Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - March 25, 2012

It's Sunday morning, the start of a bit of a rainy day here. However, coming off of the glorious spring week we had last week, I can't complain. It's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken.

It's SO definitely (and finally officially) spring here! Everything is coming to life. Despite our unusually warm winter and some early blooms, this past week proved that even a warm winter can't be spring! Sure, there were bits of nature's glory here and there, but for the most part winter was basically brown and grey. Now it's pretty wherever you look!

Of course, that tends to make me sneeze. But I'll live with that for the beauty of it all. The foggy morning starts leading to highs in the 70s made me think of San Diego weather. Perfect in my book.

While nature is being all exciting, my own life was nothing to write home about. For the most part, I worked, slept, ate, rinse and repeat. My computer software is STILL down at my workplace. It's been a month now. Finally the Helpless Desk decided they cannot fix it. Duh. So a new Web PC blade doohickey thing-a-ma-jig arrived Friday, a technician will arrive tomorrow and I'll get to re-set-up my program after he gets the hardware in. At least that nightmare will be over.

I visited local blogger Dan Damon as he rehabs across the street at the Norwood Terrace physical rehabilitation place. He's looking great -- probably the best color and healthiest looking I've seen him in a year or more. His spirits are excellent and he's taking his new challenge with gusto. I also met his other half Nat for the first time -- a nice fellow for sure. 

Norwood itself impresses me. Now, that's the place I would have gone with my first knee had I gone to rehab. A nice facility, definitely not a hospital atmosphere in decor and a very pleasant staff. Dan seems to be very pleased with the treatment and the food. I personally don't want the chance to go there myself as I have no more knees to replace, but it's good to know it's such a fine facility!

In television talk: I lost all track of American Idol this past week. I forgot it was on for the result show -- the singing show is opposite of Survivor, so I always miss that one. I don't even know who went home on AI. Furthermore, I don't really care. I guess my love affair with the show is over. On the other hand, I did catch the season finale of SouthLand as it aired. Man, these seasons are way too short!

The Survivor episode this week did come as a bit of a surprise. I know that Jeff Probst has been hyping Colton as the most villainous villain ever and didn't expect him to go out so soon with a medical issue. To me, Colton wasn't a villain anyway. He was a mean nasty little rich spoiled brat who needs to learn what the real world's like outside of his own sheltered little world. Although I never would wish acute appendicitis on anyone, you know what they say about karma. The bad thing is that I think Jeff will push for his return in another season. Sigh.

Tonight's episode of The Amazing Race is almost promised to be delayed by March Madness. I'll get a blog party post up for 8pm EDT, but I don't expect the show to start anywhere near on time. Perhaps we can all get cyber-drunk while anticipating Brenchel meltdowns ahead!

Onto the photos for the week -- clicking on an image will open a larger view in a gallery setting. So fancy-schmancy, eh? 

Different perspective on my 'hood

This is the view I saw crossing the street and heading into the Norwood Terrace rehab to visit Dan. Oh my ... the 'hood looks good from here! I actually live a bit off the left side of this photo.

Early morning solitude

East Front Street in Plainfield.

Magnolia blossom

The big magnolia tree across the street from my building hit full bloom towards the end of the week. Now the ground there is littered with magnolia blossom petals.

Forsythia by flash

Thanks to Daylight Savings Time, my walk to the train station in the morning is still mostly under the cloak of darkness. Of course, I do like the opportunity to use the phrase "cloak of darkness." Beside that, it does give me flash photo opportunities.

***HIT THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!***

Survivor: One World - March 21 Episode Blog Party

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. Now, tonight something horrible is supposed to happen at the end of the episode. From the promos, it looks like someone gets Medivac'd out. They're very hush-hush about it all, but we'll know soon!

As it airs, I'll be posting the major happenings here. But the real fun is in the comments area. I only ask that things are kept kind of PG-Rated. Other than that, cyber-drinking is fine and dandy ... you just have to drive your comfy chair home! Survivor fans ready?

Reward Challenge time -- They have to knock out five targets by bouncing a coconut off a trampoline at the targets. The reward is ice cream, any style they want. Salani won.

Colton is nasty and he's targeting Christina.

Oh, geez. Colton has a severe headache and Christina nurses him. @@

Medics arrive. He has to go to the hospital, possible appendicitis. He's out of the game, taking his idol with him. Now the tribe target focus will be changing to Alicia ... I hope.

Hmm ... tree mail tells them that both tribes will be going to Tribal Council tonight. Uh-oh.

At TC, Jeff announces Colton had acute appendicitis and had to have emergency surgery. Alicia is still bitter that Colton didn't give her his idol.

"Drop your buffs, we are merged."

Tarzan: "The game is afoot."

The Amazing Race 20 Blog Party - 03/18/12

Sigh. We were getting spoiled with the show starting on time. March Madness basketball is now the sporting issue. To be honest, I have no clue when 60 Minutes started as I wasn't watching the game before it. Oh. Wait. That started at 7:44pm here on the East Coast. We can expect The Amazing Race at about 8:44pm. Argh.

Once it starts, I'll be updating this post with the major events. But the most action can be found in the comments section. I hope to see you there!

Teams are on their way to Bavaria via Austria.

