I photographed at the beginning of summer are growing up! After the jump, I have a slideshow of my day in the park. This is just a sneak peek!
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| East Front Street bunny |
I don't have to go to the park to see cute bunnies ... they're all around my neighborhood. This is a young one resting in the grass.
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| Blue Dasher Dragonfly |
This is another shot from the day in the park. Dragonflies were all over the place! I wonder why more Blue Dashers than other varieties seem to have wing damage of some sort. I've seen in in photos I've taken before. Their wings must be more fragile than other kinds of dragonflies, I guess.
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| After the rain |
Again, more than enough rain here this week (and it's raining more as I write this). This is the reflection in a huge puddle after the rain stopped one morning.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS AND SLIDESHOWS OF BOTH THIS WEEK'S FLOWERS AND THE DAY IN THE PARK**
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 27, 2014
Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic photo post! If you're looking for my Big Brother coverage, you can find those posts right here at this link. This particular post is one I do each Sunday morning throughout the year, BB or not! I reflect on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way.
Alas, I didn't have a great photography week. It seemed like I was always rushing or conditions just weren't right. Oh well, there will be many more photos to take in my life.
I'm going to go once again with some random thoughts from the week:
Although the days are getting shorter, it's not to the point that I'm seeing the sunrise on my walk to the train station. We have been lucky in that we haven't seen many actual heat waves so far this summer (temps over 90 for three days or more). But we've had a lot of humid days and it's been a summer for lots of thunderstorms. I took this shot on Church Street in Plainfield.
I have no clue exactly what make and model this is, but it sure is cool. There was an older man driving it. While he'd be too young to be the original owner, he seemed appropriate for the car. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.
This Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly flew over my head at the Bridgewater Train Station. I was delighted to see I actually captured a halfway decent photo of him.
Alas, I didn't have a great photography week. It seemed like I was always rushing or conditions just weren't right. Oh well, there will be many more photos to take in my life.
I'm going to go once again with some random thoughts from the week:
- Last night as I arrived home to my New Jersey 'hood, I had to hear two competing Mexican Polka Bands. Ack! One was at a house near the corner of my block -- they were having a huge child's birthday party with a bouncy-house and all set up in the front lawn. As I walked by, they sang Happy Birthday, then WHAM into Mexican Polka! The second band was at the usual suspect house in back of my apartment. Even with my windows closed, a fan and the AC on, I could hear the thump-thump of the music. It lasted until nearly midnight.
- Two very young misbehaving children on the NJ Transit train were yelling and carrying on without any effort on the part of the parents to control them. When the piped announcement said, "Watch out for the gap when exiting." -- the girl cried out, "Cat? Where's a cat?" (I'll admit that was cute.) Her mother told her, "Gap. Watch out for the gap." The girl asked, "What's a gap?" I almost said, "A gap is a monster that swallows children who don't behave." I bit my tongue.
- There's an abundance of lightning bugs around here this year. If I were several decades younger, I'd be all over that!
- My cable and power were out on separate days this week, each for about six hours, neither due to a storm. Of course, my cable could have also been out while my power was out. I have no way of knowing.
- I panicked a bit when I saw Vincent pursuing a long dark quick bug along the floor into the kitchen. Ah. A carpenter ant. Not that I want those in my apartment, but it must have somehow strayed in from outside. As I predicted, I have had no influx of bugs by refusing to have my apartment fogged with poisonous junk.
- Oh. And Vincent killed the carpenter ant and then wondered why it wouldn't play with him anymore.
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| Early morning sun |
Although the days are getting shorter, it's not to the point that I'm seeing the sunrise on my walk to the train station. We have been lucky in that we haven't seen many actual heat waves so far this summer (temps over 90 for three days or more). But we've had a lot of humid days and it's been a summer for lots of thunderstorms. I took this shot on Church Street in Plainfield.
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| Cool old car! |
I have no clue exactly what make and model this is, but it sure is cool. There was an older man driving it. While he'd be too young to be the original owner, he seemed appropriate for the car. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.
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| Looking up! |
This Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly flew over my head at the Bridgewater Train Station. I was delighted to see I actually captured a halfway decent photo of him.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK FOR THE WEEKLY FLOWER SLIDESHOW AND THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!**
Sunday, July 06, 2014
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 6, 2014
Welcome to 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 looking for my latest Big Brother television/live feeds posts, check out this link. This here off topic post is a year-round staple on the blog. Yeah, I know it has nothing to do with television. But, of course, life isn't ALL about TV ... right?
This week was a bit of a rough one for me. I had some sort of stomach virus which kept me sick for most of the week while I was still working at my real job and doing the Big Brother coverage here on the blog. Thankfully that ended pretty much by Friday -- in time for me to have a rare three-day holiday weekend off from my job. Yay!
