Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 4, 2011

If you're looking for the latest Big Brother 13 live feeds update, it's this post, not THIS post.

It's Sunday morning and, unlike last Sunday, it's time for my (usually) weekly look back on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. I didn't post last Sunday due to an extended power outage due to Hurricane Irene. My power went out late Saturday night and didn't come on again until Monday morning. During Monday, it went out twice again for much shorter periods of time. However, I had it easier than many of my friends in Manville and Bound Brook during the storm.

For only the second time since living here (ten years), my own street flooded and had to be closed down. I didn't go out for any storm photos as my power was out -- no elevator with me still getting around with a crutch after my knee setback. From my own windows which look off to the side, the storm didn't look that impressive. Yet, when I went out on Tuesday, I noticed the water marks on the front part of the building were over a foot high. Our front foyer, which is lower than ground level (steps down to it outside, then steps up to the first floor inside) must have flooded.

I'm not sure when my power went out Saturday night -- I woke up around 4 AM all sweaty because my fan went off. Since I couldn't get back to sleep, I sat in my recliner chair by the window and watched explosions of transformers and wires being brought down by falling trees light up the night sky. It was almost surreal, like lightning close to the horizon with no lightning bolts or thunder. As I watched, I feared my power might be out a long, long time.

I'm lucky. Some of my friends STILL have no power as I get this written. Plus, I have no worries about storm damage. I live on the second floor of a three story apartment building. If a tree were to fall, it would hit the top floor. If a flood were to happen, it would be the basement and first floor.

The storm made the week a bit weird. I still see some wires down on the street. Hopefully they're just cable wires at this point. All of the intersections with traffic lights still boast flare dust from when cops were there through the night, then day, then night again. I had my police scanner on through the storm and my outage listening to water rescues and the various emergency responses. The Plainfield Police and Fire Departments get my kudos for a job well done!

Let's see ... what else has been going on? Oh! I found out that the stomach bug I had is indeed something that's going around. The mother of one of my friends was actually hospitalized with it. I know since my operation, my immune system is weaker than normal, so that's probably why I caught it and why it hit me so hard.

The knee continues to improve from its setback. Unfortunately, a lot of my recent physical therapy has had to focus on the kneecap dislocation rather than the knee replacement. My PT says that he has patients coming in solely for therapy for that. Ack. I've worked myself back down from the crutch to a cane while outside the apartment. But I still feel like it's unstable and I'm taking it real slow. Inside, I'm not using anything, but I'm not dashing about for sure!

Anyway ... onto the photos. My apologies again for no storm photos!

I come from New Jersey with my cap upon my knee

Second Street, Scotch Plains.

Mushroom

Tons of fungi all over the place both before and after Irene due to the historically wet summer.

Another

A gathering of the 'shrooms

A lone 'shroom

I read where some folks have been eating the local mushrooms and have had to be hospitalized. That would never happen to me. I'm only a fan of photographing them. I don't care for eating them even when they're not poisonous.

Where the water came from?

I took this shot from in front of my building. The Green Brook runs in back of those apartments across the street from me. It's usually a small brook -- sometimes down to maybe twelve feet wide in spots, perhaps 20-25 feet at its widest in the area. Apparently it grew big enough to make my own street into a raging river during Irene.

My taped up kneecap.

My knee is swollen just because it's swollen. It's splotchy because I had ice on it at the end of PT. The scar is healing nicely, though!

Yet another mushroom

Snoopy window

East Second Street, Plainfield

Pretty in pink

Flowers brighten up a set of weathered steps on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

Silly tiny bikes

How can they ride these things? Those seats look SO uncomfortable! Scotch Plains.

Camera shy

That human will never find me!
I'll become one with the tree!
Call me a treehugger

Yet another mushroom

You NEED to put that camera down and play with me!

Okay, Vincent. Whatever you want ...

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Into Saturday Night 9/04

Kalia crashes and burns

In the beginning of the season, I would never have predicted this final five. Of course, at the beginning, I was thinking Evel Dick would be entertaining me all summer. Instead we have Adam with his metal persona gone standing and weaving while smoking cigarettes. Oh well. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Whine and Cheese:

• As I posted earlier, Adam won the veto.
• Now, before the veto comp went down, Adam gave his word to Jordan and Rachel that if he won the veto, he wouldn't use it.
• Of course, if he were to use the veto, it would be Jordan on the block as the replacement.
• Adam has played a sucky Enzo-like but not as entertaining as Enzo game all season.
• But, one thing about him -- when he commits to something, he does stick with it.
• When he's iffy or wants to vote another way, he never tells the person pleading to him what he'll do.
• So I think he'll remain true to his word and NOT use the veto.
• He even gave Jordan his girlfriend's necklace to hold as some sort of insurance.
• Yeah, that reeks of Shelly and her ring, but ...!
  
