Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 17, 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day to y'all! Erin go Bragh and all that stuff. While I'm saying "Forever Ireland" and I do have red hair, I'm not Irish. Neither is my old high school friend who played the bagpipes in the NYSDOC marching band in yesterday's big parade in Manhattan. She's Italian and about 5'1" tall. She grew up to be a NYS corrections officer and play bagpipes. Who woulda thunk it? 

Since it is Sunday, it's time for my off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Later tonight, we'll have the blog party for The Amazing Race. I fear it will be the father/son team quitting due to Dave's injury. Sigh. Stop back and enjoy the show with us starting at 8pm ET!

I scored a good buy on corned beef yesterday at Target. I had checked their prices the week before and the briskets were just too costly. Yesterday I went in there on my way to work and one brisket remained in their sale bin -- less than $6. Yay! So, today (although I'm not Irish), I will have traditional corned beef and cabbage, then have some leftovers for sandwiches during the week. I like corned beef, but the only time it's reasonable is on sale during St. Patrick's Day. I should check at Target again tomorrow. Perhaps the sale goes to midweek. I could stock up.

I'm still suffering from the daylight savings time change. Wah. I'm walking to the train station in the dark once again. The sun isn't quite up as I get into work.

My new upstairs neighbor is still a mystery. It's definitely only one person up there who takes off his shoes for walking around on the hardwood floors. He's taken showers without flooding my bathroom, so it can be done! Every now and then when I don't have my television or music on, I can hear muted sounds of music or television from up there. Nothing unreasonable, so he's still the best upstairs neighbor I've had in a dozen years of living in this building. We're talking two weeks now!

In other apartment building news, I've mentioned before that the front of the building is like a revolving tenant door. My hallway/wing/floor is very quiet with long term tenants. Who knows who lives in the front wing? I had my police scanner on shortly before hitting the sack last night. What? A three car call to MY building? Yikes! Someone in the front wing, first floor, was apparently having a party with people going wild in the halls, etc. I couldn't hear a peep from my apartment. Apparently it wasn't too wild as the first cop who arrived called in that the tenant is turning the music off and people are going home. I really didn't see any signs of hall abuse when I went out early to get my newspaper this morning.

Also on the scanner last night ... I heard a definite firework sound -- the whistle and bang -- coming from East Second Street in back of me. Nothing all that unusual. Well, a cop responding to an alarm call up the street reported it to headquarters as shots fired! A second one whistled and banged. The whole police department went rushing to the apartment complex further down the street from me. The Shot Spotter technology didn't report it although some civilian also called it in as gunfire. It was fireworks, people, fireworks. Apparently the Mexican Polka Band in the summer people who shoot off fireworks (and sometimes guns) for every holiday must have been celebrating St. Patrick's Day. 

It snowed all day yesterday, but didn't stick. It's supposed to snow tomorrow night into Tuesday. I want spring. Although, looking back on some old photos, I noticed that in 2004 we had deep snow cover and at least two decent sticking snow storms around this time. Eep. It can stop. I want spring.

Onto this week's photos ... 

Just before the sun rises

Bridgewater, NJ

Predawn K Radiator

One morning my now dark walk to the Plainfield Train Station had a stunning velvety blue sky. I took this looking at K Radiator down Church Street.

Plainfield Train Station

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites - March 13 Blog Party

Ready for some action tonight? The promos have Brandon losing it, running about destroying things and being a general idiot. Why does that not surprise me? What is surprising to me is that they haven't aired him crying yet this season!

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. So, if you're looking in from elsewhere, refresh the page now and then to get the latest! The real party is in the comments area, though. Come join us!

Oh geez ... Brandon is missing his family. He actually volunteers to be the next one out if they go to Tribal Council. He admitted his "pee on the rice" plan to the others. @@

Then he decides he's going to give it his all and play his best game ever. 

Sigh.

It's Reward Challenge time. Two members from each tribe hold a rope from which hangs a rope basket. The others throw coconuts in it. Brandon was out first. Phillip - once again the hero - wins it for the favorites. Steak and all sorts of goodies go their way!

Heh. Reynold found his second idol! Hopefully he'll keep it a secret this time. He tells his boy Eddie.

Meanwhile, Unstable Brandon goes for Phillip. What a whack job! It's all so odd that it makes Phillip look normal.

"I'm a Hantz. I feed me!" Gah. They get tree mail which indicates the Immunity Challenge has to do with boxing. Phillip thinks they should throw it to get rid of Brandon.

Brandon lost it. He sabotaged the food and yells for Phillip to vote him out. Phillip walks away.

