Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 26, 2017

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, this is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I took along the way. If you're here for Survivor -- you can find any Survivor posts I make at this link right here.  Remember-- The Amazing Race season premiere will be THIS Thursday, March 30th! I will be live-blogging the show and there will be blog parties!

Let's see ... what's new this week?

Well, the weather still isn't new -- we're still having winter temperatures for the most part although (thankfully) we've had no more snow. Yesterday was the first day with temperatures above the 40s. Today we're back to high in the 40s. March is often like this. But that doesn't mean I have to like it!

On the apartment front: I think Joe, my neighbor across the hall for fifteen years or so, is moving out. I stopped some kids I saw lugging things out during the week. I've never seen kids visiting him. Joe is one who will come out and yell at kids playing in the corridors! Since these were very young black kids I didn't know and they were taking stuff to the dumpsters, I just asked them if Joe was okay. He's in ill health and I thought he may have passed and relatives were clearing out his place. The oldest boy, about 12 years-old, told me Joe was fine, they're his great-nephews and they were just helping him by bringing stuff to the dumpster. Okay, sounds good. Until today ... when I took a bag of trash to the dumpsters. Uh-oh. I recognize furniture out there and the dumpsters (with the exception of one with closed lids and the recycle one) were over-fllled. That's JOE'S furniture! Yeah, he's alive, I guess. But he's moving, perhaps to an assisted living place, I would think. I wonder what the new neighbor will be like. Sigh. Joe and I always got along well. He has even offered to loan me his car if I ever needed it for something.

In other apartment news, the idiot ... um, guy with the loud thumping stereo upstairs has been quiet all week. Good.

In workplace news, a two-year nightmare has ended. It's like a weight off my shoulders, fresh air ... but I still want to retire as soon as I can. In health news, I really have no new news. I haven't been on my feet as much during the workdays and my leg issues feel a lot better. But I still have to have that vascular surgery done.

Onto the photos from the week. It's a bit gull heavy. We've had bitter cold temperatures and strong winds most of the week. So, I only took photos at certain times and some days I didn't want to kill off the camera's batteries with the cold. Clicking on an image will open it in a larger gallery window.

NJ Transit Plainfield Train Station

The main building off of East 4th Street is (of course) on the Newark/NYC bound Track Two side of the station. With NJ Transit, anything train or bus has better shelter on the side that heads in that direction. They're under the false assumption that people wait only on that side and just head home without having to wait on the other side.

Things are looking up?

Well, at least this ring-billed gull is looking up! Corner of Gavett Place and North Avenue.

Hmm ... another one

Perhaps they're waiting for the Rapture? I don't know.

Oh noes!

Snowstorm white and yellow daffodil victims in Plainfield. How sad is this?!?!

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 19, 2017

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, this is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I took along the way. If you're here for Survivor -- you can find any Survivor posts I make at this link right here. A word of warning -- The Amazing Race season premiere will be Thursday, March 30th!

Around here the biggest news of the past week is the snowstorm (or blizzard) that hit us Monday night through into late Tuesday afternoon. Because Plainfield had a couple of inches of sleet in the middle of the storm, our snow totals were only about a foot. Many areas along the shore had rain and ended up with very little, if any, snow. Further north, it remained all snow and some totals were more than twenty inches.

Unfortunately, unlike many storms this late in the season, the temperatures didn't warm up and help rid us of the snow. Instead, we had days hovering right around the freezing point and bitterly cold nights. Looking at the forecast, we're going to be stuck with this for a while. Meanwhile, the warm temperatures last month brought out buds on trees, daffodils and some tulip activity. Not anymore! 

I went for the follow-up on my tests on my legs this week. The surgeon wants to do both about two weeks apart. The worst one, he wants to treat with injecting a foam which will close down the great saphenous vein and its affected branches. The other leg, he wants to do with more traditional laser treatment. He claims that other veins in the leg will take over for circulation. In researching about it, I found that the great saphenous vein is the one used when someone has a heart bypass. I better not ever need one of those down the line! Now it's just a waiting game for insurance approval and scheduling. It probably won't be happening until May.

