Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 6, 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!

Well, the election will be over in a few days. But we all know that, with all of the issues, it will never be over. No matter who wins, the folks on the side that lost will continue the hate. I'm tired of it all. I fear for the future of the United States and the world on the whole. In addition to society's radical elements and religious zealots, we now have radical political zealots in our midst. Well, many have been vocal for a number of years, now they're coming out of the woodwork. I'm so tired of all of the hate without rationality. 

I was sick most of this past week with a bug that seems to be going around -- very sore throat, fever and no appetite at all. While I'm still not 100%, I've been going to work, missing a few days mid-week. 

This coming week, I only have four work days and a personal day. I'm taking next Saturday off for the Plainfield Public Library Photo Exhibition and Awards. If you're in the area, stop on by and see what Plainfield (and I) can do with our cameras and a theme!

Onto this week's photos ... clicking on an image will open a larger version!    

Despite frost on the pumpkin ...

... the displays still look good in Bridgewater. This past week, the landlord's new public display (whatever) person had benches installed throughout. Very nice!

ATTN: NJ Transit and Plainfield Police!

When I arrived home from work to the Plainfield Train Station on Saturday evening, about 7:45pm, this is what I saw when I opened the elevator door on the Track 2 (eastbound) side. It's bad enough that when I want to go through the tunnel to the other side of the station I have to hold my breath due to the constant stink. But now they've moved in, mattress and all? SERIOUSLY NOW. Something has to be done. Start giving out trespass warnings, then follow through with arrests. This is beyond ridiculous. 

I work for a living. I use the train station. I pay taxes. I'm not responsible for the bad life choices the riff-raff who hang around the train station have made. I fought my own demons in life decades ago and have always worked to keep a roof over my head. I don't squander what little money comes my way in life on drugs and alcohol. In a space such as the Plainfield Train Station, honest working people who actually use NJ Transit should not have to deal with this!

Avoiding the pigeon-neck harvesters

These pigeons heard word on the streets that the next delicacy will be pigeon necks sauteed in a garlic-butter sauce. Necks? We have no necks! Atop the Chotola Apartment building on North Avenue in Plainfield.

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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.    

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.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 9, 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!

But this ain't that. This is this.

Let's see ... where to start? Hmm.

Might as well start with the weather. That's as good a place as any. We had grey drizzly weather a lot again this week, but with a few gorgeous autumn days tossed in to remind us how nice it is to live in an area with four seasons. Yesterday was drizzly all day. I must not have seen the most recent forecasts as I could swear last I heard it was supposed to be nice today. Instead, it's raining fairly steady out there. Oh, no matter. Other than a run out to the bodega around the corner sometime today before dark (yeah, I'm like that), I don't have any plans to go anywhere. I'll just decompress most of the day.

I went to an awards luncheon for my workplace on Tuesday. A paid day off to go to a restaurant with good food, but way too many courses! Oh, I shouldn't complain. But it is like a seven-course lunch there. I'm more used to chowing down a sandwich at that hour! The awards were for longevity in the company. While there were two others with as many years listed for me (25), I was the person in the entire luncheon of over a 100 people in five-year increments with the company ... with the longest overall time served. I worked for the company for nine years, then quit. Then, after five years away, I returned to the company. So, I've actually been there 34 years, not 25. Oy. Talk about being in a rut! (And how old I really am ...!)

Not much else is happening here. Not only have I been in a rut for decades, but I lead a rather boring life of work and home as of late. So, onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open a larger version. I hope you all had a good week and that all have made it through Hurricane Matthew okay!

He will save your soul.

The Hispanic Soul-Savers were out and about at the train station. They're not to be confused with the Portable Religion folks -- the Hispanic ones just walk by me thinking I don't speak the language. The others approach me. I wish they wouldn't. It goes against something deep within me when others try to peddle their faith. If they get into my apartment building, I don't answer my door. Eventually, they go away.

Pigeon photo bomb

As one pigeon posed nicely for the camera, another decided to land right in back of him, thus stealing the glory of the shot. North Avenue, Plainfield.

