Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 11, 2013

Good morning! If you're looking for my Big Brother live feeds coverage, the latest post can be found right here at this link. This post is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Gah. As it is for many summers now, this is my time to be lacking sleep. Unlike some years when I was off from my real job due to knee surgeries, I'm working full time and covering the BB live feeds here on the blog. When I was actually working as blogger for AOL television, this was my cash cow season. Alas, not so much these days. While I do earn some money, it's nothing near the days when I could technically earn more than $100 an hour just writing on AOL. And, this year's cast is very wild, thus getting the Internet audience more worked up than usual. Me? I don't really care who wins the show, I'm just the messenger of the feeds and host of blog parties.

So, I'm in my zombie period at the present. Work, write, work, feed cat, write, work, pet cat, write, work. You get it.

Yes, if I have to ever have another surgery, I'll indeed schedule it in the summer for no other reason than I need the sleep. Local blogger Dan Damon even shouted at me as he drove by me on the street ... "Do you ever sleep?" Sigh. No. Not enough. Not lately.

Anyway ... onto the photos for the week ...

Dreary morning train

In this area, we continue to get more and more rain. Other years, at this time of the summer, most lawns are dried out, leaves are turning brown. This year I've seen green growing where I've never seen it before. That said, I've been enjoying the days without heat waves one after another. Plainfield Train Station

Everything's coming up roses!

Er, well. Maybe not. However, compared to many past years, life is doing okay by me here. I hope it is with you, too! Roosevelt Avenue, Plainfield.

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

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Saturday Overnight Into Sunday - August 10-11

Match made in a habitrail

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of People Who Say LOL Out Loud:

• As you know from my last post, Andy won the Power of Veto.
• The theme of the veto comp was "Classic Big Brother." 
• The comp itself was named Blood, Bolts and Bandages. The players all have different colored t-shirts touting that.
• It was one of those comps in which they had to choose to stay or fold.
• There was a lot of candy in the comp, but they weren't allowed to bring any inside the house.
• Knowing BB's budget dollar store games and activities, maybe they want to save it for next year?
• Spencer seems particularly stressed after the comp.
• Aaryn told Jessie not to worry, she's safe.
• Hmm.
• Truth or fiction?
• Aaryn told Jessie if she did stay and won HoH, she could go after GinaMarie and that would be okay. After all, "GM is a sweet kid, but she's affecting my game."
• Heh. Now Aaryn is throwing GinaMarie under that reality bus to people with one foot out of the door!
• Aaryn told Andy that Jessie wants to put up Amanda and McCrae if she stays and wins HoH.
• They agree Jessie needs to go home.
• Ah, so the answer is .... fiction!
• Andy said he won't use the veto on his nominations.
• Andy thinks they should make both Spencer and Jessie feel safe this week.
• He does say that Spencer is shady.
• McCrae told Amanda she's "kind of insensitive."
• KIND OF?!?!?!
• Amanda thinks McCrae is just trying to start fights with her.
• @@
• She thinks McCrae blames her for EVERYTHING.
• I say, as it should be.
• Elissa said she doesn't want to go to jury with these guys. She feels traumatized.
• As would I. I feel traumatized just watching them at times.
• Andy told Amanda that, while he thinks he wants Jessie out this week, he feels he needs to weigh the options -- think of the pros and cons of keeping one or the other.
• Hmm. Not like he has a vote or anything, right?
• Amanda and GinaMarie have both tried out for American Idol in the past.
• Yikes.
• Right now, it still looks like the house will probably vote out Jessie.
• Bit it's a long time until Thursday.

Delusions of grandeur

Holder of power

Holder of three fingers

Yoga in a messy room

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds - PoV Winner - August 10

POV has been won!

Andy won PoV. He's on a streak.

No.

He's not streaking.

That's something else entirely.

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Saturday into the Evening - August 10

Such a good look for her!

Here's what's gone down today inside that Big Brother House of Loonie Losers:

• The hamsters started their day on inside lockdown due to the PoV comp being erected in the yard.
• Heh. I said "erected" and wasn't talking about McCrae.
• Oops. My apologies. I had a Beavis and Butthead moment.
• Andy really wants the Zingbot to come. Others might regret it if he does.
• Amanda called Aaryn fat and McCrae called her on it. He told her that's how eating disorders get started.
• Um, not quite. But no one should be calling anyone fat. Aaryn's not fat. Spencer is a bit hefty, but I think he's lost quite a bit of weight since entering the house.
• McCrae has been speaking up to Amanda when she says stupid or mean things lately.
• She doesn't like that.
• How ever will this "marriage" work out?
• Bwahahahahaha!
• Elissa, Andy and Helen talked about making a big move and shaking things up ... next week.
• I won't hold my breath.
• I wouldn't advise you to hold yours, either.
• Helen, Amanda and Elissa were the three extras (no MVP nom this week) chosen to play in the comp.
• GinaMarie told Aaryn she would never put her on the block.
• Meanwhile, Aaryn has been praying that someone, anyone, would put GinaMarie on the block. But she won't do it herself. She can't.
• Aaryn told Helen that Amanda said she doesn't think Helen has any loyalty towards her (Aaryn).
• Helen told Aaryn she loves her.
• Oh, gag me right now.
• At least she didn't compare her to Janelle again.
• Andy has pretty much decided to put GinaMarie on the block if veto is used.
• He says that if Jessie wins veto, GM will probably go home.
• Helen told Elissa she doesn't want to push Andy too hard to make the big move or he'll go to the other side.
• Hate to tell ya, Helen ... but he's already there.
• Now Andy is scared to put GinaMarie up if veto is used.
• @@
• (Then put up AMANDA, Andy!)
• Uh-oh. Andy told McCrae and Amanda he'd rather keep Jessie in the house because Spencer has lied to him.
• Not that he has a vote, mind you.
• The Have Nots are complaining that you need butter to prepare mung beans and they aren't allowed to have butter.
• I have no clue about mung beans other than they sound too much like dung beans and I don't want any.
• Aaryn doesn't know how anyone could like Candice.
• That doesn't surprise me. 
• Elissa and Jessie, on the other hand, thought GinaMarie was hateful when Candice gave her speech.
• I personally thought that GM should have had a penalty nom for a catfight on the live show.
• But no one listens to me.
• Right now as I post this, the live feeds are blocked with trivia. So the PoV comp must be on.
• I'll report back on the winner once it's known.

Braided pink gangsta

Braids and blue

Mr. On the Block Weekly

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Friday Overnight into Saturday, Noms - August 9-10

The future Mr. Amanda? Bwahahaha!

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of As the Stomach Turns:

• As I predicted, Andy's nominations were predictable -- Spencer and Jessie.
• The target is Jessie.
• Andy's still not sure what he'll do if Jessie wins the veto. He'll have plenty of time to decide as the veto comp is today, the ceremony isn't until Monday.
• Credit to Jessie for saying "They must really hate me, so I must be doing something right" -- after the live feeds returned post nominations.
• Helen and Andy agree that Jessie cannot know she's the target. They must tell her she's safe.
• I think she knows she's the target.
• Amanda and McCrae think Helen needs to go soon as she'll put them on the block her first opportunity.
• Aaryn would prefer to vote out Spencer over Jessie.
• Amanda said she can't do that.
• @@
• Aaryn wants to name the alliance she's in with Andy, McCrae and Amanda.
• Watching the "friendly" power struggle between the power players is a bit interesting. You've got McCrae/Amanda (mostly Amanda) vs. Helen (and a bit of Elissa thrown in). On the surface, all of them are in an alliance with each other. 
• Then you have the peripheral players who have attachments to both of the major player teams -- Andy, Aaryn and Spencer. Jessie and GinaMarie are on the outs with all, but just don't know it.
• If the peripheral players can live through the ultimate smackdown when a power player goes out, they might be in a very good position towards the end game.
• Amanda told Aaryn she can't trust Helen.
• She also pointed out that each person has someone they know what they'll do -- she has Elissa, Aaryn has GinaMarie, Andy has Spencer. 
• Hmm. I don't think Amanda can really predict Elissa.
• I also think no one can control or predict GinaMarie.
• And, what about that Helen? If ANYONE has influence on Elissa, it's Helen.
• Andy continues to play both sides, now tempering it a bit to Helen. He told Amanda he's sure it's too early to think of getting Helen out.
• Helen told Andy that she really hopes GinaMarie wins America's Favorite at the end of the season because she really needs the money.
• I say, "Tough, no way. Get a job if you need money!"
• I know. I'm heartless.
• Jessie and Spencer talked about how Elissa doesn't need the money.
• In previous talks, they've all said Helen doesn't need the money.
• I again say, "If you need money that bad, don't waste what you have on lottery tickets, don't waste time on reality shows ... GET A JOB, A JOB THAT PAYS THE BILLS."
• Andy held a Skittles party in the HoH room.
• Now, I could get behind that!
• Uh-oh. Hamsters on sugar!
• Amanda told McCrae that they've controlled every nomination, every eviction.
• Well, SHE has. I'm not sure what McCrae's been doing.
• That doesn't mean that they won't lose it all.
• They're worried that Helen is too close to Jessie.
• But they can control that. Right?
• The evening ended with sex under the covers and all else sleeping. I don't want to see that.

Soul searching? Maybe she'll find one.

An HoH who wants his room to himself

Sees the writing on the wall

Elissa's still in the house? Really?