Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 29, 2014

Hey, folks! This is my weekly off television topic photo post! If you're looking for the latest Big Brother 16 stuff, you can find it at this link. In this post, I reflect on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

I've had some trouble with my Firefox browser freezing or the blog freezing my Firefox this morning. So, I'm running late at everything! Gah.

I really don't have much to report on this week. BB started, so I'm way busy. I'm working my full-time job atop of it, so I'm way busy. With the exception of some early week rain, it hasn't been horridly hot here this past week. Yay!

I think it might be best to get this up while Blogger and Firefox are working together well ...

Here's lookin' at ya, kid!

I thought this bee might be sick or dying. Then he turned and looked at me. Eep. I'm allergic, dude! He then flew away. Phew! Bridgewater, NJ.

A flower jungle out there

The house at the corner of Richmond and East Front in Plainfield is a cacophony of color!

Flower slideshow ahead

The flower slideshow of the week is just after the jump if you're reading this from the main blog page!

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

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds into Sunday - June 29

Brittany in girl talk with Joey

Gee, I wish this bunch would start feuding already. They're getting along way too well despite all the scheming and alliance pursuits in the house. Here's the latest from that Big Brother House of Namby-Pamby:

• Caleb still has his unrequited love affair with Amber ... to the point of obsession and creepiness.
• Joey thinks that she's probably going on the block.
• Well, duh.
• Brittany thinks Devin stirs things up and finds him intimidating.
• Well, yeah. He's a HUGE dude who makes most of the house hamsters look like the teensy rodents they are!
• Jocasta and PauPau had a bible study session and a lengthy discussion on how to address the profanity in so many rap songs.
• Yawn.
• Joey announced to the house that EVERYBODY needs to talk to Caleb regarding his re-nom.
• She thinks Devin should be put on the block instead of her.
• She thinks that Caleb isn't talking to everyone and, if he did, he'd find out most want Devin out.
• Derrick gave shout-outs to hamsterwatch and jokers. I just wish one day one would shout out to Jackie's!
• Frankie keeps leading meditation sessions.
• Talk about boring ...!
• Devin picked up on what Joey was saying and went around telling everyone that Joey thinks he should go.
• Now Nicole and Victoria are worried that they'll become targets due to Joey's actions.
• And Donny is ...? Who knows?
• Oh, wait. He's with Jocasta telling her she should mingle more. Oh my, take your own advice, Donny!
• He also told her that he thinks Joey is hoping Devin will explode over her actions and get himself voted out.
• Then Joey went and apologized to Devin.
• Rats. I wanted a real brouhaha! Despite his size, I'm sure Devin wouldn't actually hurt anyone and that would have been entertaining to watch!
• Frankie thinks Joey is both a hot mess and a liability. He said she needs to go home.
• Devin told Caleb to act like he's going to nominate him (Devin) and let Joey think she's safe, then WHAM. Joey on the block!
• And PauPau has to be feeling very good about all the Joey kerfuffle. She's pretty much no longer a target at all.
• Amber hopes she doesn't look like an idiot in the DR sessions. (I don't think she does.) She also hates her voice. But, dang ... she is a pretty girl! (I said that, not her.)
• Brittany and Devin had an argument, not sure what it was all about except it had to do with the Joey thing.
• Brittany went off to cry.
• Wah.
• Zach stayed up later than usual.
• As usual, Donny was nowhere to be found most of the night.
• Derrick thinks it's way cool that he found the heart that McCrae scratched into the bathroom door.
• Joey is upset about being a Have Not. She really wants to eat real food. She also is hoping to make the jury.
• Sure, like those things are going to happen. Well, she'll be able to eat real food soon. But she won't make it as far as the jury house.
• And, what of America's Team? BWAHAHAHAHA!

Devin is always paranoid

Nicole and Cody, not a Nicody though

Frankie relaxes again

Is that a badge Derrick's wearing?