A pretty flower always brings a smile.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 2, 2016

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're looking for TV related stuff, this ain't that! If you're looking for my Big Brother: Over the Top stuff, it can be found at this link. I'll be posting daily reports on that CBS All Access show, as well as Survivor on Wednesday evenings. This here post is off topic and a weekly thing I do here. 

I would like to thank everyone for their concern about me regarding the NJ Transit train crash in Hoboken. Thankfully, that's not a destination, nor a train line I ride on every day. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and the young woman who lost her life.

In the weather here, we had a few gorgeous typical autumn days, then into drizzly, rainy and raw temperatures for last five days. Grr. While I hate high temps and humidity, I wanted the NICE autumn! They haven't turned the heat on for my apartment building yet and it's downright chilly in here! I wanted low 70s temperatures in the daytime, not low 50s! Mother Nature, are you listening?

I've just had a week of going back and forth to work. So, without further ado, let's get to the photos! Clicking on an image will open it up in a larger version.

  

Ohh ... just a little baby pigeon!

I recently saw half an egg shell under the bridge at the Bridgewater Train Station. It wasn't as small as the blue robin eggs, nor as large as a chicken egg. Apparently, it was a pigeon egg! I'm surprised that they're hatching this late in the season. Then I saw this little guy among the sleeping pigeons under the bridge. How cute is he?

My train home on Thursday

This was the day of the Hoboken NJ Transit crash. Since I'm a mid-line rider, not going to either end of the line, the only thing my train could crash into would be a vehicle illegally crossing the tracks. In all the years I've commuted on the train, we've only hit a car once. On the train, I didn't even feel the impact. The Toyota hit definitely felt it, spinning around a few times and wrecking its frame. The driver was treated and released from the hospital without serious injury, then ticketed for going around the warning gates. She's lucky the train was slowing down to stop in Bridgewater.

Drone sighting

And, the photographer (me) was also sighted! I was taking photos of the drone (left under the top window) at the parking lot of the old Lincoln School at the corner of East Second and Berckman in Plainfield. I heard the drone before I saw it. But then, you know I had to shoot it! Obviously, the drone operator wasn't upset at the photos -- he had a huge smile when he noticed the camera! The uniformed guy isn't Plainfield Police; the uniform isn't right. I'm guessing a security guard for the building. They were the only ones in the lot and both were having fun with the drone.

Let there be mums!

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 25, 2016

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're looking for TV related stuff, this ain't that! However, that said, supposedly the cast reveal for Big Brother Over the Top (BBOTT) will be announced tomorrow and I'll be posting about that when I get the news! I will also continue posting the aftermath stuff from BB18, the current stuff about Survivor ... so, stay tuned!

What a week it's been around here! The beginning of the week started out with summer temperatures and we ended up with autumn a few days after actual autumn began. Also, the beginning of my work week saw all kinds of action as the Chelsea (NYC)/Seaside (NJ) bomber left unexploded bombs at a nearby city's NJ Transit train station. He was captured in a shoot-out in an even closer town. To be honest, I wasn't frightened ... but I did hope they'd cancel the trains and I would have a good excuse not to return to work for my first day after staycation! But, alas, that didn't happen. So, I went to work.

Let's see ... what happened (other than BB18 finale and Survivor premiere) this week? Well, they posted notices at my apartment building that they were going to do repairs to the parking lot on Wednesday and all cars must be moved. I don't have a car, so I never cared (as Paul from BB would say). I had noticed that they had gone through the lot the week before painting red boxes around every pothole, rough area. Wednesday came and went; nothing was done. Now, I don't know what day they did it -- it had to be Friday or Saturday -- but, I went out this morning to throw my recyclables in the dumpster (for them) and saw that they've cut into the pavement in all of the marked spots. I hope no one decides to go fast through the lot as some of the drop-offs are well more than two inches deep! It had to happen while I was gone because I surely would have heard the noise. Vincent was probably annoyed by them.

My sprained ankle is coming along. The swelling has gone down enough that I can actually feel that bony part of the outside ankle instead of just having it feel like a painful pillow around it. I've given up the cane and roughed it. By the end of my workday, it's a bit swollen again and it's always a bit of a nagging pain. But it's doable. Thankfully, I've been tied up at work with scheduling, hiring, training and testing people, so I've managed to stay off of it for the most part.

