Off Topic: That Was the (two) Week(s) It Was - July 21, 2013

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. This week is actually two weeks worth of photos as I was away last weekend. If you're looking for the Big Brother television show live feeds report, the last one I wrote is here at this link. Another one will be posted later this morning.

Last weekend I went up to Albany, NY, from my NJ home to (a) attend my high school reunion, the first one I've been to out of more than a few decades worth and (b) visit my brother Russ and his wife Debby and have a fantastic reunion with cousins from the Massachusetts, Vermont and New York area -- some of whom I haven't seen since I was a young child. Plus, my niece Carrie, her husband Ryan and my fantastic 1-year old niece Taylor joined us!

Although I've been miserable with the heat we have had here on the East Coast, the memories of this past weekend will long outlast my memories of the heat wave!

My first experience with Megabus was overall good. I'll definitely use them again and will probably visit upstate NY more often. The trip up cost me $5 as it was more popular timing. They work it so at least the first two trips booked on a bus get the $1 price. My ride home cost me a single dollar. Can't beat that with a stick even though that bus ended up being late. It costs twelve times that just to go through the bridge or tunnel!

Because I have so many photos, I'm going to get them started now ...

NYC at 1:09am Monday morning

The problem is that the train I wanted to catch, the last train of the night on my line, left at 1:00am. The trains on other days run later. Oops.

Nipper

This 25 foot tall, four ton replica of the "His Master's voice" RCA dog Nipper is atop what's now a moving and storage warehouse in Albany, New York. Back when it was erected, the building was an RCA dealership. The "new" owners (it's been several years) not only kept Nipper there, but totally refurbished him and have kept him in pristine condition. I loved to look up and see Nipper when I was a child and must admit it was like seeing an old friend to see him last week.

Inside the bloom

You'd think a bee would be on this with all that pollen just sitting there for the taking! Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY.

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

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Saturday - MVP nom, PoV - July 20

What's happening?

My, my ... it's been a busy day inside that House of Unhappy Hamsters:

• Spencer and Howard tried to talk Judd into putting McCrae on the block if the veto is used so "Aaryn would owe them one."
• The Amanda pairing with McCrae is putting a growing target on their backs.
• Aaryn guessed it last night; Elissa guessed it today -- America has the MVP vote this week.
• Of course, they really don't know for sure.
• We know, though.
• Jessie complained to Judd that Amanda keeps telling her what to do.
• A lot of people have a problem with Amanda's bossiness.
• Except McCrae, that is.
• When it came time to announce the MVP nomination and the PoV players, we got fish.
• Oh, my! America voted to put up ELISSA as the third nominee!
• She's really not taking it well at all. She went from important Queen Bee to Nominee. (Dig the rhyme!)
• McCrae told Amanda he thinks Elissa got the MVP and nominated herself.
• @@
• Despite my eye roll, that rumor is running rampant through the house still, now many hours later.
• Amanda is sure that America didn't vote because America wouldn't vote her MVP every week, then put her on the block.
• Hey, we're a fickle lot -- expect the unexpected!
• Elissa thinks the MVP must be Aaryn, GinaMarie or Kaitlin.
• Amanda still wants a backdoor Howard plan if someone comes off the block with the veto.
• McCrae nixed it as he's sure the votes wouldn't be there to get Howard out over whichever nominees remain.
• McCrae and Helen were the two players besides nominees and Judd (HoH) to play in the veto comp.
• GinaMarie is all in a tizzy because she thinks Elissa is blaming her for being MVP and nominating her.
• Yeah, like GinaMarie is in the running to be favored by America!
• Elissa wondered if Jeremy picked the MVP nomination.
• @@
• Judd and Helen think the only way they can figure out the MVP is if Elissa comes off the block -- see who the replacement is.
• My personal guess would be GinaMarie or Spencer. Mind you, I could be very wrong.
• Elissa was then sure it was Howard who did it.
• Candice nixed that and insisted it must be Kaitlin.
• This is actually working out quite well on a mystery nomination kind of basis. They're way worked up!
• Elissa's alliance(s) wonder if it might be a test of loyalty.
• Aaryn claims she's not stupid enough to put Elissa on the block.
• It's a kerfuffle!
• A kerfuffle isn't as entertaining as a brouhaha, but better than watching them play chess.
• So, then they played chess. Argh.
• Soon the feeds were blocked for a rather lengthy PoV comp -- it was the reward/punishment one.
• Elissa won the Power of Veto! Now we'll see the next on the list.
• McCrae got $5,000.
• Judd got solitary confinement. Too bad it's not in his HoH room, huh?
• Helen got an 8pm curfew. (Big deal.)
• Amanda's allies are starting to grow weary of her. Helen told Howard that Amanda wants him gone.
• I don't think he's all that surprised. He's been pushing for Amanda to be gone for a good two weeks now.
• GinaMarie is planning on steering clear of Elissa. She thinks that whoever nominated Elissa will pick off those who hang with her.
• Amanda thinks that when Elissa has power she's confident and nice, when she's nervous, she's really nervous.
• But she's no longer as nervous since she won PoV!
• Helen went and told Andy that the house wants McCrae and Amanda out.
• Shh ... it's a secret, Andy.
• She might as well hire a banner plane to spread the news!
• Lots of suspicions abound ... mainly between Amanda and Howard and their closest allies.
• Aaryn and Kaitlin are both super confused.
• I would assume that Elissa is smart enough to take herself off the block.
• Let's see who goes up next!  

