Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - February 27, 2011

Why, it's Sunday morning once again! 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.

Winter is winding down a bit here despite some snow we had on Monday. On Friday we had steady, then heavy, rain accompanied by a few thunderstorms. That's the second time we've had thunderstorms in the past few weeks. Usually February goes by without a hint of thunder. But we all know this season's been anything but normal. In between the snow and rain, we had a few nice days with temperatures in the forties and sunshine ... and we had bitter cold and wind.

Early in the week I caught some kind of bug which cranked my own temperature up. Perhaps it was my misguided wishes for warmer weather? Whatever it was, it kicked my butt for a few days. But it has left me kind of grouchy. What do I do when grouchy? I lash out!

• Excuse me, fool on the cell phone walking towards me ... I'm just going to keep walking the way I'm going. You NEED to pay attention to where you're going. After all, I could be a solid object!
• Do NOT walk out of a store door and just stop while looking dumb! Move along! I want to get out of the door!
• Do NOT get off the train and stop on the stairs either! I'm walking bone-on-bone in one knee and I want that railing. You do NOT want me to fall on you, do you? I thought not. Move along!
• Stop riding that bicycle on the city sidewalk, grown man.
• If you're pushing a shopping cart, don't go all zombie looking at stuff to buy and wheel your cart into people. If you must go all zombie over merchandise, pull to the side of the aisle and park it. Either that, or watch where you're going.
• I thought I was grocery shopping. I didn't realize that it's obviously some sort of social event or reunion with people blocking the aisles to talk.
• How come in this day and age, there's a two-year old all by himself near the exit door to the parking lot? Oh, parent(s)? Where are you?
• That yappy little dog downstairs is getting yappier.
• The big red stop sign on the automatic store door means it's an exit. You enter the automatic door with the green sign. Sheesh.
• Bon Jovi fans on NJ Transit trains are as odd as NJ Devils fans on NJ Transit trains, just a different kind of odd.
• Just because you don't think I speak Spanish doesn't mean I don't understand what you're saying.
• But, no. I don't understand the Mandarin Chinese you're shouting into your cell phone while I just want a peaceful commute.

There. I feel better now.

On the home front, the new neighbors seem bearable. I heard classic rock music playing one day -- not really, really loud. I occasionally hear muffled voices. One night I came home to them hammering on their/my dining room wall. Those kinds of noises should vanish once they're settled in. They're quite quiet as the evening goes on. I still haven't met or seen them yet. But they're there.

Also on the home front -- maintenance dudes put some sort of poorly done ramp out the middle door of the building. I assume it's for accessibility. Yet, it's so poorly done that I keep almost falling every time I go out that door. I don't think a ramp is supposed to start flush with the doorway itself. Shouldn't there be door to flat section or landing to the ramp? If someone tries to come in with a wheelchair, they're going to keep rolling backwards into the lot!

Oh well ... onto this week's photos. I'm really wanting spring shots. I'm growing bored with my photo fodder. Plus, I missed one day's walk and it was bitter cold with wind or raining another day. Clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window, then just go back on your browser.

Mouse Ears

Yes, I messed with the editing of this photo. The identical two doors themselves with their identical parking meter shadows caught my eye as I waited for my train. Yet the busyness of the surroundings sort of drowned them out. So I edited the colors and used the "posterization" doohickey on my photo editing software. The doors are in the original colors. North Street, Plainfield.

Angry Clouds and Contrasts

As the storms moved away driven by wild winds on Friday, the sun came out shortly before sundown. The color differences between the clouds and the barren trees and poison ivy vines made me go for this one. If you look closely, that's Route 287 in the background. Yes, it leads to the NJ Turnpike. No, don't ask me what exit. I took this at the Bridgewater Train Station looking to the east.

Gordon the Goose entertaining the chicks

"So this human walked into a bar ..." No, that's not a small pond. We were under a flood watch on Friday. This is the first time I've ever really seen water gather there. There is a pond on the other side of the fence. Bridgewater Train Station.

