Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was

Since I received good reaction to last week's array of photographs taken during the week, I'm giving it another shot. Or, to be more accurate, shots.

This wasn't an easy week for me. I'm missing my cat every day -- things just aren't the same when you lose a friend and confidant of so many years. The weather turned hot and humid, something I really wasn't missing when we had a chilly (for summer) June. Work budget cuts mean that I might not financially be able to do my needed knee surgery this fall.

Other people had a worse week, I guess. Lawmakers, mayors, and rabbis oh my! The latest New Jersey corruption scandal is a doozy. Where else but in NJ could you have the unique twist of corruption involving money laundering, Gucci bags, and body parts? I, of course, am not a suspect in the investigations. You don't want to know how many years it's been since someone offered me a bribe.

I hooked up my Comcast digital adaptor doohickeys with the biggest hitch moving the bookcase blocking my outlet for my living room television. I'm not thrilled that each adaptor sucks up electricity, nor am I happy that I've been told that I'm not eligible for any of the promotional plans. But if I didn't do it, by Tuesday I'd lose several stations I watch. Grr.

Here are some of the shots I took this week (clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window) ... for some reason, it was a big pigeon week:

He had a wild look in his orange-red eye.
Plainfield Train Station, Plainfield, NJ

Jus' waitin' on a train.
Plainfield Train Station

Does that star-spangled banner yet wave?
Historic Quaker Cemetary in back of the
Friends Meeting House
Plainfield, NJ

Hot town, summer in the city.
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty.
Lyrics by the Lovin' Spoonful
Plainfield, NJ

Mourning dove on barbed wire.
Bridgewater, NJ

Roofus the Cat
North Street, Plainfield, NJ

A sunflower grows in Plainfield.
East Front Street, Plainfield, NJ

Pigeons in a window.
Plainfield, NJ

Abandoned condemned Miron Furniture warehouse ...
where pigeons sit in windows.
East Second Street, Plainfield, NJ

Zoom, Every Baby Has a Story, WATERMELONS
East Second Street, Plainfield, NJ

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into Sunday Dawn 7/26

They primp, they do their hair, and they even shaved Casey's back.

You would think they've been invited to the White House for a beer or something, eh? Here are the late night happenings from that Big Brother House of the Rising Sun (very apt as it's past dawn there and some are still awake!):

• Casey can only take off his banana duds to shower and sleep.
• Lydia gave herself Liberty spikes, as you can see.
• Michele cooked up spaghetti for everyone except for herself, Ronnie, and Chima. After all, they are have-nots.
• Lydia told Natalie she isn't as reckless as the 18-year olds she knows.
• Maybe it's because she's 24. Lydia should listen to Kevin.
• Speaking of Kevin -- in a strategy talk with Lydia, he showed he's really playing the game albeit he seems invisible. He suggested that if Jessie puts Casey on the block, he and Lydia should work to save Casey because Casey would go wild against the athletes. He thinks Casey would be both a valuable weapon and ally.
• Lydia reports all of her Jessie talks and um ... activities to Kevin.
  
• Casey told Kevin that they really need to get rid of an athlete.
• Chima told Jessie that she feels bad that Casey will go on the block in a banana suit.
• Lydia didn't keep her spikes. Now, it would have been more interesting had she gone about head-butting people with 'em.
• There's definitely an underlying riff in the Natalie/Lydia equation. They both snipe at each other a lot. I expect an out and out cat fight one of these days. Meow.
• Lydia told Jessie that keeping Ronnie only benefits him and Natalie, not herself and Kevin. Then she said they'll do what he wants. Argh.
• I'd rather see Casey kept, Ronnie booted.
• Natalie said she wants to be married before she has children. Heck, that one sentence makes me respect her more. Now if she would shower and clean herself up now and then.
• I'm not sure of the timing of either the PoV ceremony or the margarita party. I think the party may be tonight. Last week the PoV was on Monday, but seasons before had it taking place on Sunday evenings.
• I'll keep you updated.
  

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into Saturday Evening 7/25

I hope Jeff's feet don't smell.