Put a shirt on, McCrae

Oopsie, my game is falling apart

Howard-a-Day, bonus Candice

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Friday Night into Saturday - 7/19-20

The tides shift again

Another long and late night for the hamsters. They are indeed nocturnal little rodents! Here's the overnight happenings from inside that Big Brother House of Rambunctious Rodents:

• Ew. Amanda and McCrae used the HoH bed and Judd's new HoH gift blanket to either do the deed or, at the very least, have a strong make-out session. Ew.
• Judd is too nice to everyone. They're just going up there, eating all his food and using his room for whatever. 
• I'd lock the door.
• Elissa is still worried about possibly not having the MVP this week. That's been her only game strategy outside of being friends with Helen.
• Spencer and Candice are already worried about what's happening in the real world as they've been out of it for about a month. Spencer saw a black band on an EMT who checked his blood pressure and wonders if there's been a disaster. Of course, that could have been something very local to that area, but Spencer doesn't know.
• Aaryn is upset that Elissa has forgiven Kaitlin for her misdeeds and yet holds a grudge against her (Aaryn).
• After all, Aaryn is obviously such a lovable little pretty gal!
• Aaryn thinks the "unexpected" twist is that America will vote the MVP.
• Ding, ding! We have a winner!
• Howard confronted McCrae about his lie about being MVP last week. Amanda told Howard it was because the entire house wanted him (Howard) gone last week.
• Howard now wants in on the Amanda/McCrae duo alliance.
• There are so many alliances going on that it's really confusing at this point!
• When Aaryn asked Amanda if she thought Elissa got the MVP again, Amanda lied and said she thought so.
• Aaryn thinks Amanda is lying.
• Kaitlin thinks that Elissa probably has a different contract with BB and is only in the house for a limited number of weeks.
• Well, if she gets voted out, it's limited! I personally wouldn't doubt that BB sweetened the money pot to get her aboard as they think it's automatic ratings, but I'm pretty sure she's there until she's not there.
• Amanda is getting scared that she will be the MVP nomination.
• She probably should worry although her Diary Room sessions on the show might endear her to the television show only general public.
• I think Amanda and McCrae are both destroying what could be great strategic gameplay with their showmance.
• GinaMarie and Kaitlin keep harping on Aaryn's negativity bringing down the house.
• Spencer, Judd, Howard, GinaMarie and Kaitlin now want to work together.
• This week's target is now on Aaryn.
• But the MVP nomination and PoV have yet to happen.
• We'll see.
• If Aaryn does go this week, it will be a very interesting conversation with Julie Chen!

