Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 20, 2013

Good morning! It's Sunday morning, yep. You know what that means. It's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Later tonight we'll have The Amazing Race blog party. I do hope to see you there!

I do have a few television related things I'd like to bring up before I get into the week. Odd, but both have to do with commercials --

First, I see the YouTube "Kid President" is now on the Meineke commercials. Very nice. Not only is his upbeat attitude infectious, but he has some serious health issues -- he has a brittle bone disease and has suffered over 70 broken bones so far in his life. It's good when good things happen to someone who's had their share of bad.

Second, as I was watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine (one of the only new sitcoms I haven taken to so far this year), I was wondering if there would be an Allstate "Mayhem" commercial as Dean Winters was the guest. Yup, there was!

Okay, enough television for the off television topic post!

My week started last Sunday morning -- yes, it always does, but this was different! Workmen showed up to rip out my old original (about 50 years old) windows and replace them. What an ordeal that was! They were supposed to have been here the day before, but switched to Sunday. That's good in a way as I was home on Sunday, not Saturday. The project lasted from about 9am until 1pm, partially because the contractors were doing another apartment at the same time. I wouldn't want them in here when I wasn't home and the super (whom I trust) can't be everywhere at once. Poor Vincent was trapped in the bathroom for all that time. There's a window in there, but it only leads out to the ventilation chute. That one wasn't replaced.

The landlord who bought this building about a year and a half ago has really made many improvements. New attractive glass entrance doors on the side and front. Railings for the steps at the door in the rear as well as a raised platform for the exit -- rain water used to puddle right in front of the door. New washers and dryers in the laundry room. Brighter lighting in the stairways and halls. IF the elevator goes wonky, it's fixed within a day.  They also installed a new emergency phone in there -- one I'm less likely to accidentally set off while toting packages or bags. Heck, they even fixed the light on the first floor button in the elevator. I can't recall that working in the past ten years. This landlord is the first (out of four since I've lived here) who has actually stopped ALL the leaks from the apartment above me! And, they only raised my rent $5 this year.

All that said, I do wish they'd watch how many people, including children, live in the apartments. I don't see how, when the building is only studio, one bedroom and two bedroom units, people can have five kids in an apartment ... often with two adults! There's a sticker from 1983 inside one of my kitchen cabinets saying my unit passed inspection and maximum occupancy is two tenants. Mine is a one bedroom. I guess that's all changed, huh?

In other news, I had good news this past week on the personal front. At least, good prospective news. I'll go more into things when (and if) they come to fruition. One has to do with blogging, the other with photography. Ah, two of my passions! 

The weather this past week wasn't as dreary as the last few. What rain we had confined itself to the overnight hours. As it should, of course! So, I got in some decent photos. This week it's supposed to be about ten degrees cooler on the average. That's okay with me. I have new less drafty windows!

Red leaves in the sun

Although the leaves are growing more sparse, the color is glorious at this tree outside the Friends Meeting House (Quakers) on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield.

Late season bee

This one's working the spotted knapwood at the Bridgewater Train Station.

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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 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**