In apartment living news, I ended up calling the police on my upstairs neighbor's blasting music late last night. I thought those days were over when he moved his speakers up off the floor. But, then came last night. He turned on his stereo at about 9pm, extremely loud and thumping. At 11pm, I went upstairs in the elevator just to see how loud it was from there. Sure enough, it was blasting through the whole hallway and was very loud from the elevator door. I don't want to confront him. I went back downstairs and, at nearly midnight, I called the police. Since the Plainfield Police changed over to an encrypted radio system, I can't hear them on the scanner anymore. But I did hear them pounding on his door about 15 minutes after I called. The stereo went right down. He continued to play the lowered stereo for about two hours more. I could hear it, but it wasn't all that loud. The damage was done, though. I ended up not sleeping most of the night.

As I'm typing this now, he has turned it on loud again. I'll give him a half-hour until I call the police again. Obviously he has no consideration for others.

Onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open it in a larger gallery version.   

Tomorrow is SPRING!

So this can all go away. Now. Tonight, overnight. Vamoose! Be gone, damn snow! Corner of Watchung and North in Plainfield.

Me and my shadow

It's not me, though. He and his shadow? The low angle of the winter morning sun caught this just right and I had to shoot the guy. (With my camera.) East Front Street, Plainfield.

Have a seat!

Most of the city street benches are buried in (now very dirty) snow. You need to take a bus? Chances are you'll have to stand in the street or take the risk of climbing over a huge snowbank. Back in the day, the climb wouldn't be an issue. Nowadays, I'm fearful I'll fall under the bus! Looking towards the Park Madison building from East Front Street in Plainfield.

Monday tree buds

Despite a few days of bitter cold arctic temperatures, I saw these buds growing on a tree at the Bridgewater Train Station on Monday before the storm hit. 

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 12, 2017

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, this is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I took along the way. If you're here for Survivor -- you can find any Survivor posts I make at this link right here. 

Here near the NYC area we continue to have wacky weather patterns. We have had so many days through February and the beginning of March with outright spring temperatures that flowers are blooming and some of the trees have buds. But Mother Nature isn't letting us off that easy as we were fooled into thinking that this past winter wasn't bad at all. We started off the week with 60-plus degree temperatures and then we got some snow on Friday along with horribly cold temperatures and high winds. Now they're talking a major nor'easter Monday night through Tuesday with blizzard warnings around here and snow totals of more than a foot. It's just a waiting game to see if this storm will come to fruition or not. 

On the Living In My Apartment Building Front:

• I did my good deed for the day today. As I went to go downstairs for my Sunday morning newspaper, my neighbor on the one side (the one with the knee issues) was also leaving. I found out his name is Andy. He was struggling with his fancy seat walker and asked if I could get the door for him on the first floor. He's on oxygen and had left it in his car, so he was having trouble breathing. I not only walked him to his car, but I loaded his walker in the back seat for him and made sure he was all hooked up to his oxygen before I headed to the front for my paper. I'm glad I had my coat on (mainly so I didn't have to change out of my pajama top) -- it's SO COLD out. That's how neighbors should be -- he knocked on my door once to ask where I got my grocery deliveries from and I've knocked on his door once bringing up a package for him that the mailman just left sitting by the front door. He's not inconsiderate with his noise and told me he rarely hears any of my noise. Good neighbors rule. 
• Then there's the hallway playing kids. Sigh. I came home one evening from work and there were about eight of them running around, playing and making a mess on the first floor, front wing of the building. (I live in the rear wing.) The oldest boy, perhaps nine years old -- they ranged from him down to about four years old -- saw me coming and ran to open the front door for me. He then yelled at his underlings to get the first floor security door for me as well as call the elevator. Now, he KNOWS I've yelled at him before not to play in the building corridors! I guess I'm just not mean enough, huh? What a little Eddie Haskell albeit Hispanic in the making! No, I couldn't yell at them after he made such an ordeal about my arrival. Let them rip apart the first floor front wing of the building. Just don't be outside my door making that racket and mess!    