When I walked out to the dumpster and to get my newspaper from the front of the building today, the hallway smells SO GOOD. I felt like tracking down which apartment is cooking up the magnificent breakfast and inviting myself!

I have a quiet day planned for today. I want to watch some shows online that I missed this week. Right now I have Charles Osgood's last Sunday Morning on CBS show on. I'm going to miss him and his bow-tie. But I did watch the show back when it was hosted by Charles Kuralt. I'll watch it with a new host. It's one of my personal Sunday morning traditions. 

Onto this week's photos! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.
   

Yes! It's AUTUMN! Yay!

On Friday, the temperature hit 90 degrees once again. On Saturday morning as I headed to the train station to go to work, this is what I saw. YES! This is my season! These are the overnight/morning temperatures I want to see! Highs in the low 70s! Perfect!

Ladybug, ladybug ...

This cute little ladybug was kind enough to pose for me one day.

The 59 with a bike

This is the style of bus that NJ Transit runs from town to town within the state. It can only transport two bicycles at a time. If you're the third bike, you're outta luck! I often take the 59 back and forth from near my apartment to the train station when my commute schedule and the bus/train schedules work out well. My monthly train pass is good for that jaunt, so it's free for me. Well, I paid for it, I guess. I just don't pay any more for it! I also will take the 59 into neighboring towns of Westfield and Scotch Plains. I've never taken it all the way into Newark. I keep telling myself that some day I will so I can photo stomp the downtown areas of Newark.

The 113S to Manhattan

It's always tempting to jump aboard this bus as I wait at the Plainfield Train Station to head to work. Yeah, I'd rather roam the streets of NYC than go to work in New Jersey! That's a given. I've never really taken this bus into the city -- the 113N bus goes right by my apartment and I take that one back and forth to the city or sometimes into neighboring Westfield. I have, on occasion, taken the 113S bus home as its last run is an hour later than the 113N and I missed the 113N. When I've done that, I've had to walk a good five blocks or so home, though -- I almost might as well take the train which has its last run at about 2:30am! The last 113S bus from the city goes through here at about 1am. The last 113N is about midnight, but stops right across the street from my apartment. I usually try to catch that one! The NJ Transit commuter buses going in and out of Manhattan are more comfy than are the buses they use town to town within the state. They're kind of like Greyhound sans the bathroom.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 18, 2016

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're here for Big Brother news, everything I have for you can be found at this link. I'll be posting another live feeds report late tonight (for what it's worth at this point). But this ain't that. This post is a year-round regular "feature" while Big Brother is a summer obsession. Or, something like that.

Also television-related in this off television topic post -- if you want to be in the blog pool for Survivor 33: Millennials vs. Gen-X -- you need to take action and sign up on THIS LINKED POST. The cut-off for the blog pool is tomorrow, so get in there today! Every season we have late people wanting in and it would be nice if everybody made the deadline!

Okay, as for this week ... it's been a staycation. The timing is good as I'm still trying to recover from my sprained ankle. It's to the point now that, unless I'm on it a lot like I was on Friday, I can actually feel that bony bit that should be felt on the outside of the ankle. I've been trying to stay off it the best I can and pampering it at home with ice and elevation.

As a result of the ankle, I didn't go into the city (Manhattan) at all this week although I had hoped to go photo-stomping the Feast of San Genaro in Little Italy. I did attend a cookout, got together the photos for the library contest and delivered them (Hi, Jeff!) and got a few things done around the apartment but not as much as planned.