• The veto comp was an Otev one, this time with them retrieving pies.
• How he won, I don't know. I'm still in shock.
• Both Kalia and Porsche tried their hardest to mingle through the room.
• Adam told them he probably will not be using the veto.
• But how could he betray them like that?
• Kalia fell apart when Jordan told her she probably won't be voting for her to stay.
• She exiled herself in the bedroom crying her little heart out while mumbling that Adam and Porsche don't deserve to be in the house.
  
• But, of course, she is so much more deserving!
• Eventually she went into the Diary Room probably asking to DOR (voluntarily leave).
• I'm just not getting her. Many "deserving" people have already been voted out, most not throwing quite the dramatic fit she's throwing.
• While the Kalia drama was going on inside the house, everyone outside was getting along playing pool and hanging out in the backyard.
• I'm not sure of how things will be timed in the coming days as they will most likely have a taped eviction on Tuesday.
• At this point, it looks like Adam won't use the veto and it's Kalia going home.
  

The fortune teller comes alive for the group,
yet says nothing.

Adam has the power.
Who woulda thunk it?

Porsche now lives in a gray sweat suit.

Rachel continues to be better without Brendon.

Jordan needs to STOP PLAYING WITH HER HAIR!
Most of the girls do it and it drives me crazy while watching.

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Update - PoV 9/03

Oh my gosh.

Adam won the Power of Veto.

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds - Nominations 9/02

Rachel nominated Kalia and Porsche for eviction.

Surprised? No? I didn't think so.

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Into Friday Afternoon 9/02

Rachel reads her HoH letter and DOES NOT CRY.

At least after the live show, we have some action for a couple of days before the doldrums set in again. I'm dreading when it's down to two of these hamsters for the last bunch of days. But, that's not now and now actually has stuff going on! Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Krazy Koi:

• Last night, after the HoH comp ended, Adam lamented that it hadn't been a donut EATING contest. He's sure he would have won that!
• I don't know. I think Kalia could give him a run for the money when it comes to eating!
• The new newbie alliance already has a crack in it because Porsche, smart gal she is, realized that Kalia voted to keep Shelly.
• Kalia told her it was because Rachel and Jordan told her they were voting for Adam to go and she didn't want to vote against the house.
• Yeah, right. She actually had less to fear from Shelly staying. Adam is a Porsche buddy and would knock Kalia out before Porsche.
• Well, that is if he could ever win anything!
• Kalia thinks shes her own worst critic.
• Wait until she reads internet sites!
• Porsche, who's barely talked game all season, has latched onto Adam and strategy talk. Is she deserting Kalia? Hmmm ...
• In the HoH comp, at the 13 minute time limit, Rachel had 20 donuts while Jordan and Adam came in second with 15 donuts each. Kalia was far behind.
• In her HoH room, Rachel got photos of herself and Brendon.
• SHOCKER!
• Kalia is worried that Rachel and Jordan are after her because they led her to believe Adam was being voted out just five minutes before the vote.
• Jordan tried to point out to Adam that Porsche will dump him whenever as she was more concerned about going along with the house than saving him.
• Rachel and Jordan have decided that Kalia needs to be their target for the week as she's more "dangerous" than Porsche and Adam is just a waffler.
• They're right about Kalia. But, I for one, despite my annoyance at her various annoying habits on the feeds and even her voice ... would rather see her in the finals over either Adam or Porsche. She has played a better game, methinks.
• Don't take that for me liking her, though!
• Rachel doesn't like being in the HoH room without Brendon.
• I prefer she's there without Brendon. She's like a different person without him in the house (well, after the second time he left, that is).
• They got booze last night. Without Brendon, Rachel behaves okay with booze.
• Kalia was the first one to run to Rachel's HoH room to try to save her butt.
• Although she is the target, Rachel seems to agree with me that, of the bunch, Kalia is the one trying the hardest in the game.
• But I had to switch cams then. Kalia's never-ending circular conversation was driving me nutso!
• If they have a talking comp, Kalia would knock it out of the park!
• Rachel thinks the upcoming week will be a shortened one. She's right.
• Then came ... Pandora's Box! Well, trivia for us, excitement for them.
• Rachel opened it because it said something bad for her, good for the house.
• The house got one of those clothes sprees and Tori Spelling.
• Adam is in love.
• Rachel, once again, got Jessie.
• Sigh. What the hell is wrong with Allison Grodner that she thinks anyone ever wants to see that jerk again?!? STOP BRINGING HIM BACK! LET HIM VANISH!
• The others grabbed clothes for Rachel, too.
• Adam got a couple of dresses for his girlfriend.
• Rachel could see them shopping and Tori Spelling-ing while she suffered with Jessie.
• Nominations are later today. When I know, you'll know!
  

What being a hamster will do to you ...

Jordan, however, always maintains her cuteness.

Maybe now Porsche will burn that pink velour sweat suit!

Adam looks better in a good hat.

The spree results!