That's about it for now. I plan on staying out of the frigid temperatures today -- perhaps a nice hot bath, catch up on television shows I missed, etc. My shows are slowly returning. Of course, there was the season premiere of Survivor this week. But I've also been watching Bates Motel, The Walking Dead and some other shows. I've missed the newest episodes of Blue Bloods and Elementary this past week, so I'll watch them today. I also have to catch up on Superior Donuts -- I'm enjoying that one. If I'm not mistaken, tonight is the return of ABC's American Crime. If it conflicts with TWD, I'll have to put it on my watch later list.

Onto the photos -- if you click on an image, a larger gallery version will open. 

Tuesday early evening

This was before the arctic temperatures took hold this past week. Plainfield Train Station as I arrived home from work.

Early week daffodils

Although not as perky as they should be had they waited until actual spring, the warmer temperatures we had last week and into the beginning of this week brought about the daffodils. The tulips want to come up, too. They will regret the decision to bloom. Wah. Berckman Street.

The Full Worm Moon

The March full moon is called a "Worm" Moon because this is the time of year when the ground warms up enough to generate earthworm activity. Um, well. Perhaps not this year since we seem to be observing February in March! I took this shot last night at the Bridgewater Train Station waiting for my train home from work. The wind chill was in the single digits.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 15, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Please stop by on Wednesday evening at 8pm EDT for east coast live blogging and the blog party for the season finale of Survivor: Kaoh Rong!

After having an entire week of rain the previous week, this past week was more sunny and spring-like here in New Jersey. Oh, sure ... we had some stormy weather. But, thankfully, not an entire week of grey dismal cloudy skies and rain!

As for me, just another week in the life of work, home, eat, (not enough) sleep, pay attention to a cat and then rinse, repeat. I didn't do anything exciting, nor did I go anywhere except to work. I often feel like I'm doomed to complete exhaustion and will end up working until the day I die. With my luck, I'll probably die AT work. Gah. I so want to retire and move onto doing something I actually enjoy doing and have less stress in my life. I'm tired of being so tired.

Wah. Sniffle. Sniffle.

Now that my whining is done, here are some random takes on the week gone by:

• The Somerset Patriots at the TD Ball Park in Bridgewater were rained out one night, but played last night as the dark stormy skies were rushed away by strong winds. Their ballpark food always smells SO good as I walk by on my way to the train station! 
• Other than some rare random hammering as they hang pictures or something, I haven't heard a peep out of the new neighbor(s) downstairs. Hopefully they can say the same about me. Well, except for the hammering part, that is. While I actually own a hammer, I can't tell you the last time I used it!
• On the other hand, my upstairs neighbor had his stereo going full blast in short spurts Friday night. Hmm. I've come to the conclusion that he's a loud guy whenever he has guests over. Unfortunately, he has guests every weekend. I have to work on Saturdays. If I were new here, I'd just think sound travels. But I know better. In the time I've been here, there have been a handful of different tenants in that apartment. He's the ONLY one with a pounding bass stereo at an unreal volume. He's also the ONLY one whose conversations I can hear when they're not even arguing/fighting. You pretty much have to shout for me to make out the words in my apartment and he does. Sigh.
• We might have record cold temperatures tonight. Eek. I hope some of this chilliness carries on through the summer. I wouldn't be upset at all if we had no heat waves!
• Is Norma really dead on the Bates Motel? 

That's all I have for you! It's onto the photos I've taken this past week. If you click on an image, it will open in a larger gallery version.

Spotlight on the azaleas

I edited this shot with the Google NIK Color Efex Pro 4 photo editor to darken the edges and bring out the color on the row of blossoms a bit more. These are growing outside of the TD Bank Ball Park in Bridgewater.

Red pansy

I used the same effect on this shot, but made the edges even darker. There were not so healthy blossoms nearby this beauty. By using this vignette filter, they were taken out without cropping the photo and they no longer distracted from the beauty of the red pansy.

How do these things happen?

This is right down the street from my apartment. There is no cross street there. Plus, traffic shouldn't be moving all that fast if adhering to the speed limit. That's a cast iron fence. Sheesh. A drunk driver is the most likely cause.

