Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 8, 2013

Good morning! It's Sunday morning. You know what that means. No, it doesn't mean a camel is going to walk around the office on hump day. It means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

If you're looking for my latest news on Big Brother TV show/live feeds happenings, my posts for there are at this link ---> Horrid Hamster House. Heehee. I'm just finding this bunch of them on the whole as rather unlikable this season despite fairly solid strategical moves.

At least we had better weather this week with a few days of absolutely PERFECT thrown in for good measure. I'm loving the cool evenings and the fact that we've seen the sun for most of the week for a change. The children around here started school this week and, while I have none of my own, I rejoiced. This means that if I go out and about on my weekday off to a park in Westfield or something, I'm not inundated with teenagers. I don't have to hear kids running around and misbehaving daytime in stores. No kids screaming in the hallways or parking lot of my building, at least during the daytime hours. Yay.

I had a four-day work week this past week due to the holiday. But then I went and ended up working extra hours just due to circumstance. (Grr.) This week I also have a four-day work week coming up as I'm taking a vacation day for Saturday leading into my next staycation. My boss asked me if I wanted to work my normal weekday that I usually have off instead. Oh, silly man! NO. I said I wanted vacation time for one day. That means I want my regular days off PLUS one vacation day off. I really need the rest!

Not too much happening on the home front this week. Vincent the Cat is still super spoiled and I wish I had never introduced him to Temptations cat treats. He's become an addict. I can't open a bag of anything without him running thinking I'm going to give him cat treats.

And, last night it was midnight before the Plainfield Police succeeded in shutting down the huge party with the live Mexican polka band right in back of my building. This time the police weren't all that happy that they were starting the music up again as soon as the police drove away. But, hey ... their backyard is about thirty feet from the bedroom windows of my next door apartment neighbors and about 100 feet from mine. Live bands playing (badly) all day and into the night are not acceptable under city ordinances for a reason! Bring it inside, rent a hall, whatever. There's a reason I would never live over or next door to a bar.

Oh, well. I've fussed enough. Onto the photos I've taken this week ...

Glorious morning!

Might as well start it off with a morning glory blossom! These are still growing along the back fence of my apartment building's parking lot. Blooming every morning, closing up at night. Kind of like ME!

Google this!

Ohhh! Plainfield's Google Street View map is going to be updated. I was walking along East Front Street when it sneaked up in back of me. Yep, it had all the Google markings and the camera globe set high atop it! By the time I got my camera out and shot it, it was already a half-block away. Cool. Although now I suppose I'll be on the map. I hope they blur and slim me.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 1, 2013

Hey, all! It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic post reflecting on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're looking for my latest post on the Big Brother show or live feeds, you can find that at this link. This off television topic photo post is something I do every Sunday year 'round. Thankfully, Big Brother isn't year 'round or I just might not survive!

Once again, I don't have all that much to report here. The weather's been muggy most of the week. I don't like muggy. I'd say I don't do muggy but I don't have much choice in the matter.

I do see some rest on the horizon -- I have two four-day work weeks ahead of me, then a staycation for my birthday week, the season finale of Big Brother and the start of Survivor. It's going to be amazing to not cope with only three or four hours of sleep a night. I forgot what that's like. And, today I can actually nap all day if I want as I'm off tomorrow for the holiday! Yay.

On the home front, all is well. No one stole my newspaper this morning, but it was delivered much later than it has been in the past. Usually it's out there by 5:30am. Today I found it on my fourth trip down at about 7:30. Maybe that's what happened last week. I might have given up on it too early and someone eventually did snag it. I don't use the front door of the apartment building, so it might have happened that way. Oh, well. At least during one of the trips I dropped off my rent in the secure mail slot doohickey for the landlord. It had that huge $5 increase for the new lease.

Onto this week's photos ...

Here's lookin' at you, kid

I ended up having a fantastic photo session with a praying mantis this week. More photos of her (I think her) after the jump.

A cacophony of flowers

These are going amok this year at the house on the corner of Richmond and East Front in Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 25, 2013

Happy Sunday morning, world! Welcome to my off television topic weekly reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're looking for Big Brother show or live feeds posts, you can find the latest at this link. This here post is done weekly throughout the year and is, as labeled, off topic. Hey, that's how I roll. You've been warned.