Not the target

Andy is always everywhere

King Howard-a-Day

He bears a slight resemblance

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Into Friday Evening, Nominations - July 19

Poufy

GinaMarie would never be able to fit Nick's ball cap (which is really McCrae's ball cap) atop that mountain! Here's what's happened tonight inside that Big Brother House of Krazy Kats:

• The Have Not comp seems to have been the blended food icky one.
• Poor hamsters.
• Judd changed his mind again on his noms and he's back to Kaitlin and Aaryn, possibly GinaMarie.
• Aaryn thinks it's like high school and they're the outcast nerds.
• GinaMarie thinks it's because they're the pretty ones (and everybody else must be jealous).
• They also complained that the three hottest boys were gone.
• @@
• Dang, it MUST be high school!
• GinaMarie did correct herself and said all the girls in the house are pretty.
• Too bad we couldn't say that of the guys, including the ones she thought are hot.
• The feeds were blocked for nominations and Judd finally made up his mind.
• Kaitlin and Aaryn are on the block.
• So, all the votes we voted for Aaryn were for naught. 
• Judd told Spencer he doesn't really want Kaitlin out just yet.
• Aaryn cried and once again said people always twist around what she says.
• Keep telling yourself that, Aaryn.
• Elissa is getting antsy about the MVP. She told Judd to tell her if he gets it.
• They still don't get it.
• Amanda is worried that Judd won't backdoor Howard.
• If she really, really wants Howard gone that bad, maybe she should have won HoH herself.
• GinaMarie fussed about missing Nick again. 
• The nominations went down when the planned "funeral" was supposed to take place, so I'm not sure what will happen with that.
• They think the twist might be that the HoH can decide whether to keep the MVP or not.
• Wrong!
• Candice told Howard about Howie's jackshack.
• Heehee.
• Nothing else much going on!

Prissy

Managing to stay off radar

Have not

Howard-a-Day

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds, Have Nots, Friday daytime - July 19

A smelly comp, messy too?

Here's the happenings so far inside that Big Brother House of No Jeremy:

• Amanda told the guys there's no girls alliance.
• Doesn't she think they can tell? 
• Judd told Spencer he's safe this week. Not a huge surprise.
• Amanda is still harping on getting rid of Howard this week.
• Of course, last week Howard was harping about getting rid of Amanda.
• Judd is worried about too many guys leaving -- all three evictions have been male.
• Judd also doesn't want Aaryn to go this week. McCrae tried to tell him that Aaryn is working with Kaitlin.
• Judd told his alliance he thinks he'll probably put up GinaMarie and Kaitlin.
• Um. Okay. America will probably raise him an Aaryn.
• They tend to think Kaitlin more dangerous than Aaryn. Aaryn causes issues in the house, but Kaitlin is smarter and can win comps.
• I say she's meaner, too!
• Aaryn's just kind of oblivious to right and wrong, good and bad. Kaitlin knows what she's doing when she's cruel.
• (The above is my own observation.)
• Judd went around talking to everybody, even those he's likely to put on the block.
• The feeds were blocked for a long time as the Have/Have Not Comp went down.
• When the feeds came back up, the hamsters looked a bit greasy and were complaining about the smell.
• We should be thankful we have no scratch-n-sniff monitors or televisions!
• Andy, Jessie, Candice and Spencer are the Have Nots.
• Nominations will be later tonight. It sounds like he's going to put up Kaitlin and GinaMarie.
• They think that Elissa will get MVP again and she'll probably put up Aaryn.
• Well, they might have the latter part of that right.

Jumping jacks and jogging

Howard-a-Day

Jessie talking strategy

Listening, not mumbling