Immunity is up for grabs! Brandon decides to talk to the other tribe -- tells them he's their second chance and not to let Phillip win. The favorites decide to forfeit the challenge. Brandon throws Phillip under the bus and screams at him. He goes on about not crying this season.

No. He's whacked out instead.

The Fans get the idol due to forfeit. Tribal starts right at the site of the challenge. Everyone votes for Brandon. WHACKO IS GONE!

No, Brandon. You weren't the author of your elimination. You were an idiot once again -- this time a dangerous idiot instead of merely unstable.

The Amazing Race: March 10, 2013 Blog Party

The show is starting on time here once again tonight! Miracles will never cease, eh? As it airs, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. However, as always, the real party is in the comments.

Will the father/son team of Dave and Connor make it through this "longest leg ever" with Dave's injured Achilles tendon? I'd love for them to do so, but I can't imagine they'll be able to hang in really long.

The teams are off to Bali, Indonesia. No one was eliminated at the very brief "Pit Stop." Chuck and Winona were last, but no mention of a speed bump.

Detour - Sandy Bottom or Fruity Top. River sand to the brick maker or fashioning a "hat" of fruit.

Roadblock - Who's ready to get totally tubular? Selecting the right surfboard and heading to the Pit Stop.

1. Connor and Dave! Won $5,000 each
2. Pam and Winnie
3. Max and Kate

Caroline and Jennifer got the wrong board and had to head back. Then they got the wrong board again.

4. Caroline and Jennifer (finally)
5. Joey and Meghan

Mona and Beth -- wrong board.

6. Mona and Beth

Chuck and Winona -- wrong board

7. Bates and Anthony
8. Chuck and Winona
9. Jessica and John, Philiminated still holding the Express Pass.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 10, 2013

It's Sunday morning. Did you spring forward an hour? While I relish setting the clocks back an hour in the autumn, this spring forward throws me askew every year. Also, my walk to the train station in the morning was just getting light and nice ... now it'll be back to the dark.

Anyhow, since it's Sunday morning, 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. At least with the snow we had this week, I had some new photo fodder. I've grown very bored with nothing growing, nothing changing for photos. Without snow, it's like a Groundhog Day movie over and over (and over) again. At least in the other seasons, there are always new flowers, new bugs, etc. Things CHANGE. In winter, all remains dead and dirty without snow.

But I'm over it. This can be the last snow of the season, fine by me. It's actually mostly gone now with the exception of plowed (dirty) snow piles in parking lots and the occasional patches of snow on shady lawns. We got maybe four or five inches of thick wet snow before it turned to rain on Friday. At least it was a pretty snow, sticking to everything around -- except the streets. That's how things should be!

I have a new upstairs neighbor. From the voice I could hear, it's a male. There seems to be only one person -- always the best for overhead walking on my ceiling! Since folks tend to move mother and various children into one bedroom apartments around here, I was a bit worried. This might be the best upstairs neighbor so far here. He takes off his shoes upon entering and doesn't thunk or stomp on the hardwood floors. Yes, I can hear the shoes thunk on the floor as he takes them off. So far, no loud music, no wild parties. Eventually I might meet him. I'll have to check with Lee, the apartment building gossip, to see if he's met him.

Onto this week's photos ... 

I see the light!

My train to work approaches on Friday morning. Plainfield Train Station.

Wintry

Looking towards East Third Street from Track 1 at the Plainfield Train Station.

The crocuses want to come out

Soon! Soon! I took this at the Plainfield YWCA at the corner of East Front and Church Streets.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites - March 6 Blog Party

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. I should warn you that we've been having strong winds and sporadic power outages. So, if I seem to vanish, carry on without me -- I'll just be sitting in the dark.

That said, my plan is to update this entry with the major happenings as they air. But, as always, the real action will be in the comments area. See you there!

Philip is giving more people their names for the StealthRUs alliance.

They're into a separate Reward challenge. The reward is a local expert who will be used as a resource ... he'll also bring food. They have to untie planks in the water and transport others from one platform to the next. Then all tribe members have to get on the final platform. Favorites win!

Shamar's latest problem (other than being an obnoxious lazy dude) is that he scratched his eye. Medics come to see him. Oh gee. They want to pull him from the game. Gosh. What a shame. I'll miss him so much.

Shamar who?

Immunity time. Another swim to a platform ordeal. They are smashing tiles and retrieving keys this time around. The favorites win Immunity with Phillip being the big star. Oh my.

Reynold and Eddie are still outcasts. But there is a movement afoot to get Laura out and keep the strength in the tribe.

Tribal Council time! Reynold plays his idol. The tally: Laura, Laura, Reynold, Laura, Laura. She's out, the weakest link. And Reynold wasted his idol. Oh well!