That said, I can't believe we still have about another month of Big Brother! I've gone around feeling like a zombie for weeks. There's but a small group of us who have had blogs or websites covering the show for years. Others show up, last a season or two, then fall off the radar. Yet, those of us who have covered it for years are almost like a family. I found out from That Dingo (hamsterwatch.com) that one of our own, DogDave (a.k.a. Aldav), who has done fantastic work on his website over the years, suffered a massive stroke this past January. Unlike many trying to struggle to make a living with the websites, I have a "real" job with real health insurance. I don't think he does. If you are a show fan still reading this off topic post, check out the link above. DogDave has been a constant all the years I've blogged. He followed this blog and we're Twitter buddies although I noticed he stopped tweeting sometime over the winter. Very sad news indeed.

On more of the local really off television topic stuff -- someone stole my newspaper this morning. I only get the Sunday paper hard copy as it allows me full online daily access at the website. I didn't get the paper delivered before that because someone would steal them. I'm usually up by five and generally have no problem because what other fool is up at five on a Sunday morning around here? I overslept today. Went down at 6:30 for it. It wasn't there. I suppose the delivery dude may have screwed up, but I'm fairly sure someone stole it. Yeah, I'm cynical like that. Grr.

We had a few 90 degree days, one day of torrential never-ending thunderstorms -- I can't recall thunderstorms lasting for hours and hours like that -- then it went back to my kind of weather. Cool overnights, low humidity, temperatures around 80. I wouldn't even mind a few degrees cooler. Come on, fall ... you know I love you!

I'm counting the days until my next staycation, the third week in September. It lines up with the Feast of San Gennaro week in Little Italy (NYC). So, dependent on weather, I might go there for a day. Whatever I do, I know I will get some rest. Woohoo. I forgot what that's like.

Onto the photos I took this week ... 

As the sun sets

I took this shot last night upon arriving home from work. Well, not home home. I don't live at the Plainfield Train Station. The days are definitely getting shorter.

What says summer better?

But it's definitely still summer! The sunflowers seem to be blooming more, yet smaller blossoms than I've seen some years. East Front Street, Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 18, 2013

Good morning! It's Sunday morning, 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 or live feeds reports, you can find the latest at this link.

It's been another hectic week for me with my real day job and the BB season in full swing. I'll be thankful for September with a staycation and the wrap-up of another season of live feeds. I really feel like a zombie. I hope I don't look like one!

In my real life, I have a new boss at my workplace. Gosh, I hate breaking in new bosses, don't you? More seriously, it's always an adjustment period when this happens. I'm not particularly worried as I'm good at what I do and know my stuff better than most. But, still ... I can tend to be a bit change-resistant, especially when I enjoyed the previous boss. However, life goes on. C'est la vie. She does have a llama, a pig and other farm animals. I have Vincent the cat. So, we have some common ground. (Yeah, that's comparable, for sure!)

We had temperatures that I love for most the week, accompanied by rain for the first part of the week. I could have lived without the latter. But the walk to the train station early on the mornings when it wasn't raining was PERFECT. A bit of an autumn chill in the early morning air. I couldn't ask for more! The days are getting quite noticeably shorter -- sunset is before 8pm again. I know I'm weird, but I like that. I love autumn. It's supposed to be summer again by mid-week this week. Sigh.

On the home front, after not seeing him the first three months he lived here, I keep encountering the now not-so-new upstairs neighbor. He's always so pleasant that he could make noise and I wouldn't be mad. Yet, he's very quiet up there, even in his walking on the hardwood floors. Best upstairs neighbor ever in that apartment! Woohoo! He also seems happy here, so he may stay around for a while. It is a nice quiet neighborhood.

How was your week?

Onto the photos ...

Ladybug, ladybug

As one who is now sporting a HUGE mosquito bite on my forehead, I'm appreciating the innocent little ladybug more and more. They're kind of cute and they neither bite, nor sting. You go, ladybugs! Bridgewater, NJ

Sunflower avec bee

Don't you just love it when I toss in French words here and there? Avec means "with." That's a bee in the center of the flower. East Front Street, Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 11, 2013

Good morning! If you're looking for my Big Brother live feeds coverage, the latest post can be found right here at this link. This post is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Gah. As it is for many summers now, this is my time to be lacking sleep. Unlike some years when I was off from my real job due to knee surgeries, I'm working full time and covering the BB live feeds here on the blog. When I was actually working as blogger for AOL television, this was my cash cow season. Alas, not so much these days. While I do earn some money, it's nothing near the days when I could technically earn more than $100 an hour just writing on AOL. And, this year's cast is very wild, thus getting the Internet audience more worked up than usual. Me? I don't really care who wins the show, I'm just the messenger of the feeds and host of blog parties.