A few random things:

• Someone put about twenty books atop the mailboxes for people to take. I looked them over. None of them looked like my cuppa tea. I hope someone takes interest in them, though. I'm just not into historical romance novels.
• Some jerks in a white van with a 908 area code phone number and "Carpet Cleaners" logo pulled up outside last night and filled our apartment dumpsters with carpet remains and other debris. I yelled out the window at them that I was calling the police for illegal dumping to scare them. (There are also signs.) I didn't call the police because I'm not sure of my standing with a complaint as a tenant. I'll call the landlord's office sometime this week to see what they want. I should have gotten the total phone number off the van to give to the landlord. Hopefully, they won't return. But now the tenants in this roughly 40-unit building have no room to put trash in the dumpsters until tomorrow when they're emptied. Grr.
• If there were to be a zombie apocalypse overnight tonight, I wouldn't have to go to work tomorrow.   

Onto the photos for this week (and last). Clicking on an image will open it in a larger version.

The Vincent

I messed with this shot with a photo editor. I really should turn that one couch pillow around. It does match the couch on its other side! I blame it being backwards on the couch because of Vincent the Cat. He knocked it over to sleep atop of it and, without thinking, I put it back up with the wrong side facing out. Yup. All the cat's fault!

Banded bird

Is this my best side? I saw this pigeon watching me at the Bridgewater Train Station. It wasn't until I started shooting him that I noticed the ankle bands. He's someone's bird, whether racing or homing. I don't know what he was doing hanging around the train station!

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 28, 2016

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're here for Big Brother news, everything I have for you can be found at this link. I'll be posting another live feeds report later this morning (Paul's ongoing talking has made me crazy and late with the overnight post) and late tonight as well as live-blogging the aired show. But this ain't that. This post is a year-round regular "feature" while Big Brother is a summer obsession. Or, something like that.

While the temperature around here moderated a bit for some of this past week, the heat and humidity just doesn't want to leave.  Not only did we have one of the hottest Julys since the start of record keeping in the 1880s, we're in line for the top five of August heat, too. What's quite noticeable is that the top five for both months have been within the past thirty years. Either we've done that to our planet or it's just growing weary, as am I.

On the health front, the sciatica seems to be lessening. However, my right knee is still wanting to give out while climbing stairs and such. That worries me. There is no pain, just incredible weakness. I'm trying to exercise to build it back up, but the sciatica is interfering. What I don't want is to have to undergo a second knee replacement on the knee. I'm hoping it's just muscle weakness from the sciatica pain rather than the knee failing.

When I got home last night, I saw some people I don't know moving out of my building. This morning, there are all kinds of GOOD abandoned furniture and stuff by the dumpsters. I never understand why people just dump good stuff when moving. Hey, sell it on Craigslist, get a few bucks. Or move it with you! I did snag a huge folding frame doohickey that I want to eventually put my own photo works (blown up) in for display. I saw some nice photo frames, but they just dropped them there and the glass is broken. I didn't want to deal with that. There's a nightstand and bureau in very good shape -- almost new condition. But both pieces are too heavy for me to carry. I'm sure the furniture pieces in good shape will be gone long before the refuse hauler comes along.

I don't have much more for you other than the photos I've taken. Clicking on an image will open a larger version.

Sunflower with bees!

I'll admit I'm allergic to bee stings and my Epipen prescription is way expired. I've been following the controversy regarding the price. Perhaps because I haven't been stung in more than twenty years and the silly epipens expire within a year, I haven't bothered. Yes, I do go near bees. Most bees, like these on the sunflower, are much more interested in doing their work and aren't aggressive. Wasps and hornets are another thing. I'm very leery of them! This sunflower and more sunflower shots after the jump are growing by Bethel Presbyterian Church on the corner of Roosevelt and East 5th Street in Plainfield.

Who you gonna call?

Well, no one on that police phone! When I first started taking photos around town, I shot a lot of these call boxes. Those photos are held captive in an old hard drive which I will delve into some day. Most of them have been stolen by now, perhaps to sell on eBay or for the metal at junkyards. For me, that's a part of history lost. While this one has obviously been vandalized, it still stands at the corner of East 5th and Roosevelt in Plainfield.

Ring of red flowers

I fell into a burning ring of red flowers. Um, no. That doesn't flow very well at all. These are growing in planters in Bridgewater, NJ.

No, YOU are on camera, little sign!

Someone new has taken over Egenton's Auto Repair on the corner of East 5th and Roosevelt. I guess they have video security cameras.

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