Off Topic - That Was The Week It Was - 01/10/10

How quickly the weeks go by! It's Sunday, time to take a look back at the past week in words and photographs I've taken. To be honest, with the exception of a Y2K kind of computer program meltdown at my workplace when 01/01/10 arrived, I've had an extremely uneventful week. It's been too cold to be eventful. I realize our weather here in the New York City Greater Metropolitan Area of New Jersey hasn't been as bad as some places ... but the cold, the wind! Ack.

I personally think there should be no reason for wind during the winter. I understand in the summer, spring, and fall that the wind plays a vital role in spreading seeds, spores, and stuff. But there's no reason for it now. Make it stop.

Television's new shows quasi-returned this past week. I'll get up a Bachelor discussion post for you before the next show. I don't watch that one, so I didn't realize it was starting up until it already did. I watched the two-hour Heroes. I just can't blog that one anymore. I'm too easily confused. I watched the People's Choice Awards and was so pleased that The Big Bang Theory won even if Jim Parsons didn't win. I'm not too happy that they're moving Heroes up against TBBT. I write up TBBT for CliqueClack TV, so I need to watch it live. I guess I'll be recording Heroes. Grr.

In other TV news, did you know it's Shoprite's CanCan sale? I swear this has been going on most of my life and now the song is stuck in my head once again. Oh ... and Jay Leno failed, eh? I figured he would. It doesn't matter to me -- I'm a devoted Letterman fan. But I think Conan O'Brien is getting the raw end of the deal if they put Leno back at 11:35 PM. I'll admit it was nice to have one less consideration of what to watch at 10 PM. I'll live, though.

So, as you can tell ... my life has been uneventful this week. I even had to make a photo op for myself because this week it was so uneventful. You'll see. Without further ado, here are the photos (clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window):

Still steamy windows ...

At Danny's Bakery on the corner of Watchung and North in Plainfield, NJ. This was taken pre-dawn and I edited it to have the windows in color, the rest in B&W. Baby, it's cold outside.

You woke me up for that silly camera?

Vincent, in black and white. He's been here for nearly four months now. He still has to leap on my shoulder, does his boneless cat droop over it, and purrs each time I come home from work.

Like ships that pass in the night

Two trains at the Bridgewater NJ Transit Station. (The one on the left is the one I was catching.) In the background is the TD Bank Stadium where the Somerset Patriots play baseball. But the boys of summer are long gone. As for the trains, since I commute on them, the old math problems in which two trains set out at a certain time heading towards each other, when do they ... crash? EEK!

I actually like the visual of NYC subway trains passing each other more than NJ Transit trains. On the subway in the dark, the trains go slower and are sometimes at different heights -- it makes the passengers look like they're from a different world or disembodied or suspended in time ... or something. NJ Transit goes by too fast, it's just a rumbling whoosh.

Westfield kale

The kale I photographed last year on East Front Street in Plainfield was replaced by icky bushes, half-dead now. I took this over by the Westfield Train Station.

Here, train! I'm waiting!

Plainfield Train Station. Yes, I messed with this. I first had him in color, the rest in black and white. Then I messed with the "posterize" setting (GIMP) which eliminates shades, then I changed the hue.

For those who don't know what that "bridge plate" thing is he's standing near, it's a plate they put over the gap so wheelchairs can board or get off the train. It can only be done on a raised train platform like we have in Plainfield. At the Bridgewater station, I have to climb in and out of the train. I was shocked last night when, for the first time, a conductor (one I've never seen before) asked if I wanted him to carry my bags up the stairs. I had done some shopping and was a bit weighed down.

Poison ivy in the winter

Trust me, you don't want to burn it. Inhaling burning dormant poison ivy can do a job on you. Bridgewater, NJ.

In which Jackie makes a photo op

I really wasn't getting any great photos this week. So I decided to ignore the fact that birds are conspiring to overthrow humans and fed the seagulls some crumbled Ritz crackers.

Eek!

Help me! Help me! The birds are surrounding me!
Just walk through them.
But, but ... they're planning to take over the world.

Polly demands a cracker

Okay, okay ... everything sits better on a Ritz!

In the air

As I was feeding the gulls and snapping shots on the ground, I was occasionally just pointing the camera up without paying attention -- the joys of digital over film. Seagulls in flight on a sunny day always look pretty.

EEK! That is NO seagull!