I'm still kind of stunned that Michele won PoV. Now we'll know which of Jessie's secret alliances mean the most to him or his game -- Casey or Ronnie. Of course, he could go off the hook and figure some way to put Chima or Kevin on the block.

• Natalie told Jessie that when Casey goes on the block against Jordan, she's going to vote with the house so people will blame the one Laura vote on Casey. Mind you, this was BEFORE the PoV comp. She assumed Michele would be saved. Interesting, eh?
• Jessie told Jeff the plan was not for Jordan to go home.
• Natalie was chosen to host the comp.
• Casey
• Kevin, Lydia, and Ronnie didn't play.
• Jordan still thinks Ronnie will be backdoored.
• Jeff was so sure that Ronnie is being backdoored that he told Russell and Casey that if they're offered prize bribes, he'll take one. He thinks it doesn't matter who wins because Ronnie will go on the block.
• The PoV comp had something to do with mud and collecting numbers, the higher the better. (The actual comp was blocked to the feeds.)
• The house won a margarita party. The Have Nots (Chima, Ronnie, and Michele cannot participate.)
  
• Casey has to wear a banana suit.
• Chima has to wear a unitard.
• Jessie won $2,500.
• Chima straightened her hair. I expect her to fuss a lot about a cut on her knee and not being able to go to the margarita party.
• They have yet to give out the banana suit and red unitard.
  
  
  Update 11:25 PM ET --
  
  

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds - PoV Comp Winner Bulletin 7/25

Forgive the lateness (I work late on Saturdays) -- Michelle won the power of veto. Yeah. I'm as surprised as you are.

A full report will be posted later tonight.

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Overnight Into Saturday Dawn 7/25

Yesterday, Casey shaved and got himself spoken to by BB. They said he doesn't look like the same person. No, he doesn't. He looks a little more like a friend of Mike Boogie.

What's been going on since Jessie's nominations (Michele and Jordan)? Here's the scoop:

• Kevin told Natalie and Michele that the two on the block are about the only ones no one is really targeting.
• Michele thinks no one has her back like Jeff has Jordan's.
• She's right.
• Chima hopes there will be a slop (and cabbage and cocktail wieners) break for her upcoming birthday.
• Jeff and Jordan flirted, played and cavorted under the covers -- all fairly innocent. We're not talking a Jessie/Lydia showmance here.
• Chima fussed some more about being on slop.
• They played Truth or Dare. Ronnie was dared to hug Casey ten seconds, Natalie mooned Lydia, fun, fun, fun.
• Kevin was dared to cuddle with Jessie. But when he woke Jessie up with said cuddling, Jessie was not a happy pinhead.
• Jordan told Casey that Michele told her that he said he wouldn't use the PoV if he won it.
• Casey denied saying it. He claims he wants to win PoV. (I think he believes Ronnie will go up if he wins it. Jessie's choices would be limited if Casey wins/uses PoV -- Lydia, Chima, Kevin, or Ronnie.)
• Casey is growing weary of the "teenager" in the house with her big britches. Yeah, he thinks Natalie is 18 and trying to be Queen Bee or something.
• Jordan thinks the plan is to backdoor Ronnie, but she's once again seriously worried about going home.
• The BB voice started spouting numbers trivia like it did last year. Something they should remember or not?
• There are 121 marble slots in a Chinese checkers board.
• You needed to know that.
• Russell told Michele that if he wins PoV he'll save her and she can return the favor.
• Kevin told Lydia and Jordan that if he wins HoH, he'd probably put Jessie and Russell on the block.
• Sure, like Kevin the Invisible will win a comp. Plus, he's telling this to Jessie's sex wench!
• Speaking of which ... once again Sex Wench and Pinhead really messed around under the covers.
• This is not Jeff/Jordan flirting.
• At least they used a condom.
  
• Ew. I never understand how people can cheapen themselves so much as to know they're being filmed, on the Internet and national television and have no sense of personal dignity or integrity.
• I hope she covered the eyes on her Hello Kitty tattoo.