On the holiday itself, I didn't do much. The weather was a bit iffy and one local parade was canceled. However, yesterday's weather was gorgeous and perfect for a parade! And, it just so happens that my city's parade was already planned for Saturday, not Friday. There's also a three-day holiday festival going on downtown which I plan to check in on later today.
Due to feeling icky and icky weather for most of the week, I don't have a ton of photos. After the jump, I have a slideshow not of flowers this week, but of parade photos. On with the show ... clicking on an image will open it in a new Photobucket window. From there, you can make the image larger twice with the magnifying glass icon at the bottom right of the photo. To return here, just close out the Photobucket page.
This wet bunny seems to resent the intrusion of the paparazzi (me). East Front Street, Plainfield.
Although they keep mowing it down, the chicory at the Plainfield Train Station is determined to keep coming back.
I love how Afros and flat-tops are coming back on the kids. I just hope they don't start wearing platform shoes again. Those things were dangerous! I took this photo at the Plainfield 4th of July Parade (held on the 5th). The parade slideshow is just after the jump ... check it out!
This week was a bit of a rough one for me. I had some sort of stomach virus which kept me sick for most of the week while I was still working at my real job and doing the Big Brother coverage here on the blog. Thankfully that ended pretty much by Friday -- in time for me to have a rare three-day holiday weekend off from my job. Yay!
On the holiday itself, I didn't do much. The weather was a bit iffy and one local parade was canceled. However, yesterday's weather was gorgeous and perfect for a parade! And, it just so happens that my city's parade was already planned for Saturday, not Friday. There's also a three-day holiday festival going on downtown which I plan to check in on later today.
Due to feeling icky and icky weather for most of the week, I don't have a ton of photos. After the jump, I have a slideshow not of flowers this week, but of parade photos. On with the show ... clicking on an image will open it in a new Photobucket window. From there, you can make the image larger twice with the magnifying glass icon at the bottom right of the photo. To return here, just close out the Photobucket page.
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| Take a picture, it lasts longer! |
This wet bunny seems to resent the intrusion of the paparazzi (me). East Front Street, Plainfield.
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| The chicory is in bloom |
Although they keep mowing it down, the chicory at the Plainfield Train Station is determined to keep coming back.
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| Gotta love the haircut! |
I love how Afros and flat-tops are coming back on the kids. I just hope they don't start wearing platform shoes again. Those things were dangerous! I took this photo at the Plainfield 4th of July Parade (held on the 5th). The parade slideshow is just after the jump ... check it out!
*TO SEE THE PARADE SLIDESHOW AND MORE,
CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK*
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 22, 2014
Good morning! For those now cruising the blog for Big Brother television show news, I'll be posting the blog pool sign-up post later today (don't sign up for it on this post, please!). This here post is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.
As for the week gone by itself, it wasn't a heck of a lot of much more than work, work, work. The big news is that Big Brother started revealing the new hamster house, new hamsters and new twists. I've covered those things in previous posts and will be posting more daily as we head into the season premiere on Wednesday night.
The weather here in my area of New Jersey hit the nineties for the first time this year. As it was only two days, it wasn't a legitimate heat wave. It still felt like it. I'm not a big fan of summer with ultra-hot and humid days. If summers could have an 80 degree cut-off with low humidity, I'd like it much more. I don't like sweating!
I had good luck with critter photos this week -- a pigeon with its wings expanded during landing and the Plainfield Train Station groundhog, along with a rabbit and a squirrel. Had I been more prepared, I would have had a nice deer shot last night. I climbed up the stairs at the Bridgewater Train Station only to practically walk into a large doe. I gasped. She gasped. She ran so quickly that I couldn't get the shot. She even scared a bunch of rabbits who also hopped away quickly. I was happy that she ran into a fenced area rather than towards the train tracks.
Onto the photos for the week ... clicking on the photo will show it in its Photobucket page. In that view, there's a magnifying glass on the bottom right. You can make the photo larger twice there. To get back to the blog, just close the Photobucket window.
This groundhog at the Plainfield Train Station thought he found the perfect place to hide from me. Yeah, right. I've got you, groundhog!
With a nod to Stephen King's "Monster Shouter" in The Stand, I came across this man with a megaphone at the corner of Park Avenue and East Front Street in Plainfield one afternoon this this week. He was shouting against gay marriage, abortion, Obama ... you name it. No one was paying any attention to him. Also, no one was at the chess tables in the sun!
If you're reading this post from the main page of the blog itself instead of the individual post, this week's flower slideshow is after the jump.
As for the week gone by itself, it wasn't a heck of a lot of much more than work, work, work. The big news is that Big Brother started revealing the new hamster house, new hamsters and new twists. I've covered those things in previous posts and will be posting more daily as we head into the season premiere on Wednesday night.