I'm sure everybody hates me already

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds into Saturday evening - June 28

Rack 'em up, Donny

Yikes! It's a thrill a minute in that Big Brother House of Misfit Toys! Er ... well, it was as boring as all get-out today. Here's what's up:

• Devin sneaks into the kitchen after the others go to sleep and he cleans.
• He also mutters about sloppy kids as he cleans.
• Caleb is creepy with his infatuation over Amber.
• Amber would be more interested in Devin if she went for anyone.
• Nicole is a bit irked (maybe pleasantly irked) that people think she and Hayden might (or already have) a showmance.
• He's SO not her type!
• Remember, she's the one with the crush on Ian Terry.
• Caleb wore Frankie's shorts. Now, there's an odd couple if you ever saw one.
• Brittany thinks Zach is sneaky.
• You don't say!
• The boys alliance - the Bomb Squad (Caleb, Zach, Frankie, Derrick, Devin and Amber) - is most likely to fall apart according to its own members.
• Christine might be in there, too. I realize I called it "boys" and it did start out that way. Devin brought the girls in.
• Donny actually hung out in the yard playing pool with the girls.
• It still looks like Joey will be the replacement nominee when Donny takes himself off the block.
• Yeppers. A thrill a minute.
• Yawn.

My mother will be shocked I cried

Hayden just before he spit on the walk

Oh, the coolest stalker EVAH!

The make-up artist at work

Sun and fake grass

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds into Saturday pre-dawn - June 28

Caleb feels out who wants whom out

Hey, there hamster-watchers! I'm still feeling out this group and have no clue what I think of a few of them. But, others have made an impression on me. Of course, the biggest NEWS is that Donny won PoV and is sure to use it to save himself from eviction. Before I get into the feeds report, I'd like to share some of my thoughts on what I've seen so far. (Please let me know what you think in the comments!) --

• On the whole, everyone gets along fairly well ... which can be boring.
• Frankie has an excellent social game. He's worked his way into every hamster's heart. Unlike Andy of last year who did that, he's not nervous or jumpy about things. He has confidence. And, he's not coming across as sneaky.
• Zach thinks he's in with Frankie so his game is as good as Frankie's game. It ain't. He's coming across as some kind of spoiled frat dude to me.
• Cody wears Rutgers hoodies. Don't I see enough of them around here?
• Everybody is dismissing PauPau as no threat whatsoever. Chances are whoever goes on the block against her will go home. She had a lot of big talk going into the game.
• Donny is golden when he's there. I like him. I want him in the game. But he definitely needs to mingle and hang out with the others more. He's already an odd man out just due to being an odd man in the game. He NEEDS to get out there with the crowd and hang!
• It seems like the guys think that Cody's a bit of a wild card. Hmm.
• The girls are already mocking Victoria's not going to get sexual moves.
• Derrick is playing his park and recs dude ploy pretty well. He's also getting along with all. I actually wouldn't mind if he won it all.
• I do NOT LIKE them running the Jeff pre-show interviews instead of trivia during comps. With the theme music and trivia, I could take a nap with it playing and depend on the voices to awaken me when the feeds returned. With the Jeff interviews, it's all voices and I can't nap. Plus, there's too little fodder for the length of time the feeds are blocked!

Frankie is in with the in crowd

Here's the latest skinny from inside that Big Brother House of Silly Saps:

• Donny won the spelling/water and suds involved PoV comp with the word "splitters."
• Victoria almost won the PoV and has come away with a week of safety. She cannot be put on the block as a replacement due to her Battle of the Block win.
• Caleb went around talking to everybody asking for one guy and one girl's name they would want him to put on the block.
• Many were a bit iffy -- people are still getting along well in the house and any rifts have been quite minor.
• It seems the consensus is still against Joey. People are irked that she not only outed the girls alliance, but took credit for forming it.
• Devin's name came up as some people think he's too strong and he can be moody.
• Brittany thinks it's best to keep weak players around.
• Yeah, right. Send home all the good hamsters, Brit! Sheesh! (My own thoughts on that.)
• PauPau told Donny she was happy he won. He told her he's on her side. Aw ... sweet, but far from a showmance!
• Now, that would be interesting -- a PauPauDonny showmance! :)
• PauPau can rival Adam for the love of bacon.
• On a side note -- have you bought bacon recently? The price skyrocketed! 
• Some are worried that Christine and Nicole have too much game knowledge and might ally.
• Hmmm ... something happened on Day Two (before the feeds went live) that they're not allowed to talk about. Hmm.
• After nearly two weeks in the house, Donny hasn't got all their names down. I tell you ... he needs to get more involved with the others!
• I still don't have all them down, but if I think about it, I get the names right.
• I'm better at remembering the guys more than girls. I wonder why.
• When the backyard finally opened, they all made the escape. There were cartwheels, headstands, pool playing, hammock rocking and lounging about.
• Not much game talk with all outside.
• It sounds like most are willing to let Joey go on the block and then vote her out instead of PauPau.
• You go, Team America, huh!
• Joey seems to know her future is murky and is already working on votes to stay.
• Caleb is getting a bit smitten with Amber. His bromance boys (Frankie, Cody and Zach) tell him she's playing him.
• Caleb isn't coming off as obnoxious as he seems like he might be in real life.
• Victoria (in a tear-filled moment) told Frankie she lost all her hair suddenly a few years back. Her hair is her pride and joy. Her real hair now is only up to shoulder-length, not the big long braid we see.
• Joey thinks she's going to go up as a pawn.
• Sheesh ... Donny! Get your butt out here and mingle with these child hamsters!
• Frankie pledges to feed the fish all summer no matter who is HoH. He's even named them. Hopefully not as many will die this season as in the past.
• Devin's "Double D" alliance with Donny is but a joke he shared with Derrick, Cody and Caleb.
• Sigh.
• So ... it seems that Joey will go up as Donny's replacement and it will probably be her going home, not PaoPao.
• Notice I spell her name differently almost every time I write it. 
• Heehee.

PauPau has a pow-wow

Bro-power?

Disembodied head? Eek!

The tall and the short in gray hoodies

Victoria is safe for the week

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds into Friday evening and POV - June 27

Oh my, Jacosta. No bowtie?

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Mixed Nuts:

• It's really not looking good for Donny. Sigh. It seems almost everyone wants him out.
• My gosh. All the girls, except Christine and Nicole, had to waste well over an hour of live feeds time applying their make-up. I'm personally not a huge make-up fan, but this takes the cake.
• I realize they have time on their hands in the house, but I can't take watching all that!
• Devin is falling out of favor with folks. Apparently he's having his ups and downs and now a few are wondering if he's bi-polar.
• What? That guy with the easy grin? I think he might just be missing his daughter and letting it bother him.
• He let it get to him that he lent people things and cleaned up after others and no one would lend him a sheet.
• Ah, poor Devin. I guess no one gives a sheet about you.
• I crack myself up.
• Ahem.
• Meanwhile, Amber spent forever cleaning the kitchen.
• At least some people clean this year!
• Frankie is playing Caleb like a fiddle. 
• I wish Frankie didn't have a famous sister I don't know and a YouTube fan following. I'm actually respecting his game so far.
• Frankie, Caleb and Devin were talking fight stories. Caleb mentioned one in which he was with his "gay friend." (Not quite the word he uses on the internet.) Frankie even had a fight story where he flipped, kicked a guy in the face and broke his nose.
• Testosterone, yep.
•  Frankie and Zach are working together ... supposedly. 
• Devin is kind of sad that Donny will go home unless he wins the veto. He says there's no use in voting out Paola, though -- she's a weak player.
• Amber wants Joey out because she outed the girls alliance.
• Lots of rumbling about wanting Joey out.
• But, unless she goes up as a PoV alternate nominee, she's not on the block.
• That would be Donny and Paolo.
• Hayden wants to request peanut butter be added to the condiments allowed with slop.
• Frankie thinks that, since Amber gets along with the guys better than the girls, she's reluctant to vote for Donny to go.
• He said it doesn't matter; they have the votes without her.
• :(
• Woot, woot! I've had this all written waiting for the live feeds to return after the PoV ... and ... and ...
• DONNY is wearing the PoV necklace!
• DONNY WON THE POWER OF VETO!
• WOOT!

Donny with his PoV necklace!

Lookin' like Santa's elf

No copping out, Derrick!

I just don't know