So, I'm in my zombie period at the present. Work, write, work, feed cat, write, work, pet cat, write, work. You get it.

Yes, if I have to ever have another surgery, I'll indeed schedule it in the summer for no other reason than I need the sleep. Local blogger Dan Damon even shouted at me as he drove by me on the street ... "Do you ever sleep?" Sigh. No. Not enough. Not lately.

Anyway ... onto the photos for the week ...

Dreary morning train

In this area, we continue to get more and more rain. Other years, at this time of the summer, most lawns are dried out, leaves are turning brown. This year I've seen green growing where I've never seen it before. That said, I've been enjoying the days without heat waves one after another. Plainfield Train Station

Everything's coming up roses!

Er, well. Maybe not. However, compared to many past years, life is doing okay by me here. I hope it is with you, too! Roosevelt Avenue, Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week it Was - August 4, 2013

Good Sunday morning to all y'all out there! If you're looking for Big Brother live feeds reports, you can find the most recent one right here at this link. This post has no television content as it's my weekly off television topic post reflecting on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. While Big Brother is seasonal here on the blog, this is all year 'round!

It's been yet another quiet summer week for me on the whole this past week. We had quite a bit of rain here, with a few nice days. The heat hasn't been horrible (yay!). I haven't had my air conditioner on since that long heat wave a few weeks ago. Fans have been plenty to keep it cool in here.

Let's see ... this week ... this week ...
I worked, I slept, I reported on the BB live feeds, I ate, I petted Vincent and catered to him as per his demand. I didn't really go anywhere other than work, then home. I lead such an exciting life!

On the home front, the upstairs neighbor is still the best and quietest ever above me here. (Yay!) One of the downstairs neighbors told me the new landlords increased his rent by $15. I didn't tell him I only got a $5 increase. I actually know why -- he's in a studio apartment and the increase brings him to what new tenants pay for those. One of the past landlords had him under market to fill the building. Mine is already above market.

Huh. I don't really have much more to say. I guess I'll just get to the photos I took this week --

Dragonfly

I believe, after Googling, that it's likely to be a female common whitetail. (The males are actually whitetailed.) It was kind enough to pause on an old curb at the Bridgewater Train Station.

Sunflowers!

It's good that I took this shot of these on East Front Street (Plainfield) early in the week as someone chopped them down by Thursday! Argh. There are more closer to the house, but I don't want people to think I'm a total weirdo going on their lawn.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 23, 2013

Good Sunday morning to you! Me? I overslept today. It felt good, so I'm not too upset about it. However, it makes this post a bit later than usual. What's this post? Well, it's my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

For the television fans -- make sure you check out my hamster introduction post. I plan on checking out the videos today and will probably post more on the upcoming Big Brother 15.

I spent the early part of the week getting caught in downpours on my way home from work. Yes, just as I was leaving, we'd get thunderstorms and torrential rain. Grr. One day, one of my co-workers was kind enough to tell me -- "Oh, they've put up a tornado watch. There's rotation in the cloud." Thanks, like I needed that news as I was heading out into it! No, there was no tornado. I just got soaked despite my umbrella.

Thankfully, by midweek, we actually got in some days with no rain whatsoever. That's been very rare the last month or so. I just know that come August we'll be worried about drought and the lack of rain! That's how things seem to go. I'll put up with it as long as I don't have to deal with another storm like Sandy again. I just ask that the timing be a tad better -- for four days in a row, it started to storm right as I was leaving work. Y'know, Mother Nature, overnight rain would work out much better for me. Thank you in advance!

There isn't much else to report on this week. I worked. I ate. I slept some. I got stuck under a cat for long periods of time. So, we may as well go onto the photos for the week ...

Tiger Lily

Last week I saw these had bloomed just a half-mile away from my 'hood, but hadn't come to life here yet. This week, they're going wild and I love it! Berckman Street, Plainfield.

Weed or nature being creative?

Even in its most common efforts, I find nature so intricate and stunning!

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