The weather here in my area of New Jersey hit the nineties for the first time this year. As it was only two days, it wasn't a legitimate heat wave. It still felt like it. I'm not a big fan of summer with ultra-hot and humid days. If summers could have an 80 degree cut-off with low humidity, I'd like it much more. I don't like sweating!
I had good luck with critter photos this week -- a pigeon with its wings expanded during landing and the Plainfield Train Station groundhog, along with a rabbit and a squirrel. Had I been more prepared, I would have had a nice deer shot last night. I climbed up the stairs at the Bridgewater Train Station only to practically walk into a large doe. I gasped. She gasped. She ran so quickly that I couldn't get the shot. She even scared a bunch of rabbits who also hopped away quickly. I was happy that she ran into a fenced area rather than towards the train tracks.
Onto the photos for the week ... clicking on the photo will show it in its Photobucket page. In that view, there's a magnifying glass on the bottom right. You can make the photo larger twice there. To get back to the blog, just close the Photobucket window.
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| Can you see the hidden groundhog? |
This groundhog at the Plainfield Train Station thought he found the perfect place to hide from me. Yeah, right. I've got you, groundhog!
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| Religion and Politics Shouter |
With a nod to Stephen King's "Monster Shouter" in The Stand, I came across this man with a megaphone at the corner of Park Avenue and East Front Street in Plainfield one afternoon this this week. He was shouting against gay marriage, abortion, Obama ... you name it. No one was paying any attention to him. Also, no one was at the chess tables in the sun!
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| My flower slideshow teaser |
If you're reading this post from the main page of the blog itself instead of the individual post, this week's flower slideshow is after the jump.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 15, 2014
Happy Father's Day to everyone out there! My own father passed away young, decades ago. Yet I think of him almost every day.
Since it is Sunday, 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. By the end of this week, all the quietness on the blog will go kerflooey as my coverage of the Big Brother live feeds and shows commence. I'll still post this weekly off topic post, but there will be multiple daily content spoilers and such for the show. It's our summer guilty pleasure! Also, Under the Dome and Falling Skies return!
The weather here this past week was similar to the week before -- rain during the weekdays, nice weekends. You would think, with all the technology in the world, instead of spending money on wars, mankind could focus its attention on doing things like harnessing the weather -- redirecting rainfall to areas of drought and such. I'm sure the money spent by all nations for wars could handle that, as well as research into cures for diseases. But, nah. Mankind would rather just kill each other off, I guess.
I realized this past week that I've apparently become allergic to mosquito bites. To those who saw the photo of a bite I posted on Facebook, the bite is okay. Yeah, still obvious and all, but no longer inflamed. If a mosquito bites me on the nose, I'm going to have to hide from all society.
I don't have much more for you right now. Look for BB posts and announcements by the end of the week! If you click on any of the photos, you'll be brought to that image on my Photobucket page. You can make the image larger and really larger from there. Have a great week!
Yes, it's MY train. I'm getting tired of all the strangers and tourists aboard. How dare TD Ball Park in Bridgewater have a Saturday daytime game coinciding with my work commute! Is there a reason that parents and children don't understand that the phrase "inside voice" applies to train travel? Sheesh. I'm seriously frightened that the large percentage of children these days who are never taught how to behave in public places are going to make it an even more ill-mannered society in the future. Sure, children will be children. However, if parents don't address unacceptable behavior at a young age, the kids aren't going to listen to them at all later on. On the other hand, I compliment both child and parent whenever I see good manners and well-behaved children. It makes both the child and parent feel good!
I thought Friday's storm was going to miss us as I straddled the line between storm and sun. It was hot and humid with the air so thick that breathing didn't really come easy. To the north and west, dark clouds made the skies look like night was coming. To the south and east, the sun was shining brightly. On the new electronic sign by Plainfield's Municipal Court, the temperature hit over 100 degrees. Of course, the temperature is still whacked on that -- it's still over ten degrees off. It wasn't THAT hot. It was only in the high eighties with severe humidity. The storm hit hard about ten minutes after I got in the door at home. Lightning, thunder, wind and hail. Oh my.
After the jump (if you're reading from the main blog page, not the individual post link), you'll find this week's flowers slideshow.
Since it is Sunday, 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. By the end of this week, all the quietness on the blog will go kerflooey as my coverage of the Big Brother live feeds and shows commence. I'll still post this weekly off topic post, but there will be multiple daily content spoilers and such for the show. It's our summer guilty pleasure! Also, Under the Dome and Falling Skies return!