I didn't even see this guy until I was going through my shots several hours later. As I mentioned, I was taking random sky shots as I fed the seagulls. Apparently a hawk wanted to see what was up with all of the seagulls. Well, either a hawk or a turkey vulture. The way it was silhouetted in the sun makes it hard to tell. Both types of birds are always flying around Bridgewater. It was big. And it was no seagull.

The ghost of Christmas past

East Front Street, Plainfield. No, it's not mine. I didn't put mine up this year. It stayed in its box. Yes, mine is artificial when I decide to put it up. I've never had a real one in my apartment.

Conspiring, I tell ya

I wonder if the four on their own wire think they're special or something. Bridgewater, NJ.

Spanish lesson for the day

Gratis tome uno -- free take one. I was hoping the box would be full of $100 bills. Alas, just newspapers.

OUCH

Plainfield put in benches all over the city a while back. Well, not at many bus stops, but that's beside the point. Many of the benches have been vandalized or perhaps in a design flaw, the lowest slat has gone missing, exposing a rusty nasty metal piece. On some benches, the top slat of the seatback is missing and the same metal piece is exposed there, too.

Anyway, in the pre-dawn dark on Monday morning I set my tote bag down on this bench outside of Danny's Bakery on North Street to change my not-an-iPod battery. When I picked up my bag and turned to walk away, the metal piece snagged me good. OUCH.

The damage done

Thankfully, although there's an abrasion, it didn't rip my slacks. So I didn't run off to catch up my tetanus shots or anything. It wasn't metal ripping my skin directly. But, geez. Plainfield needs to fix those benches! I took this the day after. It's still pretty colors.

Bad for New Jersey

He won, time to get down the de-layering billboards, please. East Second Street, Plainfield, NJ

EEK!

Another hawk nearby Roofus the Cat's old hangout on North Street across from the Plainfield Train Station. Although Roofus might not be able to get on the roofs anymore, the pigeons still hang out in the sun. Now, birds tend to all of a sudden all fly off for no reason -- maybe they're playing musical chairs or something. Maybe one says to another, "Let's all fly in a circle and land in different spots here just to confuse the humans!"

So, when they all flew yesterday when I was waiting for the train, it was no big deal. That is, until I noticed the guy on the railing looking up where the pigeons sit. Earlier this week local Plainfield blogger Bernice also photographed a hawk (and its leftovers). I believe it's a Cooper's hawk.

Guard dog

This is the guard dog from the gas station on the corner of Church and East Second Street in Plainfield. It's the first time I've seen him out of his regular abode in the five or so years I've "known" him. At night they lock him in the station with the appropriate "Dog bites first, asks questions later" sign posted. In the daytime, he has his own little outdoor fenced run (and barks at passerby) with a trailer he can go in and out of for shelter. But yesterday he was out in the larger fenced lot playing with one of the attendants. He actually wagged his tail at me. But, of course, there was a fence between us.

Mainly for any local readers

Is the Business District Police Sub-Station moving to the Monarch? These are in the windows of one of the offices there. If so, the police won't like everyone looking in. They always keep the blinds closed at the location down the street. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Smile!

I did this to a friend's car at the Bridgewater Train Station the other day when we had some overnight snow. She works overnight in Manhattan, so her car was still in the lot when I arrived to work in the morning.

Winter hits businesses hard

This was early the same morning as the smiley face. Now, every other season the Mi Ranchito does a thriving business with all of the early rising day laborers, landscapers, and such. Usually there isn't a parking spot in front of the restaurant to be had. The last few weeks, this has been the norm -- a car or two. Yes, I edited to do the B&W/color bit. East Front Street, Plainfield, NJ.

How was your week?

It's Midseason or 2010 Winter Season TV Time - Premiere Dates

Yep, the winter season of television is here! I feel old. Y'see, I remember the old days when television shows ran about forty episodes a year and just went from fall to summer. I've gathered some of the dates of the premieres for you -- a few already started this week, my apologies. At work, my computer system had its 2000 breakdown ten years later. All of the programs I use there went kerflooey when it changed to 2010. So my work days have been manually entering tons of data using adding machines, then re-entering it into the computer after days of manual stuff. Argh! A nightmare indeed and, that's my excuse for not getting this to you earlier.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Without further ado --


I liked Southland on NBC and felt they canceled it without letting it find its audience. It's kind of like Third Watch done Los Angeles. I'm a sucker for cop shows done well. TNT took the ball and ran with it, thus new Southland will make its premiere next Tuesday.