Pretty pansies in a row

I did absolutely nothing other than resize this photo down for posting. It's all just plain ol' nature's beauty.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 8, 2016

I hope all of the mothers out there have a day full of love and family!

Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Please stop by on show nights for east coast live blogging (and blog parties) for both The Amazing Race and Survivor!

I really don't have much for you this week. It was dreary, chilly, rainy, misty and grey for most of the week here. That's not very conducive to taking photos!

My new neighbor(s) moved in downstairs. I'm thinking it might be a middle-aged couple. Or, possibly one person. I saw a man moving in boxes last Sunday. But I don't know if he was the one moving in or was just helping the move. Other than some moving in noises, I really haven't heard anything from downstairs. Obviously, no kids. (Yay!) Chances are that I might not ever really meet them -- different floors, different halls used, etc. Heck, we won't even be sharing the elevator!

I invested two dollars, yet did not win the Powerball.

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

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I really don't know how quickly the luxury apartments in that new building and in the rehabbed old Miron Warehouse (in the backgrount) will rent out. The rental prices are a bit high for the neighborhood in its current state. As the Transit Village near the train station gets more underway, these downtown changes are definitely welcome. East Second Street, Plainfield.

I'll try not to be cynical

This post on the lawn of the Friends Meeting House (Quakers) on Watchung Avenue is a bit more optimistic about the state of the world than I am.

Rain, rain and more rain

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 1, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Please stop by on show nights for east coast live blogging (and blog parties) for both The Amazing Race and Survivor!

Another week gone by and now we're into May. Remember back when you were a child and the years seemed to last for years and years? I find that, as I'm aging, they go by in nearly the wink of an eye. And, after all, a wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse. Or, something like that.

Our temperatures here dipped to more chilly and we had more rain this past week. But, at least, we're not back to the wintry mix realm! The weather wintry and spring fluctuations have really affected tree leaves and blossoms in the area. This coming week is also supposed to be on the chilly side (but not wintry -- just a few degrees below normal) with rain. I thought April showers were supposed to bring May flowers. I guess we're going to go for pilgrims. (Get it? What do Mayflowers bring? Oh, wait ... I'm thinking what do May showers bring. I'm stumped. Mosquitoes?)

In apartment news, until yesterday morning my upstairs neighbor didn't play his stereo. Or, he played it when I wasn't home or played it at a normal volume which I couldn't hear. Then, 7:30am yesterday ... really? REALLY? What is wrong with him? He knows people are complaining! While it wasn't cranked to his usual nerve-wracking volume, it was loud. He has to have the speakers sitting on the floor and the bass at full. I've never, with the very rare exception of an occasional outright party, heard music from that apartment in 16 years. Yet, he is the first tenant up there with wall-to-wall carpet instead of the hardwood floors and that should muffle noise some. But his thumping stereo can still disrupt my life. Grr. Plus, he's argued with the girlfriend most of the weekend that I've been home. He's quiet when she's not here. She needs to go away. 

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger form.

Immortal West-Side Spirit

I took this photo because of the jacket and the guitar. But, when we both got to the other platform to wait for the train, this man played the most amazing classical guitar I've ever heard by someone in person. Absolutely beautiful! He got on the train, sat in the entry level handicapped/bikes section while I went upstairs ... and he continued to play there. The soft pretty sound of his guitar almost made me forget that some jerk with tinny music escaping from his ear buds was nearby. I took this shot at the Plainfield Train Station and edited for, I don't know, dramatic effect? 

Peachy keen azaleas

These bloomed this week both on Berckman Street in Plainfield and near the Bridgewater Train Station. This shot was taken in Plainfield.

Watchung Avenue excitement

Nearly twelve hours after an accident occurred, New York City and New Jersey news crews were still on Watchung Avenue as I headed off to the train station to go to work. More photos and an explanation after the jump.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 24, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Please stop by on show nights for east coast live blogging (and blog parties) for both The Amazing Race and Survivor!

We've finally had a week of actual spring temperatures in the area -- perhaps a bit chilly overnights, but not below freezing. I've noticed many trees are a bit more sparse with their blossoms than they usually are. But, at least, what's blooming now has a chance of surviving the weather. Of course, with more trees blossoming and sprouting new leaves come the allergies.