The glow of Danny's Bakery

I edited this one to just leave the bakery windows and the reflection on the rain-soaked street in color. North Avenue at the corner of Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Plainfield Train Station Lamps in the Rain

Also edited for the color/B&W effect. Yes, I know I've taken similar shots to this before. But I was stuck in place at the train station in the rain Friday morning.

Definitely!

Looking out my train window into that train window, I mysteriously wanted a nap. A clever billboard campaign by Sleepy's Mattresses which can be seen at the Dunellen Train Station. Of course, if I had a mattress and fell asleep on the train, I'd be like ol' Charlie on the MTA.

Lonesome Dove

Even though birds are plotting to overthrow mankind, I found this a bit sad. Doves are almost always in pairs. I don't think it's the right time of the year for this to be a young dove without a mate.

Look! Spring! Spring! Spring!

Some buds are forming on the trees with the wonderful spring blossoms on Church Street in Plainfield. Happy dance time! Of course, the cemetery is still mostly snowed in as it's in the shadows and there are huge ugly snow piles nearby. But ... LEAF BUDS!

I am Tyrannosaurus Rex Squirrel!
Fear me!

Lesser creatures run from the towering squirrel with his dangling little front legs as he stomps the church grounds on East Front Street in Plainfield.

Posing for animal crackers?

A squirrel on Berckman Street freeze-framed as if posing for my camera.

Yes, it did snow this week!

Looking at the house which still has all of its holiday decorations up through the snow-laden tree Monday morning. Near the corner of East Front and Richmond, Plainfield.

Snow from the platform

Plainfield Train Station, again Monday morning, again snow. I edited it to leave just the red banners in color.

Those lamps again

Well, not the same ones as in the other photo. This is looking towards East Third Street from the westbound platform.

Silent snowy morning

Because it was a holiday (not for me), there was little traffic as I headed in to work Monday morning. Trains were on a holiday schedule, so it was daylight when I walked to the station. Due to warm weather the week before, the snow melted for the longest time on the roads and really didn't accumulate all that much on the sidewalks, either. East Front and Church Streets.

Snow Depth Guide

Some helpful person set this fine chair outside just so I could tell how much snow had actually fallen. About two inches as I went through. East Front Street.

A snowy day in Jersey,
A snowy day in Jersey,
Sometimes I think it's
Snowing all over the world.

East Front Street, Monday morning. My apologies to Georgia.

"Damn snow."

His expression says it all. Plainfield Train Station.

"You know ... I do see you."

But Vincent, you're so photogenic!

How was your week?

Survivor: Redemption Island - 2/23 Episode Blog Party

The show will be starting in about five minutes here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll update this post with major news while sharing some opinions on what I see both here and in comments. Of course, the comments area is where the real party is! Everyone is welcome to join in, the water's fine! Oh. And bring snacks. Snacks are always good.

Yikes! Ralph found the hidden idol while collecting rocks!

Zapetera (Russell's tribe) won Immunity and Reward (combined).

Rob engineered a vote for Matt because Matt is close with one of the girls and congratulated the other tribe. We'll see.

The plan worked - Kristina used her idol, Matt blindsided.

TAR Review up on TV Squad

My review of last night's The Amazing Race is up on TV Squad. Stop on by!

The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business Season Premiere Blog Party

It's back and it's even in HD this year! Everyone is welcome to join in with comments as the show airs -- that's where the real fun is! I'll be updating this post with any big news as I watch it here on the East Coast. My full review of the show will be posted on TV Squad either late this evening or early tomorrow. I'd love to have you visit there, too!

Lifeguard Laurie has the blog pool set. If you didn't make the cut-off, just jump in the pool and cheer on your favorite team. Here's the breakdown:

* Amanda & Kris - meb, Nana in NW, DKNYNC
* Gary & Mallory- Karen in CA. Becky, Laurie
* Flight Time & Big Easy - Terry in PA, Jackie, Monty934
* Jaime & Cara - Donna in AL, JoyN
* Jet & Cord - ML, Margo
* Kent & Vyxsin - Rbennie,
* LaKisha & Jennifer - PDX Granny, Donna in FL
* Margie & Luke - dla, Merrilee
* Mel & Mike - Jenna's Mom, Sydney
* Ron & Christina - Lisanne, SueGee
* Zev & Justin - Zoetawny, Brent

Teams ready? GO!