On Wednesday, Leverage with Timothy Hutton returns to TNT. Yay!

Here's a whole bunch of new and returning shows coming up this month and next:

Monday, Jan. 4 -- The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love (ABC)
Monday, Jan. 4 -- Heroes (NBC)
Tuesday, Jan. 5 -- True Beauty (ABC)
Tuesday, Jan. 5 -- The Biggest Loser (NBC)
Sunday, Jan. 10 -- Big Love (HBO)
Sunday, Jan. 10 -- Chuck (NBC)
Thursday, Jan. 14 -- Project Runway (Lifetime)
Sunday, Jan. 17 -- 24 (Fox)
Sunday, Jan. 17 -- Human Target (Fox) new
Monday, Jan. 18 -- Life UneXpected (The CW) new
Thursday, Jan. 21 -- Deep End (ABC) new
Friday, Jan. 22 -- Caprica (Syfy) new
Friday, Jan. 22 -- Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Starz) new
Monday, Jan. 25 -- Damages (FX)
Monday, Jan. 25 -- Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Showtime)
Friday, Jan. 29 -- Kitchen Nightmares (Fox)

Monday, Feb. 1 -- Kell on Earth (Bravo) new
Tuesday, Feb. 2 -- Lost (ABC)
Thursday, Feb. 11 -- Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (CBS)
Sunday, Feb. 14 -- The Amazing Race (CBS)

And, of course, we cannot forget --


I won't be writing in-depth reviews on many of the shows. However, I'll probably be posting periodically on some. If you want me to create a blog entry for comments on a show that I might not watch (Bachelor, for example), let me know and I'll get one up for you to hang out in!

Survivor 20 - Heroes and Villains Casting and Information

Tonight on the People's Choice Awards (CBS starting at 9 PM ET), Jeff Probst has promised a peek at the upcoming Survivor season. The season is slated to premiere on Thursday, February 11. It's to be a two-hour extravaganza with a look back at each contestant in their previous season(s).

Although CBS hasn't released the official cast list yet, there are plenty of cast spoilers on the internet. Here's what I found --

UPDATE - THE OFFICIAL CBS WEBSITE IS UP!

Heroes Tribe
Amanda Kimmel (S15 China and S16 Micronesia)
Candice Woodcock (S13 Cook Islands)
Cirie Fields (S12 Panama and S16 Micronesia)
Colby Donaldson (S2 Australia and S8 All-Stars)
J.T. Thomas (S18 Tocantins)
James Clement (S15 China and S16 Micronesia)
Rupert Boneham (S7 Pearl Islands and S8 All-Stars)
Stephenie LaGrossa (S10 Palau and S11 Guatemala)
Sugar Kiper (S17 Gabon)
Tom Westman (S10 Palau)

Villains Tribe
Coach Ben Wade (S18 Tocantins)
Courtney Yates (S15 China)
Danielle DiLorenzo (S12 Panama)
Jerri Manthey (S2 Australia and S8 All-Stars)
Parvati Shallow (S13 Cook Islands and S16 Micronesia)
Randy Bailey (S17 Gabon)
Boston Rob Mariano (S4 Marquesas and S8 All-Stars)
Russell Hantz (S19 Samoa)
Sandra Diaz-Twine (S7 Pearl Islands)
Tyson Apostol (S18 Tocantins)

Hmm. There are a few on there I really don't want to see on my television throughout the rest of my natural life. Coach Ben Wade isn't a villain, he's an annoying weirdo with grand delusions. Rob Mariano has already had too many fifteen minutes of fame. Although I thought he was a bit creative on The Amazing Race, I never cared for him much on Survivor. I'm not understanding the criteria for some of these choices, either. Courtney is a villain?

I'm looking forward to seeing how some of them do with this season -- Tom Westman, Evil Russell, Colby Donaldson (just because he's a cutie-patootie), Cirie, James. Yeah, I had to mix a villain in with my heroes.

Since Richard Hatch couldn't leave the country, he's not going to be in the show. It's a shame as I'd like to see him and Russell team up. Hatch was my choice to win the first season and, although I wasn't too keen on him in All-Stars, he's the ultimate villain.

One of the nice guy heroes I would have liked to watch again would be Ethan Zohn (Africa). I feel very saddened about the state of his health these days. Yul Kwon or Yau-Man Chan would be welcome back in my eyes, too. But I think they're both very busy in their own careers. They aren't bartenders like such a large bunch of the reality contestants!