Achoo!

Let's see ... what happened this week?

• I slowly recovered from that illness of the previous week. I was ready to call 911 (which I've never done other than a witness at traffic accidents and such -- never for myself) at one point. I probably would have called a taxi instead if it came down to going to the emergency room. My health insurance is cost prohibitive when it comes to ambulances if you're not admitted to the hospital. I don't know how all the people who regularly call ambulances for minor things do it. Oh. Wait. They probably don't pay the bills!
• After enduring blasting thump-thump extremely loud bass "music" from the apartment above me on Tuesday night until nearly midnight, I broke down and called the landlord's office. I hate to do that -- I don't want to be known as a "complainer." This is the second complaint I've made in the 16 years I've lived here. But, although usually quiet on weekdays, the tenant above me is ridiculous with his stereo Friday evenings through Sunday nights. I generally can't read, listen to my own music or watch television when he has his stereo cranked. You can hear it in the parking lot and in the hallway of the floor below him (my floor). I had enough. It vibrates my windows and my ceiling light fixtures. So, the Tuesday night was my breaking point. He has been quiet since I called. However, I'm not sure he's home yesterday and today. I haven't heard footsteps (which I would not complain about).
• There has been now two manhole cover explosions and fires -- same manhole both times -- around the corner from me. While it's tying up traffic, it's not affecting my power here. They need to fix that, though.
• If you haven't heard, Prince died. That was a shocker. He was much too young and we lost such a great talent. It makes you wonder about your own mortality when someone that energetic and seemingly healthy (vegetarian and all) passes at such a young age. I do hope it wasn't drug-related. Our generation has lost too many talented folks to that scourge.
• Today would have been my father's 90th birthday. He's been gone for decades. I'm much older than he ever lived to be. I've lived most of my life without my parents since they both died young five months apart. The only good things about that is that they're forever young in mind (as that's the only way I ever knew them to be) and, unlike so many of my friends, I'm not dealing with aging parents medical issues today. But I still miss my father. He was a dear, dear man who worked hard and thought I was special. I think he'd get a kick out of my photography work these days!

Oh, well ... onto the photos for this week -- clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

Dogwood trees are in bloom

Both the white and the pink dogwood trees are in their glory at the moment. This particular tree is on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

It's a magical time to behold

I really don't know what these trees are. There are several of them at the Plainfield Train Station.

Jersey Shore Soul Survivaz

... shop at Jesus Embroidery on North Avenue in Plainfield. And, no. I doubt he's a gynecologist despite what his jacket says. They ride to survive, y'know.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 17, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Please stop by on show nights for east coast live blogging (and blog parties) for both The Amazing Race and Survivor!

I don't have a lot for you this week. I've been under the weather most of the week with a stomach virus and an upper respiratory infection. I still feel icky even though the doctor gave me some antibiotics. He said since the respiratory infection is viral, that just may take time. I hate how I seem to catch more of these things and they affect me so much more as I get older.

We finally seem to have turned the page and this week was spring, albeit with a few nights of overnight freeze/frost temperatures. Of course, this was the week that for three days I was so sick I only went to the doctor's office and the drug store. Grr.

Yesterday, when I arrived at Bridgewater about a half-hour early for work, the cars were lining up along the front of the TD Ball Park stadium for a vintage car show. So, I had time to take shots and even had an interesting conversation with one of the car owners. I shot some of these same cars last year when I saw them. But, this year I had a better vantage point.

Other than that, I don't have much for you. Onto the photos! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

Ron's sweet Thunderbird!

He's the only driver I talked to as the line of vintage cars drove by to park for a car show at the TD Ball Park (Somerset Patriots) adjacent to the Bridgewater Train Station. When I told him I was going to post a shot of his car on this blog and gave him the website info, he told me he owned a Yankees Stadium and gave me his YouTube. Um, right. Sure he owns a Yankees Stadium! But ... wait! He's right! He's a Yankees superfan and does indeed have his own stadium! You can see it at this YouTube video. Cool. Nice guy and you could only meet someone like him in New Jersey! (Plus a really sweet T-Bird with color-coordinated fuzzy dice!) If you're reading this, Ron ... nice to meet you!

