Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 17, 2014

Good Sunday morning to you all! Welcome to my weekly off television topic post in which I reflect on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're looking for Big Brother live feeds (or show) content, you can find all of that right here at this link. No television content in this weekly post that I make year 'round -- you've been warned!

That said, it's basically been just another week of hectic stuff between the blog and my "real" job. Nothing earth-shattering happened in my personal life. I didn't win the lottery, nor did I have much time to do much other than work and blog. I felt like I was running late all week and didn't seem all that inspired to take photos. Sigh.

This week's random ramblings:

• They're demolishing that building by the Bound Brook Train Station with the structural cracks and caved-in roof I've been photographing for a few years now. I think they're just taking down that rear addition with the issues, not the whole building. It's about time. I couldn't get any decent shots of the demolition from the train, though.
• OCD Guy has been missing from the train for a good three weeks now. 
• That's how trains go -- people ride them for a while, then lose their jobs, change their work hours, perhaps decide to drive, etc. But I remain.
• I expect NJ Transit to give me flowers when I retire!
• My new upstairs neighbor is even more quiet than the last one although I have yet another person who's up late and up again early above me -- kind of like my own hours. I hear footsteps, not in shoes, above me and nothing else. I think I heard music coming from there one evening, but I couldn't tell. It was faint -- could have been from a car in the parking lot or next door. It didn't bother me, mind you. I could just hear it.
• Speaking of music from cars -- there needs to be a law outlawing those ridiculous sound systems they're putting ATOP cars these days! OMG, who came up with that? It's bad enough the huge systems IN cars! 
• And, while I'm fussing, they definitely need to crack down on bicyclists on the sidewalks here in Plainfield. I stand my ground on the sidewalk. I figure if they hit me, it's the bicyclist who will fall, not me. I'm rather solid.
• One of the Plainfield Narcotics/Gang cops bought me a cold bottle of water when he saw me waiting for the bus. Aw, how sweet of him! I really like those guys!
• A month from now I'll be on staycation. I can't wait! I need the sleep.
• My latest rent increase for the new yearly lease is $7. I guess I can afford that even though there are cheaper places to live. I do like this location and these landlords now are the best yet -- new windows, they maintain the elevator, new machines in the laundry room, new drainpipes, quasi-landscaping (mulch, hedge trimming and such), things fixed quickly, no regular $50 yearly increases like the past criminal landlord, good neighbors on my wing (most there for years although the apartment above has turned over about four or five times in my years here), location is good for public transportation and walking places.
• Moving would also be a huge hassle. So, I'm staying. Now it's going to be on 14 years. Oy.

Onto the photos for the week. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a Photobucket page. From there, you can increase the size twice by clicking on the magnifying glass. Just X out of that page to return to the blog.

The Plainfield Train Station groundhog

He thinks he's hiding from me. But I see him. Alas, I had no bread for him. He doesn't look like he's starving to me!

Spiderweb in the morning sun

No spider, though. This is on the railing alongside the parking lot of the Bridgewater Train Station. It's HUGE!

Chicory blossom, Plainfield Train Station

The blossoms close up overnight and open in the morning. They're usually unfurling their petals on my early work commutes. This and more in this week's flowers slideshow after the jump!

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

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds into Sunday - August 17

Now, that's good TV! Yup, uh-huh!

The aftermath of ZingBot resonates through the house. Oh, and the Power of Veto comp itself has put some on edge. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Zing That!:

• Yeah, Frankie won the PoV.
• But, did you realize his sister's a worldwide pop sensation?
• I bet you didn't!
• Christine is the most upset about what ZingBot had to say about her.
• Aw, poor baby. Maybe she shouldn't be hanging all over Cody then, huh? ZingBot has her worried about what her husband, pastor and family think.
• A little too late to worry about that. The damage is done. She's acting way too trampy for someone who supposedly has the love of her life sitting at home watching!
• As a very non-touchy-feely person myself, all of this caressing this season in the house tends to make me happy not to be in there.
• Derrick's zing was about his looks. Quasimodo? Hmm. The actual comment apparently was about all the attractive men in the house and then there's Derrick. Now, that's kind of mean and personal. With Christine, she brought it on herself. Looks can't be really helped. 
• But Derrick's rolling with the punches. After all, that's how the dude rolls.
• Frankie's zing was about looking pale because he's always standing in his sister's shadow.
• Oh.
• Did you know his sister is famous?
• Zach's had to do with that (silly) gator chop clap he does and being unemployed. What's so cool about them? Nothing!
• Donny's zing said he looks like Duck Dynasty but his social game is more like Suck Dynasty.
• ZingBot told Caleb that he wears so much make-up that he's more like Beast Mode Cowgirl. Heehee!
• ZingBot: What do you call a guy who wears pink, cries a lot and cuddles with men? ZACH.
• Frankie's first thought is to put Victoria on the block after saving (probably) Caleb.
• But he knows Derrick doesn't want her up there.
• He then decides that Victoria is rather harmless (and most likely the perfect person to be in the final two with as she wouldn't win) and his focus turns on Zach.
• When Zach told Cody that the viewers must notice how much touching there is between Christine and him (Cody), Cody said ALL the girls caress his hair.
• @@
• If I were in there, I wouldn't be touching him all the time.
• The Cody/Christine zing is also bothering Cody.
• THEN STOP ALL THE CONSTANT CARESSING!
• Caleb told Derrick and Cody about Frankie coming up with the idea to put Zach on the block.
• Music to Derrick's ears!
• Christine kept crying and honking.
• Cody thinks he'd stay over Zach but was worried he'd leave if up against either Christine or Victoria.
• Now, I'd like to see Christine go. She skeeves me out on too many levels.
• But Cody might be better to be against in the final two than Victoria. He's won fewer comps and only when paired with someone else (if memory serves). To me, he's kind of worthless. Not only that, but he doesn't even seem as good-looking as he did in the beginning of the season.
• Derrick thinks that the ZingBot shouldn't have brought family (Christine's husband) into the zings.
• While Derrick had been chosen to host the PoV comp, he didn't -- Kathy Griffin did. BB gave him goggles as a consolation prize.
• Frankie decided he wants to euthanize Zach, not murder him.
• Cody doesn't know the word "euthanize."
• Oh! Hey! Maybe Frankie's a PROFESSOR! 
• Frankie then made cruder remarks about killing Zach, but I won't go into them here. I try to keep this blog a PG level!
• Victoria's worried about what fans will think of her after the show.
• Heck, going onto the show, that should be a consideration. Many normal people wouldn't want the internet and TV viewing audience scrutinizing their every breath for three months!
• Meanwhile, in other news, Christine is upset that something of hers has mysteriously gone missing.
• Under the drama, Team America is working on the latest mission.
• Derrick spent forever consoling Christine about her zing.
• He really has a good heart. Too bad ZingBot doesn't notice things like that!
• They're (Caleb) not planning to tell Zach he's going up until just before the PoV meeting on Monday.
• Of course, things could change by then.

I won PoV and did you know about my sister?

Too touchy-feely!

HONK!

Derrick consoles Christine

Zach should have earned that robe!

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds - PoV Winner Update - August 16

Look who's wearing the PoV necklace

Yep, Frankie won with Caleb on his tail.

The ZingBot visited. Kathy Griffin was also there. The ZingBot joked about Christine (the married woman) hanging all over Cody. ZING! Yes! Christine is all upset, so she hung onto Cody. Frankie wants to put Victoria on the block.

More much much later.

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds - BOB's over, waiting on PoV Friday night - August 16-17

A well-deserved smile

Welp, the Battle of the Block is over and they're just waiting on the PoV comp as I get this written up. Here's what's been happening inside that Big Brother House of Continuous Comps for Three Days and Boredom for Four:

• If you recall, Donny and Christine were teamed together as Derrick's nominees; Caleb and Cody as Frankie's.
• Christine was supposed to throw the BoB, Derrick remain the sole HoH.
• Donny was the target. Or, if tides turned, dethroned Frankie or Christine's names were being tossed about a bit, too. Derrick promised Victoria safety.
• So ... Christine did throw the comp.
• No, she didn't just sit out like Caleb did last week.
• She actually threw the comp.
• Didn't matter.
• Donny won it pretty much on his own.
• I'm sure it helped that Caleb and Cody bungled about and did so poorly.
• Doesn't matter.
• Donny's safe for yet another week!
• Derrick is dethroned, but I doubt he's in any danger of being nominated.
• On the other hand, Victoria just might be in deep doo-doo.
• Not only did Donny win, but he knows Derrick was masterminding his exit this week. Before the comp, he questioned the whole Skittles pick thing. After the BoB, at one point Derrick left the room after having a congratulatory talk with Donny and Donny just threw up a WTF kind of gesture as the door closed. He knows the score.
• Caleb is sure that BB was somehow transmitting signals to Donny during the comp.
• @@
• It was one of those where they're in a dark scary place and have to find items -- in this case, bones.
• They were all covered with blue dirt and such.
• Derrick got dunked in orange goop upon dethronement.
• Caleb and Zach were talking in the storage room. Caleb KNOWS Donny isn't what he says he is! No way could a janitor or groundskeeper be that slick! No way!
• Although we know that Derrick's plan went hugely awry, the way he's handling things shows just how good he is at this stuff.
• It's almost like it's seamless.
• He doesn't want to draw attention to himself by fighting to save Victoria when the rest want to target her. That would do his own game no good even if his hope was to beat Victoria in the final two.
• So, he has to break the news to Victoria that he has no control and that she just might go on the block and could get evicted.
• Hey, it's not HIS fault! It's out of his hands!
• She tells him that if she goes, she doesn't want to see him in jury and will vote for him to win.
• Mission accomplished.
• Speaking of missions, Team America is definitely on board with the latest one, but won't start on it until after the veto comp. They have until Wednesday to complete it.
• Oh ... and speaking of Team America, both Frankie and Derrick are acting to Donny's face that it's fantastic that he won the BOB and they're thrilled he's staying.
• He sees right through them, but remains pleasant and cordial AS IF he believes they're happy with the BOB outcome.
• Derrick told Frankie that he thinks Donny hasn't been on board with the TA thing all along while they have.
• He also told him that he's been wanting to work with Donny but doesn't think Donny has trusted him all along.
• He's right.
• If no one uses the veto and Caleb and Cody remain on the block, they think it will probably be Caleb going home.
• In an unusual sense of timing, the veto players were picked -- Besides Frankie, Cody and Caleb -- Victoria, Donny and Christine. Derrick will host.
• Thus starts the speculation about who would do what with the veto if they won.
• @@
• Victoria told Derrick she would probably keep the nominations the same so he wouldn't be in danger.
• Aw, isn't that just so sweet ...!
• They think something is up with the timing as the players are usually picked in the morning.
• While they've been hoping for ZingBot, we know it's actually coming.
• But, kind of like Santa Claus, it doesn't usually arrive until the good boys and girls are all snuggled in their beds.
• That could be 10am with this all-night crowd!

Donny's no groundskeeper or janitor!

So, what's going to happen now?

Steal those stolen bunny slippers!

This stuff isn't good for my psoriasis.

Dethroned and orange

My future is now murky

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds Friday daytime & nominations! - August 15

Nominations Today

Here's what's been happening so far today inside that Big Brother House of Now Waiting for BOB:

• While still fussing about going on the block so much, Caleb is thrilled to be off of slop. He's trying to catch up with the calories he lost.
• While the feeds were blocked with Jeff interviews/highlights for the nominations, we got a sneak peek of what goes down behind the walls as they angled for shots and a staff member (or hamster tech!) walked through the house.
• Oops!
• There was no sound. But it looked like the hamsters were not happy little rodents.
• As per the Skittles pick -- Derrick nominated Donny and Christine while Frankie nominated Caleb and Cody.
• Caleb is sure that Survivor is going to snatch him right up!
• @@
• Derrick had told Donny about the Skittles pick and how he was the only one not there because he was sleeping.
• He didn't tell him his Skittle was already in the hat!
• Derrick pointed out that if the competition is mental, he and Christine should win hands down.
• He didn't tell him that Christine is going to throw the comp.
• But, who knows if she actually will throw it? Zach was right in that it's getting a bit late in the game to throw comps -- others could seize the opportunity to get you out much more easily.
• Derrick got the Team America mission. We chose the stealing of an item of clothes from each person (including themselves) and setting up a 24 hour neighborhood watch patrol which they can participate in, but also have to involve three others.
• They declare it doable!
• They think Caleb would jump at the chance for the neighborhood watch.
• I think they should steal Caleb's Amber's bunny slippers!
• BB gave them arts and crafts from the dollar store to amuse themselves.
• Still no word on when the BOB is going down. They're on indoor lockdown awaiting it.

Telling Donny he should be safe

Not done up for the day

Lost in his thoughts (or lack thereof)

Hamster tech