The Amazing Race 19 Blog Party - 11/27/2011

Due to football, 60 Minutes didn't start until 7:55 PM ET here in the NYC viewing area. So I'm assuming that The Amazing Race should start about 55 minutes late. Once it starts, I'll update this post with the major happenings. But the real fun is in the comments; please pipe in with your thoughts! See you there!

Finally we're starting ..

Last week we only knew Amani and Marcus had arrived first at the Pit Stop and were immediately onto the next leg. They're off to the Ford Proving Ground also in Belgium.

Ernie and Cindy were team two. Jeremy and Sandy third. Four, Andy and Tommy. Bill and Cathi are last, but still in the race!

Roadblock - Who wants to play with the ponies? It's a Mustang testing course.

Off to Gent, Belgium next.

Detour - Water or Waffle.

Next they're off to race homing pigeons! They have to go to the destination of their birds where they're getting a clue to the location of the next Pit Stop.

Pit Stop
1. Andy and Tommy - Each wins a customized Ford Mustang
2. Jeremy and Sandy
3. Ernie and Cindy
4. Amani and Marcus
5. Bill and Cathi -- Philiminated.

Sigh. I really really liked them!

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

It's Sunday, time for my weekly off television topic jaunt through the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. This past week was a shortened work week for me due to the Thanksgiving holiday. However, unlike many office workers, government and factory workers -- I worked Black Friday and Saturday, too. My days off were Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday. Thankfully, unlike some unlucky folks in retail, my workplace is closed on Thanksgiving. (Yay!)

I continued my pledge to not shop on either Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday. On Thanksgiving, I think it's horrible for the stores to open and the employees don't get to spend the holiday at home when they're already in a busy busy season. Sure, I realize that police, fire, health care workers, etc. have to work the holidays. However, they're not under the major business crush of retail workers. 

I don't shop on Black Friday because I don't like large crowds of crazy people. I don't care how good the bargains are. I know folks who buy so many things they don't need just because "they're on sale!" -- my budget really doesn't allow for that kind of craziness. 

That said, I do have intentions of going into the city for some of the holiday sights photo stomping this year. My knees are feeling well enough and I haven't done it in a long time due to knee pain. I'll probably go in on a Wednesday as it isn't AS crazy there mid-week. But not this coming Wednesday as Justin Bieber and President Obama are both in town and the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting is going on. That's crazy.

After a rainy start this week, the weather turned glorious for the holiday and through today. It's even been in the 60s! I'm loving it! My windows have been open and a light jacket or sweater is all that's needed to make my work commute.

Vincent and I had a nice quiet holiday at home. He got his Fancy Feast Turkey with Gravy, licked the gravy off and begged for more. I made a mini-feast for myself and have lived on leftovers ever since. I hope you all had a fine Thanksgiving holiday!

Enough rambling ... time for some photos! Clicking on an image will open it larger in a gallery doohickey thingee.

Patch of dawn

I realize I posted this one on my Facebook wall this week, but I was pleased with how it turned out. I edited it to leave only the patch of dawn in color. Plainfield train Station.

Like early autumn deja vu

With the warmer temperatures and sunshine the latter part of this week, the mums have returned. Alas, I fear they won't last too long now. I guess we can't stave off winter forever. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Boots on a porch

No, they're not MY boots! I don't have a porch either. Edited to leave only the boots in color. Berckman Street, Plainfield.

USE THE READ MORE LINK TO SEE THE REMAINDER OF THE PHOTOS! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, friends, food and love! Although the times aren't easy these days, friends and family are something that we're all thankful for everyday.

While in no way a compete list, I'm thankful for many things this past year:

• Having friends and family I care about and who care about me.
• Knowing so many GOOD people who keep my life interesting.
• Working for a company where I have a fairly secure job despite hard economic times.
• Having health insurance and short term disability insurance, both at a very reasonable cost.
• My successful knee replacement.
• My cat Vincent, as nutty as his person.
• New Jersey for being as weird as it can be.
• Trader Joe's and Peapod grocery delivery for feeding me well (at a cost, of course).
• Coke Zero
• Adventures in the Outer Banks with good friends.
• Chocolate.
• My photography addiction which keeps both mind and body active.
• Technology such as Facebook which reunited me with family and friends from my youth.
• You -- the friends who have been a part of this blog community for years!

Of course, my list isn't necessarily in that order! May everyone have a fantastic day!

Survivor South Pacific 11/23 Episode Blog Party

Survivors ready? It's almost time for the show to start here on the East Coast. Tonight's show, if I'm not mistaken, is the "unseen clips" show, so I won't have any real updates on things like Immunity and such. The real fun and active discussion can be found in the blog party comments. Stop on in and share your thoughts on the show!

Tragic News

I just found out that longtime blog community friend Jeannemarie Ahrens passed away last month. She has been an active commenter on the blog for several years. In one of my last contacts with her, she was offering to give me a ride to my surgeon's office as she's from the area.

I'm not too sure what happened, but I do recall that she was being admitted to the hospital yet again. For those who might not remember, she had been having horrible infections from a cat bite (her own cat) since last summer. On her Facebook page, I noticed that someone has taken in her cat.


What a shame. She was really a nice person, the kind of people I've met through my online experiences over the years and had gotten to know. I was missing her presence, which is why I looked into her absence. Rest in peace, Jeannemarie. 

Her obituary ran in the Star Ledger.