The weather here this past week was similar to the week before -- rain during the weekdays, nice weekends. You would think, with all the technology in the world, instead of spending money on wars, mankind could focus its attention on doing things like harnessing the weather -- redirecting rainfall to areas of drought and such. I'm sure the money spent by all nations for wars could handle that, as well as research into cures for diseases. But, nah. Mankind would rather just kill each other off, I guess.
I realized this past week that I've apparently become allergic to mosquito bites. To those who saw the photo of a bite I posted on Facebook, the bite is okay. Yeah, still obvious and all, but no longer inflamed. If a mosquito bites me on the nose, I'm going to have to hide from all society.
I don't have much more for you right now. Look for BB posts and announcements by the end of the week! If you click on any of the photos, you'll be brought to that image on my Photobucket page. You can make the image larger and really larger from there. Have a great week!
 |
| My train arrives |
Yes, it's MY train. I'm getting tired of all the strangers and tourists aboard. How dare TD Ball Park in Bridgewater have a Saturday daytime game coinciding with my work commute! Is there a reason that parents and children don't understand that the phrase "inside voice" applies to train travel? Sheesh. I'm seriously frightened that the large percentage of children these days who are never taught how to behave in public places are going to make it an even more ill-mannered society in the future. Sure, children will be children. However, if parents don't address unacceptable behavior at a young age, the kids aren't going to listen to them at all later on. On the other hand, I compliment both child and parent whenever I see good manners and well-behaved children. It makes both the child and parent feel good!
 |
| Approaching storm |
I thought Friday's storm was going to miss us as I straddled the line between storm and sun. It was hot and humid with the air so thick that breathing didn't really come easy. To the north and west, dark clouds made the skies look like night was coming. To the south and east, the sun was shining brightly. On the new electronic sign by Plainfield's Municipal Court, the temperature hit over 100 degrees. Of course, the temperature is still whacked on that -- it's still over ten degrees off. It wasn't THAT hot. It was only in the high eighties with severe humidity. The storm hit hard about ten minutes after I got in the door at home. Lightning, thunder, wind and hail. Oh my.
 |
| Coming up next! |
After the jump (if you're reading from the main blog page, not the individual post link), you'll find this week's flowers slideshow.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 25, 2014
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| Remembering those who served |
Now, of course I'm not old enough to know anyone who lost his life in the Spanish-American War, mind you! I took this photo about three years ago right around Memorial Day and it seemed fitting to lead off today's post with it.
Welcome to my off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. I'm posting a bit later today because ... I'm in STAYCATION mode! Yep. This is the first time since last fall that I'm taking time off from work not due to health reasons. Naturally, I have my little aches and pains, but nothing debilitating such as the sciatica I had for months. I actually slept in this morning. Woot!
Since the slideshows were such a big hit with the readers last week, I made another flowers slideshow with the photos I took this week. Too many flowers, too many shots I liked to post each photo individually here. I hope you enjoy them!
Just an on television topic word of warning -- I'll be posting some Big Brother, Falling Skies and other TV topic news during the week ahead. Just because The Amazing Race and Survivor had their finales this past week doesn't mean I'm not watching television! Anybody watching Fargo?
Let's see ... what happened this past week? Well, we had quite a bit of rain. Nothing like last spring, but you'll see raindrops on many of the flower photos. Work was hectic trying to get all set for me to not be there for a week. Surely I'll come back to problems. But I refuse to think of it this week!
I had plans yesterday to go to the farmers market in Scotch Plains. But then I woke up really early (as per my work sleep schedule), decided to take a nap when the skies turned gloomy in the morning hours and woke up to sunlight at just about the time the market closes down. Just as well as the skies once again turned to rain. I'll go next Saturday.
The apartment hallway noise situation remains improved. Apparently the offenders are quite worried that we (the normal tenants in the hallway) will turn them in for too many people squashed into a small one-bedroom apartment. I plan to speak to the landlord anyway. I'm just waiting my latest rental renewal letter before I complain. I don't want them to think of me as a whiner or a problem before I know the latest increase. I'm hoping it's only the $5 once again (or less). I'm still above the market rate for the rehabbed units in the building while I have a thirty-year old stove and original kitchen cabinets and such.
Onto the photos for the week ...
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| Urban bunny |
This rather large wild rabbit was grazing on a lawn on Berckman Street in Plainfield. I haven't seen many rabbits in the 'hood yet this year and definitely no babies. I'm sure they'll be coming soon. After all, rabbits are the new squirrels around here.
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| The magical iris |
The stunning irises are growing across the street (on Berckman) from where the rabbit was grazing. There are blue irises growing on East Front Street, too. But I love the colors on these. All are included in the flowers slideshow after the page jump.
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| Adolescent squirrel resting |
You never see adult squirrels resting! This week I've only seen the late bloomer young squirrel hanging around the bridge at the Bridgewater Train Station. The two more adventurous siblings seem to have moved on.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
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