The winning team of the first leg will get an Express Pass allowing them to skip a task. Teams need to find an item for Phil in the desert before getting their clue. The first eight teams go on the first flight, the others 90 minutes later. The last team has a U-Turn to start out the race.

Kris and Amanda got the penalty.

Pit Stop -
1. Gary and Mallory - won Express Pass - race still on new clue
2. Amanda and Kris
3. Kisha and Jen
4. Zev and Justin
5. Globetrotters
6. Jaime and Cara
7. Marge and Luke
8. Ron and Christina
9. Mel and Mike
10. Kynt and Vyxsin

The cowboys, Jet and Cord, are clueless on the puzzle. But, since it's a "to be continued," they probably won't be Philiminated.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - February 20, 2011

It's Sunday morning! You know what that means -- it's time for my off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. It has been a weird weather week here in New Jersey. On Monday, we were up to around 60 degrees. Tuesday we had bitter cold. Then we had record warmth into the sixties and even to 71 on Friday. We had a short yet vivid thunderstorm Friday night. Then Saturday had temperatures back to winter with a high winds warning.

Oy. Oh. And I should probably mention that snow/ice/sleet is expected tonight into Monday and then again the next day, too.

I tasted spring this week and I want it. I want it now. To be honest, the temperatures don't bother me all that much. It's just all of the ice and snow we've had this year. With sunshine and the few days of real warmth, much of our snow is gone. The shady areas still sport snow cover and the huge mounds are down to manageable sizes, but nasty dirty. Christmas trees, broken street benches, the debris of a gazillion litterbugs and folks who don't pick up their dog waste abound. Eww. But it's nice to walk without thinking any step could bring me down if I slip on ice.

On the home front, I guess I have new neighbors. Yes, an odd time for them to move in -- immediately after the apartment rehab and mid-month. But they seem to be there. I hear movement and voices (can't hear what they're saying, just muffled voices) at various hours. So far, they don't seem rowdy or into heavy-duty arguments. That's all I really ask from a neighbor sharing a wall. I don't need to be friends. I just want them to be considerate of others and realize they're not alone in a house.

The Survivor: Redemption Island premiere this week was an excellent start with a Tribal Council we're never going to forget. If you're watching the show, please stop by the weekly blog party. We have commentary as the show airs East Coast time and sometimes even have a contingent of West Coasters picking it up again three hours later.

The new season of The Amazing Race begins tonight. If you want to be in the blog pool, you have until 3 PM ET to email LifeguardLaurie@gmail.com to join. At approximately 8 PM ET, I'll get that blog party post up. I'll also be writing up the review for TV Squad, but I'm not sure when that will end up getting posted as I think the editors at AOL might have a long weekend.

Enough ... onto the photos! Clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window.

New York Post Army o' Honor (Boxes)

I don't know why, but all of a sudden five new NY Post honor boxes appeared at the Bridgewater Train Station. Mind you, this is the station which still sports the January 17 copy of the NJ Star-Ledger for sale even though the snow which blocked the box for a few months is now gone. Unless they plan to put two issues in each of these boxes, I don't see a sell out. I usually read left behind NY Post copies on the train.

The Pigeon Lectures

Two pigeons lecture lesser birds on the front of the Chotola building on North Avenue in Plainfield. Okay, I made that up. The birds are huddled there trying to avoid both the wind and the cold Saturday morning.

The white pigeon reminds me of the episode on The Wire when the kids thought all white pigeons were "homers" and worth big bucks. Nope, he (she?) is a plain old pigeon. I've seen this white one hanging around that block for almost two years now. Well, I think it's the same one. It's hard to tell one pure white pigeon from another.

Winter Weed

Even in this shape, it kind of makes for a neat photo.

Stepping Back

Here's where I got the last shot -- frozen weeds against a chain link fence in front of a mound of snow.