A Chevrolet BelAir, year unknown

And what am I doing in this handbasket?

Sign at the Plainfield NJ Transit Train Station.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 10, 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 photos I've taken along the way. If you're a fan of either Survivor or The Amazing Race (or both), please stop by on show nights as they air East Coast time for live blogging and blog parties in the comments area. It makes the show even more fun to watch when you watch it with friends!

Our weather here this past week has been more like winter than spring. I'm so tired of putting away my winter jacket thinking it's all over only to get it out once again ... or shiver in my fleece. Although we've had the threat of snow more than a few times this week, I only saw some flurries once. Nonetheless, I'm tired of it. We need spring!

My downstairs neighbor passed away in either a hospital or a hospice (not here in the building) a few weeks ago. I didn't realize it until some men were emptying out his apartment and bringing most of his stuff to the dumpsters and stacking furniture around the dumpsters. Most of his stuff was either fiberboard type furniture or incredibly worn stuff that might have been nice 30 years ago. The men cleaning out the apartment took the nicer pieces and I noticed some things seemed to disappear to scavengers overnight. It's very sad that that represented a man's life. He was my downstairs neighbor for about twelve years, my source for building gossip and he'd often offer me a ride home if he saw me downtown on foot. He didn't make a lot of noise and, if he did, I always felt free to go down and say something to him. But, I never had to do so. Rest in peace, Lee.

Meanwhile, my upstairs neighbor of about a year and a half is growing more annoying. He's extremely quiet on weekdays. But, on weekends he turns into some sort of party animal with a horribly loud thumping bass stereo. I've lived in this apartment for 16 years. There's been about six different tenants upstairs from me during that time. With all of them, I could only hear conversation if they were shouting at each other. I rarely heard more that a hint of music from upstairs.

None of them had carpet -- he does. I hear him shouting in "normal conversation" over the "music." I can't really call it music as all I hear is the bass thumping. I know some other people, perhaps his neighbors on either side, have called the police on him. I've been tempted to do so. The noise hasn't started up yet as I get this posted. But the landlord will get a call tomorrow if it does. I have to work on Saturdays and don't get home until around 8pm. I don't want to hear, nor should I hear, a constant thump of bass which sounds like a mallet pounding on my ceiling. Nor should my one day off on Sunday be noise from early in the morning until midnight. Grr.

I finally figured out how to use the now free Google NIK photo editor I downloaded a few weeks ago. I couldn't see where it went in my computer! All I could read online had it used as plug-ins for Photoshop or other expensive photo editing software programs I don't own. I discovered I can open photos with the various six programs of NIK. But then I couldn't tell the system where to save them and found they were being saved under documents. Now I have it all under control. I think.

Work has been totally exhausting. But, what else is new?

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

My ride home from work

It's too bad it doesn't take me right to my door! But I do prefer to hear train whistles from blocks away rather than right outside my window. I edited this shot of my train arriving at the Bridgewater Train Station. It's nice to leave when there's some daylight. Now it it could just warm up a bit!

Welcome, Love, Justice, Peace

Banners were flying yesterday at the Friends (Quakers) Meeting House on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield. By the time I noticed them to take photographs, I was up on the westbound platform of the Plainfield Train Station. So, Justice is a bit obscured ... as it sometimes can be in real life.

It's a cold, cold rain

No, we didn't get the snow they predicted. But, man, that rain was COLD. This is a shot of my arrival home from work last night at the Plainfield Train Station.

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 3, 2016

Good morning! It's Sunday morning ... time for my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're a fan of either Survivor or The Amazing Race (or both!), please stop by on show nights as the shows air East Coast time for my live-blogging of the episodes and the blog parties in the comments area!