The Detour deals with fairy tales and champion male (styling a man's beard). Bopper and Mark's Speed Bump has them yodeling. Most of the teams are going for the beard Detour.

The Border Patrol is first to the Roadblock -- sliding their roaming gnomes across ice to a bullseye. Meanwhile, most of the teams have gone to the wrong castle to find the Roadblock clue.

#1 AGAIN -- Art and JJ (Border Patrol) won a trip to Thailand.
2. Joey "Fitness" and Danny
3. Vanessa and Ralph
4. Rachel and Dave
5. Brendon and Rachel
6. Bopper and Mark!!!
7. Nary and Jamie
8. Kerri and Stacy -- Philiminated

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - March 18, 2012

Why yes ... 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 along the way.

Hmm. I've had a rather uneventful week. For the most part it seems to have been a bit chilly and rainy or just overcast. It was nice on my day off, but I had things I had to attend to around the apartment. Plus I napped. I'll admit it. Losing the hour makes it seem like I'm getting up before 4am for work! It's bad enough to be getting up before 5am daily! I'd prefer it if we just kept setting the clock BACK every six months instead of the "spring forward" part. I suppose that would screw up time for the future generations. Oh well. I'm quasi-used to getting up at FOUR in the morning now!

I hope everyone who's Irish (at least for the day) enjoyed St. Patrick's Day. I don't do this every year, but I did buy corned beef, cabbage, etc. to make myself an Irish feast (although I'm not Irish). Unfortunately, I worked late yesterday. So my feast is planned for today. Then I can live off of leftovers and not have to cook for a while.

Realizing how mundane my life is as I get older, I find bizarre things will get me excited. Yesterday in Target, I noticed they carry their store brand wet Swiffer refills scented with lavender. Now I'm looking forward to doing my floors today before I get the feast going on the stove. Sad, I know. 

I might also take a stroll looking for blooms and see if local blogger Dan Damon can have visitors over at the Norwood rehab place practically across the street from my apartment. That's the rehab I was going to go to for the first knee replacement, but my doctor thought I'd be okay not going to rehab. I was singng to myself, "They want me to go to rehab, I said NO NO NO." Of course, it's a way different kind of rehab than the one to which Amy Winehouse was referring to in her song.

In television, I've pretty much given up on American Idol this season. With it up against Survivor and the fact that no one on it rocks my world, it's easy to forget to watch. I keep actually forgetting Southland on Tuesday nights at 10pm and I don't want to forget that show! The finale is this week and I'll try to remember. I've ended up watching it online on Wednesdays during my day off. Since TNT hooked up with "cable providers" to watch the show on their site, the commercials are worse than watching it live on TV. Of course, we're still doing blog parties for both The Amazing Race and Survivor right here. So far, the March Madness basketball coverage hasn't affected them.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new gallery.

Dark mornings again

Just when I had gotten used to daylight for my early morning commute, I've been plunged into the darkness once again. This was Monday morning. Most of the other days, it was either overcast or drizzling. Plainfield Train Station.

Crocuses in bloom

Yes, I need to get better shots. It's been dark (and rainy) most mornings as I passed by the YWCA crocuses on East Front Street in Plainfield. And, alas, I was running a little late yesterday in actual daylight.

Waitin' on a train

I took this shot while on the handicap ramp access to the platform. Of course, that's the equivalent of placing the camera ON the platform. But I can see what I'm shooting, which is always a good thing. Yes, it was a wet morning. Plainfield Train Station.

***HIT THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!***

Survivor: One World - March 14 Episode Blog Party

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. Now, this week's promos have the tribes, if not merging, then just mixing it up. I'm predicting a schoolyard pick of new tribes. Of course, I could be very wrong. It also appears that "so-and-so" Colton will still be ruling the roost. Jeff seems to have him pegged for a Super Villain. We'll see.

As I mentioned on the Amazing Race blog party post, I'd appreciate folks restraining themselves a bit to keep things on at the very most, a PG level. No matter how annoying a castaway might be, let's not go all crude over it. We're better than that!

That said, let the party start! I'll be updating this post with major events. However, the real fun is in the comments area. C'mon by!

The Reward Challenge. Wait, drop your buffs, we're switching tribes. A random switch by breaking eggs against themselves for the colors of the new tribes. 

I can't keep up with the listing of who's on what tribe. Oh no!

Reward has them carrying water, plugging holes in a bucket, and filling a tank. Reward is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and continue living at the One World beach. The losing tribe must make a new camp elsewhere.

The new Salani tribe won. That's the tribe sans Colton. It does have most of the muscular guys on it. Manono has Colton and Tarzan (not Troyzan).

Kim found the hidden idol (originally) for the women in the ex-mens area. She told Chelsea. They're on the stronger Salani tribe with four women, three men. Monica, Alicia and Cristina are on the Colton tribe, he wants Cristina out.

Immunity Challenge time. Race to get a ball in the water, others try to get it in the basket while the opposing tribe tries to block baskets. Salani wins Immunity! Michael, Jay, the womens alliance and Troyzan!

Monica, the ONLY Manono person to score in the challenge, is Colton's latest target. Now they're saying a Tarzan blindside. I be so confused! Colton is telling Tarzan and Leif the target is Monica.

The tally: Tarzan, Tarzan, Monica, Monica, Monica, Monica ... Colton has his way again. Those foolish dolts!