Winter Morning at the Plainfield Train Station

Monday morning, just as dawn is about to break, my train arrives. On day, later in the week on my way home, I had to explain to a fellow passenger the difference between the Devils and Rangers fans on the train and what sport it was. Hockey, Devils fans wear red. Rangers fans wear red, white and blue with the major color being white. They don't like each other and they're all obnoxious on the trains. They should have their own cars while normal human beings are seated separately.

The passenger was an intern at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan and was heading to Newark to catch a plane home to Ohio for a long weekend. She had just put in over a hundred hours working Fashion Week in the city and was questioning her own career aspirations. Poor kid. But she'll bounce back. If she wants a career in fashion, she's definitely on a solid path as an intern there!

Sure, wait until the temperature is expected to be 60!

This was early Monday morning on East Front and Watchung Avenue in Plainfield. Oh, they're finally taking down some of the shoulder-high snow mounds? Now that they started to melt and are dwindling on their own? Why bother now when pedestrians have had treacherous sidewalks for two months?

Most of my shortcuts are back! Yes!

No, I don't walk across lawns and such. But I do often cut through the U-Haul lot and it's been blocked by snowbanks on the sidewalk and monster snow mounds blocking the lot. While this is still sizable (it's less now as I took this Monday morning), I can cut through the lot once again. Yay! East Front and Roosevelt, Plainfield.

Monarch Before Dawn

This was also Monday morning before the sunrise. That snow is now all gone, too. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Grr

This is the section of North Avenue sidewalk in front of the Plainfield Train Station I've groused about all winter. NO ONE TAKES OWNERSHIP AND NO ONE SHOVELS IT. Now what's left over is pure ice. If the sun comes out, it's water on ice. Yes, that's extremely dangerous. I took this Tuesday, but as of Saturday morning there was still a fifteen or twenty foot section of ice down by the corner necessitating a walk into the street to pass.

Winter took its toll on the streets

This pothole is at the entrance to Union County College on Church Street. Under that water, the hole goes down about four inches. I noticed they tried filling it with rocks on Friday. Yeah, that'll work!

Look! The wall of snow behind the bench is gone!

Oh yeah ... because those guys were breaking it up and throwing it in the street to damage passing cars. Church Street.

Methinks time for a new box

This is one of those mailbox but not a mailbox doohickeys that the mailmen ... er, mail people, are in and out of throughout the day. It's definitely seen better days. The corner of East Front and Roosevelt, Plainfield.

Stop in the name of love

Before you break my heart. Think it oh-oh-ver ... (The Supremes). I couldn't resist, but you really don't want to hear me sing it. Only Vincent should suffer that much! Valentine's Day on East Front Street. I edited it to leave the crossing guard's stop sign and the balloons in color while the rest went black and white.

Take time to smell the rose

A teen waits for his train in Bound Brook holding a single flower on Valentine's Day. His girl? His Mom? Either one makes it a touching scene. Also edited to leave him in color.

Bird on a wire

His throat is all fluffed out because he was holding an animated discussion aimed at um, I don't know. But he certainly was noisy! He's probably talking about the bird takeover of the world.

Historic Home

In the Crescent Area Historic District on Crescent Avenue in Plainfield, this home sports well-kept original detail. So many of the homes through there are absolutely stunning.

Then there's this one across the street

What the heck is that gook they've put on the sides? Not only that, but the turret is in shambles. Obviously cut into apartments, I can't help but wonder what it looked like when it was a single family home.

The Plainfield Library

I renewed my books twice because I didn't feel up to fighting the snow and ice to get there. But with the nice weather on Thursday, I finally returned them. No, these aren't the steps to the entrance. I'm pretty sure this snow is probably gone or near gone after Friday's warmth. I edited the shot to leave the library flags in color. Park Avenue, Plainfield.

Design and Texture

A boarded up window surrounded by brick. East Fourth Street, Plainfield.

But can you get there from here?

Signs at the intersection of West Eighth Street and Park Avenue in Plainfield. No, don't ask me what exit we are off the NJ Turnpike. I can tell you how to get on the NJ Parkway, though.

Excuse me

Can you get that camera ANY closer to my face?

But, Vincent ... you're such a good subject!

How was your week?