What do you think of the cast list?

Off Topic - That Was The Week It Was - 1/03/10

Baby, it's cold outside! Here in New Jersey it's bitter cold with high wind warnings. I hope everyone reading this is home, warm and cozy. I am. (So is Vincent.) And, of course, it's Sunday -- time to ramble through my week in words and photographs I've taken. Speaking of photos, the 2009 Plainfield Library Photo Competition is now up online if you want to peek at the entries.

Where to start? Hmmm ... it's COLD. Waah. Hmmm ... television has been mostly boring with reruns. I watched all of The Thin Man movies on TCM New Year's Eve into New Year's Day. No one can beat Myrna Loy and William Powell! I realize the movies were filmed in the 30s and early 40s, but they're ahead of their time. Oh, Asta the dog was great, too.

On a dog, TV, and movie note -- I went into work two hours early and got home an hour early Saturday night. That works out, right? Anyway, since I got home an hour earlier than I usually do, I looked to see what was on television. Old Yeller was on TCM. I recall seeing the movie when I was young, but it must have been a re-release of some sort. I was around eight when I saw it, yet the original release was 1957. I was NOT eight years old in 1957! Nor would I remember any movie I saw in 1957. I remembered the story and also knew it really upset me at the time. So, like a fool, I caught the last hour of it knowing the ending. I'm such a sap! It still got to me.

In other TV watching, I watched a whole lotta episodes of Barney Miller Friday on WGN. Then I watched the Chicago news at 9 PM at 10 PM. Then I watched the NYC/NJ news at 11 at 11. "It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right, with your hands on your hips, you bring your knees in tight, but it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane, let's do the Time Warp again!" No, I didn't watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but the Time Warp seemed to fit in here. I enjoyed the Barney Miller episodes, the news not so much. But the cold they had in Chicago arrived in this area yesterday and today. Brrr.

I know New Year's Eve came during the week, but my own week was rather uneventful. By the time I got home from work on New Year's Eve, I was already hearing all kinds of accident calls on my police scanner. The roads around here were slick and the drunks were out. I like to think I can be pretty slick at times, but I don't do drunk well. I learned my lessons about drunk decades ago and, though I'll drink some socially, I won't get drunk. I don't like the feeling and I get sick to my stomach. To me, that's not a good way to start out a new year. Instead, I baked Trader Joe's truffle brownies and had hot chocolate with them at midnight.

Onto this week's photos --

Berckman Street Bunny

As I walked to the local bodega, I spotted this guy munching on grass between two houses. You know I had to shoot him. He can't be a wild rabbit -- he's fat and clean, bigger than most cats. I'd estimate he weighs a good 15 pounds or more. As I shot him, one of the people who live nearby told me he's been hanging around for over a month, disappeared with the snow cover, then reappeared. He told me he called animal control on him, but they couldn't catch him. Since he's so fat, so clean, and went away during the snow cover, he thinks the rabbit must have access in and out of someone's home. Just in case he doesn't, he's been putting carrots out for him in his backyard. Berckman Street, Plainfield, NJ.

Eek! Crazed Killer Rabbit!

Er, no. It's just I had to use the flash and it made his eyes glow. This is as close as I got to him, then he went through a basement window under one house's porch. Maybe he's their rabbit. I don't know. Berckman Street, Plainfield.

Brr. Foggy Windows

Danny's Bakery early Saturday morning in the FREEZING cold. Of course, my eyeglasses would steam up if I went in there, too. I edited to make the windows and sign in color while the remainder is black and white. Corner of North and Watchung, Plainfield, NJ.

From the train window - One

This is the Rock Ice Pavilion -- indoor ice skating year round. It's still a hit all through the winter. There's always a year-round snow pile in the back of the building from the Zamboni, even when it's 90 degrees out. Taken as I commuted to work on the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line near Dunellen, NJ.

From the train window - Two

On one side, we have factories and industrial buildings. Raritan Valley Train Line, NJ Transit outside of Dunellen/Bound Brook area, NJ.

From the train window - Three

Ah, the Chipman Chemical Company -- New Jersey, just as you pictured it, eh? This is approaching Bound Brook heading west on the Raritan Valley Train Line. To be honest, there are some woods and streams where I spot deer, herons, and such. But the woods blur with the train movement when trying to use the camera.