My apologies for getting this post up so late today. Last night's wild weather awakened me several times with hail and winds which sounded like freight trains! There have been several trees down around town and power outages. My power has stayed on (so far), but many areas in Plainfield are out as I get this written up. And now, several hours into these winds, I just got a Nixle Alert on my cell phone advising me to stay inside due to dangerous conditions outside. Well, duh. I took trash out to the dumpster and snagged my Sunday newspaper from the front of the building. The wind was ridiculous. I'm glad I don't have to go to work today.

Meanwhile, a certain cat keeps jumping on me to purr in my ear. Don't get me wrong. I love the cat. But, sheesh ... he sure can be an affection mongering kind of cat! Once he's on my shoulder, I can't type at all.

Random notes on the week:

• We keep alternating between winter and spring. Unfortunately, most of the warmer days, we've had rain.
• We started the week with high wind warnings. We ended the week (and started this week) with high wind warnings.
• I keep having to get out my winter jacket, then putting it away.
• I worked extra hours this week and I'm totally exhausted.
• I actually have three of four days off starting today. I work tomorrow, but have off both Tuesday and Wednesday. I volunteered to take a paid vacation day to help with a budget cut this week at work. Good for them; good for me. I need the rest. I've been running on empty.
• We didn't get the overnight snow coating they predicted for last night. However, I'm sure we had a hail coating in the middle of the night!
• I bought a package of peanuts to feed squirrels. I'm weird like that.
• The Walking Dead season finale is tonight. Gulp. They better not kill off Darryl. Or, if they do, perhaps they could bring in Larry and his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl from Newhart. I bet they'd be quite capable in the zombie apocalypse. 

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

On a wing and a prayer?

More like on wings and wind currents. A turkey vulture was having the time of its life gliding about in the high winds earlier in the week. He's probably hiding with the hurricane-force winds we're getting today!

Daffodils are still growing strong

Despite some outright overnight freezes, they're hanging in there!

First bum of the day

No Plainfield Train Station ticketed passengers can use that platform shelter in this photo. The bums hang out all day and most of the night there. They're responsible for all the trash on the grass in that area, too. It's sad that new apartments have been set up on North Avenue in rehabbed buildings, commanding a luxury rent price ... and they look out on the Plainfield Train Station bum gathering. The police regularly stop by and move along those on the East 4th Street side of the station. Yet this spot is almost totally ignored. I doubt those new apartments will ever have good quality tenants until the loitering issues are solved. 

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 13, 2016

Good morning! I hope you remembered to Spring Forward! I personally feel like an hour of my life has just been yanked from me. Oh, well. Maybe I'll find it in the fall. 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 a fan of either Survivor or The Amazing Race, please stop back on show nights for live blogging blog parties!

The biggest news around here this past week is that the uncertainty of an NJ Transit railroad workers strike is over. That's something that has been worrying me for months as I depend on the trains for my work commute. I even requested yesterday off as a paid vacation day over a month ago as I read rumors there might be a "soft strike" that day leading into the midnight strike. Finally, on Friday evening, a deal was made and the strike was averted. Phew!

So, I had/have an actual whole weekend off. And, what have I done? Um. Well. I caught up on un-watched television shows. I made my corned beef and cabbage meal. I napped. Even though it was a nice day out, I stayed indoors and just had a mellow quiet kind of day. Maybe I'll venture out into the world today. 

Random thoughts on the week:

• I saw my first robin of the season, but the photograph I took wasn't good. So, you won't see it. Other years I've seen them come back during very wintry weather. But I haven't seen one since early December (when it was still unseasonably warm here).
• I also saw my first mosquito of the year. Grr.
• Along those same lines, the gnats are swarming the Bridgewater Train Station as they do each spring.
• The homeless dude hanging out at the Bridgewater Train Station needs to move along. I was told he was kicked out of the Somerville Train Station, the next stop west. He's becoming annoying and more aggressively panhandling each day.
• Someone, perhaps the homeless dude, moved a Platform Closed sign and construction barrel down to the street under the railroad bridges at Bridgewater. It took me several minutes to convince an Asian woman with only a very basic knowledge of English that the platform was open, that's not how NJ Transit closes a platform, they put the signs on the platform itself and that it was a prank. "That's not funny," she said when she finally believed me.
• Vincent liked the open windows this week. So did I. Well, until the motorcycles and brakes on the buses from NYC got too loud.