Naked again, finally

No Santa suit! Yay! Vincent has no clue how cold it is outside. He's curled up sleeping as I type this.

Lights, shadows, and snow

The fury of the early morning snow on New Year's Eve morning took just about everyone by surprise. It wasn't snowing when I headed out to walk to the train station. I stopped a few minutes at Everybody's Food Store on East Front Street and came out to snow coming down. Two short blocks from there is this scene at the corner of Church and East Second. The snow is covering the roads and sidewalks and blowing about.

Another short two blocks

Gee, it's really coming down. It didn't snow for all that long, but was coming down at the rate of about two inches an hour. East Third Street and Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Snow on the bushes

First Fresh Tracks!

"I walk this empty street, On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Where the city sleeps and I'm the only one and I walk alone." - "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day. Yes, these are my tracks. I find it interesting that I'm putting more pressure on the toes of my knee replacement knee. Before the knee replacement, I'd wear my right shoes out leaving the left one fine due to my horrid limp. Now I must be limping the other way -- weight on the left knee replacement knee and taking it easy on the right one.

What is going on here?

The brief blizzard continues. North Street across from the Plainfield Train Station.

There's no business like snow business ...

Plainfield Train Station under siege from snow.

Where IS that train?

Supposedly security was beefed up this week due to terror issues. No evidence of such on my train line. Every now and then, we see NJ Transit cops. We're more likely to see local police.

I see the light!

It's either the train or that woman has an aura of goodness and light about her. Plainfield Train Station.

The train has arrived

Note the cowboy boots. I see more cowboy boots around here than I did when I lived in California. Mind you, I'm not seeing a lot of horses or cows, especially in this area. When I first moved here, I almost drove off the road when I saw an elephant walking along the road. Yes, an elephant. No, I wasn't drinking, nor was it pink. There used to be a zoo around the Scotch Plains/Plainfield area and I happened to be driving by when one of the elephants was taking an illegal jaunt. It's a shame I didn't carry a camera back then like I do now.

It's her again ... or still

If she didn't change clothes, I'd think I was seeing dead people. She's always in the single seat by the stairs on the double-decker train. Me? I hog up the four-seater across the aisle from her. The morning trains always have plenty of room heading the wrong way for peak during the rush hours. That's the stairs and my seat check you see in the foreground.

Hugo's

Hugo's, a bar in the pre-dawn hours, not at night. Again, I'm loving the lights and shadows. I've never been inside. I probably will never be inside. The corner of Church and East Front Streets in Plainfield.

How was your week? And, welcome back, JoyN. (Folks might want to check out the New Year's Eve comments to see what's been going on with her.) Oh ... and a welcome to new folks coming aboard! Pretty soon, we're getting new show seasons! Yay!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year (well, New Year's Eve as it's not midnight here yet)! Looking back at 2009, we had some good TV seasons, some dubious winners on reality shows, a lot of confusion on LOST and Heroes ... but all in all, we were entertained.

But, to me, even more important than television (WHAT? something more important than TV?!?!), is the fact that the friends who frequent the blog here have become a cherished part of my own life. And, of course, each other's lives, too! We're meeting each other in person and having tons of fun. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and kindnesses so many of you have shown me over the past year. I probably wouldn't have Vincent if not for those of you who helped me out. And, although I dearly miss Scherzo, Vincent is a way cool cat and even lets me put him in Santa suits! Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart -- oh, the top and middle of it, too!

Zoetawny made us a New Year's Eve 2010 graphic ... she continues to rock! A few folks asked if I would put up an entry tonight for those staying in. I count myself as one staying in. I got home from work around 7 PM tonight and I won't be going back out there again. I've done the Times Square ball thing twice in my life and that might be once too much. I also had to endure the crowds of drunken college-age kids on the train tonight as they headed to go there. Call me old. Call me a curmudgeon, call me cantankerous. I'm staying in for the night!

I found out that the Turner Classic Movies channel is having a Thin Man movie marathon all evening. Wow! Other stations have The Three Stooges, TLC has an odd array of sex-related shows (um, n'okay), and such. But it's Thin Man movies for me! They're great and I own only one of them, so this is fantastic!

But I'll surely be peeking in here on and off. Everyone is welcome to stop by, hang out, cyber-drink and snack ... and dance! Please do NOT step on the cat while doing the watusi, though. He doesn't like that.