That's about all I have for you this week ... other than the photos. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

As the crow flies

I'm not sure why that saying exists. I've watched crows fly. They definitely rarely fly in a straight line!

The Sunset Express

My train home from the Bridgewater Train Station coincided with the sunset this past week.

Where's the beach, dude?

You're in a parking lot, you silly seagull.

Looking north on Watchung Avenue

I won't get the opportunity to take this shot again if the bridge opened on Friday night as I was told it would. I took it standing in front of the barricade fencing at the closed railroad bridge. Those are the Watchung "Mountains" in the distance. When I first moved here to the area, I was amazed about the flatness of it all. And, then they showed me the Watchung Mountain Range. Bwahahaha!

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Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 17, 2015

Good morning! It's Sunday morning. You know what that means. It's time for my off television topic review of the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Spring finally has its sturdy foothold here in my area of New Jersey. We've had at least one 90 degree day (boo) and a few overnights have been a bit more than chilly. Yet, there has been no mention of snow. Woot, woot!

It's also apparently heavy-duty construction time. I realize that spring always brings about some construction and road projects. But I've never seen so many everywhere like I am this year. In Plainfield, they opened the Park Avenue bridge by the Plainfield Train Station just in time to shut down the Watchung Avenue bridge on the other side of the station and keep traffic north/south crippled and detoured. Things have been going on on East Second Street (which really, really needs repaving -- I almost fell stepping in a pot hole) for the last six weeks or so. Now they're calling East Second Street the detour for East Front Street as they pave and re-line from Watchung Avenue to Terrill Road, thus crippling east/west travel.

Even by my workplace, construction has tied up the roads and they've done some mighty strange reworking of the travel lanes. In one place, it's definitely more dangerous for pedestrians in the crosswalk. In other places, it's going to create traffic issues as they took out lanes.

Here are some random thoughts and observations coming from the past week:

• The railroad bridge work crews use an air horn to get their people off the tracks when trains are coming.
• I'd like an air horn to blast bicycle riders on the sidewalks. Sure, I stand my ground and make them go around me. However, an air horn would be a lot more fun. No bicycling on the sidewalks!
• I feel safe riding the train. In view of the distance covered and the commute time involved, I'd venture to guess my commuter train might hit 60mph or so. We have no curves on my work commute route. Now they're saying that the train in the horrific Philly crash might have been hit by a projectile. I've seen people (mostly kids) do that. Once a rock hit the window by my head. It didn't break the window, but it did make me almost jump out of my seat.
• The Plainfield Police are making people move their parked cars on my street (for repaving) by sitting there with their sirens on early in the morning. That's annoying. Just tow the darn cars. The signs are up all over the place. If they don't get it, they deserve to pay the towing charges.
• I am exhausted. At times I feel my work is crushing my soul. I'd rather work with big cats or other animals. People are draining me dry. I can only hope retirement in a few years is financially doable. Then I can pursue things I enjoy doing and, hopefully, have a more positive outlook. Right now, I'm just too tired to do much other than work, sleep and eat.
• I'm going to go through Letterman withdrawal later this week. Sniffle. The big Survivor three-hour finale/reunion and Letterman's last show air on Wednesday night.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger window gallery thingee ...

Just Chillin'

The Plainfield area skateboard/bicycle-tricks teenage crowd has a new hangout. It looks like a combination skateboard, tattoo and skateboard culture gear store has opened on East Front Street. It's just up the block from their skating "arena" near the Park-Madison complex. Now, if I were a parent, I'd have plenty of worries as these kids never wear safety gear and the tricks they do involve a lot of falling on pavement. As a citizen (and they're not doing it outside my windows at home), I think it's just fine. If these guys are focused on learning new skateboard tricks and having fun ... go for it. It's 100% better than other things they could be doing and what many kids are involved in around town.

Pretty in pink

These have been planted near town homes on East Front Street in Plainfield. Whatever they are, they're certainly very pretty.

I am PIGEON!

A pigeon on North Avenue in Plainfield shows off his impressive wingspan.

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